Jump to content

Boy Meets World

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Telefan (talk | contribs) at 03:45, 23 October 2006 (→‎External links). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Boy Meets World
File:Boy Meets World s01e01.png
George Feeny (William Daniels) talks with Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) in a screenshot from the Pilot
(September 24 1993).
Created byMichael Jacobs
April Kelly
StarringBen Savage
William Russ
William Daniels
Betsy Randle
Will Friedle
Lily Nicksay
Rider Strong
Danielle Fishel
Lee Norris
Anthony Tyler Quinn
Lindsay Ridgeway
Alex Désert
Matthew Lawrence
Trina McGee-Davis
Maitland Ward
Opening theme"Boy Meets World"
by Phil Rosenthal
(seasons 5-7)
Country of origin United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes158
Production
Running time30 minutes
(with commercials)
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 24, 1993 –
May 5, 2000

Boy Meets World is an American television sitcom that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, who grows up from a pre-pubescent boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, where it was one of the headliners of ABC's TGIF lineup.

The series is currently syndicated weekday afternoons on ABC Family Channel and late nights/early mornings on the Disney Channel.

Characters

Main article: Characters of Boy Meets World

Plot

Cory Matthews is the main character of the series; the other characters often serve to help him cope with his difficulties in achievement in school, his moral conflicts with Shawn Hunter, and his trouble understanding his girlfriend Topanga Lawrence.[1] Cory's best friend, Shawn Hunter, is dissimilar to Cory; he is a social rebel, he has an unsupportive family, and he has success with women, something which Cory envies at times. Cory's mother and father (Amy and Alan Matthews) are hard-working people trying to make a decent living in order to raise their three children (by the end of the series, a fourth child, Joshua Matthews, is born). Their other two children are Eric Matthews, the funny, handsome, sometimes borderline-psychotic older brother who tries to distance himself from Cory at all possible times; and Morgan Matthews, the younger sister, who sometimes uses her position as means of getting what she wants. Cory, with his stubbornness and laziness, struggles with his friend to get through school. To help them, there is Mr. George Feeny, Cory's teacher and neighbor. He tries as hard as possible to get them through school and he eventually does. Finally, there is Topanga Lawrence, his first love, and in the later seasons, his fiancée, then wife. Topanga and Cory's relationship is the main focus of the latter part of the series, and at the end of the series, Topanga, Cory, Shawn, and Eric leave suburban Philadelphia for New York City.

Boy Meets World contained a mix of dramedy and smart humor, deadpan humor, and non-stop straight-out farce, with the latter beginning to increasingly dominate the show as time went on.

In addition to the show's occasional jokes about the gay subtext of Cory and Shawn's friendship (and, at times, Eric's and Jack's as well), it should perhaps be noted that the series also featured the male characters in drag several times (with various main characters appearing in drag in the episodes "Fraternity Row", '"It’s a Wonderful Night", "Chick Like Me" and "What a Drag".) The show's cross-dressing was generally depicted in a fun and sympathetic light, and the boys are quite preoccupied with their prettiness (or lack thereof) and getting their feminine personas just right. In "What a Drag" Eric enjoyed cross-dressing so much that he considered living as a woman full-time.

Playfulness

Fourth wall jokes abound, there is never-ending deadpan humor, and multiple episodes openly parody then-current movies, including Scream, Rounders, and The Truman Show. Wrestler Vader appears as a recurring character playing his own wrestling persona, and characters repeatedly mention the show's format, plot formulas, and continuity errors.

The series is particularly notable for its ability to make fun of itself. In the episode "Eric Hollywood," the cast parody themselves and the show on the set of Kid Gets Acquainted With Universe, and reveal that the actors are nothing like the characters they play onstage. The show even goes to the lengths of bringing back the character of Stuart Minkus from the first season as a cameo for the high school graduation episode, who explains his absence by having been in "that part of the school over there (pointing off-camera)." Stuart then calls out, "Oh, hey, Mr. Turner!" The character of Mr. Turner is a teacher who plays an important role in several seasons of the show, and then is written off with no explanation. Similarly, Cory's sister Morgan unexpectedly returns after an entire season's absence, played by a different actress, with the wisecracking comment, "That was the longest time-out I've ever had." Another example is the pig, Little Cory: while still in high school, Shawn obtains a piglet and names him Little Cory. The pink pig disappears after one episode, only to reappear for a single cameo during the show's college years as a full-grown pig, now dark black.

