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1x01 "Genesis" The Pilot Episode |
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Leap
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Episode
Adopted By: R. Joy Helvie (2004) &
Stacie Wilcox (2024) |
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Teaser: Dr. Sam Beckett, being pressured by the threat of loss of funding for his time-travel project code named "Quantum Leap", decides to hop in the nuclear accelerator prematurely...and vanishes into the past. He awakes to discover that he is an Air Force test pilot named Tom Stratton. But that's about all he knows. He has amnesia and can only remember portions of his life. He can't even remember his last name. And to make things worse, he doesn't even have his own reflection in the mirror. Everyone sees the physical aura of Tom around Sam's body. Enter Al, a friend from his own time that appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. Al informs Sam that the project has gone "a little ca-ca." Best he can tell, God or fate or time has grabbed Sam and now he must put right a wrong in the life of Tom Stratton in order to leap back home. He has to break mach 3 in the experimental X-2 jet and live, since in the original history, Tom died in the test. Later in the episode, Sam leaps again, this time into the life of a ballplayer named Fox. Here Al tells Sam his last name, and he is able to contact his father who is still alive at the time. |
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TV Guide
Synopsis |
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| Production # 86289 | ||
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Guide Synopsis - Part 1: Debut: Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) learns the hard way that you can’t go home again when a botched time-travel experiment has him pin-balling through the past 30 years, assuming the identities of people he never knew and getting no help from the Observer (Dean Stockwell) his holographic partner in the experiment. In the Opener, Sam turns up in 1956 as a test pilot with a pregnant wife. In Part 1 of the series opener, a botched time-travel experiment bounces Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) back to 1956 and into the body of a test pilot with a pregnant wife (Jennifer Runyon). Al: Dean Stockwell. Capt. Birdell: John Allen Nelson. Dr. Burger: W.K. Stratton. Weird Ernie: Bruce McGill.   |
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TV Guide
Synopsis - Part 2: In Season Two, a repeat of "Genesis" brought this TV Guide ad:
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Commercials: |
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Edwards Air Force Base; Blockfield, California - 1st Leap |
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September 14, 1956 - 1st Leap |
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Broadcast Date: The original airing was 8pm to 10pm eastern time. In syndication, NBC broke the episode into two parts; the second part beginning at the scene with Sam and Al in the Air Force hangar where Al reminds Sam of his string theory for Quantum Leap. |
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Al
is cruising down the road sometime after dark in his Ferrari Testarossa
wearing a tux, with nothing but desert and a starry sky in the
background. He is wearing a glowing neon star pin. He stops for a woman
standing next to her car on the side of the road. She is revealed from
her glowing high heels up to her glowing earrings. He says he would
love to fix her flat, but can’t because he is wearing a tux. He says he
is friendlier than the coyotes we hear in the background, and ends up
giving her a ride. (we see his glowing star pin is also matched on the
