Mork & Mindy, the quirky and beloved comedy that captured audiences everywhere in the late 70s, is heading back to the small screen in a whole new light. NBC is expanding their successful Behind the Camera franchise by giving a birds-eye view of what went on the tumultuous set that launched the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and talented actors, Robin Williams.
Executive Producer and former Turner executive Jim Head believes this telefilm sits apart from others because it speaks to audiences of all ages. “Some of us enjoyed the show when it was actually airing and younger generations have come to love Williams‘ as an actor and performer through re-runs and DVD’s.” Head also delves into the film’s direct viewpoint of Williams‘ troubles with drugs and womanizing as it takes “a fundamental look at what instant fame can do to a person.”
Following the inception of a promising “behind the scenes” feature of Mork & Mindy, Head approached comedy writer David Misch, whose first Hollywood gig was a staff writer for the original series. When asked how he felt about returning to the distinctive style of prose for a character like Williams, Misch says “the idea that so many years later I could do this was very exciting because I finally got to use some great Mork jokes that I never got to the first time around.”
With a great script and intriguing premise at hand, the next challenge was casting the impossible–a person that could embody the comedic genius of Williams. “Our goal was not to find someone who could do an imitation of Williams, but an actor who could portray the true essence of Robin, and that’s just what we found,” says executive producer Head. Finding a lead for the TV movie was a larger feet than expected, but it was accomplished successfully.
Christopher Diamantopoulos, a Canadian native, not only looks and speaks the part, but also brings to the table a spark of his own. Described as a true tour de force performance, word is that a new star is on the rise. Head explains “the excitement we experienced on the set was very akin to what they must have experienced on the Mork & Mindy set when they realized Williams‘ career was launched.” Diamantopoulos was one of few that stepped to the challenge of emulating the extraordinary actor.
Other notable performances come from newcomer Erinn Hayes who plays Pam Dawber, Mork’s sidekick on-screen and one of Williams‘ close companions in real life, and Daniel Roebuck–who previously played Jay Leno in the HBO telepic The Late Shift–who stars as legendary producer, Garry Marshall.
What started as an unlikely spin-off of an episode of Happy Days has become one of the most memorable sitcoms of all time. The fascinating tale about the rise and fall of Mork & Mindy unfolds Monday at 9/8pm on NBC before bidding its final “nanu, nanu.”
