(orchestral music)
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- [Narrator] The recent unexpected news
that Quantum Leap was coming back after almost 30 years
sent the science fiction fandom into a frenzy.
NBC's announcement that they were ordering a pilot
for a new series likely to be aired
on the new Peacock streaming service got some fans excited
but it also made other fans cautious
and downright dismissive
when it came to original series lead
and science fiction icon Scott Bakula.
Without Scott Bakula, there is no Quantum Leap.
It won't work without Scott, that's a hard stop.
Scott must be involved and onscreen for it to work.
Are you listening, NBC?
And while the overwhelming number of comments
are people excited for a new series with Scott Bakula
and a hopeful continuation of the series,
which left Dr. Sam Beckett stranded in time,
there are others that have a different concern.
If it comes out all woke,
I'll check out on the first episode.
I've zero tolerance for it anymore.
Been done to death, hope it's not.
Love the original.
And I have a feeling of dread for this
as much as I would love to see a finish
to the original story,
but nowadays every reboot has been a disaster
because the fans are not the ones they cater to.
The stakes are high for Quantum Leap fans
and the studio may be in for a disaster
if it doesn't listen.
So when we were able to get our hands
on the casting call sheet
for the upcoming Quantum Leap pilot
new light was shed on what direction the show may be going.
And there are some fans who are going to have
a strong opinion about the news.
So you don't wanna miss this episode.
- Oh boy.
- Oh boy what?
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- Do I know her?
- Huh? Do you know,
do you know her?
- [Narrator] With production of the Quantum Leap pilot
beginning in Vancouver, Canada, next month,
show creator Donald P Bellisario and his team
are now currently finalizing the roles for the show.
And as luck would have it,
we were able to get our hands on the call sheet
which gives insight on what direction the show wants to go,
and what types of actors and roles there will be.
That hashtag show released a rundown
of the descriptions of the characters.
And they consist of a Middle Eastern, North African
or Asian American Pacific Islander main character,
a female project lead, a female head of security,
a non-binary chief architect,
and a black male Vietnam veteran
who is the head of the Quantum Leap project.
The call sheet also gives us insight
on what the pilot episode may be about,
but let's get back to that in a moment.
First, let's discuss the series lead as advertised,
Dr. Ben Prassad.
Ben is a first generation American,
a world renowned physicist, and a man of faith.
He's also working on Quantum Leap, a time travel project.
But when he uses the project on himself,
he's transported to the late 1980s
and struck with a bout of amnesia
forgetting what made him time travel in the first place.
The casting for Ben calls for a man in his mid 30s
to early 40s and of Asian American Pacific Islander
or Middle Eastern or North African descent.
While this sounds like Ben is taking the lead role
from our beloved Dr. Sam Beckett character,
it's important to note that this doesn't outline him
as the only lead character.
Despite the obvious omission of Scott Bakula
from this call sheet, neither he nor his character
would be listed here regardless.
So what actor could play this role?
The first person that comes to mind is Kumail Nanjiani
who was recently in the movies, The Eternals,
Stuber and The Big Sick.
Nanjiani is very familiar with episodic TV
after spending five seasons on Silicon Valley.
- It's just where I rest.
Out there
is where I live
- [Narrator] As the new Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars series
he is currently in is in post-production,
Nanjiani would have time to invest in a Quantum Leap series.
He is 43 years old
and fits the casting call for Ben perfectly
- Couldn't get any better.
- [Narrator] Addison is a smart, witty,
fearless ex-military operative who now serves
as a project lead at Quantum Leap headquarters.
She's in charge of the technology they use
to communicate with the past
and tries to rescue Ben from his time flung existence.
The open ethnicity casting for Addison
calls for a woman in her 30s.
From the description,
it sounds like this character will be replacing
the role of Al on the show.
And while no one can replace Dean Stockwell,
we do like Jennifer Holland a whole lot.
With her current role of the first season
of Peacemaker at an end,
and with the limited run of episodes
for Today's streaming shows,
Holland will be looking for work.
At 35 years old and with no other job showing up
on her IMDB page, we think she'd be perfect for the part.
- Because, I don't know, I wear makeup.
- [Narrator] Ian Wright is Quantum Leap's
non-binary chief architect of the AI program
and prefers the company of computers to that of people.
The open ethnicity casting calls for a person in their 20s
and encourages non-binary actors to submit for the role.
Could this new character be Gooshie? Sorta.
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(bright music)
- Oh boy
- [Narrator] In the original series,
Gooshie was the main programmer
on the quantum computing mainframe
who we remember as Ziggy.
We didn't see a lot of Gooshie.
He appeared in six episodes
and was played by Dennis Wolfberg.
The casting call for Ian is encouraging non-binary actors
to go for the role.
The first person that comes to mind is Blue Del Barrio.
Blue is currently playing the non-binary character
Adira on Star Trek Discovery.
At 24 years old, they fit the age demographic
and based on Blue's performance as an engineer
for the Federation, shouldn't have a problem
programming the AI on a new Quantum Leap series.
- I would prefer they or them from now on.
- Herbert "Magic" Williams is a Vietnam vet
and current head of the Quantum Leap project.
Williams uses his no nonsense personality
and aura of control to keep the Pentagon at bay
while the team tries to rescue Ben.
