S01.E01: Girl Meets World

[Kromm]

If you can stomach installing Disney's Tablet App, you can watch the pilot ahead of time.  

 

Entire topic marked spoilerish, so people know this is "official" from Disney, but also ahead of schedule for the general public.

Here's the URL for the site/app.  Warning:  You still need to have "legit" access to Disney, via an approved provider (in other words you have to prove you have legit cable or Internet TV). -- http://watchdisneychannel.go.com/

Actually it looks like maybe you don't actually need a tablet to use/view that.  Just accessing that site and getting past the credentials stage.

[Yeldarbe]

It didn't even ask me for credentials.. I just watched it with my daughter and she liked it a lot (she's 3) so I think this will be something we can watch together. I didn't like how Farkle was exactly the same as Minkus was in BMW but strong parallels are to be expected. Maya is basically Sean and I for a minute thought maybe she was his kid but then she said she had nobody at home to help her with her homework so I'm not so sure. I didn't like how in-your-face Cory was being with Riley at school. It was just a little OTT. Then again, it's a Disney Channel show. Loved the cameo by Mr. Feeny at the end. :)

Edited May 23, 2014 by Yeldarbe

[Kromm]

It didn't even ask me for credentials.. 

You didn't get a big thing that said "Enter Your TV Provider?"

 

It's possible I suppose that you already had that information saved as a cookie or something from some other instance of using a similar website (I'm supposing all of the ABC sites and Disney probably use the same back end for this stuff by now)

 

 

I just watched it with my daughter and she liked it a lot (she's 3) so I think this will be something we can watch together. I didn't like how Farkle was exactly the same as Minkus was in BMW but strong parallels are to be expected. Maya is basically Sean and I for a minute thought maybe she was his kid but then she said she had nobody at home to help her with her homework so I'm not so sure. I didn't like how in-your-face Cory was being with Riley at school. It was just a little OTT. Then again, it's a Disney Channel show. Loved the cameo by Mr. Feeny at the end. :)

Yeah, cloning aspects of the old show may be a bit much.  Then again, from what I've seen from occasionally watching Disney shows with kids that age is that a LOT of the shows have that kind of Farkle/Minkus-like character anyway.  

 

I suppose a lot of old-timey fans may be upset at how little it was, but I liked how non-intrusive the Feeney thing was at the end.  It would have seemed really a bit much if he showed up in person.  I think that bit may even imply that Feeney probably COULDN'T show up anyway.  I saw it as a kind of combo of Cory fantasizing, as well as a "Heavenly Messenger" kind of thing.

 

One thing I disliked a lot, but I suppose it can't last past that one episode, is how out of left-field that whole "World" thing was. Although I get that it's the hook for the people who saw the old show, the context of THIS show it just seemed bizarre.

 

As discussed elsewhere, I actually liked the credits and the nods it had to the original v 1.0 credits of BMW, while at the same time groaning a bit at the Generic "Sounds Like a mini-Lovato But Is Actually Our Star" theme music.

 

One thing it's hard to get a bead on is how committed this show will be to actually dealing with some occasional heavy issues, like the old show, but the bit with the friend seems promising in terms of that.  I wonder if the Producers had to get a sworn promise from the network to actually be allowed to imply on Disney that Bad Things Occasionally Happen.

[Yeldarbe]

I agree that the whole "world" thing was brought up way too many times. "I've already met the world, now it's your turn" Would have been all they needed to say. Instead there was the above and then about 5 different references that were just really weird. Nobody talks about that.

 

The more I think about it the less I like Cory being his daughter's teacher. I know they want Cory to have a bigger role than HIS parents had in BMW but I think it's a bit much.

[Kromm]

I agree that the whole "world" thing was brought up way too many times. "I've already met the world, now it's your turn" Would have been all they needed to say. Instead there was the above and then about 5 different references that were just really weird. Nobody talks about that.

The more I think about it the less I like Cory being his daughter's teacher. I know they want Cory to have a bigger role than HIS parents had in BMW but I think it's a bit much.

 

What they need to counterbalance that is at least one major adult character who isn't related to the protagonist.  If the show REALLY is channeling the previous show, even if Cory is the Feeney for that class overall, I don't think he can quite be Riley's personal Feeney.  She needs another teacher for that, who's appearances are structured, probably best, as a reoccurring guest star (so it doesn't get in the way too much or feel obliged to be in every episode), or maybe even better than that a character who's entirely outside of both the school and home sets.  It just has to be the person she goes to advice for/models herself after, so there are a lot of possibilities.  

[solotrek]

What they need to counterbalance that is at least one major adult character who isn't related to the protagonist.

