I’ll admit it, I don’t fit in here.
All of my new UnderScoopFire colleagues are all things 80s children, whereas I’m a 90s kid. Even when I was watching Nick at Nite in the 1990s to try and catch some glimmer of television history before me, the closest I got was Mork & Mindy and Welcome Back, Kotter.
So it’s with some hesitation that I welcome Girl Meets World into my tumultuous twentysomethings, because its predecessor Boy Meets World was such a defining program in my simpler, younger days.
Although it admittedly did take some weird, artistic turns (anyone remember when Shawn’s dad came back as a ghost?), it was for the most part a solid representation of 90s suburban Americana just as The Wonder Years was to the late 70s.
image courtesy of katilda.com
(Side note: William Daniels, who played Mr. Feeny and voiced K.I.T.T., is now 86-years-old. How old do YOU feel?)
Regardless, the cast is slowly being churned out, so we might as well look at the line-up for what will be either a runaway hit or a dreadful flop.
Cornelius “Cory” A. Matthews (Ben Savage)
Ben Savage doesn’t age. The picture below was taken yesterday. All joking aside, did anyone ever really catch that Cory’s full name was “Cornelius”? I sure didn’t, and I’m pretty sure I caught almost every episode up until things got weird in the college years.
Cory will make a good dad, and we all knew he and Topanga were meant to be, even though me and my awkward ‘What are these?’ pre-pubescent feelings wanted her and her crimped hair all to myself. Speaking of…
Topanga Lawrence-Matthews (Danielle Fishel)
Topanga definitely seems like a new age hyphen chick. And why wouldn’t she with all those…feministic wiles? All kidding aside, does anyone remember that she actually liked Cory’s older brother Eric for ONE episode before being written in as Cory’s forever Winnie Cooper? Good on him for getting her preggers, though. I would do that too.
(Side note: She had an older sister for one episode. If “Girl Meets World” flounders maybe they can bring Nebula back for some “Cousin Oliver syndrome.” Long lost sister what?!)
Riley Matthews, the NEW Cory (Rowan Blanchard)
Everyone meet the protégé. FINALLY we don’t have nepotism choosing our sitcom Buddhas…just a Disney Spy Kid movie. Seriously, those films breed more stars than Kris Jenner. Yet at least these kids usually have some talent.
Not much is known about this little girl other than she’s 11 and her acting resume already dwarfs my own. Tears on my pillow.
Sabrina Carpenter, the NEW Sean (Maya Fox)
This little Blossom Jr. is supposed to be the troublemaker, which is easy to believe because she even looks like a young Rider KING Strong (seriously, Rider’s parents?) if he were a she and were dolled up pre-teen on Toddlers & Tiaras.
image courtesy of thestarscoop.com
Again, not much is known about this little soon-to-be spitfire, but if the show lasts five years, I would put money on a pregnancy scare with a good ol’ Danny Tanner moral at the end.
So there you have it. Meet your cast so far, some old and some new.
Familiar faces are bound to pop up as the show goes on depending which way the wind blows. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll be graced with an appearance from the mystical Mr. Turner. But seeing as how one of the most iconic cool cats of the 1990s didn’t even make it into the Boy Meets World college years, I won’t hold my motorcycle-less breath.
What are your thoughts about Girl Meets World?
Comment below and let us know if you’ll be watching. Or just talk about how hot Danielle Fishel is. That’s cool with me too.
Sam Prince (@thesamprince) is a NYC-based actor/writer/model who loves all things pop, music, and geekdom. He still follows developments in the Pokémon world despite not having owned a GameBoy in years. He’s an Eagle Scout, avid fan of homesteading, and other half to Survivor alum Andrea Boehlke. Check out his album reviews in NU-MODÉ magazine.
I worry for this. A lot. A big part of me wants to ignore it altogether to just save my memories from being tainted.
And Mr. Feeny is 86 years old? Erm.. CRAP. How did that happen?
I know!! I do appreciate the fact that he always seems game to reprise his voice role as KITT (fr commercials and such)
I am hoping this one is good. Can’t even get enough Topanga and those actors have kept their noses clean since the first show went off the air. It deserves it’s chance among shows that have less chance of succeeding.
Good point- this is a cast that has gained no unwanted notoriety since the show went off the air. That is rare in this day and age.
I LOVE BMW, but my apprehension surrounds the choice of network. If Disney planned to put it on ABC Family, then I think it would work. After all, that network kinda has the heart of 90s ABC meets early 00s WB. The fact that it’s going to Disney Channel bothers me. If you’ve watched ANY tween/teen show in the last 15 years, you’ll learn one message: adults are morons. This is almost like a requirement for shows these days. Even though the focus is squarely on Riley, the BMW concept is too smart for Disney. After all, they air a show called Dog with a Blog!
Also, there’s the issue of “who is this show for?” At the end of the day, the characters we grew up with are older and not the stars. They’re supporting characters. It’s tricky, because it’s meant to be a show that parents and kids can watch together, but I see one party being disappointed. It’s a poor comparison, but the closest recent thing to this was the 90210 reboot. They wanted young viewers, but they knew they’d initially need the older viewers, so they crammed in Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty.
All I’m saying is that I feel Cory & Topanga could disappear in season 2, once the show has gained its footing. California Dreams was a traditional sitcom with a family angle, and once the band got settled, the family went away. If this show is to survive on Disney, it’s really gotta be Riley and Sabrina getting into wacky adventures at the mall.
They could only run on nostalgia for so long. The new kids will have to stand on their own in order for GMW to become a hit.
exactly, like what Will said – these Disney shows do not remotely stand on the merit of their adult characters
I’ll check it out, but my expectations are guarded
I’m just hoping for ONE William Daniels episode.
It’s no fare I wanted to be Riley Matthews!!!
lol i said this…under my sister’s name