Girl Meets World

[on:]

Girl Meets World

Fourteen years after Cory and Topanga move to New York City, the couple find themselves in their parents' shoes as they raise two children of their own, Riley and August Matthews. Riley attends her seventh-grade classes at John Quincy Adams Middle School where she finds herself in pre-teenage exploits with her best friend Maya Hart.

This sequel series to the ABC classic Boy Meets World mirrors the mechanics of its predecessor, especially its first season, though it does bring in some of its own twists. Riley battles her fears as she grows and makes the world her own. Her best friend Maya (think: Shawn Hunter), who has trouble at home, is always at her side for better or for worse. Unlike Shawn, Maya is usually there to keep her friend out of trouble and soften life's blows. Cory takes the role of both the father and the mentor (Alan meets Mr. Feeny), combining both roles into one as dad at home and teacher in the classroom.

Similar to Boy Meets World's first season (and because it is on the Disney channel), this coming of age tale is definitely aimed at kids. The show does make nods to the previous iteration for the older fans, who will be pleased to know that the new version bears the same executive producer and showrunner as before, Michael Jacobs, thus maintaining some of the classic show's feel.


Has anyone had a chance to see this show? They've aired three episodes and are apparently releasing episodes early on their website or some such like that.

Personally, I'm enjoying it so far. Not as much as I enjoyed Boy Meets World, mind you, but much better than any of the other drivel that appears on Disney. (Except for Gravity Falls. That show is too awesome.) I really like how it manages to maintain the feel of the old show while still mixing it up a bit. I think the characters are well-balanced (save one, see below) and I am pleased at the screentime that Cory and Topanga are allowed to fill. They may have aged fourteen years, but they haven't missed a beat. There are a few points that I dislike, however, most noteably the laugh track-heavy atmosphere that doesn't usually line up with where the funny parts actually are. Another weak point for me is the entirety of the character Lucas. He is a classmate of Riley and Maya's and is set up to fill the role of Topanga in the old series (a series-long love interest). Unfortunately, the only role he fills so far is "Ooohh, there's a pretty boy," as his character fails to bring any substance to the storylines other than to be a prop that springs Riley's character into action.

So far, this program has shown that it has heart and substance, not shying away from the touching and teaching moments that made its predecessor so memorable. This gives me hope that, as the show progresses, so will the characters and the tone of the show (again, like its predecessor).

Girl Meets World has enjoyed a successful start and I'm excited to see where it goes.

I think I'd give it a B so far.

[Reply #1 on:]

Why do I like it?! It's on Disney Channel it's supposed to be terrible???

[Reply #2 on:]

I grew up on Boy Meets World, and honestly I think the show is remembered a bit too fondly. It was pretty cliché, not that funny, and kind of conservative with its values.

I'd take Fresh Prince over it any day, even if it suffered from some of the same problems, because it was ten times funnier.

[Reply #3 on:]

Just you wait, Jayden Smith will probably decide that it's due to be rebooted in the next couple of years, with him following in his father's footsteps.

The Fresh Prick will ultimately tarnish your every fond memory of The Fresh Prince, until you remember both of them as being remembered entirely too fondly even by people who hate them.

[Reply #4 on:]

I grew up on Boy Meets World, and honestly I think the show is remembered a bit too fondly. It was pretty cliché, not that funny, and kind of conservative with its values.

I disagree. Sure it was cliché (as with almost all sitcoms of that era), but I was reading some Boy Meets World scripts a couple weeks ago and just the scripts were really getting me to laugh. Much more so than this new show, anyways.

And personally, I'm fine with the values of Boy Meets World. I prefer that over the kind of TV that we have now, where every other show is either outright vulgarity and Disney stars are basically sluts in training. Maybe that's just me. At least Boy Meets World wasn't to the extreme of Leave It to Beaver, though!

Show spoiler

[Reply #5 on:]

I did love Boy Meets World, I have the series on DVD. I haven't gotten around to seeing Girl Meets World yet, it is recorded but I haven't had the time to watch it yet though.

I do agree that Boy Meets World was very conservative with the values but it was a 90's thing, well a 90's show so values were different. I prefer the later stuff in the series and I still find it amusing.