One of the curious things about Judd Apatow as a director is how successful he has been despite so often playing against his strengths. Apatow made his name as one of the best television writers going, working on critically lauded shows like The Ben Stiller Show and The Larry Sanders Show, then helping bring one of the all-time greatest shows ever made, Freaks and Geeks, into existence. Since moving into directing, he has gone completely against the idea of sticking to a script in favour of having his cast improvise extensively.