This show might also be considered a pilot episode for "My World and Welcome to It," starring William Windom that ran for one season only, 1969-70, on NBC.
I wish new tv shows still did this; introduce their characters and their story before they aired. It seems like a good and honest way to introduce a new show
Loved it! Makes me wish all the old pilots would have been picked up so that, all these years later, we'd have more family-friendly and cheerful things to watch.
This was actually picked later as MY WORLD AND WELCOME TO IT starring William Windom and Lisa Gerritsen as his daughter. It lasted about a year and I loved it as a little girl
Check out 1959 movie Anatomy of a Murder, tv series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. Also well known on Broadway and touring companies.
They'd do better a few years later with William Windom as Thurber. Interesting trivia is that James Allardice wrote it - he wrote all the Hitchcock intros and outros for Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
Mel Shavelson wrote the *first* "John Monroe" pilot for Jules Goldstone- Thurber's agent- featuring Arthur O'Connell as "Monroe"....and it was "burned off" on "GOODYEAR THEATER" on NBC in June 1959 {later syndicated on "AWARD THEATRE", and later shown on A&E as "THE GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION" in the late 1980's}. Finally, in 1968, Goldstone and Shavelson took their pilot script {"Christabel"} to Sheldon Leonard, who produced "MY WORLD AND WELCOME TO IT" {with Goldstone as consultant) for the 1969-'70 season.
Imagine Bill Windom got the role of John Monroe after appearing as a gay Jewel smuggler in Sheldon Leonard's "My Friend Tony," Leonard also produced "My World and Welcome to It." bTW Bill worked with Orson Bean in 2 "Murder, She Wrote" episodes and the film "Yesterday's Dreams."
I wonder how they would have written Miss Landers out of Leave It to beaver?? Perhaps she would have been caught with cocaine in her purse. Or perhaps she was having an illicit affair with Lumpy. Or maybe part of a drug dealing syndicate with Eddie Haskell?
This was eventually telecast (in somewhat edited form) on "THE DuPONT SHOW WITH JUNE ALLYSON" on March 20, 1961. Thurber lived to see it- but couldn't see anything, as he was legally blind during the last years of his life. He died on November 2, 1961.
😅 this reminds me of two series. The one they finally did around 1970 called my world and welcome to it, which was based on James Thurber like this one. The other series that this strongly reminds me of is Bewitched. Obviously no witch in this, but there is certainly a Darren Stevens and Larry Tate character.
Always wanted to see this ever since I learned it existed. Thanks for posting. Orson Bean has an interesting approach, but I think I prefer William Windom. Also, the kid's a little too smart-ass here for my taste. Interesting fourth-wall break ending, but it definitely fits the Thurber approach. Noticed James Allardice wrote this. He also wrote Hitch's intros and outros for Hitchcock Presents and the wonderful trailers for Psycho and The Birds. Definitely had a weird sense of humor that could have worked well for the series. I really wish My World and Welcome to It would finally show up on DVD. It's been held back for way too long. And maybe this pilot will be an extra. Crossed-fingers.
Yes. Sheldon Leonard resurrected Mel Shavelson's concept (as seen in the first pilot attempt, "THE SECRET LIFE OF JOHN MONROE"), and produced it for the 1969-'70 season.
@@fromthesidelines In case anyone is interested in "The Secret Life of John Monroe," it can be found on RU-vid under the title "Cristabel." Arthur O'Connell ("Anatomy of a Murder," "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao," "The Poseidon Adventure") is the Thurber surrogate in this.
Ok so John's homelife and worklife are a bit like some of the imaginary situations Thurber wrote about. But the cartoons are about all there is to justify the pilot's title, and if there'd been more Thurber artwork and less dialogue it would've been more entertaining.
