Erica Montolfo-Bura Meets World

00:00:19
Speaker 1: So, as you all know, when we first started the podcast and throughout most of the early part of the podcast, I had a dream and it was a dream that I think I have to let go now because it never came true as much as I tried to manifest it. And as you're all aware, I have yet to play a man who left the big city to go back to run his family's small Christmas tree farm.

00:00:42
Speaker 2: He wanted to be a Hallmark honk.

00:00:45
Speaker 1: I don't care if I was a honk or the bad guy, or even just the local.

00:00:49
Speaker 3: The guy's usually in the town and it's a woman who comes.

00:00:52
Speaker 2: Back, Yeah, she's usually gone.

00:00:54
Speaker 4: It can happen.

00:00:54
Speaker 1: I'm trying to break the stereotypes, right, Okay, I'm trying to create a new paradigm.

00:00:58
Speaker 4: But whatever.

00:01:00
Speaker 1: But we all know that hasn't happened because I've been watching Hallmark and so far I haven't been in any of the movies I've seen.

00:01:05
Speaker 2: No, that's true. That's true. You didn't just appear on your own TV once.

00:01:08
Speaker 5: Right.

00:01:08
Speaker 4: I was like, wait a second, I'm not in this movie.

00:01:11
Speaker 1: So I'm changing my dream up because I have a new obsession, which is a wonderful television program called Love Island.

00:01:20
Speaker 4: Are you both aware of Love Island?

00:01:22
Speaker 3: I have heard probably doing a lot of work here, but yeah, sure's right.

00:01:26
Speaker 4: Magically one match is what I should say.

00:01:28
Speaker 2: I have heard of it. I have never seen an episode.

00:01:32
Speaker 4: I've never seen an episode, so you're missing out.

00:01:35
Speaker 1: Because whether you watch Love Island US, UK, Australia, it's amazing. It's incredibly beautiful people who are very scantily clad the entire time, no matter what they're doing, and they just keep swapping partners like it's the seventies at a key party. It's really amazing. But the best part of the show is there's a voiceover guy who's like there to be the comedic voiceover guy.

00:02:04
Speaker 4: That's his whole part. I mean, it's it's not even he's not even trying to be ironic. He's just really funny. That's my new dream is to be the funny that right I've got for radio.

00:02:17
Speaker 3: Is he is he making jokes or.

00:02:22
Speaker 1: So he's making jokes about them the whole time, like you know. For instance, one of the ones we love to watch was Love Island Australia and one of the characters is named Jackson and it was spelled j A X S O N. So the guy would always announce like and now we'll cut to Jackson with an X. You know, like stuff like that. That is just the most You think it's all written for him? Or do you think O Jensen's popping up? This means something?

00:02:43
Speaker 5: Do I break this to Will Daniel?

00:02:45
Speaker 2: I don't know. I was just I was going to try to figure out how to do.

00:02:48
Speaker 5: It what I was offered that job.

00:02:52
Speaker 2: How do you turn down the mad that Magic because it's a smut show show?

00:02:58
Speaker 4: Yes it is. Oh, smut me up.

00:03:00
Speaker 5: Bro. When I was on the radio at k Rock, they reached out and uh, I want to do.

00:03:07
Speaker 4: Okay, right, No, that is your biggest mistake in your life.

00:03:13
Speaker 5: And I knew it was going to be big. Yeah. I had told Daniel it's gonna be on for seasons and seasons, but it was like it wasn't. I wasn't interested in it.

00:03:22
Speaker 1: I will stream just to you Jensen. But my god, sir, that is the ultimate tream. Did you also turned down Hallmark Movies?

00:03:32
Speaker 4: No?

00:03:33
Speaker 5: No, just this one. But but I will say I said it on the radio, right, I told this story on the radio that they asked me to do it, and I didn't do it, And then the guy they have doing it kind of has a little kermity voice, like I do slightly, I can do.

00:03:48
Speaker 4: Kermit, that's not that's not I can do that.

00:03:50
Speaker 5: So kermit.

00:03:52
Speaker 6: First, we're in Love Island. This is like the best place you could possibly be, you know that kind I'll do it like that. If that's how they wanted, why did you Piggy Kurby?

00:04:02
Speaker 4: I mean, however they want it, Jensen.

00:04:04
Speaker 5: Well, then they said, do you want the guy who took the job to come on Kevin Eben? And we said no, but but it was almost like they were gonna kermits battling.

00:04:12
Speaker 4: Oh my god.

00:04:13
Speaker 1: So if you still have that number, we'll talk because I don't want to take anybody's job, but that guy's.

00:04:18
Speaker 5: You had been great, well one percent. You're quicker than I am.

00:04:20
Speaker 3: That would have been Do you are they writing the lines or is he just watching the playback and then getting rose or make jokes.

00:04:28
Speaker 4: That's it's the ultimate job.

00:04:30
Speaker 2: Get to watch the clips first, you know what the lines are that you're because like what if no, or you came up with something better than what they have written.

00:04:38
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think that's offered. I think yeah, I think they're Yeah.

00:04:41
Speaker 1: I imagine it seems like a very conducive atmosphere to creativity and sex, so I think they would allow it. The ad living, I think is part because the main guy who does most of them is the is the Irish guy who's hugely funny owen.

00:04:55
Speaker 4: And it's just I want to say, where you turned down that?

00:05:00
Speaker 5: Wait on? The Kirmity guy isn't the US one anymore?

00:05:03
Speaker 2: No, he was for Australia.

00:05:04
Speaker 4: Oh no, this was Austria.

00:05:06
Speaker 1: I don't know who does the American version, but I heard he wasn't Sarah Hyland she is she still the currently the host?

00:05:11
Speaker 5: She was the host then? Yeah? Or no? Sorry? I think a girl, a social media person named like Ariel or something was up for the job at that time. But I think it's kel switched around. This is a lot. This is an old story.

00:05:21
Speaker 4: Yeah, well, it's.

00:05:22
Speaker 2: Just they asked him a long time ago at many many many season.

00:05:26
Speaker 4: My dream job. It's my dream job. Sorry throwing it out, I have to.

00:05:29
Speaker 2: Look up who Love Island US voiceover?

00:05:34
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, we should we should get him in.

00:05:35
Speaker 4: Was it going to be it's going to.

00:05:36
Speaker 2: Be the narrator for Love Island USA is typically Matthew Hoffman, but for the current season seven it is Iron Iron Sterling.

00:05:46
Speaker 5: Okay, okay, so yeah, the Kirmitity guy is the first one Hoffman.

00:05:50
Speaker 1: Okay, Yeah, I think the Ian Sterling might. They might have gone with the Irish guy, who's just because he's got a ton of energy, and hey, we talk about outsourcing our jobs all the time, so I think it'd be great to bring that back if he is Irish and I.

00:06:04
Speaker 5: Will though, will them changing makes me think they have some thoughts. They might. I mean, they might be open to next season.

00:06:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, my god, it would be a dream. I would dump you three so fast to be on that show. It would be like we never knew each other because by that point you're in the big time. Like I wouldn't even look back at y'all and our friendship because Love Island USA the best.

00:06:28
Speaker 4: It would be the best.

00:06:30
Speaker 2: Okay, But no, good to know what you mean to you, sir.

00:06:34
Speaker 5: You mean a lot to me.

00:06:35
Speaker 4: Uh wait, I'm looking at your zoom name Danielle.

00:06:37
Speaker 2: Danielle.

00:06:37
Speaker 4: Yeah, but wow, I can't believe Jensen turned out that job.

