Quantum Leap in the Media

[Meredith Quill]

Your Media Topic!

[CrazyDog]

I had no idea this was getting a reboot. I'll probably check it out, but the original had such a wonderful amount of charm that it will be tough to match.

Unless they plan to also go back and finally bring Sam home, which would give me a great amount of closure, lol. I'm still not over the original series finale.

[Welshman in Ca]

On 7/6/2022 at 7:49 AM, CrazyDog said:

I had no idea this was getting a reboot. I'll probably check it out, but the original had such a wonderful amount of charm that it will be tough to match.

Unless they plan to also go back and finally bring Sam home, which would give me a great amount of closure, lol. I'm still not over the original series finale.

One of the more obscure channels has almost a whole day devoted to the original & I'm not sure you could get away with a lot of it in the modern era. I watched the one about the gay marine (?) last week & the way they handled it was far ahead of the time it was made but some showing segregation & social norms back in the day would need to be drastically different.

The problem with remakes is that the originals were of their time and trying to bring them back & update them while being politically correct rarely works with the Wonder Years being the one exception so far that I have found.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Welshman in Ca

[Twilight Man]

On 7/6/2022 at 10:49 AM, CrazyDog said:

I had no idea this was getting a reboot.

I'm going down with the ship on this one, aren't I?????

For the ump-teenth time, THEY ALL CAN'T BE THE SAME THING!!!!!!

A "reboot" is a show (or movie(s)) that feature a whole new group of actors and actresses

pretending to be the characters originally portrayed by a different set of actors and actresses.

(Think Dynasty, many (but not all) of the films from the 00's and 10s, and the new "Trek" films, )

(What I like to call) a "revival" is when the same group of actors and actresses

are still portraying the characters they portrayed a long while back.

(Think Mad About You, Will and Grace, RoseAnne/The Conners, Punky Brewster, and the 80s "Trek" films.)

and finally, THIS is (what I like to call) a "continuation", in which a new group of actors and actresses

are "following after" the original group of actors and actresses.

The original show/movie is "canon", and these characters are doing something similar.

(Think the Barrymore, Liu, and Diaz "Charlie's Angels" movies  -----  the new group of "Angels" are

well aware of the "original" group (which was ALREADY a revolving door of "Angels")

Ahem, rant over.  Sorry.

Ernie Hudson is actually portraying a (much older) Herbert "Magic" Williams,  the black soldier that Sam

leaped into during the Vietnam episode.  It has been established on a couple of occasions that

the individuals that Sam leaps into remember their ordeal, like when he convinced "Roberto's" audiences

that his future rant (when the real Roberto returned) about being abducted by aliens was pure fiction.

It will be interesting to see Herbert trying to explain that he knows it actually works.

[Irlandesa]

On 7/7/2022 at 11:02 AM, Welshman in Ca said:

I watched the one about the gay marine (?) last week & the way they handled it was far ahead of the time it was made but some showing segregation & social norms back in the day would need to be drastically different.

It has been a while since I've rewatched the series but I think the only tricky area would be with the ethics of sex as a leaper.  The episodes often reflected the social norms of the time period into which Sam leapt. 

On 7/6/2022 at 9:49 AM, CrazyDog said:

I had no idea this was getting a reboot. I'll probably check it out, but the original had such a wonderful amount of charm that it will be tough to match.

Unless they plan to also go back and finally bring Sam home, which would give me a great amount of closure, lol. I'm still not over the original series finale.

I kind of liked the ending but I will find it interesting how they handled it.  Is Al still a part of the project now that his marriage was saved by Sam? Or does Al never know the sacrifice Sam made for him?  How much of the alternative ending is going to remain canon? 

I do wonder if we'll see the new character share a leap with Sam, especially since Scott's pilot appears to not have gotten picked up.

[BetterButter]

[Trini]

Series synopsis from NBC's fall premieres press release:

"QUANTUM LEAP"

It's been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.

Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. At Ben's side throughout his leaps is Addison (Caitlin Bassett), who appears in the form of a hologram only Ben can see and hear. She's a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job.

At the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert "Magic" Williams (Ernie Hudson), a no-nonsense career military man who has to answer to his bosses who won't be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. The rest of the team at headquarters includes Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Park), who runs the Artificial Intelligence unit "Ziggy," and Jenn Chou (Nanrisa Lee), who heads up digital security for the project.

As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey. However, Addison, Magic, Ian and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben's leap and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.

Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt will write and executive produce. Don Bellisario, Deborah Pratt and Martin Gero executive produce.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, will produce in association with I Have an Idea! Entertainment, Belisarius Productions and Quinn's House Productions.

