I honestly cannot remember the first time I saw an episode of Boy Meets World. I feel like I've always known of it and it's always been in my life. I started my strong teen idol crush years in 1994 around the time of Man of the House with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. So I'll say I started regularly watching Boy Meets World in 1994. They were kids in school going through the joys and challenge you experience as a child and I could certainly relate to that feeling. But I can't say I cut my hair to prove I wasn't vain about my appearance! (shoutout to Topanga circa late-90s)

I grew up with that show. By the time it ended, I was still in high school but they certainly filled me with expectations I would never be able to fulfill because how perfect were Cory and Topanga? How could you ever find a buddy like Shawn or a brother like Eric? I wanted to be their friend and it felt like I was. I knew their lives, I knew what they had gone through, and I really was there every step of the way.

I didn't really know what to expect from Girl Meets World. I was unsure about the decision to take a beloved show and give those characters new lives. It's been done and it's been done successfully. The recent successful reboot of Dallas is an example of that. But, admittedly, it's a different world. Boy Meets World was filmed as a sitcom during the age of sitcoms. You watch television and it was littered with sitcoms and laugh tracks -- over-the-top reactions captured from a microphone above your head. It was the norm. Today's television sitcom gravitates toward the more of the single-cam perspective rather than multi-camera. The most popular sitcoms of the modern era are your Modern Familys and documentary-style shows like The Office.

That's not to say that television doesn't stop trying to continue the legacy of the multi-camera sitcom through shows like Girl Meets World.

After waiting in line, we're escorted into the building that looks like any other television show created for an audience -- there were three main sets configured for tonight's taping: Riley's (Cory and Topanga's daughter) bedroom on the far left, the Matthews living room/kitchen area in the center, and the classroom set-up on the far right (not used tonight or anywhere throughout the episode).

The audience was mainly comprised of mostly kids and young teens. The only adults found were in the VIP area and adults escorting their kids. I certainly felt a wee bit out of place as a 28-year-old Boy Meets World fan who grew up in the 90s. I was seated in the third row with a great vantage point of the stage.

Before filming began, we were lucky enough to view the pilot. It's been my experience with new shows (as a regular attendee to I Hate My Teenage Daughter, I saw the pilot EVERY SHOW) that they often show the pilot episode so you have a feel for the show and its characters.

The pilot was fantastic. I can completely believe Cory as a History teacher at his daughter's school. I admit, it threw me for a loop. Even now, I'm only used to seeing Cory in the classroom being taught by Mr. Feeny with Shawn behind him and Topanga seated in front. My brain was trying to adjust to seeing him from an adult's perspective. It's a new Cory Matthews. It's the story of a boy who grew up, met the world, and was now living in it. Not that the Cory Matthews we knew and loved is gone but the story is no longer his -- it's his daughter's. He's merely a player and she takes center stage.

I won't give away the pilot but I will say it's not a Hannah Montana. She's not a secret superstar parading around as a "normal" teenager. What's different about our generation and the new are television shows geared to make kids appear more mature than they are. In my shows, kids were kids. They did stupid goofy things that made absolutely no sense. As they grew, that's when they involved themselves in deeper, darker topics like sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. And watching the pilot episode, I'd say that it was geared for this new generation that deals with a completely different set of rules from the ones I grew up with.

But the pilot was only one episode and I continued to have an open mind to see what tonight's episode held.

Michael Jacobs, creator of the show (CREATOR OF MY CHILDHOOD), introduced the cast. He introduced every cast member and then surprised the hell out of me when he introduced Rider Strong and Will Friedle. Though they lined up with the rest of the cast, they didn't make an appearance on today's episode and their future is still unknown on this show. But it was incredible to see them there supporting their friends... and I may or may not have reacted like a 12-year-old as soon as I saw them. I might've gone into a fit of inner hysteria when Ben and Will hugged LIKE THE BROTHERS THEY WILL ALWAYS BE. (And bonus Maitland Ward showed up about halfway through filming!)

They filmed six scenes in front of an audience with large portions of the episode pre-filmed for us to watch. I imagine that the short filming schedule (about three hours) has a lot to do with union rules for the child actors on set. I'm used to such long filming schedules -- Will and Grace, I Hate My Teenage Daughter -- that I wasn't prepared for it to end so soon! But what I did saw was satisfying.

