I know he first appeared on Happy Days, but the concepts of each sitcom are so different. 'Happy Days' was a sitcom based in the 50's while Mork was based in the present day of the '70's. 'mork & Mindy' was also very silly and wacky while Happy Days was more based on realistic situations. Thoughts?

Technically it was a spin off. But the only reason it was a spin off was because 'Happy Days' was red hot at the time and they wanted to use it as a springboard to launch a new show by the same producers. But 'Mork and Mindy' probably could have been successful on its own.

Yes - Mork appeared first on Happy Days and then got his own show. That, in my mind, makes a spinoff. (Sorry, Solomon!! :lol:)

Technically, it is but wasn't Mork & Mindy set in present day (While Happy Days is set in the '50's)? Just like Blansky's Beauties (Nancy Walker's Show) was a spin-off of Happy Days, as Nancy Blansky was first introduced as Howard Cunningham's cousin.
But, this show was set in present day also, and had Scott Baio, Lynda Goodfriend , Eddie Mekka and Pat Mortia playing different characters from those on HD and Laverne & Shirley.

Laverne & Shirley and Joanie Loves Chachi are the only full-fledged spin-offs of Happy Days!

I know he first appeared on Happy Days, but the concepts of each sitcom are so different. 'Happy Days' was a sitcom based in the 50's while Mork was based in the present day of the '70's. 'mork & Mindy' was also very silly and wacky while Happy Days was more based on realistic situations. Thoughts?


Yes it was a spinoff but it was hard to tell in syndication. Even in the Happy Day eps that Mork appeared in it just came across as a guest appearance not really a set up episode for the character that would start the new spinoff. I think the connection to Happy Days was only seen on ABC in 1978

Mork's first appearance on HD was that of a guest character. It wasn't the original intention to spin him off. However, once the network saw the episode and the audience's reaction to Robin Williams, they got the wheels in motion and quickly developed a show for Mork.

And yes, Mork & Mindy was set in the late seventies, but Mork was an alien, so he was capable of time travel.

In his second appearance on Happy Days, Mork explains that he's come back from 1979. Fonzie asks him about two things: Cars and girls.

Mork responds, "In 1979, both are faster."

Mork's first appearance on HD was that of a guest character. It wasn't the original intention to spin him off. However, once the network saw the episode and the audience's reaction to Robin Williams, they got the wheels in motion and quickly developed a show for Mork.

And yes, Mork & Mindy was set in the late seventies, but Mork was an alien, so he was capable of time travel.

In his second appearance on Happy Days, Mork explains that he's come back from 1979. Fonzie asks him about two things: Cars and girls.

Mork responds, "In 1979, both are faster."


That's right, It wasn't supposed to be a spinoff and then when it was a new Report to Ork was made.

That's right, It wasn't supposed to be a spinoff and then when it was a new Report to Ork was made.

I believe the scene you're referring to was added to reruns of Mork's first appearance at the end of the episode.

In the original version, Mork's appearance was explained as a dream of Richie's.

If they ever release season five of Happy Days, I wonder if they'll put the original aired version or the re-edited one.

I believe the scene you're referring to was added to reruns of Mork's first appearance at the end of the episode.

In the original version, Mork's appearance was explained as a dream of Richie's.

If they ever release season five of Happy Days, I wonder if they'll put the original aired version or the re-edited one.


Is there any connection to Happy Days on the season 1 DVD of M&M?

Yes. Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and Laverne (Penny Marshall) appear in the first Mork And Mindy episode.

Yes. Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and Laverne (Penny Marshall) appear in the first Mork And Mindy episode.


I mean before the opening credits like a teaser

I don't remember M&M having a pre-credits sequence or teaser. It just started with the opening theme and cast credits.

Robin Williams wasn't even the first choice for the Mork character, he was a last minute replacement for John Byner (the reason why the spacesuit was so ridiculously tight on RW).

the ratings and hype after the first Mork episode made the network jump on the idea of giving Robin Williams his own show as a spinoff from Happy Days at the start of the next season.

[QUOTE=markway895]Mork & Mindy set in present day (While Happy Days is set in the '50's)? Just like Blansky's Beauties (Nancy Walker's Show) was a spin-off of Happy Days, as Nancy Blansky was first introduced as Howard Cunningham's cousin.
But, this show was set in present day also, and had Scott Baio, Lynda Goodfriend , Eddie Mekka and Pat Mortia playing different characters from those on HD and Laverne & Shirley.

