Quark

So, less than a year after STAR WARS was released, NBC bought a science fiction comedy show created by Buck Henry. It was called QUARK and it was about trash collectors in outer space. There ... I've ruined the first joke in the pilot for you! Sorry about that, chief!

It lasted 8 episodes. But the Web, in all its infinite diversity in infinite combinations, has some QUARK Web sites where people recall this show, whose pedigree was that it was produced by the GET SMART producer.

There's a site that explains all here. And there are some episodes you can choose to view or download there.

It was silly, but if you liked SPACEBALLS, you might like to watch this -- even though it looks like an aged third generation video dub. Until the series is released on DVD, this is your only chance to see it. The cast is appealing, but the pace is a little poky. Hearing a laughtrack again is off-putting. (I've heard that the M*A*S*H DVDs allow you the option to watch episodes without their original laughtrack. A nice feature!) I like Richard Benjamin -- it's too bad that he's underused since he's basically a straight man for the oddballs here. I have to admit I laughed at some of the robot gags.