After a successful reunion at PaleyFest last month, Judd Apatow is getting the 'Freaks and Geeks' band back together -- literally.

A source tells TV Squad that Apatow and 'F&G' stars Jason Segel and Seth Rogen are currently developing a 'Freaks' spin-off that would revolve around the band Creation. You know what that means? An updated version of 'Lady L' and more Segel-penned masterpieces.

We just have one question: How many pieces will Nick's drum kit have now?!

He's in your movie theaters, your DVD shelf, your library, your art gallery. He may have even enrolled at your school. Last Wednesday, he was on prime time (did you spot his cameo on 'Minute to Win It'?); this Friday he's on daytime; on Sunday, he's hosting the Oscars.

But as ubiquitous as Oscar nominee James Franco has become in the past 12 months, most of America probably knows him best as Tobey Maguire's BFF-turned-archnemesis in the 'Spider-Man' trilogy or, for TV fans with long memories, the star of the short-lived but well-loved 'Freaks and Geeks,' a dramedy that aired on NBC for one season from 1999–2000.

At 32, Franco has accomplished more in the past decade than most people achieve in a lifetime. Join us after the jump for a look back at where James Franco's been and a look ahead at where he's going, regardless of whether he wins that little gold statue on Sunday.

More than 10 years after it went off the air, 'Freaks and Geeks' is getting a second life -- sort of.

The Paley Center for Media confirmed this week that the cast of the beloved yet short-lived show will reunite in its PaleyFest 2011 schedule of television panels, along with the cast of another Judd Apatow project, 'Undeclared.'

Also on the docket are panels about 'American Idol,' 'True Blood' and 'The Walking Dead.'

In other TV news ...

• Comedy Central announced that its latest roast victim will be Donald Trump. "I'll show up to the Roast because Comedy Central is paying me a lot of money, but I'm confused as to how anybody could make fun of me," said Trump. [Comedy Central]

• Actress Leven Rambin scored a possibly recurring role on 'CSI: Miami.' The former 'Scoundrels' and 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' will play an evidence technician named Molly Sloan who catches the eye of Ryan Wolfe. She'll debut in the 14th episode of the season. [Movieline]

• Rita Wilson and F. Murray Abraham will appear in the upcoming episode of 'The Good Wife' loosely based on 'The Social Network.' Wilson will play a "top-of-her-field lawyer" who's an old friend of Diane's and Abraham will play the attorney representing the film studio. [EW]

A familiar face might shuffle across your TV screen next year in a quest for brains: The site Socyberty.com reports that Charlie Sheen is confirmed to appear as a zombie on season 2 'The Walking Dead.'

Wait, what? Isn't he on TV's biggest sitcom? Well, yeah. Just as we suspected, the news is sadly untrue. Unfortunately, E! Online reports that an AMC rep called the story "crazy."

Blast! We were having so much fun thinking about which way Zombie Charlie would kick the proverbial bucket (again): axe to the head? Gunshot? Bludgeoning? Oh, the possibilities ...

In other TV news ...

• After a long and storied film (and workout video) career, Jane Fonda wants to venture into television. "I have a sort of a vision of what it could be and that's all that I'll say," Fonda said. "I think the best, edgiest writing is now on cable television. It's pretty exciting." [AP]

• Awesome alert: The 'Freaks and Geeks' cast will probably reunite for a Q&A at the 2011 PaleyFest in March. Co-executive producer Judd Apatow said arrangements are coming together for the sure-to-be-epic event. [Variety]

• 'True Blood's' season 4 recurring cast keeps on growing. 'Hawthrone' actress Christina Moore will play Suzanne McKittrick, a Texas housewife with special powers. In addition to Moore, 'Lost' actor Neil Hopkins will play Claude and Chris Butler will play Emory, a shapeshifter. [Deadline Hollywood]

It's been 10 years since 'Freaks and Geeks' ended (the finale aired July 8, 2000). The last we saw of Lindsay Weir she was heading off into the sunset with her Deadhead classmates.

Looking back at the show, it's evident that the short-lived series had a pretty profound impact on pop culture. Not only did the show give viewers a closer look stars-in-the-making Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, James Franco and Jason Segel, but it also showcased some great music. There was something for everybody in 'Freaks and Geeks' and its themes still resonate today as much as they did 10 years ago.

