| "Metamorphosis, the TV Show" | |
|---|---|
| Season 4, Episode #13 (#86) in series (95 episodes) | |
 Mork and Mearth swap bodies, which later intensifies her problems with her new boss in "Metamorphosis: The TV Show" in Season 4 (ep.#13). | |
| "Mork & Mindy" episode | |
| Guest Star(s): | Charles Bloom Patrick Cranshaw Jillian Kesner Randy Brooks Cary Zateslo |
| Network: | ABC-TV |
| Production code: | 413 (4x13) |
| Writer(s) | Bob Perlow & Gene Braunstein |
| Director | Bob Claver |
| Original airdate | January 21, 1982 |
IMDB 
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Metamorphosis, the TV Show |
| Episode chronology | |
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Metamorphosis, the TV Show was the 13th episode from season 4 of Mork & Mindy, also the 86th overall episode. Co-written by Bob Perlow and Gene Braunstein, the episode, which was directed by Bob Claver, premiered on ABC-TV on January 21, 1982.
Synopsis[]
A change of management at KTNS leaves Mindy's job in jeopardy. One that's made worse when an accident at home results in Mork and Mearth swapping bodies, just when she needs Mork to accompany her to a work event that could make or break her nascent career.
Plot[]
On air, Mindy is finishing up her first week on the air hosting "Wake Up Boulder", with guests Mary Sheridan, an author with an incredibly lengthy and direct titled Anti-Nuclear book, and Tommy Nesbitt a local Rubik's Cube expert, who has been on all week and still hasn't finished the puzzle. As Mindy does her summation, she takes the time to thank her boss, Mr. Sternhagen for having faith in the show and her career. Jake gives her direction from behind the camera on the floor while the credits role, and as they go off air, tells her it was nice of her to say those things about Sternhagen, and he's sure they'll be of great comfort to him. Stopped in her tracks by that, she asks if Sternhagen is sick? Jake lowers the boom, snarkily telling her the show should be called "Wake Up Mindy". Sternhagen is out, fired. He tells her they have a new boss and she's 'just polished the wrong guy's apple', calling her a jerk. Bewildered as usual by his antipathy towards her, she soon starts to fret about what he's said, Tommy Nesbitt's cry of 'I'm finished' of his Rubik's Cube, prompting her to comment that he's not the only one.
At the apartment, Fred has brought over a huge electric train set, all set up on a massive trestle table , complete with bridges, stations, water towers, people and scenery. As Fred calls out 'all aboard' listing the stations they train is going to stop at, Mork and Mearth chug out from the bedroom in classic train driver gear. Mork enthuses over the detail of the set up, saying it's only missing a Robber Baron and some exploited Chinese workers. Mearth immediately wants to drive the engines, but Fred tells him he'd better watch him for a while first. The set he says actually belongs to Mindy, as he gave her the entire thing 20 years ago, but she wasn't interested, recalling her childhood play days. Once he's finished, Mearth calls his grandfather's tale heartwarming and nostalgic, then demands he 'fork over' the controls. Fred gives him access to the two handled control system, but almost as soon as Mearth takes control it grinds to a halt, prompting a temper tantrum. Calming him down Fred tells Mearth it's just a few loose connections on the transformer as the set is old and doesn't work very well. Tightening a few wires Fred gets it moving again to their collective delight. With the train in full flow, Mindy gets home and tells them immediately the big news that Sternhagen was fired. But apart from getting a wave and a 'Big Kiss, Hon' from Mork there is absolutely no reaction, all the McConnell men absorbed with the trains, Mork demanding a turn at control.
