Quark The Complete Series
Richard Benjamin, Tim Thomerson, Cyb and Patricia Barnstable
1 DVD 8 Episodes
Originally Aired NBC 1978
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2008
Quark was a late seventies short-lived situation comedy that spoofed space opera movies and shows like Star Trek and Star Wars. Part of the joke here is the special effects are less impressive than a forties space serial and the budget was smaller than for a fifties B-movie. Quark was entertaining enough though the plots were thinner than the atmosphere in space and Richard Benjamin more wooden than the plywood used for the sets. The 8 episode Quark The Complete Series DVD is strictly for sci-fi collectors and fans of camp.
The premise for Quark is Captain Adam Quark (Richard Benjamin) commands a space garbage scow. He is unably aided by a gorgeous blonde and her clone (the Barnstable twins) and androgynous first mate Gene / Jean (Tim Thomerson). Along for the ride are a pirate looking engineer slash inventor and his work in progress robot. Conrad Janis of Mork and Mindy fame plays Quark’s boss and he is bossed around by The Head. Fans of 3rd Rock From the Sun will recognize the origins of that series’ Big Giant Head.
It is obvious from the very Star-Trek like theme music and some of the jokes like may the source be with you that this space situation comedy wanted to spoof Trek and Star Wars: Episode 2 adds Ficus (Richard Kelton), a Spock like character who uses more words; episode 3 is an episode where some crew members age rapidly because of a virus; and the transporter and many sound effects are from the original Trek.
Watching Quark you get the feeling part of the joke was how bad it could be, or was it?
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- 75Less of this TBS situation comedy would be better.