Mork & Mindy was a spin-off from the sitcom “Happy Days”. The character of Mork was played by the then-unknown Robin Williams, who impressed producer Garry Marshall with perfectly timed comedy. Before the interview Marshall asked Williams to take a seat and Williams sat on his head. The rest is history. From that second Marshall knew he found a comedic genius. Marshall later was known to have said that Williams was the only alien who auditioned for Mork.

After making an appearance in two episodes of “Happy Days” Marshall decided to do a spin off and called it “Mork & Mindy”.

Click on link below to view clip from season 1:

 http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Mork+and+Mindy+Season+1&form=RESTAB&first=1#view=detail&mid=0A235E681EC1A82DA9500A235E681EC1A82DA950

 How it all starts is with Morks egg shaped craft landing in Boulder, Colorado. Mork had been assigned by Orson, voiced by Ralph James, to study human behavior and report back to him daily. The true reason Mork was sent to Earth was because humor was not allowed on Ork and Mork was thought to be a bit off.

When Mork arrived on Earth he found a suit but unfortunately puts it on backward. He met Mindy, played by Pam Dawber, and she decided to help him. She mistook Mork for a priest until he turns around and she sees the suit is on backward. Mindy becomes bewildered and asks him exactly who he is. He shyly tells her his story and she agrees to keep his secret and lets him stay with her.

From that point on the TV program keeps you in stitches.

 Please click on the link to view a clip of the show:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6aePsEBWuE

 Characters

Mork (portrayed by Robin Williams) – An alien from the planet Ork sent to observe human behavior. Mork mentions many times that Orkan scientists grew him in a test-tube.

Mindy McConnell (portrayed by Pam Dawber) – A female human who finds Mork and teaches him about human behavior. Eventually falls in love, marries Mork and raises an Orkan “child”.

Fred McConnell (portrayed by Conrad Janis) – Mindy’s father with conservative values. In the first season, Fred owned a music shop with Cora. In the third season, Fred became the conductor of the Boulder Symphony Orchestra.

Grandma Cora Hudson (portrayed by Elizabeth Kerr) – Mindy’s less-conservative, progressive grandmother.

Franklin Bickley (portrayed by Tom Poston) – Mindy’s downstairs neighbor. He has a job involving writing out greeting cards.

Mearth (portrayed by Jonathan Winters) – The “child” of Mork and Mindy. Because of Orkan physiology, Orkans age backwards, starting with elderly adult bodies but with the mind of a child and regressing to feeble “old” kids.

Remo Davinci (portrayed by Jay Thomas) – The co-owner of The New York Delicatessen.

Jean Davinci (portrayed by Gina Hecht) – The sister of Remo Davinci and co-owner of The New York Delicatessen.

Nelson Flavor (portrayed by Jim Staahl) – The straight-laced, driven, yet aloof cousin of Mindy with dreams of political power.

Orson (voiced by Ralph James) – Mork’s mostly unseen and long-suffering superior who has sent Mork to Earth to get him off-world because humor is not permitted on Ork.

Recurring characters

 Susan Taylor (portrayed by Morgan Fairchild) – Mindy’s snooty ex-friend from high school. In the episode “Mork’s First Christmas”, a glimpse into why Susan is such a shallow person was shown. As she and Mindy are turning out the lights to the apartment, Susan comments that it seems like Mork’s first Christmas, whereupon Mindy says that his family never celebrated Christmas. As Mindy enters her bedroom, Susan turns out the light saying (out of Mindy’s earshot) “Mork and I have a lot in common.” (This part of the scene is usually cut during reruns.).

Exidor (portrayed by Robert Donner) – An odd man (with possible mental illness) who regards himself as a prophet. He often appears wearing a flowing white robe with a brown sash. He recognizes Mork as an alien, but nobody believes him. As the leader of a cult called “The Friends of Venus“, of which he was the only member, he regularly engaged in conversations with imaginary members of his cult (such as “Pepe” and “Rocco”), but was the only person who could see them. Most times he is found yelling at his imaginary cult. He makes the comment, “Entourages can be the pits!” Later, since the Venusians had abandoned him, he began to worship O.J. Simpson. He also had a plan to become “Emperor of the Universe” by becoming a rock-star; his musical instrument of choice was the accordion. Exidor appears to be something of a squatter, as on at least two separate occasions he is present in homes not his own. Once Mork visited Exidor at a very nice apartment where he supposedly lived with his imaginary girlfriend and her twin sister. Another time, he is “on vacation” in Mindy’s family home, where he apparently believed there was a beach in the living room closet. (“Everybody out of the water! Can’t you see that fin?”) He eventually got married, in a “forest” (Mindy’s attic). Mindy thought his wife would be imaginary, but she turned out to be a real woman named Ambrosia. Exidor became highly popular with audiences and prompted wild applause from the studio audience when entering a scene.

Mr. Sternhagen (portrayed by Foster Brooks) – Mindy’s boss when she got a job at a local TV station. He is overbearing and demanding of Mindy when sober, but occasionally turns up drunk and cheerful. (Brooks was a comedian noted for his “drunk” act.)

Glenda Faye Comstock (portrayed by Crissy Wilzak) – Mindy’s friend.

Todd Norman “TNT” Taylor (portrayed by Bill Kirchenbauer) – An obnoxious and arrogant womanizer. He later teaches Mork to drive at the FastLane Driving School

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Cathy McConnell (portrayed by Shelley Fabares) – Fred’s new younger wife and Mindy’s stepmother.

Lola and Stephanie (portrayed by Amy Tenowich and Stephanie Kayano) – Two children from the daycare center Mork works at later in the series. Lola is a young philosopher and Stephanie is a chubby girl who loves to eat.

Billy (portrayed by Corey Feldman) – A daycare-center child, he wants to be like his namesake Billy the Kid. Mork introduces him to the Orkan hero Squellman the Yellow.

Eugene (portrayed by Jeffrey Jacquet) – A ten-year-old boy – taking music lessons from Cora – who befriends Mork.

Arnold Wanker (portrayed by Logan Ramsey) – The landlord of Fred and Mindy’s music store. He dies in Fred’s music store, but Mork (misinterpreting the comments made to his wife) brings him back to life (a “one-in-a-billion” chance).