Will the next leap be the leap home for Sam? (Quantum Leap)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Quantum Leap
Date:	28/02/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Iconic and excellent notion

Disadvantages: Stars off a bit slowly

Quantum Leap is an American TV series that ran from 1989 to 1993, and starred Scott Bakula as time travelling physics genius Sam Beckett. It was immensely popular, with a catchy theme tune, and the characters were well developed over the five seasons.

Season 1 kicked off with Sam 'leaping' into someone's body and essentially taking control of their mind. The premise is that Sam and his team of genius
physicists have created a time travelling device, enabling the one person who can step into the device to leap back in time, hopping from body to body at different points in time.

The problem is that Sam has amnesia, and for the first few episodes, he can't remember a lot about his own life. Each life he leaps into requires him to make a significant change in someone's life, either by saving it, or ensuring happiness in some way. In all honesty, it is a subtle way of examining the thought that there are guardian angels all throughout time, and as the episodes and series fly by, we see this notion develop a little more. By the end of the fifth series, there are serious references to religious interference, and as Sam is trapped in time, going all over the years from body to body, he finds an interesting and different challenge every time, hoping beyond hope that the next leap will be the leap home.

Sam is aided by Al, who can appear wherever he is as a hologram. Al is actually back in the lab where Sam's team and all of the equipment are based, trying to bring him back. Bakula's acting starts off a little dodgy at the beginning of the first episode, but develops very well. Al is played by Dean Stockwell, and he is very good from the start. These are the main two characters who are in it on a regular basis, although one of the series producers, Deborah Pratt, plays Ziggy on a number of occasions.

The show is one of Donald P Bellisario's creations. The man has only been superceded by Aaron Spelling in terms of TV producing in my view, and has been at the helm of a number of top TV programmes. Quantum Leap remains one of my favourites from when I was a kid, and I used to relish getting home to watch them and the repeats with my brother after school. Now, my wife and I fondly remember the show, and have recently watched Season 1 on DVD. We're preparing ourselves for Season 2. I know there are some awesome episodes coming up that I remember, and can't wait. The DVDs are regularly available on amazon.co.uk, and the TV show itself is repeated every now and then on various TV channels. Watch out for them - they're awesome!

Summary: One of my favourite TV programmes from when I was a kid