With one or two notable exceptions, the 1990’s were the last golden era of television. You could actually watch sitcoms and dramas in the 90s without being force fed diversity and lgbtq narratives.
Since most of us aren’t trans and don’t have friends of every race, we were more able to identify with television from that era. Now? Forget about it. Network television is just a mind disease of narratives.
So, when a cast of 90s stars gets back together to talk about the good old days, it is special because those truly were good old days.
Recently the cast of the much beloved ‘Boy Meets World” reunited to celebrate William Daniels 96th birthday. Daniels, better known as Mr Feeny and his wife met and hung out with the main cast.
Recently Will Friedle had this to say about Daniels and his wife of 72 years, Bonnie: “Ninety-five years old and he still shoots out the pearls of wisdom. His wife, Bonnie, as well. Talking to them is still magical,”
Danielle Fishel, the actress that played Topanga had this to say: “If you’re willing to listen, Bill is dropping gems left and right.”
Time flies! Spend it with the ones you love ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ontud4P8vt
— William Daniels (@MrBillDaniels) March 31, 2023
A huge part of what plagues society now is young people aren’t willing to listen to those gems older people drop. As Fishel suggested, you must be willing to listen, and too many aren’t.
Perhaps Daniels fatherly presence and advice on set is part of the reason the cast has gone on to personal and professional success when so many other child stars didn’t.
At least that is what Will Friedle and Rider Strong suggest: “When we were kids, goofing off and having a good time, he was very much a Feeny-like presence,” said Strong. “Even when the cameras weren’t there,” he added. “In terms of knowing his lines, being a complete professional, being on time. Those were things that we needed to see, and had to learn to emulate in order to be professionals in the industry.”
Imagine that! Young people being able to learn from the example and wisdom set by their elders. We have lost that as a nation, and perhaps our societal decay could be partially traced to this.
Bartlett Daniels, Mr Feeny’s wife of 72 years is still active and working just as Mr. Daniels is. She revealed their secret to happiness: “We sit in this house and we do things. He reads his New York Times, and he does Cameos mostly. And we do conventions and things like that,” said Bartlett Daniels. “We just like to be with each other. And we would do anything for each other.”
Next up, the Daniels, who still work when they can will both be appearing in a new genre film version of William Shakespeare’s Richard III. And in September, Daniels and his Boy Meets World family will be at 90s Con in Tampa timed to the 30th anniversary of the show’s debut.
Yes it has been 30 long years, and yes network television is dead, but we will always have shows like Boy Meets World, and at least for now we still have Mr Feeny.
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