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40-957: Boy Meets World is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September   1993 and May   2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews ( Ben Savage ) and his friends and family, as he progresses from childhood to adulthood. Episodes chronicle the everyday events of Cory's home and school life; his teacher and neighbor George Feeny ( William Daniels ) delivers life lessons as Cory learns to cope with social and personal issues of adolescence. Cory has strong relationships with his older brother Eric ( Will Friedle ), younger sister Morgan ( Lily Nicksay ), and parents, Amy ( Betsy Randle ) and Alan ( William Russ ). Cory's friendship with Shawn Hunter ( Rider Strong ) and romantic interest in Topanga Lawrence ( Danielle Fishel ) serve as central focuses of episodes. Overarching themes include

80-782: 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. Fishel, Friedle and Strong began hosting

120-496: A Teenage Girl (2015), Mistress America (2015), The Edge of Seventeen (2016), Lady Bird (2017), Sweet 20 (2017), Aftersun (2022) and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023). Matthew Lawrence Matthew Lawrence (born Matthew William Mignogna ; February 11, 1980) is an American actor, podcaster and singer, widely known for his roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and Boy Meets World . Lawrence also starred in

160-622: A band with Joey and Andy called Still Three. That February, they released their debut single "Lose Myself". Lawrence briefly dated his Boy Meets World co-star Danielle Fishel . He was engaged to Heidi Mueller from 2004 to 2006. He began dating professional dancer Cheryl Burke in February 2007 and remained in a relationship with her until their breakup in 2008. The pair reunited in 2017 and became engaged on May 3, 2018. On May 23, 2019, they wed in San Diego, California . On February 23, 2022, after

200-467: A focus on family and friendships as well as discovering one's identity. Further characters were introduced in later seasons; Jonathan Turner ( Anthony Tyler Quinn ), Eli Williams ( Alex Désert ), Jack Hunter ( Matthew Lawrence ), Angela Moore ( Trina McGee-Davis ) and Rachel McGuire ( Maitland Ward ). The Walt Disney Company commissioned the series for its youth-oriented TGIF programming block airing on ABC. Jacobs had previously produced Dinosaurs for

240-448: A law firm. 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. Jacobs noticed how other sitcoms focused on

280-467: 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. Savage chose not to take part in the project after being asked. The podcast featured guests Daniels, McGee, Randle, Russ and Lawrence. T   G   I   f Coming-of-age story The plot points of coming-of-age stories are usually emotional changes within

320-474: A prolonged estrangement exacerbated by COVID-19 , it was reported that Burke filed for divorce. On September 19, 2022, the divorce was finalized. In late 2022, Lawrence began dating Chilli of the R&;B group TLC . In April 2023, Lawrence revealed in a Brotherly Love podcast episode that he was sexually harassed by a director involved in a Marvel production and was fired by his agency when he walked out of

360-457: 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. Jeff Sherman, who was a producer and writer on the show, advocated to include issues such as vandalism and child abuse in

400-522: A similar relationship had received on Ally McBeal at the time. Eric and Shawn both wore a popular 1990s hairstyle called curtained hair . 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…"). Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (as Buena Vista Home Entertainment ) released

440-460: A sporting goods store with Eric as his partner. Eric begins college in the fifth season and moves into an apartment with Jack ( Matthew Lawrence ), whom he learns is Shawn's half-brother. Throughout the season, Shawn develops a relationship with a new student, Angela ( Trina McGee ), and Amy becomes pregnant. Topanga is accepted to Yale University , but rejects the offer to remain close to Cory, which leads her to propose to him at their graduation. In

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480-452: Is a foreign concept to Cory, begins to take precedence over the time they spend together. Cory shares a strong bond with his parents, Amy ( Betsy Randle ) and Alan ( William Russ ), and his younger sister Morgan ( Lily Nicksay ). His classmates include his best friend Shawn Hunter ( Rider Strong ), the intelligent Stuart Minkus ( Lee Norris ), and the nonconformist Topanga ( Danielle Fishel ), for whom he gradually begins to develop feelings. In

