Cory/Shawn 4eva!
November 29, 2012 10:04 AM   Subscribe

It's been confirmed: Cory and Topanga will be returning to TV screens in a new show focused on their daughter and her friends, Girl Meets World. Sadly, Shawn is not yet officially involved.
posted by kmz (52 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
I am ashamed to admit that I understood this post.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:06 AM on November 29, 2012 [7 favorites]


Crap... meant to direct link this tweet for the "Cory" link but messed it up. Not sure if it's big enough of a deal to fix, but would appreciate it, mods.
posted by kmz at 10:07 AM on November 29, 2012


Ben Savage is 32. Danielle Fishel is 31. Cory and Topanga are 30.

Under no circumstances should the daughter be 13.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:09 AM on November 29, 2012 [8 favorites]


Not ashamed to admit I loved this show even as a elderly teenager when it was on.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:13 AM on November 29, 2012


To be fair, in the original show their ages/grades between seasons tended to jump around a bit so clearly the BMWverse is set in an unstable time vortex.
posted by kmz at 10:13 AM on November 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


No! I thought I'd left my embarrassing crush on Topanga behind! Just when I thought I was out... They pull me back in!
posted by cmoj at 10:16 AM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


Is there like a massive fandom surrounding this show? Or is it just collective nostalgia? I have seen this news everywhere, as if all of us have been aching for it as much as new episodes of Arrested Development or Party Down. What am I missing from a show that I remember as being not that remarkable?
posted by Think_Long at 10:18 AM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


Under no circumstances should the daughter be 13.

Did you watch the last few episodes of that show? They were modern teenagers with Victorian morals shoehorned in by writers who were out of their depths. The sexual tension between those two was a force powerful enough to power a medium-sized city, but they were on ABC, so of course they were abstinent until their wedding night. After which, I assume, they became the victims of a lifetime of sex ed taught by George Feeney.
posted by Mayor West at 10:20 AM on November 29, 2012 [21 favorites]


The sexual tension between those two was a force powerful enough to power a medium-sized city

Surely you're talking about Cory and Shawn.

Party Down

Funnily enough, Adam Scott played a bully on Boy Meets World years before he was Henry Pollard or Ben Wyatt.
posted by kmz at 10:24 AM on November 29, 2012 [9 favorites]


Under no circumstances should the daughter be 13.

Adoption? Seriously, though, yeah, Cory and Topanga got married at 18 or something ridiculous like that. They probably were doing it and stuff.

Is there like a massive fandom surrounding this show? Or is it just collective nostalgia?

The second thing. Plus Ben Savage needs work.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:24 AM on November 29, 2012


They probably were doing it and stuff.

They were 23 when the show ended, though.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:26 AM on November 29, 2012


It is funny how, no matter how long the show is off the air, every time it's brought up we fall back to the same topic of conversation we were having when we were kids: Do you think they're doing it??
posted by Think_Long at 10:30 AM on November 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think they got together in a meeting and said "Why don't we do a spinoff of that old show.. with that Savage kid.. that takes place 20 years later when he has kids? That would be cool." and some idiot picked the wrong Savage.
posted by jozxyqk at 10:38 AM on November 29, 2012 [7 favorites]


But if you do a Wonder Years Grown Up do you get Fred Savage or Daniel Stern?
posted by shakespeherian at 10:40 AM on November 29, 2012 [6 favorites]


I think it was more like "You know how all of our really crazy successful Disney sitcoms are sorta like the old TGIF line up, especially Boy Meets World with its focus on kids..." and the rest just wrote itself.

Danielle Fishel was really funny on that version of The Soup she did for the Style network -- and was funny on The Soup this week mocking it. But I was too old to miss this the first time around so, for once, nostalgia isn't sucking me in.

Yes, nostalgia isn't sucking me in because I'm too old for it. Which is a weird feeling.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:43 AM on November 29, 2012


I haven't been this excited since the premier of What's Happening Now!
posted by The Gooch at 10:45 AM on November 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


Mayor West: After which, I assume, they became the victims of a lifetime of sex ed taught by George Feeney.

Cory learns the hard way that you can't trust everything a talking Trans Am says.
posted by dr_dank at 10:46 AM on November 29, 2012 [4 favorites]


you can't trust everything a talking Trans Am says

I don't want to live on this earth anymore.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:48 AM on November 29, 2012 [4 favorites]


But where is my Eric?
posted by fatehunter at 10:48 AM on November 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


But where is my Eric?


Given Wil Friedle's recent filmography, if he's on the show at all, it'll probably just be his voice.

(which would actually be really funny)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:50 AM on November 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


But if you do a Wonder Years Grown Up do you get Fred Savage or Daniel Stern?

