SitcomsOnline Book Club - There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others by William Daniels; Feud Gets 2nd Season on FX

Wednesday, March 01, 2017

SitcomsOnline Book Club - There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others by William Daniels; Feud Gets 2nd Season on FX

SitcomsOnline Book Club Review - There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others

by Pavan

William Daniels is an actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He won two Emmy Awards for his role as Dr. Mark Craig in St. Elsewhere and more recently reprised his role as Mr. Feeny in the Disney Channel sitcom Girl Meets World, the sequel series to Boy Meets World. There I Go Again is a celebrity memoir like no other, revealing the life of a man whose acting career has been so rich that millions of Americans know his face even while they might not recognize his name. William Daniels is an enigma -- a rare chameleon who has enjoyed massive success both in Hollywood and on Broadway and been embraced by fans of successive generations. Few of his peers inspire the fervor with which buffs celebrate his most iconic roles, among them George Feeny in Boy Meets World, the voice of KITT in Knight Rider, Dr. Mark Craig in St. Elsewhere, and John Adams in the play and film 1776. Daniels guides readers through some of Hollywood’s most cherished productions, offering recollections of entertainment legends including Lauren Bacall, Warren Beatty, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Mike Nichols, Jason Robards, Barbra Streisand, and many more. Looking back on his seventy-five-plus-year career, Daniels realizes that although he never had the courage to say "no" to being an actor, he backed into stardom. With his wife, actress Bonnie Bartlett, by his side, he came to realize that he wound up exactly where he was supposed to be: on the screen and stage.

This book by the legendary William Daniels is basically a complete detailed synopsis of his great career and memories. It's an easy 207 page read with 17 thought-out chapters. There are also very rare illustrations in the book, along with acknowledgements. Some of the illustrations are from Mr. Daniels' own collection, so they are nice to see. Mr. Daniels goes into detail about his career, but also shares awesome stories from his time on shows like St. Elsewhere. He starts the book out with a story about going to the Emmy's in 1985 that will hook you to keep on reading. It is a clever way to begin the book indeed. Mr. Daniels also gives some personal insight from his life, such as his life with his mother, father and growing up in Brooklyn. He also goes into details about his decision process to attend Northwestern.

The book goes in a nice chronological order of events and has a good pace. Mr. Daniels also talks about his theater work in New York on off-Broadway. He later talks about one of his first big breaks, the film 1776. He then continues with some of his other roles like KITT on Knight Rider and sitcom fans will most remember him from the role of Mr. Feeny on the popular sitcom Boy Meets World. Without giving anything away, the fifteenth chapter ("Boy Oh Boy") is all about his time on that sitcom. A must read. The book ends with a great epilogue, and Mr. Daniels says it is the end of the book, not for his career, obviously. In the appendix, there is an awesome feature with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Feeny meets Hamilton!

Mr. Daniels is going to be turning 90 later this month. It is hard to believe that. In this book, he shows a vivid memory and lots of details on his life and career. Everybody has seen this man in something over the years, whether it is as Mr. Feeny, Dr. Craig or as the voice of KITT. Mr. Daniels mentions in the book that he is grateful to hear how they feel that Me. Feeny somehow had an influence on their education, but that is the truth as his characters were all so relatable to people. His favorite role was Dr. Craig though from St. Elsewhere, which is understandable since his portrayal was Emmy material (and he won twice). This book is one of the best written books by an actor I've seen. It's fun, informative and it makes you feel like you've known Mr. Daniels as a friend or family member. I truly recommend this book because it is written by such a fine man. Feeny for the win!

(4.5/5 stars)

To purchase this book, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Award-winning producer Ryan Murphy's highly anticipated new anthology limited series Feud: Bette and Joan does not premiere until this Sunday, March 5, but FX announced that is has already placed a 10-episode order for the second installment of the Feud franchise, Feud: Charles and Diana, which is scheduled to debut in 2018. Murphy and Jon Robin Baitz will write Feud: Charles and Diana and serve as Executive Producers. Dede Gardner, Plan B Entertainment and Alexis Martin Woodall are Executive Producers. The limited series is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios. Ryan Murphy is the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning writer, producer and director who pioneered the modern anthological limited series with award-winning hit American Horror Story, which is now heading into its seventh year and has been ordered through season nine. American Crime Story, his most recent anthology franchise, debuted in February of 2016 and its first installment, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, won the Emmy and Golden Globe award for best limited series and it was the highest-rated show in FX history. Previously, Murphy co-created of the award-winning hit musical comedy series Glee (FOX) and created the award-winning hit drama Nip/Tuck (FX).

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, October 21

The Goldbergs - "Airplane!" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Beverly surprises the family with an end-of-summer vacation to Miami with the flight down resembling the classic film, and Geoff accidentally spills to Erica the real reason for the trip.

The Goldbergs - "The Prettiest Boy in School" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Adam, now a senior, returns to William Penn Academy as he wrestles with the fact that he is a cool kid and no longer a nerd while his original friend group isn’t as lucky. Meanwhile, Beverly attempts to have a more grown-up relationship with Erica and Barry before they head back to college.

The Conners - "Keep on Truckin' Six Feet Apart" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The Conners are back and dealing with the pandemic, and life’s financial troubles loom over the family. Dan is still trying to catch up on back-mortgage payments and avoid a potential eviction, while the Lunch Box is closed for everything but takeout and delivery. Becky and Darlene are both forced to search for additional income at the newly reopened Wellman Plastics plant.

black-ish - "Hero Pizza" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The season premiere of “black-ish” takes us to the beginning of the global pandemic for the Johnsons. As a first responder, Bow receives her family’s praise for her work, with Junior being her biggest fan. But over time, the family loses their enthusiasm, and Bow discovers someone in her house is breaking the quarantine lockdown rules. Meanwhile, Dre tries to convince everyone that he too is an essential worker.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Moving On" (BET, 8:00PM ET/PT)
House of Payne is the hilarious comedy about Retired fire chief Curtis Payne and his lovely wife Ella. Together the loving couple navigate the problems of life with their quirky modern day family.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Mary Jane" (BET, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Leah learns that Mr. Brown has cut down Vinny's plants in the back yard.

Family Time - "Somebody's Watching Me" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Tony and Donnie spy on Ebony and her new boyfriend; Lori is recruited to be the face of hair care.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 19)

Wednesday, October 21

Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish/Girlfriends) - Watch Tracee on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Eric Andre (Man Seeking Woman/Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Eric appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Eva Longoria (Telenovela) - Eva will be on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Susan Kelechi Watson (Louie) - Susan is a guest on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) - Tig will be on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Sara Gilbert (The Conners/Living Biblically/Bad Teacher/Welcome to New York/Roseanne) - Sara appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) - Sarah is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Marlon Wayans (Marlon/The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon talks about On the Rocks on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Lauren Ash (Superstore/Super Fun Night) - Lauren appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Brandy (Zoe Ever After/The Game/Moesha/Thea) - Brandy talks about her struggle with depression, new music and what's next on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Michelle Buteaun (First Wives Club) - Michelle talks about raising twins, relocating to London with her family to tape next season of her hit show The Circle, her new book and more on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood/The Last O.G./The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric talks about CBS's The Greatest #AtHomeVideos on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Tim Robbins (The Brink) - Tim talks about the Bobbo Supreme podcast on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Teri Polo (I'm with Her/Man Up!) and Blythe Danner (Adam's Rib/Tattingers) - Teri, Blythe and the cast of Meet the Parents reunite on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Jane Lynch (Angel from Hell) - Jane talks about Weakest Link on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.