Since Girl Meets World premiered to an overwhelmingly positive response from fans, I figured I'd share some fun facts about Boy Meets World, the prequel to the show. If you were a '90s kid, you grew up with this show. Personally, I still can't get enough of it! I recently purchased the entire series on DVD and let me tell you, it was a great decision. Check out some of these little known facts about Boy Meets World and then let me know which ones surprised you the most.
Rider was the first and ONLY person to audition for the role of Shawn Hunter. When Michael Jacobs (the creator/producer of the show) saw him, he sent everyone else home. “I said, ‘OK, that’s fine,’” Jacobs explained, “No, that’s fine, that’s my guy.” As if we could picture anyone else playing Shawn Hunter, right?! This is just one of the many cool and little known facts about Boy Meets World.
The greatness that is Topanga's name didn't just create itself. Topanga was named after the famous Topanga Canyon in California. It's a bohemian gathering point known for music festivals like Topanga Earth Day and Topganda Days Festival. Allegedly, one of the writers from 'BMW' was stuck in traffic near the canyon and then decided its name and vibe would be perfect for the “unique” character. Thank goodness for that traffic, right?!
Remember Leonard Spinelli, Market Giant's assistant manager?! Well, the actor, Willie Garson, appeared in Boy Meets World in two OTHER roles. He was Leonard Spinelli, Mervyn (a Merrill Lynch employee who applies at Alan's wilderness store) AND the minister who marries Cory and Topanga. A lot of people never noticed that!
Around the show's fifth season, Rider almost quit the whole thing. He wanted to leave the show and go pursue a college education. After talking to Michael Jacobs about it, Michael insisted that they could work out a schedule where Rider could do both. The show went on for another two years after that! Can you imagine if Rider did leave the show?
Even though Boy Meets World dealt with a lot of controversial topics, there were there episodes that were considered too "risqué" and Disney Channel refused to air them. “Promises, Promises,” “If You Can’t Be with the One You Love” and “The Truth about Honesty” all dealt with underage drinking and premarital sex, which were considered inappropriate for the channel’s demographic.
The series starts off with a conversation between Cory and Mr. Feeny. In the series finale, Mr. Feeny ends the show by saying that class is now 'dismissed.' I think that's so powerful! I hope he's around to bring class back in session in a few Girl Meets World episodes.
I can never watch the series finale of the show without bursting into tears. "We did that last scene in one take because we were such a wreck," said Rider. "It was 7 years, like high school and college all rolled into one saying goodbye to each other." In the script, Topanga wasn't supposed to cry but Danielle Fishel couldn't help herself. Her goodbye to Mr. Feeny was so touching, they didn't want to re-shoot it, even though her tattoo was showing on the back of her neck!
Well, there you have it. These are just seven out of many awesome fun facts about Boy Meets World. You'd be surprised at just how many things you could discover about the show and cast. Which fact was your favorite?