The majority of the episode revolved around the two kids. Cory and Topanga have another child, a son, played by an adorable, rambunctious, and talented 6-year-old who held his own among the teenagers and adults he performed with. It really hammered home that Cory and Topanga had been married for years and this was their new normal. As an older fan, it takes a bit of getting used to. For example. Feeny's no longer next door. They're living in a really nice apartment in New York. They take the subway! It's a different world with new challenges for their kids.

Ben Savage slips back into the role of Cory Matthews with plenty of ease. You look at him and you see Cory. You see Cory's mannerisms, his unique facial expressions, and the way he delivers a joke. Danielle's a little less goofy as Topanga and a lot more grown up and admittedly, it's a bit jarring, at first. Again, I feel like it's just because I'm faced with my own age slapping me right in the face. I'm no longer watching them as kids and I'm no longer a kid. Right? Jarring. But the family works well together. Cory and Topanga are parental and they're just the parents you always thought they'd grow up to be. They're very much the people you imagined they'd grow up to be.

For me, it works so far. The audience sitcom format still has its disadvantages. There will be a lot of canned audience laughter that I hope will work for this show. But it's no reason to turn away. The cast are talented, the show is well-written and tries not to be too heavy handed in terms of life lessons, and I genuinely laughed out loud several times. You know, that gives it the seal of approval, obviously.

I told myself I was only going to go see it once and that'll be it. But seeing Cory and Topanga again and seeing them as adults raising their children? I think I'm already jonesin' for visit number two.

1. I watched Queer as Folk episode 101 last night and the nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks. I had a lot of warm and fuzzies and I can't wait to marathon the series when I have a little more time!

2. I also got sucked into a tumblr vortex for the past few days where I did nothing but get connected from tumblr to tumblr to tumble. Of course, ran into some gifs that I think are worth seeing. I'll start with a safe one and then dive into the not so safe for work ones.

Who doesn't love this speech? I believe in this.

( Other QaF related gifs. )

I'll be back with a tumblr list.

3. I also totally became obsessed with Tangled the movie and got sucked into 10,000 Disney/Disneyland tumblrs. My favorite line from the movie?

"You're being strangely cryptic as you wrap your magic hair around my injured hand."

I seriously died laughing.

I'm also probably going to do a Disney meme. One's a regular Disney themed meme and the other's a Disneyland meme. I do love them both so much. I'm Disney deprived, sigh.

Hope everyone who celebrates had a great Easter! This is the first Easter that I missed The Ten Commandments. I forgot it was on Saturday and I still don't own the movie. cindergal, I hope you had a very happy birthday! Everyone have a great week. :D

Day 2 - Your favorite QaF season

I'm caught between the establishing Season 1, Season 2 episodes 1-15, and Season 3 as a whole. How do you go wrong with Season 1? Everything seemed so well-rounded. There was a perfect balance between all the storylines and I never felt like one particularly intentionally overshadowed the other. By that, I mean, Brian and Justin kind of broke through in a dominating way but I thought that there was a pretty even balance. They managed this throughout even until Season 3.

I really liked Season 2 up until the sudden change in episode 216 that made absolutely no sense.

If I could disregard 216 to 220, Season 3 made a lot of sense. I liked the drama and angst at the beginning up until the way that Brian and Justin reunited in 308. They were growing together and they were growing as characters.

It ended on such a positive note.

I highly recommend any ohfreckle's gorgeous icons to get your QaF fix from any season!

( The Meme. )

I call CRAZYPANTS on that one. Crazypants. I was 15 when the show came out. So, I didn't watch it when it first premiered. I was too involved in my boy band phase that lasted for a little while. I didn't have time for that many obsessions! But, once my first year of college hit? I was all ready to begin anew.

Well, that's my story. I started watching the show at the tail end of S3 but wanted to watch the whole thing and get caught up. These were the pre-YouTube and pre-downloading days unless you had a fast DSL line. It was 2003 and I had to do things the old fashioned way! I rented the DVDs at Blockbuster in the summer of 2003. I watched everything over and over again, repeated favorite lines, favorite episodes until I felt like I had the whole Season 1 memorized. On to eBay to buy Season 2 for $50. I lost the first auction and got the second one. I had to wait an agonizing two weeks for it since I took a trip up north. When I got back, I watched all 20 episodes over a few days.

Finally, Season 3 came in the form of ripped copies from TV from a very generous person, and I watched those on my computer to get all caught up!

Then, obsession began.

I wasn't as active in 2003 up until the show ended. I was in college and even though I read all the fic, visited all the websites, commented here in LJ, and spoke up every once in a while, I wasn't as involved as I would've liked to have been.