gas pedal and on the back of the car itself.) (Opening credits follow a birds eye view through the clouds, then land inside the Stratton household.) The clock clicks backwards to 4:59, then progresses forward to 5:00 AM. Que Sera, Sera is playing on the radio as Sam wakes up. He can’t remember who he is or where he is, or anything at all. Peg wakes up, calling him Tom. Sam gives us his 1st “Oh Boy” and narrates in his head that he doesn’t even remember going to bed with this pregnant woman. (Interesting to note that Sam leapt in asleep. The only other time I can remember that happening off the top of my head is A Leap for Lisa, which is the only time Sam leapt into a dream.) Peg cooks breakfast and starts a shower for Sam, who gets in still wearing his shorts. He presumes he is dreaming. He shaves with the Burma Shave shaving cream that Peg gave him, saying that will wake him up. He sees his mirror image for the 1st time, and knows it isn’t him. He tells Peg his name isn’t Tom. Tom & Peg’s son Mikey comes into the bathroom to tell Sam that Capt Birdell is on the phone. Peg has Mikey take Birdell’s number (since he never sleeps at home) and Sam remembers a phone number: 555-2231, the number to “his office” - but Peg says that number is Blockfield 847. He is dialing too many numbers. But he says, perhaps he’s not dialing enough. But he can’t remember the area code. Peg says she doesn’t have time for one of his gags. Mikey watches Howdy Doody. Sam goes outside (still in his shorts) and sees a plane doing maneuvers in the sky. He tells himself it's not a dream, it's a nightmare and sooner or later there is going to be a Boogiem*n.. Sam rides with Capt Birdell, and narrates that everyone thinks it is 1956 and he is an Air Force Captain named Tom Stratton, with a wife called Peg and 1 and ⅔ children. His best friend was the officer behind the wheel, Captain Birdell who everyone called Bird Dog. Birdell earns the nickname by pulling over to hit on a woman he sees. He tells her that they are the only two men brave enough to pilot the X-2. He tells her that booms she hears today will be dedicated to her. The drive off as Elvis’s Hounddog plays (Here is another moment that my memory stumps me, similar to how I have a vision of Verbeena in a navy blue dress in my mind yet she didn’t wear that in either Shock Theater or The Leap Back. I have the distinct memory o The Everly Brothers song “Bird Dog” playing here. A very distinct memory. I noticed it’s absence on my last rewatch of this episode when I introduced the show to Adam) Sam tells Birdell that when we woke up this morning, he couldn’t remember how to fly. Birdell says they should pull the gag on Weird Ernie. They tell him, when they fly about Mach 2 they lose their memories. The other pilots go along with the gag. Ernie asks Dr. Berger to make a test to study the memory losses. Ernie instructs the team on updates made since the last test, and we learn that LaMott is flying today. We hear the “Al is here” sound for the 1st time. He tells Sam that Birdell reminds him of himself. At the Stratton house, Peg asks her friends about her stretch marks.They observe the planes taking off. In the co-pilot seat of the Mother Hen drop plane, Sam observes as Birdell flies and Lamott mounts up in the X2. Birdell goes to the bathroom, and Sam fails to fly the plane at all. He just screams. Birdell returns and Sam tells him he can’t fly. Birdell covers for him, thinking it's all part of the gag. At 25,000 feet, they prepare to drop Tony and the X-2. Al stands nearby observing, and Sam questions if everyone back there is ok where they are at. LaMott hits Mach 1.3 at 50,000 feet and Peg reacts nervously to the Sonic Boom that was caused by breaking Mach 1. He passes Mach 2 at 65,000 feet. Mach 2.4 at 71,000. He fires rocket 3, and increases his speed up to 2.8 before hearing boiling. Skin temperature 800 and the Fire Warning light coming on. He turned off the rockets, and as speed reduced to 2.3 he decided to turn around. Birdell told him not to turn above Mach 2, but it was too late. LaMott spun out of control, and the plane went down. Peg and all of the women run outside at the sound of the explosion. Lamott had managed to escape, and can be seen parachuting down. At the bar that night, Birdell cuts in on LaMott dancing with the woman from this morning. Sam is taken by Peg and asks her to dance. (The song playing is Moonglow) She tells him that he has never danced this good before. Al waves Sam down. Sam asks Peg who the guy by the jukebox is and she says it's Doug, but he doesn’t mean Doug he means the guy in the tux. She thinks he’s crazy. Sam thinks he is seeing the Boogiem*n. Sam goes to the jukebox while the song changes to Friendly Persuasion by Pat Boone, and Al asks him if they have Be Bop a Lula on there, which got him through long cold nights at MIT. He begins to