NBC is taking a leap of faith and putting in a pilot order to reboot the fan-favorite series, Quantum Leap. The original Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell-led sci-fi series had a five-season run between 1989 and 1993. At this time, neither Bakula nor Stockwell will be reprising their roles in the reboot. Bakula may be involved in a different way, but sadly Stockwell passed away last November at the age of 85.
The original series followed the adventures of Dr. Sam Beckett (Bakula) after he was launched backwards through time by his own creation—the Quantum Leap accelerator. Upon landing in the past, Sam finds that he has ended up in someone else’s body. With the help of his friend, Admiral Al Calavicci (Stockwell), who can only be seen and heard by Sam, Sam sets out to right a wrong that has happened in the past with hopes of eventually leaping back to his time period.
Legend met legend when, during the fall of 2021, Bakula sat down with the late Bob Saget on Saget’s podcast and spoke about the multiple conversations over the years surrounding the Quantum Leap reboot. Bakula mentioned that “the rights were a mess for years” and that he was unsure that they were “even sorted out” at that time. He referred to the rights as the biggest setback in allowing the reboot to move forward.
Redeveloping the series are La Brea co-showrunners, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt who will write the reboot and executive produce with Martin Gero (Blindspot). Original Quantum Leap executive producer and creator, Don Bellisario is returning to the new series to executive produce alongside Deborah Pratt who served the original series as executive producer and narrator.
Along with La Brea, Lilien and Wynbrandt have also worked together as showrunners on the CBS series, God Friended Me. In 2019, the two earned the Humanities Prize for their work on that comedy series. They were also the creators of the sci-fi series, Alcatraz, which ran for one season on Fox.
Quantum Leap was a groundbreaking show truly ahead of its time. It used imaginative storytelling and—at the time—state-of-the-art technology to bring the colorful time-traveling world of Dr. Sam Beckett and Admiral Al Calavicci to living room screens once a week. During its five seasons on air, the series earned countless awards including several Primetime Emmy's and Golden Globes.
We can’t wait to hear more about how this reboot progresses and will keep you posted every step of the way. In the meantime, check out this trailer for the original show to better familiarize yourself with the world of Quantum Leap.