Still, I made some friends here and I'm happy to say that I have most of them still friended and they've friended me back.

Sometimes, I still get a little fanfic/QaF fan starstruck. I'll never forget the first time I came across paddies icons and all of her talent and skill. I remember when url_girl came on the scene and brought the funny with her doodles and icons (still brings the funny!). I remember freaking out with my Bestie every time that sandstorm63 would post a new clip on her site. I remember I was flying to Vancouver to visit the Bestie and someone sent me the scene from 403 early. I remember reading Crisis by jane2005 and holding my breath the entire time. I remember reading Forever Changes Everything by rhiannonhero over and over and over again because that's how I imagined their future. I remember dying from excitement every time that burnitbackwards posted anything new and shiny.

The whole of LJ was just littered with incredible fic on an almost daily basis from '03 to '05. I didn't know how good I had it. There were definitely a list of authors that I kept returning to because I loved anything that they wrote. My nostalgia list pretty much has everyone on it but the most memorable names were people like bigboobedcanuck, juteux, darksylvia, lennongirl, sparkledark and brosen, xhaleslowly, ragingpixie, severina2001 and twistinside, and others that I know I'm forgetting!

There were INCREDIBLE vidders in fandom! I think we really had some of the best. It was the way that I discovered new tunes, that's for sure. There was Blank Monday's Pillow, Jonatha Brooke's Because I Told You So, Rufus Wainwright's music was used. Choimimi's videos were really something else and had a great use of the music. Aida's never failed to make me cry my eyes out! Defying Gravity will never fail to be one of my faves followed by f1renze's Affirmation. Wendy's vids ... I can never watch musical Buffy the same way ever, ever again.

And then there were the fantastic people that came after the show was done! The brilliant suzvoy, talented ohfreckle, arlad, and so many more!

In other words, I can't believe that it's been 10 years since the first episode of the show, that changed my life, aired. I'm so happy to call you guys friends, that we're all still here years later, and you can definitely always count on me to suck you into my web of nostalgia! I've met such wonderful friends through this little show and I am forever grateful to it for that.

I watched a couple of quick scenes over the weekend that I've been wanting to watch for a while. I wanted to see Noah kind of sort of getting his opinion out and decided that the best scene for that was when he yelled at the Z Twins at Java. He wasn't really protecting Luke but I remember feeling good about that scene when it happened. Kind of protecting Luke. He had some balls in it. There was yelling and then they held on to each other at the end. That was nice.

Then when they were going to watch "the new Batman" and were making out when they got interrupted. That was one of the most natural scenes between them. Noah was disappointed he wasn't going to get laid, lol. There aren't a lot of moments like that and I remember LOVING the show that day.

Just some nice Noah moments over the weekend.

Then I watched some Reid ones several times over. I love his coming out to Henry. So casual and cool and whatever and Chris knew about him. Loved it.

Nostalgia. I'm sure I'll be doing this more when the show's over.

This post hit my nostalgia button.

Your Qaf recappers are not dead yet! I say again that your recappers are alive and well. amelialourdes and sakesushimaki are not gone and giving up on this project. That said!

sakesushimaki's last recap for Episode 112.
Go and comment, please! Thank you, wonderful ones.

I am using my very own screencaps and will be using them until the end of this. You can find screencaptures for Complete S1 and S2 at www.qafcaps.com. Kid tested, mother approved. (Kix commercial reference).

( This week on Queer as Folk. )

sakesushimaki

I know you thought that I'd probably just stop doing these but you'd be wrong. What can I say? Sometimes life gets in the way of fandom activities. I hate it when that happens. Ha. But, I think that I'm ready to get back rolling in on this thing and since I disappeared for months then it's only air that sakesushimaki gives you the next recap whenever she feels like it. Right, bb? Right.

Last time on Queer as Folk ...

BRIAN AND JUSTIN HAD HOT HOTEL SEX!

I mean, that's all that happened in 110. Right? Okay. Just thought that I'd refresh your memory. Now on to Episode 11.

( Recap 111 and pictures here! )

I've been all over the place tonight on the internet doing totally random things and listening to VH1's Greatest Songs of the 90's playlist. Glee's love for all things 90's (Acafellas, anyone?) has really got me on a nostalgic trip. I used to love those songs. I used to sing "I Wanna Sex You Up" and "Let's Talk About Sex" and my Aunt was always telling me that it was inappropriate to say those things in public. But, what did I care? I was 5. I didn't know what sex was, okay? Blame my parents for their total lack of censorship for anything I watched or listened to. Let's go back. Click on the song title to download.

