Boy Meets World
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''Boy Meets World'' is an American
coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can ...
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
created by Michael Jacobs and
April Kelly April Kelly (born April Kalinowski) is an American television writer and producer, who co-created '' Boy Meets World'' and ''Girl Meets World'' with Michael Jacobs. Career She was a writer on the shows ''Happy Days'' and ''Mork & Mindy''. She ...
that aired on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on
Cory Matthews Cornelius "Cory" A. Matthews is a fictional character appearing on the 1993 family sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' and its 2014 sequel ''Girl Meets World'', both created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly. He is portrayed by Ben Savage. Biography ...
(
Ben Savage Bennett Joseph Savage (born September 13, 1980) is an American actor. He played the lead role of Cory Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and its Disney Channel sequel '' Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). Early life S ...
) and his friends and family, as he progresses from childhood to adulthood. Episodes chronicle the everyday events of Cory's home and school life; his teacher and neighbor George Feeny (
William Daniels William David Daniels (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor, who is best known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig in the drama series '' St. Elsewhere'', for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT in the tel ...
) delivers life lessons as Cory learns to cope with social and personal issues of adolescence. Cory has strong relationships with his older brother Eric (
Will Friedle Will Friedle () (born August 11, 1976) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Eric Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000). In animation, he voices Terry McGinnis / Batman on ''Batman Beyond'' (1 ...
), younger sister Morgan (
Lily Nicksay Lily Nicksay (born January 8, 1988) is an American actress. She is known for originating the role of Morgan Matthews, Cory's little sister, in the first two seasons of ''Boy Meets World''. She reprised the role for the season 3 finale of ''Girl M ...
), and parents, Amy (
Betsy Randle Betsy May Randle (born June 24, 1950) is an American actress known for her role as Amy Matthews on '' Boy Meets World'' which lasted seven seasons. Biography Born in Chicago, Randle grew up in the suburb of Glenview. She is a graduate of New T ...
) and Alan (
William Russ William Russ (born October 20, 1950) is an American actor and television director. He played Alan Matthews on the sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and appeared in the television series '' Wiseguy'', the soap operas '' Another World'' and ...
). Cory's friendship with Shawn Hunter (
Rider Strong Rider King Strong (born December 11, 1979) is an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring as Shawn Hunter on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000), which he reprised in its sequel series ''Girl ...
) and romantic interest in Topanga Lawrence (
Danielle Fishel Danielle Christine Fishel (born May 5, 1981) is an American actress, director, model, and television personality. She began her career in theater, appearing in community productions of ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''Peter Pan''. She made her debut ...
) serve as central focuses of episodes. Overarching themes include a focus on family and friendships as well as discovering one's identity. Further characters were introduced in later seasons; Jonathan Turner (
Anthony Tyler Quinn Anthony Tyler Quinn is an American actor best known for playing Jonathan Turner on ''Boy Meets World'' from 1994 to 1997, a role he later reprised on ''Girl Meets World''. Career He has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies (especially TV ...
), Eli Williams (
Alex Désert Alex Désert (born July 18, 1968) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles in the TV series ''The Flash'', '' The Heights'' with Jamie Walters, '' Becker'' with Ted Danson, and Mr. Williams on '' Boy Meets World'', as well as the voi ...
), Jack Hunter (
Matthew Lawrence Matthew William Lawrence (born February 11, 1980) is an American actor and singer, known for his roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' and ''Boy Meets World''. Lawrence also starred in the series '' Brotherly Love'' with his real-life brothers Joey and An ...
), Angela Moore (
Trina McGee-Davis Trina Colette McGee (formerly known as Trina McGee-Davis) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Angela Moore on the ABC-TV sitcom ''Boy Meets World''. Early life Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, McGee is of Haitian de ...
) and Rachel McGuire (
Maitland Ward Ashley Maitland Welkos (born February 3, 1977), known professionally as Maitland Ward, is an American actress and model. She made her acting debut as Jessica Forrester on the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (1994–1996). Continui ...
).
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
commissioned the series for its youth-oriented TGIF programming block airing on ABC. Jacobs had previously produced ''
Dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
'' for the block and was asked to create a new series for a 12-to-14-year-old audience. Savage was under a contract with ABC at the time and Jacobs chose to include him as the central character. ''Boy Meets World'' was produced by
Michael Jacobs Productions Michael Jacobs Productions is an inactive American production company located at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. It was founded in 1978 by Michael Jacobs. By 1989, the company had reached a film and television producing deal with ...
and
Touchstone Television The second incarnation of Touchstone Television (formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios) was an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Disney Media Networks' Walt Disney Television owned by The Walt Disney Company. It ...
, and premiered on ABC on September 24, 1993. The series concluded on May 5, 2000, as a result of the aging cast and a shift in the network's programming directives. ''Boy Meets World'' experienced strong ratings for the teenage demographic throughout its seven seasons, and it was later syndicated on
Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
. Several cast members were nominated for
Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
s. Savage and Fishel reprised their roles as series regulars in the spin-off ''
Girl Meets World ''Girl Meets World'' is an American comedy television series created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that premiered on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series ran for three seasons, consisting of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 20 ...
'', which aired on Disney Channel from 2014 to 2017, and depicted Cory and Topanga as married parents.


