BOY MEETS WORLD sequel series gets picked up by Disney

[jacobsnchz14]

http://collider.com/girl-meets-world-images/

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/06/17/girl-meets-world-disney-photos/

Girl Meets World is officially a go!
The highly anticipated Boy Meets World spin-off has been picked up to series by the Disney Channel.

Described as “a comedy series for kids,” the show will reunite original cast-members Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel, as on-screen sweethearts Cory and Topanga, and follow their tween daughter Riley, played by Rowan Blanchard.
Fans have been buzzing about the ’90s sitcom reboot since news of the pilot broke late last year, with plenty of speculation about which BMW castmembers would be reprising their roles. So far, that includes William Daniels, who will be returning — at least for the first episode – as Mr. Feeny. (Meanwhile fan-favorite alums Rider Strong and Will Friedle have been spotted on set).

Fans, however, will have to wait awhile before they can get their nostalgia fix: The multi-camera series, which will film in Los Angeles this summer, won’t premiere until 2014. But check out another photo, below!

[Marianne2]

I wish I was more excited for this. I'm just worried that it is going to end up being the same exact crap that the Disney Channel has turned into. The shows are all pretty immature and not funny.

[Liza's Headband]

They are very funny to the people they are targeting... That's kind of the point, dear. I am nowhere near their target audience but my niece and nephew are. They adore the new shows Disney has been churning out.

[TheatreFan4]

It's got the original creator of the show at its helm and all of Disney's tween series are over/canceled. I think they're trying to reaim their focus again into more dramedy.

[bdwaygirl]

"That's kind of the point, dear."

Condescending, much?

[Patronus]

It was condescending, but to fault Disney's programming as being "immature" is rife with problems.

[givesmevoice]

They are very funny to the people they are targeting... That's kind of the point, dear. I am nowhere near their target audience but my niece and nephew are. They adore the new shows Disney has been churning out.

I don't know, my mother used to watch shows on Nickelodeon and Disney that were targeted towards my sister and me and she enjoyed them. I've watched some Disney and Nick shows with younger relatives and I found them to be pretty bad.

[seaweedjstubbs2]

Yeah, Disney Channel's programming has changed pretty drastically over the years. When I was younger, two of the biggest shows on Disney were "The Famous Jett Jackson" and "So Weird." Jett Jackson dealt with issues that will probably never be tackled again on that network. For example, one episode dealt with Jett discovering that he has lived a fairly privileged life and that he doesn't know what it really means to be a young black man in America. One line from the episode says, "The truth is, most black men in America are more likely to ride in the back of a cop car than in the back of a limo." Other episodes dealt with issues of gun violence, interracial relationships, and bulimia (which featured the acting debut of Rachel McAdams). "So Weird" was another show that both adults and kids could enjoy that has sadly never been aired again since Disney Channel stopped airing reruns back in 2003. At one point I did consider the fact that maybe I thought these shows were better than what airs on the channel today simply for nostalgia's sake, but after revisiting both shows (thanks to YouTube), it's clear that Disney's older programming was much more well-crafted and, in my opinion, more entertaining.

With all that said, I absolutely cannot wait for "Girl Meets World"! I'm hoping for the best since people from the original series are heavily involved. Any glimpse back into the lives of Cory and Topanga is cool with me! :)

[GlindatheGood22]

I'm 20 but my younger sister in 14 so I've kind of seen Disney's evolution over the last decade or so. I know there's the whole "bring back 90's TV thing" and everyone thinks the shows they grew up with is better than what's on now, but to me it just seems like Disney has gotten progressively more afraid of being "serious" and alienating their audience. Does anyone else remember So Weird? I was watching an episode on Youtube a few days ago and I was still very impressed. From what I see my sister and six year old cousin watching, most of the shows that Disney produces now rely on physical comedy and just general clownishness. I'd say That's So Raven was the turning point but I'm sure there are many that will disagree.

Side note: do the two Scandinavian kids on Shake It Up makes anyone else's skin crawl?

[seaweedjstubbs2]

Glinda - I'd argue that "Lizzie McGuire" was the turning point (although I thoroughly enjoyed it). It was the first time that the network began selling merchandise and realized how much profit could be made by selling book bags and tshirts and anything else they could think of. "That's So Raven" continued the trend and also set the precedent of being Disney's first sitcom. Now, all of their live action programs are sitcoms.

Also, why the hell am I all of a sudden seaweedjstubbs2? I've been posting as seaweedjstubbs since 2007........

[StockardFan]

I have a 10 year old and the only show on Disney that he watches is Phineas and Ferb. He mostly watches the Cartoon Network and Nick.

[Marianne2]

Yeah, I have watched some of the recent programming a little and I feel like I learn nothing of value. It's all flashy and in your face now, I guess.

I don't know some of these shows some of you speak of because I did not have the Disney channel growing up. Except when they did their free weekends. Then my cable provider got rid of it as a subscription service completely, until it just became free access to everyone with cable.

