'Boy Meets World' fans rejoice.
Children of the 90s, you have a target on your back.
Don’t worry, you’re not being hunted by someone with a grudge against twenty-somethings. Advertisers are aiming at people who came of age in the 90s and are now in that coveted 25-34 age range, the perfect age to watch television, engage in social networking, and spend money.
When news broke in November that Boy Meets World creator Michael Jacobs was at work on a sequel series for the Disney Channel called Girl Meets World, it took the social networking world by storm. The show’s main focus will be the 13 year old daughter of Cory and Topanga, with Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel set to reprise their roles now as a married couple. “Boy Meets World sequel” and other related terms were trending on Twitter and Yahoo!, and fans came out in droves to express their delight.
What better way to get children of the 90s buzzing about television than to reboot something they grew up watching?
A study performed by NM Incite and Nielsen shows the significant role 25-34 year olds play in the television industry. Besides the sizable chunk of active television watchers and social media users they represent, they will eventually graduate into the 35-49 age range, that “holy grail” demographic that watches and talks about the most television.
Entertainment executives and creators have spent the last decade rebooting every 80s property under the sun, with children of the 80s being today’s 35-40 year olds. Cartoon properties such as Transformers and G.I. Joe as well as live action shows like The A-Team and The Dukes of Hazzard have been rebooted as films. Television networks went back to the well too, resurrecting 80s favorites such as Knight Rider and Dallas.
New details surrounding Girl Meets World emerged today, specifically regarding the casting of the series’ main character. Eleven year old actress Rowan Blanchard has been cast as Riley Matthews. Word is she can sing, (check out her YouTube Channel – Jeremy Piven on drums!) which would align Blanchard with so many of the Disney Channel’s other prominent stars. Original Disney programs such as Austin & Ally, A.N.T. Farm, and Shake It Up feature stars who can sing as well as act, bringing a multimedia element to their unique brand of entertainment. If Girl Meets World is anything like these shows, its target audience will be families, offering something engaging for parents and children alike.
Girl Meets World producers Michael Jacobs describes Blanchard as “real and accessible,” saying he is hopeful that she is “about to meet a world that will love growing up with her as well.”
Girl Meets World is scheduled to begin filming a pilot next month, targeting a premiere during the 2013-2014 television season.
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