00:06:42
Speaker 3: I know I didn't.

00:06:43
Speaker 2: I didn't remember because we've talked about this before and I didn't remember that it was Love Island. But I don't watch any of that.

00:06:50
Speaker 4: States, so I don't know.

00:06:51
Speaker 2: Then, No, I don't think it is.

00:06:53
Speaker 4: It is it is, by the way, I would never dump you guys. I couldn't do it, Damielle.

00:06:57
Speaker 5: Do you remember that they wanted to have a call with us, No, because I had said I didn't want to do it because it's just making jokes about people basically having sex on an island. Yeah, and they were like, oh, it's not just that, and then I was like, oh, but it seems like it's just that, and then they said, well, we'd love to have a call, and then we didn't have the call with them, and then we watched it and it was like, it's.

00:07:16
Speaker 4: Exactly exactly what it is.

00:07:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, but.

00:07:18
Speaker 1: It's also breaking up on islands and then swapping partners. It's not just sex. And then they have games where they all have to kiss each other. So there's very educational. Yes, yeah, there's a depth to Love Island that you guys are just not understanding, I don't think, because you're judging without really having delved into it.

00:07:36
Speaker 4: In any way, shape or form.

00:07:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's that's true.

00:07:38
Speaker 5: Oh, Will, They were very nice people, so I wish they hear this and call you.

00:07:42
Speaker 2: Wilfredell available for Love Island voiceover. You're hearing it here first, Welcome to Pod meets World. I'm Danielle Fishel, I'm right or strong.

00:07:52
Speaker 4: And I'm Wilfredell from Love Island. No, I won't do it like that. That'd be weird.

00:07:57
Speaker 2: Do your Kermit voice?

00:07:58
Speaker 6: Oh yeah, just do it like Kermit and Will come to Love Island. Maybe just put on a bikini and we can hang out.

00:08:10
Speaker 5: Hello.

00:08:11
Speaker 7: I am Matthew Mercer from Critical Role, a tabletop role playing show where a bunch of nerdy voice actors explore the fantasy world of Xandria. For each episode, I lead players Laura Bailey, Tollison Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Liam O'Brien, Mauritia Ray, Sam Regal, and Travis Willingham on an epic story shaped by rolls of the dice and dramatic choices. Now, our three campaigns and other adventures are filled with action, mystery, wonder, heartbreak, and lots of jokes along the way. So we hope you'll find something to love on Critical One, follow the show, or subscribe to listen on Stitcher, the Serious xm app, or wherever you listen.

00:08:53
Speaker 2: For a show that had a pretty close knit and exclusive crew for the first three seasons, we have noticed a lot of Neon Aimes as we've moved along with our rewatch. We've been lucky enough to speak to most of them over the past year, and now in the home stretch, we are being introduced to what will be the final additions to the Boy Meets World Writer's Room, and this week we are honored to talk to one of those late hires, who, despite missing the first half of the show, left an undeniable lasting impression on its legacy. She began her writing journey after a false start in marketing, leaving a posh high rise job to join the prestigious Walt Disney Writer's Fellowship program, which funneled her directly into the Boy Meets World universe, and since then she has never looked back. As the lone black writer to ever work on our show, it would be easy to peg her as Angela's voice, but in reality she contribute evenly across the board, and she contributed a lot we've already recapped her two season six scripts Poetic License and Ode de Holden Cawfield and the Wildly Melodramatic Resurrection, and we'll find two more episodes with her name on them when we get to the final seventh season. And after beginning her career with US, she'd never stop working, making stops as either a writer, a producer, a showrunner or all three on My Wife and Kids, The Game, The Neighborhood, Papa's House, and The Connors, even getting her own show back in twenty sixteen Zoe. Ever after starring Brandy, she brought a much needed perspective to the writer's room back in the late nineties, and now almost thirty years later, she will do it again for our podcast, Welcome to pod meets World. Erica Montalfo Burrah, Hello.

00:10:38
Speaker 8: Hi, Hi, how are you really well? How are you guys?

00:10:43
Speaker 2: Wherever you are? It looks so tropical.

00:10:47
Speaker 8: I'mun It's a whole vibe, guys, where are you? I'm at home? This is my I was doing a podcast too before, and so this is my like, you know, it's my vibe. It's a vibe. It's like, oh I love it, Erica being fabulous and you know, we're on the torch for all the boy meets for old people.

00:11:09
Speaker 4: Right, Oh, I love it.

00:11:12
Speaker 2: It looks tropical.

00:11:13
Speaker 8: I'm having all of your vibes too.

00:11:15
Speaker 2: Oh thanks, I've got a very boy meets world heavy vibe over here.

00:11:18
Speaker 8: I love it though.

00:11:19
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:11:20
Speaker 8: Can I tell you I was like watching, like to do my little research for our discussion today, all the episodes I've written, and I was like, oh, like, looks so cute. I mean, like, I'm like, I'm so proud of them.

00:11:31
Speaker 2: You know, it's like we do our thing as you should be. Yeah, yes, I mean it is no small feat to keep a show on the air and to write twenty two episodes in a season.

00:11:47
Speaker 8: It doesn't even happen anymore, you know. Now it's like you get eight and you're out, you know, yeah.

00:11:51
Speaker 2: Exactly ten if you're lucky.

00:11:54
Speaker 3: Also, not only that, but then to have a podcast thirty years later where people still want to talk about it.

00:12:00
Speaker 6: That's what's crazy at.

00:12:02
Speaker 8: That point, right or like literally when I you know, I've gone on to work quite a bit after. You know, that was my first job, but to this day, whenever I said, oh, yeah it was on you know, my first job was boy means World was like, like, I mean, like they go nuts. It's everyone's favorite show. Everyone grew up with it. It's a cultural icon. So it's my proudest moment in retro.

00:12:25
Speaker 2: Well, we want to jump right into that first job experience. So let's start with a big decision you made in your life that led to Boy Meets World, your first writing job ever. You graduate UCLA with a degree in marketing, right, and then you land a big private sector gig right out of college, working for companies like Merrill Lynch and Phillips. So what made you decide to leave it all behind to eventually just eat Cuckaroo with Jeff Manel for multiple seasons.

00:12:53
Speaker 8: Oh my god, Manel, that's yeah, he's my favorite person in the world, by the way.

00:13:00
Speaker 4: All of our sweet all of our yea, Oh my god.

00:13:03
Speaker 8: He always told me I would. I would always say to him, shut up man Now, like that's my thing, Like that's my catchphrase, shut up, shut up. But yeah, it's literally I call it like my my cubicle moment. And you probably don't know this because you guys kind of went right into you know, your calling early on, but you have this cubicle moment where you're sitting there being like I can't do this for the rest of my I'm like, I mean, you know what I mean in our twenty in my early twenties and just thinking like I can't sit in this cubicle for the next fifty years, you know what I mean. So I knew that, like I want to do something else. And I was married at the time, so I like my ex husband was like, you know, what, what do you want to do? And I was just like, I don't really know. But I grew up in La so I kind of have this access to like and I knew about and I wanted to be a writer's side with an English major, so I kind of knew that I could maybe dip my toe in that water.

00:13:55
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:13:55
Speaker 8: I wrote, you know what, a specscript or a couple of secs scripts, thinking I was going to I had to get a manager or an agent, and then ended up sending it to this Disney fellowship and I got in, and in retrospect now I found out that it's like harder to get in than Harvard, like wow, And that just set me on the course. Like I got, you know, met with Michael as a you know, as a result of the fellowship because at that point they introduced you to different showrunners who were you know, who had shows you know that were being you know done on the Disney lot ter this Disney Studios and we're touchtone I think at the time when you guys are all right and yeah, So I met with Michael and like got you know, a job, and then the rest is history. I never looked back.

