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Will Sam Beckett Return Home? NBC Orders Quantum Leap Reboot Pilot

I would love for that to be the case were Sam not only returns but returns as a regular. Maybe even as the star. You know Network tv tends to have a older viewing demographic so the idea this show needs some young lead doesn't mean that is a lock. Also if we are talking limited series and fewer episodes than back then I can see Bakula back as a regular either as the main leaper or the new Al or something else. I do think his daughter though will be part of the show in whatever format and premise they go with.
 
I wonder if they could spin the "never returned home" card to mean that he changed his original timeline so severely that when he stops leaping the world is so different that it can't be considered the home he left.
 
UssGlenn said:
I wonder if they could spin the "never returned home" card to mean that he changed his original timeline so severely that when he stops leaping the world is so different that it can't be considered the home he left.
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It works for me. Might be interesting also if we have 2 Sam Beckett's. One is from this new modern timeline we all live in. Like our Sam Beckett he has also invented a way to travel back in time and he has worked with his Daughter on the project as well with others like maybe Gushie and Dr Beeks and the new Al who had a family. Maybe you start the show with Sam paying respects to Al. He plans to retire and hand the project to his daughter but something happens that makes her leap. Her first leap is to help our Sam and she is shocked to learn their was a previous timeline and everything. She helps our Sam finally come home. Meanwhile the new Sam now serves as a Hologram to help her on her leaps. You then have a secondary story of our Sam now living in this new present day and finding out how he is really not apart of it. His daughter isn't really his daughter. His Wife is now married to the other Sam. Al is now dead. You could play all of this out for 15 episodes or so.
 
If it's a "reboot" then it's highly unlikely that Scott Bakula will be in it for anything more than a glorified cameo appearance. I'm hoping that it's more of a continuation where new characters are created instead of recasting the two roles.

A new show could work. The old show was interesting to me because it went back to different places and time periods. A lot has changed since the show went off the air and there is plenty of fertile ground to cover eg: the 90s, the tech bubble, the Y2K scare, 9/11, the Iraq war, economic crash, social media, new music and entertainment etc.
 
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I don't know. X-Files rebooted and it had Scully and Mulder back. Same with Dexter. Sex and the City. Kind of depends on what that they are going for.
 
I suspect more likely good timing. Scott was surprised that show canceled. But happy it at least reached 100 episodes which Quantum Leap and Enterprise each were just short of by 2 or 3 episodes.

I am guessing other factors. I mentioned earlier being announced after Dean died may look bad. But he retired after a stroke in 2015. He was probably never part of this attempt. I read he had barely no memory of doing the show in his last years.
 
I very much doubt Dean Stockwell was a reason for it not happening sooner as he wasn't just getting up there in age, but also having been retired since a few years as mentioned.

I do think IF Scott is/was also part of the new project, Dean - health permitting - would have made a cameo of some sorts regardless, even if maybe only as a voice over or so.

I hope Scott Bakula will be part of the new QL, but I don't expect him to be more than a recurring or even only guest character.

Many have said over the past decades that the QL rights issues were and are complicated.
I think what "solved" that problem is good old $ or at least the potential for it making it potentially viable...
  • "what beloved/valuable IP do we have for a reboot/remake" crave from the Networks/IP holders
  • generally more outlets for it to air (network and streaming + own platforms)
  • more variable formats: shorter or even limited series compared to the 90s
  • increased viewership (during the pandemic and maybe already prior), thus thirst for content

I don't think NCIS NOLA had anything to do with it either.
  • There were issues behind the scenes of the show, which were dealt with, albeit quite late unfortunately.
  • the show kind of ran it's course creatively
  • viewer numbers decreasing while production costs rising (Covid and actors contracts)
  • They most likely knew they were ending that series before the last season began, when they upped Scott's real life partner (Chelsea Field) from guest to a series regular. (AFAIK he flew to LA every weekend between the shoots prior to Covid + he admitted that after QL where he was hardly around for the wife/family during it's whole production that he put certain clauses into his contracts to prevent that from happening again)
  • CBS/Paramount was already planning NCIS Hawai'i behind the scenes
  • Scott was indeed happy to breach the 100 Episode barrier that he so closely missed out on with QL and ENT
 
I remember reading somewhere there was an idea that Sam leaps into a set of twins. One is evil and the other is good. Maybe someone on production can revive that storyline?
 
ichab said:
If it's a "reboot" then it's highly unlikely that Scott Bakula will be in it for anything more than a glorified cameo appearance. I'm hoping that it's more of a continuation where new characters are created instead of recasting the two roles.

A new show could work. The old show was interesting to me because it went back to different places and time periods. A lot has changed since the show went off the air and there is plenty of fertile ground to cover eg: the 90s, the tech bubble, the Y2K scare, 9/11, the Iraq war, economic crash, social media, new music and entertainment etc.
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They said in the original announcement that it was going to be a sequel series set 30 years later with a new team restarting Project Quantum Leap.
 
Sam did leap into a twin girl, high school girl I believe in the QL comic book. Then he leaped out into the other at the end. Can't recall the details of the story. By the way if possible people should try and find those old QL comics. They are very good. My favorite is one where Sam leaps into a gas store owner in the middle of nowhere and with no people around it's mostly just Sam and Al talking and hanging out.
 
Jayson1 said:
By the way if possible people should try and find those old QL comics. They are very good. My favorite is one where Sam leaps into a gas store owner in the middle of nowhere and with no people around it's mostly just Sam and Al talking and hanging out.
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I have 1 or 2...I recall him jumping into a death row inmate.
 
I suppose this will be heavily serialized. So, like an epic battle against evil leapers across time? End season cliffhangers?
 
I imagine prevent the person from dying of boredom until such time as the next customer arrived.
 
Speaking on the comics the publisher Innovation Comics went out of business shortly after the tv series was cancelled. Which was very frustrating. I remember in the letters column the promise that the comics would continue even though the series was done. Than their company folded. There was a page of Sam’s next leap into a small child. Possibly pages finished of that story before that issue was canceled.

Anyone doubting this is continuation read the official description. It takes place decades after Sam’s first Leap. Trying to discover the mystery of how it worked.... also the mystery of Sam Beckett himself. You do not announce that without the plan to include Scott Bakula.

Unlike some revivals were the original star’s profile declined since by their own choice retirement, less work or faded into obscurity - Scott just finished a long run on a major prime series last year. He is still a big television draw.

Before this announcement last comment from Scott was when he appeared on Bob Saget’s Podcast in September. Vague mention of there being talks of a QL revival and it was trending everywhere.

Quantum Leap only had to regular cast members. Dean is gone and I have a number of ideas of how they can pay tribute to him and Al. One is the original filmed ending of him with his wife Beth played by Susan Diol. It only surfaced online in the last few years. He was going to Leap himself to find Sam. It was video from a work print. But if that original film exists...

They should certainly bring back Diol as Beth. Sam’s wife was played two actress. First seen played by Teri Hatcher.... wishful thinking...

Point is they should bring back any surviving guest stars who were important to the show. That is what these revivals are doing.

Another great thing about it being a true continuation is that we could see more comics. See lost stories with Al. When the show was still on they were exploring do an animated spin off. To do stories that would be impossible on a tv budget. There was no real market for that back than. But there certainly is now.
 
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