| Some TV shows were so short-lived that they were | | | | about half a season starting in the fall of 1973. The |
| forgotten by some who watched them and never | | | | Earthship Ark is an immense starship that's been |
| heard of at all by most people. Here are just a few of | | | | carrying many separate biospheres into the farthest |
| the most short-lived science fiction shows. | | | | reaches of space for centuries. Over time, this fact |
| "Quark": Richard Benjamin commands an interstellar | | | | became forgotten by the generations. It's up to three |
| garbage truck in the 23rd Century. This one only lasted | | | | fugitives from an Amish-style biosphere to find |
| 8 episodes, but while not consistently hilarious, it really | | | | someone to repair the Ark's guidance before it |
| isn't that bad. The series parodied "Star Wars," "2001," | | | | eventually collides with a star and defeats its purpose. |
| "Flash Gordon," and especially, "Star Trek." Look for a | | | | Seems a mysterious apocalypse wiped out Earth and |
| young Tim Thomerson as Gene/Jean, a person with a | | | | some other planets in our solar system, and the Ark's |
| full set of male and female chromosomes known as a | | | | been carrying the last of humanity for centuries. The |
| "transmute." The rest of the cast includes the requisite | | | | fact hasn't been handed down to the more recent |
| Spock-style alien sidekick, Ficus. He comes from a | | | | generations, so they don't know they're traveling |
| planet of humanoid plants called Vegetons. | | | | through space. Will the Ark's course be corrected in |
| A highlight for the guys were Cyb and Tricia | | | | time? |
| Barnstable as the Bettys, one of whom was a clone. | | | | The show's videotape format, including much-hyped |
| Only each of them said the other was the clone, so | | | | chroma-key effects, didn't help "The Starlost." Worse |
| we never knew for sure. Ever. Who knows if we | | | | yet, technical advisor Ben Bova also left, complaining |
| ever would have? | | | | that the production staff wouldn't listen to him. He and |
| "Max Headroom": 20 minutes into the future - this | | | | Ellison each had the last laugh, though. A protege of |
| series' subtitular time setting - TV off-switches are | | | | Ellison's wrote a novel version of the original "Starlost" |
| illegal, credit fraud is worse than murder, and a news | | | | pilot, and Bova wrote "The Starcrossed," a novel |
| reporter losing his/her vidicam is a hanging offense. | | | | lampooning the whole mess. It chronicles the failed |
| Sounds like a nightmare, all right. According to this | | | | production of the first 3DTV series, costarring a |
| innovative series, the '80s icon turned out to be what | | | | French jock who speaks broken English. |
| one might call one of the first avatars, created by a | | | | Nowadays, TV dramas with a dash of sci fi and |
| young computer nerd from the brainwaves of | | | | fantasy ("Lost," " Fringe," "Ghost Whisperer") may |
| crusading investigative reporter Edison Carter (Matt | | | | coax up an audience. Apparently Max was too weird |
| Frewer). | | | | and dystopian, and "Starlost" may have been either |
| After a long wait, "Max Headroom" is finally on DVD! | | | | too pessimistic or just too low-budget. Thanks to the |
| Give it a chance, with an open mind and maybe a few | | | | Internet and DVD, countless shows can be enjoyed by |
| drinks. | | | | those who missed them in first-run. So if you can, give |
| "The Starlost": Infamous because creator Harlan Ellison | | | | them a chance. You may be surprised. |
| disassociated himself from it, "The Starlost" ran for | | | | |