Star Trek’s scrapped 1960s spinoff would have totally changed Teri Garr’s career

The late Teri Garr could have had a very different career if this Star Trek: The Original Series spinoff actually got made. Teri Garr’s first significant television role was in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 26, “Assignment: Earth”, and she appeared in several successful films throughout the 1970s. Garr’s breakthrough film role came in 1974, when she appeared as Inga in Mel’s horror comedy Brooks. Young Frankenstein. She went on to appear in Steven Spielberg’s film Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 and starred in the comedy film Tootsie in 1982 alongside Dustin Hoffman.

In Star Trek In “Assignment: Earth,” Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) pay a visit to Earth in 1968, where they encounter a mysterious interstellar “overseer” named Gary Seven (Robert Lansing). Teri Garr plays Roberta Lincoln, a secretary who becomes involved in Gary Seven’s mission. Although Gary initially tells Roberta that he works for the CIA, she eventually discovers his advanced technology and learns at least part of the truth. Later, when Kirk and Spock leave, Spock comments that “Mr. Seven and Miss Lincoln have some interesting experiences in store for them,” providing the perfect setup for a spinoff that never happened.

Appearing in the Star Trek spinoff “Assignment: Earth” would have altered the course of Teri Garr’s on-screen career

The Star Trek season two episode “Assignment: Earth” was intended to be a backdoor pilot

The idea for Task: Earth began as a concept for a half-hour television series, but was then reconfigured to fit into an episode of Star Trek. The episode was supposed to function as a secret pilot for a new television series starring Robert Lansing and Teri Garr.but the Task: Earth show was never produced. Starring in a science fiction TV series would likely have significantly altered the course of Teri Garr’s career. Garr eventually became best known for her comedic film roles, but a starring role in Task: Earth could have turned her into a television star instead of a movie star.

In his autobiography, Speedbumps: running through Hollywood, Teri Garr noted: “If the spin-off had been successful, I would have continued as an Earthling agent, working to preserve humanity. In a very short skirt.” She added that portraying Roberta Lincoln led to her being labeled as “girls with bird brains” in episodes of other television shows throughout his career. However, if “Assignment: Earth” had been picked up as a series, Garr would have had the chance to add more depth to Roberta, likely making her a stronger, more well-developed character.

How the planned “Assignment: Earth” spin-off would have been different from Star Trek

‘Assignment: Earth’ Would Have Been a Different Kind of Sci-Fi Show

While Star Trek: The Original Series focused on the adventures of the USS Enterprise as it traveled the galaxy, the proposal Task: Earth the series would have been centered on protecting Earth. With its advanced technology and knowledge of the future, Gary Seven would probably have continued his adventures on Earth, trying to protect humanity and preserve the correct schedule. Now aware of Seven’s true identity, Roberta would have helped him as an advocate for the people of Earth, as she likely learned more and more about Seven’s work.

Although Gary Seven’s computer and portal technology had firmly placed Task: Earth in the science fiction genre, the show would have been more grounded than Star Trek. With its 1960s setting, Task: Earth could have explored the culture of 1960s Earth in a more direct way, and suggested the future seen throughout Terms of Service. Unfortunately, we will never know what kind of program Task: Earth would have been, but Teri Garr’s singular appearance in Star Trek: The Original Series still helped launch an incredibly impressive career.