Plot: What’s it about?
Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) has a normal life, or at least it would appear as such. He has a loving set of parents, a well meaning, but spastic older brother, a teacher who hounds him, a great best friend, and a dream girl that is in his class. In other words, the basics look like the basics for anyone, though Cory is convinced his life is different. Even when he was in the sixth grade, Cory had bigger plans and more ambitious thoughts, as if he could plan out his life at such a young age, since he knew so much. But he soon learned that his knowledge was quite limited, a fact his teacher, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) often pointed out. And he could point out things often, since he was not only Cory’s teacher, but also his neighbor. Cory also discovers new things almost daily, as he interacts with his friends, classmates, and family. Just when Cory thinks he has it all figured out, he finds himself in another unexplainable situation. As he gets older, he finds that wisdom does increase with life experience, but most questions remain unanswered. Even in high school and yes, even in college, Cory has to face unknown properties. His sweetheart could be his wife, his friend could be his enemy, and his world could change with any decision he makes. What will become of Cory and his friends, when Boy Meets World?
This show has some lasting power. I mean, the series ran for over one hundred and fifty episodes, but that wasn’t to be the end. Once the original run had concluded, a lengthy stay in syndication followed, one which continues even now, then The Disney Channel began to run the show to solid audience response. This is not Seinfeld or The Simpsons, no this is the low profile, but popular series Boy Meets World. I don’t remember the show being a ratings goldmine, but the show ran for like seven seasons, so someone was tuning in week after week. The premise of life through the eyes of a sixth grade boy doesn’t seem like prime time platinum, especially when you consider that the cast was unknowns. Ben Savage was the brother of Wonder Years star Fred Savage, but that isn’t enough to qualify as genuine star power. The show plays like a typical teen comedy with dashes of drama tossed in, the kind of material you’d expect from a coming-of-age series. But Boy Meets World is better than most of its kind, if just because the writing is strong through the first few seasons and the performances seem genuine. This is not groundbreaking television, but it is fun and I can’t wait for more seasons to roll in. So if you’re a fan or just like family friendly television, give Boy Meets World a spin.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame, as intended. This looks as good as it did when shown on television, with enhanced sharpness to up the ante a shade. The image is clean and very sharp, a solid looking presentation that should please fans. The show has some decent visuals to soak in, but remains mostly basic in approach, so while the episodes look good, they won’t dazzle the audience. But colors come through in bold and beautiful form, while contrast is stark and provides well balanced black levels at all times. Not a dynamic visual effort, but a solid one and in truth, we couldn’t ask for much more here.
Audio: How does it sound?
A basic, but acceptable 2.0 surround option is used here, which seems to be adequate, though unimpressive. As this is a dialogue driven drama however, I’m not sure how much more we could expect in terms of audio presence. The surround channels are usually silent, but are sometimes used to enhance atmosphere and the musical soundtrack, though even then you won’t be overly joyed with the results. The dialogue is smooth and crisp also, which is good news, since the writing is so superb in this series. This release also includes English subtitles, in case you need to enable those at some point.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A total of four episodes have audio comments from various cast members, who recall anecdotes and stories from the production. I would have loved more tracks, but at least we have these four, instead of none.
