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I remember being in elementary school in 1973 when I heard that Wally Cox had died. It struck me as especially sad at the time because we shared the same last name. I knew him mostly as a regular on Hollywood Squares and the voice of TV’s Underdog.
My brother had a book by Wally on his shelf for years called My Life as a Small Boy (1961). When I was at my brother’s house a couple of months ago, he recommended that maybe I should read it. (My brother never gets rid of any of his books.) I agreed to give it a go. The book is Wally’s takes on his life as a boy at home and at school. We learn about his home adventures dealing with cold weather, catching a cold and smoking in front of his mother. Then we learn about his trials at school dealing with penmanship (my favorite chapter), bullies and shop class. It’s funny and nostalgic and certainly brought a laugh or two.
It also inspired me to watch an episode (Thanks to the magic of YouTube) of Wally’s signature TV series, “Mr. Peepers.” I’d never seen one before partly because I can’t remember any affiliate stations ever showing it in reruns. Wally plays the sweet, shy but good-natured science teacher Peepers, a character who may not have the edge to make it in a TV series today as the central focus of the show. That being said, there was something appealing about Wally's take on that character that might make me check out another episode.