The cult classic science fiction series Quantum Leap from the late 1980s and early 1990s is getting a new life on NBC and in streaming on Peacock on Monday, September 19. The first trailer for the new series has been published, and it features series star Raymond Lee time-traveling to the mid-1980s. In the brand new 26-second teaser trailer, Lee’s character, the famous physicist Dr Ben Seong, time-travels to 1986 and finds himself backstage at a music festival in Los Angeles. The chants off-screen tell him it’s time to perform, and a look in the mirror confirms that he has really jumped into the body of a female lead vocalist of a rock band.
The previous series ended with Dr Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) disappearing into the past using the Quantum Leap accelerator; the new series is set 30 years later. A new group has formed to figure out the secret of the Quantum Leap accelerator. An amnesic Ben travels back to the 1980s after taking part in a rogue activation of the machine. Ben must now return to his own time with the assistance of a hologram named Addison (Caitlin Bassett) and Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Hudson), a “no-nonsense professional military guy” who uses his influence to conceal the machine’s existence. NBC aired the original Quantum Leap for five seasons (1989–1993) and 97 episodes (including specials) between 1989 and 1993; the show is now considered a cult classic.
The show followed Beckett as he travelled across time and space, “leaping” into various persons in an effort to change the past and return to the present. After five seasons, the show had amassed a total of seventeen nominations and wins, including many Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys. In 1989, 1990, and 1991, the show took home the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography in a Series. Mason Alexander Park and Nanrisa Lee will join original cast members Angela Bassett and Ernie Hudson in the new Quantum Leap. NBC gave the pilot, which was directed by Helen Shaver (Station Eleven) and written by Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrdant of La Brea, a series order in May of 2022.
Showrunner duties for the series were held by Lilien and Wynbrdant until late July when they were replaced by Martin Gero. Gero (via Quinn’s House Productions), series creator Don Bellisario (through Belisarius Productions), and Ziggy the A.I.’s voice actress Deborah Pratt are all executive producers on the show. The first episode of Quantum Leap will air on NBC and be available for streaming on Peacock on September 19.
Synopsis
Dr Sam Beckett has been missing for close to 30 years, ever since he entered the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, scientist Ben Song (Raymond Lee) has formed a new team to revive the project in an effort to unravel the secrets of the machine and the man who built it. When Ben does an unlawful time jump without telling his team, everything changes and they are left to figure out why he did it. While Ben is in mid-leap, Addison (Caitlin Bassett) emerges as a hologram that only he can see and hear. She is an Army veteran with a steady mind and an eye for detail.
Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Hudson), a no-nonsense career military guy who will have to account to managers who will not be thrilled once they find out about the breach of procedure, is in charge of the highly secret mission. Jenn Chou (Nanrisa Lee) is in charge of digital security for the project, while Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Park) is in charge of the artificial intelligence division “Ziggy.” It’s evident that Ben and the crew are on an exciting voyage as he flits from life to life, repairing wrongs from the past. Addison, Magic, Ian, and Jenn are determined to figure out what caused Ben to leap, so they can bring him back home safely, but they realise they have to move quickly or risk losing him forever.