Freaks & Geeks was a television series set in 1980-1981 Michegan, America. It centres around a group of teenagers during their high school year. After 18 episodes, the network that showed the series NBC decided to cancel it, leaving it to become a cult phenomenon. The show's name comes from the opposing groups the series focusses on. As a period television show, there is great attention to detail in the characters, clothing, setting, soundtrack and cultural references. Though not like many "costume dramas", a sub-genre that period drama is generally related to - the show is technically a period drama as its set in a certain era.

Much of the show is character driven over plot, following the lives of the students. The soundtrack accompanies the time in which the series takes place, often using popular songs from that particular time period, like singles that may have been in the charts, such as Van Halen, The Who, Billy Joel and others. The show's premise circulates around the different social groups in a 1980s high school, with the main character Lindsay Weir being influenced into a group known on the show as "Freaks", who aren't academically motivated or accepting of the rules.

Much of the show has fairly standard use of camera work for a single camera drama, but some of the scenes, specifically the Dodgeball scene located below is shot in such a way as to perceive the danger and violence of the game to the "Geeks" who are being attacked by the opposing team of jockish figures. The camera work is swift and shaky, almost echoing the fear of the characters being attacked. There's use of slow motion almost making it like a parody of battle scenes or shootouts in action and war movies. This may be from the point of view of the Geeks who are more used to staying at home watching movies:

Another notable use of camera and sound is in the opening sequence of the show. A prolonged intro sequence which introduces each character through the school norm of a student photograph. This manages to not only establish their setting, but also the characters, through the ways they react, respond and present themselves through this. Along with that is a popular song of the time "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.

Overall, the series is unique in a number of ways but keeps to some of the norms of a television series, and specifically a period drama. Influences seem to come from 80s movies, such as John Hughes films.