It’s official—Topanga and Cory are back! Danielle Fischel and Ben Savage have agreed to reprise their roles from the popular sitcom Boy Meets World, in a new spin-off show that centers on their teenage daughter. Girl Meets World, which will begin shooting in February, has certainly sparked a lot of curiosity. Fans are wondering if the show will be able to stand up to its predecessor, or blemish the memories of the favorite show they grew up with.
In Boy Meets World, viewers watched as Cory Matthews emerged from boyhood, learning all of the lessons that life has to teach, and into a young man. Infamous for getting into trouble with his best friend Shawn (Rider Strong), often at the hands of his history teacher and next-door neighbor Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), Cory grew to be a loving young man who married his childhood love, Topanga Lawrence. Fans watched the romance blossom over seven seasons until its end in 2000.
The sequel series, Girl Meets World, will air on Disney Channel, and will follow the life of Cory and Topanga’s thirteen-year old daughter, Riley. While a nationwide search is being held for the young girl who will assume the star-role, the plot will follow a similar structure as BMW: Riley makes her way through her teen years with her best friend Maya at her side. Maya tends to veer towards the dark side with her edgy personality, the Shawn to Riley’s Cory. However, the show will have somewhat of a different vibe as Riley’s story will show viewers just how difficult teenage years can be—for a girl, that is.
While many fans are eager for GMW to premiere, there are definitely there are a dubious many who fear that the show will not be able to maintain the hilarity and authentic quality that the original show had; some feel it is better to leave well enough alone. Savage has assured fans that they will do everything in their power to make sure this does not happen. In an interview with Rolling Stones, Savage acknowledged the concerns: “I’ve gotten notes from a lot of people it’s going to ruin a lot of their childhood memories. We’re really working hard and doing everything we can to make sure that this is going to be something special and funny, and hopefully it’ll make new memories for a new generation.”
It is quite possible that GMW can be a huge success, maybe even more successful than its prototype. It has been done before with Degrassi: The Next Generation, which is now in its twelfth season. Not only this, but BMW’s original creator Michael Jacobs is returning as the creator of the new show, helping to assuage fan fears of a diminished quality. It is still to be determined whether or not fan-favorites Shawn and Mr. Feeny will return, but Savage hints that anything is possible. By weaving older characters into the new storyline, the show will likely have a higher chance of success as new and old viewers can enjoy the show. Hopefully, both generations can “meet worlds” and watch this new show together.