 

 

I think they at least need to have one major adult character who isn't quirky. All the "kids" in BMW were always a bit quirky to INSANELY quirky (later Eric), but I always thought the parents were pretty heavily grounded in reality. I don't necesssarily feel the same way here yet, maybe because it's Cory and Topanga and I know their quirky versions from BMW,  they need to deviate the two of them into really normal really grounded people. I mean we didn't see much of Topanga, but I do see that Cory is still Cory. Which makes sense, but isn't quite what they need for this show.

 

I do love how Riley is the perfect mix of Cory and Topanga. Heck, she even looks perfect for the part. Great casting there. Maya was a such a Shawn clone.

[Aliasscape]

Rowan Blanchard looks so much like Ben Savage, which also works with that cute little face that's like "I messed up, please don't hate me."

 

I'm also thrilled that this time Disney can't get away with making the parents total idiots as that will immediately turn off the nostalgia factor for older viewers. The behind the scenes looks like for ONCE they really want to make something an adult can watch and not just 6-9 year old girls. And the live studio audience taping they've done?! Nice.

 

Plus it's about making mistakes, growing up etc. and being guided by those older than you which is good because I hate how the parents are always wrong in kids shows these days. They often never find out the trouble their kids are into and then the show acts like "it's better that way". This didn't go for any of that.

 

I also liked the momentary depth with Maia, "I don't have anybody home that helps me with my homework." It's like, that's not to play up for laughs, and oh look she can do whatever she wants isn't it cool? Nope, it's that that's a BAD thing. That she needs adults in her life who care about her and not having that is a sad and lonely thing.

 

Also I like the theme song just fine. That horrible "Hey Jesse!" on that other show makes me want to bang my head into the wall.This was nice and if you're gonna channel a previous Disney singer, Demi Lovato is the one the pick.

 

The only bad for me was the meta, oh my goodness,  I wonder why this show is called Girl Meets World. If only they could have tossed in a few more references to what she's facing, so I would know. Hopefully by the second episode they'll be like yes, we established why we picked that title, moving ON.

 

Farkle annoyed me. Why was he climbing on top of Cory? And that Lucas kid looks way too old to be in the same class as Riley.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Aliasscape

[Spencer Hastings]

I really liked the pilot for the most part. While the repeated references to the world were unnecessary, I think the writers are very much aware of the fact that many adults from the previous generation would be tuning in and examining this episode closely. I saw this episode as Ben Savage handing the reigns off to Rowan, while reminding those of us caught up in nostalgia that this is HER show now, not his. I basically substituted show in the place of world. It was still a bit heavy handed but I see where they were going. I understand why they needed to clear that up because people will be watching and expecting it to be about Cory but he already met the world. This show isn't for us is what I got out of it. But I'm still going to watch!

The child that plays Riley is such a great combination of Cory and Topanga. Casting couldn't have found a more perfect girl. She said in an interview that she studied Ben's mannerisms and it shows.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Spencer Hastings

[Kromm]

I really liked the pilot for the most part. While the repeated references to the world were unnecessary, I think the writers are very much aware of the fact that many adults from the previous generation would be tuning in and examining this episode closely. I saw this episode as Ben Savage handing the reigns off to Rowan, while reminding those of us caught up in nostalgia that this is HER show now, not his. 

Well, it was already a tip-off that she comes first in the credits!  Disney takes their Disney Kid marketing seriously, so I actually wasn't surprised to see that.

[Yeldarbe]

I have to remember that I watched BMW as a teenager, it was an ABC show and that even watching reruns of that show come off as a little silly. This is a show on the Disney Channel for kids, so of course it's going to be a little OTT. Add to that the fact that pilots are always a little "ehh" since they have to cram so much in (even more so with this since it's a spin-off/sequel). I'm in!

[Dots And Stripes]

Thanks for letting me know the pilot was available, Kromm.

 

Overall I think the show has a lot of promise. The kids are well cast. Ben Savage came across very well and very likable. I was a huge fan of the original, but I wasn't sure how Ben would be as an adult. I was happy to see he calmed down a lot from later BMW. Farkle is annoying and the crush guy seems out of place. 

 

I agree that the "world" stuff was heavy handed and clunky. I did like that the show was aiming for a theme, but I think be true to yourself would have worked better. Reilly needed to be herself rather than being Maya. The world talk was just strange.

 

I know this show doesn't want to be just a where are they now special for BMW, but I do hope we learn more about how/why Cory became a teacher. I know the pilot had a lot to accomplish, but that was a big piece that I think should be addressed sooner rather than later.

[no1skittishkitten]

I told myself when I watched this I would not cry. No matter how overwhelmed I was with the nostalgia and how excited I was to have Cory and Topanga in my life again, I would not cry.

 

I made it all the way until the end. Then, I saw Feeny and he said, "Well done, Mr. Matthews" and I freaking fell apart. I crumbled like three day old birthday cake.