Asking if anyone is listening to her, and suggesting her career might be more important than playing with trains, asking them to turn it off just for a minute. Fred responds turning it off and apologizing, Mork following to be 'the dutiful husband', but Mearth begging off saying he 'has' to experience this railroad stuff. Happy to let her son play away, she gets back to her news with her father and husband, Sternhagen she tells them was just tossed "out on his ear without a word.", just like The Ropers Mork bemoans. Mindy reminds him that it was Sternhagen who hired her, and gave her her shot at her own show, now with a change of management she's worried what's going to happen. Fred thinks she'll be just fine without him, that she's very good at what she does on her own, but gets distracted by Mearth tying a family to the train tracks. Mork can tell she's upset and puts his arm around his 'little breadwinner' telling her to remember that the darkness is always 'around 3am'. But he didn't hear the plug she gave Sternhagen on air, she says, if the new boss heard she could lose her job. Mork has to agree that could be a problem. With her out of work whose going to pay for the food, the rent, the bills? And the smoke pellets for the train engine, he adds getting back up to run back to Fred & Mearth. With all the men in her life more concerned with playing with trains, Mindy is left alone to worry over a real potential problem.
At the station the next day, all the staff are gathering to meet the new boss. Judy Marino, the Weather Person talking to Mindy figures that as long as they're working hard and doing a good job they're safe. Mindy figures she's right, but checks with her on her hair and lip gloss to be on the safe side. Stan Jackson, the station's Sportscaster, tells Mindy not to be so uptight, big deal that the new boss, Pierson is some hotshot with a published thesis on programming, he's barely out of college. Besides he feels he's safe in sportscasting, and that there's always a stink when they fire minorities. Mindy feels she'll be okay, Boulder has to wake up after all. Not with her, Jake sticks the knife into her again from behind, after which their new boss makes an appearance. Daniel Pierson, looking barely more than 22, Mindy feeling he looks more likely to be General Manager of a MacDonalds than a news station. Judy thinks he looks cute, but Jake with his usual acerbity tells them who cares what he looks like. He informs them the way he's lasted so long is keeping his self respect, never kowtowing to any of them. Leaving them, he heads over to greet Pierson, taking off his hat, shaking his hand, introducing himself and complimenting his suit, Mindy, Judy & Stan exchanging looks as Jake proceeds to suck up hugely, offering telling him he's been there 29 years and offering him the inside dirt on anyone he wants in the station. But it doesn't work out as planned. Pierson tells Jake that in all the world there is nothing sadder than 'an old fink' and fires him on the spot, which puts Mindy, Stan & Judy right on edge. Jake doesn't take it well at all, telling Pierson he's going to meet the same people on the way down as he did on his way up, calling him 'Sonny' as he storms out. Mindy feels bad for him, even though she doesn't like him, Stan agrees wondering if he can get his parking space. Pierson gathers their attention and puts paid to the rumor that some of them are going to be fired. That is a fact. He also announces an informal, but mandatory, get together that night where he will announce some of his ideas, and wants to meet their families. He wants to make KTNS 'the place to be'...for some of them. Mindy, fatalistic at that, turns to Stan and Judy and suggests they all try and stay in touch. But Stan and Judy have their own proactive ideas. Mindy watches mouth open as Stan flagrantly sucks up to Pierson, pretending his grip is super strong, bribing him with the offer of a Broncos jacket before reminding him, he's black. While Judy offers him a great KTNS warm front of a welcome, taking down her hair and kissing him, telling him there's more where that came from.