Fred Savage acts, but they dub Daniel Stern's voice over him, obviously.
posted by Hamusutaa at 10:58 AM on November 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


I'm not really surprised that Rider Strong isn't yet involved. I met him in a bar last year and he was not AT ALL amused by me telling him that I "loved his work on Boy Meets World", so maybe he's trying to forget he was ever involved with that show.
posted by vakker at 11:06 AM on November 29, 2012


I think they got together in a meeting and said "Why don't we do a spinoff of that old show.. with that Savage kid.. that takes place 20 years later when he has kids? That would be cool." and some idiot picked the wrong Savage.

Added bonus: his teenage kid is around for Nirvana, grunge, and the golden age of hip hop. Maybe neighbor kid can be in the 1st Gulf War.
posted by LionIndex at 11:06 AM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


Ben Savage is 32. Danielle Fishel is 31. Cory and Topanga are 30.

Under no circumstances should the daughter be 13.


Well, except for the circumstances where the writers might want to portray a remotely realistic depiction of how average American families are built?
posted by trackofalljades at 11:07 AM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


I had never heard of this show until I started managing a group home for mentally retarded schizophrenics who were all devoted, never-miss-a-rerun fans. There's no joke there, those folks LOVED the show. After a couple of years working in that place I too had learned to love the show. I also was probably in need of some serious anti-psychotics because of the workplace stresses. I'm not sure that people in dire need of thorizine was the writers' target demogragraphic when comeing up with plot lines, but in that one case study at least it was a very successful formula!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:23 AM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


I'm just disappointed it's not titled "Kid Gets Acquainted with Universe."
posted by chaiminda at 11:25 AM on November 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


Girl: "Hello World. Nice to meet you."

World: ...

Girl: "I said hello World."

World: ...

Girl: "It's very rude not to acknowledge someone when they say hello."

World: ...

Girl (Waving her arms): "I'm right here! Look at me! Look at meee!"

World: ...
posted by dortmunder at 11:31 AM on November 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


"Dreams do come true. Never forget that." Essential commentary/freakout from Rembert at Grantland, who received this extraordinary tweet in return.
posted by acidic at 11:33 AM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


10th Regiment of Foot It must be murder to answer the phone: "Good morning, Group Home for Mentally Retarded Schizophrenics Who Were All Devoted, Never-miss-a-rerun Fans, how can I help you?"
posted by dr_dank at 11:36 AM on November 29, 2012


I will go ahead and say that I think Boy Meets World was, all things considered, pretty good television, and eventually developed into something a lot more interesting than anyone really should have expected from its premise and context. I mean, it wasn't high art, but it was something I can still pretty much respect.

All right yes I had a crush on Topanga. So what. Shut up.
posted by brennen at 11:38 AM on November 29, 2012


But if you do a Wonder Years Grown Up do you get Fred Savage or Daniel Stern?

Stern in Savage makeup
posted by Copronymus at 11:40 AM on November 29, 2012


Well, except for the circumstances where the writers might want to portray a remotely realistic depiction of how average American families are built?

In what, 1980? The average American woman doesn't even get married until her late 20s now.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:43 AM on November 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


William Daniels is still acting. I don't care what job they give Cory as long as his boss is Feeny.
posted by Gary at 11:53 AM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


I love the idea of this solely because I'm a continuity junkie. The early seasons of Degrassi TNG which let us follow Spike and Snake's blossoming romance was like crack to me.

Also: "[Riley's best friend Maya is] a pessimist, and described as 'darker and less trusting' than Riley. She's never known her father, and even though she's not a good student by any means, she looks to her history teacher, Cory, as a father figure."

If her dad's not Shawn, I will eat my shoe. I bet they'll keep it a big secret until the premiere, too.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:55 AM on November 29, 2012 [4 favorites]


I'm not really surprised that Rider Strong isn't yet involved. I met him in a bar last year and he was not AT ALL amused by me telling him that I "loved his work on Boy Meets World", so maybe he's trying to forget he was ever involved with that show.

Which is, shockingly, totally at odds with what his carefully cultivated PR image says.
posted by IvoShandor at 11:55 AM on November 29, 2012


Some American families, yes. Average American families? I'm gonna need stats on that one.
posted by cooker girl at 11:56 AM on November 29, 2012


Wow, I never realized Adam Scott had an Alan-Alda-as-Hawkeye vibe until watching that clip.
posted by ChuraChura at 11:57 AM on November 29, 2012


RhobWanKenobi, although that is a great theory my heart will break if the show implies that Cory and Shawn are no longer in touch. Their love was supposed to be forever!
posted by chaiminda at 12:04 PM on November 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


Wow. Adam Scott. You just got me to watch the most Boy Meets World I ever have.
Plus, I found out via IMDB he was in First Contact. Definitely did not know that.
posted by dhartung at 12:24 PM on November 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


It's got to be a little depressing for an actor to realize that his (or her) entire twenties was basically a placeholder until you got old enough to do the sequel to your own show...
posted by madajb at 12:40 PM on November 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


I'm 34 and I have a few Facebook friends (from my childhood) who have 12-15 year olds. And they're married and educated and have houses and other kids and things (not that this is required, but it's the middle class expectation most people want, which usually makes them wait longer).