Premise

Cory Matthews (
Ben Savage Bennett Joseph Savage (born September 13, 1980) is an American actor. He played the lead role of Cory Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and its Disney Channel sequel '' Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). Early life S ...
) is a witty eleven-year-old
middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
student who speaks his mind and has an interest in sports. He shares a love-hate relationship with his sixth-grade teacher and neighbour George Feeny (
William Daniels William David Daniels (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor, who is best known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig in the drama series '' St. Elsewhere'', for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT in the tel ...
), and often finds himself in trouble during class. Cory's relationship with his older brother Eric (
Will Friedle Will Friedle () (born August 11, 1976) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Eric Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000). In animation, he voices Terry McGinnis / Batman on ''Batman Beyond'' (1 ...
) becomes strained when Eric's obsession with dating girls, which is a foreign concept to Cory, begins to take precedence over the time they spend together. Cory shares a strong bond with his parents, Amy (
Betsy Randle Betsy May Randle (born June 24, 1950) is an American actress known for her role as Amy Matthews on '' Boy Meets World'' which lasted seven seasons. Biography Born in Chicago, Randle grew up in the suburb of Glenview. She is a graduate of New T ...
) and Alan (
William Russ William Russ (born October 20, 1950) is an American actor and television director. He played Alan Matthews on the sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and appeared in the television series '' Wiseguy'', the soap operas '' Another World'' and ...
), and his younger sister Morgan (
Lily Nicksay Lily Nicksay (born January 8, 1988) is an American actress. She is known for originating the role of Morgan Matthews, Cory's little sister, in the first two seasons of ''Boy Meets World''. She reprised the role for the season 3 finale of ''Girl M ...
). His classmates include his best friend Shawn Hunter (
Rider Strong Rider King Strong (born December 11, 1979) is an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring as Shawn Hunter on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000), which he reprised in its sequel series ''Girl ...
), the intelligent Stuart Minkus (
Lee Norris Lee Michael Norris (born September 25, 1981) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stuart Minkus on ''Boy Meets World'' and its spin-off '' Girl Meets World'', as well as Marvin "Mouth" McFadden on ''One Tree Hill One Tree Hill ma ...
), and the nonconformist Topanga (
Danielle Fishel Danielle Christine Fishel (born May 5, 1981) is an American actress, director, model, and television personality. She began her career in theater, appearing in community productions of ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''Peter Pan''. She made her debut ...
), who he gradually begins to develop feelings for. In the second season, Cory, Shawn and Topanga begin
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
and are taught by Jonathan Turner (
Anthony Tyler Quinn Anthony Tyler Quinn is an American actor best known for playing Jonathan Turner on ''Boy Meets World'' from 1994 to 1997, a role he later reprised on ''Girl Meets World''. Career He has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies (especially TV ...
), an unconventional English teacher, while Mr. Feeny becomes their principal. Cory and Topanga admit their feelings for each other and begin dating in the third season, while Eric is not accepted to any colleges or universities following his high school graduation. The fourth season includes Eric revisiting his studies and Alan opening a sporting goods store with Eric as his partner. Eric begins college in the fifth season and moves into an apartment with Jack (
Matthew Lawrence Matthew William Lawrence (born February 11, 1980) is an American actor and singer, known for his roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' and ''Boy Meets World''. Lawrence also starred in the series '' Brotherly Love'' with his real-life brothers Joey and An ...
), who he learns is Shawn's half-brother. Throughout the season, Shawn develops a relationship with a new student, Angela (
Trina McGee Trina Colette McGee (formerly known as Trina McGee-Davis) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Angela Moore on the ABC-TV sitcom ''Boy Meets World''. Early life Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, McGee is of Haitian de ...
), and Amy falls pregnant. Topanga is accepted to
Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
, but rejects the offer to remain close to Cory, which leads her to propose to him at their graduation. In the sixth season, Cory and his friends begin college, where Mr. Feeny is offered a teaching job. Rachel McGuire (
Maitland Ward Ashley Maitland Welkos (born February 3, 1977), known professionally as Maitland Ward, is an American actress and model. She made her acting debut as Jessica Forrester on the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (1994–1996). Continui ...
) moves in with Eric and Jack and they both develop feelings for her; Jack dates her. The new Matthews baby, Joshua, is born prematurely. Cory and Topanga get married in the seventh season and move into an apartment on campus. The series concludes with Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Eric moving to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, when Topanga secures an internship at a law firm.