Mindy not being willing or able to match either of those approaches, decides to introduce herself all the same, but as she takes her first step, Mork sticks his head in the door and calls her. Her Mork 'good intention/bad outcome' immediately on high alert, Mindy steels herself, and sure enough Mork pulls out and announces that he has a 'telegram from a major news Network in New York!' for her. Which naturally grabs everyone's attention. Grabbing him, Mindy pleads with him not to do this to her. But it gets worse, as he 'answers' her by telling her he as to Sing it! Unable to stop him, she can only watch as he finds his key, and to the vast amusement of those around him (and mortification of Mindy) delivers a terrible singing/dancing telegram, that 'says' they're looking for a newscaster who speaks quite well, doesn't wear a toupee, and has a college degree. Mindy tries to laugh it off, grabbing him as goes into a finishing dance, and Stan asks her if her parking space any closer than Jakes? Turning to Pierson, Mindy sheepishly introduces herself, telling him that was just a little joke, and introduces Mork telling him he's her husband and he was just kidding around, that he's just a little nervous about her job. Pierson tells her not to apologize that he appreciates family concern, telling her about his mother calling him to make sure he was dressing warm. 'Oedipus Shmedipus' Mork tells him, Mindy loves Momma's Boys, and Mindy shoots him a look that could kill. Fortunately for her, Pierson gets and appreciates Mork's sense of humor and tells her to make sure to bring him to the event that night, thinking Mork could give him a couple of pointers on where people are 'at'. Mindy smilingly agrees and after Pierson moves away, tries to get Mork to go. Mork agrees, buying into his own publicity saying he needs to go wait by the phone for all the big offers for her to start rolling in, telling her he's going to help make her big, using the example of another showbusiness husband, but unfortunately one who purportedly completely undermined his wife's career. Mindy feeling he's well on his way to that.
Back at home, Mearth is still playing with the train and has another tantrum when it stops, calling on his father to come make it work. Mork getting dressed up to go with Mindy to the party that evening comes out fixing his bow tie, seeing Mearth's 'bulldog' face, he resolves to fix the transformer as Fred did, and with a few twists claims to have fixed it. Suggesting they turn it back on together, both of them grab one of the controls and though the train starts to run, both of them get shocked by electrical currents feeding back through them as they hold the controls till it overloads and blows, both of their hands shooting away. Mork turns to Mearh, and in Mearth's 'voice' asks his Daddy why he's talking to him, but looking at him. 'Shazbot!' Mearth replies realizing he's now Mork in Mearth's body and vice versa. Mearth/Mork tells his son not to panic, there has to be an explanation for this, but before he can figure it out, Mindy knocks on the door calling on him to get the door for her as her hands are full. Mearth/Mork tells his son to keep calm, pretend he's him, and like nothing has happened, as it'll make Mindy uptight But Mork/Mearth starts to have tantrum. Quieting him, Mearth/Mork opens the door, and a dry cleaning laden Mindy walks in looking, naturally at Mork/Mearth thinking he's still just Mork, and asking what's going on. Looking between father and son, she's bewildered when her 'son' calls her 'Little Pooter', goes 'Min Min Min' and goes for a 'Big Kiss', asking 'Mearth' what he just said. Mork/Mearth replies 'Nothing, Mommy'. Mearth/Mork accuses his son of being a stoolie, and he confesses to her that they've changed minds, really freaking her out when he slides an arm around her, asking her if she likes him a little taller, leaving her to ask the universe a plaintive "Why me?"
A short while later, Mindy is still trying to get her head around the fact they managed to transfer their minds, through a trainset! It's like a bad horror movie she tells Mork, only she's married to the mad scientist...she's also talking to her son. Mearth/Mork telling her she's talking to the wrong body. When she asks him how long its' going to last he has no idea, anything from 24 hours to 150 years, and makes the suggestion they better get ready to head to her party. Looking at him, she calls him Mearth, only for Mork/Mearth to ask her 'Yes Mommy?' Looking back and forth between them her mind getting addled trying to deal with her husband in her son's body and son in her husband's body, she finally asks Mork/Mearth to go up to his room so she can talk to his father...in Mearth's body. She's then faced with watching her husband's body in full facsimile of one of her son's tantrums, while her son's body reprimands him, warning not to pull that face or it'll 'stick like that', before Mork/Mearth storms off in a huff upstairs, calling his father a 'joke'. As soon as he's gone Mind sends Mearth/Mork to the couch, 'KO' he says but reminds her they'll be late to the party if they delay much more. Mindy is stunned he even thinks that's possible, saying there's no way she can go to the party with him looking like Mearth. Mindy listens, trying to deal with the face of her son using his father's endearments for her and suggesting in an innuendo laden way that she 'Take my Body, please!" feeling the chances are her boss won't much look past the face. But Mindy feels her job is already hanging by a thread, she can't take Mearth in Mork's body with her, he's just a child. True Mearth/Mork says, but he reminds her he's still half a superior being, and will be almost as good as he would have been. That, she tells him, is what she's afraid of.