[QUOTE]

The odd thing with Blansky's Beauties....

1) Almost 20 years pass from her appearance on HD, and she's not aged!
2) Pinky Tuscadero appears on BB, and like Nancy, she doesn't appear to have aged!


At least they made Eddie Mekka's character a relative of Carmine and not actually Carmine. As for all the other actors appearing on both (as different characters), I wonder if either (a) they were undercontract to Paramount and they wanted to use them all they could, or (b) the producers hoped that seeing so many familar faces from "Happy Days" might help with ratings?

What was interesting is that Nancy Walker and Pat Morita had both starred in failed sitcoms in the fall of 1976. Blansky's Beauties premiered in mid-season 1977, which meant that their agents worked fast in finding them another show.

I don't remember much about the show. I do recall watching it and thinking it was cool to see Pinky and Arnold again, and that Caren Kaye was stone cold gorgeous, though.;)

Another thing that is interesting is Mork only was in his space suit in tage scene when reporting to Orkan

At the time I thought of it as a spin-off.

Yes. Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and Laverne (Penny Marshall) appear in the first Mork And Mindy episode.

How was the appearance of Fonzie and Laverne, (characters set in the '50's), explained on Mork & Mindy, set in the present day '70's?

How was the appearance of Fonzie and Laverne, (characters set in the '50's), explained on Mork & Mindy, set in the present day '70's?

Mork was telling Mindy about a guy who set him up on a date with laverne in the PAST and they did a flashback to the 50's era and that's when you saw Fonzie, and Laverne.


WHat was strange was you didn't see any of the cunningham's which leads to the question..........why was Laverne and Fonzie in the cunningham's house with Mork if the cunningham's wasn't there?

Mork was telling Mindy about a guy who set him up on a date with laverne in the PAST and they did a flashback to the 50's era and that's when you saw Fonzie, and Laverne.


WHat was strange was you didn't see any of the cunningham's which leads to the question..........why was Laverne and Fonzie in the cunningham's house with Mork if the cunningham's wasn't there?


Richie was in the house. Joanie was at Girl Scouts with Jenny Piccalo. Marion was at her mother Kelp's playing bridge and Howard was at the hardware store. Mork and Mindy was a spinoff of Happy Days.

Richie was in the house. Joanie was at Girl Scouts with Jenny Piccalo. Marion was at her mother Kelp's playing bridge and Howard was at the hardware store. Mork and Mindy was a spinoff of Happy Days.

You are talking about the Crossover with happy days which was a Happy days episode. I'm talking about the Pilot of Mork and Mindy, and the only people in the cunningham house was fonzie, mork and Laverne

Actually, you are correct about that. I think Laverne assaulted Mork. Well, everybody had things they had to do that day. They have lives and were too busy too notice that they had an ALF in the house. LOL.

Actually, you are correct about that. I think Laverne assaulted Mork. Well, everybody had things they had to do that day. They have lives and were too busy too notice that they had an ALF in the house. LOL.


Tom it appeared that the Cunnigham's house was Fonzie's house in that pilot.

In season 5 of Happy Days, Mork returns to Happy Days in the final episode and even makes mention of Mindy to Fonzie and discusses how he time travels.

Whenever a character is taken from one show and another show is developed around that same character, it is a spin-off. So yes, Mork and Mindy is a spin off of Happy Days in the same tradition that Laverne & Shirley was.

Whenever a character is taken from one show and another show is developed around that same character, it is a spin-off. So yes, Mork and Mindy is a spin off of Happy Days in the same tradition that Laverne & Shirley was.

Per what you said, IIRC, Knots Landing was a spinoff of Dallas, in the sense that Gary Ewing was moved from Southfork to Southern California.

I still think it's debatable

Per what you said, IIRC, Knots Landing was a spinoff of Dallas, in the sense that Gary Ewing was moved from Southfork to Southern California.

The funny thing about this is Knots Landing was originally written by David Jacobs and offered to the network before Dallas. But they declined.

When Dallas became a big hit, CBS asked Jacobs for another show. He added Gary and Val Ewing to the cast of characters and once again offered them his Knots Landing script. They eagerly accepted this time.

But yes, because Gary and Val originated on Dallas and migrated to KL, that makes it a spinoff.