Freaks & Geeks was saved by MTV. But Judd Apatow said no.

What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?

The mythology of Freaks and Geeks had it that NBC cancelled the series too soon and thus ended one of TV's finest series prematurely. The cast went on to become the biggest stars in US film and TV, while the series showrunners went off and made the biggest comedy films for the next 20 years.

But that's not the whole story. Apparently there was an offer o…