Characters

*
Cory Matthews Cornelius "Cory" A. Matthews is a fictional character appearing on the 1993 family sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' and its 2014 sequel ''Girl Meets World'', both created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly. He is portrayed by Ben Savage. Biography ...
(
Ben Savage Bennett Joseph Savage (born September 13, 1980) is an American actor. He played the lead role of Cory Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and its Disney Channel sequel '' Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). Early life S ...
), the protagonist, who experiences challenging scenarios and life lessons as he grows up * George Feeny (
William Daniels William David Daniels (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor, who is best known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig in the drama series '' St. Elsewhere'', for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT in the tel ...
), Cory's teacher, and later principal, who imparts life lessons and advice to his students * Amy Matthews (
Betsy Randle Betsy May Randle (born June 24, 1950) is an American actress known for her role as Amy Matthews on '' Boy Meets World'' which lasted seven seasons. Biography Born in Chicago, Randle grew up in the suburb of Glenview. She is a graduate of New T ...
), Cory's mother * Eric Matthews (
Will Friedle Will Friedle () (born August 11, 1976) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Eric Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000). In animation, he voices Terry McGinnis / Batman on ''Batman Beyond'' (1 ...
), Cory's scatter-brained older brother *
Shawn Hunter ''Boy Meets World'' is an American television sitcom that chronicles the coming of age events and everyday life-lessons of Cory Matthews (Ben Savage). The show aired from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the network's TGIF lineup for seven seaso ...
(
Rider Strong Rider King Strong (born December 11, 1979) is an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring as Shawn Hunter on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000), which he reprised in its sequel series ''Girl ...
), Cory's best friend who comes from a troubled family * Stuart Minkus (
Lee Norris Lee Michael Norris (born September 25, 1981) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stuart Minkus on ''Boy Meets World'' and its spin-off '' Girl Meets World'', as well as Marvin "Mouth" McFadden on ''One Tree Hill One Tree Hill ma ...
) (season 1, guest season 5), an intelligent student in Cory's sixth grade class *
Morgan Matthews Morgan Matthews may refer to: * Morgan Matthews (figure skater), American ice dancer * Morgan Matthews (filmmaker), English filmmaker *Morgan Matthews, a character from the TV series ''Boy Meets World'' {{hndis, Matthews, Morgan ...
(
Lily Nicksay Lily Nicksay (born January 8, 1988) is an American actress. She is known for originating the role of Morgan Matthews, Cory's little sister, in the first two seasons of ''Boy Meets World''. She reprised the role for the season 3 finale of ''Girl M ...
, seasons 1–2; Lindsay Ridgeway, seasons 3–7), Cory's younger sister *
Alan Matthews Alan Matthews may refer to: * Alan Matthews (''Boy Meets World''), a character on ''Boy Meets World'' * Alan Matthews (cricketer) (1913–1996), English cricketer See also * Alan Mathews (born 1965), Irish football manager * Al Matthews (disambi ...
(
William Russ William Russ (born October 20, 1950) is an American actor and television director. He played Alan Matthews on the sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and appeared in the television series '' Wiseguy'', the soap operas '' Another World'' and ...
), Cory's father *
Topanga Lawrence ''Boy Meets World'' is an American television sitcom that chronicles the coming of age events and everyday life-lessons of Cory Matthews (Ben Savage). The show aired from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the network's TGIF lineup for seven seaso ...
(
Danielle Fishel Danielle Christine Fishel (born May 5, 1981) is an American actress, director, model, and television personality. She began her career in theater, appearing in community productions of ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''Peter Pan''. She made her debut ...
) (seasons 2–7, recurring season 1), Cory's classmate and friend, who he develops a relationship with and later marries * Jonathan Turner (
Anthony Tyler Quinn Anthony Tyler Quinn is an American actor best known for playing Jonathan Turner on ''Boy Meets World'' from 1994 to 1997, a role he later reprised on ''Girl Meets World''. Career He has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies (especially TV ...
) (seasons 2–4), Cory's high school English teacher who is easy-going and inspires his students * Eli Williams (
Alex Désert Alex Désert (born July 18, 1968) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles in the TV series ''The Flash'', '' The Heights'' with Jamie Walters, '' Becker'' with Ted Danson, and Mr. Williams on '' Boy Meets World'', as well as the voi ...
) (season 3), another teacher at Cory's high school and Jonathan's best friend from college * Jack Hunter (
Matthew Lawrence Matthew William Lawrence (born February 11, 1980) is an American actor and singer, known for his roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' and ''Boy Meets World''. Lawrence also starred in the series '' Brotherly Love'' with his real-life brothers Joey and An ...
) (seasons 5–7), Shawn's long-lost half-brother *
Angela Moore Angela Moore is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. sta ...
(
Trina McGee-Davis Trina Colette McGee (formerly known as Trina McGee-Davis) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Angela Moore on the ABC-TV sitcom ''Boy Meets World''. Early life Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, McGee is of Haitian de ...
) (seasons 6–7, recurring season 5), Topanga's best friend at college who develops a relationship with Shawn * Rachel McGuire (
Maitland Ward Ashley Maitland Welkos (born February 3, 1977), known professionally as Maitland Ward, is an American actress and model. She made her acting debut as Jessica Forrester on the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (1994–1996). Continui ...
) (seasons 6–7), Topanga and Angela's friend at college and Eric and Jack's roommate


