Original Quantum Leap star Scott Bakula has broken his silence about passing on the upcoming reboot.Bakula, who played Dr. Sam Beckett in the original NBC time travel series that ran for five seasons from 1989 to 1993, was rumored for months to be considering a reprisal his role in the Raymond Lee-led reboot. Now Bakula has confirmed his absence in a statement on his Twitter along with a classic image from the original series of Beckett in drag. "I have no connection with the new show, either in front of the camera or behind it," Bakula said. "In January, the pilot was sold and a script was sent to me because the character of Sam Beckett was in it, which makes sense, right? As so many of you have been asking me the last several months, 'How could you do QL without Sam?' (or Al, for that matter) Well, I guess we’re about to find out."
Fans of the original Quantum Leap have long desired a revival of the classic series, following its cliffhanger finale where Beckett leaped one last time with a caption that read he had never returned home. Plans for a television movie and a feature film written by creator Donald Bellisario were never realized.
A New Generation
Bakula gave the reboot his full blessing, 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," Bakula continued. "I wish them good luck and happy leaping!"
The original series followed futuristic physicist Dr. Sam Beckett using his "Quantum Leap" project to "leap" into the past within his lifetime by physically taking the form of people who were wronged in their past existence. With the help of his friend Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell), Beckett sought to change people's tragic fates in each episode before leaping into the next.
Bakula confirmed talks of the Quantum Leap reboot in 2021. Following the passing of Stockwell in 2021, NBC ordered the Quantum Leap reboot pilot. Developed by executive producers Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, the reboot stars Lee as Dr. Ben Seong, the leader of a new team that relaunches the Quantum Leap project 30 years after Beckett's disappearance. Seong makes an unauthorized leap into the past while his team tries to find out why he did it.
Quantum Leap premieres on Monday, Sept. 19 on NBC, with new episodes available to stream on Peacock the next day.
Source: Twitter via Deadline