The Quantum Leap reboot series might be happening after all. On Monday, series star Scott Bakula appeared as a guest on Bob Saget’s podcast Bob Saget’s Here for You. During the interview, the conversation naturally turned to Quantum Leap, and Saget asked Bakula about the chances of a reboot. Bakula said that there are some talks behind the scenes about rebooting the series at the moment, though he’s still not sure if the issues with the rights have even been resolved.
“I think we are definitely living in the reboot era as you’re aware of. There’s very significant conversations about it right now going on. But, I don’t know what it would be. I don’t know who would have it. 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.”
While nothing has materialized just yet, Scott Bakula says he has had continuous talks with series creator Donald P. Bellisario over the years about the show returning. From his view, Bellisario did not want to entertain bringing back Quantum Leap without Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Bakula added that he was always supportive of the idea, encouraging Bellisario to just go ahead and write it.
“Don, for years, he and I would talk about it periodically, and he would always say, ‘I can’t write it without thinking of you and Dean [Stockwell].’ I said, ‘Just think about me and Dean and write your show. Get it out there. If you have an idea, just write it. I am sure it’ll be great.’ I don’t know what that idea would be if we did.”
Scott Bakula then joked that Stockwell “costs too much money” when Saget asked why the two can’t just go ahead and start filming more Quantum Leap now. The actor then reiterates that he’s out of the loop on the creative direction of the potential reboot, and really has no idea what the new version of the show would even entail. It’s always possible Bakula wouldn’t be involved if this turns out to be a complete reboot, though fans of the show would probably prefer to see the series get some true closure. As Bakula once said, “Sam’s still out there.”
It’s clear that Bakula supports the idea of a Quantum Leap reboot, however that turns out to be. Back in February, he further explained the reboot’s potentiality in a TVLine interview. While it isn’t up to him what the creative direction of the new show would be, Bakula said he hopes the reboot maintains the same “quaintness” of the original series.
“There was also a quaintness about the show, because it had this period feel because Sam traveled anywhere within his own lifetime,” the NCIS: New Orleans actor said. “That made it feel a little old fashioned, but I would hope that they get the truth of it and the sentiments of it right, and not try and make it slick. Sam was this naïve kid who just happened to be a brilliant scientist who stumbled on something and all of a sudden was thrown into all of these different lives and worlds and people and situations that he never could’ve imagined growing up in. I would just hope that they would try and keep that, but you know, I don’t know what they’ll do.”
Given the incredibly abrupt ending that closed out the original Quantum Leap, let’s hope this possible new show turns out to be a continuation. Even if Bakula’s Dr. Sam Beckett is no longer the central character, perhaps the new series, if set in the same universe, will finally bring some answers about the character’s ultimate fate. It helps that there’s apparently a script already written. You can listen to the full interview with Scott Bakula on the Bob Saget’s Here for You podcast.
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