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2022/01/14 00:18:22
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
Quantum Leap’s long-rumored return has taken a big leap toward becoming a reality. NBC has given a pilot order to a reboot of the beloved 1990s sci-fi series, which starred Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell.
Written and executive produced by La Brea co-showrunners Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt and executive produced by Blindspot creator Martin Gero as well as Quantum Leap creator/EP Don Bellisario and EP/co-narrator Deborah Pratt, the follow-up series is set in present time. It’s been 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett (Bakula) 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.
Bakula is not attached to reprise his role or produce the new Quantum Leap but is aware of the reboot and has had conversations about potentially getting involved. Bakula’s co-lead on the original series, Dean Stockwell, died in November at age 85.
The pilot is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, with Lilien and Wynbrandt exec producing for their I Have an Idea! Entertainment, Bellisario for his Belisarius Productions and Gero via his Quinn’s House Productions.
The original NBC series, which aired 97 episodes from 1989-93, featured Bakula’s physicist and inadvertent Sam Beckett time-hop through various eras by “leaping” into the bodies of other people. Stockwell played Beckett’s sidekick, Admiral Al Calavicci, who appeared as a hologram to guide him through the weekly adventures.
Quantum Leap is one of the marquee titles in the Universal TV library whose reboot has been a priority for years and has been attempted multiple times to date.
Bakula last fall told the late Bob Saget on his podcast that there were “very significant conversations” about a Quantum Leap reboot.
“The rights were a mess for years. I don’t know if they’re even sorted out now. That’s always been the biggest complication,” he said back then. Bakula added that he had spoken occasionally to series creator Bellisario over the years about a potential comeback, “and he would always say, ‘I can’t write it without thinking of you and Dean.’”
Lilien and Wynbrandt serve as executive producers and co-showrunners alongside creator/showrunner David Appelbaum on the NBC/Uni TV drama series La Brea. They previously created, executive produced and served as showrunners on dramedy God Friended Me, which ran for two seasons on CBS, with the duo directing the series finale. They received a 2019 Humanitas Prize for their work on the series. The pair, who also co-created Fox’s Alcatraz, are repped by Range Media Partners and attorney Todd Rubenstein at Morris Yorn.
2022/01/14 00:31:25
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
So, not an all new version of Quantum Leap, but more of a Quantum Leap: The Next Generation. It could work.
"Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see.
One chants out between two worlds: Fire, walk with me." - Twin Peaks
"You listen to me. While I will admit to a certain cynicism, the fact is that I am a naysayer and hatchetman in the fight against violence. I pride myself in taking a punch and I'll gladly take another because I choose to live my life in the company of Gandhi and King. My concerns are global. I reject absolutely revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method... is love. I love you Sheriff Truman." - Twin Peaks
2022/01/14 13:09:58
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
I love the old Quantum Leap, however I have reservations.
The old show had this late 80's goofball feeling about it that you just had to roll with. A continuation of the original story without that would feel odd, but I'm not sure that same schtick would work today.
2022/01/14 14:21:04
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
cuda1179 wrote: I love the old Quantum Leap, however I have reservations.
The old show had this late 80's goofball feeling about it that you just had to roll with. A continuation of the original story without that would feel odd, but I'm not sure that same schtick would work today.
Giving how often it waved at dubious or no consent with a thumbs up and a smile, no. No it can't.
Efficiency is the highest virtue.
2022/01/14 15:20:52
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
cuda1179 wrote: I love the old Quantum Leap, however I have reservations.
The old show had this late 80's goofball feeling about it that you just had to roll with. A continuation of the original story without that would feel odd, but I'm not sure that same schtick would work today.
Giving how often it waved at dubious or no consent with a thumbs up and a smile, no. No it can't.
EDIT: Nevermind.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/14 15:22:48
CHAOS! PANIC! DISORDER!
My job here is done.
2022/01/14 15:39:11
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
cuda1179 wrote: I love the old Quantum Leap, however I have reservations.
The old show had this late 80's goofball feeling about it that you just had to roll with. A continuation of the original story without that would feel odd, but I'm not sure that same schtick would work today.
Giving how often it waved at dubious or no consent with a thumbs up and a smile, no. No it can't.
So Wonder Woman 1984 changed the way we think about using someone’s body for sex without their knowledge or permission? What a strange legacy for the character to have.
Just an observation, but the rebooted BSG had a bit of Sam & Al's antics with Baltar and "Six". Even a bit of it in "Experiment in Terra" of the original series, which Donald Bellisario also had a hand in....
Quantum Leap was bloody brilliant and one of the best TV shows of all time. It would be nice if they keep the same tone as the original series and had some story thread where Sam is sometimes within reach but - disappointingly - always gets away at the last moment.
One thing I have to mention; I remember as a child - living in Scotland at the time - seeing a film where a Baseball player makes an emotional phone call, and a distinct vfx shot where a man appears in the cockpit of a fighter plane, overlapping the pilot.
That was roughly around 1985, and years later - after moving to England - I would instantly recognise the same shots in Quantum Leap...which was made in 1989? What the duece?
