Written by: Ashtyn at 4:28 am
Filed under: DVD Box Sets,Television
Writers: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Robin Williams, Pam Dawber, Conrad Janis
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Release Date: November 27, 2007
Everybody knows Mork from Ork. He’s that loveable alien that won the hearts of adults and children throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. I was just barely born when the show was coming to a close, but I loved the show when it was in syndication. I grew up watching Mork & Mindy and other similar shows, such as Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley all while in reruns. These shows were classic comedic sitcoms and nothing can compare to them in this day and age.
At the time of Mork & Mindy, Robin Williams was becoming known as one of the best comedians of his time. This show just sealed how popular he was as an entertainer. While the series went through many changes in its four years and seasons, those who tend to remember it, remember it fondly. While season three isn’t as good for most of the fans, as the first season, it is much better than the second season, which had Mindy’s father missing throughout most of it. I enjoyed watching Mork & Mindy the first time and though it is quite silly, I enjoyed watching this season now.
Release Information:
Mork & Mindy made its debut with audiences on September 14, 1978. It lasted for four seasons until the last episode aired on May 27, 1982. The show faced a lot of problems due to the fact that it switched timeslots multiple times during its four year run. Luckily, for those of us who love the show, Paramount Home Video started releasing DVDs of Mork & Mindy on September 7, 2004. This is when the first season was originally released. From there, the second season became available on April 17, 2007.
Paramount Home Video released Mork & Mindy – The Third Season on November 27, 2007. The box set has four discs and 22 episodes included in the set. The box set can be purchased both locally and online at retailers such as Amazon, where the DVD set is selling for $32.99.
The Mork and Mindy – The Third Season Plot
Mork & Mindy had a specific formula to each episode. This formula initially made the show successful, yet it also led, in part, to its demise. The show centers on Mork (Robin Williams), an alien from the planet Ork. Mork has come down to study and learn about humans and their interesting customs. For all intents and purposes, Mork looks like a human. Of course, he has some really crazy habits that make him a bit of an oddball, but people just think he’s a crazy human and not an alien.
Mork first appeared on an episode of the popular sitcom, Happy Days. In the episode, he came down from Ork to kidnap Richie Cunningham. Audiences were so receptive to Mork’s appearance on Happy Days that he ended up getting his own show. This is how Mork & Mindy began. On Mork & Mindy, Mork is guided by Mindy (Pam Dawber), a human, who hides the secret he is an alien and helps him understand humans. Mork lives in Mindy’s attic, much to the chagrin of Mindy’s father, Fred “Fredzo” McConnell (Conrad Janis). At the end of the show, Mork reports his “earthly findings” and the lessons he learned during the episode to an Orkian (who you never see) named Orson.
The third season of Mork & Mindy wasn’t as good as the first season, which was so popular it was one of the top three shows in the ratings for the season when it iared. It was better than the second season though and it did have some funny moments that made each episode enjoyable in its own right. The shows were really wacky in season three with some crazy ideas that could only make sense on Mork & Mindy. While some people didn’t like to what extremes the show went, I found it to be some of the funniest moments of Mork & Mindy.
The two part “Putting the Ork Back in Mork” was amongst my favorite episodes. These two episodes show Mork going to another extreme as he takes on a human persona. Mork has become so human he wants to be known as Mory. It is the goal of the episodes to put the Ork back into Mork because Mory isn’t nearly as fun as Mork is. After these two episodes, the remaining episodes include “Mork in Never-Never Land”, “Dueling Skates”, “Mork the Prankster”, “Mork, the Monkey’s Uncle”, “Gunfight at the Mor-kay Corral”, “Mork’s New Look”, “Alas Poor Mork, We Knew Him Well”, “Mork and the Bum Rap”, “Mindy Gets Her Job”, “Twelve Angry Appliances”, “There’s a New Mork in Town”, “Mork Meets Robin Williams”, “Mindy, Mindy, Mindy”, “Mork, the Swinging Single”, “Mork and Mindy Meet Rick and Ruby”, “Mork and the Family Reunion”, “Old Muggable Mork”, “I Heard it Through the Morkvine”, “Mindy and Mork”, and “Reflections and Regrets”.
Storyline/Plot: 
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Directing:
Audio/Visual:
Mork & Mindy – The Third Season is available in full frames with an aspect ratio transfer of 1.33:1. The picture looks great compared to what is seen on television in reruns. The picture has been updated for these DVDs and it shows. Mork & Mindy – The Third Season shows crisp, clear, panoramic views of Boulder, Colorado (where the show was set) and the only issues are minor instances of grain and compression artifacts. These won’t affect viewing pleasure since they’re just minor problems. Otherwise, the show looks great, especially for something made in the 1970s.
The audio is also excellent. It’s the typical Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, which is pretty much what you can expect of an older sitcom. The sound comes through clearly and though it isn’t as impressive as Dolby 5.1 it doesn’t make viewing any worse by having mono sound. It is just as enjoyable as it was (if not more) when it aired on television in syndication and before.
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Bonus Features:
Sadly, Mork & Mindy – The Third Season does not include any bonus features. While a commentary by Robin Williams or a “Making of” with cast interviews and thoughts on the show by the cast and crew would be appreciated, hopefully these things will be included in season four’s DVD or a special collector’s edition of the whole series once all of the seasons have been released. For now, color me disappointed.
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Bottom Line:
Mork & Mindy – The Third Season is a silly, fun show. You can’t take this show seriously. If you do, you won’t like it. I’ve been a Mork & Mindy fan for years so I was certain I would love this box set. If you like the show, I recommend you purchase it without hesitation. If you aren’t sure, you can rent the DVD at your local blockbuster or try catching it on television if it happens to come back in reruns.
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Technorati Tags: Mork and Mindy, The Third Season, Pam Dawber, Robin Williams, sitcom, comedy, Mork from Ork
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