talk about a girl he knew named Danesa, but Sam asks him if he is dead. He thinks he might be in a state of reverse reincarnation that’s entered in mid-life. Al calls him Sam, and Sam is shocked that Al knows his real name. Al seems surprised that Sam doesn’t know what’s going on. Al mentions the experiment. Peg watches Sam talk to himself. Al mentions Ziggy, and Sam thinks of Gooshie “a little guy with bad breath” Sam goes outside and sees Al go out the imaging chamber door (that he had to walk to and open manually like a normal door). Sam begs to God to let him wake up now. On the drive home, the radio plays a song by the fictional Velton Bunch and the Dovetones. Sam says he never realized how hard it was to follow a road without stripping, and explains painted white stripes on the road to Peg, who thinks it's a good idea. She observes how Tom acted differently tonight. Sam deflects by reading the Burma Shave billboards. He tells her the truth, that the man in the mirror isn’t him. His name is Sam, and he can’t fly. He’s not her Tom. Peg understandably gets very upset. He apologizes, saying he’s being a real nerd, and is setting up a gag. She is relieved because she thought he had a brain tumor. And she wants to know what a nerd is. Sam and Peg sleep and we see the bedside clock start to speed up, giving us a sort of reverse image of how we started the leap, flying out of the house and up into the air. Then goes right back to the Stratton house. Sam wakes up, and remembers that he was raised on Dairy Farm in Indiana until he was 18. He remembers his sister Katie, who married a naval officer Lt. Jim Bonick, and his mom has lived with them in Hawaii ever since his dad died in 74. (We hear The Leap Home theme here.). Sam asks the operator to connect him to Elk Ridge, Indiana, but he doesn’t have a number or a name of who he is trying to reach in Elk Ridge. Mikey overhears this and asks his dad what’s wrong, and says they are supposed to go fishing today but they don't have to if he doesn’t feel good. Sam says cures a cold faster than a fishing trip. Mikey is a much better fisher than Sam. AL appears in his PJs and a polkadot bathrobe. Sam puts his hand through him. Al has a hangover and says he should have stayed in bed with Tina. He introduces himself as Albert, and tells Sam that his last name, along with the fact that pretty much everything he is going to want to know, is restricted. Sam wants to know what Al is, since he can put his hand through him. Al explains that he is a neurological hologram that only Sam can see and hear. Sam recites the science behind it, and is surprised to know it. Al says that Ziggy has come up with 5 scenarios, and Sam again thinks of Gooshie. Al explains that the man with bad breath is Gooshie, and Ziggy is a hybrid computer. He can't’ tell Sam his last name, and give him the classic line that he is part of a time travel experiment that went a little caca. And they are experiencing technical difficulties retrieving him. Sam wants to know whose brainchild this is. Al says that the reason they couldn’t retrieve him is that he told someone he wasn’t Tom. Al tells us that the real Tom is in the future with him, and his memory is full of holes too. Al says they can attempt retrieval again on Tuesday, but Sam says that will be a little late, as he is scheduled to fly the X-2 on Monday. Sam plays catch with Mikey as the base families have a BBQ. They watch a plane do tricks. Sam offers Peg help in the kitchen. She mentions that Mikey was previously hit by a bus. They kiss, and Peg looks concerned. In syndication, this ended Part 1. In syndication, Part 2 begins: Sam walks around and checks out the X-2 in the hanger. Al comes, and says it's bad enough he has to give Dick and Jane explanations to the president, but now he has to do it for Sam too. He shows him a string, and recites Sam’s own string theory to himself. One end of the string represents your birth. The other, your death.You tie the ends together, and your life is a loop. Ball the loop, and the days of your life touch each other out of sequence. Leaping from one point on the string to another, would leap you through time. Quantum Leap. Sam is annoyed that Al is walking through things. He explains how, to him, the airplane isn’t there. He is in the imaging chamber. Sam remembers they