Quark (TV series)

Quark was an unusual NBC television sitcom, based on a science fiction theme, starring Richard Benjamin. The pilot first aired in May 1977. The series first aired on NBC in February, 1978, and was last aired in April the same year.

The show was set on an interstellar garbage scow named the United Galaxies Sanitation Patrol Cruiser, operating out of United Galaxies Space Station Perma 1 commanded by Otto Palindrome, played by Conrad Janis, in the year 2222. The main character, Adam Quark, works to clean up trash in space. The crew included a hermaphrodite (Gene/Jean) played by Tim Thomerson, an unemotional plant-based alien (Ficus) played by Richard Kelton, an android (Andy the Robot), a woman and her clone -- it was unclear to them which was which (Betty and Betty, played by the Barnstable twins), and a talking head (The Head) played by Alan Caillou who ruled the United Galaxies and assigned Captain Quark, a human, his missions.

In its short run, Quark satirized such science fiction classics as Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Flash Gordon.

External link

• Episode Guide

Episodes

Episode	First airdate	Summary
Pilot	7 May, 1977
"May the Source Be with You"	2 February, 1978	Perma One is in a state of emergency as Gorgon has created the ultimate weapon to defeat the United Galaxy. Quark is given the secret weapon, the Source, by Palindrome. Quark must believe completely in the Source in order to defeat Gorgon
"The Old and the Beautiful"	3 March, 1978	Expecting his usual garbage hauling assignment, Quark is excited to hear that the Head has authorized an "extended romantic interlude" with Princess Carna of Kamamor. Troubles ensue when the crew encounters a stray space baggy carrying a virus which ages Quark 2 years for every hour.
"The Good, the Bad and the Ficus"	10 March, 1978	While on a routine mission, the ship is accidentally pulled into a black hole, which splits the crew into good and evil counterparts. The exception is Ficus, who remains the same because "there are no good or evil plants, there are just plants." After Quark confronts his evil self on a nearby asteroid, he defeats him and sends the evil crew back through the black hole. As the evil crew is being sent back we hear the evil Adam Quark say "Keep your deflectors up do-gooder! You haven't seen the last of this face!"
"Goodbye Polumbus"	17 March, 1978	Quark and his crew are sent on a suicidal mission to Polumbus to discover why no one has returned alive. Quark and his crew fall prey to their fantasies as part of a feindish plot by the dreaded Gorgons to drain the minds of the United Galaxy's most brilliant scientists. Quark encounters a beautiful dream girl, Ficus encounters a teacher, the Bettys encounter clones of Quark, and Gene/Jean encounters Zoltar the Magnificent. In order to save his crew, Quark must destroy the obilisk and free the "clay people".
"All the Emporor's Quasi-Norms (1)"	24 March, 1978	While on a routine mission, Quark and his crew is captured by Zargon the Malevolent, who tries to learn from Quark what "it" is and where to find "it". Meanwhile, the Zargon's daughter, Princess Libido, has fallen in love with Ficus. He agrees to a meeting with Princess Libido and teaches her to "pollinate". Andy and Gene/Jean escape and disguise themselves as Gorgon scientists and Gene/Jean is asked to give a lecture on "it".
"All the Emporor's Quasi-Norms (2)"	31 March, 1978	Ficus sacrifices himself and marries Princess Libido to save the crew. Quark and the Bettys are sent down to the planet to be eaten by a Lizigoth, but are saved by The Baron. Quark is able to return to Zargon's ship, where Quark and Ficus bid farewell.
"Vanessa 38-24-36"	7 April, 1978	For Holiday Number 11 Quark is given a new ship computer named Vanessa by Palindrome, which will have complete control over the ship. Vanessa tries to destroy Quark and his crew to prove her superiority. Quark is able to disable Vanessa and throw her down the garbage hatch. In the last scene we see Vanessa drifting through space and singing "Born Free".