Mork and Mindy
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Mork and Mindy
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| Episodes: | 95 |
| Year: | 1978-1982 |
| Country: | United States |
| Seasons: | 4 |
| Seasons Breakdown: | (1) 25, (2) 26, (3) 22, (4) 22. |
| Category: | Aliens on Earth |
| Colour: | Yes |
| Format: | Series |
| Company: | Henderson Production Company, Inc., Miller-Milkis Productions, Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions and Paramount Television |
| Creator: | Garry Marshall, Dale McRaven and Joe Glauberg |
| Run Time (mins): | 22-24 |
| Language: | English |
| Type of Show: | Live Action |
| Status: | Ended |
| Broadcaster: | ABC |
| First Aired: | September 14, 1978 |
| Last Aired: | May 27, 1982 |
Summary
Mork arrives on Earth in an egg‑shaped craft, having been assigned by his largely unseen superior Orson (voiced by Ralph James) to study human behaviour. Orson’s real motive is to remove Mork from Ork, where humour is prohibited. Attempting to blend in, Mork dons an Earth suit but wears it backwards. After landing in Boulder, Colorado, he encounters Mindy McConnell, who mistakes him for a priest because of his clothing and his willingness to listen. When his unconventional behaviour becomes apparent, Mork openly explains his origins, and Mindy agrees to keep his identity secret, allowing him to live in her attic. Her father, Fred, objects to the arrangement, while her grandmother, Cora, approves. Both women work in Fred’s music store, where Cora teaches violin to Eugene, a ten‑year‑old who befriends Mork. Other recurring figures include Mindy’s pretentious former schoolmate Susan and the erratic Exidor.
Stories typically follow Mork’s efforts to comprehend human behaviour and American culture, often to Mindy’s exasperation, as he adheres to Orkan customs, such as treating deception or withholding information as a practical joke known as splinking. Each episode concludes with Mork’s report to Orson, offering humorous reflections on social norms.
Mork’s greeting, Na‑Nu Na‑Nu, accompanied by a distinctive hand gesture, became a popular catchphrase, as did the Orkan exclamation Shazbot. He also substitutes KO for OK. Mork & Mindy marked Robin Williams’s first major acting role; scripts were deliberately brief to accommodate his improvisation, though many spontaneous lines were later replaced with pre‑written material more suitable for broadcast.
Cast
Mork From Ork ROBIN WILLIAMS, Mindy McConnell PAM DAWBER, Frederick McConnell CONRAD JANIS, Cora Hudson ELIZABETH KERR, Eugene JEFFREY JACQUET, Orson (voice only )RALPH JAMES, Exidor ROBERT DONNER, Franklin Delano Bickley TOM POSTON, Remo DaVinci JAY THOMAS, Jean DaVinci GINA HECHT, Nelson Flavor JIM STAAHL, Mearth JONATHON WINTERS, Mr. Miles Sternhagen FOSTER BROOKS, Exidor ROBERT DONNER, Glenda Faye "Crissy" Comstock CRISY WILZAK.
Tags: Aliens on Earth, United States, 1978, English
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