520-463: Is a witty eleven-year-old middle school student in Philadelphia , who speaks his mind and has an interest in sports. He shares a love-hate relationship with his sixth-grade teacher and neighbor George Feeny ( William Daniels ), and often finds himself in trouble during class. Cory's relationship with his older brother Eric ( Will Friedle ) becomes strained when Eric's obsession with dating girls, which

560-492: Is an important characteristic of the genre, which relies on dialogue and emotional responses, rather than action. The story is sometimes told in the form of a flashback. Historically, coming-of-age films usually centred on young boys, although coming-of-age films focusing on girls have become more common in the early 21st century, such as The Poker House (2008), Winter's Bone (2010), Hick (2011), Girlhood (2014), Mustang (2015), Inside Out (2015), The Diary of

600-716: The Bildungsroman exist, such as the Künstlerroman ("artist novel"), which focuses on the self-growth of an artist. In film, coming-of-age is a genre of teen films. Coming-of-age films focus on the psychological and moral growth or transition of a protagonist from youth to adulthood. A variant in the 2020s is the "delayed-coming-of-age film, a kind of story that acknowledges the deferred nature of 21st-century adulthood", in which young adults may still be exploring short-term relationships, living situations, and jobs even into their late 20s and early 30s. Personal growth and change

640-626: The protagonist from childhood to adulthood ( coming of age ), in which character change is important. The genre evolved from folk tales of young children exploring the world to find their fortune. Although the Bildungsroman arose in Germany, it has had extensive influence first in Europe and later throughout the world. Thomas Carlyle had translated Goethe's Wilhelm Meister novels into English, and after their publication in 1824/1825, many British authors wrote novels inspired by it. Many variations of

680-413: The 2021 film Mistletoe Mixup , he performed " O Holy Night " with his brothers Joey and Andrew. Lawrence also played guitar on several of his earlier performances. In 2011, Lawrence guest-starred on his brother's sitcom, ABC Family 's Melissa & Joey . In 2015, he reprised his role as Jack Hunter in the series Girl Meets World , a spin-off/sequel of Boy Meets World . Lawrence competed on

720-636: The Endzone and starred in the Disney English dub version of Kiki's Delivery Service with Kirsten Dunst and Phil Hartman in 1998. Lawrence's singing debut was in 1986, when he and his brother Joey performed at the 1986 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade . He sang at the 1991 Macy's Parade as well. Other musical performances can be found on two Gimme a Break! episodes, "Nell's Secret Admirer" and "The Window; Part 1"; two Brotherly Love episodes, "A Roman Holiday" and "Art Attack"; and on Boy Meets World . In

760-536: The Teenage Witch , and Step by Step . 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. Boy Meets World experienced strong ratings for the teenage demographic. 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. The series

800-405: The block and was asked to create a new series for a 12-to-14-year-old audience. Savage was under a contract with ABC at the time and Jacobs chose to include him as the central character. Boy Meets World was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Touchstone Television , and premiered on ABC on September 24, 1993. The series concluded on May 5, 2000, as a result of the aging cast and a shift in

840-467: The character(s) in question. In literary criticism , coming-of-age novels and Bildungsroman are sometimes interchangeable, but the former is usually a wider genre. The Bildungsroman (from the German words Bildung , "education", alternatively "forming" and Roman , "novel") is further characterized by a number of formal, topical, and thematic features. It focuses on the psychological and moral growth of

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880-414: The first three seasons of Boy Meets World on DVD in 2004 and 2005. 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. Season 4 was released on December 7, 2010. Season 5 was released on May 3, 2011. Season 6

920-741: 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. The series also began airing on MTV2 since November 14, 2011. On May 5, 2014, the show temporarily returned to Disney Channel after a seven-year absence to promote Girl Meets World . 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

960-901: The mid-1980s, playing Danny Carrington in Dynasty . He studied acting at HB Studio in New York City. He continued as a child actor through the early 1990s, appearing in many television and feature film roles, including the Robin Williams comedy Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and the mid-1990s television series Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad . In addition, he maintained starring roles in Brotherly Love , which starred his real life brothers, and in Boy Meets World in which he played Jack Hunter. Lawrence also appeared alongside Christopher Lloyd in Angels in