1. Hanson - MMMBop: Ah, the song that really started it all. I was a teenager and I got sucked right into the crazy that became pop mania. Surrounding Hanson during this period were groups such as the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys. I stuck it out with them though. Twelve years and counting. I mean, they were right weren't they? The song really was about relationships. So, hold on to the ones who really care 'cause in the end they'll be the only ones there // when you get old and start losing your hair // Can you tell me who will still care?

2. TLC - Waterfalls: What were the 90's without TLC? I remember rejoicing every time "Diggin' On Me" was #1 on MTV's video charts. We took a trip to Vegas in 1994 and the only thing I listened to on that four hour road trip was crazysexycool. What a fantastic album.

3. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up: Recently covered by Matt Morrison on Glee (HOT) this song was originally done by a boy band in the early 90's. Come on, it was catchy, fun to sing with, dance to ... and now Glee's cover? Sigh. This song is making a come back.

4. Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison: While we're on Glee covers, I'll upload this one too. You guys remember Bell Biv DeVoe, don't you?! Well, shame on you. They were a pop phenomenon! Okay. Maybe they weren't but they were once all members of New Edition and they formed their own group and came up with this little catchy tune. I still jam to this song.

5. Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It: The partay's here on the Westside! Okay, this was the jam in the mid-90's for the R&B crowd. What do I remember about Montell Jordan? Well, I randomly ran into him at the 1998 Billboard Music Awards. He's tall. Like ... basketball player tall. Tall. If you put this song on in a 90's crowd? Everyone will sing it. I remember McMaster and James (Canadian pop duo) singing it at a concert and the crowd just joined right in. Catchy.

6. Oasis - Wonderwall: There should be songs that would be a litmus test for a friendship because this song would be on that test. I remember one random afternoon, maybe it was lunch, in high school and out on senior lawn someone brought a boom box. She popped in Oasis's "Champagne Supernova" and everyone was like, "Aww. I love this song." I remember someone in my group saying that they didn't know the words (was it you, Claire? Fess up) and there was the collective gasp (or was it just from me?). Anyway, the lawn burst out into quiet song. Oasis just brings the crowd together. Wonderwall is one of those songs that everyone knows. Plus, Oasis. 90's phenom.

7. Dr. Dre & 2Pac - California Love: I was from Sacramento, the capital of California. How could this song NOT be a bit where I was from? I was 10 when this song came out and I took a trip to Chicago that year. I was so confused as to why the song was playing in Chicago. I mean, I knew about California's superiority. I wasn't aware everyone else knew it too!

8. Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way: I knew that N Sync were superior over BSB. Better moves, better songs, better harmonies. Sorry kids. Fact. That said, I was a fan of both. I had/have all Backstreet Boy albums including the European imports and various singles. Now, this song came at the tail end of the 90's. It was off of their album Millennium. What made it memorable? Cheesy dance moves, typical boy band moves, parodied in Blink 182's "All the Small Things". Oh and have you seen this awesome video? I want them to hire me ---

9. Mariah Carey - Vision of Love: Remember when Mariah Carey wasn't a joke and she could you know ... sing? Me too! In 1996 she and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" stayed on the charts for a million years. This isn't that song but remember that!? This song definitely shows off that crazy range of hers that she's destroyed. I could say the same for Whitney. I have her "I Will Always Love You" here too but she will not make the list.

10. Sir Mix-a-Lot - Baby Got Back: Oh my god, Becky. Look at her butt. More observant words have never been uttered. I'll end this list right here.

Rock and alternative and grunge weren't well represented on my list. Well, I was an R&B/Rap/Pop girl in the 90's. Alanis Morrissette kind of knocked me out of my little R&B world with "You Oughta Know" but I didn't really go beyond that. I liked "Enter Sandman" by Metallica and really liked Nirvana's Unplugged when they showed it on MTV. Loved Radiohead's early stuff and still do.

... I miss music and the 90's. What songs do you remember from the 90's?

Just had to post something a little bit happier in here and because I said I would post it. Didn't think I would do it, didja? Don't doubt me! Once again, the brill sakesushimaki, will have a new, shiny recap for you soon. In the meantime, here's the other recap that I missed to get you all caught up. The screencaps are mine. I had to take them from a ripped copy so they're kind of crappy but at least they're there. I deal.

( Recap 109 and pictures here! )