Later, at the party, a dressed up and very tense Mindy, enters holding Mork/Mearth's hand. Her son is immediately unimpressed, Mork's face contorted into a scowl wanting to know where the cake, party hats, and pushy father with the movie camera is? As he goes into a mini tantrum, Mindy calls him Mork, then corrects herself, reminding Mearth that this is very important to 'Mommy' and to remember their agreement, that if he behaves she'll write him that note he wants to get him out of gym. He promises he'll try and behave like an adult. Mindy nods and says she thinks she should do all the talking Mork/Mearth nodding. Looking around she's surprised to see Jake, and tells him she's glad to see he's back, but he's there in the capacity of a waiter, offering her a stuffed mushroom, Mork/Mearh immediately breaking his vow of silence and kicking Jake when he's down calling him 'Older than dirt' Mindy says she's glad to see him working, and Jake tells her that it's just temporary, he intends to ask for his job back and if Pierson says no, he's going to kill him.
Before she can react to that Pierson, already wearing the Denver Broncos jacket Stan promised him, calls everyone attention, to present the new KTNS line up and calls on Judy, who is now already 'Ju Ju' in his books, to help unveil the board. When it is, the only people cut are the host of the morning cartoons, Skipper Bill, and Mindy and her show. To be replaced by the Morning Movie of the week, starting, to the underwhelmed reaction of all present, with Ben Gazzara Week. Jake tells Mindy not to worry, Pierson's dead, but with nothing to lose Mindy, Mork/Mearth in tow goes to speak to Pierson, telling him she thinks he's made a real mistake and not just because she's the host of the show, but because it provides an actual service to the community. While Mork/Mearth plays with the punchbowl, pretending tiny divers are plunging into it from his hand, Pierson explains that this is all purely economics, at which Mork/Mearth pipes up that he likes the Road Runner. Pierson wonders what he means, and Mindy tries to quieten her husband/son, but Pierson says he's interested in what the general public has to say. Maybe not, she murmurs, but Mork/Mearth goes on saying how he likes and imitates the Road Runners 'Meep Meep'. Pierson is fascinated that a grown man would watch cartoons, and Mork/Mearth tells him yes, he's watched Popeye 14 times, but what he really likes is when Wile E. Coyote tries to follow Road Runner through a tunnel and ends up two dimensional.
Mindy tries to 'explain' as Mork/Mearth goes to investigate the food behind Pierson, that what 'Mork' means is that he appreciates a heightened sense of reality. which contrasts with the drabness of every day life...which Pierson pretends he knew. But feels that his morning movie will also accomplish that. Behind him Mork/Mearth tries to peel a banana which turns out to be wax, grousing 'Bummer, this is not real'. When Pierson wonders what he means by that, Mindy fudges asking "You don't know?" Unwilling to admit he doesn't, Pierson comes up with his own explanation, Mindy keeping a non-committal expression, as he suggests that its a simple metaphorical approach that movies can only simulate reality, while cartoons create their own heightened sense of reality, ergo all that is real is completely unreal. When Mork/Mearth comments happily (about olives) "Those are real!", Pierson turns to him and tells him that's brilliant, 'reality is direct personal experience!' don't meet the sense of necessary heightened reality. He compliments Mindy, saying he had no idea that Mork had such a grasp on their medium. Neither did she, she replies, just going with the weird flow! Mork/Mearth says he's still hungry...unfulfilled, and Mindy watches as Pierson nods 'understanding' that Mork is unfulfilled by the limited programming on TV today. That people are hungry for the exchange of ideas! Right, he checks with Mindy? Right, she agrees, seeing her opening, saying it's up to their programming to help feed that hunger. Like a talk show, Pierson decides, oblivious to the full circle he's come, with Mindy praising the idea, definitely not pointing that out, even when the name he comes up with 'Stop Sleeping Boulder' is virtually the same as 'Wake Up Boulder'. "Finally something, good!" Mork/Mearth exclaims finding some dip he likes.
