Throwback Thursday: Mork & Mindy (1978-1982)

Comedy, like drama, comes from the clash of personalities and ideas.

The 1970s sitcom, Mork & Mindy (1978-1982) took this basic idea and stretched it into new directions. Mork (the late Robin Williams in one of his first major roles) is an alien who is sent to Earth to study humanity and report back to his superiors. Renting a room from Mindy (Pam Dawber), the culture clash, the difference in perspective, and Mork’s charming innocence makes for classic television that will never get old.

I remember watching reruns of this show as a kid and laughing, but not quite getting all of the references. Now, as an adult, I get it and I love it. Mindy is to Dean Martin as Mork is to Jerry Lewis. Mork’s naivete, out the left-field references, and complete lack of cynicism perfectly conflicts with Mindy’s realism and understanding of the world around her. If nothing else, this series cemented Williams’s on-screen persona that has kept the audience laughing for decades.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

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Robin Book Review

Robin Williams was one of the most remarkable performers of our time. When he took his life in 2014, his passing created a hole in our culture that will never be filled.

Earlier this year, Dave Itzkoff published Robin, a biography of the late star.

Robin Williams was a walking contradiction. He was a performer who could make audiences laugh and cry at the same time. He played iconic characters in Mork & Mindy, Aladdin, Good Morning Vietnam and Mrs. Doubtfire. But not even those remarkable performances could mask years of dealing with the triple demons of addiction, self-esteem and mental illness.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed because when put Hollywood celebrities on a pedestal, we forget that they are still human beings who deal with the same issues that all human beings deal with.

I absolutely recommend it.

RIP Robin Williams

Dear Robin Williams

I am sad to hear that you are no longer of this world.

I’ve been watching you perform for as long as I can remember.

I remember watching Mork & Mindy reruns as a kid.

Your mile a minute impressions in Aladdin made me laugh.

Your performances in Mrs. Doubtfire and  Hook reminded me of a father’s unending love for his children.

Your performance in Good Will Hunting was searing and powerful.

And yet underneath all of that was a man we never knew and we may never know.

You were human and mortal like the rest of us. You had your own pain, your own scars.

You may be gone, but your legacy will live on forever.

My heart and prayers goes out to those who knew you best, especially your children.

RIP