00:14:38
Speaker 2: And so where were we did you? Was your first year? Because were you on Boy Meets World starting on season five?

00:14:45
Speaker 8: No? I was. I think I was. Season six was my own.

00:14:48
Speaker 2: So you did season six and seven?

00:14:50
Speaker 8: Yeah, Because I think technically I was like they wanted someone to be the voice of Angela, right, which is like the retrospect. I'm like, okay, well that's like the we can know, like I could be the voice of everybody, which I was, But you know, I think they were consciously looking for someone to represent you know, Angela became a big character. So I came on the season that she came on.

00:15:09
Speaker 2: Basically she came in in season five, So maybe.

00:15:12
Speaker 8: I was, No, I think I think I think maybe she was. I think I came on the season after she came in, So.

00:15:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, so season six is where you started. So you did the last two seasons.

00:15:22
Speaker 8: The last show two seasons. So I'm like, on the adult seasons is what I call the right The.

00:15:25
Speaker 2: Adult seasons exactly miss miss the childhood years.

00:15:29
Speaker 8: I did not miss him as a fan, I mean that I definitely was there every Friday night watching, but but yeah, as a writer, I was there.

00:15:35
Speaker 1: Wait were you really? So before you joined us, you you had already seen the show?

00:15:39
Speaker 8: Are you kidding me? I mean, listen, for me, those were my kind of teenage years, you know what I mean? So I was like, that's what was my getting ready to go out like Friday night. Yeah. Yeah, it's like you're getting ready, you're taking shower, you're putting makeup on, and you happened in the background.

00:15:56
Speaker 2: Oh cool, that is so fun. So do you remember how many people were in the fellowship program with you?

00:16:04
Speaker 8: We well there was two tiers, so they had a film a film program, and they had a television program. So like you know, there maybe were five television people and then five film people. So and again it was very competitive, and so I was really one of the ones to kind of like get staffed because you have to kind of have these meetings and I remember like meeting with Michael and you know, I think I think Manuel was in the meeting too, just like I shut up, but we just I mean, you know, it was just I guys, I just tell you guys, like literally again coming from my cubicle to like meeting with these guys and then getting this opportunity. I just remember being in the writer's room and just being like this is like, I mean, this is the best you know what I.

00:16:47
Speaker 2: Mean, what a dream come true?

00:16:50
Speaker 8: And you just feel like like this is like like what I'm meant to do, you know, just felt and they were all so welcoming to me too, so like kind of all the guys took me under their wings as like you know, the young writer, and it just was the best time ever, you know. And again being on a show that I was already a fan of, you know, I'm like what am I? This is crazy? Like what am I doing? I'm like, you know what I mean, It's like surreal.

00:17:13
Speaker 1: And were you always because as you said, there was a film side and a television side. Were you always more of a television fan? So did you ever consider going into the film program or were you just TV the whole way.

00:17:23
Speaker 8: I mean, listen, I'm a writer, you know, like across the board. So even like to this day, like I still you know, written movies as well, but like I've always been a television fan. Like when I was a kid again, Boy Mets would be in the background when I was getting ready to go out, you know, like my parents when we were growing up, would have like, you know, the TV. We all had TVs in our broom. Like We're never the family that was like you can't watch TV. We had TV on at dinner, watching like Power More or whatever. You know. So TV was always pervasive in our house and a part of you know, my growing up and to this day, like I mean, I still like I'm a background right now, I have like the Food Channel on.

00:18:00
Speaker 2: Boring. Just going ahead, shot Bobby.

00:18:02
Speaker 8: Play right now?

00:18:03
Speaker 4: Guys, Sorry, is it Boy meets Grill? Or is it which body show? Is it?

00:18:09
Speaker 1: I do?

00:18:10
Speaker 8: What does it be be? Bobby?

00:18:13
Speaker 4: Gotcha? Yeah, gotcha?

00:18:16
Speaker 8: No one's meeting Bobby Play right now.

00:18:17
Speaker 2: By the way, I want to get more into this meeting you had with Michael impossibly Manel, Do you remember what do they ask you? Like you're in a fellowship program, so you they know you don't have a ton of experience. What what is what's that meeting?

00:18:32
Speaker 5: Like?

00:18:32
Speaker 2: What are they asking you? What's that interview?

00:18:34
Speaker 8: Like it was? I mean again, I this is and I think you guys probably all can relate to this too, because you can look back at your younger selves. I mean, like how your progression in this business has been. And imagine like your first auditions, Like what was your mind space when you were first auditioning versus how is how you are now? So I was just kind of just like young and you know, and naive, and I was just like, hey, guys, you know, like all enthusiastic, and I just liked my energy, you know what I mean? They also understood and I think, and I'm very proud of the fact I think that I influenced like who Angela became because I will tell you another story, Like once I got in the show, we would be in the writer's room, right, and so Michael would be because Michael Michael did the typing, like he didn't we didn't have a writer, Like he was like hey yeah, so he would be like okay. So Angela enters and she says and then he'd look at.

00:19:28
Speaker 5: Me just like she says, hi.

00:19:32
Speaker 8: I mean. So I finally had a conversation with him. I said, listen, because I grew up in la and I grew up in a Verry like, you know, like kind of a bougie neighborhood, so like I grew up around like all different kinds of people and so kind of like Angela did. Even though my parents my father wasn't in the military. But I just kind of had like heart to heart with Michael and I said, listen, I think Angela's like me, Like she doesn't speak differently than these kids. She grew up with them. So I don't think there's any kind of ethnic you know, city that needs to be like pervasive and who she is. She's just one of the kids. And so I think that was very instrumental in the beginning of just letting Angela be Angeline. Did we have to lean into any kind of you know, her being urban or anything like that, you know what I mean. I'm proud of that because I think, like she's just like me. She you know, she grew up in the valley whatever, you know what I mean. Yeah, So I think they were very receptive to that and I, you know, I appreciate that.

00:20:27
Speaker 2: It's also so nice then for the actor, like for Trina to get to really put her own spin and her own take on who Angela is without being told who she was in stage direction and in parentheticals, like just really giving her agency over who the character is. So and I thank god you did that.

00:20:49
Speaker 8: Yeah. And again I think and not just me, I think that everyone, you know. Again, Michael specifically was very receptive to the idea like we you know, we're all just people, you know what I mean. So we didn't lean it's like Angela being like the black girl, you know what I mean. It wasn't. And I love that, especially at that time where there were so many different kinds of shows where there was you know, leaning into like whatever kind of ethnic experience. It's like this, these are kids and they grew up together and they're just they're just all the SAME's. There's no one's monolithic, you know what I mean. Yeah, So I just I loved that that was like that our whole crew was like very diverse and like very just representative of what kids were at that time, you know, growing up together.

00:21:28
Speaker 2: Do you remember any specific conversations you had with Trina. Did you guys ever talk about the development of her character.

00:21:35
Speaker 8: And talk about it, because I mean, and I don't know people know that, you know, Trina was like we were like the same age and people don't realize that, like Trina was older because she looked you know, but I think she was like married at the time.

00:21:49
Speaker 4: I married with kids.

