Hub Network To Air Special ‘Happy Days’ Episode That Led To Mork And Mindy Spin-Off
Happy Days may be best remembered as one of the most beloved family sitcoms of the late-1970s and early-1980s. In 1978, it produced a unique character and subsequent spin-off; Mork from Ork, the alien who eventually paired with a human companion in Mork and Mindy.
Mork from Ork was played by Robin Williams, and in light of Williams’ recent passing, the Hub Network has chosen to revisit the Happy Days episode where Mork first appeared. The program, titled “My Favorite Orkan,” will screen twice on Friday, and feature the alternate ending that led to the Mork and Mindy series. The Hollywood Reporter reveals an on-air tribute to Williams is also planned for Friday.
Garry Marshall, who was the executive producer of both Happy Days and Mork and Mindy, once said that Williams got the role of Mork because “[h]e was the only alien to audition.” Upon the news of Williams’ passing, Marshall paid tribute to his genius on Mork and Mindy, as quoted by Deadline:
“The first season of Mork & Mindy, I knew immediately that a three-camera format would not be enough to capture Robin and his genius talent. So I hired a fourth camera operator and he just followed Robin. Only Robin. Looking back, four cameras weren’t enough. I should have hired a fifth camera to follow him too.”
“I will forever be in awe of his timing, his talent and his pure and golden creativity. He could make everybody happy but himself. He was my friend and it is rare that you ever have a friend that is also a genius.”
Mork and Mindy was hatched in short order following Williams’ scene-stealing performance in the Happy Days episode.
Writer-producer Brian Levant told E! News:
“[The episode] was Robin Williams’ literal birth as an entertainer. He was an unqualified genius in that rehearsal and the cast of Happy Days was tremendously generous ceding the stage to him and everybody walked out of that show saying ‘spin-off, spin-off, spin-off.’ And we walked upstairs and wrote a bunch of great stuff.”
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, tributes to Williams have been pouring in since news of his unexpected death broke on Monday. Among those speaking out was Happy Days star Henry Winkler, who spoke on Today about Williams and his appearance as Mork:
“All you see are sparks. You knew you were in the presence of greatness. This man was from another planet.”
The Happy Days special rerun will air twice, back-to-back, at 9pm ET/6pm PT on the Hub Network, Friday, August 15th.
[Images: Happy Days/ABC/Google]