Production


Development and casting

''Boy Meets World'' was created to air on the TGIF programming block which had been airing on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
since 1989. The series was created by Michael Jacobs, who produced ''
Dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
'' for the same block. Jacobs was approached by a
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
executive after the conclusion of ''Dinosaurs'', to write a new series for the 12 to 14-year-old demographic. Jacobs noticed how other sitcoms focused on the oldest child of a family, which led him to create ''Boy Meets World'' with the middle child as the central character.
Ben Savage Bennett Joseph Savage (born September 13, 1980) is an American actor. He played the lead role of Cory Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and its Disney Channel sequel '' Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). Early life S ...
was already under a contract at ABC at 11 years old when Jacobs chose to include him in the series, which became known as ''The Ben Savage Project''. Jacobs wanted to work with
William Daniels William David Daniels (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor, who is best known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig in the drama series '' St. Elsewhere'', for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT in the tel ...
, but Daniels was apprehensive about acting in a sitcom and initially rejected the offer before asking for the pilot to be re-written. Daniels had threatened to quit, and told Jacobs he did not want the role of Mr. Feeny to make fun of teachers, but knew the character would be respected when Jacobs stated it was based on a mentor of his.
Rider Strong Rider King Strong (born December 11, 1979) is an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring as Shawn Hunter on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000), which he reprised in its sequel series ''Girl ...
was the first actor to audition for the role of Shawn and was successful. Strong's older brother
Shiloh Strong Shiloh King Strong (born June 12, 1978) is an American actor, screenwriter, photographer, and film director whose roles include "Zelos Wilder" from '' Tales of Symphonia'', "David Scott" from ''Dinotopia'', and "Grant" from '' Buck Naked Arson' ...
was shortlisted to play Eric alongside
James Marsden James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor, singer, and former model. Marsden began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), ' ...
and
Will Friedle Will Friedle () (born August 11, 1976) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Eric Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000). In animation, he voices Terry McGinnis / Batman on ''Batman Beyond'' (1 ...
; Friedle secured the role, however, a different actor portrayed Eric in the unaired pilot.
Danielle Fishel Danielle Christine Fishel (born May 5, 1981) is an American actress, director, model, and television personality. She began her career in theater, appearing in community productions of ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''Peter Pan''. She made her debut ...
was not the original actor cast as Topanga, but she assumed the role before the character's first episode; Jacobs also threatened to fire Fishel during the filming week. ''Boy Meets World'' was renewed for a fifth season in April 1997. In the fifth season,
Matthew Lawrence Matthew William Lawrence (born February 11, 1980) is an American actor and singer, known for his roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' and ''Boy Meets World''. Lawrence also starred in the series '' Brotherly Love'' with his real-life brothers Joey and An ...