Liberty, sweet liberty -- it's a value at the heart of the American spirit. But when a TV character or personality asserts their right to be free in the sometimes predictable world of the tube, it can come as a serious shock.

From Simon leaving 'American Idol' to Conan bidding adieu to NBC, let's celebrate the moments when TV stars boldly declared their independence. Sometimes the results were revolutionary, sometimes they were disastrous, and for some, the jury's still out.

Everybody has one, the show that was canceled too soon. You fall in love with a series, but the general public doesn't and then the giant axe comes-a-fallin'. You write to the network, you send nuts, candy bars, photos, whatever, you start an online petition and everything prove futile.

But, shows have beat cancellation years after they were buried! 'Futurama' recently rose from the dead, so why can't our favorite canceled series also get a reprieve?

We named the ones we miss the most and why, plus a pitch to get them back (some more serious than others).

For 10 years, 'Freaks and Geeks' has stood as a Holy Grail of quality TV making that, like so many great shows, was canceled too soon.

Now, it's returned. IFC will begin airing reruns of the Judd Apatow-produced Emmy-winning series about '80s suburban high school life starting Fri., Jul. 2 at 11PM ET, with encores 10PM Sundays and 11PM Mondays, according to the network.

IFC will also run the Apatow-helmed college comedy 'Undeclared' in the fall.

HBO has another new comedy to add to its unstoppable onslaught of original programming. Laura Dern is set to star in 'Enlightened,' which is about a "self-destructive woman who has a revelatory experience at a treatment center." The pilot was co-written by Dern and Mike White, who is best known for his work on 'Freaks and Geeks' and the movie 'School of Rock.' The two have previously worked together on the movie 'Year of the Dog.'

While the premise sounds good, it's also fairly vague. This is a good thing because it allows for the creators to take the concept in whatever direction they prefer. Still, it sounds suspiciously a lot like an HBO series called 'My Name is Earl,' but with a female lead. Of course that depends on one's definition of "self-destructive."

Production of the series is set to begin this summer. The pilot has already been filmed but HBO has ordered nine additional episodes. They'll probably be broadcast either late 2010 or early 2011.

One man bands have always creeped me out. They never brought joy or happiness to my life. Even as a very, very small (in height, not width) child, they always looked like steampunk jukeboxes trapped inside some kind of twisted mechanical music machine that mocked their every step with annoying oompah-pah tunes.

One man, or rather two of him, have changed my perception on that phobia forever. Musician Fredrik Larsson has put together a beautiful rendition of TVs greatest tunes using nothing but a keyboard, an acoustic guitar and a DNA perfect clone of himself.

Trust me when I tell you this: the 'Charles in Charge' theme never sounded this, well, listenable.


[via Buzzfeed]

Created by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, 'Freaks and Geeks' is one of those rare television treasures that no one saw or appreciated until it was too late. Okay, that's unfair. Critics, the press and the loyal fans who did find the show on NBC immediately knew that it was something special. Unfortunately, it didn't find wide enough appeal to last beyond its first season.

Ironically, the show's cast of virtual unknowns now reads like an all-star comedy troupe, which is a testament to the brilliant casting that went on behind the scenes of the show. Finding such talented kids, and then coupling them with brilliant writing crafted on of the most revered television shows of all time.

The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column or in TV Squad's APB Podcast.

To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them to asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I follow up on the last "Ask TV Squad" about TV shows on DVD and answer a question about which TV DVDs you should own.

Thomas F. Wilson is mostly known for his role as Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future movies, but he's also done a lot of television. His second most famous role is likely that of Coach Ben Fredericks on Freaks and Geeks, and he's done a lot of voice acting for various cartoons including The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

Why bring all this up? Because he also does stand-up comedy and has a clip on YouTube that practically made me pee myself and potentially ruin a good office chair.

Freaks and Geeks is not only a cult classic among TV fans, but it's also one of TV Squad's favorite "Ol' Yellers". Those are the shows that were taken out back and shot down by the networks before they had a chance to fully develop, despite the crying, whimpering, snot-producing pleas of those who loved them most. It may not be clever, but it sounded a lot nicer than "stillborns".

So it's no surprise that the show made a cameo appearance in a recent AOL interview with mega-superduperstar Seth Rogen on the heels of his new movie Observe and Report about a rogue mall cop who is more tazer-happy than the campus police at the University of Florida.