TV Guide Recognized Robin Williams' Genius Back in 1978

TV Guide Mork and Mindy (1978) – Mindy (Pam Dawber) Mork (Robin Williams)

Robin Williams died this month at 63 and 30 years ago TV Guide said it best. We lost one of the greatest talents
this world has ever known and the most insane television performer ever:
Robin Williams. Back in 1978 when his brilliant show Mork and Mindy first aired
TV Guide made a special issue featuring the show. At the time Robin
Williams said “Mork is mildly eccentric.” Of course, no one knew what
to expect from the show and certainly didn’t think it would be a
ratings juggernaut that would last four seasons and 94 episodes. But,
the writers could see that Williams was something special and their words seem even more insightful looking back 30 years
later.

I searched around and found the very first issue of TV Guide to
feature the show back in October 28, 1978. If you’ve never seen the
show, it’s a great primer for his wacky style of comedy. If you’ve seen the show, you’ll recognize the makings of genius.

“When Robin
Williams becomes a star, which may be at any moment,” Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In producer George Schlatter said. “they’ll have to devise new words to describe what he does and how he does it.” They never did find words to explain how he did his unique brand of comedy.

Here’s another great quote by producer Gerry Marshall who said, after fan reaction to Williams’ first appearance as Mork in Happy Days, “So, I made up Mork and Mindy. It’s silly and crazy. But Robin transcends the premise  He’s an up-and-coming funny person.” He was up-and-coming and his career kept going up till his tragic death.

The article also touches on his acting training at Julliard and why he decided to become a comedian. It’s this training that led him to receive two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards. Anyone that’s seen his dramatic work know the man was an acting genius. 

The article ends with the greatest quote by Robin Williams that seems to speak from the distant past, “When you’re getting laughs, there’s an incredible amount of energy created.” he said, “You soar into some strange and wondrous nether zone of total freedom. When it works, it’s a great release for both the performer and the audience. It’s a mutual high. And it’s priceless.”

What do you think of the article? Do you miss Robin Williams

If you enjoyed this, then please use the buttons below to tell your
friends about this post! Follow us! Email
| RSS
|  Twitter | Facebook