This is but one mystery where the other one was where I was having a right argument with my father when I had also got around to watching The Howling, and he was adamant that he'd never let me watch it at that young an age, but I distinctly remember watching a scene in a forest where a women hacks off a werewolf's arm and infront of her the arm - spasming - would return to human form...
...but I definitely remembered Hawk The Slayer! I couldn't remember what it was called but holly hell was I exposed to that masterpiece at a very young age!
Ahem. Yes, it'll be nice to fire up the Quantum Accelerator once more...
Casual gaming, mostly solo-coop these days.
2022/01/14 18:09:46
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
BobtheInquisitor wrote: So Wonder Woman 1984 changed the way we think about using someone’s body for sex without their knowledge or permission? What a strange legacy for the character to have.
Wikipedia wrote:Controversy
The plot point of Steve inhabiting the body of another man, credited as "Handsome Man", was criticized for putting his body into dangerous situations and being used without his consent, including a sex scene between Diana and Steve. Criticism was aimed at the film's lack of acknowledgment of what happened to the man while Steve was inhabiting his body, as well as Diana and Steve not appearing to consider the issue of consent, even if Steve coming back but in another man's body was not any of the characters' intention.[165] The Mary Sue described the event as a rape and strongly condemned it.[166] Jenkins replied in agreement to a fan's tweet that tries to explain there were no issues with this plot aspect, that the film was following the trope of a body swap, similar to Big or Freaky Friday. Bonnie Burton, writing for CNet, stated that while this may have been Jenkins' intention, the body swap trope may not be as politically correct in the current period as it was in the 1980s.[167]
Automatically Appended Next Post:
SamusDrake wrote: It would be nice if they keep the same tone as the original series and had some story thread where Sam is sometimes within reach but - disappointingly - always gets away at the last moment.
The rumour is it's going to be Sam's daughter trying to get her father back.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/14 18:11:02
2022/01/14 18:21:31
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
cuda1179 wrote: I love the old Quantum Leap, however I have reservations.
The old show had this late 80's goofball feeling about it that you just had to roll with. A continuation of the original story without that would feel odd, but I'm not sure that same schtick would work today.
Giving how often it waved at dubious or no consent with a thumbs up and a smile, no. No it can't.
So Wonder Woman 1984 changed the way we think about using someone’s body for sex without their knowledge or permission? What a strange legacy for the character to have.
I mean, if the recent film was the first time you encountered that concept, then... sure?
Its kind of a central issue for body swap (and mind control) literature of any kind. My point is people are less likely to give it a pass than audiences were when the original show came out. 'Oh, we didn't think of it like that' isn't an acceptable excuse anymore.
---
But honestly, WW changing how people think about sex isn't a strange legacy at all, considering it was a guy exploring his kink fetish and his relationship with his dommes.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/14 18:23:16
Efficiency is the highest virtue.
2022/01/14 18:45:12
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
beast_gts wrote: The rumour is it's going to be Sam's daughter trying to get her father back.
Oh, I see. Probably a little bit overused these days( Bill and Ted also having daughters ) but I don't mind at all. As Sam leapt into the odd woman's body from time to time, I can see this happening...
Casual gaming, mostly solo-coop these days.
2022/01/14 19:04:23
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
I’m not saying it’s the first time that trope was encountered. I’m saying it’s the first time it met with such a large backlash.
While I don’t think it’s as extreme a shift as that towards, say, Revenge of the Nerds, it’s an issue that will need to be addressed head in by the show.
And I really, really don’t want to mix Quantum Leap with the post-nBSG darker and edgier style. The old show crossed over into body horror every time they mentioned the displaced personality trapped in Sam’s body, often catatonic with shock—I can’t even imagine where they would go if trying to recapture that Baltar/Six or Stargate Universe vibe.
So from the folks who just gave us the masterpiece of TV viewing "La Brea"? Hard pass, though I skip out on nearly all network episodic shows in favor of mini-series/self contained stories. And La Brea did get renewed for a second season, so what do I know?
I loved Quantum Leap as a kid, but if I was a all powerful TV exec for a day and I had a choice, I'd let this one rest and reboot Sliders. Much more possibilities in storytelling with alternate dimensions rather than time travel. Particularly Quantum Leap's weird body snatching time travel.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/14 20:25:42
"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
2022/01/14 21:18:05
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
One big elephant in the room no one is addressing: The "future" scenes were all supposed to be in the far-future of 1999. I kind of wonder if they will hand-wave that away.
Also, the core concept of time travel in Quantum Leap is that you can NOT time travel to a point before your birth (except that one episode where Sam leaps into the body of a very closely genetic relative of his during the American Civil War). If the core concept of the new Quantum Leap is the same, then they'd either need someone about as old as Scott Bakula, figure out a way around that restriction, or limit themselves to trying to intercept him while he leaps into the late 1970's or later.
Also, it doesn't matter if Sam ever made it home, his body is still in the future. What the hell happened there? Is his body still alive? Is someone caring for the revolving door of personalities thinking he has multiple personality disorder?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/14 21:20:30
2022/01/14 21:38:50
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
I have to admit that Sliders was actually the first thing that came to my mind when I read the title of the thread. For some reason those two series have always kind of sat side by side in my head.
