Mork & Mindy aired for four seasons on ABC, and the series launched the career of Robin Williams. The comedian starred as Mork from Ork, and the series had a number of problems behind the scenes during its brief time on the small screen.
Those involved with the comedy have now taken a look back at the series and the ending. I09 shared some reflections from the people behind the series.
David Misch, a writer for the series, spoke about Robin Williams and the reasons behind the series loss of popularity over the four season period it aired. He said:
“No one had ever heard of Robin Williams before, and this guy was a skyrocket. He was doing things no one had ever done on TV. And I think by the second, third and fourth seasons, people sort of knew them. Robin was just as brilliant, but he wasn’t as new. And I think that level of excitement [was gone]. And I don’t think the show came up to support him in the ways it could have, and so it sort of drifted away.”
The series ended at the end of season four with a cliffhanger that was never resolved for the fans. The final episode titled “The Mork Report” showed Mork trying to receive a promotion from Orson, but instead he creates a report about having a happy marriage on Earth.
The episode was actually filmed ahead of a three-part episode that was meant to serve as both as a season finale and a launch pad for season five.
Brian Levant described the plan for season five.
“We even tried to get a fifth season. So here was the scenario: [Kalnik], another alien, became Mork’s buddy, and then [Mork] finds out he’s there to kill Mork for some reason. And so, to fend off this threat, they revealed themselves to the public [as an alien and his wife], and ultimately they had to run away through time to hide from [Kalnik]. It was going to be a semi-educational show, where Mork and Mindy traveling through time would meet with historical figures. We actually did a photo shoot for that, of [Mork and Mindy] standing with Abe Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin.”
However, the show was cancelled, and the order of the episodes was changed to give the series a bit of closure. After the show ended, Robin Williams went on to become an actor in movies. He won several awards for his work, and he returned to the small screen in the year before his death with CBS series The Crazy Ones. That series was cancelled after just one season, but Williams and Dawber did reunite on the series.
He died a few months later. Mork & Mindy introduced the world to the talent of Robin Williams, and the series is still loved by many loyal fans.
Were you a fan of Mork & Mindy? Were you sad to see it end? Tell us what you think.
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