There’s no denying that when it was first announced, a great deal of hype surrounded Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (the ratings of the series premiere prove that). However, once the initial wave of enthusiasm died out following what a fair chunk of audience members perceived as a lack-luster offering, much of that hype switched to a calling for the show’s head as the perception of it being nothing more than a cash grab that existed for the sole purpose of capitalizing on the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe post-The Avengers grew. But, as time went on, the show found itself with a rare opportunity to transform into something worthwhile… an opportunity that was paid off in full during the events of the season two finale. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t television’s only example of this, though, and if one were to ask what the comedy comparison of it would be, the answer is Disney’s Girl Meets World.
Just based on its title alone, Girl Meets World was considered nothing more than a nostalgia driven exploitation of the memories that existed for Boy Meets World fans that grew up with the original series in the 90s. Throughout the course of its development, you’d have been hard-pressed to find anyone who was legitimately excited for the sequel series as a whole as much as they were at the idea of seeing Cory and Topanga on screen again for the pilot, and you’d have had an even harder time finding anyone convinced the series could be any good since it was going to be airing on Disney Channel instead of the original’s home network of ABC. But, as is often the case with low-expectation television, Girl Meets World simply chose to ignore the critics and do the most daring thing it could: make itself its own great thing.
Girl Meets World isn’t just “an okay show for what it is” or “the best show on Disney Channel.” Girl Meets World is a legitimately pitch-perfect comedy and might actually be a contender (if not the frontrunner) for the title of best multi-cam sitcom on television. Because it’s on Disney Channel, no one’s trying to hammer in some broadcast network mandated quota of jokes-per-minute (see: Big Bang Theory), or make the show crass for crass-sake because it’s on primetime or cable (see: 2 Broke Girls and Anger Management). Rather, because it’s on Disney Channel, Girl Meets World is simply flying under the radar with legitimately developed characters that are standing apart from their predecessors while still finding time to work in appearances from the original show’s cast to satiate the appetite of older fans as they grow more acquainted to the new, millennial counter-parts.
Last week, the network held a “premiere event” that saw a new episode of the series air every night from Monday-Friday. In that time, the show expanded the relationship of Riley and Lucas, poked fun at its own narrative format (more than once), gave Shawn a legitimate reason to remain as a recurring guest star that matters to the arc of Maya, explained the dynamic of Maya and Riley’s relationship that involved more than just some hysterical one-lines, worked in appearances for Mr. Feeny and Eric Matthews’ infamous “Plays With Squirrels” persona, maintained a running gag of Cory's inability to teach a traditional history lesson through the week and, to top it off, fleshed out the very much needed back-story of Lucas’ character. Girl Meets World isn’t a children’s show sequel to a prime-time, 90s sitcom airing on a children’s network, it’s a justifiably superb multi-cam sitcom that just happens to be airing on a network geared to pre-teen viewers. But, while there are reasons why Girl Meets World could be considered the comedic version of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. from a “right to exist” stand-point, it can also be argued that Girl Meets World is a far more important show to its medium than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. could ever hope to be.
Marvel’s first television series is a fun show, but we’re suffering no shortage of fun action/adventure dramas on television. Throw a rock and you’ll hit three on every network regardless of standing in the realm of broadcast and cable. The same, however, cannot be said of multi-cam sitcoms. The format's been on its deathbed in network television for the better part of a decade. Mostly, the only thing that’s seemed to keep it alive is the fact that Big Bang Theory is the top scripted series on television. If that wasn’t true, it’s hard to imagine why any network would ever bother with the format when single-cam comedy is what’s “hip” at the moment. But what’s “hip” for one network is also very expensive for another. Disney Channel (and other pre-teen networks like it) doesn’t have the resources to produce many single-cam sitcoms, but it does have the resources to produce what amount to weekly stage-plays… so that’s what it does, and does so with complete confidence in the quality of the product being made. That's the key to Girl Meets World’s success as a ratings hit for the network, and universally accepted comedic narrative on television as a whole
A desire to be good despite its perceived flaws is what makes Girl Meets World watchable week after week. In fact, it’s the thing that makes any show watchable week after week. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, American Horror Story,