00:21:52
Speaker 8: Yeah, writer knows that. So that was like interesting that writers a teenager like and you know, dating an adult. But but but yeah, I mean we we definitely talked about it. And again she was we were on the same page. I mean, she kind of just wanted to represent you know, any girl as opposed to a black girl, do you know what I mean? And so I think I think we're so successful of that, and I think you guys were. I mean, just like everybody melded together. It's like when I watched my episodes like last night, I was like, oh my god, this is they're so sweet together. Everybody's great. And I think, like, you know, to Panga and Angela were to such great friends too, Like you believed it, you know, and you believe Sean and Angela, you know what I mean, everyone like was believable and it was very sweet, and I think it was like, you know, indicative of like what we'd want to see now. I think it was ahead of its times, just like letting people be people as opposed to having to like double down on some kind of like you know, like ethnicity or like you know, realist and political or anything like that. It was just like kids being kids and kids, you know, just engaging with each other. And and I think that's I mean, I'm proud of that. Well.

00:23:01
Speaker 1: I mean, with all the live shows that we do and all the conventions that we do, it seems to almost be slightly overwhelming the number of people that prefer the couple of Sean and Angela.

00:23:14
Speaker 8: Well see that. I think that's not fair, but I do get it. I watched Poetic Justice the other night, and that was like when there was a big entel the Sean love story, and that was that was my episode that.

00:23:35
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, it's the second half of the name.

00:23:37
Speaker 8: Yeah yeah, yeah, right, when everybody realized that Sean was a poet. But it was like it was a good relationship episodes, like they had hit in her heart and then like she you know, I love that. It was like very rote, rom comedy you know, and I think people but that that trajectory of how you know you wanted them to be together. I think that was a big part of that whole art because it was, you know, he was a guy who couldn't, you know, tell you how he felt, and so he had to write it and then you know, they were just they were missing each other. And I love that. So that worked really well. But the Cords to Pink, I mean, who doesn't love Corn to Pang? Come on? I mean, I think he kind of knew that they were going to be together. I think that's the difference to know that that Sean was going to work out. I think everybody knew Corn to Pank and like, where else are they going to go?

00:24:21
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're They're stuck no matter what, for better or worse. They are together forever. Talking about being able to have a show where kids are just kids and not doubling down on anything in particular relating to ethnicity or whatever. We have gone back and forth and had many dialogues about whether it was the way Angela and Sean's interracial relationship was dealt with or not dealt with. We see the pros and cons of both sides, Where do you stand on it? Looking back? Do you are you happy that it was never really addressed or do you feel like, in hindsight, maybe it should have been.

00:25:13
Speaker 8: I'm happy it wasn't, like kind of to what we were talking about. I just feel like the conversation I had with Michael, it's like, listen, I mean I was married at the time to someone who wasn't black, and so for me growing up again, I didn't have that like, you know, that need to be like put in a box as like a black woman, you know what I mean. I'm very lucky to grow up like you know, West La, where people are liberal and we all, you know, we're like friends, and it's very similar to what you you know, we saw on boy Me's roll. And so I just and again it wasn't my edict at all, but I just kind of shared that with Michael, and I'm like, I would love to see her just kind of be one of the crew and not have to even address the fact that she's black, and that's kind of what we decided to do. And to me, I think it's lovely. I think that's like when I look back, it's like she's just another girl.

00:25:59
Speaker 2: Yeah, And the occasional times it was mentioned it was done with a really funny joke.

00:26:07
Speaker 8: Well yeah, well exactly, like sometimes self deprecating where she's like, oh my god, these white people. You know.

00:26:12
Speaker 2: Yeah, she's like, I gotta get her black.

00:26:14
Speaker 8: Friends exactly, and that I mean to me, I'm one hundred percent proud of that. And even like her her issue was more that she was, you know, an army kid. You know, her dad traveled, and I thought that was more pertinent to her character, and that's a great character where she didn't get to bond with people because she had to move a lot, and the first group of people that she actually got to fit in with and which is you know, kind of double on Tendra for her being the one black friend. But at the same time, it's more that she was an army friend and so like she might have to move anytime because she's not used to getting close to people. So I thought it just all kind of like made sense.

00:26:50
Speaker 1: Well, the other thing that we've noticed a lot, especially about season six, is it's really starting to take a very dramatic turn, and sometimes it's it's a melo dramatic turn.

00:27:00
Speaker 4: It to the point of very special episode.

00:27:02
Speaker 8: E Oh yeah, I was.

00:27:07
Speaker 5: We'll get into that.

00:27:08
Speaker 1: But did you do you remember when you know, at the start of the season, because we've talked to some writers that remember arcing out the season or you know, we get in they're going to do a show bible for this season. Was there any specific discussion of, you know what, we're going to take this a little darker this season than we have in the past.

00:27:24
Speaker 4: I mean, do you remember any of that happening?

00:27:26
Speaker 8: Here's what I will say, And again, I think this is a testament to Michael. I mean, you guys know, I mean like that show is Michael's heart, you know what I mean, like very much like whatever was going on kind of in his I mean Corey is Michael, yeah, obviously, and so whatever was going on in Michael's life kind of like you know, made its way onto the show. And I think there was stuff going on you know, that year that he wanted to address and so we know followed suit. So I think, you know, there was a very personal thing. I think about the nick You episode, which I think was also my episode, and I was like, why am I writing this? I like one of my first episodes, and I'm just like, oh my god, I'm writing about a baby, like you know, whether or not it's going to make it. But I think that had happened to him with a personal experience.

00:28:11
Speaker 3: So you don't remember there was never there was never like significant pushback within the room, like because I imagine a bunch of comedy writers being like.

00:28:20
Speaker 4: This is letting a little heavy, Michael, can we.

00:28:22
Speaker 7: Lighten it up?

00:28:22
Speaker 3: And we remember even saying that as actors. So yeah, I'm curious.

00:28:26
Speaker 8: Yeah, I think we were. I think we were all on the same page. But again, I think it was something that was very personal. I think he was going through that, that's and so a lot of the draw was, you know, an outlet for him on the show, you know what I mean. So he wanted to talk about things that he was going through, and you know, again I think there was some pushback, but I think we kind of tried to like indulge him and let him work it out, you know. And so that again I think, of course, being the youngest writer and the newest pay of course I got stuck with that.

00:28:56
Speaker 2: Yeah you seeing me with bringing this very personal and very heavy storyline to.

00:29:06
Speaker 4: Laugh Riot laugh Riot that.

00:29:08
Speaker 8: Episode, And I think again it's like Manel and those guys like give it to Eric, you know what I mean, they didn't want to do it.

00:29:18
Speaker 2: Do you remember the first time you met all of us as a cast.

00:29:22
Speaker 8: I remember I remember being at the of the first table read okay, and again just being like I can't believe I'm here, Like I'm loving this and it's like funny, and everybody like because again I came in season six, so like everybody was already kind of a family. Yeah, And so it was, and it was like a well oiled machine at that point, you know what I mean. So it was kind of coming into something and again something that I had watched, you know, basically growing up, and so it was just like it was just lovely to be there, and you.

00:29:53
Speaker 5: Guys are all so sweet.

00:29:54
Speaker 8: And I remember Danielle, you you were dating. I think you were.

00:29:59
Speaker 2: You had a Lance.

00:30:01
Speaker 4: Yeah, Lance, Yes, that didn't work out.

00:30:05
Speaker 8: Yes, why, I mean, yeah, what happened?

00:30:08
Speaker 2: Why?

00:30:09
Speaker 4: We're not sure?

00:30:10
Speaker 2: You guys were so perfect, so perfect for each other.

