Mork & Mindy: Season 3

Because the initial allusions to `interracial' co-habitation were loosing some `shock value', the series production team refocused storylines on Mork and Mindy as a romantic couple ("Mindy, Mindy, Mindy", "Mork, the Swinging Single") this season. They are moving from friends to `friends'----and quite smoothly!However, Mork wasn't supposed to ever become too acclimated to earth (Putting the Ork back in Mork I, II). So, in order to successfully complete his mission, he is required to remember his extraterrestrial heritage. It's also the studio's way of acknowlleging that deleting Fred and Cora from the cast had been a mistake, and gennuine attempts were being made to repair things--such as the series Nielsen ratings.As it turns out, Mork's reports have been so popular (regardless of whom he interacts with on Earth) that other Orkians want his job ("There's a new Mork in Town"). And can we really blame them! Aside from being an observer, Mork is a compassionate being who sincerely tries to help anything he thinks is hurting, even a chimp ("Mork, The Monkey's Uncle")Pam Dawber gives another awesome lead performance in "Mindy Gets a Job". Fate requires her--with some assistance from Mork--to unexpectedly perform the local newscast as a solo gig. A blizzard conveniently prevents all of the old pros from getting to the station. So, there is nothing like the present to demonstrate that she has the competence necessary to successfully make it as a professional journalist. Episodes like these easily remind me why I had looked up to Mindy as a young girl--and now continue doing so; she remained both pretty and professional---even in a crisis.Gender is again brought up in "Mork and Mindy Meet Rick and Ruby". Remo has decided that he does not want a pregnant singer who is part of a performing duo. Although the Pregnancy Non-discrimination Act had just been passed, years earlier in 1978, this was still a very topical issue for the viewing audience. The usually sophisticated Remo genuinely had convinced himself that pregnant women should not be working, lest they get `hurt'! Undaunted, Mindy convinces Remo to hire her back--and Mork enthusiastically fills in when she DOES go into labor on stage. Williams has a charming singing voice.Mork himself continues not to get offended by the 70's ever-shifting gender mores. To bring extra money into their apartment, he is happily working at a local daycare center. This suits such a `different guy' perfectly because childcare worker historically has been something which gets performed by women. And Mork is devoted to the point where he participates in a fundraising race for the kids ("Dueling Skates") in addition to helping them learn about the importance of non-violence ("Gunfight at the Mork-ay Corral").But because Mindy's increased work schedule does make him lonely, he suggests they switch places ("Mindy and Mork") ultimately discovering they both have very busy lives. There is no such thing as `unimportant work'. But there is unpleasant work in "I Heard it Through the Morkvine" when Mindy successfully convinces Mr. Sternhagen that TV gossip's initially high ratings become outweighed by long-term traumatic effects it visits on the community. Having weathered the onslaught of tabloid TV and now `reality television' I can't emphasize how accurately prophetic this one episode was. Wow!This usually lighthearted sitcom made both a very noticeable mood and scripting departure with "Mork Meets Robin Williams". You-know-who does double duty as himself. For `some reason', people think that Mork looks like Robin Williams who for the sake of this episode is just in town doing stand-up routines!However, the real memorable scene during this episode--and season comes during his weekly report to Orson. Talking about the burdens inadvertently created by celebrity hood, Mork rattles off a list of celebrities who died too early--cracking when he mentions John Lennon and then suddenly fading out as opposed to giving the usual witty closing.Given the episode's airing two months after Lennon's assassination, I am assuming that this individual improvisation was not intentional. And the emotion which Williams publically did exhibit must have required a great deal of internal self-control rather than breaking down all together on screen. This one ending still gives me the chills and I am not even old enough to have remembered the Beatles together and performing. This one episode alone is why the season warranted five stars hands down.The only thing which really bugged me was the lack of extras--and the flimsy cases. I realize this show was not an enormous phenomenon; but technology does exist for better DVD cases--and other companies have proven their ability to put out non-classic shows lasting one season in better and still low-budget cases.

One of my favorites shows

One of my favorite 70s TV series and the only one to star the wonderful Robin Williams as an alien named Mork from Ork, "sent to Earth to observe your primitive society" and report back to Orson, his superior (whom we hear but never really see) on Ork. In the 3rd season, he's still living la vida loca with platonic girl-friend Mindy (Pam Dawber) in the attic of her apartment. For some reason, since it went out of syndication and was no longer shown anywhere on cable that I've been able to find for the last decade or more, I had been thinking there were only three seasons to this show and the third one was the one where they finally married and had an adult child played by Jonathan Winters, but that turns out to be the 4th season; this one has some of the best episodes of the too-short-lived series, and is apparently the source for the majority of the clips seen in the opening credits for the first three seasons.My favorites from this season: "Putting the Ork Back in Mork" (the two-part season opener in which Mork from Ork has become "Morrie of Earth", cut his hair, started dressing like Pat Boone and generally acting more human than Orkan; missing the original, quirky Mork, Mindy helps an Elder called in from Ork perform the title activity for Mork), "I Heard it Through the Morkvine" (in which Mork tries to help Mindy out in her new job at a local TV station by handling a new gossip segment on her news show, which results in dirt being dished on Mindy and all their friends), and the most poignant episode in the whole series, "Mork Meets Robin Williams" (Mindy is ordered to get an interview with Robin Williams, who has a local tour stopover, and after many near-misses and much effort on Mindy's part, they finally get into Robin's dressing room and he gives him an interview; this is followed by a very candid discussion of Robin's inability to say no and other personal revelations, capped by Mork's usual report to Orson at the end where he talks about how many celebrities can't deal with the ramifications of fame--and starts listing off examples [mainly, at that time, musicians]...I can't help mentally adding Robin Williams' name at the end.)If you like Robin Williams but not the R-rated language of his night-club act, you will love this series, the vehicle that made him a TV/movie star. It's hilarious, poignant and well worth the price.

I am almost finished with watching Season 3 of Mork & Mindy, Robin Williams is funny. I have enjoyed his rare style of comedic entertainment for years. watching it as a kid, made me laugh like kids laugh at everything silly. But as an adult, I see the clever puns, and I realize, now where I get my puns, and why I like this show. I have seen reviews saying these are sydicated episodes. Syndicated episodes are about 21 to 22 minutes. For these early year shows. So far out of all three seasons I haven't seen any episode shorter than 24 minutes. To the reviewers who say their video tape says it was a slight na-nu, na-nu bit longer, perhaps you accidentally slipped a partial commercial in there somewhere. The music has been changed? Besides the theme, there are no 50's music really. I think you were referring to Happy Days season 2 when they really changed some of the 50's music. Buy this series folks. Season 4 where are you??? i have 69 episodes with all three seasons! 1 less than 70! That isn't right! Oh, well...

god I remember watching this when I was a nipper only difference is that I understand the humour in it now its good to see the old classics make a comeback.

My son loves Mork & Mindy - the show seems to bypass time and be just as enjoyable for kids today as in the 80's. We love watching the half hour episodes together.

Product arrived quickly, as for M & M well, they are as entertaining as I remembered... fond childhood memories and the storylines still as relevant today.

this was watched in the seventies and the box set was brilliant to watch all over again and again a good clean laugh

truly a joy to watch , will never be a show like this again