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  1. Home
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  3. The Best (and Worst) Pop Cult High Schools

The Best (and Worst) Pop Cult High Schools

With ''Gossip Girl'' back, we look at the high schools we're glad we didn't attend (hello, Sunnydale) and the ones we wish we did (Hogwarts, here we come!)
By EW Staff Updated April 18, 2008 at 08:00 PM EDT
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Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, ...
Credit: Everett Collection

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Ed Westwick, Blake Lively, ...
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Freaks and Geeks | It would be impossible to just pick one of the kids from William McKinley High School, as they all pretty much embodied outcasts. From stoner…
Credit: Chris Haston

THE JUDD APATOW COLLECTION

Before his string of box office hits, Judd Apatow had a string of critically acclaimed but tragically low-rated TV comedies. From the pop culture parodies of The Ben Stiller Show (1992) to the maladjusted high schoolers of Freaks and Geeks (Above, 1999-2000) and the maladjusted college freshmen of Undeclared (2001-02), the comedy king perfected his hilariously (and sometimes painfully) realistic portrayal of misfit-and-geekdom with cult TV hits before striking gold on the silver screen.

Read the reviews:
The Ben Stiller Show

Freaks and Geeks

Undeclared

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P.J. Soles, The Ramones, ...
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Napoleon Dynamite, Efren Ramirez, ... | This nerdapalooza was the definition of a sleeper, with fans quoting lines like ''A liger... it's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion…

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Brick, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
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Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty, ...
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Van Halen

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Mischa Barton, The O.C., ...
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Phoebe Cates, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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Degrassi High

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Luke Perry, Ian Ziering, ...

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"Hot Lunch" Jam, Fame (1980)

"Hot Lunch" Jam, Fame (1980)
Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection

How does the student body at the New York High School of Performing Arts spend their lunch break? By spontaneously breaking out into an awesome dance and song number. Thanks, Fame, for making our high school years seem even lamer. Why couldn't Irene Cara have been in our class?

WATCH IT!

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Dave Foley, Sky High
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