A leap in TV Entertainment (Quantum Leap)

Member Name: pbyron

Product:	Quantum Leap
Date:	23/08/01 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic storylines, Excellent acting

Disadvantages: Never shown in order after the first showing

Quantum Leap used to be the highlight of my week. Yes, I know that sounds sad, that a television programme can be the thing that you look forward to most, but there was something magical about this programme and it had me hooked.

The premise is that Sam Beckett, a researcher on the Quantum Leap project, steps into the project room to fix something, but gets caught in the blast that arises and gets knocked unconscious. When he awakes, Sam is confused to find himself in a strange bed, that of an airforce pilot with a pregnant wife. He soon realises that he is living someone else’s life and must try to muddle through and do whatever he has been sent there to do.

Into this mix is thrown Al. Al is also a member of the project and has used the hologram device to reach Sam and help him out, even though he has little clue about what is going on himself. Unfortunately, he has been given orders not to remind Sam about anything about his real life, so while Sam tries to put the pieces of his ‘swiss-cheesed’ brain together, Al tries to hint in subtle ways. At the end of the first leap, we realise that Sam has been sent to this person ‘to put right what once went wrong’ and hopefully leap back home in the process.

Of course, he doesn’t get home, but appears as yet another person, and with Al must once again figure out what to do to save this person before he can leap again, hopefully getting closer to home each time he does. This adds a lot of scope to each episode and Sam has been a soldier, rock-star, slave, prisoner and many more things. The best way for me to describe the programme is to say that it’s a cross between Highway To Heaven and The Twilight Zone, but this is rather unfair as it comes up with so many original ideas.

Each episode is well written and there is a lot of emphasis on the characters, which are always interesting. Strangly, it’s also easy to believe that Sam is t
hat person, as Scot Bakula is such a great actor. Dean Stockwell is also fantastic as Al and there is always a strong supporting cast in every show. There is so much emotion and feeling in the show that it is easy to get swept into it and only realise how much it affects you when the series finishes, the ending is so sad, but again, very well written. The special effects are used well too, sparse but effective is probably the best phrase for them, but as the stories are so well driven by character and plot, there doesn’t need to be too many of them anyway.

I can’t really explain any better how this show has affected me so, other than it has a certain magic and charm rarely seen in a television show these days. If you get a chance to watch the episodes in order, it makes so much difference, but unfortunately BBC2 don’t seem to think this and any repeats jump around more than Sam himself. The videos to date have been disappointing, only 2 episodes to a video and in no order whatsoever. I’m praying that the DVDs have some semblance of order to them when (or if) they finally arrive. Until then, I’ll just have to remember the show from when it was first aired and hold out hope that they show it in it’s entirety again.

Summary: