Out of the Blue (1979 TV series)
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| Out of the Blue | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom/Fantasy |
| Starring | Jimmy Brogan |
| Country of origin |  USA |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | September 9, 1979 – December 16, 1979 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Love, American Style Happy Days |
| Related shows | Laverne & Shirley Blansky's Beauties Mork & Mindy Joanie Loves Chachi The New Love, American Style |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Out Of The Blue is a short-lived American fantasy-based sitcom that aired on the ABC during the fall of 1979. It is chiefly notable as having featured a Mork and Mindy crossover, and for the controversy surrounding its status as a spin-off of Happy Days.
The series starred Jimmy Brogan as Random, an angel-in-training who is assigned to live with (and act as guardian angel for) a family and work as a high school teacher. Brogan went on to be a writer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1992.
The unsuccessful series aired from September 9 to December 16, 1979. Less than ten episodes had been aired at the time of cancellation. Some completed material was never broadcast.[1]
Contents |
[edit] A true spin-off?
Out of the Blue has engendered debate amongst some viewers concerning its precise relationship to Happy Days. The controversy arises from the fact that the first episode of the show was broadcast a little over one week prior to an episode of Happy Days featuring Jimmy Brogan's "Random" character. Television observer and owner of Sitcoms Online, Todd Fuller, maintains that because "Chachi Sells His Soul" aired on 18 September 1979, Random's appearance on this Happy Days episode was a crossover. He goes on to postulate: "The Happy Days episode was likely a promotional tool for Out of the Blue to make the character more known."[2]
This view is countered by two expressed at tv.com. One editor claims that the Happy Days episode was delayed "because of pre-emption, but it originally was supposed to serve as the pilot." A subsequent editor gave greater detail: "It seems clear the Random character (and the actor) was tested on Happy Days, with the episode being held back until after the series was approved for the new fall season."[1]
Thom Holbrook, veteran crossover and spin-off analyst, sees the arguments against calling it a spin-off, but ultimately concludes: "Making it a crossover would be basing things all on an odd bit of scheduling decades ago. The intent was spin off. The tone of the Happy Days episode is that of a dry run on the character, that of a pilot episode."[3]
Whatever the actual production intent, contemporary viewers would have seen Random appear on Happy Days in the week between the second and third episodes of Out of the Blue. In the absence of a home video release for Out of the Blue, modern viewers have only "Chachi Sells His Soul" on which to base their opinions.
[edit] Cast list
- Jimmy Brogan as Random
- Dixie Carter as Aunt Marion
- Clark Brandon as Chris Richards (16)
- Olivia Barash as Laura Richards (13)
- Tammy Lauren as Stacey Richards (10)
- Jason Keller as Jason Richards (8)
- Shane Keller as Shane Richards (8)
- Hannah Dean as Gladys
- Eileen Heckart as The Boss Angel
[edit] External links
- Out of the Blue at the Internet Movie Database
- RetroJunk (show intro)
- http://www.sitcomsonline.com/outoftheblue.html
