One of the best sci-fi series ever made is getting a sequel. NBC has ordered a pilot for a follow-up to Quantum Leap, a time travel TV series that ended in 1993 after five seasons.
The Hollywood Reporter has the news, providing a synopsis. “It’s been 30 years since Dr Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished,” the description reads. “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.”
THR says that sources indicate Bakula is indeed returning to the role of Sam, as implied in the opening line. However, nothing has been confirmed thus far. Bakula led the show through all five seasons, playing Dr Sam Beckett, a physicist who jumps into different people’s bodies throughout history using an experimental time machine. The machine is random, and the crux of the series is Sam trying to find his way back home. Dean Stockwell plays his companion, Al Calavicci, who appears as a hologram only Sam can see, and acts as a personal Wikipedia for whatever scenario they land in.
Last year, Bakula pointed out that “significant conversations” had been happening around Quantum Leap coming back. “I don’t know what it would be. I don’t know who would have it,” he explained. “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.”
A beloved cult show, the ending of Quantum Leap has always been a sore spot for fans because, well, it’s not really an ending. The conclusion is some text on the screen, with no catharsis or sense of resolution. A sequel could finally put everyone’s minds at ease about Sam’s fate.
Don Bellisario, the original creator, is involved as an executive producer, and Gotham writers Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt will be showrunners. The plan right now is to get the pilot done for series consideration in 2023.
We’ll keep you posted – check out the best time travel movies for more jaunts through time and space.