Charlie Hunnam's 17-Episode Comedy Series Deserves The Same Cult Love As Freaks & Geeks

Published Sep 26, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT

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Charlie Hunnam may not be known for his comedic roles, but his short-lived 2000s sitcom is a hidden gem. Though he was already an established actor in his native Britain, Hunnam's breakout Hollywood role would come in FX's hit motorcycle gang drama, Sons of Anarchy, in which he played the Hamlet-esque, morally grey biker protagonist Jax Teller.

On the silver screen, Hunnam has appeared in several blockbuster films, including Pacific Rim and The Lost City of Z, but television is where he's enjoyed his best success. Now officially a member of Ryan Murphy's growing repertory of actors, Hunnam received his first Primetime Emmy nomination for his role as serial killer Ed Gein in Monster season 3 — despite the season being absolutely lambasted by critics — and returned to Monster season 4, where he plays Lizzie Borden's ill-fated father, Andrew Borden.

However, before all that, Hunnam starred in Judd Apatow's forgotten comedy series, Undeclared. Premiering on Fox in 2001, Undeclared centered on six college freshmen — including Hunnam's theater major and resident ladies' man, Lloyd Haythe — navigating the misadventures of post-secondary life. Like Apatow's much more famous Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared was canceled after one season despite critical acclaim, and it sadly never reached the cult status of its high school comedy counterpart.

Undeclared Feels Like Freaks & Geeks' Unofficial Sequel

From Hunnam's Lloyd to the dorky protagonist, Steven Karp (Jay Baruchel), the main characters of Undeclared are every bit as fresh yet lived-in as those played by the A-list Freaks and Geeks cast, and though they have a bit more life experience and a lot more freedom, they are navigating many of the same issues. Just as Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) wants to discover who she is by distancing herself from her cookie-cutter good-girl image, Steven, like so many others, sees college as the perfect place to reinvent himself. The only problem is, he doesn't know how — hence his undeclared major.

This is where Undeclared derives much of its humor, as its young characters make hilarious and humiliating yet deeply relatable messes in their quest for identity. The fact that they're in college just gives them a bigger playground for their many failures and rare triumphs. Add in a healthy dose of Apatowian heart, and Undeclared is the quintessential spiritual successor to Freaks and Geeks.

Undeclared's Cast & Guest Stars Make It A Must-Watch

For a show as underseen as Undeclared, it's absolutely teeming with A-list talent — Hunnam is just the beginning. The main cast also stars Seth Rogen as Ron Garner, essentially a young adult version of his wise-cracking Freaks and Geeks character. Plenty of other Freaks and Geeks alumni appear in Undeclared as well, including Busy Philipps, Jason Segel, Samm Levine, and Martin Starr.

The famous faces don't stop there, either. Former SNL stars Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, and Adam Sandler appear, as do Kevin Hart and Ben Stiller. Other guest stars include Mean Girls' Lizzy Caplan, The Office's Jenna Fischer, The Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg, Smallville's Tom Welling, and even Mike White of The White Lotus and Survivor fame.

Question 1 of 3

College settings often don't translate well to TV. Not everybody gets a post-secondary education the way most attend high school. As a result, teen shows often flail in their college seasons or skip them entirely. Setting an entire series at a college was a bold choice, and one that ultimately didn't pan out for Judd Apatow. However, Undeclared was clearly good enough to attract top-tier talent, and the show is worth a watch based on star power alone.