are in a cavern somewhere, and Al says New Mexico. He won’t tell him the year. Ziggy’s theory is that “God or Fate or Something” grabbed Sam when he leaped in order to put something right that went wrong in history. Tom Stratton was killed trying to break Mach 3 in the X-2. All Sam has to do is break Mach 3 and live. Sam says he’d rather try something else. Al says there is only a 52% chance the next idea works, and requires Sam to be at ground zero during an atomic detonation. Sam says he can’t fly, and Al says he’ll help him. He is an ex-astronaut. He says the hardest part is takeoff and landing, the middle part is a piece of cake. The X-2 doesn’t have to worry about take off since the larger plane drops it, so it's just the landing. And there is no way that Sam could land the X-2, even with Al’s help. So he suggests that Sam ejects. The X-2 would crash, but Sam/Tom would live. The minute he touches down, Sam would leap home. In theory. Sam sits at home in his underwear holding the phone. We know he is thinking about his family, as the Home theme plays. Peg finds him and reassures him that he’ll break the record tomorrow. She makes him promise. To what, she won’t say until tomorrow night. The women talk about Marilyn Monroe, who is in the paper after having recently married Arthur Miller. They hear the plane take off. Mikey watches from the yard. Birdell sings Yellow Rose of Texas from the trail plane. LaMott tells Sam just before the fire light came on, he swears he smelled coffee percolating. Sam heads into the X-2 to prepare to drop. Al isn’t here yet, and Sam is nervous. At 25,000 they drop Sam, who screams “Alberrrrrrrttt” - the team ground crew wants to know if there is a problem. He says can’t fly. Al says to relax, he can. He is right on top of Sam. He tells Sam to light off 1 and 2, and ten to match his movements. At 50,000 Sam is at Mach 1.3, Mach 2 and 68, 69. Level at 70,000 mach 2.4. Al tells him to punch 3 and go for it. Sam announces as his speed his mach 2.8, and the boiling sound starts. He realizes that Tony LaMott didn't smell coffee, he heard it. Al says, it's the fuel. The fire warning light goes off. Al tells him to shut the 3 rockets down, but Sam is riding it out, as Mach 3 is so close. Al tells Sam to eject, and the sonic boom of Mach 3 shatter’s Peg’s coffee pot on the stove. The plane crashes to the ground. Sam lands with his parachute. Sam is mad to realize he is still here. Doc Berger checks his vitals in an ambulance. We get a conversation that Sam has with both Al and Doc at the same time, beautiful symmetry that is done frequently in the revival series. Al says he might leap home when he is sleeping tonight. Sam and Dr. Berger walk through the hospital, and find Mikey with the wifes. Peg went into premature labor when she heard the crash. Sam tells Mikey to stay with Sally and Lucy, and goes in to see Peg. She is relieved to see him alive, telling him she knew he would keep his promise. She asks if he set the record, and he guesses so. Sam has her to try Lamaze. He says he learned it in pre-med. Dr. Berger calls Tom aside and introduces Dr. Blaustein, who says it’s not good. The baby will be at least 9 weeks premature. They have a plane standing by for LA, but he doesn’t think moving Peg would be a good idea right now. The contractions have just started, and she is only 2cm dilated. Sam says it's early enough to stop. Blaustein says once labor starts you can’t stop it. Sam says of course you can, start her on a beta sympathomimetic., but Sam realizes these don’t come out until the late 70s. Berger tells Sam he is willing to let this all go because of everything he has been through today, but Sam and Birdell have to drop the bit. Sam says the answers on his test are all true. Sam suggests a 5% solution of Alcohol administered through IV, which will get her instantly drunk, and stop the contractions. We catch up with a very drunk Peg singing Que Sera Sera. It worked! Sam gives Birdell and Mikey a thumbs up out the window that Peg is ok, and Mikey throws a baseball to Sam. Second Leap: Sam catches the baseball that Mikey threw, except he’s now on a baseball field catching a game ball. Sam has leapt again, into Fox. Sam is in the Wako Bombers, and they are down by 5 in the 9th. It’s the final game of the ‘68 season. Sam goes into the