joined the cast as Jack Hunter, Eric's college roommate. Daniels' wife
Bonnie Bartlett Bonnie Bartlett (born June 20, 1929) is an American actress. Her career spans seven decades, with her first major role being on a 1950s daytime drama, ''Love of Life''. Bartlett is known for her role as Grace Snider Edwards on the Michael Land ...
portrays the recurring role of Dean Bolander, the dean of the university, in the later seasons of the show.


Writing and filming

During the writing of the pilot, network executives removed the episode's references to
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, considering these elements as too mature for the audience. The episode was poorly received at the table read, and Jacobs re-wrote the pilot overnight. Part of the rewrite was to ensure that Mr. Feeny was portrayed in a way that was respectful of teachers and did not make fun of them, at Daniels' request. Strong later commented on the difficult atmosphere of filming on-set, which he described as a "damaging" environment that was cultivated by Jacobs, who had high expectations of the cast. Director
David Trainer David Trainer is an American television director. He is perhaps best known for directing every episode of the Fox sitcom ''That '70s Show'' (except the pilot, which was directed by Terry Hughes) and directed all the episodes of the Netflix sit ...
stated that Jacobs used "emotional manipulation" on the younger cast. The chemistry between Savage and Fishel led to producers developing a romantic relationship between Cory and Topanga. Jacobs was told by an ABC executive that marrying the pair would be irresponsible, before a favorable Internet poll led to the decision being approved. As the series progressed, Eric's characterization became more foolish and unintelligent to accommodate Friedle's comedic abilities. Jeff Sherman, who was a producer and writer on the show, advocated to include issues such as vandalism and child abuse in the series, regardless of it being a comedy. An episode in the first season, "The Fugitive", discusses the idea of running away from home.
Bob Tischler Robert Tischler is an American television writer, audio engineer and television producer. Tischler engineered the National Lampoon's first comedy album and with Michael O'Donoghue co-created and produced the National Lampoon Radio Hour. A frien ...
served as an executive producer alongside Jacobs towards the end of the show's run.


Conclusion

''Boy Meets World'' was renewed for a sixth season in April 1998. ''
Sabrina the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appear ...
'', another series airing on Friday nights, was the only other show to be renewed that year. By this time, the ratings for ''Boy Meets World'' had decreased by 14% from the last season, and the TGIF ratings had decreased by 17% overall. In 2000, ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'', moved from airing on ABC to
the WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
; by this stage, it was expected that ''Boy Meets World'' would also end its run, causing doubt about the future of the block. By April, production on the seventh season of ''Boy Meets World'' had concluded, and Savage was already planning on attending university. The series did not produce a "large-scale" series finale, and there was a possibility the show could return. In the same month, ABC officially announced that the seventh season would be the final season of the show. The hour-long series finale aired on May 5, 2000, in which Cory and Topanga consider moving to New York.


