Quantum leap revival/reboot

Agent Coulson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119609026#Comment_119609026

Alright no need to shout.

BruteStock

None of them jabroni's can produce the warmth and charm of Dean Stockwell. Hard pass.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119270675#Comment_119270675

I have vague recollections of this being explained but my mind has filled in a lot of blanks.

Personally, despite the typical drivel expected from the internet, it looks faithful to the original in its concept. Will it work, hard to tell. The original had novelty, this will require good acting. The original was class though, and pulled in those from multiple socio backgrounds, some for good and some for bad reasons. I loved it for the pure sci fi brilliance and the attention to things, but as an adult, I love that it may have given a few people that 'walk a mile in my shoes' vibe. Hope it goes well.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119609640#Comment_119609640

Yeah the entire concept is bases on 'walk a mile in my shoes'. But that kind of empathy is seen as a bad thing by loads of people nowadays.

I think the sci fi has lost its novelty value in the interim. Could still be interesting.

Has anyone else rewatched the original and found it a bit childish? I'd prefer if the newer one is a bit more adult (mainly because I was a child when I first saw the original and now I'm an adult)

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119609751#Comment_119609751

Sci fi as a story telling concept is, at its finest, a way of getting people to see the world differently. Sadly some see it as preachy nowadays but it's not a new concept. Good sci fi for me is if a child watches it, they see the story and enjoy it as I did. As an adult they see the mirror and understand. From Gattaca to Star Trek, to see the world, even if we pretend it's not our own, through another's eyes is what makes good sci fi. Something Quantum Leap done well in its day. Hopefully the new one does the same.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119610287#Comment_119610287

Yeah I'd agree with that.

Particularly the fact that the original did the job very well in its day. I hope the reboot can do the same.

Which platform will it be available on?

silverharp

the thing with the original was it was based on a higher power so there was some mystery to it, now that its a tech thing , which sounds even theoretically impossible, the whole trying to fix the timeline or whatever has been done to death in various shows and movies in the meantime

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119610863#Comment_119610863

The higher power thing was thrown in at the end, until then IIRC it was an experiment gone wrong with as few details as possible ( can't poke holes if you don't tell them how it works).

silverharp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119613753#Comment_119613753

less detail is good for sure. the spanish time travel series did it well by not trying to explain it

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119610287#Comment_119610287

Somebody posted recently on one of the Trek thread about Star Trek being all preachy all of a sudden... STAR TREK!!! 😀 Star Trek has ALWAYS been preachy.

And you are correct, Sci-Fi has always been used to tackle real-world situations. From war, racism and youth movement in Star Trek TOS. To self identity, mental health and colonialism in TNG and DS9. Gattaca, a fantastic (And underappreciated) movie again about self identity and ennablement. Almost the entirety of Buffy was about growing pains as opposed to simply being about killing vampires. (Mark Kermode famously gets stick about saying that Jaws isn't really about a shark... And he's right but that's a conversation for another thread).

Quantum Leap tackled all of these and in a much more heavy-handed way that other shows. There was very little subtlety about it's handling of issues. And nobody complained. I firmly believe that, if any of these revered shows were created now, the Internet trolls would melt down in their "anti-woke" rage (Buffy's friend is gay? Kirk kisses Uhura instead of Nurse Chaplain? Oh God, Now Sam is a black person? And now a WOMAN???!!! Oh God, here we go again with the war analogies).

I don't like the look of that trailer because I think it looks cheap and lazy. Maybe it's a poor trailer. I suppose all it's trying to BE is a good old fashioned throwback to late 80s/early 90s TV. And that's OK if that's what its going for. It just looks maybe a bit dated in these days of extremely high production value shows with deep and entwined story arcs. Shows with Hollywood stars and episodes costing 10 million dollars. I suppose standard TV stations just have a hard time competing with the streaming giants.

silverharp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119621894#Comment_119621894

you really need to distinguish between something being progressive and something being woke, its not the same

TheIrishGrover

Nah. 'cos in 6 months the Internet brigade will have another bandwagon. I'm good.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119613753#Comment_119613753

I think by that stage they were running out of steam a bit. It's like introducing a new central character (Especially in a small cast). It's always a sign of running out of ideas. The age-old "Jumping the shark".