It might not be the most common but it's not impossible.
posted by sweetkid at 12:43 PM on November 29, 2012


Never found much of an affection for the show. It was a sitcom I watched when there was absolutely nothing else on. Perhaps it was Topanga's name. I never got over the irritation that blossomed in my heart at parents who would name their daughter Topanga.

So color me meh.
posted by Atreides at 1:09 PM on November 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


As a black girl whose high school social scene was 99.9% white, I really related to the Angela character on this show. No Angela, no dice.
posted by girlmightlive at 1:42 PM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


I'm not going to lie. Finding out that my apartment was just down the street from the house used for exterior shots of Cory's home was a substantial factor in deciding to sign the lease. If I'm ever feeling down, I can just walk over and pretend Feeny is out in the back with some much needed advice.
posted by fishmasta at 2:50 PM on November 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


I can't wait until Shawn's back so I can giggle over the actor's name again.

Rider. Rider Strong.
posted by klangklangston at 3:19 PM on November 29, 2012 [4 favorites]


This show used to confuse the hell out of me. I was a young adult just getting seriously into drag during the waning days of the series, and it seemed like every time I flipped by, the boys were in drag. A quick Googling reveals that they did at least two drag episodes, and it definitely seemed like there were more.

And the things was, these teenage boy characters got so into it, there was no shame involved and they clearly were enjoying aspects of the experience. (Seriously, this episode was like something you'd read on Fictionmania.com. The kid ends up in drag, feeling pretty, on a date with another boy, and for a while it's clear that he's actually enjoying it. Wow.)

It was hard to know how to feel about it. On the one hand, the show was amazingly trans-friendly, given what it was. I would've killed for something like this, growing up. On the other hand, it did seem like kind of adult subject matter for a kids' show, and the episodes I saw really went all-out with it. I feel like a hypocrite for saying that it seemed a little creepy for a teenage boy on a sitcom to be flouncing around in a dress and saying that he's decided he's going to live as a girl from now on, as actually happens in one of these episodes... But maybe it's because a TGIF sitcom just seemed like such a weird place for a scene like that.

I had this feeling like the screenwriter was using these child actors as sock puppets to express a pro-trans agenda, and... Is that wrong? No, really, it's awesome that they dealt with this stuff on the show, and it probably made a huge difference for some little trans kids somewhere. But it still confused the hell out of me.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:50 PM on November 29, 2012 [4 favorites]


But if you do a Wonder Years Grown Up do you get Fred Savage or Daniel Stern?

I'm thinking we take it in a Total Recall/Kuato direction.
posted by mannequito at 8:04 PM on November 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


I know this is probably a bad idea, but I can't help but be excited.
posted by flying_trapeze at 8:26 PM on November 29, 2012


I loved the show as a kid. Really, I did. (Mostly in re-runs, my older brother was the one watching during its original run)

But I couldn't help feeling a deep, dark feeling of woe upon hearing this news. I know this sentiment isn't new but it was the latest time I've felt it this strongly.

I pictured a giant hand placing a sign upon the pop-culture universe and it read:

"Sorry, no more new things ever again, only nostalgia. Please check back never. Thanks, The Management."

Then I remember that I just began watching Adventure Time due to all the posts about it here. Hope springs eternal.....
posted by sendai sleep master at 10:50 PM on November 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


I think Cory and Topanga might have trouble getting Mr. Plays With Squirrels to leave his hermitage and rejoin the Matthews family.
posted by book 'em dano at 12:50 AM on November 30, 2012


Also: "[Riley's best friend Maya is] a pessimist, and described as 'darker and less trusting' than Riley. She's never known her father, and even though she's not a good student by any means, she looks to her history teacher, Cory, as a father figure."

If her dad's not Shawn, I will eat my shoe. I bet they'll keep it a big secret until the premiere, too.


As much as I want to get an update on Shawn Hunter, I don't want him to turn out to have been a dead beat dad.

And on that note, Cory Matthews was the least interesting part of that show.

Shawn's arc, Eric's hilarity, and of course Topanga. Ah, Topanga!
posted by ChipT at 4:23 AM on November 30, 2012 [1 favorite]


On the other hand, it did seem like kind of adult subject matter for a kids' show, and the episodes I saw really went all-out with it. I feel like a hypocrite for saying that it seemed a little creepy for a teenage boy on a sitcom to be flouncing around in a dress and saying that he's decided he's going to live as a girl from now on, as actually happens in one of these episodes...

Ursula Hitler, I know I don't have to tell you that trans issues are dealt with by children, too. I don't give the BMW writing staff the credit for intentionally pushing any kind of progressive agenda, but I can't see how it could have hurt anyone to see cross-dressing and ridiculously close friendships between men portrayed in a positive light.
posted by chaiminda at 7:07 AM on November 30, 2012


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