Boy Meets World was a sitcom that aired through most of the 90s. The sitcom was popular among younger viewers who enjoyed watching the show for its comedy but also the insightful morals. Here are some facts about Boy Meets World.
Boy Meets World Facts
1. BFF(S)
Cory was originally supposed to have 2 BFFs, and in the first three episodes there’s a different friend sitting across the table from Shawn. None of the other friends worked well with Cory and Shawn, so they were replaced, until eventually they were gotten rid of entirely. The crew even called the chair in the lunchroom that sat across from Shawn the “Death Chair,” because the actors who sat in it never returned.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
2. Doppleganga
Marla Sokoloff was originally cast as Topanga, and Topanga was only supposed to be in a few episodes. Eventually producers decided it wasn’t working and recast Danielle Fishel as Topanga. Could you imagine a Boy Meets World without the Topanga we all know and love?
3. Art Imitates Life
Mr. Sweeney and Dean Bolander, who were love interest in the show and eventually got married, were actually married in real life. They were married even before the show started production.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
4. Stay Away
Rider Strong and Will Friedle, the actors who played Shawn and Eric respectively, only had a few scenes together throughout the shows long run. The reason for this is that Rider and Will were great friends and could barely keep it together long enough to film a scene. The two would often burst out laughing, making it difficult to get any work done.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
5. Sabbatical
Rider once approached the producers of the show about quitting the show to attend college. The producer convinced Rider that he could do both, and so he did. Thank goodness too, because Boy Meets World wouldn’t have been the same without Shawn.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
6. Newly Weds
The show’s creator, Michael Jacobs wanted Cory and Topanga to get married before the show ended, but ABC thought the characters (who were 20 at the time) were too young to get married. Jacobs decided to see what the fans thought with an internet poll, and the the fans unanimously voted for the pair to be wed, and so they were in the middle of the final season.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
7. Namesake
Jacobs was driving along Topanga canyon when production called him up to say that they needed a name for the female lead of the show. He said Topanga (given his current setting) and the name stuck. If production had called him a few minutes later, he would have said Canoga (which was the next highway exit).
8. Bad Hair Season
Rider Strong who played Shawn confessed to cosmopolitan that he hated the hair his character had. Apparently some girls at a sleepover told him to part it down the middle, and being a young impressionable man he did. When he auditioned for the role with his hair like that, casting loved it and never let him style it differently.
9. First Kiss
Cory and Topanga’s awkward first kiss was actually Ben Savage’s first ever kiss! Not everyone gets proof the first time they kiss a girl. Ben lucked out!
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
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10. PG
Though the show was very family friendly, there are three episodes that Disney Channel has banned. “Prom-ises Prom-ises,” “If You Can’t Be With The One You Love…,” and “The Truth About Honesty” were banned because they featured subjects like underage drinking and premarital sex.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
11. Nailed It
Maitland Ward who played Rachel never had to audition. She was offered the role when the show started, because she auditioned for another show Jacobs was working on, and he liked her so much he made sure to find a role for her. Pretty sweet.
12. Callbacks
Trina McGee who played Angela had to audition 5 times for the role before landing it. We’re glad she got the role though, because her and Rider Strong’s chemistry was irresistible.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
13. Mythter Feeny
While Mr. Feeny was a mentor to the characters of the show, William Daniels who played Mr. Feeny played a similar role with the young cast. He would often teach the young actors about acting, film, and life in general.
14. Just The Two Of Us
Cory and Shawn were the only two characters to appear in every single episode of Boy Meets World. Talk about a bromance.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
15. Replaced
Lily Nicksay who played Morgan, Cory and Eric Matthew’s little sister was replaced after two seasons by Lindsay Ridgeway. Nicksay would go on to travel the world, eventually returning to Los Angeles to act, and even making an appearance in the season finale of the spin-off Girl Meets World.
16. Changeable
Loveable nerd Stuart Minkus was originally named Stuart Lempke, but since there was already a Stuart Lempke living in Philadelphia (where the show was set), the name was changed to Minkus. What’s in a name, anyway?
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
17. Gone Girl
In the episode “Cory’s Alternative Friends,” Shawn calls his sister Stacy, but in later episodes Shawn doesn’t have a sister, and she never heard from again. RIP Stacy!
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
18. How Many?
Topanga’s parents are portrayed by five different actors throughout the seasons. Topanga had a total of 2 moms and 3 dads. Must have been confusing to say the least.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
19. On Their Way
Many young actors appeared on the show who would go on to be famous in their own right. Most notable Adam Scott of Parks And Rec. fame played Griff Hawks, the school bully. We’re just glad to see he changed his bullying ways.
