Development and casting

Boy Meets World was created to air on the TGIF programming block which had been airing on ABC since 1989. The series was created by Michael Jacobs, who produced Dinosaurs for the same block. Jacobs was approached by a Disney executive after the conclusion of Dinosaurs, to write a new series for the 12 to 14-year-old demographic.^[1] 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 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, but Daniels was apprehensive about acting in a sitcom and initially rejected the offer before asking for the pilot to be re-written.^[1] 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.^[2] Rider Strong was the first actor to audition for the role of Shawn and was successful. Strong's older brother Shiloh Strong was shortlisted to play Eric alongside Jason Marsden and Will Friedle; Friedle secured the role, however, a different actor portrayed Eric in the unaired pilot.^[1] Danielle Fishel 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.^[3]

Boy Meets World was renewed for a fifth season in April 1997.^[4] In the fifth season, Matthew Lawrence joined the cast as Jack Hunter, Eric's college roommate.^[5] Daniels' wife Bonnie Bartlett portrays the recurring role of Dean Bolander, the dean of the university, in the later seasons of the show.^[2]

Writing and filming

During the writing of the pilot, network executives removed the episode's references to Shakespeare, 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.^[1][2] 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.^[2] 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.^[3][6] Director David Trainer stated that Jacobs used "emotional manipulation" on the younger cast.^[3]

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.^[1]

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.^[1] Bob Tischler served as an executive producer alongside Jacobs towards the end of the show's run.^[7]

Conclusion

Boy Meets World was renewed for a sixth season in April 1998.^[8] Sabrina the Teenage Witch, 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.^[8]

In 2000, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, moved from airing on ABC to the WB; by this stage, it was expected that Boy Meets World would also end its run, causing doubt about the future of the block.^[9] By April, production on the seventh season of Boy Meets World had concluded, and Savage was already planning on attending college.^[9] The series did not produce a "large-scale" series finale, and there was a possibility the show could return.^[9] In the same month, ABC officially announced that the seventh season would be the final season of the show.^[7] The hour-long series finale aired on May 5, 2000, in which Cory and Topanga consider moving to New York.^[7]

Syndication and streaming

Boy Meets World reruns began airing on various Fox, WB, UPN, and independent affiliates from September 8, 1997 to September 1, 2000. During the latter month, Disney Channel assumed syndication rights, with the series running on the cable channel until 2007. ABC Family aired Boy Meets World from June 21, 2004 to August 31, 2007 and again from April 12, 2010 to December 2, 2015.^[17] The series also began airing on MTV2 since November 14, 2011.^[18] On May 5, 2014, the show temporarily returned to Disney Channel after a seven-year absence to promote Girl Meets World.^[19]

On September 29, 2017, Boy Meets World became available for streaming on Hulu along with fellow Disney–ABC television properties Dinosaurs and Home Improvement, in addition to fellow TGIF programs Family Matters, Full House, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Perfect Strangers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Step by Step.^[20] On April 11, 2019, It was confirmed that Disney+, a new streaming service owned by Disney, will be carrying the series upon its November 2019 launch.^[21]

Viewership

Boy Meets World experienced strong ratings for the teenage demographic.^[7] 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.^[8] 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.^[8] By the airing of the seventh season, the ratings had continued to decline as the audience for the TGIF block decreased.^[7]

Cultural impact

Angela's interracial relationship with Shawn was a relative rarity for a major network television show targeting youths at the time. Trina McGee-Davis 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 for the world, in lieu of a less positive reaction a similar relationship had received on Ally McBeal at the time.^[22]

Eric and Shawn both wore a popular 1990s hairstyle called curtained hair.^[23]

The show also addresses the cultural issues of child abuse ("Dangerous Secret"), sexual harassment ("Chick Like Me", "Everybody Loves Stuart"), and underage drinking/alcohol use ("If You Can't Be with the One You Love…").^[24][25]

Awards and nominations

Home video releases

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (as Buena Vista Home Entertainment) released the first three seasons of Boy Meets World on DVD in 2004 and 2005.^[34]

On August 4, 2008, it was announced that Lionsgate Home Entertainment 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.^[35] Season 4 was released on December 7, 2010.^[36] Season 5 was released on May 3, 2011.^[37] Season 6 was released on July 5, 2011.^[38] Season 7 was released on October 4, 2011, completing the series' run on DVD.^[39]

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.^[40]

Sequel series

In November 2012, Disney Channel announced that it had greenlit a pilot for a sequel/spin-off series, Girl Meets World. This series picks up nearly fifteen years after Boy Meets World ended, and follows Cory and Topanga's daughter Riley (Rowan Blanchard) 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 (Harley Keiner), Lee Norris (Stuart Minkus), and William Daniels (Mr. Feeny). Michael Jacobs returned as showrunner. Girl Meets World ran three seasons before ending in 2017.^[41]

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 and launched on June 27.^[42] Savage chose not to take part in the project after being asked. The podcast featured guests Daniels, McGee, Randle, Russ and Lawrence.^[42]