dugout. He is asked to take care of the dog, who is barking at him. Sam realizes the dog knows he’s not Fox. Sam has a growling stare off with the dog, but eventually the dog settles. Al shows up. Sam excuses himself to the bathroom to talk to Al. Sam wants to know how Al got here so fast, but Al says it's been a week since he leapt out of 56. Al tells Sam he is Tim Fox, 32 year old third baseman for the Waco Bombers. He played for Chicago in 63, broke his leg sliding into second, and was sent back down to minor to recover. Five years have gone by. Sam goes to look in the mirror. Al tells him this is Fox’s last game. He opens a KFC, marries a girl named Sue and has two kids. But Sam just has to figure out what he needs to fix and he can leap out. Sam says that wasn’t the case for breaking Mach 3, but Al says Ziggy didn’t research it enough. In the original history, not only did Tom die but when Peg went into premature labor and the baby didn’t make it. Now, Tom is alive and Peg gave birth to a healthy baby girl at 7lb 8 oz, that they named Samantha. (See the 2022 revival of Quantum Leap, “Atlantis.”) Sam looks happy that he made a difference. He notices that Al doesn’t have a reflection, and calls him a vampire. Al reminds him that he is a hologram, and holograms don’t have reflections. Sam wants to know why he didn’t leap home, but Al says 12 years forward is progress, and a few more of those and he’ll be home. But leaping backwards is always possible. Al says Ziggy is depressed, and has a big ego. He doesn’t want to say what he thinks Sam has to do, in case he is wrong. Sam wants to know who created this computer, and Al says, “you.” Quantum Leap is Sam’s project. Sam says that can’t be right, because he remembers that he is a medical doctor. Al says he holds 6 doctorates, medicine being one of them. His special gift is Quantum Physics. Time magazine called him the next Einstein. If anyone can figure out how to bring Sam back, it's Sam. But he can’t even remember his last name. Al finally tells him, it's Beckett. As the game continues, Sam calls information for John Beckett in Elkridge Indiana. Sam is connected to his dad. He says he is a Beckett, his father and John’s father are related. Brothers. He says he is John’s son. Turns out Uncle John moved to Australia when John was just a kid. Sam tells his dad that his name is Sam. He says he doesn’t think he’ll make it home for Thanksgiving this year, and John says he knows he’ll understand. Sam says that when he doesn’t show for thanksgiving, it's going to hurt his dad. John tells him that if he can’t make it home to Australia for the holidays, he’s welcome to come to their home. He says he’ll try. Sam says goodbye. We see John on the other end of the phone, and tells a young Sam about the call. Sam looks towards the sky and says “Thank you”, for getting to talk to his dad again. Sam observes that the chance to put things right isn’t so bad after all. Sam tells Al that maybe he is here to win this one. The coach tells Sam that this is his last year too and he doesn't want to end in the cellar. The crowd cheers for Foxy. Sam goes to bat. Strike one. Strike 2. On the 3rd pitch, Sam swings and misses. But the catcher drops the ball. Sam runs, the other team drops the ball multiple times as Sam rounds the bases and slides into home. He’s safe. The team surrounds him, and he leaps into an English Literature professor. Synopsis by Stacie Wilcox |
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Personal review by Matt Dale: Let’s get this part out of the way first: Quantum Leap has, hands down, the best opening scene of any series ever. Mystery, humour, adventure and a little bit of suaveness all handled in such a confident way for a fresh new show. The pilot as a whole continues the mystery very well, drip-feeding us the high concepts of body swap time travel and neurological holograms in between a much more relatable (and standard Bellisario fare) action-packed flying romp. Where shows will often use a fish-of-out-water supporting character in a pilot to be the audience’s eyes (most notably Doctor Who, whose companions are there specifically for that reason), Quantum Leap is brave enough to give its lead amnesia and take us on the journey of discovery with him. A stroke of genius. I confess, when I first saw this on repeat in the 90s, I was disappointed by the pace compared to the episodes I was used to. I wanted Al to be furiously typing into the handlink within the first ten minutes and giving Sam the odds on his potential mission. With time and maturity, I’ve come to realise that this movie shouldn’t be compared to the series that followed. It’s a wonderful standalone piece with very different goals in mind than Star-Crossed and the 90 storylines to come after. |
