After seeing a UFO, Ritchie Cunningham receives a visit from perhaps the strangest space alien in the galaxy, Mork from Ork.
If "Happy Days" hadn't jumped the shark when Fonzie jumped the shark, it might well have with "My Favorite Orkan."
The "flying saucer" setting is perfect for its time. It's just the sort of thing that would have happened circa 1960. But an actual visitation by outer space beings seems a far cry from the show's first couple of seasons. And the challenge match of Mork with Fonzie (Henry Winkler) is embarrassingly bad.
What saves this episode from being a total disaster is a bravura performance by rising talent Robin Williams. And the writers give him some good lines, such as when he's watching television.
In retrospect, however, this episode is only worthy as a kick-start to Williams' career. In 1978 no one had seen anything quite like him (not even Andy Kaufman was this nuts). If it hadn't been for the casting of Williams this episode would have been just another milestone marking the decline of the once-great "Happy Days." It's almost always true that a performer is only as good as his material. Williams rises above the material and deservedly earned his own show.
If "Happy Days" hadn't jumped the shark when Fonzie jumped the shark, it might well have with "My Favorite Orkan."
The "flying saucer" setting is perfect for its time. It's just the sort of thing that would have happened circa 1960. But an actual visitation by outer space beings seems a far cry from the show's first couple of seasons. And the challenge match of Mork with Fonzie (Henry Winkler) is embarrassingly bad.
What saves this episode from being a total disaster is a bravura performance by rising talent Robin Williams. And the writers give him some good lines, such as when he's watching television.
In retrospect, however, this episode is only worthy as a kick-start to Williams' career. In 1978 no one had seen anything quite like him (not even Andy Kaufman was this nuts). If it hadn't been for the casting of Williams this episode would have been just another milestone marking the decline of the once-great "Happy Days." It's almost always true that a performer is only as good as his material. Williams rises above the material and deservedly earned his own show.