Quantum Leap (An Oldie)

I watched it when it was new, then in repeats in the mid-90s. I loved the show, and remembered how his "mirror" shots never quite matched up the action of each actor.

Then Scott Bacula became Captain Archer on Enterprise. I liked him more as Sam on QL.

My mother has stacks of QL fanzines she sells on eBay. People seem to love them.

allen

Great show. Still catch it on SciFi sometimes. Dean Stockwell as Al was fabulous in his own right, but Bakula was pure gold.

Yeah, I watched it when it was on. I've seen some episodes lately on pay TV, and while some were good, some were pretty dated. Like, as if they were pulled from a seventies B-movie dated. These were possibly the later episodes, when they were running out of steam? Same thing happened to Sliders. Sigh.

NTG said:

OK, I watched it. Regularly.
The premise was so utterly ridiculous. . .but it was so much fun to watch. . .yeah, I have some tapes to prove it.

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It was ridiculous, but I thought it was so well done that you didn't even notice it. That's the way I remember it anyway.

I used to watch this show too, but I can't remember how the series ended. I don't know if it's "spoiler" material or not...but how did it end? Did he ever jump back into his own life or what....?

Thanks.

I loved the show. And the ending was sad. He never returned home.

I don't think it's a spoiler after all these years.

Count me as another QL lover.

My favorite episode was the one where Sam leaped into the body of a stage actor, and got to sing.

It wasn't until afterward that I learned he'd actually been a stage actor and was considered quite an accomplished singer (which he certainly was in that episode).

Loved this show. I always loved the ones where he leaped into a woman's body, because it had to be such a stretch for him to play it. It was a great show, and like many others, I didn't remember how it ended.

Sage said:

He also sang when he leapt into his own (child) body. He sang "Imagine" & it's a gorgeous version. I have it on my iPod & prefer it to John Lennon's version (though I have that one too).

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He also sang from Don Quixote one episode when he leapt into a stage actor. The man can sing. I miss the show.

I'll always remember the episode where he leapt into the body of a chimp, and had to spend the whole show in a diaper. Oh, man, that had to be embarassing. (And a chimp doing karate kicks? ...Okay, I'll go along with it.)

Anyone remember the Halloween episode, with Evil Al, and little Stevie King?

Novelust said:

Anyone remember the Halloween episode, with Evil Al, and little Stevie King?

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Oh Yeah! with the goat.
Man that was a wierd episode.

Good show, Great last episode.

Wasn' there talk of a film?

Serenity said:

He also sang from Don Quixote one episode when he leapt into a stage actor. The man can sing. I miss the show.

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That's the episode I remember. I don't recall the "Imagine" one, but I'd love to hear it.

Good show. Haven't seen it in forever.

And IIRC in the last episode he tried to save his brother's life in Vietnam, or perhaps I'm just thinking of an earlier episode.

I was a fan of QL when it was on too, a great show. The ending was sad and I always thought they left it open ended just in case they were going to bring it back or turn it into a movie, although that never happened.

I think it's being repeated in the UK at the moment on one of the ITV cable channels (ITV3 or ITV4, not sure which one).

Very entertaining show. My wife and I watched every episode in its first run. Definitely on my short list of shows I'd like to get on DVD.

QL is a perfect example of getting folks to suspend their disbelief. Yes, it was a very out-there premise, but it merely served as a framework for great storytelling. The show was first and foremost all about the characters.

I agree that the last episode was incredibly sad: that one final leap that nobody knew 'when' he'd gone, and that he never returned from. I'm so glad they didn't do a sappy Cinderella ending. Sad as it was the way they did it, we were left to wonder where and when he was, and if he finally found peace and happiness. Great way to finish the series.

ChunkyC said:

QL is a perfect example of getting folks to suspend their disbelief. Yes, it was a very out-there premise, but it merely served as a framework for great storytelling. The show was first and foremost all about the characters.

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I think this was why the premise, even far-fetched as it was, didn't matter all that much. The characters were so engaging and entertaining, that it didn't matter. It was just something they all did. I know I never gave it much thought, I just enjoyed the show. It simply worked.

I loved the show. I have the first season or two on DVD and I'll usually watch any time Sci-Fi or USA runs a marathon.

Don't tell anyone else, but the finale always leaves me blubbering like a baby.

The finale wasn't meant to be the end but NBC decided late in the last season to cancel it so the producers had to edit the finale and add the "never returned" tag at the end to give it closure.

I find the finale surprisingly powerful. When Al (The bartender) told Sam the answer to his questions was "Sometimes 'that's the way it is is the best answer of all'" it really struck me as surprisingly profound.