It’s hard to imagine the TGIF-verse without one of its most iconic couples, Cory and Topanga from Boy Meets World. However, they weren’t always going to be such a beloved TV couple, as Topanga Lawrence wasn’t even supposed to be a central part of the core characters, according to the cast.
Some of the Boy Meets World cast reunited at the first-ever ‘90s Con in Connecticut, where they reflected on their time on the still-beloved series and dished on some behind-the-scenes secrets during a panel. Will Friedle, who portrayed the lovable and adorkable Eric Matthews, revealed that Topanga wasn’t supposed to be for the entire run, but it just worked out (via People):
She wasn't supposed to be on forever. And then you came in and killed it, and then it changed the whole show.
The Topanga star herself, Danielle Fishel, piggy-backed off of Friedle’s quote and mentioned that the free-spirited character was only supposed to be a one-and-done:
Yeah, it was only supposed to be, I think, one episode — possibly a recurring — and then she basically became the rest of the show.
It does make sense that Topanga wasn’t initially intended to be such a BMW legend from the start, considering she wasn’t seen too much in some of the earlier seasons of Boy Meets World. But thankfully all that changed, giving TV fans a couple to root for.
With Cory and Topanga arguably being one of the best couples in television history, at least to yours truly, it definitely makes me happy that Topanga lasted longer than a single episode. She plays such a big part on Boy Meets World, the show would have been completely different if they just left her as a small character. Let's not even imagine Cory with anyone else.
Not only that, but if not for Topanga being a regular on Boy Meets World, we also wouldn’t have gotten Girl Meets World. The Disney Channel spinoff lasted for three seasons and followed Cory, Topanga and their two kids in New York. It further expanded their love story and made for great nostalgia for those who grew up on the original series.
The romance between Cory and Topanga was a big storyline on Boy Meets World, beginning all the way in the first season. Although at the time, Topanga was a little weird and flower-child-y, and Cory was a little freaked out by her. Still, deep down he loved her even at a young age, and they marked a major milestone in Season 1 when they had their first kiss.
It’s always interesting to hear about iconic TV characters that were only supposed to take on smaller roles to begin with. Others that had the same treatment as Topanga include Naya Rivera’s Santana Lopez on Glee, as well as Misha Collins’ Castiel on Supernatural. Coincidentally, all three turned into fan-favorite characters and would have drastically changed their respective shows if writers stuck with the original plans.
Because of Topanga, fans got plenty of iconic storylines out of Boy Meets World that were even included again on Girl Meets World. While we may not get another spinoff any time soon, at least we have plenty of seasons to watch her, and reconnect with her all over again.
Both Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World are streaming on Disney+ if you ever feel the need to do a little rewatch. And be sure to check out other popular '90s TV shows that are available to stream.
