One Of Television’s Greatest Talents Has Passed Away
Dale McRaven, writer of Mork & Mindy, Perfect Strangers, and other beloved hits--has passed away at the age of 83.
In the history of the medium, before the streaming wars that currently exist today between HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Hulu, network television seemed to rule the ratings when it came to hilarious plot setups and sitcom characters worth tuning in for each week. One of the greatest talents to ever write for network television, Dale McRaven, created a slew of hit series and wrote for well-known performers throughout much of his long career in the entertainment industry. McRaven passed away earlier this month and leaves a legacy of impressive television credits and humorous storylines behind him.
According to a report by Deadline, famed television writer Dale McRaven passed away at his home in Porter Ranch, California at the age of 83. Referenced primarily as the creator of hit shows like Perfect Strangers with Bronson Pinchot and Mark Linn-Baker, as well as Mork & Mindy starring Robin Williams and Pam Dawber, McRaven was well-known for his wit and colorful characters from the 1970s and 1980s. Mork & Mindy, in particular, was co-created by McRaven, Joe Glauberg, and Garry Marshall, which was a spin-off of Marshall’s hit sitcom, Happy Days with Ron Howard and Henry Winkler.
Dale McRaven’s roots in television began very early in the medium’s existence, as he wrote for several successful shows like That Girl, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Gomer Pyle: USMC in the 1960s. He was long thought of as a consistent writer throughout the 1960s and 1970s, often contributing scripts to other popular series of the era, including Get Smart, Love, American Style, and The Partridge Family. With Mork & Mindy and then Perfect Strangers, Dale McRaven really seemed to show off his writing chops in creating two television shows that have since stood the test of time.
When Robin Williams guest starred as Mork in one episode of Happy Days, it wasn’t apparent how iconic the character would become. Dale McRaven was brought in to co-create the spin-off Mork & Mindy and the series went on to air four seasons on ABC. It became a launching pad for Williams to branch out and do more films after the show was eventually canceled.
For his work producing the series, Dale McRaven was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, the one and only Emmy nomination he received in his lengthy career.
Once Mork & Mindy went off the air, Dale McRaven was left to figure out what he wanted to do next to contribute his work in the television business. As a solo creator credit, McRaven developed Perfect Strangers for ABC; introducing the world to distant cousins who become unlikely roommates living in Chicago, Illinois. It was the last series that McRaven would ever produce or write for.
The show was a runaway success and and remained on the network for eight seasons, 150 episodes, and became a staple of ABC’s original TGIF Friday-night lineup in the 1980s and 1990s that eventually consisted of similar shows like Family Matters, Full House, and Step by Step.
