Fans of science fiction will no doubt remember the hit NBC series Quantum Leap, which aired from 1989-1993. The great news is that the show is coming back in a reboot/sequel series—and while the producers are keeping information close to the vest, here's everything we know about the new reboot.
What is Quantum Leap?
The original series starred Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell as Dr. Samuel Beckett and Admiral Al Calavicci respectively. Beckett is a scientist in the far-off future year of 1999 exploring the possibility of time travel, and finds himself transported into the bodies of different people in different times. Calavicci is Beckett's best friend and assistant who appears as a hologram that can only be seen by Beckett, animals and very small children.
Working together, Beckett and Calavicci must figure out how to help the person Beckett "leaped" into, and, as the opening sequence would put it every week, "put right what once went wrong and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home."
Why reboot Quantum Leap?
The show was well-received critically, and won a number of awards, including Emmys for the crew, Golden Globes for the actors and a number of industry awards. The finale brought in 13 million households, and it spun off a series of novels and comic books.
In addition, in the finale, it's said that Beckett never found his way home, spending the rest of his life bouncing through time, helping people along the way.
Is this the first attempt to relaunch Quantum Leap?
Aside from the aforementioned comics and novels, returning Quantum Leap to the screen has been in the works in various forms for nearly 20 years. In 2002, the Sci-Fi Channel (now known as Syfy) announced it was developing a two-hour TV movie based on Quantum Leap that would also act as a pilot for a new series. Unfortunately, that film never got made.
In 2010, Bakula announced at San Diego Comic-Con that series creator Donald P. Bellisario was working on a script for a feature film. Bellisario confirmed that the script was finished in 2017 at the Los Angeles Comic-Con—though it is unknown whether or not any of this script will be used for the new project.
In 2020, NBC head of program planning Jeff Bader said that NBC was considering launching its Peacock streaming service with a Quantum Leap reboot as one of its initial offerings.
Finally, in 2022, NBC agreed to make a pilot for the 2022-23 television season. It's believed that the reboot is being made for NBC proper, however, it can be assumed that episodes will also appear on Peacock after airing.
What do we know about the Quantum Leap reboot?
Though not much information has been released about the new project, the lead actors have been announced. Kevin Can F*** Himself's Raymond Lee will star as Dr. Ben Seong, the character filling a similar role to Beckett, according to a March 4 article from Deadline. Ghostbusters star Ernie Hudson will appear as Herbert "Magic" Williams, the Calavicci analog, Deadline reported Tuesday.
In the show, Seong and Williams are part of a new team exploring the possibilities of the Quantum Leap project started by Beckett. Following in Beckett's footsteps, Seong finds himself in the body of a person in the late 1980s, according to Deadline, along with the "swiss-cheesed" amnesia that always followed a leap in the original series.
Williams will be a Vietnam veteran and head of the Quantum Leap project—as well as a person Beckett originally leaped into in the Season 3 episode "The Leap Home Part 2," according to Variety.
A title for the reboot has not yet been announced, and the show is listed as Untitled Quantum Leap Sequel Project on IMDB.
Are any people from the original involved in the Quantum Leap reboot?
Bellisario, who also created the CBS hit NCIS, is an executive producer on the project. Deborah Pratt, who was a producer, writer and actor on the original series is also attached as an executive producer.
As for the stars of the original—it's up in the air. Sadly, Stockwell died in November 2021, so he will not make an appearance. As for star Bakula, in September 2021, he told Bob Saget in a podcast appearance "very significant conversations" about the reboot were taking place, but he didn't know anything about what an appearance in the new show would look like.
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Matt Keeley is a Newsweek editor based in Seattle. His focus is reporting on trends and internet culture. He has ... Read more
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