How about it, Fox? Give `Freaks and Geeks' a chance

Are you there, Fox? It's me, Melanie.

Fox, before we go any further, I just want to thank you for finally killing off "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Party of Five." Bless you. Now I can get rid of my Tori Spelling voodoo dolls.

Now that you have a spare room, why not invite "Freaks and Geeks" over to join the party?

You know they deserve a chance. Think back to high school. Admit it, you were geeks. Nerds. Burnouts. Whatever you call it, you never forget that feeling of rejection. Sure, all you execs are rich and popular now, but we both know I can dig up some pretty awful pictures of you guys.

Well, that insecure feeling you've since managed to mask is still fresh for fans and creators of the canceled show "Freaks and Geeks." NBC condemned it to a horrible slot on Saturday nights, yanked it, then re-introduced it without much fanfare on Monday nights, where it was trounced by ubergeek Regis Philbin.

"It could not be more personal," said Judd Apatow, executive producer of "Freaks and Geeks." "Almost every story, in some form, happened to one of the writers on our staff. So they're not just canceling your show. They're canceling your life." I'd say that's worse than a wedgie.

In response, fans around the nation have banded together to form Operation Haverchuck. Tomorrow Operation Haverchuck will run a full-page ad in Variety, urging you and other networks to consider giving "Freaks and Geeks" another home and another season. Apatow estimated the show was on the air for only 12 episodes here and there. People couldn't follow the storylines, so it was hard to get hooked.

You wouldn't do that to the show, would you, Fox? Heck, I remember the way you suckled "Party of Five" until it could stand on its own. "Freaks" is worth nurturing.

Though the show was set in Michigan's William McKinley High School in 1980, its issues were timeless and hit home with all ages. Neal Schweiber, Bill Haverchuck and Sam Weir, the geeks, struggled to fit. Sam's sister, Lindsay, and her boyfriend, Nick Baron, tuned out with the rest of the freaks.

More than a high-school story, though, "Freaks and Geeks" was about the pain of living. Betrayal. Abandonment. Recognizing and railing against mortality - this was the heavy stuff "Freaks and Geeks" addressed through the eyes of its high schoolers.

Garrett Krnich, a film studies student at the University of California, Berkeley, believes "Freaks and Geeks" could have been a history-making hit if NBC gave it a chance. "It speaks to this overall concept of life. These specific erosions and things we deal with at any level in our lives, whether we're 7 or 50 or whatever," the 21-year-old said.

In addition to the Variety ad, Krnich and his Haverchuck co-founder, Cindy Kopecky, are appealing to museums to air a retrospective of its 18 episodes, which the New York Museum of Broadcasting is now doing. All of this comes at a crucial time: During the first two weeks of May, networks make their decision about which shows they want for fall.

Time is running out, Fox. Several of the actors have been picked up for other shows. Even good ol' Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr) is making a pilot with Wayne Knight for the Turners. All are still under contract with "Freaks and Geeks," so if the show gets picked up, they're obligated to stick with it.

Step up to the challenge, Fox. Think of how great this show would be with "Malcolm in the Middle" and "That '70s Show." I know you don't care much about us critics - we're still geeks to you. Hear the fans, then. Amen.

Phew! Now that that's out of the way, are you there, WB? It's me, Melanie.

To join the effort to save "Freaks and Geeks," log on to www.haverchuck.org or www.freaksandgeeks.com. Geeky Melanie McFarland can be reached at 206-464-2256 or by e-mail at mmcfarland@seattletimes.com.