Robin Williams was a standup comedy sensation when he was cast as Mork from Ork, a fun-loving alien sent to Earth to observe human society in an episode of Happy Days—making an appearance that led to a full sitcom tailored to showcase Williams's antic style in the beloved role of the uninhibited Mork, playing opposite Pam Dawber's Mindy, a young woman who lets Mork live in her attic and helps him understand the often confusing ways of humans. Much of Williams's performance was improvised on the set, an offbeat approach that made the show a huge hit from the moment it launched. The supporting cast includes Conrad Janis as Mindy's father, joined later by Tom Poston as a morose neighbor, Jay Thomas and Gina Hecht as siblings running a local deli, and Robert Donner as the possibly schizophrenic Exidor—but they essentially serve as recurring characters in a show that stayed focused on the two stars. In the fourth and final set, Mork marries Mindy, who gives birth to a child, which is born (or rather hatched) with a full-grown body but an infant's mind, and is played by Jonathan Winters—perhaps the only performer who could match Williams's comic energy. Compiling all 95 episodes from 1978–82, extras include the two episodes of Happy Days featuring Mork, and gag reels. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Mork & Mindy: The Complete Series
Paramount, 15 discs, 2,385 min., not rated, DVD: $129.99 Volume 30, Issue 2
Mork & Mindy: The Complete Series
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