Product Description

Mork & Mindy was a spin-off from an episode of Happy Days seen in February 1978, in which an alien from the planet Ork landed on Earth and attempted to kidnap Richie. So popular was the nutty character created by Robin Williams that Williams was given his own series in the fall of 1978, and it became an instant hit. Mork was a misfit on his own planet because his sense of humor (he was heard to call the Orkan leader, Orson, "cosmic breath"). So the humorless Orkans sent him off to study Earthlings, whose "crazy" customs they had never been able to understand. Mork landed, in a giant eggshell near Boulder, Colorado. There he was befriended by pretty Mindy McConnell, a clerk at the music store run by her father, Frederick. Mork looked human, but his strange mixture of Orkan and Earthling customs--such as wearing a suit, but putting it on backwards, or sitting in a chair, but upside down--led most people to think of him as just as some kind of nut. Mindy knew where he came from, and helped him adjust to Earth's strange ways. She also let him stay in the attic of her apartment house, which scandalized her conservative father, but not her swinging grandmother, Cora.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13681 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2007-04-17
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 649 minutes

Amazon.com
After an out-of-this-world first season that unleashed Robin Williams, as extraterrestrial Mork from Ork, on an unsuspecting universe, Mork & Mindy fell to earth. But while season 2 is not as fresh or inspired, it is still worth revisiting to marvel at Williams, a cosmic comic force. There was nothing wrong with Mork & Mindy that a little network tampering couldn't wreck, beginning with a disco-fied version of the show's theme song. Conrad Janis and Elizabeth Kerr, who portrayed Mindy's uptight father and more far-out grandmother, are out (although Janis does return for a couple of episodes, one of them being the inevitable clip show). Jay Thomas and Gina Hecht are in as the sibling owners of the New York Delicatessen. Also joining the cast is Jim Staahl as Mindy's preppy cousin, Nelson, a city councilman candidate, prompting many Mork potshots at politicians. Tom Poston, as grumpy Mr. Bickley and Robert Donner as addled cult leader Exidor enjoy expanded roles.

If nothing else, Mork & Mindy was more ambitious in its second season, with hour-long episodes that veered from allegory (in the season opener, a shrunken Mork finds himself in a parallel universe where he joins a revolution against the Glums, who have outlawed humor) and high camp (Raquel Welch as Captain Nirvana--'nuff said--in "Mork vs. the Necrotons"). The better episodes are those in which extraterrestrial Mork is confounded by human behavior and curious customs. In "Stark Raving Mork," he picks a fight with Mindy (Pam Dawber, holding her own opposite the unpredictable Williams) thinking that it will add excitement to their relationship. In "Mork Learns to See," he befriends Mr. Bickley's blind son to experience life as he does. Mork & Mindy is of more than nostalgic interest. While the pop culture references and topical gags are stuck in the '70s (Mork manages a pun on Menachem Begin's name), Williams' physical shtick is timeless, and Mork's exuberance and innocent, child-like wonder as he tries to find his place in our world will resonate with a (na)new, (na)new generation. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! Eternally grateful! Can't wait for season 3!
In 1978, "Mork and Mindy" was a ratings smash. However, the network changed the format and nixed Mindy's father (Fred) and grandmother (Cora) as one means of 'retooling' the show, which simply proves the suits don't even know when success sits on their lap! But I digress. Season 2's ratings were said to have plummeted, which prompted the network to bring back Fred and Cora (YES!!!), but having rewatched season 2, the episodes are riotously funny and with the usual moralizing messages we gen X'ers grew up on... and promptly forgot to follow, but who said anyone was perfect?

In this season, we are treated to some of the series' best wit to date: Starting with the premiere episode, Mork takes a cold medicine that shrinks nasal membranes and he in turn shrinks to nothing because Orkans are nothing more than membranes... it was an hour long special. This episode freaked me as a child and still retains much of its power - even special effects were surprisingly successful and hold up rather well overall, even if there is a 'fluidity' problem with some of the zooming close-ups. That's how it was made, as was said by another it was not a DVD defect. And the moralizing over the energy crisis is also an interesting non-plot point for the first 5 minutes of the story.

Later we get to meet Mork's vile enemies - the dreaded Necrotons. Show this to a non-fan, it'll hook 'em right away. And not just because Raquel Welch stars as the main Necroton and proves she really is a considerable actress and not merely a body with an incidental brain attached... but because of the jokes; many of which come out of nowhere yet whose relevance are staggeringly funny. In 1980, Robin Williams' lines and improv combined with the smiley-faced boxers had me laughing; re-watching it again yesterday had me laughing for far, far more reasons. Netflix or buy it for this episode alone! This one is also a special 1-hour entry.

Another highlight to this season is when Mork is lulled into television commercials - it is another high point and extremely well written episode.

Never mind that Robin Williams and Pam Dawber play against/with each other extremely well. Even if the low-point episodes are less than special (namely the rehash of the season 1 episode where Mork has to deal with the immigration people... and the clip show featuring the temporary return of Fred), Robin and Pam put in top rated performances, with dialogue to ensure you'll be laughing in hysterics, and I don't say that lightly.