20. Time Warp
In the second season of the show, the characters are referred to 7th graders, but by the fourth season the characters are 11th graders. Sounds like they shouldn’t have skipped ahead so many years in school, because clearly their math skills are lacking.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
21. Kissy Face
Betsy Randle who played Amy Matthews joked that Will Friedle who played Cory’s playboy brother Eric “took advantage of situations that required him to kiss on camera.” The actor supposedly enjoyed kissing, and got plenty of opportunities to take part in on screen kisses. Must be nice when you’re paid to pucker up.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
22. They Grow Up So Fast
Cory and Eric’s brother Joshua was born in the sixth season and was portrayed by multiple babies throughout the season. By the end of the season, Joshua is played by Daniel Jacobs, show creator Michael Jacobs’ son. Apparently the actor they originally cast was too talkative during scenes, so Jacobs called his wife to bring Daniel in and save the day.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
23. Changed My Mind
In the beginning of the show, Topanga is a staunch vegetarian. But by the end of the series Topanga is seen eating a pepperoni pizza. Looks like Topanga changed her mind about veggies at some point in the series, though we’re not sure when.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
24. Inked
In the final scene of the show, Topanga puts her hair in pigtails for the first time. If you look closely enough at the back of her neck, you can see Danielle Fishel’s tattoo of Chinese characters.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
25. The Jacket
When the show ended, Rider Strong left the set with Shawn Hunter’s infamous leather jacket. It would later get stolen from Rider’s car in Brooklyn. Now no one knows what happened to the jacket, and the thief probably didn’t even know who’s jacket they were taking.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
26. Age is just a number
Even though Matthew Lawrence plays Shawn Hunter’s older brother, Rider Strong who plays Shawn is actually several months older than Matthew. A younger older brother? Now we’ve seen everything.
27. Mystery
It’s never fully revealed how Cory and Topanga met. There are several fan theories regarding the matter but no one knows for sure. Is going to school together not enough?
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
28. Ageless
Trina McGee who played Angela, Shawn Hunter’s girlfriend and eventual ex is actually 10 years older than Rider Strong. Present day Trina is 48 years old and she's still got it.
29.When this Boy Meets World
The theme song of the show changed 5 times over the seasons. Which one’s your favorite? Ours is the original.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
30. Gone Girl Part II
Topanga’s older sister Nebula is seen in one episode, She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not, and never mentioned again. Not unlike Shawn Hunter’s sister Stacy. RIP Nebula, we hardly knew ye.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
31. Perfect
Rider Strong was the first and only person to audition for the role of Shawn Hunter. After his audition, Michael Jacobs sent the rest of the actors in the audition room home.
32. Cut
Though Topanga is shown to regret cutting her long hair in one of the show’s more famous scenes, Danielle Fishel didn’t hesitate at all to have her hair cut for the show. A true actor is committed to the role, and Danielle is a true actor.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
33. Brotherly Rivalry
Just as Ben Savage debuted as Cory on Boy Meets World, his older brother Fred Savage’s show The Wonder Years went off the air. All in all, a Savage brother was the star of a hit ABC show for twelve consecutive years.
34. Missing
It’s not just siblings that go missing on Boy Meets World. Mr. Turner who was an important character during the high school years of the show simply vanished after it’s mentioned in a fourth season episode that he was involved with in a life-threatening motorcycle accident. Mr. Turner eventually returns in Girl Meets World, and luckily for him he doesn’t do a disappearing act this time.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
35. Schooled
Because the child actors were still in school when the show was being shot, they had private teachers brought on set to ensure the cast didn’t fall behind on their studies. The actors would have a small area sectioned off where they would learn with their 1 on 1 teacher between takes.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
36. Fave
The season five episode “And Then There Was Shawn” was a cast favorite. Inspired by 90’s horror films, the episode guest starred Jennifer Love-Hewitt who was dating Will Friedle in real life at the time. The cast loved the episode because they could barely get through any scenes without laughing.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television Jennifer Love Hewitt and Will Friedle
37. References
The characters of Boy Meets World attended John Adams high school, which many fans believe to be a reference to the actor who played Mr. Feeny, William Daniels. William Daniels played John Adams in the movie 1776.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
38. Multitask
Willie Garson who played Stanford Blatch in Sex And The City played three different characters in Boy meets World. In the first season he is the assistant manager of Market Giant, where Cory’s dad works. He reappears a few years later as Mervyn who applies for a job at the Matthew’s store. In the final season Garson is the minister who marries Cory and Topanga.
39. First And Last
Mr. Feeny bookends the show, starting the show off by giving Cory a talk in the classroom, and eventually closing out the show by giving his trademark “class dismissed” to the cast.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
40. Still Going
Boy Meets World is in syndication and killing it. ABC Family and MTV2 still to this day run reruns of the show, and in June 2014 a Disney Family primetime slot garnered 1.825 million viewers. That’s impressive considering internet streaming is a thing.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
41. Tear Jerker
The cast of the show cried real tears during filming of the show’s final scene. After so many seasons together, the cast was like family and could not bare to do another take, so the scene was shot only once. We’re not crying though, someone must be cutting onions nearby.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), Touchstone Television
42. Freaky
Before Linda Cardellini was a regular on the show Freaks And Geeks, she was on Boy Meets World where she almost broke Cory and Topanga up. It’s probably for the best, we couldn’t imagine Cory without Topanga.
