Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel in ‘Boy Meets World’
DEJA VU: Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel, in their “Boy Meets World” days, are returning with a new series in which they’re now the parents of 14-year-old Riley (Rowan Blanchard in the pink sleeves hugging her best friend, Maya, played by Sabrina Carpenter). (Disney Channel)
DEJA VU: Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel (inset), in their “Boy Meets World” days, are returning with a new series in which they’re now the parents of 14-year-old Riley (Rowan Blanchard in the pink sleeves hugging her best friend, Maya, played by Sabrina Carpenter). (
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If the waves of nostalgia ripple in 20-year cycles, Disney Channel is right on cue.
The cable network has ordered a spinoff of the hit ’90s sitcom “Boy Meets World” called “Girl Meets World” — with original series stars Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel returning as a now-married couple dealing with a tweenage daughter of their own.
The series was co-created by original “Boy Meets World” creator/producers Michael Jacobs and April Kelly, with Jacobs also serving as an executive producer.
The key role of Cory (Savage) and Topanga’s (Fishel) 14-year-old daughter, Riley Matthews, will be played by Rowan Blanchard, who’s dealing with life at home and in her 7th grade middle school.
The original series, which aired on ABC from 1993-2000 as part of its popular “TGIF” Friday-night lineup — which also included “Family Matters,” “Full House” and “Perfect Strangers” — took the romance between Cory and Topanga from the sixth grade all the way through college — when the couple eventually married and moved to New York City in the series finale when Topanga was offered a job at a law firm.
Set in Philadelphia, “Boy Meets World” aired for seven seasons and, at one point, was averaging nearly 12 million viewers, solid numbers for Friday night (the week’s least-watched night of TV).
The original series co-starred William Daniels as Cory and Topanga’s teacher, George Feeny;, Will Friedle as Cory’s older brother, Eric; Betsy Randle as Cory’s mom, Amy Matthews; and Rider Strong, who played Cory’s best friend, Shawn.
In “Girl Meets World,” Riley will be joined by her best friend, Maya (Sabrina Carpenter).
The series will be set in New York City, with Cory now a history teacher at Riley’s middle school — with Topanga, who runs a “trendy aftershool hangout,” keeping a watchful eye on her daughter and her friend.
“ ‘Girl Meets World’ is a new show for a new generation that will be rooted in the same kind of honest, comedic storytelling about coming of age and the importance of family and friendship that made ‘Boy Meets World’ so popular,” Jacobs said in a statement.
The series is scheduled to go into production this summer in LA and will premiere next year.
“In the same way audiences fell in love with Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence, we look forward to . . . building a memorable connection with a whole new generation of fans,” Disney Channel programming exec Adam Bonnett said in a statement.