Meredith Sell

I’m not a negative person. Typically, I’m the first to spot a cloud’s silver lining and the spark from lightning that lights up the rainforest in a good way. But Girl Meets World, in its premiere episode, made me cringe enough to turn the TV off as soon as the ending credits rolled and decide no, this was not worth my time.

It’s a valiant effort, taking a much-loved sitcom (Boy Meets World) and building a reincarnation, complete with actors from the original. When I first heard about the possibility of Girl Meets World, I was excited. I grew up watching BMW and, in recent years, enjoyed its early-morning reruns playing in the background as I worked the loner opening shift at a deli in upstate New York.

BMW presents life as it is for the majority of the population: one day after another, trying to figure out relationships, family, school, and what to do with this thing called life. Fame isn’t on the characters’ radars — Cory, Shawn, Topanga, and the rest of the gang have bigger fish to fry, namely tomorrow’s homework, Shawn’s trailer park family, and Topanga’s fear of love and commitment because of her parents’ divorce. Held up beside today’s shows — especially those Disney produces for a similar demographic — BMW tackles much bigger issues and aims not only to entertain, but also to inform. Each episode is replete with life lessons, courtesy of Mr. Feeny.

I think that’s why there was so much excitement about bringing BMW back as Girl Meets World. Again we’d have a show that not only makes us laugh, but also makes us think and grow and makes our nieces and nephews and children think and grow. Yes, please, make GMW a thing.

So much potential.

But one twenty-minute episode, and I’m already disappointed. Let’s ignore the garish colors and the subway car that’s oh-so-fake (not to mention, too clean).

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