True, I missed Fred and Cora, but I know they will return. But the suits, for once, had a point and season 2 really contains a high number of gems -- even with the ditzy politician and deli owners who migrated from New York. They were never the same, but they weren't bad. But as we all know, Fred and Cora were the best sidekicks.

DVD quality - while the images look a bit soft and there's plenty of film speckles, it doesn't detract. Color saturation is beautiful and the episodes are fairly spaced amongst the 4 discs. The packaging is cheaper, but considering how season 1 wasn't entirely profitable, what counts most in a DVD (the level of compression in the episodes) was retained. I am highly grateful that they kept with the 4 disc format. KUDOS!! :)

I hope season 2 is successful so season 3 can come out as well. It too features a number of gems, including the hour-long opener "Put the Ork Back Into Mork".

Going cheap this time around
After the first season of "Mork & Mindy" failed to be a huge seller, Paramount took awhile to roll out season two. But it's out now, however this time around it's the no frills version (same with the new season two sets for "Happy Days" and "Laverne & Shirley"). The four discs are packaged in a clear single snap case and the episode info is printed on the inside of the case. Gone are the rainbow colored discs from season one replaced with drab gray printed discs. All that aside the episodes are all here. The overall picture quality is really good. The first episode of the second season was a one hour premiere and the first half is shot on film because of the special effects and the quality is less than stellar, but that is because of how the episode was shot. As with the previous season some music has been changed for DVD release, but the series didn't use a lot of music so it's not a big loss. Hopefully if this season sells well enough season three won't be far behind. Perhaps the budget cuts will make it possible for the last two seasons to get released soon.

WOO-HOO!! IT'S ABOUT TIME!
For quite sometime future "Mork & Mindy" releases seemed pretty darn unlikely. Lots of fans were afraid that we would never ever see season two released. To my surprise, however, Paramount has come through for us!

Here are the episode listings for season 2:
1. Mork in Wonderland (1) - Mork shrinks after taking a cold capsule.

2. Mork in Wonderland (2) - While shrunk, Mork finds himself in an odd world.

3. Stark Raving Mork - To keep excitement in his relationship with Mindy, Mork starts fights with her and then wants to kiss and make up.

4. Mork's Baby Blues - Due to a misunderstanding about Monopoly money, gold-digger Kathy believes Mork is rich, and claims she is carrying his child.

5. Dr. Morkenstein - Working as a security guard in a science museum, Mork befriends a robot.

6. Mork vs. Mindy - After Mork and Mindy are hired as campaign workers by Mindy's cousin, Nelson Flavor, who is running for city councilman, they end up competing for the same job.

7. Mork Gets Mindy-itis - Mork discovers he is allergic to Mindy, when he has uncontrollable fits of laughter (the Orkan equivalent to sneezing) around her.

8. A Morkville Horror - On Halloween, Mork and Mindy believe the house she grew up in is haunted.

9. Mork's Health Hints - While in the hospital, Mindy is mistakenly scheduled for brain surgery.

10. Dial 'N' for Nelson - When Nelson receives threatening phone calls, Mork and Mindy investigate a shady club.

11. Mork vs. The Necrotons (1) - Mork is romanced by another alien.

12. Mork vs. The Necrotons (2) - Mork is threatened by another alien.

13. Hold That Mork - Mork becomes a cheerleader for the Denver Broncos, making him pro football's first male cheerleader.

14. Exidor Affair - Exidor wants to propose to a meter maid and asks Mork for help.

15. The Mork Syndrome - Mork goes on a secret mission for the Air Force.

16. Exidor's Wedding - Exidor's mother shows up and tries to keep her son from getting married.

17. A Mommy for Mindy - When Mindy's dad visits with a younger woman he has just married, Mork is happy, but Mindy is not.

18. The Night They Raided Mind-skis - Mindy is targeted by a bigoted fanatical group.

19. Mork Learns to See - When Mr. Bickley's blind son comes to visit, Mork learns to see the world differently.

20. Mork's Vacation - Needing a vacation, Mork gets Orson's permission to swap bodies with other aliens.

21. Jeanie Loves Mork - Mindy secretly writes for a newspaper's lonely hearts column and unknowingly gives advice to Jeanie, who then falls for Mork.

22. Little Orphan Morkie - Mork could be deported, unless he marries an American or finds someone to adopt him.

23. Looney Tunes and Morkie Melodies - Mork recruits his friends to turn the hour devoted to Nelson's 7am, Saturday morning campaign speech into a variety show for kids.

24. Clerical Error - Mork thinks he is a priest when he dresses in a black jacket and white collar, and begins advising church parishioners.

25. Invasion of the Mork Snatchers - When Mork becomes addicted to advertising, he becomes a "buy-a-holic", causing problems for Mindy.

26. The Way Mork Were - When marital problems plague Mindy's father, he turns to Mork and Mindy for help.