Pierson, still unaware that Mork/Mearth is playing with obsessed with food, agrees that it is a good idea, and decides that all he needs now is the perfect host, leaving Mindy at a loss. But Mork/Mearth has spotted a floral arrangement commenting, "Look, pretty, right under my nose". Right again, Pierson feels turning to Mork, they need someone who can exude 'Intelligence, Warmth & Grace', then turning back to Mindy tells her until they can find someone, she's it. Bemused, she thanks him, and Pierson preens over his 'new creation' before heading off. Stunned, Mindy moves to Mork/Mearth, and tells him that he's an amazing little boy, that he got her her job back, temporarily at least. Enjoying her praise, he thanks his mother, but asks her can they go home now as 'Daddy's shorts' are really riding up on him.
Back at home, Fred getting his own head around the switch, asks Mearth/Mork, if he thinks that the reverse transfer process will work. Maybe, he shrugs. Mindy though is determined to keep a positive attitude, thinking it always worked in Frankenstein. Fred spots that she is more desperate than hopeful for it work, and commiserates saying he knows its not been easy for her, but at least she got her show back. She nods, saying Pierson hasn't turned out to be that bad, he even hired Jake back...after the bomb squad left. Father and Son, prepare for the switch back, but when they each grasp one of the controls on the transformer nothing happens. Mork/Mearth grouses at his father's failure telling him he should work for the Department of Defense. But Fred notices what's wrong, they just forgot to plug the set in. As they grasp the controls gain, Fred bends down to plug it in and the electricity immediately courses back through them as it did before, both of their hands shooting free again as it stops. Blinking, Mork back in his own body, looks across at Mindy and grins with a "Little Pooter, I'm back!" Mindy sagging in relief as he comes to hug her. However, Mearth, speaking in a very mature voice, tells Mork & Mindy hat he's happy 'for you kids' and now that everything is 'back to normal' he better head off to rehearsal, sliding an imaginary trombone, and heads out. Fred behind them, petulantly proclaims that now it's worse, now he's bald! And gives Mork & Mindy a shot of Butchy the Dog Faced Boy Mindy rushes to the door to get her father in Mearth's body back, with Mork in pursuit telling her not to worry they'll switch them back, and maybe after that he and Mindy could switch with each other, he's always wanted to be whistled at by Construction workers.
Trivia[]
General[]
- The title of the episode Metamorphosis, the TV Show, may be an allusion to the fact that after Metamorphosis, the book (by Kafka) in the mid 70s there was Metamorphosis, the album, by the Rolling Stones (full of alternate versions and outtakes of older songs).
- Mork cracks a joke about the Nielsen ratings being old and unreliable like the transformer on Fred's train set. Nielsen ratings are the television ratings system, which has been questioned and criticized for decades, and shows popularity, it was felt. were unfairly and inaccurately judged by their narrow constraints, Mork and Mindy among them.
- There is a little in house nod to producer/writer Dale McRaven's short lived but critically acclaimed 'Texas Wheelers' (1974-1975) starring a pre-Star Wars Mark Hamill and Gary Busey. The show on KTNS's line up, in the Prime Time 8-9 slot, as revealed by Pierson during the evening get together/announcement.
- The Oedipal gag, that Mork makes about Pierson, also runs through the latter half of the episode, as Mindy effectively ends up with her son as her husband.
- There's another in joke gag around Robin William's' role as Popeye, with Mork/Mearth saying he's seen it 14 times, and if you run it backwards it even has an ending.
