Harry Mudd is a beloved Star Trek universe icon known for being a human rogue and trader/smuggler. In the series, Mudd disappeared with his fiancée's dowry during the Federation-Klingon War. Later he shared a prison cell with Captain Gabriel Lorca and Lt. Ash Tyler. 

Mudd was played by Roger C. Carmel.

Although Star Trek fans know him as Harry Mudd, Carmel almost had another big opportunity within the universe.

In the late '60s, NBC expressed interest in giving Carmel his own spin-off. The network wanted to develop a "space-pirate, intergalactic con-man sort of thing." Which leaves many fans wondering what could have been with a description as catchy as that.

The idea was put to rest when the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, turned down the offer when he was too busy working on the flagship series.

Although the idea was floating around in Roddenberry's mind, Carmel wasn't aware of the idea until later. During a past interview with Carmel he said, "You couldn't blame Gene, he didn't want to let somebody take it off in a direction he didn't approve of. Since he didn't have time to handle it all, the Mudd series project died."

There was another plan that never came to see the light of day: put Mudd in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Unfortunately, Carmel fell into poor health and eventually passed away in November of 1986.

Fans can only wonder what would have been with the spin-off and how the series would have portrayed the space-pirate, intergalactic con-man. Despite the missed opportunity, Mudd left a legacy among Star Trek fans for the roles he did play.

Would you have watched a Harry Mudd spin-off?

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