''Girl Meets World'' is an American
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
television series 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 premiered on
Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series ran for three seasons, consisting of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 20, 2017. The series is a spinoff of ''
Boy Meets World
''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and fami ...
'' and stars
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Sabrina Carpenter,
Peyton Meyer
Peyton Meyer (born November 24, 1998) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Lucas Friar on the Disney Channel television series ''Girl Meets World'', and his earlier recurring role as Wes Manning on Disney Channel's ''Dog with a Blog ...
,
August Maturo,
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 ...
, and Corey Fogelmanis.
The series centers around the life of Riley and her friends and family, particularly their school life, in which Cory is their history teacher. Riley shares a strong relationship with her best friend Maya Hart, who assists her in learning to cope with social and personal issues of adolescence. Several ''Boy Meets World'' cast members reprise their roles in the series.
Premise
It has been several years since Cory and Topanga Matthews moved to New York City. The series follows their daughter, Riley Matthews, and her best friend, Maya Hart, as they navigate challenges of life and school. Following along with them are their classmates Lucas Friar and Farkle Minkus and Riley's younger brother Auggie.
Episodes
Cast
*
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 Riley 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 ...
as
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
...
*
Sabrina Carpenter as Maya Hart
*
Peyton Meyer
Peyton Meyer (born November 24, 1998) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Lucas Friar on the Disney Channel television series ''Girl Meets World'', and his earlier recurring role as Wes Manning on Disney Channel's ''Dog with a Blog ...
as Lucas Friar
*
August Maturo as Auggie Matthews
*
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 ...
as
Topanga Matthews
''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 seasons ...
* Corey Fogelmanis as Farkle Minkus
Production
Development
In November 2012, it was reported that Disney Channel was in the early stages of development of a follow-up series titled ''Girl Meets World'', which would center on Cory and Topanga's 12-year-old daughter Riley. The original idea for the series was developed by Corey Marsh, an executive director at
Disney Channel, who approached Michael Jacobs, co-creator of ''
Boy Meets World
''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and fami ...
'', to produce a similar series for a new generation of children as executive producer and
showrunner.
The idea was to create a modern version of the show from a different perspective to the original.
On November 26, 2012, it was confirmed by Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel that they would be reprising their roles as Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence-Matthews in the series. In February 2013, it was announced that Michael Jacobs had reached out to all of the former ''Boy Meets World'' cast members to take part in the new series. On June 17, 2013, Disney Channel officially
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 series order for ''Girl Meets World'', which began production that summer. On January 23, 2014, the first season order was increased from its initial 13-episode count to 20 in order to make a full season.
On May 2, 2014, a full trailer for ''Girl Meets World'' was released. On May 21, 2014, the pilot episode became available as a preview to users on the various Watch Disney Channel mobile and television apps which require
TV Everywhere
TV Everywhere (also known as authenticated streaming or authenticated video on-demand) refers to a type of subscription business model wherein access to streaming video content from a television channel requires users to "authenticate" themse ...
authentication to watch. Following the TV premiere of the pilot, the episode "Girl Meets Sneak Attack" was made available via the apps. On June 13, 2014, the pilot was made available for free on iTunes. On August 6, 2014, ''Girl Meets World'' was renewed for a second season by Disney Channel.
The second season premiered on May 11, 2015. The third season of ''Girl Meets World'' was announced on November 25, 2015. The third season premiered on June 3, 2016.
Casting
Auditions began in mid-November 2012 for the lead roles of Riley Matthews, the daughter of Cory and Topanga, Maya, a witty friend of Riley's who has a troubled past, and Elliot, Riley's older brother. By the end of January 2013,
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 ...
and
Sabrina Carpenter were cast as Riley and Maya, respectively.
Teo Halm
Teo Lucas Halm (born May 18, 1999) is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and actor. Halm's notable production credits include the Rosalía singles " Con Altura" with J Balvin and " TKN" with Travis Scott, the former which won a Lati ...
was tapped for the role of Elliot in early March. Filming of the pilot began on March 20, 2013, and concluded on March 22, 2013.
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
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 ...
made a surprise visit to the set, sparking rumors of a return, or at least a cameo appearance, in the upcoming series.
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 ...
also made a visit to the set and was asked about the return of her character, Rachel McGuire. Ward said, "I can't really share any show info, but it would be fun if the old gang got back together again!" On October 5, 2013, Teo Halm announced on Twitter that he was no longer involved with the series. A report by
TVLine
''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs.