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Promo: |
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| Music: "Que Sera, Sera" by Doris Day "The Howdy Doody Show" theme song" "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley "Moonglow" theme from the movie "Picnic" "Friendly Persuasion" by Pat Boone An original song from Velton Bunch and the Dovetones plays on the car radio Burmashave jingle "Ooby-Dooby" by Roy Orbison "The Yellow Rose of Texas" is sung by John Allen Nelson |
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Project
Trivia: Imaging Chamber Door: invisible, manually opened/closed Project phone #: 555-2231 Any interference in the Leaping process could kill the Leaper. Al and crew cannot give Sam any information about their present that Sam does not remember. Gooshie is Ziggy’s programmer. He’s a little guy with bad breath. Ziggy is a hybrid computer. The sound of Al's Ferrari Testarossa engine and accelerator are the same ones used for K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider! Project Quantum Leap is located in a cavern in New Mexico. Handlink: 1/4 inch thick/flat, transparent black plastic, black data screens, few buttons. Dogs can see Sam and Al. When Sam leaps from one place to another, it’s simultaneous. But for the Project, the time between varies (this time was six days). Ziggy is referred to as a "he"; he can be depressed; he has a big ego. |
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Sam Trivia: Has a sister named Katie. Katie married Lieutenant Jim Bonnick. Katie, Jim, and Sam’s mother have lived in Hawaii since Sam’s father died in 1974. Does not know how to fly. Is a medical doctor; went to pre-med. Created Ziggy; Quantum Leap is his project. Holds 6 doctorates; quantum physics is his specialty. TIME Magazine called him the next Einstein. Last name is Beckett. His grandmother (or mother; John called her "Mom") won a blue ribbon 10 years in a row at the Elk Ridge County Fair for her pumpkin pie. His great uncle’s name is John; he moved to Australia when Sam’s father was just a boy.
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Al Trivia: Smokes cigars. Appears to Sam in the form of a neurological hologram. Is an ex-astronaut. Has an ex-wife. |
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Al's Outfits: 2. Red pajamas, white robe with black & white polka dots and stripes. 3. Pink shirt and gray jacket. 4. (Part II) Silver bomber jacket, black bolo tie, purple dress shirt, black slacks, silver shoes. |
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Tina (picked
up on the road. This is not Dr.
Tina Martinez-O’Farrell). Brenda, a cute girl who works in coding at Project Quantum Leap. (Took her into the fileroom) |
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Miscellaneous Trivia: Real
History: (From Edwards Air Force Base Website) In September 1956, Capt.
Iven Kincheloe became the first man to soar above 100,000 feet, as he
piloted the Bell X-2 to a then-remarkable altitude of 126,200 feet.
Flying the same airplane just weeks later on Sept. 27, Capt. Mel Apt
became the first to exceed Mach 3, accelerating to a speed of Mach 3.2
(2,094 mph). His moment of glory was tragically brief, however. Just
seconds after attaining top speed, the X-2 tumbled violently out of
control and Apt was never able to recover. The Burma Shave signs on the highway were fashioned after a real campaign by the shaving cream brand.
The name Jim Bonnick, is also a character name in Bellisario's television series, "Magnum, P.I." in the episode Mac’s Back. The sound effects from Al's car were used for KITT on the television series Knight Rider. Samantha Stratton, the baby named for Sam Beckett at the end of the first leap returns in the 2022 Quantum Leap series episode, "Atlantis."
Deborah
Pratt's
voice is looped over the women who plays Tina!
