Star Trek's Unmade 1960s Spinoff Would Have Totally Changed Teri Garr's Career

The late Teri Garr might have had a very different career if this Star Trek: The Original Series spinoff had actually been 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 breakout film role came in 1974 when she appeared as Inga in Mel Brooks' horror comedy Young Frankenstein. She went on to appear in Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 and starred in the comedy film Tootsie in 1982 alongside Dustin Hoffman.

In Star Trek's "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 "supervisor" named Gary Seven (Robert Lansing). Teri Garr portrays Roberta Lincoln, a secretary who gets caught up 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. When Kirk and Spock later depart, Spock remarks 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 Star Trek's "Assignment: Earth" Spinoff Would Have Altered The Course of Teri Garr's Onscreen Career

The Star Trek Season 2 Episode "Assignment: Earth" Was Meant To Be A Backdoor Pilot

The idea for Assignment: 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 meant to act as a backdoor pilot for a new television series starring Robert Lansing and Teri Garr, but the Assignment: Earth show was never produced. Starring in a science fiction TV series likely would have significantly altered the course of Teri Garr's career. Garr eventually became most known for her comedic film roles, but a starring role in Assignment: Earth might have turned her into a television star rather than a movie star.

In her autobiography, Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood, Teri Garr noted: "Had the spin-off succeeded, I would have continued on as an earthling agent, working to preserve humanity. In a very short skirt." She went on to add that portraying Roberta Lincoln led her to be typecast as "birdbrained lasses" in episodes of other television shows throughout her career. However, if "Assignment: Earth" had been picked up as a series, Garr would have gotten the chance to add more depth to Roberta, presumably making her a stronger and more well-developed character.

How The Planned "Assignment: Earth" Spinoff Would Have Been Different From Star Trek

"Assignment: Earth" Would Have Been A Different Kind Of Sci-Fi Show

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

Although Gary Seven's computer and portal technology would have firmly placed Assignment: Earth in the science fiction genre, the show would have been more grounded than Star Trek. With its 1960s setting, Assignment: Earth could have explored the culture of 1960s Earth in a more direct way, and hinted at the future seen throughout TOS. Unfortunately, we'll never know what type of show Assignment: Earth would have been, but Teri Garr's singular appearance on Star Trek: The Original Series still helped launch an incredibly impressive career.