00:30:14
Speaker 8: But I think I remember, like I don't know if he was there. One of the first things I just remember just being like, oh, this is like like this is I'm so happy I'm here. For this. I'm here for this.

00:30:24
Speaker 2: Well, I want to get into your first script. We've already mentioned it, Poetic License and ode to Holden Callfield. We talked a lot about this one, remembering that there was a lot of conversations around writer using his own poems. Do you remember anything about that?

00:30:41
Speaker 8: Do we use your poems?

00:30:43
Speaker 5: Writer?

00:30:43
Speaker 8: I think we did. Yeah, that was part of and I think that was so great because I think when we were doing it, it was like, well you you related to us, like, hey you were. I don't think we knew that you were writing poems, but I think before we wrote the script or but then you're like, hey, can I put my poems in? I think everybody was like, oh my god, yeah you can put them in. This is great. Yeah.

00:31:02
Speaker 3: No, Michael definitely knew because I was doing like poetry readings and stuff, and like I remember the writer some of the writers coming to the readings, and so yeah, Michael knew. Michael knew. I don't know everyone else.

00:31:14
Speaker 8: Maybe maybe I was the one who didn't know, but but I thought it was awful. Even again, I rewatched it and I'm like, I know, this poem is too good. I didn't write this I'm like, this is good. I'm like, good, am that great imber that I wrote this? But it makes sense that it was your stuff, so funny.

00:31:35
Speaker 2: Fun You were also the closest person in the room to college age. I mean you were. I was not that many years out of college.

00:31:43
Speaker 8: Yeah, when we were on strike and I was walking with Will and I was like, well, are we in the same age? Was your age when I was on the show?

00:31:52
Speaker 4: I think are basically?

00:31:53
Speaker 8: I think basically maybe I'm like a year or two.

00:31:55
Speaker 4: Older, but yeah that but yeah, no, we were. We were essentially the same age.

00:31:59
Speaker 8: Yeah, so funny. But yeah, I was like I was a baby, you know, it's like again right out of college basically. And but yeah, I was just watching that. I was like, oh my god, these poems are so good, like, like writer, those were amazing, seriously, Like no, I was like, I'm taking credit for them for sure.

00:32:16
Speaker 2: I'm definitely going to add.

00:32:18
Speaker 1: My name to this.

00:32:19
Speaker 8: Absolutely. I mean we now they're on my IMDb right now.

00:32:25
Speaker 4: That's great.

00:32:25
Speaker 2: Well, obviously this is a Sean and Angela heavy episode. Did you enjoy writing to Sean Angst?

00:32:33
Speaker 8: Yeah? Well I well, yeah, again, that was my first episode. I think that I and I remember also Matt who unfortunately not with us anymore.

00:32:44
Speaker 2: Mat Nelson.

00:32:45
Speaker 8: Yeah, he was very He was so sweet to me too, Like I remember giving him the episode and I wrote it. I gave it to him to be just for him to read and be like, tell me if this is embarrassing or should I not turn it in, you know, and he was like no. And he also was like very much Sean. Yeah, and the real like we all kind of had our people like he was Sean, I was Angela, you know what I mean, Like Michael's obviously Cory, and so we just had our little personas, and so I just always liked kind of like Matt and I would work out that relationship, you know what I mean, because again I love a rom come. So that was that was a near relationship that we were, you know, trying to give you like you know, the ups and downs of navigating that. Like, and Shawn is just such a great character because he's just so like angst written, you know what I mean, complicated, And then Angela was like loved him, but then she's like I want to get involved with this guy because he's a problem. You know. It's like I just thought was so fun and so yeah, I enjoyed all those episodes because I think that navigating that new relationship was fun. Versus again Corin's Panga who again. I loved their their episodes, Like I wrote the one about them buying the house. I loved that episode too. But you know that they're gonna be okay, you know what I mean, They're I mean they're going to navigate life together, whereas Angela and Sean were like will they won't they be able to be together? More story, more story exactly.

00:34:17
Speaker 2: So what are your memories or what are some of your favorite memories of the Writer's room in general? Was it an overall positive, fun place to be?

00:34:25
Speaker 8: It was? I mean loss Like like I said, I I just was happy to be there because I was like again young and you know, like like you know, like bushy tailed, you know what I mean. I just remember I used to laugh a lot, and so I was like everybody loved me and the Rooks. I just would laugh at everybody's jokes and they were like I was. I was like, I was just happy and I just like and I remember like remember Bob titshlar oh yeah, yeah, so Bob just would make he'd make like these sounds in the room, Like I don't know, like this was this thing. I remember he did an episode where he came in and did like it was like it was a character.

00:35:00
Speaker 4: One of the teachers.

00:35:03
Speaker 8: But that's what he that came from him. He does that in the room, or he did that in the room. So that's where that character came from. And he would just make these noises and I would just laugh NonStop. So it was just, yeah, it was the best first job ever.

00:35:16
Speaker 2: That's so funny to know that that's where that gibberish thing came from. So we interviewed young who was the other professor, Yeah, who spoke gibberish.

00:35:26
Speaker 5: That's so funny.

00:35:26
Speaker 2: He used to make those sounds in the room.

00:35:28
Speaker 8: It was, I mean, it's so ridiculous. I don't know where that came from. That was his thing. Like he'd make these noises in the room and I would just fall out, like I was just you know, I again again, I was young, but just everything was fun and positive and and I think the great thing also about being a young writer just be like serious for a second in that room is Michael was really good about mentoring young writers, like myself. I think Barbie Feldman, there's a couple of us who were like, you know, newer writers, and he allowed us to take the show from beginning to end, which is like a great kind of you know, apprenticeship. So like we would be in casting, we would be an episode, we'd go to casting for our episode. Then we'd go you know obviously just the shoot. Then we'd go to to post, to editing, you know what I mean, and we'd go to sweetening. So we got to hurt our whole episode all the way through and that's not you know, that's rare. And so you know, even for me now that I'm a showrunner, like I have that experience coming from Boyman's world, you know, it's really like it really empowered me to you know, further my career because I had all that, you know, that's ferties given to me from Michael, and like, you know, I carry it forward.

00:36:42
Speaker 2: That's great, That is so great. We Yeah, those experiences where you really get to learn the entirety of what it takes to get a show onto the air are invaluable.

00:36:52
Speaker 1: One of the things that we often had on the set, which I loved. I think we all did because it just added an energy to shooting night was lines.

00:37:02
Speaker 4: Would change on the fly.

00:37:03
Speaker 8: Yeah.

00:37:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, So when you're all in video village, are you still shooting out lines or are you letting the scene kind of finish and then going hey, I might have something different or is everybody kind of jumping in even as we're going.

00:37:14
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's again.

00:37:16
Speaker 8: It depends on the show, but on on Boy Meets World for sure, Like Michael was very open to like us coming in and like, I mean again doing in front of a live audience. But you guys know, you get the response right back. So and again you're doing several takes, so like it's usually funny, but then after the second or third take you're like, oh is this funny?

00:37:33
Speaker 2: Like you get yeah, you start second guessing yourself.

00:37:36
Speaker 8: Right, it's funny at the beginning, but so like we'll always you know, come in and like we know, like you know, I think as writers, especially on a multicam like that, we know to kind of have a backup just in case when you're an editing that you can like you know, you know, beat the joke right. But usually the first joke is always the one that goes in because they're always when we go to filming, it's it's all good and you guys are you guys killed it every time, you know, I mean, and so there was never a time where like you're gonna really beat a joke, but you just do it because you need to do it, like in that moment. But it's you know, the first instincts are always the best in my opinion.

