With a new lead and a fresh plot, the reboot of Quantum Leap debuts today. Raymond Lee will have a similar role in Quantum Leap. When NBC ordered a pilot of the relaunch in January and signed it up for a full season, there was immediate conjecture about whether Bakula would be a part of it.
Since the new series serves as a continuation of the first one, fans have been wondering if the show’s original star Scott Bakula was going to somehow return to play Dr. Sam Beckett, even if only for a brief cameo. Bakula used his Instagram account to wish the show luck, put an end to any speculation about his potential return to the show, and explain his decision not to take part. Bakula wrote the following to explain his position on why he chose not to participate in the upcoming series:
“In January, the pilot was sold and a script was sent to me because the character of Sam Beckett was in it, which makes sense, right? As so many of you have been asking me the last several months, ‘How could you do QL without Sam?'(or Al, for that matter) Well, I guess we’re about to find out. That’s the story. As the show has always been near and dear to my heart, it was a very difficult decision to pass on the project, a decision that has upset and confused so many fans of the original series. However, the idea of anyone ‘leaping’ around in time and walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, remains a very appealing concept and so worthy of exploration, especially given the current state of mankind. In that spirit, I am crossing my fingers that this new cast and crew are lucky enough to tap into the magic that propelled the original Quantum Leap into the hearts and minds of generations past and present. I wish them good luck and happy leaping!”
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The beginning of the new series will now reveal that Bakula’s “Sam Beckett” never returned, and scientist Ben Song, played by Lee, heads a new team that has begun the Quantum Leap project in an effort to uncover its secrets and discover what happened to its originator.
With this announcement that Sam Beckett won’t be appearing, fans of Scott Bakula’s portrayal will undoubtedly be disappointed. The original ran for five seasons before concluding in 1993.
