Quantum Leap @ Wondercon 2023
“So tired of reboots…”
“Not another remake…”
“Nothing can beat the original…”
I’ve said this, you’ve said this, your friends have said this. And yet, the recycling of nostalgia will never cease. Hollywood has been doing spooling from the same fabric of content for decades and it will never stop. New versions of the old is a gamble in success but it’s a constant in recognition.
Sometimes, just sometimes, the new version can be better.
Here we go again….
Quantum Leap aired on NBC in 1989 starring Dr. Sam Beckett (played by Scott Bakula). Dr. Beckett had stepped into a device called the Quantum Leap accelerator where he would be able to traverse time within the bodies of other people. Each leap was into a different person, different era, different time period but he was unable to travel back to his own time.
NBC continues that storyline thirty years later. Now a new team is carrying on the adventures as Dr. Ben Song (played by Raymond Lee) follows Dr. Beckett’s path with his step into the Quantum Leap accelerator.
With so many reboots, remakes, and the likes saturating from all sides with the limitless options of streaming services, the enthusiasm for watching Quantum Leap was unsurprisingly low. The show has often been quoted and loved by fans in the community but the appeal for myself did not stick. So other than knowing it was a time traveling science-fiction episodic show, I knew nothing else.
“Quantum Leap at WonderCon -- Pictured: (l-r) Deborah Pratt, Executive Producer; Nanrisa Lee, Ernie Hudson, Caitlin Bassett, Mason Alexander Park, Raymond Lee, Dean Georgaris, Executive Producer -- (Photo by: David Yeh/NBC)
Getting to know the cast
Nor did I watch any of the original or current episodes before entering the press interviews for Quantum Leap at Wondercon. If I was to add add another streaming service to add another show to the streaming queue, it was up to the cast and crew to shoulder the weight of convincing me to do so. Often times it is the passion and drive of the creative forces in reintroducing the old that is that crucial step in enticing new viewers.
Truth be told, learning that Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters and so much more) was the clencher in accepting the invitation.
Within seconds of the cast walking into the room, the curiosity of the show was amplified. The charisma and banter between the actors was solid as they posed for photos and teased one another. Then they sat down and did the interviews. Immediately the passion for the show and the message was clearly heard. It was an overall message of hope and empathy within a modern landscape of such doom and gloom on and off-screen.
QUANTUM LEAP -- “Pilot” Episode Pilot -- Pictured: (l-r) Ernie Hudson as Herbert "Magic" Williams, Nanrisa Lee as Jenn Chou, Mason Alexander Park as Ian Wright, Caitlin Bassett as Addison Augustine -- (Photo by: Serguei Bachlakov/NBC)
First Impressions
After such a brilliant experience of interviewing the cast, Peacock was immediately downloaded and the first episode of Quantum Leap (2022) was viewed. That same camaraderie seen from the press room was reflected right back at me during the opening of the first episode. Midway through, a familiar recognition of happiness was realized. This was the same feeling of enjoyment felt while watching Stargate SG-1 and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It was the same dynamic of a close crew going through fantastic adventures through time and space. There was the adventurous scientist plunging through it all, the sharp and militaristic partner, the pair of tech-savvy team, with the wise leader guiding them along. It was a fantastic intro episode and worthy of the hype from the growing fandom.
That positive experience was flipped 180 degrees after checking out the first episode of Quantum Leap (1989), which are also available on Peacock. The first episode is extremely slow and is heavy on the chauvinism. Dr. Beckett does leap into someone from the 50’s but it’s still a difficult watch for a new viewer now. It is definitely a show of it’s time and new viewers will have to disconnect themselves from current trends to enjoy. Personally, I did not and was quite eager to go back to current Quantum Leap.
Ready to take the leap?