Another example of self-reference occurs in the final episode, when Cory is talking to his little brother Joshua. He tells him that he is one day going out into the real world and he will make mistakes, but he will learn from them and eventually become a good person; he then stops and says, "Boy meets world. Now I get it."

Similarly, it was one of the only shows in ABC's TGIF programming block to openly acknowledge its placement there and have characters poke fun at it; when the show was rescheduled from 8:30 to 9:30 because of its increasingly adult subject matter, a boy who Cory is babysitting complains that his "favorite show" has been rescheduled past his bedtime for no good reason, exclaiming, "They're trying to kill it!" Cory enthusiastically agrees. Similarly, when ABC began advertising its airing of The Beatles Anthology by replacing its shows' theme songs with Beatles songs, a move ignored in the scripts of most of its shows, the writers of Boy Meets World twisted the concept around by instead using a Monkees song and having that week's episode feature The Monkees as guest stars.

The increasing sense of the show's realism unraveling and the plot becoming increasingly farcical—especially with the character of Eric Matthews, who had changed from a relatively serious character into a hyperactive, wisecracking, idiot savant failure who served as a source of screwball comic relief—caused many viewers to conclude that the show had jumped the shark.[citation needed]

It is one of the few television shows to take place primarily in the Philadelphia area, and makes multiple local references. These include Cory's love for the Phillies and his brother Eric's attempts to get into Swarthmore College—finally ending with Cory and most of the cast attending Pennbrook, an institution that appears to be a pastiche of Swarthmore, Penn, and other Philly-area colleges.

Episodes

Main article: List of Boy Meets World episodes

Production notes

Theme music and introductions

Boy Meets World had five theme songs over seven years. The final theme, written and performed Phil Rosenthal,[2] remained for the fifth through seventh seasons, though the visuals changed from seasons five to six to include Trina McGee as Angela Moore (who moved from guest star to regular cast in season five) and Maitland Ward as Rachel McGuire (who was added as a regular cast member in season six).

ABC Family was the first network since ABC to show all the accurate introductions for all seven seasons. For the syndicated and Disney Channel broadcasts, a slightly modified version of the season four theme, accompanied by the season four opening credits was used for the first three seasons; for the rest of the show's run the original opening themes were kept intact.

Stage settings

Boy Meets World was filmed almost exclusively on-stage. There were occasionally scenes filmed in outdoor settings, but these were few and far between.

  • The House - full run

The House was primarily a four-room setup consisting of the Matthews' living room, kitchen, Cory and Eric's bedroom, and the backyard that adjoined that of George Feeny. There were also occasional scenes in Cory and Eric's bathroom and their parents' bedroom. The house was the main setting for the show, as most of the episodes spent at least some time here.

  • Mr. Feeny's Classroom - full run

While the classroom and school changed between seasons one and two and seasons five and six, a classroom was always present in the show. Jonathan Turner also has a classroom from season two to four, but this changes when his character is written off the show and the setting of John Adams High is changed significantly.

Mr. Feeny also had an office from seasons two to five, with one scene in season four using it as Dean Bolander's office. Dean Bolander also teaches a class in what would become Mr. Feeny's Pennbrook classroom.

  • John Adams Main Floor - Seasons 2/3/4

This was another multiple-room setting, containing Mr. Turner's classroom and the main hall. The door on the right that led offstage has been used as the entrance to Mr. Feeny's office, both boys' and girls' bathrooms, the janitor's closet, or the counselor's office.

  • John Adams Senior Floor - Season 5

This set began the trend of many expensive, short use sets. This was the set adapted from the Main Floor set, and appeared to be almost the same as that set except for the reversal of many items. Mr. Feeny's classroom was connected to the stage right side of the main hall.

  • The First Apartment - Seasons 2/3/4

Jonathan Turner's apartment was introduced in season 2, but became a main setting for the show in season 3 after Shawn moves in with Jonathan. This set would later be adapted to become the college apartment.

  • The Second Apartment - Seasons 5/6/7

In the beginning of Season 5, Eric leaves home to attend Pennbrook University and rents an apartment with Jack Hunter, who recently moved to town also to attend Pennbrook. At Chet Hunter's insistence, Shawn moves in with them, but the Apartment would see a number of different occupants over the years.

