My World and Welcome to It

I remember this show as turning me on to James Thurber and his writing. I have been a fan and collector of his books ever since. I remember the series as unique, fantastic-in the true sense-and surreal. Oddly enough it replaced another comic, surreal albeit commercially prone program on the same network in the same time slot. Yes, prior to 1969 when this show first aired it was showing "The Monkees" in that very same slot. It is head and shoulders above most of the slop being offered on TV when there are more networks and is more money to produce and promote. A giant leap backward. If you have not experienced this show demand to see it and you will probably agree.

I looked up this show because I was watching a video of "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" and recognized William Windom. In fact I have always recognized him whenever I have seen him, thinking "There's that guy who was in the show with the cartoons when I was little."

For some reason scenes from the show have always stuck in my mind, and I've always had an awareness that the show was something special, even though I was only 6 when it was on and haven't seen it since. Finally I figured I had to know what it was (since no one I know even remembers that such a show existed). So I came on here and looked up William Windom, and read with interest the description of it from Mr. Leone. I, too, wish it were possible to see the show again now.

Re: the other comments, and ditto them. This was a GREAT comedy, one of the best ever. Creative, brilliant, cynical, satirical, etc. Of course it lasted one year. IF RERUN TODAY IT WOULD BE A MAJOR SUCCESS - ON PBS. CAN'T WE GET PBS TO PURCHASE SOME EPISODES?

I remember being thrilled to learn that "My World and Welcome to It" was based on James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." I recognized the similarities right away after reading the book, which was pretty amazing to me since I was just a kid. I'd love to see it in syndication. Lisa Gerritsen was a wonderful child actress and William Windom was perfect as John Monroe (aka "Walter"). It was well written and well acted. What more could you ask for? It was the perfect mix of reality and fantasy. Most of us live vicariously through television or film a few hours a day, so why not see it through the eyes of the master? We all have a little bit of John Monroe in us. "My World and Welcome to It" is the ultimate in escapism...for just a little while.

This show was a pure joy from the first moment--of course, when you have as your source the great James Thurber, how can you go wrong. Sweet and funny, rich in characterization. Years after it went to that great burial ground of cancelled shows (The Name of the Game, Adam's Rib, Nothing Sacred), William Windom toured the country doing Thurber. I saw him (for free) in Hopkins Plaza in downtown Baltimore. After the show, he hung around talking to all the people who wanted to tell him what the show had meant to them. Nice to find that the man who played John Monroe and James Thurber was as sweet and funny in reality as on tv.