This ‘Boy Meets World’ Episode Was So Controversial It Got Banned

The Big Picture

• The sitcom boom of the 1990s featured iconic shows like
  Friends
  ,
  Seinfeld
  , and
  Frasier
  .
• Boy Meets World
  matured with its audience, tackling sensitive topics like affairs and alcoholism.
• The controversial episode “Prom-ises, Prom-ises” faced backlash for handling teen sexuality insensitively.

Though the genre has always been popular, the sitcom boom of the 1990s was arguably its greatest period. Friends, Seinfeld, and Frasier dominated the airways and made for must-watch TV. While NBC offered the aforementioned shows that appealed to the coveted prime graphic, ABC sought out family appeal with its iconic TGIF Block. The Friday night line-up was packed with shows that appealed to the entire family, most of which have gone on to become mega-classics, such as Family Matters, Full House, and, of course, Boy Meets World.

Boy Meets World was an incredibly unique addition to the programming block. Like many other TGIF series, the show started off incredibly wholesome. It followed Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) as he navigated adolescence along with his best friend, Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) and long-time sweetheart, Topanga (Danielle Fishel). With guidance from his parents, Amy and Alan (Betsy Randall and William Russ), as well as his teacher/next-door neighbor, the wise and lovable Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), Cory always came out of each week having learned a touching lesson. But uniquely, the show matured as its audience and actors grew up, eventually taking on subjects such as affairs, alcoholism, and death. While the adult topics may have seemed jarring, the show’s growth played a big role in its longevity and legacy. Additionally, touchier topics were usually handled with the sensitivity they deserved. Occasionally, however, the show misfired in its approach, as it did with the Season 5 episode, “Prom-ises, Prom-ises.” Tackling perhaps its most mature topic at the time, the episode was heavily criticized behind the scenes and was the center of controversy, even after the show came to an end.

“Prom-ises, Prom-ises” Dealt with One of ‘Boy Meets World’ Most Mature Topics

By the time “Prom-ises, Prom-ises” aired during the show’s fifth season, Boy Meets World had already taken on stories featuring underage drinking and alcoholism, cults, and the loss of a loved one. A few seasons before, the show even did a modern spin on The Scarlet Letter, featuring Cory and Topanga mixed up in a misunderstanding and a lie. But “Prom-ises, Prom-ises” took the couple’s growing love story to the next stage.

It’s the night of their senior prom, and Cory and Shawn are filled with anticipation of what might happen after. While Shawn’s girlfriend, Angela (Trina McGee), deems Shawn too immature for sex, Topanga agrees that she and Cory should spend the night together. Flustered with excitement, Cory gets them a hotel room where the prom is being held, but the couple is constantly interrupted before they can go through with their evening. Additionally, Amy reveals to Alan that she’s pregnant, and the couple also check into the hotel to celebrate. After an awkward room key mix-up that has Cory walk in on Amy and Alan walk in on Topanga, the Matthews parents remind Cory and Topanga to make responsible decisions to avoid life changes that they don’t expect. Much to the relief of parents around the country, America’s favorite TV couple decide to wait. On surface level, the show was going for one of its normal teaching moments. And while it can’t necessarily be discredited for passing along some sort of wisdom, it did miss many opportunities to say something less cliché and important, a shortcoming that was not lost on one of the show’s most popular stars.

Rider Strong Vocally Disliked “Prom-ises, Prom-ises”

Cory may have been the character audiences most related to, but Shawn was an undeniable hit with fans. Shawn was often at the center of the show’s most trying storylines. By this point in the series, he’d already faced absentee parents, alcoholism, and had survived a cult. Suffice to say, Strong was an expert when it came to controversial scripts. While sensitivity was often applied to these sorts of topics, Strong was displeased with “Prom-ises, Prom-ises.”

Strong is quoted as saying, “I remember being very upset during that entire week.” Strong explained further: “I was very upset with the adults on our set — the way that they were approaching this, specifically because we were not discussing safe sex.” He further explained that he was baffled that the show wouldn’t even discuss the topic of Cory and Topanga using condoms or birth control of any kind. He was so disheartened by the writing, he even approached series creator, Michael Jacobs, in hopes that Jacobs would consider incorporating his concerns.

“We were growing up in the era of AIDS,” Strong says he told Jacobs, “this is something that we have to talk about. When you are discussing losing your virginity, you discuss how you’re going to do it and how to be safe about it. And he completely blew me off.” Strong claims Jacobs told him that it was “a ridiculous thing to worry about.” However, Fishel also expressed discomfort with the episode at the time, “I don’t have specific memories other than just, kind of, ickiness about the week.”

While Boy Meets World is, of course, a sitcom, the show rarely shied away from treating hefty topics fittingly. Seasons 5, 6, and 7 are all filled with more dramatic stories, and those outings often forgo laughs to appropriately handle the topics. But “Prom-ises, Prom-ises” almost feels more like slapstick rather than an episode of Boy Meets World. While there are plenty of great gags and fun character moments, it seems out of touch with the times, even by today’s standards. Its behind-the-scenes drama was not the last time the episode would garner controversy, either.

“Prom-ises, Prom-ises” Was Banned During ‘Boy Meets World’s Syndication

Boy Meets World found a whole new life following its original run on ABC. The show moved into syndicated reruns on Disney Channel, where it garnered a new audience. The Disney Channel run led to the eventual sequel series, Girl Meets World. But, while successful, its first round of re-runs received quite a bit of controversy. Three episodes would be banned from the family-friendly network following their initial airings, with “Prom-ises, Prom-ises” being among them.

Even though Cory and Topanga never follow through with their intimate evening, it was removed from the Disney Channel library, along with “If You Can’t Be with the One You Love,” which dealt with teenage drinking, and “The Truth About Honesty.” Ironically, the latter episode served as another furthering of Cory and Topanga’s sexuality, with it being the first time Cory sees Topanga nude. While Boy Meets World has been re-run in its entirety on other networks, the episodes would not appear alongside the Disney branding again until the launch of Disney+ in 2019.

“Prom-ises, Prom-ises” was something of a strange case for Boy Meets World. In a series that carefully tackled the subjects of maturing, it was pretty irresponsible with how it portrayed Cory and Topanga’s attempt to lose their virginity. The episode stuck with actor Rider Strong for years after it aired and would later go on to be banned from the Disney Channel in syndication. Now, the episode is once again available to view, but serves as an interesting contrast against the rest of the series.

Boy Meets World is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

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