QuarkQuark is an American science fiction situation comedy starring Richard Benjamin broadcast on NBC. The pilot first aired on May 7, 1977, and the series followed as a mid-season replacement in February 1978. The series was cancelled in April 1978. Quark was created by Buck Henry, co-creator of the spy spoof Get Smart. The show was set on a United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol Cruiser, an interstellar garbage scow operating out of United Galaxies Space Station Perma One in the year 2226. Adam Quark, the main character, works to clean up trash in space by collecting "space baggies" with his trusted and highly unusual crew. In its short run, Quark satirized such science fiction as Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Flash Gordon. Three of the episodes were direct satires of Star Trek episodes. The series won one Emmy Award nomination, for costume designer Grady Hunt's work in the episode "All the Emperor's Quasi-Norms, Part 2". The complete series was released on DVD on October 14, 2008.
CreatorBuck Henry
Quark
May 7, 1977
An expanding enzyme cloud threatens to destroy the galaxy.
May the Source Be with You
Feb 24, 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
Mar 3, 1978
Expecting his usual garbage assignment, Quark is excited to hear that The Head has given 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
Mar 10, 1978
While on a routine mission, the ship is accidentally pulled into a black hole, which splits the crew into ""good"" and ""evil"" counterparts, with the exception of 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 evil Adam Quark say ""Keep your deflectors up do-gooder! You haven't seen the last of this face!""
Goodbye Polumbus
Mar 17, 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. In this episode, 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 Emperor's Quasi-Norms (1)
Mar 24, 1978
On a typical mission Quark 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. Ficus agrees to a meeting with Princess Libido and teaches her to ""pollinate"", which is how plants love. Meanwhile, Andy and Gene/Jean escape and disguise themselves as Gorgon scientists and Gene/Jean is asked to give a lecture on ""it"".
All the Emperor's Quasi-Norms (2)
Mar 31, 1978
Ficus sacrifices himself and marries Princess Libido to save his crew. Meanwhile, 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 the Zargon's ship, where Quark and Ficus bid farewell.
Vanessa 38-24-36
Apr 7, 1978
For Holiday Number 11 Quark is given a new ship computer (Vanessa) by Palindrome, which will have complete control over the ship. Vanessa tries to destroy Quark and his crew to prove her superior to Quark. 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"".