[AnimeMania]

The original Quantum Leap TV series ran for 97 episodes from 1989-93 on NBC. Scott Bakula played Sam Beckett, a physicist who leap through time and into the bodies of various people. Dean Stockwell played Admiral Al Calavicci, a hologram that provided guidance to Beckett as he hopped from exciting adventure to another.

In this version of the Quantum Leap TV series, 30 years has passed since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. A new Quantum Leap team has been assembled to restart the project in the hopes of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man, Sam Beckett, who created it. One member of the new Quantum Leap team, Dr. Ben Seong, a quantum physicist, with a spiritual nature has suddenly taken an unauthorized "Leap" in the Quantum Leap accelerator to the late 1980s and has amnesia, so that he can explain what compelled him to take these actions. If the Quantum Leap Team are ever going to solve the mystery of why Dr. Seong leap and how to bring him home, they must act fast or they might lose him forever.

Raymond Lee plays Dr. Ben Seong, a spiritually inclined quantum physicist who immigrated from Korea with his mother, whose every fiber compels him to make the right decision, even if his own life is at stake.

Caitlin Bassett plays Addison, a decorated Army veteran who is the project lead at Quantum Leap HQ. She operates state-of-the-art technology to communicate with an individual time traveling in the past. Addison appears as a hologram that only Dr. Seong can see and hear and they share a deep personal relationship.     

Herbert “Magic” Williams,   Jenn Chou,     Ian Wright,    Addison    

Ernie Hudson plays Herbert "Magic" Williams a character from the original Quantum Leap TV series, a Vietnam veteran that Sam Beckett leap into in order to save Sam's brother's life. This experience caused Williams to eventually end up running Quantum Leap. Dr. Seong's unauthorized time travel excursion is a severe breach of protocol and Williams needs all of his political and military know-how to keep the Pentagon at bay while Quantum Leap Team works out how to retrieve Dr. Seong, but Williams expects a damn good reason for this breach of protocol once Dr. Seong gets back.    

Mason Alexander Park plays Ian Wright, runs the Artificial Intelligence unit and is the programmer of the Quantum Leap’s AI program “Ziggy”. Ian has a philosophical and engaging point of view on both technology and humanity, which gives a cool depth to the  Quantum Leap Team.

Nanrisa Lee plays Jenn Chou, the head of digital security for the Quantum Leap project and has a long history with Williams.

Edited July 19, 2022 by AnimeMania

[Trini]

Some new details in this EW article: 'Quantum Leap bosses preview thrilling new chapter'

Quote

Telling the next chapter of the Quantum Leap story in the present means the show will have an opportunity to explore things the original did not. "There are so many incredible events to touch on from the last 30 years," Lilien says about the "new playground of history" the new show can explore. "To hear the music, to remind people what we were wearing and how we wore our hair and talked. It's exciting to tell this story right now, to look back and to bring it to a modern audience."

[tv echo]

Quantum Leap writer/co-EP Deric Hughes will be part of this panel at SDCC...

https://www.comic-con.org/cci/programming-schedule 

Quote

Intro to TV Writing: From First Draft to Getting Staffed
Friday, July 22, 2022
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
*  *  *
Moderator Spiro Skentzos (Arrow) and showrunners Keto Shimizu (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Mickey Fisher (Reverie), Kira Snyder (The Handmaid's Tale), Deric Hughes (Quantum Leap), and executive David Sigurani (EVP, AfterShock Media) discuss navigating the TV spec terrain, including beginner’s mistakes, what they look for in a writer, and what it takes for you to write a killer spec that will stand above the crowd. There will be a Q&A component, so bring your questions.

[AnimeMania]

Quantum Leap Shakeup: Blindspot EP Takes Over as Showrunner on Reboot

Martin Gero who was the exec producer will now also be the showrunner. The two showrunners, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, will only be exec producers. The switch was made after three episodes. Rumors suggest that the scripts were not being produced on time and it is possible that at the premiere they might show episode 3, instead of episode 1.

[Trini]

49 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

Quantum Leap Shakeup: Blindspot EP Takes Over as Showrunner on Reboot

Martin Gero who was the exec producer will now also be the showrunner. The two showrunners, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, will only be exec producers. The switch was made after three episodes. Rumors suggest that the scripts were not being produced on time and it is possible that at the premiere they might show episode 3, instead of episode 1.

Hmm ... I'm not especially concerned about the showrunner change, but don't you need the pilot episode to set everything up? Sounds like there's going to be a bunch of creative editing to make things work.

