Quark - The Complete Series

Quark

Extremely dated humor and story plots. Recommended to die hard oldie TV series collectors only. November 13, 2008

Quark, quirky before its time

I really enjoyed this show in its first run, and its parody still holds up well (even if it EFX don't). Another show killed before it could hit its stride. If you liked Spaceballs I think you'll like this one. November 12, 2008

Remember when it first aired?

Anyone too young to remember seeing it when it first aired will probably not appreciate the comedy of the time. Just as I have trouble at times appreciating some the of the new comedy today, it's plain not funny. Of course it isn't a masterpiece, more of a segment of comedy history. November 11, 2008

OUTDATED

Probably cutting edge when it was first released but a little too silly for modern viewing. We got bored and did not finish the series. Perhaps it got better but we will never know. If We had not seen "Tripping the Rift" first, we may have appreciated it more. November 2, 2008

THIS IS COMEDY?

I've read fan writings concerning this show that hail it as the next best thing since sliced bread. But the whole time I was watching it all I could think of was what were they watching that I wasn't?

Could it be one of those shows you watched as a kid that you remember fondly yet when you view it as an adult you realize how wrong you were? I grew up in the seventies and didn't get to see this show before it was pulled. As I watch it now on DVD I'm amazed less that there are fans than by the fact it wasn't pulled sooner.

Richard Benjamin stars as Adam Quark, the captain of a spaceship responsible for picking up intergalactic garbage. Cheesy effects show the ship reaching out with mechanical hands to lift and intake a giant green garbage bag while floating in space. And that's one of the funniest jokes it offers.

Tim Thomerson (an unappreciated actor) plays Gene/Jean, a hybrid of male/female parts whose demeanor changes depending on who is in control at the moment. While this character has some of the funniest moments, it is a one note joke that falls flat fast.

Conrad Janis of MORK AND MINDY fame is the desk jockey that sends Quark and his crew out on ridiculous missions. A catastrophic attack is planned on our galaxy. Who best to send? Quark and the garbage scow!

The show came out around the time that science fiction was at an all time high. With the success of STAR WARS in theaters and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA on television, one would think that the world was ripe for a parody of the genre. It was. But this was not the one to do it right. The short film HARDWARE WARS was funnier in less than 15 minutes than this entire series.

The creator behind the series was Buck Henry. It hadn't been long since Henry had teamed up with writer Mel Brooks (yes writer as he had yet to direct yet) to make one of the funniest spoofs seen on television, GET SMART. After watching QUARK I thought back to the laughs from SMART and from Brooks other films. It left me with the feeling that the best of SMART came from Brooks and not Henry.

I've seen this show called a spoof, a parody and a satire of the times. And yet while watching it, and yes I did sit through it, I was left wondering where the charm was for this series so hailed by its fans. Where was the wit? Where was the comedy? Most importantly, where were the laughs (other than those on the overused laugh track)?

I never cracked a smile during the entire running time. I never found myself drawn in by the cheesiness of the sets and effects. I understood that they were attempting humor with them but they weren't the least bit funny.

So what does that make QUARK in the long run? A show that die hard fans have longed for and now have the chance to own. A memory that may not live up to the hype or those same memories of what it was. At worst, is it a show that was low on laughs. I would recommend this series to one group of people: its fans. All others beware.
October 28, 2008

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