vccannon82
"My World and Welcome to It" was the title of a piece that James Thurber wrote for the New Yorker and the title of a collection of some of his humor pieces. It included one of his most famous short stories, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," which was made into a film starring Danny Kaye. The TV show, My World and... took this Walter Mitty idea and applied it to the main character, a writer and cartoonist. I remember that they used Thurber's own very distinctive drawings in the show. I don't know to what extent they used his writing...It is hard to imagine how famous Thurber was from the late thirties through the fifties (he died in 1961). There was a Broadway review of his work (The Thurber Carnival), at least one movie, several best sellers, and kudos from some of the world's most famous artists. His drawings were as instantly recognizable as Charles Schultz's were in the sixties and seventies.Sadly, by the time the TV show aired, only adults knew who he was and the show tanked pretty quickly. I still read Thurber and laugh out loud. James Thurber, although no longer famous, has a place beside Twain, Benchley, and Heller as one of America's finest humorous men of letters. Check him out.
LadyDorHawkelle
I was only 3 when I watched this according to the air date...wow! I remember it fondly and for a long time wondered if it was a product of my imagination. Mostly I remembered William Windom and the interspersed drawn segments, then the girl who played his daughter (I think....memory is funny that way, and I was only 3). Can anyone tell me if this show is available on DVD or anything? I would LOVE to see it again.I really hope it is. So rarely these days do I remember a show so fondly. From what I do remember, this is/was a definite one of a kind show. William Windom was also an excellent actor in this show too, he has to have been...since he was burned into my memory at such a young age. Thankfully it was his appearance as Woody on a rerun of Mama's Family that jogged my mind and made me rush to IMDb to see if he was listed. Thanks to this wonderful site I now know I didn't make it all up...and my memory isn't THAT bad.
kent-johnson
I agree with the other comments concerning this TV show. The cartoons and Thurber connection made it unique; and the cast did a good job. I've always considered Windom to be a good actor and will always remember him with his wide tie, a pen in his mouth and his leg draped over the arm of his chair when prosecuting Peck's client in "To Kill a Mockingbird".One of my favorite scenes from "My World" was one in which a guest star (I believe it was a former Miss America...maybe Lee Merriweather) got into a fight with Joan Hotchkis. It was a food fight of sorts and had something to do with jealousy between the two women.The guest star ended up on the floor with food all over her. She wiped something off her face, tasted it and said to Hotchkis, "You call that quiche lorraine?"Another fond memory concerns the fact that Lisa Gerritsen was in braces with the rubber bands that were common at the time. I was just out of braces in the late 60s and liked the fact that the show portrayed her like other kids her age.One of my favorite guest stars was Arthur Hunnicutt. I think he appeared in the second season as an old timer with a southern drawl (in other words, playing himself) who made Windom mad with every line of dialogue.
shark-43
So glad to see that this show made such an impression on other youngsters as well. I was 9 when it was on and I couldn't wait for the next episode! I was fascinated with cartooning and was already a big Thurber fan when the show premiered - and as someone else mentioned, it was way too clever and subtle for TV - it wouldn't last now either. There have been many shows that have strived to be witty, smart and mature and many times those shows struggle and get canned. Many TV viewers get what they deserve - garbage. The garbage gets big ratings - otherwise they wouldn't inudate us with it. I worry that if I was lucky enough to get my hands on old episodes of My World & Welcome To It - it would be letdown because my memories of it seem so clear and so enjoyable. A classic, wonderful show with the terrific and underrated character actor, Wm. Windom (who is forgotten as the OTHER attorney against Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in the famous trial in the film To Kill A Mockingbird).