[AnimeMania]

2 minutes ago, Trini said:

Hmm ... I'm not especially concerned about the showrunner change, but don't you need the pilot episode to set everything up? Sounds like there's going to be a bunch of creative editing to make things work.

Sure, I don't understand why they don't have enough time to fix whatever is wrong with Episode 1 before it airs on September 19.

[secnarf]

That sounds very concerning to me that episode 3 is being swapped for the premiere episode.

If the issue is scripts not being produced on time, they shouldn't need to shuffle episodes around.

[KaveDweller]

23 hours ago, Trini said:

Hmm ... I'm not especially concerned about the showrunner change, but don't you need the pilot episode to set everything up? Sounds like there's going to be a bunch of creative editing to make things work.

Maybe they are just going to use some scenes from the pilot intercut with another episode? Like if they have scenes set in present day vs wherever the new guy has leaped to?

Or maybe they will try to make the audience feel like we have a swiss cheese memory and just jump into the middle with no memory of the set up?

[AnimeMania]

Georgina Reilly Joins Quantum Leap in a Key Recurring Role.

[marketdoctor]

NBC has started running an ad (that tells us very little):

But:  Ernie Hudson!  (And thanks for the links.  Showing a later episode instead of the pilot didn't work well for Firefly, so I hope they find another way to fix it without pre-empting the show for Team Appliance Repair* semi-finals or whatever.)

* For Firefly, they rescheduled it for baseball in the US.  Some of us are still bitter, but don't blame baseball for a network not reading its own schedule.)

[AnimeMania]

[Trini]

Considering this is a fairly high profile 'reboot' premiering in a few weeks, I'm really surprised at how sparse the marketing for this has been.

---

Show page: https://www.nbc.com/quantum-leap

And another teaser promo: https://www.eonline.com/news/1344166/a-quantum-leap-teaser-transports-raymond-lee-to-the-frontlines-of-operation-desert-storm

[Welshman in Ca]

14 hours ago, Trini said:

Considering this is a fairly high profile 'reboot' premiering in a few weeks, I'm really surprised at how sparse the marketing for this has been.

---

Show page: https://www.nbc.com/quantum-leap

And another teaser promo: https://www.eonline.com/news/1344166/a-quantum-leap-teaser-transports-raymond-lee-to-the-frontlines-of-operation-desert-storm

Still a little early? There have been some shows where I thought I'll watch that when it comes on but it was so far away I had forgotten about it by the time it aired & moved on to something else.

[Chaos Theory]

I loved the original but that was in large part because Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell (RIP) had amazing chemistry.   Plus I always kinda dug alternate history shows (Sliders was awesome too) and the micro idea of putting things right that once went terribly wrong for simple people and Scott Bakula playing confused and awkward was always kinda fun.      And yea the finale all kinds of sucked so if this is more a continued effort to find Sam Beckett and another dude gets lost in time for the effort I am ok with that.   I am just hoping the show can capture the lighting in the bottle it did with the unseen companion it did with Dean Stockwell’s Al.  

Edited September 1, 2022 by Chaos Theory

[AnimeMania]

Rock Star Leap Los Angeles, 1986 

[Trini]

12 hours ago, Welshman in Ca said:

Still a little early? There have been some shows where I thought I'll watch that when it comes on but it was so far away I had forgotten about it by the time it aired & moved on to something else.

Definitely not too early; there should have been a full trailer by now, at the very least. People forgetting to watch a new show is exactly why there's supposed to be more marketing leading up to the premiere.

[KaveDweller]

On 9/1/2022 at 10:33 PM, Trini said:

Definitely not too early; there should have been a full trailer by now, at the very least. People forgetting to watch a new show is exactly why there's supposed to be more marketing leading up to the premiere.

Yeah, usually they are playing trailers for the hot new show as early as July so that people start to anticipate it and can't possibly miss the ads.

I think the lack of a trailer is due to the changes that have been happening behind the scenes, but I have been seeing teasers for it for ages.

[Trini]

5 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I think the lack of a trailer is due to the changes that have been happening behind the scenes, but I have been seeing teasers for it for ages.

Right -- I forgot about that. But even if they can't have a proper trailer yet, I still think the marketing has been poor so far.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Full trailer!

But what does it say about the network's faith in the show when most of the promotion is coming from a fan podcast?

[Trini]

2 hours ago, The Crazed Spruce said:

Full trailer!

Finally!

