Quark (TV series)
A 1977 sci-fi sitcom parodying Star Trek and other classics.
Quark is a 1977 American science fiction sitcom created by Buck Henry, co-creator of the spy spoof Get Smart. The series, starring Richard Benjamin, aired on NBC as a mid-season replacement in February 1978 and was cancelled in April 1978, with the pilot having aired on May 7, 1977. It is notable as a parody of science fiction, particularly Star Trek, and for its short run of episodes.
- field
- Television (science fiction sitcom)
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Parody of Star Trek and other sci-fi; created by Buck Henry
- network
- NBC
- air_dates
- Pilot: May 7, 1977; Series: February 1978 – April 1978
Lore & Background
The show is set in the year 2226 aboard a United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol Cruiser, an interstellar garbage scow operating out of United Galaxy Space Station Perma One. Commander Adam Quark (Richard Benjamin) longs for a glamorous assignment but instead collects space trash with his unusual crew. The crew includes the identical Betty I and Betty II (Cyb and Patricia Barnstable), who are navigators and pilots; Gene/Jean (Tim Thomerson), a 'transmute' with both male and female chromosomes who serves as engineer; Ficus Pandorata (Richard Kelton), a Spock-like science officer who is a sentient plant; and Andy (Bobby Porter), a cowardly robot made from spare parts. Other characters include O.B. Mudd (Douglas V. Fowley), a mad scientist who appears only in the pilot; Otto Bob Palindrome (Conrad Janis), a petty bureaucrat in charge of Perma One; and The Head (Alan Caillou), a disembodied head to whom Palindrome answers.
Reader's Guide
Quark is significant as a short-lived but culturally referenced parody of science fiction, particularly Star Trek, with three episodes directly parodying Star Trek episodes. It also satirized Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Buck Rogers, and Flash Gordon. The series earned one Emmy Award nomination for costume design. Its legacy includes a mention in the television series Breaking Bad, where character Gale Boetticher created a music video using footage from Quark. The complete series was released on DVD in 2008. Despite its brief run, Quark remains a curiosity for fans of 1970s television and sci-fi parody, illustrating the era's fascination with spoofing established genre tropes.
Did You Know?
- The series was created by Buck Henry, co-creator of the spy spoof Get Smart.
- Three episodes were direct parodies of Star Trek episodes.
- The series won one Emmy Award nomination for costume designer Grady Hunt's work on the episode 'All the Emperor's Quasi-Norms, Part 2'.
- In Breaking Bad, Gale Boetticher's music video for 'Major Tom (Coming Home)' uses footage from Quark.
More in Television series set in the 23rd century 1-20
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