Series overview


Broadcast


Syndication

''Boy Meets World'' reruns began airing on various
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
, WB,
UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
, and independent affiliates from September 8, 1997 to September 1, 2000. During the latter month,
Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
assumed syndication rights, with the series running on the cable channel until 2007. To the consternation of some longtime fans of the show, Disney Channel edited many episodes that contained scenes with suggestive content deemed inappropriate for the channel's target audience of 7- to 14-year-olds. All 158 episodes aired during the series' initial run on the Disney Channel, however, due to the adult subject matter and complaints from parents, Disney Channel omitted three episodes from later airings: season five's "If You Can't Be with the One You Love..." (due to its depictions of
underage drinking The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between ...
) and "Prom-ises, Prom-ises" (whose main storyline involves Cory and Topanga contemplating losing their virginity on the night of their
prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school yea ...
), and season six's "The Truth About Honesty" (due to its sexual references). On May 5, 2014, the show temporarily returned to Disney Channel after a seven-year absence to promote ''
Girl Meets World ''Girl Meets World'' is an American comedy television series created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that premiered on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series ran for three seasons, consisting of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 20 ...
''.
ABC Family The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...
aired ''Boy Meets World'' from June 21, 2004 to August 31, 2007 and again from April 12, 2010 to December 2, 2015. Though the network in a way inherited the syndication rights to the show from Disney Channel, the episode prints broadcast by ABC Family differed from those seen on Disney Channel and in broadcast syndication as it incorporated scenes cut from the Disney Channel broadcasts (though small portions of certain scenes from episodes during the earlier seasons were cut due to time constraints) and featured the three episodes that Disney chose not to air, incorporated each season's corresponding opening title sequence, and restored the placement of the teaser scenes during the season one episodes to running before the opening titles in the manner that they were shown in the original ABC telecasts (instead of having the cast and creators' names shown during the teasers). However, the program was dropped once ABC Family was rebranded as Freeform. The series also began airing on
MTV2 MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. The channel launched initially as an all-music video service, once the original MTV had started to sh ...
since November 14, 2011, again with the original opening title sequences intact. On September 29, 2017, ''Boy Meets World'' became available for streaming on
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
along with fellow Disney–ABC television properties ''
Dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
'' and ''
Home Improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...
'', in addition to fellow TGIF programs ''
Family Matters ''Family Matters'' is an American television sitcom that debuted on ABC on September 22, 1989, and ended on May 9, 1997. However it moved to CBS, where it was shown from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-off of '' Perfect Strangers ...
'', ''
Full House ''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show is about widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three dau ...
'', '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'', '' Perfect Strangers'', ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'', and '' Step by Step''. On April 11, 2019, It was confirmed that
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
, a new streaming service owned by
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, will be carrying the series upon its November 2019 launch.


Reception


Viewership

''Boy Meets World'' experienced strong ratings for the teenage demographic. During the airing of the fifth season in 1997–98, ''Boy Meets World'' was the winner of its timeslot among children, teenagers and adults aged 18–49, while placing second in its timeslot overall. The series was on average receiving a 14% decrease in ratings from the previous season. It was described as the number 2 series for children on primetime television. By the airing of the seventh season, the ratings had continued to decline as the audience for the TGIF block decreased.