Pop Culture[]
- Tommy Nesbitt's appearance on Mindy's show with his Rubik's Cube is indicative of the massive world wide craze for the game in the early 80s, and guests (often kids) would appear on mainstream shows to exhibit (or compete) on how fast they could complete it.
- Fred tells Mork the train set was given to Mindy 20 years back but she was only interested in toys that cried or had best friends called Midge, referring to Barbie. Pam Dawber herself preferred Midge.
- Mindy says of Mr. Sternhagen, "They just tossed him out on his ear without a word," and Mork replies, "Is nothing sacred? First the Ropers, now Miles Sternhagen!" The Ropers were characters in the popular ABC sitcom Three's Company, who were given a spin-off and a verbal agreement that if the show failed, they would be allowed to return to Three's Company. The Ropers was canceled after two seasons but the characters never returned to their original show.
- Howard Cosell, a favorite imitation of Mork gets another mention, this time in Mork's singing telegram looking to recruit Mindy as she doesn't wear a toupee like the boxing commentator.
- Mork's singing Telegram looking to recruit Mindy, is purported to be signed by Roone Arledge, who was made the president of ABC News in 1977.
- Mork tells Mindy he's going to do for her what Alan Hamel did for Suzanne Somers. Somers' was the breakout star of Three's Company, and after they got married, Hamel supposedly encouraged her towards making massive demands of ABC including a rise from $30,000 to $150,000 an episode and 10 percent ownership of the show's profits. These resulted ultimately in the downgrading of her role and termination of her contract.
- Mearth tells Mork if he wants to see a happy face he should go see the musical Annie
- Mork tells Mearth he'll fix the train set and make the trains run better than Mussolini ever did. One of the Italian fascist dictators purported achievements being that he made 'the trains run on time.
- Pierson says in the wake of his (non) creation, he now knows how God and Norman Lear feels. Lear being the creator of sitcoms such as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time (and its 2017 remake), The Jeffersons, Good Times, and Maude.
- Mindy, hopeful of it's working, says the process always works in Frankenstein, referring to the part electricity plays in bringing the Monster to life in Mary Shelley's novels and the adapted movies.
Quotes/Excerpts[]
- Mindy: *to Judy & Stand* Oh I'm really not that insecure, after all Boulder does have to wake up in the morning, right?
- Jake: *from behind her* Not with you!
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- Pierson: Now, first of all I would like to put an end to the rumor that people are going to be fired. It is not a rumor! That is a fact.
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- Mork: Mind! Min! Min! Am I glad I caught up with you *announces loudly* I have a telegram for you from a MAJOR NEWS NETWORK IN NEW YORK!
- Mindy: *cringes and pleads* Mork, don't do this to me!
- Mork: Read it, hon?! I have to SING it!
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- Pierson: I want you to know that I appreciate family concern. Why just this morning my mom called me to see I had dressed warm.
- Mork: Oedipus Shmedipus' Mindy really loves Momma's Boys!
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- Mindy: Don't you have to be leaving now, honey?
- Mork: No.
- Mindy: Think again! *tugs him past her towards the door*
- Mork* *swings around back to her" You're right! I should go home and wait by the phone for all those important phone calls that are going to come pouring in, babe! *slides his arm around her* Sweetheart? I'm going to do for you what Alan Hamel did for Susanne Somers.
- Mindy: *smiling resignedly* I think you already did.
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- Mindy: Mork! I can't take you to the party with *that* face!
- Mearth/Mork: Little Pooter, Min Min Min Min Min. Not this face. Let me make something clear, as clear as your complexion. Chances are the boss is going to come over and look at Mork, right? Then take my body! Please! *winks*
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- Mork: Mind! Mind! Mind! Now come on don't worry! We'll switch them back. And then maybe after that, you and I can switch? I've always wanted to be whistled at by construction workers.
Image gallery[]
Cast & Crew[]
Starring[]
- Robin Williams as Mork
- Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell
- Conrad Janis as Fred McConnell
- Jonathan Winters as Mearth McConnell