Girl Meets World: Who Should Return for the Boy Meets World Spin-Off?

With Cory and Topanga already signed on, we break down who should join them on the cast of the forthcoming show 'Girl Meets World'

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In case you hadn’t already heard, TV Line reported last night that Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel have signed on to reprise their roles as Cory and Topanga from the ’90s TV classic Boy Meets World in the pilot for a forthcoming Disney series, Girl Meets World. Aside from the fact that Savage and Fishel will now play the parents of the show’s titular young girl, and that original Boy Meets World show-runner Michael Jacobs has signed on to take the reins, that’s about all we know right now. But it’s more than enough for fans to get excited. The original show — which ran for seven seasons, from 1993 to 2000 — followed the life of Cory Matthews, a young boy growing up outside Philadelphia, and the adventures of his friends and family. It was funny, serious, awkward, sweet and poignant: a coming-of-age touchstone for kids born in the ’80s the same way Family Ties or The Wonder Years was for the generation earlier. Now that those kids are adults — some, like Cory and Topanga, with kids of their own — the nostalgia-driven anticipation is huge.

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But for now—especially considering the volatility of pilot season—it might be best for those fans to temper their expectations. Though Fishel stated on her blog that other former cast members have expressed interest in signing on, for now it’s just her and Savage. Of course, there’s a chance that everyone from BMW could join the new cast, which would be great. But across Boy Meets World‘s seven seasons, there were rarely more than four (and often three) adult cast members — the focus was always on the kids — so expect a similar ratio this time around. In case we can’t get all of them back, here, in order, are the Boy Meets World cast members we’d want most to join Cory and Topanga in their new TV life.

LET THE DOOR HIT YA
11. Morgan Matthews, New Version (Lindsay Ridgeway)

The youngest Matthews child —at least until Baby Joshua arrived in the seventh and final season—disappeared for an entire season and then re-emerged played by a completely different actress. (Also, she was a whole lot meaner and snarkier.) In Season Five’s Hollywood parody episode, she portrays an adult playing a child star (skip to 8:39 in this clip) and somehow manages to come off nicer than her actual character. No need to have her back.

SORRY, ALL FULL AT THE INN
10. Jack Hunter (Matthew Lawrence)

Jack was useful as the straight-man best friend to the increasingly wacky Eric Matthews (Cory’s older brother) and also as a half-brother to Cory’s friend Shawn Hunter after the death of their father. But his usefulness basically ended there. It’s unlikely there’s any space for him in the spin-off and his absence will save your eardrums the grief of dozens of teenage girls screeching every time he appears onscreen.

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9. Rachel McGuire (Maitland Ward)

Roommate to pretty much everyone except for Cory during Boy Meets World‘s college years, Rachel was always a welcome presence. But much as she predicted in BMW‘s season seven two-parter (‘Seven the Hard Way’/’The War’), the group now has little use for her a decade down the road. Not that there’s anything wrong with leggy redheads.

LET’S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO
8. Angela Moore (Trina McGee)

Topanga Lawrence’s best friend in high school and Shawn Hunter’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Angela was always a voice of reason—something this gang desperately needed. But the group’s hijinks often seemed to leave Angela uninterested and annoyed. With the characters around her a decade older and hopefully a touch more mature, is she still a necessary piece of this puzzle?

7. Jonathan Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn)

Former English teacher at John Adams Middle School and part-time guardian to Shawn Hunter, Turner was a fan favorite during his three seasons on the show. He was the quintessential ‘hip’ teacher, complete with motorcycle and unorthodox teaching methods. Fifteen years after his last appearance, would he bring the same edge to the character, or merely serve as George Feeny lite?

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WE CAN DREAM
6. Stuart Minkus (Lee Norris)

Though he disappeared after the first season, the legend of Minkus—Cory’s archrival—lived on. He would be a perfect foil to a middle-aged Cory, especially if he’s continued holding a flame for Topanga after all these years.

FAMILY COMES FIRST
5. Morgan Matthews, Original Version (Lily Nicksay)

Any girl with Cory for a father and Topanga for a mother—not to mention Eric as an uncle—could use a cool aunt. The original Morgan was cute and impish (not to mention much cooler than her brothers) and probably would have turned out all right. This could work.

4. Alan and Amy Matthews (William Russ and Betsy Randle)

We bet the transition from awesome television parents to awesome television grandparents would be pretty seamless. In fact, the only thing that could scupper this plan is that Alan and Amy were simply too good — among the great TV parenting duos — and in spite of the intervening years, there’s no real need to replace them. Baby Joshua, their child born during BMW‘s final season, would be the appropriate age for world-meeting now. It’s going to be really tough for Cory and Topanga and their offspring to compete.

EVERY KID NEEDS A TEACHER
3. George Feeny (William Daniels)

He may be older, but it’s safe to assume everyone’s favorite teacher hasn’t lost a step. The trick will be figuring out how to get him back from college to middle school. We’re guessing Jacobs will find a way.

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THE WACKY UNCLES
2. Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong)

Cory’s best friend since the first day of 5th grade (and likely much longer), Shawn is a must-have for GMW. Though he lost some of his trademark swagger during the College Years, it’s likely he re-discovered it when he moved to New York City with Cory and Topanga. Cory and Shawn’s antics were often the high point of the BMW‘s early years, and could add another dimension to the spin-off.

1. Eric Matthews (Will Friedle)

As important as Shawn (and Cory and Topanga) were to the original series, far and away the best character from the was Cory’s older brother Eric. He transitioned from popular high schooler to hilarious idiot-savant by the show’s final season. His antics are far too extensive and outlandish to list here, but he also managed to become the heart and soul of the show, forging a close relationship with Mr. Feeny and becoming the glue that kept the glue together. Though Will Friedle has been criminally underused on the small screen since Boy Meets World, we say the spin-off should give him a chance to reclaim his former glory.

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