Yes, a lot of people are familiar with the previous series, but I think they might be depending too much on the audience already knowing the concept of Quantum Leap.  And I don't mind this series trying new things, but I'm not sure I like the 'former lovers' angle with the the lead and the character playing the "Al" role. That extra angst probably isn't necessary; and I'm not sure they'll be able to pay that romance(?) off. (Because they can't physically interact, right?) I might be getting ahead of them here, but that's just my first impression.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I was initially thinking that while being very intrigued, I would ultimately have give this a pass after seeing the troubles that the MacGyver reboot ended up being cancelled because of  [& right before it was going to make 'MacRiley' canon in the next season.  *argh!*]

But now seeing that this production is actually a sequel series to its parent one - and not a true reboot - it shouldn't have those problems.

Will indeed be checking this out.

Edited September 9, 2022 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Trini]

Short video interview with the cast: '‘Quantum Leap’ Stars Explain ‘Modern Twist’ in NBC Sequel to Classic Series'

Also this short preview article, that has a couple new photos: '‘Quantum Leap’ Team on Modern Sequel’s Connection to the Original Series'

[KaveDweller]

My one thought after watching that trailer is that they are saying the present is "2022." Wasn't the original show was set in the future (at that time). It started in what was supposed to be 1999, and the show actually premiered in 1989? So if it is supposed to be 30 years after the show ended, it should be 2030-something. Or am I misremembering?

On 9/8/2022 at 1:54 AM, Trini said:

Right -- I forgot about that. But even if they can't have a proper trailer yet, I still think the marketing has been poor so far.

Yes, I agree. They could be running for ads, plus all sorts of tie ins to the original to pull in original fans. Seems like lots of good opportunities for that.

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

My one thought after watching that trailer is that they are saying the present is "2022." Wasn't the original show was set in the future (at that time). It started in what was supposed to be 1999, and the show actually premiered in 1989? So if it is supposed to be 30 years after the show ended, it should be 2030-something. Or am I misremembering?

Sam was originally from 1995 and the official description is that this is set 30 years after he initially disappears. It should be set in 2025 so they are retconning it a little bit. 
 

[KaveDweller]

19 hours ago, Dani said:

Sam was originally from 1995 and the official description is that this is set 30 years after he initially disappears. It should be set in 2025 so they are retconning it a little bit. 
 

Well, if it is only 3 years, I guess they are rounding.

I watched an old episode where they referenced 1999, but maybe that was a later episode after he'd been leaping for 4 years.

[Maverick]

 The Leap Back (season 4) is explicitly stated as taking place in September 1999.   If the PQL shut down shortly after "Mirror Image" because they could no longer track Sam after the events of that episode and the project is restarted 30 years later, then the "present" scenes should be set around 2030. 

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, Maverick said:

 The Leap Back (season 4) is explicitly stated as taking place in September 1999.   If the PQL shut down shortly after "Mirror Image" because they could no longer track Sam after the events of that episode and the project is restarted 30 years later, then the "present" scenes should be set around 2030. 

I don’t think they are referring to when he can no longer be tracked (~1999) but when he first begin leaping (1995). The official NBC website says “it's been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished”.  I think it is callback to the original opening narration about Sam’s initial leap which would match the timeline. 

Quote

Theorizing that one can time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Accelerator, and vanished. He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own; and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better.

[Trini]

Aw, man!

'Scott Bakula Reveals His 'Very Difficult Decision' to Pass on NBC Reboot'

I still hope he can do a cameo at some point.

ETA:

Edited September 16, 2022 by Trini

[KaveDweller]

2 hours ago, Trini said:

Aw, man!

'Scott Bakula Reveals His 'Very Difficult Decision' to Pass on NBC Reboot'

I still hope he can do a cameo at some point.

Aw, man, is right. Maybe he'll change his mind and be convinced to do a guest spot if the show is good. Of course it would only be worth it if it was to bring him home. And if they had a way to bring Sam home, how would they explain the new guy still leaping around.

[Trini]

The show had a TCA Press Tour panel earlier today:

[Trini]

'Quantum Leap's Showrunner Explains How the New Series Updates the Sci-Fi Classic'

excerpt:

Quote

“The original Quantum Leap is basically an anthology series with a very thin through line. Obviously [there was] a lot of character development, but not a lot of serialized stories. And I think everyone kind of felt, from the studio side, the network side, like they needed some sort of serialized aspect,” Gero explained. “I think the modern day part of it allows us to have that flexibility to [ask] ‘Why did Ben leave? What’s going on? Why didn’t he tell anyone?’ That mystery pulls you through week to week without alienating casual viewers. The idea is for it to be pretty balanced. It will mostly be the leaps; every now and again, if there’s a huge event that needs to be talked about in the present-day, it gets closer to like, 40% of the episode. But the show’s called Quantum Leap and we’re going to be focusing predominantly on the leaps.”