Cultural impact

Angela's
interracial relationship Interracial topics include: * Interracial marriage, marriage between two people of different races ** Interracial marriage in the United States *** 2009 Louisiana interracial marriage incident * Interracial adoption, placing a child of one rac ...
with Shawn was a relative rarity for a major network television show targeting youths at the time.
Trina McGee-Davis Trina Colette McGee (formerly known as Trina McGee-Davis) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Angela Moore on the ABC-TV sitcom ''Boy Meets World''. Early life Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, McGee is of Haitian de ...
once remarked that the typical reaction she received from young fans regarding the relationship was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging, often inquiring as to when the characters would reconcile after a breakup. She expressed her personal wish that her character's relationship would serve as an example of
color blindness Color blindness or color vision deficiency (CVD) is the decreased ability to color vision, see color or differences in color. It can impair tasks such as selecting ripe fruit, choosing clothing, and reading traffic lights. Color blindness may ...
for the world, in lieu of a less positive reaction a similar relationship had received on '' Ally McBeal'' at the time. Eric and Shawn both wore a popular 1990s hairstyle called
curtained hair Curtained hair or curtains is a hairstyle featuring a long fringe divided in either a middle parting or a side parting, with short (or shaved) sides and back. Curtained hair generally applies to males, although an alternative name, the undercut ...
. The show also addresses the cultural issues of
child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...
("Dangerous Secret"'),
sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
("Chick Like Me", "Everybody Loves Stuart"), and
underage drinking The legal drinking age is the minimum age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased in some countries. These laws vary between ...
/ alcohol use ("If You Can't Be With the One You Love…").


Awards and nominations


Other media


Home video releases

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, an ...
(as
Buena Vista Home Entertainment Buena ( ) is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,603,Lionsgate Home Entertainment Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered in ...
had acquired the rights to the series. They subsequently re-released the first three seasons on DVD on September 7, 2010, with the same special features from the original releases. Season 4 was released on December 7, 2010. Season 5 was released on May 3, 2011. Season 6 was released on July 5, 2011. Season 7 was released on October 4, 2011, completing the series' run on DVD. On November 5, 2013, Lionsgate released ''Boy Meets World: The Complete Collection'' on DVD in Region 1. The 22-disc set features all 158 episodes of the series as well as new and previously included bonus features from the original sets.


Sequel series

In November 2012,
Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
announced that it had
greenlit To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
a
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
for a sequel/spin-off series, ''
Girl Meets World ''Girl Meets World'' is an American comedy television series created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that premiered on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series ran for three seasons, consisting of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 20 ...
''. This series picks up nearly fifteen years after ''Boy Meets World'' ended, and follows Cory and Topanga's daughter Riley (
Rowan Blanchard Rowan Blanchard (born October 14, 2001) is an American actress and political activist. She was included on a list of ''Times list of Most Influential Teens in 2015. She first became known for starring as Rebecca Wilson in '' Spy Kids: All t ...
) as she navigates the challenges of her adolescent years along with her best friend Maya ( Sabrina Carpenter). Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel reprised their roles as Cory and Topanga, while several other cast members from ''Boy Meets World'' made recurring appearances, most prominently Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter), Will Friedle (Eric Matthews),
Danny McNulty Danny Brian McNulty (born May 28, 1972) is an American actor and producer who is best known for playing Harvey "Harley" Keiner on ''Boy Meets World'' and later on its spinoff ''Girl Meets World ''Girl Meets World'' is an American comedy tel ...
(Harley Keiner), Lee Norris (Stuart Minkus), and William Daniels (Mr. Feeny). Michael Jacobs returned as
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
. ''Girl Meets World'' ran three seasons before ending in 2017.


Rewatch podcast

Fishel, Friedle and Strong began hosting a podcast in 2022 in which they rewatch and commentate on every episode of ''Boy Meets World''. The podcast, entitled ''Pod Meets World'', is published by
iHeartRadio iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming Computing platform, platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in August 2008. , iHeartRadio was functioning as the national umbr ...
and launched on June 27. Savage chose not to take part in the project after being asked. The podcast is expected to feature guests Daniels, McGee, Randle, Russ, Ward and Lawrence.


Notes


References


External links

* {{TGIF (ABC) 1990s American college television series 1990s American high school television series 1990s American teen sitcoms 1993 American television series debuts 2000s American college television series 2000s American teen sitcoms 2000 American television series endings American Broadcasting Company original programming Coming-of-age television shows English-language television shows Middle school television series Television series about families Television series about siblings Television series about teenagers Television series by ABC Studios Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television Television series created by Michael Jacobs Television shows set in Pennsylvania Television shows set in Philadelphia TGIF (TV programming block)