TV DVD Review: "Boy Meets World": Season One

Rated: TV-G (US) / PG (Canada)
Starring: Ben Savage, Rider Strong, and Danielle Fishel
Released: 1993 - 1994 (original ABC premieres) / 2004 (DVD)

Synopsis: In this inaugural season of one of the best-loved sitcoms of the '90's, Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) is an eleven-year-old boy who has much to learn about life, love, and the world at large.  He and his best friend Shawn (Rider Strong) love to good off and make jokes, much to the chagrin of their teacher, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels). With the love of his family--mom Amy (Betsy Randle, Home Improvement) dad Alan (William Russ), older brother Eric (Will Friedle, Kim Possible) and precocious little sister Morgan (Lily Nicksay)--Cory gets into one misadventure after another! Whether he's trying to sneak a videotape of a horror film into his house, dealing with the guilt of a wish that accidentally came true, or unwittingly ending up in a geography bee, hilarity and moral lessons abound!
Featuring a guest appearance by Keri Russell.

The Good: Now, I see why this is one of the most beloved shows of all-time, especially by people of my generation! I watched reruns here and there on Disney Channel years ago, but, I was still largely unfamiliar with the show.  Fans know what to expect from this '90's sitcom, and that's just what they'll get.  Not only was the show rather cute and funny--in a very Mouse network kind of way--but I loved that the adults in Cory's life were always willing to instill moral lessons in him, sometimes in very creative ways. Pretty much everything about it was great, except...

The Bad: The season as a whole was a little bit too much to take all at once.  I'm not much of a binge watcher, but, I had trouble completing just the last half of this season over a week's time.  That's a minor complaint, though.

Content Concerns:

• Sex: Kissing, both between married a couple and kids.  A married couple is seen making out briefly on a couch; a woman also slaps her husband on his backside. 3/5
• Nudity: Shirtless guys; girls in bare-midriff outfits.  (Both are seen only once or twice each.) 4/5
• Language: Name-calling. 4/5
• Violence: Comedic pratfalls; nothing else. 4/5
• Drugs: None. 5/5
• Frightening/Intense Scenes: An episode where a teacher is feared dead; a horror film is heard, but not seen.  Some emotional intensity is present as well. 3/5
• Other: Evolution is referenced; a small amount of gross-out humor. 4/5

Conclusion: I'm not sure why I largely avoided this show in years past, but, I'm thankful that DVD technology has allowed me to catch up.  I'll be taking a break from the series for a bit, but, eventually, I will watch the entire series; I already have several seasons in my collection.

Score: 4/5