[Maverick]

 I'm gonna call BS on wanting the original show to be serialized.   In that era the studios generally wanted stand alone episodes. Self-contained episodes are more accessible because viewers can miss a week or two and drop back into the show and not be lost.  They play better in syndication because they don't have to be played in order.  The show runners on Deep Space Nine often had to wrestle with the studio to even get a 3 part episode much less and ongoing saga like the Dominion War.  Nowadays convoluted season-long arcs are practically a requirement for sci-fi shows (to the point where they're almost exhausting) but that wasn't the case in the 80s. 

[Trini]

17 hours ago, Maverick said:

 I'm gonna call BS on wanting the original show to be serialized.  ...

I think he was talking about the new version, though.

[AnimeMania]

[Trini]

There are many reviews of the first episode out right now;  but here are couple of interviews:

Raymond Lee: 'Why ‘Quantum Leap’ Star Raymond Lee Values Integrity (VIDEO)'

and Raymond Lee Previews the New Quantum Leap.

[Chaos Theory]

When it comes down to it I was in my 20s when the original Quantum Leep came on.  Now I am closer to my 50s then want to admit, We are MUCH different people when we are young & times change in those years so the new version of our favorite show was always going to hit different.

I think it mostly works.   The original was a weird science fiction/family drama clone where Sam an Al mimicked a couple of brothers.    Yes it was progressive for its time but it was still through the eyes of two white hits debating issues.  

The current version has a more actiony vibe to it since action movies are all the rage these days and FX have gotten better.    And the main focus is less about brothers bit about a romance.  Yes that is a little trite but it works if done slowly.  Addison giving Ben enough info to do his job and Ben knowing full well she was the one trained to be the leeper.   I really do like THAT aspect of the problem.   And yea the idea of Al’s daughter is a fun one that could work but I like the concept as a first season mystery.  Why was Ben working with her secretly and why is she hiding now? 

[tv echo]

Monday Ratings: The Voice, 9-1-1 Lead Non-NFL Fare; Leap Bests NCIS: Hawai'i
By Matt Webb Mitovich / September 20 2022
https://tvline.com/2022/09/20/tv-ratings-quantum-leap-reboot-premiere-nbc/ 

Quote

Among Monday’s non-NFL fare, NBC’s The Voice season premiere (6.2 mil/0.7, TVLine reader grade “B”) led the night in total audience and tied for the demo win. Quantum Leap debuted to 3.5 mil and a 0.5 (and a reader grade of “B+”), which is on par with Ill-Fated Ordinary Joe‘s year-ago launch — but keep in mind that The Voice was down 11 and 33 percent YOY as a lead-in.

Edited September 21, 2022 by tv echo

[DoctorAtomic]

Do they factor in streaming to those ratings? I watched on Peacock last night. Hopefully that's a boost. 

[Trini]

'‘Quantum Leap’ reboot brings a rare Asian American lead to network television '

Quote

“We knew we wanted a diverse actor for Ben, because they had done the two white guys version of it before, and part of modernizing this is telling a broader story,” Gero said. “The show is about jumping into other people and having an experience that is maybe different than yours.”

[AnimeMania]

Here's Why the Original 'Quantum Leap' Reboot Pilot is Now Episode 6

The majority of what was in the original Pilot episode of Quantum Leap was made into episode 6. A new pilot was created with the help of the new showrunner, Martin Gero that was a little more "buzzier". 

[Irlandesa]

Except the pilot was not good.  It makes me wonder if replacing the showrunners was a mistake if the originals did Ep 2 which was better than 1.

[Skooma]

On 9/27/2022 at 6:14 PM, AnimeMania said:

Here's Why the Original 'Quantum Leap' Reboot Pilot is Now Episode 6

The majority of what was in the original Pilot episode of Quantum Leap was made into episode 6. A new pilot was created with the help of the new showrunner, Martin Gero that was a little more "buzzier". 

The new pilot we all saw totally sucked with the most uninteresting story I could ever imagine.  Is Episode 6 going to be even worse than that now?

And "buzzier" ... huh?  Does that mean it is worse than a mosquito?  Given how terrible the first episode was I guess it was just that.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

NBC has ordered six more episodes. I just watched the first three episodes today - I am guessing they are getting a decent amount of viewers on Peacock.