The casting calls for a black man in his 60s.
This character will be doing some of what Al did
in the original series.
Al was constantly fighting him to keep Quantum Leap going.
Also, we need to remember that Al began a series
of tours in Vietnam in the late 1960s.
Could this new character have fought under Al
during that conflict and all these years later
find himself in his mentor's shoes?
For this role, we see Mario van Peebles.
As a 65 year old black man,
he fits the casting call perfectly.
Best known for his role in Heartbreak Ridge
opposite Clint Eastwood, Peebles has the experience
and military bearing to pull off the part.
- Well, well, well, well.
- [Narrator] Jenn is head of security
at Quantum Leap headquarters.
She is quirky but formidable and she makes it her mission
to figure out how Ben could have both leapt back in time
and erased all evidence of the leap in the future.
Wow, that was a huge plot point.
But hold onto that thought for a moment.
- Oh boy.
- [Narrator] With no specific age or ethnicity requirements,
we felt like Pauley Perrette would be perfect
for the role of Jenn.
Known to millions as Abby from NCIS,
her personality would fit this character.
And she worked for Bellisario,
so he knows what he's getting with her.
Her recent TV show, Broke didn't get a second season.
So she should currently be available for Quantum Leap.
- Six, seven, eight.
(bright music)
- [Narrator] In addition to the series regular roles,
the show is also casting for the following key guest stars.
Janice is a mysterious woman who was working
with Ben in the present before his leap through time.
And her true motives remain unknown.
The role is described as a recurring guest spot
casting a white woman in her 40s.
Naomi is a wife attempting to ask her husband for a divorce.
Unfortunately, she doesn't realize Ben
is currently occupying her husband's body.
The open ethnicity casting calls
for a woman in her late 30s.
Finally, the call sheet gives us
a little blurb about the series.
It's been 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett
stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished.
Now, a new team has been assembled to restart the project
in hopes of understanding the mysteries behind the machine
and the man who created it.
Embracing the iconic series signature blend
of humor, heart and history,
this reboot expands upon the Quantum Leap universe
taking us on a thrilling journey across space and time,
exploring the timeless notion
of what it's like to walk in another person's shoes,
and the enduring value of changing lives for the better.
So now that we have it from the production's mouth,
what does all of this tell us?
The first thing that doesn't make sense
is that they are calling this a reboot.
A reboot means to start over.
In this synopsis, it clearly states that a new team
has assembled 30 years later
in hopes of understanding what happened before.
That makes this a series continuation.
And while a lot of this information is subject to change
once they have actors in place
and the story has been adjusted,
we learned an incredible amount of information here.
The first obvious thing is that we don't see a cast
wrapped around the character of Sam Beckett.
We feel strongly that Scott Bakula will be in this show.
He has nothing else in production.
He loved the show.
He loves Bellisario,
and there is no reason why he wouldn't come back.
And since they aren't rebooting the show,
it will be very easy to insert him into the series
during the first season.
Perhaps Ben leaps into a time where Sam is
and the team begins working on a way to leap
both Ben and Sam together, trying to get them home.
The possibilities are limitless.
The fact that they are continuing the show
in real time is a huge indicator
that we will see Bakula at some point.
So why aren't we hearing about it?
Not only will the show want it to be a mid-season
or season ending surprise, but Bakula will need to play coy,
so the studio backs up that dump truck
full of money for him.
It also seems like we might be spending
a whole lot more time in the present
than we did during the original series.
The fact that we have so many more cast members
as well as a recurring guest that was working with Ben
in the present means we are going to see multiple episodes
with her in the story in the present time.
What was once a full immersion into history
will likely now be broken up into show segments
with each character, playing a role
in trying to get Ben, and hopefully Sam, both home.
The casting sheet also tells us
that Ben leaps back into the late '80s
where he will jump into the body of the husband of Naomi.
Naomi will be asking her husband for a divorce.
Perhaps Ben is there to set things right with the couple
while simultaneously helping pull baby Jessica
out of the well in Midland, Texas in 1987.
One of the most interesting points
is what the casting call says about Jenn's character.
It is her mission to figure out how Ben
could have both leapt back in time
and erased all evidence of the leap in the future.
This means we are going to have a mystery
unraveling back at headquarters.
Ben made the leap, but they have no evidence of it.
Does this mean the Pentagon may not believe
Ben leapt into the past
and the team needs to prove he wasn't murdered.
Why would evidence of his leap be important enough
to mention if it wasn't important to the series plot
in season one, at the very least?
At this point, let's be clear,
if there is no Scott Bakula in this Quantum Leap series,
we do not support it.
Regardless of who NBC casts, the key here is Bakula
and making sure Sam gets home once and for all.
What do you think?
- Oh boy.
Oh boy.
- Oh boy.
Oh boy.
Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy.
- [Narrator] Are you worried Scott Bakula
may not be in the show
or is it a foregone conclusion?
What do you think of all the new characters?
Is NBC getting it right?
Or are they following the same pattern
of TV we've seen recently?
Let's talk about it in the comments below.
Also check out this incredible Quantum Leap
inspired graphic design
from the amazing artists at mixedtees.com.
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- It's a bold strategy, Cotton.
Let's see if it pays off for him.
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