History
In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...
suggested the series was undergoing creative changes after the pilot and his character was ultimately written out of the series. On March 12, 2014, it was announced that
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 ...
would reprise his role of Stuart Minkus. On March 18, 2014, it was announced that
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 ...
would reprise his role of Shawn Hunter. On December 3, 2014, it was announced that
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 ...
would reprise his role of Eric Matthews, beginning with the second season, along 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 t ...
reprising his role as George Feeny in a larger role. On February 3, 2015, it was announced that
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 ...
would reprise her role as Angela Moore and
Blake Clark
Blake Clark (born February 2, 1946) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known as Chet Hunter on ''Boy Meets World'' and Harry "The Hardware Store Guy" on ''Home Improvement''. Clark has voiced Slinky Dog in the ''Toy Story'' f ...
would reprise his role of Chet Hunter. On April 7, 2015, it was announced that
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 ...
would reprise his role as
Jonathan Turner. On June 5, 2015, it was announced that
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 ...
would reprise his role as
Jack Hunter. On April 1, 2016, it was announced that
Reginald VelJohnson
Reginald VelJohnson (born Reginald VelJohnson; August 16, 1952) is an American actor. He is best known for playing police officer characters, such as Carl Winslow on the sitcom ''Family Matters,'' which ran from 1989 to 1998, and LAPD Sergeant ...
would guest star in an episode as a police officer, a nod to VelJohnson's previous role in a different ''TGIF'' sitcom, officer
Carl Winslow
''Family Matters'' is an American sitcom revolving around the Winslow family, a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago. The series ran for nine seasons (eight of which were broadcast on ABC, one on CBS) and is a spin-off of '' ...
of ''
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 ...
''. On July 28, 2016, it was announced that
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 Lindsay Ridgeway, both of whom portrayed
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 ...
, would appear in the season three finale.
Ending
On January 4, 2017, the series' writers stated on their group Twitter account that they were informed by Disney Channel that the series would not be renewed for a fourth season. Viewers of the series led a fan campaign appealing to
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
to renew the program, noting that as the characters aged, the show was beginning to outgrow Disney Channel's
target demographic. Jacobs expressed "I don't think ''Girl'' should have been cancelled" and stated he would be interested in continuing the series, revealing that the process was in its "beginning stages" with "interested platforms". The cancellation of the series sparked attention in the media. Janelle Okwodu of ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' reported that the announcement "sent shockwaves through social media—in part because it meant one less realistic depiction on-screen of what it is to be a young woman". Of the series, ''
TVLine
''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs.
History
In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...
'' reporter Andy Swift suggested that it "maybe shouldn’t have been canceled so soon into its run", and Brandon Katz of ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' commented "the series laid out countless positive moral lessons for its young viewers". ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
'' reporter Sabienna Bowman described the program as a "landmark show", stating, "''Girl Meets World'' captured the hearts of the bright, socially aware generation who have grown up in the age of social media", while commending how it dealt with issues centered around young women.
After four months of searching for a viable network, on May 3, 2017, co-creator Jacobs confirmed that he was unable to come to an agreement with any outlet to continue the show, thus effectively ending the series.
Broadcast
The series originally premiered in the United States on
Disney Channel and in Canada on
Family Channel on June 27, 2014. The series premiered 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 ...
in Australia on August 25, 2014, and in the
United Kingdom and Ireland on August 29, 2014. In the Balkan countries, Greece, the Middle East and Africa, the series began airing 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 ...
on November 15, 2014. The series started airing 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 ...
in Canada on September 1, 2015; the episode "Girl Meets I Am Farkle" premiered on Disney Channel in Canada on September 3, 2015, which was before its initial airing in the U.S. on September 11, 2015. In
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, the series premiered on October 30, 2017 on
Disney International HD
Disney International HD is an Indian pay television owned by The Walt Disney Company India subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. It is Disney India's first general entertainment channel operated by Disney Star and first channel to be broadcast i ...
.
Reception
Critical
Review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
gives the series an 84% approval rating based on reviews from 19 critics. The site's consensus states: "Though not quite as comical, ''Girl Meets World'' sweetly shares the nostalgia of its predecessor, ''Boy Meets World'', with its young audience while providing positive moral values for today's youth." Metacritic gives the series a score of 64 based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The series premiere received positive reviews. Kevin Fallon of ''
The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' called it a "perfectly pleasant Disney Channel show".
Rob Owen of ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
'' said it was "a cute half-hour that capably introduces new characters and sets the table for the new series". Diane Werts of ''
Newsday
''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'' said the series "does its job of bringing tween-based family viewing into the 2010s".
Ratings
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
''Girl Meets World''on
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 ...
{{It's a Laugh Productions
2010s American children's comedy television series
2014 American television series debuts
2017 American television series endings
Boy Meets World
Disney Channel original programming
English-language television shows
Television series about families
Television series by It's a Laugh Productions
Television series created by Michael Jacobs