00:38:11
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, we've asked you a lot about your thoughts on Sean and Angela's relationship, and I'm curious. You had said you watched Boy Meets World in your teenage years while you were in college getting ready to go out at night. What are your gam yes, free gaming exactly? What were your overall thoughts on Corey and Topanga's relationship by the time you were there writing to it.

00:38:37
Speaker 8: Well, first of all, I mean like everyone in the world, like we all know that, or in Topanga were like they're like the Romeo and Juliet, like they're meant to be. But with the happy ending. Though, I will say I think that as a woman, you know, oftentimes like Topanga would get criticized, you know, for like kind of being the you know, you know, Corey on not leading him on, but like, you know, just kind of like being the boss of Corey, you know, him being kind of the one who had to follow her around because he was in love with her first, right, and so you know, and finally when he got her, it's like she was the boss of him or whatever. But I never thought that. I think that they had the most beautiful, like kind of respectful relationship. And I listen as a woman, I like a Corey. I like someone who knows that I'm special. So I would suggest all women, like look for your Corey, because you need someone who loves you a little bit more than you love them.

00:39:36
Speaker 2: Okay, does he show that he loves her cheating on her regularly or lying to her what exactly?

00:39:45
Speaker 4: Not knowing who she is? That feels all that part?

00:39:47
Speaker 2: That's how you know, how do we know he loves her so much other than the fact that he swears it's true.

00:39:54
Speaker 8: But we've seen him be in love with her since he was a baby. I mean, like you know, I mean like he's always loved her, and she's she's the like, you know, the holy Grail for him. And so whether he messes up in the middle, and like because he's a boy and he missteps because he's insecure, like that happens. But I think that we all knew that, like she's his north star from the beginning, and because again growing up with them, we know that, I mean we know Tavega doesn't know, but we know that. You know, she's everything to him, and so when he finally gets her, it's like very very satisfying. And but again the fact that he loves her a little bit more than she loves him. I think that's the way to go. Ladies.

00:40:37
Speaker 1: You were also there for kind of what people would say is is the well I would say the change.

00:40:43
Speaker 4: Some people would say the de evolution of Eric Matthews.

00:40:46
Speaker 1: Oh so you know, between we're watching, we're about halfway through season six right now, and I mean Eric is is goofy and wacky, but he's still kind of there.

00:40:57
Speaker 4: And from what we've heard by season seven.

00:41:00
Speaker 1: And i'm what we remember of season seven, he really goes off the rails. So is there was there something that happened in the room with that or I'm curious how that kind of took shape?

00:41:09
Speaker 8: Well, I think again, I think you know, the growing up of it all, you know what I mean, Like, I think the the you know, the the love triangle was was a fun thing during those times because I think we didn't we've never seen Eric in love or in relationships, and so him navigating that and again, okay, listen, well I was gonna say, you're like the hot guy on the show, and then like you have to like kind of get well you were, you know, and people are like, oh, you know, Will's hot, so we want to give him a little like humility. Right, So like for you to be goofy made you more likable versus you can't just be the ladies man, you know. And so I think that strategy when like making you seem that you had a weakness, and your weakness was you know, having to compete for girl. Okay, does that make sense?

00:42:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm just wondering what Lawrence's excuse is.

00:42:08
Speaker 8: But that's the whole point you give him, you give you know, we gave you a rival because you're the coolest man in the room and then here comes another cool guy in the room and you're fighting over this girl who's strategically taller than both of you, right.

00:42:24
Speaker 1: Exactly, Yes, which was it was It's an interesting visual all the time to see us all on camera.

00:42:28
Speaker 8: Again, and I thought it was I mean, in retrospect, it's it just played so well, it really and you guys were so good. And again, I think the interesting thing about me coming in at season six it was the transition of you guys going from being kids to being adult. I got the adult years, you know, which was really fun.

00:42:49
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:42:49
Speaker 4: No, we're seeing that as well.

00:42:50
Speaker 1: We're seeing especially the I think we're all kind of shocked and not shocked, but a little blown away at how much we missed how good Matt and Maitland were together. Because when they have the scenes together, Yeah, but it's Eric was always kind of Eric and and for a while Maitland didn't.

00:43:08
Speaker 4: They didn't really give her a character.

00:43:09
Speaker 1: It was she's the pretty girl coming out of the shower and Jack and Eric are going, wow, I'm pretty girl.

00:43:14
Speaker 4: And now that she's there really kind of.

00:43:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, right exactly, but giving her something to do and having the kind of scenes with her and Jack, it's the quiet scenes between the two of them that really work.

00:43:25
Speaker 4: I mean, they've got a ton of chemistry and it gives them something to do.

00:43:29
Speaker 8: Yeah.

00:43:30
Speaker 1: So yeah, we're we're very pleasantly surprised with seeing that kind of combination.

00:43:35
Speaker 8: Yeah, and again I mean not I'm not taking better for that, but I do think there were there were strong female writers in the room during my season where we kind of are like, yeah, let's make the girls like not you know, like character's real people, you know what I mean. So I think, like you said, you know, Rachel, uh, obviously it's a panga, and then Angela, like they all were like real character. They became real characters when I was there, so you know, like they all had they were all strong women who were also like lead again like leading their men in a weird way, you know what I mean, Like they were the bosses. And their relationship, I mean I think Angela and and uh writer had the like the closest like equal relationship.

00:44:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, most equal. Yeah, yeah, for sure. It definitely seems like that.

00:44:24
Speaker 8: Because again they we got to see their relationship and that started off as almost adults, do you know what I mean, So they like, you know, we're kind of navigating it versus like you know, Corey was love struck with you know, depending up from the beginning, so it was always kind of an equal relationship. But then you know, they got together. But I think that was the most mature relationship that we got to see developed, you know, between Angela and Sean.

00:44:46
Speaker 2: Yeah, which I think is one of the reasons why it's a fan favorite.

00:44:50
Speaker 5: Yeah, I love it.

00:44:52
Speaker 8: Yeah.

00:44:53
Speaker 2: Did you enjoy writing the comedy or the drama more on Boy Meets World?

00:44:58
Speaker 8: I mean, listen, I mean I like both, Like I love a rom com so you need to have a little you know, a little drama in there. And my my favorite things to write were the relationship episodes, do you know what I mean? I love I mean again, I wrote, you know, poetic Justice. I also wrote the one with Corey Tamanga, like like want to buy the house in that way?

00:45:18
Speaker 2: Which is that one season seven?

00:45:19
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:45:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, we haven't gotten the season one yet.

00:45:22
Speaker 4: Yeah, we don't know that one yet.

00:45:24
Speaker 8: Sorry, I don't want to jump ahead, but I but I always enjoyed writing relationship episodes because that's just my sweet like I love like I said, I love a rom comm so I love to like, you know, the funny is always going to be there. But I loved rooting it in you know, something that's you know, relationship based or character based, and so you know, I always enjoyed like writing you know that the love story of of of Angela and Sean, because it just was I got there when it was just kind of like going back and forth and they would break up and then they'd get back to go back to me. That's fine, and and I think that's like what people were into about that relationship, especially like again as there are our fans matured like they were bested into the mature relationships.

00:46:06
Speaker 1: What I have to ask now, because you've mentioned it a few times, what's your favorite rom com?

00:46:10
Speaker 5: Oh?

00:46:10
Speaker 8: My god, Oh that's a good question. Uh, pretty Woman, I got Old School, I got Pretty Woman.

00:46:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that movie.

00:46:21
Speaker 4: Great movie.

