NBC introduces its new take on a classic series with the premiere of “Quantum Leap” next week.
The upcoming series isn’t so much a reboot as it is a continuation of the story the previous iteration told, showrunner Martin Gero said during Thursday’s Television Critics Association panel. In fact, Gero admitted that the creative team knew they would set the show up for failure if they tried to recreate the iconic time traveler Dr. Sam Beckett and his hologram sidekick, Al.
“It really makes sense for it to be a continuation of the story with a new set of characters — one that can respect the old show, but has a really low bar for entry for new audiences,” he said.
The new “Quantum Leap” is set in the present, nearly 30 years after the original 1985 installment. According to the network, “a new team has been assembled to restart the project”. [Sam Beckett was involved in] Hoping to understand the secrets behind [Quantum Leap accelerator] And the man who made it.”
Below, TheWrap has compiled some of the biggest clues as to what will happen next when the show premieres on September 19.
The new series will have the heart of the original, and so will its new main character, Dr. Ben Song.
We can thank original “Quantum Leap” co-executive producer Deborah Pratt for helping keep the heart of the story in this new series, Gero told reporters.
“She actually says that the four principles of ‘Quantum Leap’ are hope, heart, humor and history. Ben [played by Raymond Lee] actually resides in the first three of them. He is an incredibly optimistic character. He has a tremendous heart. The show is about empathy at its core, and it has a lot to offer. ,
And, of course, we can’t forget about the humor, which Gero called “a big part” of the original series, which his team wanted to bring to this new iteration.
You don’t need to watch the original “Quantum Leap” to enjoy it
It felt like a tight walk, but the new series manages to pay homage to its predecessor, making it impossible to understand if you weren’t watching (or even born with) the first time.
“There are a lot of people who are vaguely familiar with the title and are going to investigate the show,” Gero said. “We didn’t want to immediately sabotage the show with too much mythology to make it feel like I needed to watch over 90 episodes of ‘Quantum Leap’ before I started it.”
Instead, viewers can expect to “start anew” and then, over the course of the season, become familiar with the mythology. Later episodes will have plenty of easter eggs for OG fans as well.
“It will feel like a different perspective on past events for our old fans,” Gero said.
Expect Some Funny Tributes to Many Genres
The most exciting part about a series where the main character can jump into other people’s bodies? The show is not limited to any one genre.
“We’re basically making a pilot in every episode,” Gero said. “We’re doing the western in episode 5.”
The first episode of “Quantum Leap” airs on NBC on September 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