[bettername2come]

I made it all the way until the end. Then, I saw Feeny and he said, "Well done, Mr. Matthews" and I freaking fell apart. I crumbled like three day old birthday cake.

I loved that. Cory handed off the "meet the world" reins to Riley and Feeny handed off the teacher reins to Mr. Matthews. I can see how Cory would have wanted to step into the mentor role after growing up with Feeny, although I have a slightly harder time imagining Cory the history major, although he did occasionally show an interest in social studies related topics Feeny taught. They really should have had him pick a major during college.

 

Maya and Riley seemed realistic enough. They remind me of Cory and Shawn meet Carly and Sam (iCarly), which could be a worse combination.

 

Cory and Topanga's snark was adorable. "Let's get married, let's have a kid, let's have another kid!" "Well, you listened to me, ya big stupid!" Their relationship still feels the same.

[Lady Calypso]

I finally caved and decided to watch the pilot early and I'm glad I did. I've tried my fair share of Disney Channel shows over the recent years and all of them have pretty much sucked. Maybe it's nostalgia for a show that used to be one of my favourites, but I really liked the pilot. I liked the mix of modern and nostalgia. They incorporated a good amount of heartfelt moments that capture BMW and even the old Disney stuff, and they do have some of the modern moments. I do feel like they did mention 'the world' too many times. I feel like if they saved it for that final two scenes, then it would have been fine. And there was also some forced dialogue, especially when it came to Farkle, but overall I think I'm definitely sticking around to see if it lasts. I'd like it to, and I can honestly say it won't just be for Cory and Topanga.

 

I enjoyed the blatant parallels between Cory/Riley and Shawn/Maya. I actually find myself really liking Maya and the actress is actually pretty good, compared to recent Disney kid stars. Riley is super adorable and she definitely reminds me of Cory, especially of the earlier seasons. I think that Cory sees these parallels too and that's why he's acting the way he is toward Maya. He wants her to stay on the right track because he's seen what happens when someone like her strays too far and gets involved in the wrong crowd. 

 

I'm not hating Farkle, but I didn't like how much they used him. I think they need to seriously cut down on his screen time, and have Cory stand up to him as well because currently, he's being walked all over. I don't have that much of an opinion on Lucas as he's had, like, eight lines in total. He's cute, I'll give him that, but nothing's been established there. I like Riley's little brother too, and there was too little Topanga but again, it's a pilot so I get it.

 

Basically, this pilot, despite some of its flaws like dialogue and Farkle, was good enough that I really want to see more and as of right now, I do want it to survive. As long as it continues to take the bittersweet moments from BMW and the show doesn't turn into a complete farce, then I'll be as happy as a duck.

 

One more thing: the Feeny cameo made me bawl. It's surprising how a two second cameo can do that.

[SilverLake0315]

I told myself when I watched this I would not cry. No matter how overwhelmed I was with the nostalgia and how excited I was to have Cory and Topanga in my life again, I would not cry.

 

I made it all the way until the end. Then, I saw Feeny and he said, "Well done, Mr. Matthews" and I freaking fell apart. I crumbled like three day old birthday cake.

 

You and me, both.  I wasn't expecting to feel at all emotional about this show, but Feeny did me in.  The pilot didn't have the same "feel" for me as BMW, but I still liked it.  Ben's new nose, however, is really weirding me out.

[Scarlett45]

The pilot does feel a little "cheeky" but it might take some time for it to find it's groove.

As far as Ben's nose, my BFF has undergone a "nose transformation" over the last ten years, no she didn't have a nose job, (I swear), but age is making it look more and more like her fathers. So I am not so shocked by Ben.

[WiCkedWitCh]

This show will never live up to the real "Meets World" but it is cute. Riley does a great job. I don't really like the fact that Corey is her teacher though. I'm excited to see where this goes. I think if I were watching this as a kid I would enjoy it more too, as I did with BMW

[Maximum Taco]

It's a pilot, so I'm not gonna go too heavy on the criticism because there's still time to fix all of these things

 

1) Too many parallels. Yeah I get it, she's female Cory, a slightly neurotic kid who wants to be cool and also doesn't want to get in trouble, and she's best friends with female Shawn, a kid from the wrong side of town who excels at getting both of them in trouble. At least the (starting) love interest is a normal kid with a normal name. I might have been out if it had been a gender bent Topanga. Don't get me wrong, I loved BMW, but I already saw that show, I'm hoping GMW will be a different show in the same spirit, not the same show with gender swapped characters.

 

2) Too much Cory, too little Topanga. And again I get it, it's the pilot, they're doing that whole pass the baton thing. I expected Cory to be featured a lot in the pilot as he hands the reins off to his daughter. But Topanga was barely in this episode, hopefully they include her more as the season goes on.

 

3) Farkle. This kid is too weird. Minkus was weird but he was just a nerdy kid who was super confident in his nerdiness. This kid is just too much, especially when he's climbing all over Cory. I was confused as to whether he was having a psychotic break or somehow trying to act as an umbrella for Cory. Anyway this kid needs to be toned down. Take him back to Minkus levels and not full blown Urkel. Once again, I get it, typically characters in pilots are much more exaggerated then they are when the show gets into a rhythm. I hope this is the case as well.

 

Alright on to good stuff.

 

1) They did a great job of playing up the nostalgia without making it overwhelming. Most of the show was about the girls. I could've done with a bit less Cory but I already adressed that above and as many have entioned the "the World" lines were getting weary by the end. Nice understated Feeny cameo. I like how they didn't make this into a reunion show. That isn't to say I wouldn't like to see Rider Strong or Will Friedle or any number of old BMW characters on the show in the future, but to have them in the pilot would've been overkill. Good job restraining yourselves showrunners.

 

2) While I complain that the mains are a little too much like Cory and Shawn, the writing is spot on. I actually laughed out loud when Cory asked "What's the opposite of innocent" and Maya was there with "Right here!" It was very much a "Shawn" line but it's the kind of writing I would see on vintage BMW, and that is only a good thing.

 

It felt a lot like BMW, and that made my 90's heart feel warm. I'll definitely check out the second episode.

[DucksFlyTogether]

I watched the pilot on iTunes last night.  For the most part I really enjoyed it.  I agree that Farkle needs to be toned down quite a bit. (I don't know if it's a spoiler, but I saw the character's last name listed on IMDb.)   Maybe they could throw a few other kids in the class a line or two since nobody said a peep.  I fear that Cory is going to become more of a caricature of himself as time goes on, but I also kinda think that Ben Savage was made to be on a Disney channel show. 

[solotrek]

I agree that Farkle needs to be toned down quite a bit. (I don't know if it's a spoiler, but I saw the character's last name listed on IMDb.)

 

I just looked and I'd say probably yes.

 

 

but I also kinda think that Ben Savage was made to be on a Disney channel show.

 

For sure, he's got the neurosis down. Early BMW was pretty Disney-esque before it became the BMW that most people really enjoyed. 

 

I think GMW just looks too pretty. BMW seemed very "normal people" and relatable, even looking at their clothing, it was very plain.  GMW just seems so stylish and clean (especially for being set in NYC).

Edited June 27, 2014 by maculae

[DucksFlyTogether]

I think GMW just looks too pretty. BMW seemed very "normal people" and relatable, even looking at their clothing, it was very plain.  GMW just seems so stylish and clean (especially for being set in NYC).

 

Yes, that did bother me as well.  Riley's bedroom was spotless and perfectly decorated.  Compared to Cory and Eric actually having to share a bedroom.  I thought the girls looked cute, but Maya had some pageant hair going on and they both wore like 8 articles of clothing at all times with all the layering going on.

[Maximum Taco]

I just looked and I'd say probably yes.

 

 

For sure, he's got the neurosis down. Early BMW was pretty Disney-esque before it became the BMW that most people really enjoyed. 

 

I think GMW just looks too pretty. BMW seemed very "normal people" and relatable, even looking at their clothing, it was very plain.  GMW just seems so stylish and clean (especially for being set in NYC).

 

I hear that.

 

I've been to the Bleecker St subway station. and it is not that nice. And the people definitely are not that nice.

 

I get that Disney's instinct is the Disnification of everything, but it's like they're on Sesame Street.

[Skyfall]

It didn't even ask me for credentials.. I just watched it with my daughter and she liked it a lot (she's 3) so I think this will be something we can watch together. I didn't like how Farkle was exactly the same as Minkus was in BMW but strong parallels are to be expected. Maya is basically Sean and I for a minute thought maybe she was his kid but then she said she had nobody at home to help her with her homework so I'm not so sure. I didn't like how in-your-face Cory was being with Riley at school. It was just a little OTT. Then again, it's a Disney Channel show. Loved the cameo by Mr. Feeny at the end. :)

 

The season preview explains why Farkle is like Minkus!

Season preview also showed that they are going to hit topic you would expect from BMW, so I have faith this will keep me as a fan.

[Miss Slay]

Adorable. I enjoyed the first episode and even if it wasn't perfect it was miles ahead of any Disney channel show. That said, I wish it was on ABC. It seems almost sophisticated compared to the rest of the channel. 

 

It was great seeing Corey and Topanga again- wish there was more of them. Riley is so cute and I loved the throwback to the Shawn/Corey dynamic. 

[Tara Ariano]

A data-driven analysis of the episode from Stephanie!

[madhacker]

I know that Shawn and Cory's parents will be showing up in future episodes but I wanna see Will Friedle as soon as possible, and please have William Daniels have a role in the same episode. It's been far too long since I've heard "Feeny! Feeeeny".

 

*edited to keep Skyfall from turning the car around. By the way are we there yet?*

Edited June 28, 2014 by madhacker

[Skyfall]

Shawn. SHAWN. SHAWN! If I see "Sean" one more time I will turn this car around!

[Amethyst]

I was surprised that I actually liked it.  Yes, they used "world" way too many times, but they kept the nostalgia to a minimum, and made it very clear that this is about Riley, not Cory.  Rowan did an amazing job as "Cory jr." basically.  

 

Maya was good, but that girl does not look 12, more like 15, and the kid playing Lucas looks too old as well.  But they acted fine, they just don't look like young kids. Farkle was annoying as hell.  That kid was amped and needs to bring it down.  

 

While their brownstone looked really pretty, I was glad to see that it didn't look enormous and unrealistic like most tv homes. 

 

Wish they would ditch the laugh track.  Felt really out of place.

 

Loved the last scene with Feeny.  Talk about passing the torch.  Can't wait for Shawn to show up.

[FilmTVGeek80]

As much as I wanted to love it, because of how big a fan I was of BMW, part of me was prepared for this to suck or be really awkward and not funny. I've seen a few Disney channels in the past and they aren't for me at all. But happily, this was miles ahead of some Disney programs I've seen. It wasn't just good for a Disney show, it was good, period. Like others have pointed out, the "world" stuff was really painful, clunky, and overkill at times. But the rest of it really worked for me. 

 

Rowen Blanchard is definitely the perfect casting for this character. She just looks so much like a combo of Topanga and Corey, though a little more like Corey. She pretty much had me sold right from the beginning when Maya asks her what her expression would be like if she tried to walk past her parents to go to the subway and she had this panicked/frightened expression that felt so perfectly Corey, I almost got deja vu. And even though she's not related to Shawn, as far as we know so far, Maya looked a lot like Shawn to me. It might be a little heavy-handed, but I don't mind that their friendship is a clone of Shawn and Corey. Though there were several moments were I thought a Shawn appearance would be so perfect, though I understand why the show is holding back on that.

 

I loved that Corey was still Corey, but more mature. I laughed when he was talking to Lucas in class, after he'd literally dragged him from the cafeteria and said his sense of direction was better than he thought and then marveled at what a good-looking kid he was.The nose thing has kind of thrown me off a little every time I've seen him since the show was announced. It's so weird because it only weirds me out when he's turned to the left. When he's facing straight ahead, or to the right, it looks fine to me. But I got used to it as the show went on. I do hope they address why Corey got into teaching. I never really pictured Corey as that into History or the idea of being a teacher.

 

I wish Topanga had more to do, but hopefully that'll come in subsequent shows. I adored her delivery when she was walking to Corey and Riley and asked them not to pick between the two people she loved equally and then quickly said she was just kidding and hugged Riley.

 

Farkle was funny in spots and a little much in others. They do need to tone it down some and find a better balance for him.

 

I had no real problem with the younger brother character, but I kind of wish they had kept the older brother (or was he supposed to be slightly younger than Riley?) The younger sister never had much to do on BMW and I always liked the dynamic and relationship between Corey and Eric.

 

I wish the Feeney cameo had been a little more than a "ghostly (it really seemed like a ghost thing) appearance" but I guess it worked for what this show is, which is Riley's show.

Edited June 28, 2014 by FilmTVGeek80

[Amethyst]

I wish the Feeney cameo had been a little more than a "ghostly (it really seemed like a ghost thing) but I guess it worked for what this show is, which is Riley's show.

 

Yeah, I didn't want to say it, but I was definitely getting post-mortem vibes.  I hope that's not the case.

[Lady Calypso]

Shawn. SHAWN. SHAWN! If I see "Sean" one more time I will turn this car around!

 

 

It's S-H-A-W-N and where is he?

 

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. I remember hearing that quote from Mr Feeny over and over during commercials for the show on Family Channel back in the day, and I'll never, ever forget that scene of Cory trying to forge a note for Shawn.

 

I've already said my piece for the pilot, but I have to add in the fact that I love Maya a lot from a second viewing. I just watched an episode of BMW tonight on television (had to; the nostalgia hurts) and it was an early episode with Eric taking the SATs and Shawn's dad up and leaving to find his mom, so Shawn has to stay with the Matthews and then he goes to stay with Mr. Turner. The show, even though it was classified as a sitcom, still had those heartfelt moments and they weren't afraid of digging deep every few episodes. Nowadays, it seems like Disney shows are afraid of digging too deep, so they occasionally brush the surface of dramatic and emotional moments and they stick to pure funny antics. I think I like the heartfelt and bittersweet moments much better, and I have hopes that GMW will stay modern, but also will go back to the good old days, where we actually learned important lessons from shows and they happened on a regular basis, and not just for those Very Special Episodes.

 

I also look forward to cameos from our old favourites (I also realized how much I miss Eric's friend from the earlier seasons, Jason I believe his name is). And I am definitely sticking around because they're so much potential in this show, especially since it's written and created by the original showrunner. Maybe this could be the start to getting back to the good old days (or am I dwelling too much on it and I should just let it go and embrace the new wave of Disney?).

[Kromm]

The season preview explains why Farkle is like Minkus!

Season preview also showed that they are going to hit topic you would expect from BMW, so I have faith this will keep me as a fan.

Does it also explain why people there say the word "World" so much (and if they're going to freaking STOP that now that we'll be past the Pilot)?

 

 

Sometimes during the episode I felt like I was watching this:

 

Edited June 28, 2014 by Kromm

[bettername2come]

Shawn. SHAWN. SHAWN! If I see "Sean" one more time I will turn this car around!

 

Yes! Also, CORY! Although, I think we know him well enough to call him Cornelius. 

[Mountainair]

Well I expected cheese and I guess I got that! I've haven't watched a Disney channel show in years but from time to time my four year will call me into the room when his cartoon is over and Disney has switched from cartoons to young adult programming asking me to change the channel. All their shows are just so bright and colorful.

Don't like farkle and in the previews it looks like Minkus has take on some serious changes. I barely recognized him and I don't mean that in a good way! Corey's nose does look weird but only from the side, almost Pinnochi-ish!

I thought Corey and Topanga were my age but maybe I'm off by a few years. I'm having a hard time figuring out how they managed to complete college, become a lawyer and a teacher and two kids and only be in their young 30's. I've been married to my highschool sweetheart for ten years, I'll be thirty this year and our oldest child is only four.

I'll still watch only for the Corey and Topanga cameos (because that's all it feels like to me at this point) and for whoever else might pop up!

Edited June 28, 2014 by Mountainair

[solotrek]

I thought Corey and Topanga were my age but maybe I'm off by a few years. I'm having a hard time figuring out how they managed to complete college, become a lawyer and a teacher and two kids and only be in their young 30's. I've been married to my highschool sweetheart for ten years, I'll be thirty this year and our oldest child is only four.

 

It's pretty believable in terms of their careers. If they didn't detour and dillie dattle, Topanga would be done with law school by the age of 26 at the latest, and Cory would be done with getting his teaching certification by 24. Even if 1-2 years were taken off for kids, they still would have established careers by now.  If we were to assume they had a kid right before or after graduating from undergrad ~21/22 and Riley is 13 (?) now, they're only 34/35 now. Not too far fetched. Having the older brother would have been a stretch though.

[FilmTVGeek80]

 

I also look forward to cameos from our old favourites (I also realized how much I miss Eric's friend from the earlier seasons, Jason I believe his name is). And I am definitely sticking around because they're so much potential in this show, especially since it's written and created by the original showrunner. Maybe this could be the start to getting back to the good old days (or am I dwelling too much on it and I should just let it go and embrace the new wave of Disney?).

 

I loved Eric's best friend, and I always loved the actor Jason Marsden when he appeared in anything.

 

I definitely hope this show is like the good old days and doesn't devolve to much to how most shows are on Disney nowadays.

[MMLEsq]

As much as I wanted to love it, because of how big a fan I was of BMW, part of me was prepared for this to suck or be really awkward and not funny. I've seen a few Disney channels in the past and they aren't for me at all. But happily, this was miles ahead of some Disney programs I've seen. It wasn't just good for a Disney show, it was good, period.

 

 

Adorable. I enjoyed the first episode and even if it wasn't perfect it was miles ahead of any Disney channel show. That said, I wish it was on ABC. It seems almost sophisticated compared to the rest of the channel. 

 

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with most people's opinion of this, I guess.  While I agree that a lot of Disney Channel shows are painful to watch (especially when you have a child like my 10-year-old who will happily watch the same episodes over and over), I didn't think this was any better than most of them.  (The best ones, IMO, are Good Luck Charlie and Phineas and Ferb.)  In fact, I thought this was pretty horrible.

 

I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that I didn't watch Boy Meets World, so there was no nostalgia factor for me.   

[Melissa K]

I thought it was cute, but didn't really throw back to the spirit of BMW.  As some have said, it is far too pretty, but it goes beyond that, too.  Even in the pilot of BMW, it felt like Cory was learning something new about "the world" and how it worked...this felt like 'ooh, look how crazy everyone is' or 'look how much we can call back to BMW!"