Anyway, I liked some of their programming like Adventures in Wonderland and Kids Incorporated or the shows with their actual animated Disney characters. I also know for awhile they were showing The Baby-sitters Club. I liked that show because I loved the books. I read them a lot.

[ucjrdude902]

If it makes anyone feel better, Jackee Harry is also in the cast.

[Liza's Headband]

Disney, like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network and every other broadcast channel, is a for profit corporation. They will do whatever nets them a larger profit.

Full disclosure that I worked at Disney Television in the 80s and 90s so while we could probably agree on certain aspects of the evolution in its programming, there is clearly a market for it. Or they wouldn't be doing it. They're making money, which is their goal and mission; as opposed to PBS childrens programming, for example, which is more about actually educating their viewers or even Nick Jr.

[all that jazz]

I guess everyone looks back at the shows they were watching while growing up as the best. For me the golden age of Disney Channel was when they had That's so raven, The Suite Life, Hannah Montana and Wizards airing all at the same time. Not to mention HSM and TCG. I cried all the way through the Hannah Montana series finale, because it felt like the end of an era for me.

While the original movies have gone downhill, I find some of the series to be quite enjoyable mainly Good Luck Charlie, which is hilarious and Leigh-Allyn Baker as the mother is brilliant. But I do wish they would go back to musicals.

[givesmevoice]

In terms of the Disney Channel Original Movies, nothing will EVER top The Color of Friendship. It's not even shown anymore, but it was probably the best thing to ever air on Disney.

[all that jazz]

Such a powerful movie!! I'd love to see it as a musical someday.

[Liza's Headband]

As someone who was working there at the time, I personally would attribute the shift in programming to Zoog Disney in the late 1990s. Before that, Disney was more of a "classic" broadcast channel. There were two factions within the television group during that transitional time of major rebranding and the Execs at Disney Worldwide ultimately liked the new idea.

[jacobsnchz14]

Some of my favorite older shows that were shown during the early 90s when I was a wee tot were Under The Umbrella Tree, Dumbo's Circus, the Muppet TV movies (Goes To Disney World, etc.) Some of those my parents still have recorded on VHS. They're a WHOLE different audience to That's So Raven and Even Stevens and such, though.

[eatlasagna]

Minkus needs to show up!

[EricMontreal22]

I thought Under the Umbrella Tree was a Canadian show. (I guess it could be--I think others like Fred Penner's Place aired in the US.)

I admit I loved the first few years of TGIF shows like Full House (the shame,) but I think I was too old by the time Boy Meets World came around, I only remember a few episodes. And yet, I'm shocked at how excited so many friends and facebook friends seem for this reboot. I know it seemed to run forever, but it just never seemed to be a show that I thought was huge even with kids 5 years younger than me.

We do get DisneyDX and I enjoy some of the late night older shows they show at night that I do remember and record to watch with my nephew, like Gargoyles (which I'm sure came after Boy Meets World went to ABC--to be honest I don't remember any of the actual Disney live tv series, I think that era was past my time.)

And yes, Jacob, I love some of the Disney Sunday Night Movies you mention--like Muppets at Disney World, as well as Muppets Tonight shortly before Jim died (especially the spectacular Storyteller series Anthony Minghella directed, even if at 10 I still found them pretty scary.)

[Liza's Headband]

Gargoyles was '94 to '97. I remember how surprised my boss was that it turned out to be even moderately successful, since it was so dark for Disney at the time.

[Eris0303]

Gargoyles was pretty huge in my house. I think my sister may still even have the Sega Genesis game.

I don't really have anything to add regarding the evolution of Disney Channel because we didn't have cable in our house. I didn't really "experience" cable until I got to college and it didn't enter my house until 2006 (I think).

My memories are of the Saturday morning shows and Disney Afternoon. Those were great shows - Ducktales, Bonkers, Goof Troop, etc.

Perhaps Muppets Go to Disney was eventually aired on Disney Channel but it originally aired on NBC. I believe it was part of The Henson Hour - now THAT was quality programming. The Storyteller part of it is on Netlfix but I'd love to see a release of full episodes.

[Eris0303]

'Girl Meets World': Danielle Fishel & Ben Savage Answer 7 Questions About The 'BMW' Spinoff

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Set your DVR's!!! GMW will be premiering on June 27!
Plus a new Trailer

[Gorlois]

Ah, shoot! I missed a (albeit brief) discussion about Gargoyles on BWW?!? Probably my favorite series of all time, just magnificent... "Gorlois" is Atlantean for "Gargoyle," FYI... I recommend you check it out now if you haven't seen it since you were a kid, it holds up very well. Disney has uploaded the entire series to YouTube and series creator Greg Weisman wrote a third season in comic book form that you can buy on Amazon if it becomes of interest to you...

But, uh, Girl Meets World... I'll watch the first episode.