In the mid-90s, a time when teen slasher films were at the height of popularity, family comedy Boy Meets World did the unthinkable: it dedicated an entire episode to the horror genre. The storyline titled "And Then There Was Shawn" drew inspiration from the smash hit horror movie Scream, making it one of the riskiest yet most memorable episodes ever. Cultural references were sprinkled throughout the half-hour sitcom, including a famous South Park quote.

Boy Meets World was known for its light-hearted, family-friendly humor, so this episode surprised audiences by taking a dark turn and using a killing spree in a metaphorical sense. The show even went as far as to change how it was filmed and deviated from its multi-camera static shooting style, and the four-camera format isn't the only crucial sitcom element the series ditched. Sure, the episode was strange and unexpected, but it still managed to maintain that Boy Meets World charm.

Parodying Scream and Other Horror Films

The cast of Boy Meets World in And Then There Was Shawn halloween episode
Buena Vista Television 

When "And Then There Was Shawn" aired, horror movies with shocking plot twists were trending. The film Scream reignited the genre and became one of the most iconic scary movies of all time. It delivered two successful "gotcha" moments to the audience -- by killing Drew Barrymore's character in the first 10 minutes of the film and by revealing the killer. Audiences were shocked by Barrymore's death, who many people thought was one of the main stars, and can't forget one of the greatest movie twists of all time with Scream's ending. Boy Meets World paid homage to the film and gave its killer a similar Ghostface costume used in Scream. The episode went with the surprise ending trope when it revealed Shawn as the killer, successfully executing the "whodunit" plot line.

Related: Explained: Was Scream 3 Really the Worst Movie of the Franchise?

A popular movie star (Jennifer Love Hewitt) also made a guest appearance and also happened to be dating Boy Meets World cast member (Will Friedle, who played Eric Mathews). At the time, Hewitt was hot off the hit I Know What You Did Last Summer, another horror movie with an unexpected ending. Having the actress on the show was a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the current slasher film craze. Those with pop culture savvy recognized that the title was taken from the Agatha Christie movie And Then There Were None, and also noticed that Eric dropped a famous South Park line when one of the characters, Kenny, is killed. "They killed Kenny!" was a popular running gag of the controversial animated series that had recently debuted on television. It's obvious the writers had fun writing this episode that would eventually become a classic, unbeknownst to them.

Ben Savage and Topanga from Boy Meets World
Buena Vista Television 

Considered one of the best Boy Meets World episodes by fans and critics alike, "And Then There Was Shawn" actually had a deeper meaning behind the horror. When Shawn finally unmasked the killer, he was stunned to see another Shawn staring back at him. Killer Shawn represented his guilt over Cory and Topanga's breakup, which drove him to go on a killing spree. The show had never used metaphors in its storytelling, choosing to always be transparent with its messaging. While viewers typically had favorite scenes in Boy Meets World episodes, but this one was different -- fans seemed to enjoy it immensely.

Although it was never meant to be a Halloween episode, "And Then There Was Shawn" was quickly dubbed one. Despite it debuting in February, networks traditionally started airing it during the Halloween season.

Boy Meets World Switched Its Format

Boy Meets World Cast Recreates Famous Photo from 25 Years Ago
ABC

Traditionally, sitcoms used a four-camera, or multi-camera, setup where they served as the fourth wall and recorded the action in front of them. In this episode, production mimicked the techniques and tropes of scary movies and opted for a hand-held camera which created an uneasy atmosphere. It also used a lot of point of view (POV) shots to make it look like the subject in the scene was secretly being stalked.

Related: The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Will Be a Two-Parter This Year

During the filming of Boy Meets World, the production used a live audience to determine whether jokes land. However, this time they decided to remove the audience and insert laughter where appropriate instead. It's a risky move for a comedy but when it came to creating this episode, "risk" was the underlying theme. Today, there is no way "And Then There Was Shawn" would've seen the light of day, especially being a Disney show, but that's what made it memorable. For a family show to switch genres and take a dark turn was unheard of. The fact that the network aired the episode speaks volumes about the culture that existed at the time, but the episode (and 'Killer Shawn') remains a cultural touchstone regardless.

While the experiment proved successful, no other show in that genre has been brave enough to make such a bold move since. Given today's climate, no other show probably ever will. Boy Meets World ventured into the unfamiliar waters and certainly did not sink. Albeit undoubtedly weird, "And Then There Was Shawn" is filled with mid-90s nostalgia viewers from that era can appreciate today.