'Freaks and Geeks' cast and crew celebrate 20th anniversary: 'I loved going to work'
It's been 20 years since "Freaks and Geeks" first aired and made us all feel a little bit better about our own awkward high school experiences.
"Freaks" was short-lived – it lasted just one season – but gained a cult following and helped launch the careers of several young actors. Maybe you've heard of James Franco, Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel or Busy Philipps?
The cast and crew celebrated Wednesday's anniversary with social media tributes, shocked at how soon the big milestone arrived and sharing love for being a part of the show.
"Where did all that time go?" wondered the now-34-year-old John Francis Daley, who played freshman geek Sam Weir.
Samm Levine, Weir's best friend Neal Schweiber, also marveled at how quickly time seemed to pass.
"Twenty. Years," he tweeted. "Happy anniversary to the show that changed my life. Happy anniversary to the greatest fans in the world. Happy anniversary to the best cast and crew I’ve ever had the pleasure to have worked with."
Executive producer, writer and director Judd Apatow joked that it "feels like no more than sixteen" years since the show's premiere, before sharing a slideshow of cast and crew photos.
Philipps, who played bully Kim Kelly, girlfriend to James Franco's Daniel Desario, shared a tribute to her first major acting role.
"This is a big week for me in terms of TV show history, I guess," she captioned a series of behind-the-scenes throwback photos.
"20 (TWENTY?!) years ago TODAY FREAKS AND GEEKS premiered on NBC. It feels like a million years ago and also two years ago. I've always remained humbled and grateful that this was my first job in Hollywood. And really, I think it's as great today as it was 20 years ago and that really says something, I think. I love Kim Kelly with all my heart and I'm so glad I got to be her for a while and then also forever."
Writer and producer Gabe Sachs posted several black-and-white photos he took on set, including one of Apatow joking with Cardellini, Segel, Rogen and Franco.
"This is pretty much how rehearsals went," he wrote. "@juddapatow would keep everyone laughing... I remember laughing every day while we were filming this show. I loved going to work and never wanted to leave."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Busy Philipps, Judd Apatow celebrate 'Freaks and Geeks' at 20