NBC’s new Quantum Leap has a legacy of adventurous heroism and well-intentioned shenanigans to live up to as the continuation of the 1990s hit series starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell.
Premiering on Monday, September 19, it stars Raymond Lee as the time-traveling physicist, Dr. Ben Song, who takes his machine for a spin and loses his memory and himself in the past.
This time around, there’s no cigar-chomping Al to crack jokes and give advice to the wandering doctor.
Caitlin Bassett, as Addison Augustine, plays the hologram guide and provides exposition to both Ben and the audience.
“Your name is Dr. Ben Song. You’re from the year 2022. You’re the lead physicist on a top-secret project called Quantum Leap. You’re a time traveler.”
A far cry from the gruff and world-weary Al, Addison has more than a working relationship with Ben, a fact that Leap amnesia has wiped from his memory.
Also, while the 90s Ziggy computer was a giant unseen deus ex machina, this time around, we’re getting to know the people behind the project.
There’s lead programmer Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Parker), who tells Addison that Ben knew he was taking a risk when he leaped.
Jenn Chou (Nanrisa Lee) is a digital security expert who works at the side of the project head, Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Williams), trying to figure out why Ben jumped in the first place.
Magic may be the project head, but he has higher-ups in the Pentagon to answer to. Keeping the bosses happy while assuring the safety of his team is a juggling act he’ll need real magic to achieve.
The trailer provides insight into Ben’s first leap, which lands him in the body and life of a getaway driver named Nick on July 13, 1985.
While he tries to figure out how he can change history for the better, his team races to figure out a way to bring him home.
While Scott Bakula is not (currently) a part of the series, it should be noted that his character, Dr. Sam Beckett, never returned to his time as himself.
Furthermore, the new series’s official setup reads as follows:
It’s been 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now a new team has been assembled to restart the project in the hopes of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.
It all seems to indicate that this series may one day dovetail with the ambiguous conclusion of the original series.
Meanwhile, the trailer is two and a half minutes of excitement packed with information and potential hints for future adventures.
Check it out and see what you can catch!
What did you think? Will you be LEAPING into this new series?
Why do you think Ben took this risk? Will he ever regain his memories? Does he really not know how to drive a standard transmission, or is that just the amnesia?
Hit our comments with what you hope to see, and stay tuned for an exclusive TV Fanatic interview with the Magic Man himself, Ernie Hudson!
Quantum Leap premieres Monday, September 19 at 10/9c on NBC and will stream exclusively on Peacock.
Diana Keng is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.