Once again, a brave scientist has found himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that are not his own, and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better as the Quantum Leap revival begins on NBC. This time around, said scientist is played by Raymond Lee, with the actor explaining to Screenrant how the new Quantum Leap series will pay tribute to the beloved original.
Picking up three decades after Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) first stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it. Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it.
“Our showrunners and creators were massive fans of the original, so it was incumbent upon them to make sure that they do the original show justice. But they also keep in mind that it is 2022, and a lot has changed in thirty years, so it is important for us to create a brand-new show.”
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While original star Scott Bakula will not appear in the new Quantum Leap, Lee has revealed that the series will be brimming with tie-ins and Easter eggs. All while making some changes and expanding on the world first explored in the 80s and early 90s.
Sadly, Scott Bakula Will Not Be Back for the New Quantum Leap
NBC
While there has been much speculation over whether original Quantum Leap star and beloved actor Scott Bakula would return for the reboot-slash-sequel series, Bakula himself has now revealed that, sadly, there will be no appearances from Dr. Samuel Beckett.
“We are going to find every which way to have character tie-ins and Easter eggs and lots of juicy stuff for all the original fans. But also, we’re going to dive deep into some of the mythology later on in the season. The algorithms have come a long way; long enough that [my character] Dr. Ben Song was able to go beyond what Dr. Sam Beckett was able to do. He can go beyond the span of their own lives, and that’s something really fun to interact with.”
So, while Beckett was initially part of the plan, Bakula ultimately decided not to reprise the role for Quantum Leap. A decision that, as he himself admits, will have left many fans feeling “upset” and “confused.”
Bakula did wish the new series the very best saying, “I am crossing my fingers that this new cast and crew are lucky enough to tap into the magic that propelled the original Quantum Leap into the hearts and minds of generations past and present. I wish them good luck and happy leaping!”
The Quantum Leap revival premiered on NBC on September 19, 2022.