1000-480: The network's programming directives. Boy Meets World experienced strong ratings for the teenage demographic throughout its seven seasons, and it was later syndicated on Disney Channel . Several cast members were nominated for Young Artist Awards . Savage and Fishel reprised their roles as series regulars in the spin-off Girl Meets World , which aired on Disney Channel from 2014 to 2017, and depicted Cory and Topanga as married parents. Cory Matthews ( Ben Savage )

1040-479: The offer before asking for the pilot to be re-written. 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. 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

1080-405: 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

1120-510: The ratings for Boy Meets World had decreased by 14% from the last season, and the TGIF ratings had decreased by 17% overall. 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. By April, production on the seventh season of Boy Meets World had concluded, and Savage

1160-403: The recurring role of Dean Bolander, the dean of the university, in the later seasons of the show. 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. Part of the rewrite was to ensure that Mr. Feeny

1200-515: The role, however, a different actor portrayed Eric in the unaired pilot. 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. Boy Meets World was renewed for a fifth season in April 1997. In the fifth season, Matthew Lawrence joined the cast as Jack Hunter , Eric's college roommate. Daniels' wife Bonnie Bartlett portrays

1240-452: The second season, Cory, Shawn, and Topanga begin high school and are taught by Jonathan Turner ( Anthony Tyler Quinn ), an unorthodox English teacher, while Mr. Feeny becomes their principal. Cory and Topanga admit their feelings for each other and begin dating in the third season, while Eric is not accepted to any colleges or universities following his high school graduation. The fourth season includes Eric revisiting his studies and Alan opening

Boy Meets World - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-631: The series Brotherly Love with his real-life brothers Joey and Andrew . Lawrence was born in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania to Donna Lynn ( née Shaw), a personnel manager and former elementary school teacher, and Joseph Lawrence Mignogna Jr., an insurance broker. His family's stage surname was changed to Lawrence from Mignogna when he was a toddler. The middle-born of three boys, he has two brothers, Joey and Andrew , both of whom are also actors. Lawrence attended classes at Abington Friends School . Lawrence began acting in

1320-437: The series, regardless of it being a comedy. An episode in the first season, "The Fugitive", discusses the idea of running away from home. Bob Tischler served as an executive producer alongside Jacobs towards the end of the show's run. Boy Meets World was renewed for a sixth season in April 1998. Sabrina the Teenage Witch , another series airing on Friday nights, was the only other show to be renewed that year. By this time,

1360-476: The sixth season, Cory and his friends begin college, where Mr. Feeny is offered a teaching job. Rachel McGuire ( Maitland Ward ) moves in with Eric and Jack and they both develop feelings for her; Jack dates her. The new Matthews baby, Joshua, is born prematurely. Cory and Topanga get married in the seventh season and move into an apartment on campus. The series concludes with Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Eric moving to New York City , when Topanga secures an internship at

1400-409: 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

1440-547: The twenty-fourth season of Worst Cooks in America , the show's seventh celebrity edition titled That ' s So ' 90s , which aired in April and May 2022. In February 2023, the three Lawrence brothers launched a podcast, titled Brotherly Love , centered around rewatches of the sitcom. It was launched through PodCo, a podcast studio launched by actress Christy Carlson Romano and focused on rewatches of completed television series by their former actors. In 2017, Matt started

1480-513: Was already planning on attending college. The series did not produce a "large-scale" series finale, and there was a possibility the show could return. In the same month, ABC officially announced that the seventh season would be the final season of the show. The hour-long series finale aired on May 5, 2000, in which Cory and Topanga consider moving to New York. Boy Meets World reruns began airing on various Fox , WB , UPN , and independent affiliates from September 8, 1997 to September 1, 2000. During

1520-401: 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. By the airing of the seventh season, the ratings had continued to decline as the audience for the TGIF block decreased. Angela's interracial relationship with Shawn was a relative rarity for a major network television show targeting youths at

1560-457: Was portrayed in a way that was respectful of teachers and did not make fun of them, at Daniels' request. 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. Director David Trainer stated that Jacobs used "emotional manipulation" on the younger cast. The chemistry between Savage and Fishel led to producers developing

1600-463: Was released on July 5, 2011. Season 7 was released on October 4, 2011, completing the series' run on DVD. 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. In November 2012, Disney Channel announced that it had greenlit

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