  • First lineup: Jack, Eric, and Shawn.
  • Second lineup: Jack, Eric, and Rachel. At the beginning of season six, a few months before Shawn plans to move out of the apartment and into a dorm with Cory, Eric and Jack kicked him out to make room for Rachel. Shawn, upon seeing Rachel, takes this in stride.
  • Third lineup: Jack and Rachel. After Chet Hunter's death, Jack and Rachel begin dating, and Eric moves out a few episodes later.
  • Fourth lineup: Topanga, Angela, and Rachel. Eventually Eric decides to return to the apartment, but at the same time Rachel invites Angela and Topanga to move in. His chivalrous nature winning out over logic, Jack begrudgingly leaves. He and Eric return to fight the girls for the apartment a few episodes later, but lose.
  • Fifth lineup: Jack, Eric, and Shawn (again). After Cory and Topanga get married in season seven, Topanga moves out, and Shawn moves in with Angela and Rachel. Rachel later moves out to assume the title as a Resident Aid for one of Pennbrook's dorms, leaving Angela and Shawn. After the episode "Pickett Fences," Cory calls Shawn and Angela's living arrangement "playing house" compared to his and Topanga's dorm. Towards the end of the episode, Shawn decides that Cory is right and they agree that Angela will move out and live with Rachel in the dorm, and the three original occupants move back to the apartment. They remain there until the end of the series.
  • The Trailer - Seasons 2/3/4/5/6

Shawn and Chet Hunter live in the trailer until Shawn moves into the apartment in season five, and Chet's death in season six. This set was used sparingly.

  • Chubbie's Diner - Seasons 2/3/4/5

Chubbie's became a mainstay for the Boy Meets World cast, and was used often for scenes. It was another multi-room set, with a game room on stage right, and restaurant and bar on stage left, although the game room was used infrequently. Eventually the diner becomes a pirate-themed restaurant towards the end of season five and is never seen again.

  • The Dorm - Seasons 6/7

The dorm room that Shawn and Cory live in during season six connects to the dorm hall. The room was used throughout the series, housing some occupants that do not live in the apartment. The dorm hall is seen very rarely, only in a few episodes in season six, and is also connected to the co-ed bathroom which is seen in only two scenes in episode #6.4.

  • The Student Union - Seasons 6/7

This replaced the John Adams hallway as the main school setting. It was the largest main set in the show by far, with a café on stage right, couches and a coffee table stage center, a pool table behind it, miscellaneous items in back stage right, and a patio stage left. All of these areas were used at least once during the show's run.

  • The Married Couples' Dorm - Season 7

This set was where Cory and Topanga live after returning from their honeymoon. It is initially dirty and run-down, but Cory does a lot of work to renovate it (fresh paint, furniture, etc.). The set has three sections: the dorm hallway, a living room/kitchen area, and a bedroom. It was a central focus of three episodes in season seven, and was used consistently throughout the remainder of the show.

Continuity Issues

Characters' families

  • In episode #1.4, "Cory's Alternative Friends," Shawn says he has a sister named Stacy, but she is never seen or mentioned again. Also, in episode #1.13 "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not," Nebula ("Nebbie") Stop-The-War Lawrence is introduced as Topanga's sister, but is never seen or mentioned again.
  • The third season episode "The Pink Flamingo Kid" depicts Shawn's half-brother Eddie, who lives in the same trailer park as Shawn. He is subsequently never seen or mentioned again. Later in the fifth season, Matthew Lawrence is introduced as Shawn's half-brother, Jack.
  • Topanga's father is played by three different actors, and mother by two different actresses. In an early episode, Topanga's father is played by Peter Tork from The Monkees (her mother is not shown), then Michael McKean, and finally Mark Harelik. Her mother initially is played by Annette O'Toole, and later by Marcia Cross. Also, in the first season she refers to her mother as "Chloe," but for the rest of the series her name is Rhiannon.
  • The actor who plays Angela's father in seasons six and seven was cast in season five as a philosophy teacher at Pennbrook when Shawn attends college classes while still in high school.
  • Amy Matthews' profession changes from real estate agent to art gallery worker without any explanation.

