Mork & Mindy: Mindy Gets Her Job

Mork & Mindy: Mindy Gets Her Job
ABC
January 22, 1981
Sitcom
DVD
C+

In this Tenowich & Sharlach story, Mindy gets a job at the local TV station.  Foster Brooks makes his first of three appearances as Lola's uncle, station manager Miles Sternhagen, and it's weird to see him sober in his first scene, before showing up near the end to do his patented drunk act.  At first, given the title and plot, it seems like the focus will be on Mindy for a change, and there's a cute bit where she finds out that all the other "girls" applying are like her, including Mandy McDonald.  But there's a sequence with Glenda Faye and Jeanie that almost sucks the life out of the episode, and later Mork takes over the newscast, which would be OK if he were funnier.

Williams's best line is actually when he comes in and makes a Popeye reference, including about the arms.  (His performance in the title role had been released December 12th, and I remember how cool I found this reference at the time.)  He also imagines Reagan saying, "Line?" at the inauguration.  (I don't know if they knew this episode would air the same week, since production order is not necessarily airdate order.)  It feels a little weird that Mork's report to Orson is about jobs, considering Mork himself has had a few jobs by this point, but I guess it had to be about something.

Amy Tenowich and Stephanie Kayano return as Lola and Stephanie.  Pat Cranshaw has his third and longest-lasting Mork role, as cameraman Jake Loomis.