Christmas in July 2021: My World And Welcome To It

 

The short-lived sitcom My World and Welcome To It

Happy 4th of July! It's Day #4 of Christmas in July. All month long I'll be celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year).

The past three days I've shared brief discussions about Christmas programs made in the Southern Hemisphere where Christmas is celebrated in the summer. Because of the 4th of July holiday, today I'm sharing a yuletide story that centers on an American flag!

The short-lived series was inspired by the work of James Thurber, and lead character John Monroe had a wild imagination that was depicted with brief animated segments within the live action, comedy framework.

In the 1969 episode "Rally Round the Flag," cartoonist John Monroe is told by his wife to buy their daughter Lydia a Christmas present this year. Putting it off until late Christmas Eve, John finds himself unable to find the doll Lydia has asked for. So John buys the only other thing he can find: an American flag! Although Lydia is surprised by her gift, she pretends to like it, and the family proudly displays the flag on the front of their home. Unfortunately, the unusual Christmas display shocks the neighbors and raises suspicions in the local veterans group.

The cast includes William Windom as John Monroe, Joan Hotchkis as wife Ellen, and Lisa Gerritson as Lydia.

 

 

Thanks for reading along. Stop in again tomorrow and please have a happy and safe 4th of July holiday!

Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her latest book "Triple Dog Dare: Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story" was released in 2016. She is currently updating and expanding the encyclopedia for a 2021 release. Her books can be found at the publisher's website: 1701 press.com

*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com