CANCELLED | Disney Channel farewells 'Girl Meets World'
Fans of the popular Disney Channel T.V. series ‘Girl Meets World’ were left angry, disappointed and confused with the recent announcement that the show – despite its large fan base – had been cancelled.
The series is a continuation of the equally popular ‘Boy Meets World’ – a teen comedy series that ran from 1993 to 2000 on ABC (now known as Freeform). ‘Girl Meets World’ takes place in the present day with ‘Boy Meets World’ main characters Corey Matthews (Ben Savage) and Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) married with two children, the eldest of whom is the centre of the show.
The series revolves around Riley Matthews (Rowan Blanchard) and her best friend Maya Hart (Sabrina Carpenter) as they navigate the tumultuous journey of adolescence through middle school and high school. Along the way, they make friends with Texan sweetheart Lucas (Peyton Meyer) and genius Farkle (Corey Fogelmanis) – reminiscent of the success had with the original Disney series cast.
‘Girl Meets World’ is important because it emphasises friendship and family as first and foremost. It teaches moral lessons to its younger viewers who take away valuable advice from the show to implement in their own lives, and even reminds adults that the world can indeed be a beautiful and interesting place if we open ourselves to it.
An array of contemporary themes are tackled in the show; these include immigration and the past as vital to the foundation of the United States of America, the power and privilege of education, an appreciation of the arts, and the multitude of diverse family structures that exist in our society today.
Remarkably, the writers treat each character with respect and humour. From ‘Boy Meets World’ favourites Corey and Topanga, and even Mr. Turner, to the news series’ teens Riley and Maya, even its youngens Auggie and Ava. Every episode establishes an impeccable balance between sincerity and clever wit – a rarity in the realm of teen television programs of today. The cancellation of this show is not only a loss of good entertainment for the whole family, but good writing worthy of our attention.
There remains hope, however, that another network may still pick this show up. Fans have already creating petitions and making pleas over social media to network heads of Netflix and Freeform, putting on the pressure for a possible Season 4. There have been hints of talks being underway by writers and producers, but we will just have to wait and see what happens next.
‘Girl Meets World’ aired three seasons on the Disney Channel, with its final episode airing January 20th 2017.
