Out of the Blue (1979 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Out Of The Blue is an American
fantasy sitcom that aired on ABC
during the fall of 1979. It is chiefly notable as having featured a Mork & Mindy crossover, and for the controversy surrounding its status as a spin-off
of Happy Days
.
The series stars 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. The series aired from September 9 to December 16, 1979. Nine episodes had been aired at the time of cancellation. Some completed material was never broadcast.
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."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fantasy sitcom that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
during the fall of 1979. It is chiefly notable as having featured a Mork & Mindy crossover, and for the controversy surrounding its status as a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
.
The series stars Jimmy Brogan
Jimmy Brogan
Jimmy Brogan , sometimes credited as Jim Brogan, is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He has made numerous standup appearances on the talk show circuit including The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. He was a writer on the Tonight Show with...
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. The series aired from September 9 to December 16, 1979. Nine episodes had been aired at the time of cancellation. Some completed material was never broadcast.
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 show was broadcast a little over one week prior to an episode of Happy Days featuring Jimmy Brogan as the character, Random. 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."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."
Cast list
- Jimmy BroganJimmy BroganJimmy Brogan , sometimes credited as Jim Brogan, is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He has made numerous standup appearances on the talk show circuit including The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. He was a writer on the Tonight Show with...
as Random - Dixie CarterDixie CarterDixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
as Aunt Marion - Clark BrandonClark BrandonClark Brandon is an American actor. His most notable roles were as Max Merlin's apprentice Zachary Rogers in the CBS series Mr. Merlin and as Sean Fitzpatrick in the CBS series The Fitzpatricks. He also starred with Jim Varney in the 1989 comedy film, Fast Food.- Filmography :Fast Food .......
as Chris Richards - Olivia BarashOlivia BarashOlivia Barash is an American actress. She has appeared in many films, including the cult film Repo Man, as well as television series in her career, including Little House on the Prairie, Charlie's Angels, Soap, Fame, and St. Elsewhere...
as Laura Richards - Tammy LaurenTammy LaurenTammy Lauren is an American actress who has appeared in film and television. She starred in Wishmaster, portraying Alexandra Amberson, a young woman who accidentally awakens the Djinn, a powerful spirit more commonly known as a genie.-Career:To date, Wishmaster is the only feature film in which...
as Stacey Richards - Jason Keller as Jason Richards
- Shane Keller as Shane Richards
- Hannah Dean as Gladys
- Eileen HeckartEileen HeckartEileen Heckart was an American actress of stage, screen, and television.-Early life:Heckart was born Anna Eileen Heckart in Columbus, Ohio, the daughter of Esther and Leo Herbert. She was legally adopted by her grandfather, J.W. Heckart. Her family was of Irish and German descent...
as The Boss Angel
Episode list
Of the following 13 episodes, only 9 were aired.| № | Title | Air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Random's Arrival (Part 1)" | September 9, 1979 | 101 |
| 2 | "Random's Arrival (Part 2)" | September 9, 1979 | 102 |
| 3 | "The Random Bust" | September 16, 1979 | 103 |
| 4 | "The Hustle" | September 23, 1979 | 112 |
| 5 | "Laura the Runaway" | September 30, 1979 | 106 |
| 6 | "Out for the Season" | October 7, 1979 | 107 |
| 7 | "Stacey's Nightmare" | October 14, 1979 | 110 |
| 8 | "The Coin of Truth" | October 21, 1979 | 104 |
| 9 | "Double Jeopardy" | December 16, 1979 | 105 |
| 10 | "Random, Who?" | Never aired | 108 |
| 11 | "The Reluctant Angel" | Never aired | 109 |
| 12 | "Keeping the Housekeeper" | Never aired | 111 |
| 13 | "The Thanksgiving Story" | Never aired | 113 |