Having said that, I did love the last episode of QL

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119622036#Comment_119622036

Tell that to the many, even a.few on this site, moaning about new Trek being "woke" cos of its diverse cast or contemporary themes. The word is completely overused and I don't believe there's any distinction drawn beyond "I feel salty the lead isn't a white man". It's dressed up a lot but @TheIrishGrover is correct. Cribbing about Trek's credentials is asinine. If Trek came out for the first time tomorrow the same old bores would be moaning about the diverse cast. Twice over with DS9 and its black captain.

silverharp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119622206#Comment_119622206

I disagree, shows in the past didnt say watch the show because it has a diverse cast, and if you dont like it you are an ist or a phobe. The term ive seen recently is "Fan Baiting" which seems to be a marketing strategy designed to wind up audiences to create "interest" in the show and cover if the show isnt doing well, if thats even remotely true they can go fck themselves. DS9 was a character and story driven show and Sisco was awesome and would have been just as good in a new show today , you are smoking something if you think it would have gotten the STD treatment.

nix

Star Trek is the perfect place to do a diverse cast tbh, its when the diversity seems forced is where id label it woke. So Wesker in the new resi evil series for example, getting race changed and then watching the trailer, i just knew the show was going to emphasise its focus on diversity first before trying or even bothering to tell a good story. And going by the reviews, thats exactly why it sunk..

Its a growing trend on these new streaming service shows and alot of movies coming out of Hollywood now and its naturally why people are getting sick of it and slating it before its released when the usual "woke" markers are all they pump out in the trailer/hype running up to its release.

I'm with Grover on this particular show, i dont think the diversity is whats making this show look bad, its everything else which makes the emphasis on diversity a pointless issue to focus on haha :D

Agent Coulson

Scott speaks

https://twitter.com/scottbakula/status/1570530814781452288?s=46&t=PK7_QbGO1k-4Vacfc6Q5lQ

https://twitter.com/scottbakula/status/1570530896964644864?s=46&t=PK7_QbGO1k-4Vacfc6Q5lQ

Agent Coulson

….

https://twitter.com/scottbakula/status/1570530985598656512?s=46&t=PK7_QbGO1k-4Vacfc6Q5lQ

https://twitter.com/scottbakula/status/1570531045661118466?s=46&t=PK7_QbGO1k-4Vacfc6Q5lQ

https://twitter.com/scottbakula/status/1570531139500277760?s=46&t=PK7_QbGO1k-4Vacfc6Q5lQ

Agent Coulson

Maybe I’m reading wrongly between the lines however I don’t think he is happy about this reboot.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119624708#Comment_119624708

And they seem to be making a big deal about this being a CONTINUATION rather than a reboot. They keep referring to Sam Beckett. As if this was a hunt for him.

fritzelly

First review I've seen for it isn't terrible

Mr E

Watched the first 20 minutes. Good energy! I liked it.

I think Scott Bakula's denial of involvement is either a red herring (he shows up in the finale), or they will find out that Sam died.

CastorTroy

Will watch tonight when I can.

The makers do seem adamant that you can't have Quantum Leap without Sam so maybe he'll turn up. Though they'll need some explanation as to how they could find him. Randomly jumping through time doesn't seem a good way to do it.

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119640247#Comment_119640247

Ya he seems to be protest too much. There has to be some mention (so then flashback) or he is seen. Maybe a few crumbs before then do no think it would be long term or anything just a wrap up for fans

micks_address

Is it on any streaming platform?

fritzelly

It wasn't great but it wasn't terrible - its only the pilot so deserves more episodes

The Addison character is annoying, nothing like Al

GerardKeating

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119643012#Comment_119643012

But is that not good, no point in "clone" characters, they need to be differnent people, they are different people.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119643744#Comment_119643744

Yeah but she is very wooden - just checked IMDB and no acting credits before this. Needs chemistry between the two main leads, like I said it's only the pilot so maybe she gets better

CastorTroy

The modern day stuff is okay so far but didn't like how they cut to the modern day between the leaps. I miss Sam leaping followed immediately (most of the time) by seeing who he leaps into.

The leaper is likeable enough as is Ernie Hudson the rest aren't really good in any way.

It seemed very badly edited to me in places.

The female lead looks very familiar even though this looks like her first acting role.

CastorTroy

At first I thought she looked like Ivana Milicevic from Banshee crossed with Jennifer Carpenter from Dexter.

I'll keep watching for now.

