NBC has announced that it is committing its reboot of Quantum Leap to series after announcing the casting of the pilot in March. Such a quick turnaround can only mean that the network heads were blown away by the pilot. And for what it’s worth, this show sounds tailor-made for me and me alone.
The original series, which ran from 1989 to 1993, was absolutely one of my favorite shows growing up. Telling the story of Dr. Sam Beckett — played by Scott Bakula, Quantum Leap detailed his adventures through time as he leapt from life to life, righting the wrongs of the past, accompanied only by the hologram of his partner Al — played memorably by the late Dean Stockwell — and the knowledge of the supercomputer Ziggy.
The new Quantum Leap is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Written and executive produced by Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, and executive produced by Martin Gero, as well as original creator/EP Don Bellisario and EP/co-narrator Deborah Pratt (who also voiced Ziggy!). Though this new iteration of Quantum Leap is being called a “reboot,” it’s actually following up on the continuity of the original. According to the show’s official logline:
It’s been 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now a new team has been assembled to restart the project in the hopes of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.
Leading that team will be a character called Dr. Ben Seong, played by Raymond Lee, whose credits include Kevin Can F Himself and Top Gun: Maverick. Caitlin Bassett, Ernie Hudson, Mason Alexander Park, and Nanrisa Lee will also star.
Resurrecting one of my favorite shows from the late ’80s/early ’90s with an Asian American checks all of my boxes, and I for one, can’t wait!
Even better, the premise of the show seems to intimate that the search for Sam — who never made the leap home — will be its driving mission, which is a loose thread that long time fans have waited three decades to see realized.