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Sam started the idea for Trivial Pursuit, suggests the idea of white lines striping on a road, mentions electric razors and the word "nerd" before they were invented or popular. Sam teaches Peggy a modern way of breathing during labor called Lamaze. Al says "You know who that kid kind of looks like out there? According to the script, it's supposed to be Tom Seaver, although at this point in time, Seaver is playing for the New York Mets. |
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| Scott Stewart Bakula was born on October 9, 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Sally (Zumwinkel) and J. Stewart Bakula, a lawyer. He is of German, as well as Czech, Austrian, Scottish and English ancestry. He comes from a musical family. In the fourth grade, he started a rock band and wrote songs for them, he later sang with the St. Louis Symphony. He studied Law at the University of Kansas until his sophomore year when he left to pursue acting. In 1976, he was first hired professionally in the role of Sam in "Shenandoah" and went to New York. After several small roles on television, he starred opposite Dean Stockwell in the science fiction series Quantum Leap (1989). Bakula played Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who was trapped by a malfunction of his time machine to correct things gone wrong in the past. He won a Golden Globe in 1992 for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV series - Drama for Quantum Leap (1989) and was nominated for a Tony Award in 1988. He also starred in the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) as Jonathan Archer, the captain of Earth's first long-range starship. Today, he lives in Los Angeles, California and has a farm in upstate New York. | ||
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Staring: Dean Stockwell Dean
Robert Stockwell grew up in North Hollywood, the son of Broadway
performers Harry Stockwell and Elizabeth "Betty" Stockwell (née
Veronica). His vaudevillian father was a replacement Curly in the
original production of "Oklahoma!". He was also a decent tenor whose
voice was used for the part of Prince Charming in Disney's Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Dean's mother was a one-time Broadway
chorine who used the stage moniker "Betty Veronica." His older brother
was the actor Guy Stockwell. |
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Jennifer Runyon as Peggy Stratton: Jennifer Runyon was born on April 1, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Ghostbusters (1984), A Very Brady Christmas (1988) and Up the Creek (1984). She has been married to Todd Corman since March 9, 1991. They have two children. Quantum Leap
Podcast: Jennifer Runyon Interview W.K. Stratton as Dr. Berger: W.K. Stratton was born on August 2, 1950 in Front Royal, Virginia, USA. He is an actor, known for Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011), Shoot 'Em Up (2007) and Machete (2010). He is married to Maureen Denise Lacoste.Appeared in the pilots of four different series created by Donald P. Bellisario: Magnum, P.I. (1980), Airwolf (1984), Quantum Leap (1989) and JAG (1995). Holds the unique distinction for having "flown" (in character) a Corsair, a Viper, and Airwolf. (three aircraft used in Bellasario productions). Larry Poindexter as Capt. Tony LaMott: The son of Tony Award winning lighting and set designer H.R. Poindexter and opera singer Sue Ann Poindexter, he began acting in college, then appeared in summer stock in his native Texas at the Dallas Summer Musicals, as well as the St. Louis MUNY, Atlanta's Theatre Under the Stars and The Kenley Players in Ohio.First jobs in Los Angeles were with Franklin R. Levy and Catalina Production Group (which included a young producer named Leslie Moonves), as both an actor and production co-coordinator. He has continued to produce theatre and film concurrently with work as an actor, also working as a Casting Director, 2nd Unit director and associate producer. He won an Ovation Award for his performance in "Reefer Madness", and has been nominated multiple times - most recently for co-authoring the new rhythm and blues musical, "The Devil You Know".He was lead singer and songwriter for the band "The High Lonesome" in the early '90's, playing throughout the Southwest before landing a recording deal with local indie label, Spark Records. Their music, as well as additional songs he's written, have been featured in many films and TV shows. He's in the process of writing the new Texas Roadhouse Musical "Cadillac Jack's". He continues to produce and develop theatre in Los Angeles and New York - most recently as an Executive Producer on Broadway's "The Cher Show" and the upcoming "Saved By The Bell, The Musical". Bruce McGill as Weird Ernie: Bruce McGill grew up in San Antonio, Texas. His mother, Adriel Rose (Jacobs) is an artist, and his father, Woodrow Wilson McGill, is a real estate and insurance agent. He graduated from Douglas MacArthur High School San Antonio, where he acted in the department of theatre, and