
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 30, 1991                   TAG: 9103300423
SECTION: SPECTATOR                    PAGE: S-20   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Baltimore Evening Sun
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

`MORK & MINDY' BEAMED ONTO CABLE'S `NICK AT NITE'

Everybody probably remembers the phrase "nanu, nanu" and maybe even the Vulcan-like hand gesture that went with it. It means "goodbye" in the language of the planet Ork. But who remembers the other word that every kid in school seemed to be saying following the 1978 splashdown of "Mork & Mindy" on ABC?

We'll tell you in a minute, after noting that reruns of the four-season Robin Williams sitcom have joined Nickelodeon's "Nick at Nite" nightly cable lineup.

The series, of course, told the story of space alien Mork (Williams), sent on a study mission to Earth from his home planet, where the concept of emotions was alien. He ended up platonically cohabiting in Boulder, Colo., with Mindy (Pam Dawber), a neophyte TV reporter who taught him the ways of humans.

Those with a sense of TV's cyclical nature appreciated the parallels with "My Favorite Martian" (1963-66), in which Ray Walston was the alien houseguest of newspaper reporter Bill Bixby. Some may also remember that alien Mork first appeared the previous season on an episode of "Happy Days."

A huge hit in its first season, "Mork & Mindy" suffered at the hands of format fiddlers in subsequent seasons, although it offered work to a couple of good TV veterans, Tom Poston and Jonathan Winters, and included the eventual marriage of the title characters.

The other catch-word spawned by the show? "Shazzbat!" It meant something like "darn," and always seemed to be a fond tribute to the "Shazzam!" uttered by "Gomer Pyle" (Jim Nabors).

by CNB