00:46:22
Speaker 2: We've had many of our writers on and we always end up asking them or telling them one of our favorite lines and then being like, do you remember who wrote that line? I've already mentioned one of our favorite lines that was from Angela the I've got to get some black friends. What do you know? Was that one of your lines?

00:46:41
Speaker 8: I'm going to take credit for that was me, but I but I'm pretty sure it was me that was the only black person in the room, Like right, no one else would have thought of it but me.

00:46:53
Speaker 5: I know.

00:46:53
Speaker 2: It is interesting too, because by the time you came into the show in season six there had thankfully, we had a lot more women writers than we had ever had in the past. Yeah, Laura and Patty, but when women or people of color never really caught up.

00:47:12
Speaker 8: Yeah, And I think I think that was honestly like a groundbreaking moment. And just going back to the Fellowship, I think like initially the Fellowship was supposed to be about diversity, you know, and I think you know, and they were trying really hard to like kind of you know, break people into these network shows. But I will say, like I think of everyone, like I was, this is a funny story they were doing, like at that time, they did like a diversity count, right, because they think the WGA was accounting like how many like each network, how many like diverse you know, staff members they have on different shows. And literally we're looking at in Variety and we're at the at the right in the reds room and there was a tally for ABC and it said one, and I was like, oh, that's me.

00:48:02
Speaker 2: You're like, it's me.

00:48:06
Speaker 8: We all were laughing about it because like, oh, that's America one. Yeah, So like that's how wow. Yeah.

00:48:13
Speaker 3: So it's depressing, I.

00:48:15
Speaker 8: Know, but I know it's gotten better, but I've continued to so I'm very lucky. But but yeah, it was very funny.

00:48:23
Speaker 2: I mean since your first job and since that fellowship, you have had a prolific career in TV, starting with my wife and kids one on one with Flex. I have recently met Shenice and.

00:48:37
Speaker 8: Just love her, and Kyla was on one. Yeah, it's gone on to do great things.

00:48:46
Speaker 2: Too, the Game, and you created your own show, Zoe ever After starring Brandy.

00:48:52
Speaker 8: Yes, that was fun.

00:48:54
Speaker 5: What do you.

00:48:54
Speaker 2: Think is there one thing in particular you feel like you took with you from your time I'm on The Boy Meets World Writer's Room into every other job you had after.

00:49:04
Speaker 8: Well, again, I think, you know, giving credit to Michael, I think, like because I had such a great like, you know, just introduction to what it takes to make a television show, because we got to shepherd you know, our episodes. So even being a showrunner now, like I you know, I've been in editing, I've been, you know, and I actually when I was on the Game for I was on the Game for eight seasons, but I know that doesn't happen anymore, but season seven and eight, I you know, Iran it because Marrow, the showrunner went on to do another show, so I got to be the showruners. That was my first opportunity to be a showrunner, and all the things that I learned from Boy Meets World really kicked in, you know, because I had done them before, even as a young writer, you know, and I've gone on to you know, to that point, like you know, I was on The Connors, which and again going back to being the only black woman in the room like the Connors is like, you know, like not show. But I'm just saying, like a right show.

00:49:59
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:50:00
Speaker 8: So I mean but I am very comfortable, like you know, being you know, in any room.

00:50:08
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:50:09
Speaker 8: And I think that that's a testament to my time one Boy mets On just like I mean, that's a testament to my life. Just I've lived my life that way. Again, I'm I'm like Angela, like I don't think about like that I'm the black woman in the room. Like I'm just the woman in the room or in the room. And so I you know, I never let that limit me as a part of what as far as what jobs I take or like what kind of comedy I do, or even doing drawa like I've done at all. So you know, it's just it's it's you don't put yourself in a box. That's kind of like what I've learned throughout my career that served me well well.

00:50:43
Speaker 2: And as you've mentioned, you have been in some real heavy hitter rooms. A show I knew was going to be successful from the moment I read the pilot The Neighborhood. Oh, I literally read that pilot and was like, this show is going to run forever.

00:50:56
Speaker 8: And I was still going.

00:50:58
Speaker 2: I know, still going. And then the Connors, the I Carly reboot, and the recent Wayans brother sitcom Papa's House. I'm really I was really sorry when I heard that guy canceled recently.

00:51:08
Speaker 8: Yeah, we were all sided. It's just it's it's a different time, you know what I mean. That's what I will say to like, you know, the eighth like you're saying, well, like like twenty four episodes back in the day, you know, like that doesn't happen anymore, and it's hard to even get past the season. So you know, if the Wigans can't get a second season, like yeah, you know.

00:51:24
Speaker 1: Exactly, well, all I mean, one of the things I just we've talked about this a thousand times.

00:51:28
Speaker 4: I'm a huge television junkie. I just love it.

00:51:31
Speaker 1: All of the greatest shows in history had a chance to grow, and we're almost canceled at one point. Mash cheers, the office fell Seinfeld. These are all shows that were given five or six episodes. We're about to be canceled. Somebody said no, let's give it a shot, and then they turned into the greatest thing, and so nobody gives.

00:51:48
Speaker 4: Them a shot anymore.

00:51:48
Speaker 1: Nobody's like, we're gonna give it a season, We're gonna let it grow, We're gonna find a night, we're gonna do.

00:51:52
Speaker 4: None of that happens anymore.

00:51:54
Speaker 8: And I think especially like I think it was going in that direction even before the strike, but I think since the strike, it's even worse. You know what I mean. The purse strings are like you.

00:52:03
Speaker 2: Know exactly, so it's all financial.

00:52:07
Speaker 8: So hopefully, I mean, listen, I put tides turn right. I mean, we've been this before. We've all like, now we're all ogs. Can you believe, like I know, where are the veterans. We're the veterans now, guys, And so we've seen this happen before, So hopefully well, you know, there'll be an upswing at some point.

00:52:24
Speaker 2: Exactly the more avid elementaries we get on the air.

00:52:28
Speaker 8: But here's the thing, this is the great thing. Guys. Look at all of us. We're all still in the game, you know what I mean. I mean, you guys are all still working. And you know as kids, you know, kids stars back in the day, like you've all matured into being adult you know stars, and like still works.

00:52:43
Speaker 2: I don't know that i'd say stars, but adults. We did mature into adults.

00:52:46
Speaker 6: We're working on us.

00:52:48
Speaker 8: You are all working all like I mean, like it's huge, very lucky, I mean so funny. Will remember we were striking and I had my boyfriend's daughter with me and you were talking to her and she's being a little like a standoffish and I'm like, he's Batman and she's like, oh what.

00:53:08
Speaker 1: I mean?

00:53:08
Speaker 8: Like the like, we're all doing our things, so we should all be proud.

00:53:12
Speaker 2: It's true, we are. We are all very proud.

00:53:16
Speaker 8: Yeah, but also it's it's you deserve it because you guys are all talented and beautiful people.

00:53:22
Speaker 4: Thank you, happy.

00:53:23
Speaker 2: And likewise, likewise, we will hopefully all land on our feet like we have for thirty plus years at this point.

00:53:31
Speaker 8: Okay, once you start giving numbers of years.

00:53:37
Speaker 2: Okay, sorry, Final question for you looking back, having started on Boy Meets World in season six, did you ever think while you were working on it that thirty years later people would still have an interest in the show?

