When the cast and crew of NBC's teen drama 'Freaks & Geeks' found out they were on the verge of cancellation, they decided to lean into their frustration. And, surprisingly, this attitude made the show better.

In a 2013 oral history with Vanity Fair, executive producer Judd Apatow revealed that the episode 'The Little Things' was inspired The episode tackled topics like disappointment and love, showcasing the characters' true emotions.

Freaks Geeks Looming Details and Timeline

Of course, that was the antithesis of what "Freaks & Geeks" was meant to be: a genuine, honest look at what adolescence was like for teens in public school in the 1980s.

And though the acclaimed series was cancelled way too soon, fans later turned it into a cult classic, proving that they, at least, appreciate more than the network ever did.

Do you remember senioritis? It was that feeling back in high school when graduation was so close that it didn't matter what you did anymore. Well, when the cast and crew of the NBC teen dramedy "Freaks & Geeks" learned that they were on the verge of cancellation, they started to lean into their senioritis a little bit more.

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And, surprisingly, this attitude made the show better.

Freaks Geeks Looming Next Steps and Impact

In Vanity Fair's 2013 oral history of one of the best coming-of-age shows of all time, executive producer Judd Apatow revealed that the episode "The Little Things," an excellent commentary on the many disappointments faced " After a lot of back and forth with himself and his friends about it, Ken ultimately doubles down on his declaration of love and apologizes for how he reacted to finding out.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Apatow said they decided to get "ambitious and aggressive" " He also described this as a "'F*** you'" to the network. Director Jake Kasdan added, "There was this sense that it wasn't going to last, so the network wasn't really going to try to fix it."

Throughout the entire process of making "Freaks & Geeks," NBC proved time and time again that they fundamentally did not understand the show or its characters. In a 2009 interview with The Guardian, writer Gabe Sachs recalled an occasion when executives asked about John Francis Daley's nerdy and awkward Sam Weir making out with a cheerleader.