Il fantastico mondo di Mr. Monroe

Shown on NBC in 1969-70 and and re-run on CBS ca. 1972. "My World and Welcome to It" was a sharp, sophisticated comedy that a curmudgeonly grandfather and an elementary schoolboy could enjoy together. This is *the* show William Windom ought to be remembered for.

The animation of the Thurber cartoons was fantastic. There was an especially funny episode based on the Thurber story "If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox." The cartoonist sits on his young daughter's bed, starting to tell her about the end of the Civil War. "Suppose General Grant had been drinking, uh...." "Cough medicine?!" the girl chirps up. "Uh, yes, cough medicine." And then he goes on to tell the tale....

Suddenly you see William Windom in rumpled dress blues as General Grant, disgracefully drunk by the surrender table, chomping on his cigar, as a distinguished, gray bearded General Lee introduces himself. "General Robert E. Lee of the Army of Northern Virginia."

"Well go on, go ahead!" General Grant snaps as he proffers his sword to an astonished Lee, "Ya darn near licked us!"

(Luckily things didn't quite turn out that way in real life.)

Thurber is timeless, and so is this show. If only reruns of "My World" were run on cable, or at least sold on DVD -- it would hook a whole new generation on the wonderful imagination of James Thurber!

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.

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?

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.

This series ran on UK's Channel 4 in its entirety about twenty years ago, and then was never seen again - I was about 12 at the time and became seriously addicted to it. I remember being fascinated by the James Thurber cartoons, although I don't think at the time I knew who he was.

If memory serves, this was largely about an artist/writer (played by William Windom, in probably the best TV role he ever had - I've only really seen him on TV since in 'Murder She Wrote', certainly in shows shown in the UK) who was more than a bit eccentric - I seem to remember coloured visors and that kind of thing. And there was a cute little daughter who was wise over and above her years.

I've wanted to see it again ever since because at the time I loved it so much. Maybe I'd be disappointed if I came across the episodes now but I reckon not. Any chance they'll get out there again?