Customer Reviews

GOOD MORNING WORLD: Complete Series

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One of my favorite TV flops, and we all have them shows that that should have been hits but were not, is the 1967 series "Good Morning World." It featured Joby Baker and Julie Parrish as a young married couple in Los Angeles. Joby is David Lewis an early morning DJ on the popular radio show Lewis and Clark. Clark is Larry Clark played by Ronnie Schell. Larry is a confirmed bachelor but mostly dates the loveable, daffy neighbor Sandy played by Goldie Hawn in her first series. I know it was her next series, "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In", in 1968 and her Oscar win in "Cactus Flower" that brought her more fame but it was really "Good Morning World" that started her on the road to superstardom. The great Billy DeWolfe plays Dave and Larry's boss at the radio station. Billy DeWolfe is a scene stealer without trying. He is that good. In one episode he gets a laugh just by asking the question "Having a drink of water?" Why is that funny? Because it is asked in Billy DeWolfe's style.

The cast had charm and were very funny. It deserved to be a big hit.

Even my wife, who is not generally a fan of sitcoms sat through this with me and is still raving about it! I went to the trouble of compiling a detailed episode guide for this show as I had never seen it before. The Ronnie Schell interview is fantastic and very informative. The Trivia Game is excellent.

The writing and performances are first rate and the guest stars include:

Leslie Parrish, David Ketchum, Herb Vigran,Charlie Brill, Marty Ingels, Andy Griffith and Carl Reiner, Herbie Faye, Pat Harrington, Johnny Silver,Jackie Joseph (as Cousin Bibian), Ric Roman, Byron Morrow, Don Diamond, Peter Hobbs, Robert Donner, Jan Murray, Angelique Pettyjohn, Herb Edelman, Lynda Day George, Jerry Van Dyke, Simon Oakland, Jayne Meadows, E.J.Peaker.

As for the regular performers, the standout aside from Ronnie,Joby Baker and Goldie Hawn, must surely be Billy De Wolfe. What a treasure, he even has a special episode drawn from his real life episode 11. Where Have You Been Billy Boy, Billy Boy? which is my wife's favorite!

Buy it.

The 26 half-hour episodes of the situation comedy "Good Morning World" were originally broadcast by CBS during its 1967-68 season. Many of those who tuned in to see the premiere of "Laugh-In" in the fall of 1968 did so to see Goldie Hawn who had already developed a cult following from playing the Lewis' ditzy neighbor Sandy Kramer on "Good Morning World".

Dave and Linda Lewis were a married couple played by Joby Baker and Julie Parrish much in the vein of the Petrie's from "The Dick Van Dyke Show". Not a big surprise as both shows were produced and developed by Carl Reiner and Sheldon Leonard. Dave was also coupled with bachelor Larry Clarke (Ronnie Schell who viewers already knew as Gomer Pyle's friend Duke Slater) as an early-morning drive time Los Angeles radio DJ team known as (big surprise) "Lewis and Clarke". Think 1960's "WKRP" with funny voices, silly chatter, and general on-air antics between songs and commercials.

The show followed the home and office lives of this "sort of" wacky pair; mixing elements of their personal lives in with bits involving their overbearing boss, station manager Roland B. Hutton (Billy DeWolfe).

The series was a few years ahead of its time and the basic formula would be more successful a few years later as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". MTM's famous "Teddy Awards" was a tribute to "Golden Mikey Awards" featured on "Good Morning World".

Good writing and excellent performances make it well worth watching.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

I remember this show when it was on in 1967. It was from the creators of the "Dick Van Dyke Show," and was similar in many ways. Instead of a TV show, it was a morning drive radio show. One of the partners was married to a pretty wife, the other was a bachelor trying to get fixed up (sounds like Laura Pettrie (Mary Tyler Moore) and Sally Rogers (Rose Marie). Goldie Hawn is the next door neighbor, nosey, like Millie Helper. Billy de Wolfe is the station manager who constantly bothers Ronnie Shell, just like Buddy and Mel (Maury Amsterdam and Richard Deacon). This show was funny and quick with the jokes and puns. I loved it then and am enjoying it just as much today.