Thing is Sliders actually went for evolving storylines and can actually work itself into a long term series of story arcs really easily.
Quantum Leap originally, it was really built for the whole weekly system of releases. Yes there was a long plot, but it was very thin in general; mostly because each week he'd appear somewhere different and would have to solve that weeks puzzle and then randomly move on etc.. It's a fantastic formula for constantly changing actors and locations and settings and small storylines and for creating a "drop in" type series where you get the long story in the 5 second intro and then you can just settle in and watch. Where it doesn't really matter if you miss a whole bunch of episodes.
Sure Sliders had that too (as did a lot of TV in those days); but Sliders can easily evolve because they always had some kind of control over things; or ability to have control etc... There was "more" to the structure to play with, without having to change it.
As someone who only sporadically watched the original, did it ever come to a conclusion? There wasn’t much overarching plot that I could tell (besides get home) but kind of curious.
Hmm I might have missed that one or that season development; or forgotten it. That's the other odd thing. Both Sliders and Quantum Leap have basically vanished. Along with things like Buck Rogers there's a slew of those shows that never seem to get reshown very often.
I seem to recall that Battlestar got shown a fair few more times over the years. So it was slightly more current.
The last episode he leaps into a bar as himself, populated by all the people he had lept into and helped/saved. The only exception is the bartender. A new character, and implied to be god. He tells him he has done enough, his next leap can send him home, or he can keep helping people. He doesn't explicitly make uis choice but with a wry smile you see him take another leap before credits roll, implying that Sam Beckett chooses to continue to set right what once went wrong.
These are my opinions. This is how I feel. Others may feel differently. This needs to be stated for some reason.
2022/01/15 17:15:48
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote: My main memory is one where Sam meets the literal Devil, there’s a time loop, and Sam strangles the Devil to save the day.
That was a Halloween episode, and it ended with the kind of ambiguous “was it all a dream” ending that lets viewers not take the episode seriously. The highlight for me was the devil impersonating Al, then turning into a goat.
The only episode of the original Battlestar I remember, or rather just part of one, has them being threatened by the devil, but angels showing up and scaring him away.
2022/01/16 03:24:11
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
AduroT wrote: The only episode of the original Battlestar I remember, or rather just part of one, has them being threatened by the devil, but angels showing up and scaring him away.
QL was a good show but they should let it go. Travelers did a great job of exploring time travel AND wrapped things up without any sharks coming close to the ski ramp. Sometimes dead is better.
Thread Slayer
2022/03/05 09:31:25
Subject: Re:‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
Actor Raymond Lee will attempt to make the leap back home in NBC's highly-anticipated small screen reboot of Quantum Leap. According to Variety, the Prodigal Son and Kevin Can F**k Himself alum has officially been cast as the show's leading man, a respected physicist by the name of Dr. Ben Seong. Lee pretty much confirmed this by sharing the news on his Instagram page, writing "Oh boy..." in the caption. That'd probably be our reaction, too.
Described as "a scientist and man of faith" by Variety, Song works on the secret time travel project that gives the show its badass name. The reboot, which was first announced in January of this year, sounds like it'll be more of a follow-up than a pure wiping of the slate. Based on the short logine provided by the network, the plot takes place three decades after "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."
If the narrative ends up hewing closer to the original series (fronted by the dynamic duo of Scott Bakula and the late Dean Stockwell), then something will go awry, thrusting Song wildly through time. Jumping from body-to-body, he'll be forced to rectify historical mistakes, hoping that the next leap is the one that'll return him to his own time period.
With Stockwell sadly no longer with us, it might make the most sense to bring Bakula back to play Sam Beckett, albeit in the advisory hologram role once occupied by Stockwell's Al Calavicci. Now wouldn't that be cool?
"We are definitely living in the reboot era, as you're aware of," Bakula said in September while in conversation with the late Bob Saget. "I don't know what it would be; I don't know who would have it," Bakula admitted. "The rights were a mess for years — I don't even know if they're sorted out now. That's always been the biggest complication ... I don't know what that idea would be if we did [reboot the show]."
The reboot, which has the participation of creator Donald P. Bellisario (serving as an executive producer), hails from Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, the co-creators of God Friended Me and current producers on La Brea. They will write the pilot and executive produce under their I Have an Idea! Entertainment production company. Deborah Pratt — who wrote, produced, and narrated for the original QL — is also an EP alongside Martin Gero (Blindspot).
"Don, for years, he and I talk about it periodically," Bakula continued during his conversation with Saget. "He would always say, 'I can't write it without thinking about you and Dean.' I said, 'Just think about me and Dean and write your show and get it out there. If you have an idea, just write it. I'm sure it'll be great.'"
NBC has yet to announce a premiere date for the reboot. In the meantime, click here for our list of four things we'd like to see out of it.
2022/03/06 03:19:03
Subject: ‘Quantum Leap’ Reboot Set At NBC With Pilot Order
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