00:53:52
Speaker 8: I again, I mean, first of all, stop saying thirty years. Well, I mean, did I think about it? No, I will tell you again. I meant I can mention any show that I've been on, like Connor, like I've been on a lot of big shows, Like you said, yeah, people react to Boy Means ro all like I mean, I watched it every night, like I mean, people, it is to this day my biggest credit and get people. And I think it's a testament to all of us, you know. And I think it's also a moment in time where I don't know, maybe it's because, like you know, maybe because people are our age or the biggest you know, I don't know, like demographic, but I think we all at some point grew up with whether it's season one, season two, season six, there's it hit all of our lives, you know, And it's the most relatable thing to this day that I've ever worked on and people go crazy for it and it's still playing. That's the thing.

00:54:46
Speaker 5: I know.

00:54:47
Speaker 2: It's barely ever been off the air, right.

00:54:49
Speaker 8: Which is fantastic. And kids are even you know, young kids are like being introduced to it now, you know, and kids or parents and their kids can watch it together and being in a estaf about it, you know what I mean. And again, I just I just watched a couple episodes because I wanted to even be prepared for this interview, and I'm like, oh, this is so good. Look at my episodes are funny, Yes, look at me in my poetry. But no, I'm so proud of it. And I see you guys, I'm sure are as well, and so yeah, I did, I know, no, but I'm not surprised.

00:55:27
Speaker 2: So amazing, Erica, Thank you so much for coming and spending your time with us. Thank you for bringing your energy, your expertise, your experience, your your intelligence, your everything, not only to our show but to our podcast.

00:55:42
Speaker 8: You guys are amazing. I listen. I'm so happy that I can, like, you know, reconnect with you and like it was a wonderful time in my life. And I'm you know, I I cherish every moment and cherish you guys ever being a part of it.

00:55:56
Speaker 2: Well, thank you and we we would love to see you soon.

00:55:58
Speaker 4: Yeah, let's you alive.

00:56:02
Speaker 2: Yeah great, we're all let's do it. Thank you Erica. Now, if we can just get Cuckaroo to come back, we could all have a reunion at Cuckaroo.

00:56:16
Speaker 1: Well, we're we've gotbebeks back. That's if we can just keep now we can get a Cuckaroo pop up and need to bevics pop up and you know whatever, and if we can get pagers back, then done something great.

00:56:30
Speaker 6: That was a really.

00:56:31
Speaker 3: Interesting interview because she she was like a real defender of like some of the main themes of Boy Meets World in a way that that we are runs counter to us.

00:56:41
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, you know.

00:56:43
Speaker 3: And it was it was cool because it seems like she really came in, you know, kind of uh like adhering to the Boy Meets World mythology, like when she came into the cre exactly. It's like Corey fell in love with Banka.

00:56:57
Speaker 1: She's perfect.

00:56:58
Speaker 3: Sean and Angelo are going to be a little more complicated, and like she is still kind of sticking with that, like it's not you know, she and and I think that that's good to hear, Like it was cool to hear because I feel our conversations are mostly with fans or writers who were there from the beginning who sort of went through the like ups and downs and you know, or have gone back and watched it and had self criticism here. But I'm kind of happy that she was just like, Nope, we did the right thing. That was a storyline, that was the way that that was the truth of the show, and you know, she's proud of it, which is.

00:57:32
Speaker 1: Really it's also for all the stuff we've talked about it, it's nice to hear how much Michael nurtured younger writers. I think that's that's you know, to his credit, because we didn't always get to see that. You know, he was, you know, at times kind of a little more prickly with us about line readings or what especially when we were we were kids. So it's nice to hear that with younger writers, he kind of let them do their thing and and you see an.

00:57:56
Speaker 4: Entire episode from from front to back. I think that's very much your credit to him.

00:58:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, it is interesting how much she was like no, Corey and Tebanga, they were he loved her forever. He fell in love with her first, and I was like, all of those things are things I would have counter arguments for her. But that's certainly the takeaway of most fans from the show is that they were meant to be. They he'd never you know, Corey loved her beyond measure, and she of course loved him, and so yeah, you're right, it was. And she had been a fan of the show or you know, had watched the show before she was ever a writer for it, so she she had believed it before she ever even had a hand in creating it.

00:58:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean even just to the extent that, like, you know, Trina and I have been public about wondering like should we have addressed the commercial stuff and should we have you know, been a little and I, you know, both of us have kind of gone on records saying like, yeah, I think maybe it should have, you know, but at the time, I remember we were very much in Arapa camp. We were very much like, no, the whole point is, you know, you're not defined by your ethnicity, so we don't even want to talk about it. And it was cool to hear that. Defend it again, you know from somebody who obviously had much more experience with that kind of thing than I did.

00:59:13
Speaker 5: So you know.

00:59:15
Speaker 3: It was conscious. You know, there was a conscious decision. There was a conversation going on behind the scenes, and she's not you know, she's defending that, and I think that that's great.

00:59:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think the other thing we kind of took away where I think we knew this, but it does hear it kind of articulated this way.

00:59:31
Speaker 4: The tone of the show.

00:59:34
Speaker 1: Was basically completely and totally dictated by whatever was.

00:59:38
Speaker 4: Going on in Michael's life at the time.

00:59:40
Speaker 1: Yeah, if he was in a good place, the show was in a good, happy, fun place. If he was maybe in a bit of a darker place, the show seemed to take a darker durnk. You know again, obviously the nie Que and the stuff he was going through with Joshua, that's going to color that aspect of your life. I mean that it's a very important thing to him. So it's kind of what he was going through is what would happen on the show.

00:59:58
Speaker 4: I wonder if that still happen, Like.

01:00:00
Speaker 3: Do showrunners get to personally express themselves with to that degree? I mean, that's kind of I mean kind of can I I can't. I don't know if I've heard about another show having that much.

01:00:12
Speaker 4: It would depends on the showrunner and the power of the showrunner, you know that kind of thing.

01:00:16
Speaker 1: If Larry David decided to do a new show completely about his life, He's going to get to dictate what that is, right, so I think, And at the time that was Michael.

01:00:23
Speaker 4: Michael was an.

01:00:25
Speaker 1: Enormous show runner in Hollywood, multiple sitcoms for decades, so he was able to look at a network and say, no, I'm doing it this way.

01:00:33
Speaker 4: Who knows if that can happen anymore.

01:00:34
Speaker 2: Larry David did a divorce storyline on Curb Your Enthusiasm when he was going through a divorce.

01:00:39
Speaker 4: Yeah, so there you go.

01:00:40
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, Well, thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram pod Meets World Show. You can send us your emails pod Meets World Show at gmail dot com. And we have got merch.

01:00:54
Speaker 1: To nad on Love Island by some merch that's I'm Wilfredell and I will be auditioning for the part of voiceover on Love Island.

01:01:03
Speaker 3: Are you gonna do a Southern accident.

01:01:04
Speaker 4: Is that you kind of well, no, that's just always have it do really southern. That's how they do in the Australian version. I do my own twist. Okay, what's your twist. I'm I'm not sure, I'm not shop it and I'll be back.

01:01:17
Speaker 2: Okay.

01:01:18
Speaker 3: I can't wait to hear what Jensen.

01:01:20
Speaker 4: They should have hired Jensen.

01:01:21
Speaker 1: They should that's the idea that he had that opportunity.

01:01:26
Speaker 4: Through your fingers, my friend.

01:01:29
Speaker 2: Pod meets worldshow dot com writer, send us out.

01:01:33
Speaker 3: We love you all, pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast producer hosted by Danielle Fischl Wilfordell and Ryder Strong Executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tarasubach, producer, Maddie Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram at podmeets World Show or email us at pod Meets World Show at gmail dot com.