i remember early in the year 2000 listening to a local be talk radio station in los angeles ( i believe it be phil hendrie ) . the topic of the hour be what your favorite tv show currently on the air . for the next hour i hear a lot of reference to two show represent malcolm in the middle and this other show and popular . i couldn not believe what i be hear . i have already see malcolm and know it be hilarious . but what about popular . the commercial make it look like a typical weekly teeny bop high school show and a la save by the bell and but in prime time ( l we forget zach do go to college in the evening though ) . the amount of praise i heard for popular make me check it out . the advertisement be wrong . what i find in this show be a sleek and hilarious and dramatic and clever and fill to the brim with 80 reference show not about kid in high school today ( circa 1999 2000 ) and but if kid from my generation be to go to high school today ( yes and i go to high school in the 80 ) . i think the failure of popular be the advertising i refer to earlier for the show . it be go after kid in high school for rating . but the show be make for ( i feel ) an entirely different generation . if only the one it be make for have watch . it would probably still be on . this be one of the few program i have ever see that manage to balance outright slapstick comedy with serious drama . and it do it so well in my opinion that i seriously mourn the loss of the show when it be cancel . my favorite season two moment 1 ) mary cherry ( leslie grossman ) audition for judge and include jim j. bullock ( way before american idol become a household name ) . rock me amadeus and by falco . 2 ) nicole julian ( tammy lynn michael ) rise to class president ( one of the most clever and complex episode ever write for television flat out incredible comedy ) . 3 ) every scene with michelle phillips ( abra abra cadabra . ) . 4 ) the gay episode about bobbi glass ( diane delano ) it give me chill and again prove how the writer be almost magically able to juggle comedy and drama every week . the casting of the show be simply brilliant . everyone do an incredible job and i be please to see several of the cast rid other road to fame a of 2008 ( christopher gorham on jake 2 . 0 and then the successful ugly betty ) . the only thing i can pray for at this point be either rerun ( lifetime or oxygen i be guess . but maybe comedy central . ) or and gasp a dvd release . then a lot more people can have a chance to see a show that i firmly believe should have be popular . edit both season be on dvd now . there really be a god . my personal thanks to the caller of that los angeles be talk radio program who tout the praise of this show . you get it right and and i be glad i saw of it what i do .