Series timeline

  • The series begins with a four-year gap between Cory and Eric (with Cory in sixth grade and Eric in tenth), but in the third season finale during Eric's graduation, Eric cites Cory's being "three years younger" as the reason the two cannot relate. Cory is 15 at the time (he starts the series as an 11-year-old).
  • The first and second seasons cover sixth and seventh grades, respectively, for Cory, Shawn, and Topanga; their grade is never mentioned in season three. The fourth season begins with Cory stating he is in eleventh grade. Also, in this season:
    • The episode "Cult Fiction" deals with Shawn being a junior and his dilemma of "being out of here in two years," confirming the gang's status as juniors.
    • Cory and Topanga both turn 16 (one year older than the previous season).
    • Eric is 20 (two years older than the previous season).
  • In episode #1.4, "Cory's Alternative Friends," Cory and Topanga share their first kiss. Cory is said to be 11 at the time the episode takes place; when Cory describes the event in episode #4.17, "A Long Walk to Pittsburgh" (part 2), he says he was 13.

Relationship between Cory and Topanga

In the third season, Cory and Topanga are introduced into a typical high school relationship, and many episodes are dedicated to them dealing with typical couple problems, including asking someone out, saying "I love you," and even breaking up and subsequently getting back together. [3]

However, after episode #4.17, "A Long Walk to Pittsburgh" (part 2), Cory often mentions that he has loved Topanga his entire life. Many references are made to Cory and Topanga's relationship as young children. For example, in one episode in a flashback to when Cory and Shawn meet for the first time, a young Cory refers to Topanga as "the wife." This contradicts the first two seasons' portrayal of them as barely friends. In fact, in the first season, Cory appears to only regard Topanga as weird. The show attempts to amend this inconsistency by stating that Eric made fun of him for being friends with Topanga as children, and that is the reason he "threw dirt at her" during their pre-teen years.

Trivia

Ties to The Wonder Years

The following actors appeared on both Boy Meets World (which starred Ben Savage) and The Wonder Years (which starred his brother Fred Savage):

  • Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold) guest starred as Stuart in the season six episode "Everybody Loves Stuart" and directed two season seven episodes.
  • Dan Lauria (Jack Arnold) guest starred as a County Judge in the season four episode "Wheels."
  • Steven Gilborn (Mr. Collins) guest starred as a quiz show host in the season four episode "Quiz Show."
  • Ben Savage guest starred in episode #3.14 of The Wonder Years, as a seventh grader who acts as cupid.

Syndication

Boy Meets World was picked up by the Disney Channel in 2000 after the show's cancellation. The show still airs on The Disney Channel today after six years; it is currently shown at 2:00 AM ET. Additionally, in mid 2004, the show was added to the ABC Family Channel line-up at 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM ET. The show still currently airs on ABC Family at 1:00 and 1:30 pm. est. The show also airs on a few local stations across the US.

Disney Channel "banned" episodes

The Disney Channel has banned three episodes from ever being aired on their network. These episodes include "If You Can't Be With the One You Love" (after losing Topanga, Cory resorts to drinking to solve his problems), "PROMises, PROMises" (Cory and Topanga want to have sex after the prom), and "The Truth About Honesty" (an honesty game causes trouble at Rachel and Jack's dinner party). These episodes were not aired by the Disney Channel because they thought they were not appropriate for their target audience (children) to be viewing. These episodes were not shown in syndication at all and were not seen since the ABC original airings until 2004, when the ABC Family Channel aired all three episodes. In addition, The Disney Channel makes many edits for content when airing the show, especially in the later seasons, when sexual jokes became more frequent. These edits and banned episodes, however, only occur in the United States; in Canada there are no edits and all episodes are shown on the Family Channel.

DVD releases

Season releases

DVD name Ep # Release date Additional information
Season 1 22 August 24 2004 Audio Commentary with cast and crew on 4 episodes, bonus episode from Season 4.
Season 2 23 November 23 2004 Audio Commentary with cast and picture and picture video commentary with cast and crew.
Season 3 22 August 23 2005 "World According to Boy" Trivia Game.
  • The first three seasons of Boy Meets World are currently available on DVD from Buena Vista Home Entertainment
  • The fourth season was originally scheduled to be released on January 10 2006, but was cancelled due to poor DVD sales of previous seasons.[5]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Boy Meets World.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boy_Meets_World&oldid=83139961"