TSM goes Step by Step to the Full House of Family Matters

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Are you speaking of "you" in the general sense or me? I was just watching it hungover the other day for the first time in a while and thought it could spark some mildly amusing discussion in a CTDWAT. I didn't expect it to turn into a five page thread. Not that I'm going to stop participating in it or anything...


I could have swore I saw Tony Todd of Candyman fame(? Well he's famous to gary floyd...) as Shawn's black girlfriend's dad on the rerun of Boy Meets World I stumbled across this morning . I kept half accepting him to attack Shawn with a steak knife or something. Needless to say, I looked it up on IMDb and it was not him. And for all the talk about Eric becoming an idiot in later seasons, Cory really seemed "later season Homer Simpson" level dumb in this episode.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

*looks up that Boy Meets World episode on IMDb*

That wasn't Tony Todd as Angela's dad! That was Bucky from Disco Godfather and Sho'Nuff from Berry Gordon's The Last Dragon.

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

That was the 2nd-to-last episode of the entire series. Angela was the only castmember not to appear in the series finale for some reason.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Well, she did go to Europe with her dad at the end of the episode so it makes sense storyline wise.

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

The rerun of the series finale should be airing on ABC Family tomorrow morning at 7, but if you can't wait that long to find out what happened on the final episode of Boy Meets World:

157-158 (22-23) "Brave New World" Jeff McCracken Matthew Nelson May 5, 2000 (2000-05-05) B842-B843
Two part episode: Cory wrestles with his fear of moving to New York for Topanga's internship, triggering, in flashbacks, a host of memories. When he finally opts to take Manhattan, it turns out that Shawn, Jack, Rachel, and Eric have all made big moving plans of their own (Angela moved to Europe in the last episode). But before anyone leaves town, the crew makes one last stop: Mr. Feeny's classroom. There, the teacher offers them one last bit of advice before they go out and meet the world: "Believe in yourselves. Dream. Try. Do good." Eric tells Mr. Feeny to admit that he loves them, but he refuses. They each share a tearful goodbye with their mentor, and leave. The series ends with Mr. Feeny saying to the empty classroom: "I love you all. Class dismissed."

Which means that we go back to the beginning of the show on Friday, which means that we can see the MINKUS~! episodes again! ;D

Speaking of Boy Meets World, I can't be the only one to have ever noticed the subtle homoerotic undertones of the friendship between Cory and Shawn, can I? It seemed more obvious when they were older, but really, it was always there. They were totally in love with each other.

 

[fazzle]

Oh yeah, Boy Meets World was one of the first shows I remember to have a fuckton of slash fiction online.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

The list of awesome Boy Meets World episodes begins and ends with the episodes guest starring Big Van Vader as young Ethan Suplee's dad.


Those and the one where Fred Savage showed up and tried to fuck Topanga.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Speaking of Boy Meets World, I can't be the only one to have ever noticed the subtle homoerotic undertones of the friendship between Cory and Shawn, can I? It seemed more obvious when they were older, but really, it was always there. They were totally in love with each other.

Definitely obvious and I think blatantly played up by the writers over time as well. Similar to Xena/Gabrielle but without making it into text.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Shawn's facial hair in the last few seasons sure didn't help either.

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

Eric was a little bit obsessed with Mr. Feeny too, wasn't he? In the episode where Cory, Shawn and Topanga graduate high school, he goes all out to try and stop Feeny from retiring, including singing a song to him. And there was that one episode where he was hallucinating that Feeny was helping him, to the point that Jack began to question his sanity.

 

[Gary]

Eric pretty much went insane as the series went along. He probably gave Feeny a hand job too.

 

[HaVoC]

Angela from Boy Meets World was fine! She might be the first black girl to give me wood. Whatever happen to her?

 

[Mattdotcom]

Damn. That means I missed the honeymoon episode with Topanga parading around in some tame, TGIF-approved lingerie.

 

[EdwardKnoxII]

Speaking of Minkus one of the most what the fuck monents on that show has to be in the graduation ep were Corey and Shawn are talking and then the camera pans over and there's Minkus, who hasn't been seen since the first season.

Minkus: "Oh, nooooow it's 'Hey Minkus.' For the last three years, it's like I haven't been in the same school with you guys."
Shawn: "Well, you know, we just never saw you around."
Minkus: "I was! I was just in the other part of the school."
Shawn: "What 'other part of the school'?"
Minkus (pointing in the general direction of the camera): "Over there."
Cory and Shawn stiffen as they stare off in that direction.
Cory: "We don't go there."
Shawn: "Yeah, you go over there you may never come back."
Minkus: "Aww, that's crazy. (calling over in the dreaded direction) Hey, Mr. Turner, wait up!"