 

Though I do want to see more of Back row Brenda, she amused me greatly for some reason.

[methodwriter85]

 

If we were to assume they had a kid right before or after graduating from undergrad ~21/22 and Riley is 13 (?) now, they're only 34/35 now. Not too far fetched. Having the older brother would have been a stretch though.

 

    Well, I have a friend who graduated high school in 1998 and he's turning 35 this summer while having a PhD and two kids, so the ages make sense. It's just that Ben and Danielle are about a year or two younger than their characters (and look young for their age) that kinda throws it off.

 

    I don't have a problem with them having a 13-year old kid- they struck as the type who I could've seen having a kid in college. I thought Riley was supposed to be 11, though? Did they up her age?

Edited June 28, 2014 by methodwriter85

[solotrek]

I don't have a problem with them having a 13-year old kid- they struck as the type who I could've seen having a kid in college. I thought Riley was supposed to be 11, though? Did they up her age?

 

Oh, I just assumed she's 13. Did they ever specify her age?

 

 

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with most people's opinion of this, I guess.  While I agree that a lot of Disney Channel shows are painful to watch (especially when you have a child like my 10-year-old who will happily watch the same episodes over and over), I didn't think this was any better than most of them.  (The best ones, IMO, are Good Luck Charlie and Phineas and Ferb.)  In fact, I thought this was pretty horrible.

 

I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that I didn't watch Boy Meets World, so there was no nostalgia factor for me.   

Have you seen Gravity Falls? You might enjoy that one, has almost an adult swim vibe to it.  Other than P&F and Gravity Falls, I really have no knowledge of Disney channel shows. I think it did have a lot to deal with nostalgia for me. I grew up with BMW so seeing Cory and Topanga again and seeing their story continue was great. But there were just so many little things that did irk me like: their depiction of NYC and NYC subways, the look of the show in general in terms of set design and wardrobe, the over the topness of Farkle, Lucas in general. I think I'm in for the show just to see Cory, Topanga, and people who come in from BMW and less to see his kid and her adventures. Though I will say the casting for the two girls is brilliant. Maya was basically saying lines that Shawn would have had in BMW and I loved it.

[methodwriter85]

   Having seen the show, I think the strongest thing the show has going for it is the casting of the girls. Riley really does feel like Cory's daughter, and Mary's little moment where the sprinklers go off and she realizes she went too far was great. They struck gold there.

 

   The humor needs to be worked on, though. It's less "show" rather than "tell." Using Jackee for cheap commentary was cringeworthy, and Farkle was, as everybody has been saying, too much. Also, Lucas looks 16. Then again, there are 13-year old guys who look that old.

Edited June 28, 2014 by methodwriter85

[kitcloudkicker]

I think they were just trying to get to the fact that by "being herself" Riley can balance out some of Maya's "more destructive" impulses - which is a role that Cory tended to play for Shawn in the original series. (Something about a cherry bomb in a mailbox? I have vague memories of that plotline having that message.) It didn't quite square in the way it played out in the pilot. But I chalked up a lot of the clunkiness being from pilots just generally being awkward - combined with the fact that they had to square two different audiences, the old nostalgia fans and the new ones. I thought they did pretty okay, considering. I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed seeing Cory and Topanga back together. 
 
The girl that plays Maya though - I could have sworn she looked so familiar, but I think its just that she's a dead ringer for Britt Robertson, who I know from Netflix binges of terrible teen dramas.

 
 

[stillbored]

Farkle was way too annoying, and what junior high student jumps on his teacher's back like that?

Corey seemed shocked when Maya said she had no one at home to help her with her homework. She's been his daughter's best friend for a long, wouldn't he have had some idea what her home life was like?

Why didn't anybody point out to Riley that being just like Maya is not the definition of being yourself?

I did think that Riley and her little brother look a lot alike.

It seemed more cartoonish then what the orignal was like (but I feel that most Disney shows are like that). I'll probably watch the next couple of episodes to get more of a feel for it. Hopefully there will be more Topanga in future episodes (I'd like to see some nice mother/daughter moments).

[Kromm]

Oh, I just assumed she's 13. Did they ever specify her age?

On the episode?  I don't think so.  In some of the pre-show publicity I thought they had (I thought it was 12, but it was a while ago so I could be mis-remembering).  I actually though the Disney web page for the show might say, but it doesn't appear to.  But yeah, they might have changed this.  Who knows?

 

Speaking of changes and the Disney web page, it currently says that Topanga works as a lawyer.  I think that changed, because in the pre-show publicity I distinctly remember some notion that she'd stopped being a lawyer (on TWoP I remember people complaining about that--so maybe that's why it got undone).

