| "Out of the Blue" (TV series) | |
|---|---|
 '"Out of the Blue" opening title screen logo | |
|
Network/Country |
ABC-TV / United States |
|
Starring: |
Jimmy Brogan |
|
Running time |
22–24 minutes |
|
Production companies: |
Miller-Milkis Productions, Paramount Network Television |
|
Distributed by: |
CBS Television Distribution |
|
Written by: |
Barry Kemp |
|
Executive Producers: |
Austin Kalish |
|
Original Network Run: |
September 9, 1979 - December 16, 1979 (13 episodes) |
|
Associated Shows: |
|
Out of the Blue is a 1979 sitcom, often mistakenly referred to as a spin-off of Mork & Mindy and Happy Days, which centered on an angel named Random (Jimmy Brogan). Mork appeared in the premiere episode, Random's Arrival, and Random appeared on the Happy Days episode Chachi Sells His Soul.
Plot[]
Random (Jimmy Brogan) is an inept angel sent to Chicago to help Marion (Dixie Carter) deal with the gaggle of nieces and nephews she took custody of when their parents died in a plane crash. The Boss Angel (Eileen Heckart) showed up regularly to check up on Random; Gladys was the black housekeeper.
Cast[]
- Jimmy Brogan as Random
- Dixie Carter as Aunt Marion
- Clark Brandon as Chris Richards
- Olivia Barash as Laura Richards
- Tammy Lauren as Stacey Richards
- Jason Keller as Jason Richards
- Shane Keller as Shane Richards
- Hannah Dean as Gladys
- Eileen Heckart as The Boss Angel
- Rad Daly as Chris Richards (??)
Spin-off debate[]
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 series was broadcast a little over one week prior to an episode of Happy Days featuring Jimmy Brogan as the series' lead character, the archangel Random. Television observer and owner of Sitcoms Online, Todd Fuller, maintains that because the Season 7 episode "Chachi Sells His Soul" aired on September 18, 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."[1]
Thom Holbrook, who has a website devoted to TV crossovers and spin-offs, 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."[2]
Retooling[]
At some point, the show was retooled,[3] but it's unclear whether or not the episodes were broadcast. Dixie Carter and Olivia Barash were let go, and Clark Brandon was replaced by the younger Rad Daly.[4] A laugh track had been employed in earlier episodes, but they ultimately began taping in front of a studio audience.[5]
Episodes[]
| # | Title | Aired | Plot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | Random's Arrival | September 9, 1979 | A not-so-perfect angel named Random must prove his heavenly powers to a brood of newly orphaned children by conjuring up a visit from the unpredictable Mork from Ork. |
| 3 | The Random Bust | September 16, 1979 | Random takes the rap but keeps everyone off balance by popping in and out of jail as he tries to help Chris, the real culprit, decide whether to confess to being an accessory in a school burglary. |
| 4 | The Hustle | September 23, 1979 | The kids lose the money for Aunt Marion's birthday present to a sneaky pool hustler. |
| 5 | Laura, the Runaway | September 30, 1979 | Random tries to convince runaway Laura to give up her job as a truck-stop waitress and come home. |
| 6 | Out for the Season | October 7, 1979 | When Chris injures his knee and can't play football, the kids turn to Random for a miraculous healing. |
| 7 | Stacey's Nightmare | October 14, 1979 | Random uses some heavenly magic to cure Stacey's recurring nightmare by arranging for her to meet "the monster of her dreams." |
| 8 | The Coin of Truth | October 21, 1979 | When Random's magic coin falls into the wrong hands, it makes for volatile comedy as everyone in the family starts revealing exactly how they feel about each other. |
| 9 | Double Jeopardy | December 16, 1979 | Random's heavenly diplomacy is put to a test when he attempts to show the merits of being twins to Jason and Shane, who have tired of being carbon copies of each other. |
| 10 | Random, Who? | Unaired | Unavailable. |
| 11 | The Reluctant Angel | Unaired. | Unavailable. |
| 12 | Keeping the Housekeeper | Unaired | Unavailable. |
| 13 | The Thanksgiving Story | Unaired | Unavailable. |
References[]
External links[]
- Out of the Blue article at Wikipedia