AMKC

That was not so bad. I had expected it would be a lot worse. I will admit at the beginning I was thinking This looks terrible and so cheap but it gradually improved the chase was funny and not badly done and for once I agree there should be a whole team of people at the base and it's nice we get to see them involved too. In the original that was rare enough it was mostly just Sam and Al as well as the people at wherever Sam was. I thought it was a nice easy going episode to ease us in to this new series. I am really looking forward to the next episode if that ending is it. I wonder will they mix it up a bit like the Original did and maybe have some episodes where you see him leap into someone or some place but it's not the next direct episode maybe it's a few episodes later or even not at all?

Strumms

Other articles suggested Bakula was approached to act in the reboot in fact he has confirmed this but declined the offer, rightly imho.….

probably for the best… his chemistry with Dean Stockwell was class….

CastorTroy

Just thinking that the problem with having the team is the fact they'll need to get screentime. When we have a new story every week it means a new cast of characters we need time to get to know and see Ben get to know to care about them. But if spending time in the present it means less time away from the new characters. This week I guess you could say they went the quick route to get a reaction by introducing a wife with cancer and a kid.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119644503#Comment_119644503

Yes that's a good point. Hopefully they can even it out or at least give more time to where Ben is than to those back at the Quantum Leap base.

PhiloCypher

Having watched it , my fear is that by trying to have a future story thread and Ben in the past Story thread, the mystery behind why Ben jumped will be needlessly drawn out and with only half the screen time, Ben's adventures in the past will be overly simple affairs.

Agent Coulson

So if Sam is still alive and jumping then 2022 would still be in his own lifetime.

How about Sam jumped into Ben and the only way to save Ben is to return home.

Actually that wouldn't work as neither junper has left a phyiscal body to leap back into

NSAman

Absolutely horrific! Watched first episode and that was enough.

What the hell has happened that Television has become so bad?

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119647185#Comment_119647185

Haven't watched this yet but....

Be careful of Rose-tinted glasses. While QL had some fun episodes, TV in general, was not good. Sure, everyone remembers shows like Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue but seriously. You should try to watch The A-Team or Knight Rider or MaGyver etc. They are NOT good, Cheaply made, poorly written and acted, repetitive, no character depth or progression (As shows were, in general, episodic. Each episode limited to "baddie-of-the-week"). There was no "Breaking Bad" or "Better Call Saul" on mainstream TV. HBO was around in the US but you had no shows with the production values of Game of Thrones or the Marvel/Star Wars series on D+.

You had series of 26 episodes per season (Serious quantity over quality) where nothing progressed (Outside of OTT American soaps - Bobby in the shower. Someone getting beamed up by aliens). Detective show after detective show after detective show.... Jessica Fletcher's never-ending procession of friends/family being incorrectly accused of murder. The obligatory shed that the A-team get locked up into. Every series had an episode where they went back to 'Nam to rescue a POW buddy.

So basically TV was dross then. Simply terrible.

Mr E

Well said. 🙂

A lot of the TV we loved in the 80s hasn't aged well at all.

Agent Coulson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119650943#Comment_119650943

Hill Street Blues & Homicide Life on the Street were two shows in the 80's and 90's on main stream free TV that blow the likes of Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul as you mention out of the water for story telling and character development and still hold up now 30+ years later and you wouldn't have the HBO, Showtime, AMC, Netflix, Apple etc etc shows or anything else we call great TV now without them so to say TV was dross then is completely wrong.

St Elsewhere another show on free TV that also deserves as much credit as any show you can name in the last 25 years for progressive and ground breaking story telling.

I'd also add in Michael Mann's Crime Story in there as well.

Shakyfan

Don't want to start messing around with VPNs so is this available on any of the streaming services in the UK?

homingbird

Its total rubbish the crossdresser doesnt work for me in it to many characters just feels like another cheap show.

fritzelly

Why are you posting links to pirate copies?

homingbird

Fixed now.

youcancallmeal

Got around to watching the first episode and it was everything the trailers promised it would be, low production values and poor writing. The acting was fine to be fair. I won't be rushing to keep up with this due to many other shows on my watch list but I may come back to it if there is a lull in better shows to watch

Agent Coulson

That is the same actress that played Al’s wife in the original series.

Spoiler Warning

I’m guessing that’s the diner where Sam is hanging out with God.

silverharp

RT is 47%/43%, seems like consensus that its not great. Seems like NBC wanted Bakula for a memberberries role but he wasnt having it. Cobra Kai is the only show I can think of that has done it right with how they treated the original characters.

icdg

If it lasts anyway beyond its initial order expect to see it show up on Sky or Peacock at some stage, I would say.

Mr E

I like it. Enjoyed episode 2 too.