 

[Tino Standard]

Speaking of Minkus one of the most what the fuck monents on that show has to be in the graduation ep were Corey and Shawn are talking and then the camera pans over and there's Minkus, who hasn't been seen since the first season.

Minkus: "Oh, nooooow it's 'Hey Minkus.' For the last three years, it's like I haven't been in the same school with you guys."
Shawn: "Well, you know, we just never saw you around."
Minkus: "I was! I was just in the other part of the school."
Shawn: "What 'other part of the school'?"
Minkus (pointing in the general direction of the camera): "Over there."
Cory and Shawn stiffen as they stare off in that direction.
Cory: "We don't go there."
Shawn: "Yeah, you go over there you may never come back."
Minkus: "Aww, that's crazy. (calling over in the dreaded direction) Hey, Mr. Turner, wait up!"

That's hilarious.

Didn't they do a similar gag with Cory's sister? I vaguely remember an episode where she came down the stairs in the kitchen and said she "had been grounded for a really long time" when she hadn't been on the show in months (years?).

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

Speaking of Minkus one of the most what the fuck monents on that show has to be in the graduation ep were Corey and Shawn are talking and then the camera pans over and there's Minkus, who hasn't been seen since the first season.

Minkus: "Oh, nooooow it's 'Hey Minkus.' For the last three years, it's like I haven't been in the same school with you guys."
Shawn: "Well, you know, we just never saw you around."
Minkus: "I was! I was just in the other part of the school."
Shawn: "What 'other part of the school'?"
Minkus (pointing in the general direction of the camera): "Over there."
Cory and Shawn stiffen as they stare off in that direction.
Cory: "We don't go there."
Shawn: "Yeah, you go over there you may never come back."
Minkus: "Aww, that's crazy. (calling over in the dreaded direction) Hey, Mr. Turner, wait up!"

That's hilarious.

Didn't they do a similar gag with Cory's sister? I vaguely remember an episode where she came down the stairs in the kitchen and said she "had been grounded for a really long time" when she hadn't been on the show in months (years?).

Yeah. And she was played by a different actress too! And she wasn't grounded, she just had a time out, which made her quip, "That was the longest time out I've ever had!"

Damn. That means I missed the honeymoon episode with Topanga parading around in some tame, TGIF-approved lingerie.

I prefer the scene where she's wearing a bikini top.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

I believe she was even in the closet! She said something about being in the closet for a very long time.

Boy Meets World has fun with its insane continuity errors, gotta give it that much at least.

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

I love how Boy Meets World is so far the only sitcom in the history of television that has had professional wrestlers guest star more than once. Usually, wrestling is a punchline to how dumb a character is, but on Boy Meets World, the wrestlers were characters themselves, and wrestling itself wasn't treated as a *total* joke.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

I love how Boy Meets World is so far the only sitcom in the history of television that has had professional wrestlers guest star more than once. Usually, wrestling is a punchline to how dumb a character is, but on Boy Meets World, the wrestlers were characters themselves, and wrestling itself wasn't treated as a *total* joke.

Yep.. they had an entire episode devoted to Cory trying to make it to a wrestling match at MSG (despite living in Philly...)_ which pisses off Topanga cos she has a prom dance or something.

 

[EdwardKnoxII]

Speaking of brothers and sisters. Shawn had a few that only shown and talked about in one ep and then never seen or talked about again.

In season one he had a sister named Stacy that made that hair cream stuff for Corey that messed up his hair. Then in the 3rd season he had a half brother named Eddie that was a theif. And then finally he had Jack that was on for the rest of the show.

 

[HaVoC]

Looked up Trina McGee-Davis who played Angela. She was born in 1969. Never would have guessed her to be that old.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

Yep, Jack was a half brother, and he was surprised he wasn't an only child any more. Despite having a brother and sister in earlier episodes. Boy Meets World was fantastic.

I was actually amazed to learn they DID write Mr. Turner off, he didn't just go in the hospital and disappear.

And yeah they wrote Angela off in the 2nd to last episode cos they wanted it to focus on the four initial kids. And yeah she was in her late 20s/early 30s when she played the role.

 

[EdwardKnoxII]

Looked up Trina McGee-Davis who played Angela. She was born in 1969. Never would have guessed her to be that old.

Speaking of her she was pregnant with her 3rd during the show.

 

[Aero]

I love how Boy Meets World is so far the only sitcom in the history of television that has had professional wrestlers guest star more than once. Usually, wrestling is a punchline to how dumb a character is, but on Boy Meets World, the wrestlers were characters themselves, and wrestling itself wasn't treated as a *total* joke.

Yep.. they had an entire episode devoted to Cory trying to make it to a wrestling match at MSG (despite living in Philly...)_ which pisses off Topanga cos she has a prom dance or something.

I think you're thinking of the one where Cory along with Shawn & Ethan Suplee are trying to be in Vader's corner for his match with Jake Roberts at the Spectrum while also switching to go to Topanga's Sweet 16 party.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

Yeah, that's the one. Ethlan Suplee being the breakout star of BMW surprises me too, that'd be good for that other topic. The rest of them haven't done much of anything (except Cabin Fever I guess)

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

Yep, Jack was a half brother, and he was surprised he wasn't an only child any more. Despite having a brother and sister in earlier episodes. Boy Meets World was fantastic.

I was actually amazed to learn they DID write Mr. Turner off, he didn't just go in the hospital and disappear.

And yeah they wrote Angela off in the 2nd to last episode cos they wanted it to focus on the four initial kids. And yeah she was in her late 20s/early 30s when she played the role.

Eric and Jack's female roommate, Rachel, got to be in the series finale, and she was only on the show for the last 2 seasons. Same with Jack, who joined the cast three years after the show started.

Looking at the show's ratings, Boy Meets World lost viewers every year starting with the 3rd season. Although, there was a slight increase in the 4th season. The 7th and final season had the least amount of viewers.

Season Ratings Rank Viewers
(in millions)
1 1993–1994 #37[1] 8.4[1]
2 1994–1995 #36[2] 11.5[2]
3 1995–1996 #48[3] 10.1[3]
4 1996–1997 #41[4] 8.7[5]
5 1997–1998 #55[4] 11.6[4]
6 1998–1999 #58[6] 10.9[6]
7 1999–2000 #73[7] 8.7[7]

It kinda makes sense though. In terms of pop culture relevence, I think Boy Meets World was at it's peak from 1994-1997. I don't recall it ever being a HUGE show in terms of popularity, but it had its fair share of fans, and Shawn was a teen idol for a little while. It disappeared pretty much completely off of the pop culture radar around the time Matthew Lawrence is joined the cast.

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

Yeah, that's the one. Ethlan Suplee being the breakout star of BMW surprises me too, that'd be good for that other topic. The rest of them haven't done much of anything (except Cabin Fever I guess)

Topanga hosts The Soup spinoff, The Dish, every week on Style, so that alone makes her better off than the rest of the cast of Boy Meets World.

Oh! I almost forgot that Eric was the voice of Ron Stoppable on Kim Possible (also starring Christy Carlson Romano (a.k.a. the kid from Even Stevens who isn't Shia LaBeouf) and the voice of Bart Simpson as Rufus the naked mole rat!), which was a huge hit on The Disney Channel, so that counts for something, I guess. He also got to bang Jennifer Love Hewitt for a short time too.

Ben Savage has completely disappeared off the face of the Earth.

 

[EdwardKnoxII]

Yeah, that's the one. Ethlan Suplee being the breakout star of BMW surprises me too, that'd be good for that other topic. The rest of them haven't done much of anything (except Cabin Fever I guess)

Topanga hosts The Soup spinoff, The Dish, every week on Style, so that alone makes her better off than the rest of the cast of Boy Meets World.

Oh! I almost forgot that Eric was the voice of Ron Stoppable on Kim Possible (also starring Christy Carlson Romano (a.k.a. the kid from Even Stevens who isn't Shia LaBeouf) and the voice of Bart Simpson as Rufus the naked mole rat!), which was a huge hit on The Disney Channel, so that counts for something, I guess. He also got to bang Jennifer Love Hewitt for a short time too.

Ben Savage has completely disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Don't forget Eric was the voice of Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond.

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

That's true, although Boy Meets World was still on the air when Batman Beyond premiered.

Is voice acting a lucrative occupation? If so, I can see why Mark Hamill doesn't mind doing it all the time.

 

[Psycho Penguin]

It can't pay poorly.

I'm now convinced I need to get the Style channel, I was a huge Topanga fan growing up.