[Bill C.]

A little less Farkle (preferably in favor of Topanga), a bit less "world," and--dare I say it--a little less overtly precocious Maya, lampshaded as it was, and this would have been a really strong pilot episode.  (That said, Maya's sort of precociousness-bordering-on-bitchiness is pretty much a requirement for one character in all current Disney Channel and Nickelodeon live-action shows...so there you go.  And Sabrina Carpenter did well with it, FWIW.)  That said I rather liked it; it was OTT as per requirements, but it wasn't too much so apart from Farkle.  It might actually have a shot at taking the normality crown away from Dog with a Blog (believe it or not, once you discount its lunatic basic premise, it's a surprisingly low-key show).

[Skyfall]

Farkle was way too annoying, and what junior high student jumps on his teacher's back like that?

Corey seemed shocked when Maya said she had no one at home to help her with her homework. She's been his daughter's best friend for a long, wouldn't he have had some idea what her home life was like?

Why didn't anybody point out to Riley that being just like Maya is not the definition of being yourself?

I did think that Riley and her little brother look a lot alike.

It seemed more cartoonish then what the orignal was like (but I feel that most Disney shows are like that). I'll probably watch the next couple of episodes to get more of a feel for it. Hopefully there will be more Topanga in future episodes (I'd like to see some nice mother/daughter moments).

A little less Farkle (preferably in favor of Topanga), a bit less "world," and--dare I say it--a little less overtly precocious Maya, lampshaded as it was, and this would have been a really strong pilot episode.  (That said, Maya's sort of precociousness-bordering-on-bitchiness is pretty much a requirement for one character in all current Disney Channel and Nickelodeon live-action shows...so there you go.  And Sabrina Carpenter did well with it, FWIW.)  That said I rather liked it; it was OTT as per requirements, but it wasn't too much so apart from Farkle.  It might actually have a shot at taking the normality crown away from Dog with a Blog (believe it or not, once you discount its lunatic basic premise, it's a surprisingly low-key show).

If both of you are able to, watch episode three on the Watch Disney platform of choice. Farkle is more low key/normal and Topanga is in around half of the episode.

[buck1]

I told myself when I watched this I would not cry. No matter how overwhelmed I was with the nostalgia and how excited I was to have Cory and Topanga in my life again, I would not cry.

 

I made it all the way until the end. Then, I saw Feeny and he said, "Well done, Mr. Matthews" and I freaking fell apart. I crumbled like three day old birthday cake.

Same.....the end in general, got me. I'm a wimp.

[KaveDweller]

I thought Corey and Topanga were my age but maybe I'm off by a few years. I'm having a hard time figuring out how they managed to complete college, become a lawyer and a teacher and two kids and only be in their young 30's. I've been married to my highschool sweetheart for ten years, I'll be thirty this year and our oldest child is only four.

 

Well Corey and Topanga managed to finish grades 7-12 in only 4 years, so I think they have some  impressive time management skills.

 

I...didn't really love the pilot.  I thought it was cute, and it was nice to see Cory and Topanga but the whole thing seemed a bit too goofy for me.  But I'll give it a few more episodes, since pilots are sometimes over-the-top.  Riley really did seem like she could be Corey and Topanga's daughter, but I guess I just don't relate to tween girls, since her drama about whether to act out felt kind of blah to me.

[Lauren T.]

I watched BMW in real time (the gang graduated from high school the same year I did) and I've never watched Disney Channel shows before. I didn't like GMW at all, and that could be because I'm not used to the live action Disney style. Everything felt like too much - too much styling, too much hair and makeup, too many clothes (layers on layers on layers) - everything is seemingly perfect. GirlShawn and Farkle bugged because real middle schoolers rarely have personalities that developed.

 

Dad Cory is very true to the original character, and I liked that. I think it's interesting that he became a teacher after being such an "average" student (which they harped on quite a bit in BMW).

[ramble]

I'm giving this an out since it was a pilot & they were doing their establishment routine. Too much OTT Farkle, too many my world now references & too much telling not doing. The I want to be like Maya chant was wildly repetitive. I see where they're going with the character similarities, but I'd rather not be hit over the head with them so frequently.

The actor playing Riley did seem like a good C&T mix but I found her strangely smiley. I hope that's just nerves & newness. Maya will hopefully settle soon too because it felt like we were supposed to already know her & love her therefore her annoying "that's just who I am" excuse would be super dooper okee doke.

It sounds like I hated it, but I didn't. I just feel like they rushed the set-up & character development, but that what most pilot's do. I'm in for now & hope that the next few episodes smooth out. The Feeny cameo at the end had me tearing up. It was the best moment of the episode to me because of it's more subtle message.

Edited June 30, 2014 by ramble