In the wake of the success of [Star Wars] in [1977] came a flood of [science fiction]-related [movie]s, [television] shows, [toy]s, [game]s, [music], [clothing], and all sorts of cultural bric-a-brac, the likes of which had not been seen since the [1950s]. For the first time in ages [SF] was [It] and everyone wanted to jump on the [gravy train]. Naturally, [Sturgeon's Law|90% of this was crap]. But here and there one could find jewels of brilliance lodged therein.

[Quark], a short-lived [humor]ous SF television series created by [Buck Henry] and starring [Richard Benjamin], was one of these. For a mere nine episodes in [1978] Benjamin played Adam Quark, captain of a spacegoing [The Trouble With Tribbles|garbage scow] of the [United Federation of Planets|United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol]. His crew consisted of [Ficus], the ship's coolly logical, deceptively human-looking science officer (he was actually an alien species of fern); Gene/Jean, the half male, half female First Mate whose temperament swung widly back and forth between [macho] [aggression] and [cloying] [sensitivity]; Betty I and Betty II, gorgeous [identical twins] who eschewed the standard uniform worn by everyone else in favor of skimpy silver halter tops and short shorts; and Andy the [Android].

The crew received its orders from the head of the Federation, who was in fact a disembodied head with a gigantic [brain] called "The Head", as well as [Palindrome], the architect of the ship who was played by the ever-fussy Conrad Janis of [Mork and Mindy] fame. Though it contained [allusion]s to [Star Wars] (particularly the characters' references to a mystical power called the Source) and other works of science fiction, the show was more than anything a parody of [Star Trek]. There was even an episode where the crew landed on a planet where all their wishes came true and which paralleled the Trek episode [Shore Leave (TOS)|Shore Leave].

Sources:
TVParty.com
iMDb.com
and my own memories of the show

quark (thing)