from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in drama. His love for acting stems back to elementary school. He is related to former Texas State Senator A.R. Schwartz. McGill has starred in many films. His role as "D-Day" in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), taken out of desperation as a young unemployed actor, ended up being his most well known. His long acting career also includes films, Wildcats, The Last Boy Scout, My Cousin Vinny, Cliffhanger, Timecop, The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Sum of All Fears, along with many others. McGill starred in many television roles, including portraying the Boston Police Homicide Detective Vince Korsak on the TNT television crime drama, Rizzoli & Isles. The character of Korsak is the mentor and friend of Detective Jane Rizzoli, portrayed by Angie Harmon. Director Michael Mann,considers McGill a favorite, having worked with him on The Insider, Ali and Collateral. He has also appeared in four HBO TV films, CIA Director George Tenet in Oliver Stone's film W and, also, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. McGill has been married to his wife Gloria since 1994. David Trent as Capt. Doug Walker: David Trent is known for Chaplin (1992), Quantum Leap (1989) and Fools of Fortune (1990). James F. Dean as Dr. Blaustein: James F. Dean is known for Doctor Dolittle (1998), Raising Cain (1992) and Seinfeld (1989). Lela Ivey as Lucy: Lela Ivey (born June 26, 1958, in New York City) is a veteran actor of the stage as well as a character actress of the small screen and cinema. Ms. Ivey is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC). For 25 years she eked out her living as mostly a supporting or bit part actress working in television, and film while building a rather impressive theatre resume while living both in New York City and Los Angeles. Some favorite stage roles include "The Waiting Room" at the Mark Taper Forum for which she received a Los Angeles Ovation Award nomination and "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" at the Los Angeles Theatre Center for which she received a Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award nomination. She also appeared at the Ipswitch Theatre Festival in Massachusetts in "Liberties Taken", directed by Julie Taymor. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), AEA and AFTRA. Ms. Ivey is also currently serves an adjunct faculty member at Lansing Community College. Dennis
Wolfberg as
Gooshie: Dennis
Wolfberg
was born on March 29, 1946 in New York, USA. He was an actor and
writer, known for Quantum Leap (1989), The Clairvoyant (1982) and
Teacher Teacher (1990). He was married to Jeannie McBride. He died on
October 3, 1994 in Culver City, California, USA. He taught for 12 years
in the NYC school system. Both in the northeast
Bronx at P.S. 71 and later in the South Bronx before leaving for a
full-time comedy career in 1979. Though he battled cancer for at least
two years, he continued to work through the end of August. At the time
of his death, he was negotiating a deal for his own TV show. Buried in
Hillside Memorial Cemetery. He appeared at clubs in Washington, Denver,
Chicago, Boston, Florida and New York, and a representative said he was
twice named America's top male comic in votes by club-goers and owners
nationwide. In 1990 he won an American Comedy Award as best male
stand-up. Became a fixture on "The Tonight Show" and starred in an HBO
special in early 1992. He also had a recurring role as a strange
scientist on NBC's "Quantum Leap," and in April 1993 "Entertainment
Tonight" aired "A Day in the Life of Dennis Wolfberg," focusing on
his
relentless touring schedule. Lydia Cornell as Sally: Lydia Cornell, a women & children's advocate whose great-great grandmother was Harriet Beecher Stowe, is also an award-winning director, writer, actor, and recovery speaker. She works with the Auschwitz Memorial to combat the terrifying rise in antisemitism and has been Invited to contribute her writings to the International Museum of Peace, which houses letters from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mother Teresa and Maya Angelou. With 20-34 million viewers Tuesday nights on ABC prime time, and more in worldwide syndication, Best Actress nominee for AFI at Method Fest and People's Choice Award winner Cornell is best known for her starring role on the hit ABC series "Too Close for Comfort" as Emmy legend Ted Knight's daughter 'Sara'. More recently seen on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, Variety's Power of Comedy, and the Kelsey Grammer Comedy Hour, she has over 200 shows and films in 27 countries to her credit. She won Best Director Honors at the Los Angeles Movie Awards and for Best Comedy Film at Paramount Studios UIFF (United International Film Festival) for directing the SAG film "It's My Decision." In 2024, she was named a finalist in the Catalyst Studios "Empowering Women's Script Competition" for her feature-length screenplay 'Venus Conspiracy.' In 2023, she costarred in a new film 'Something About Mother,' with Lawrence Hilton Jacobs and Jayne Kennedy, directed by Millena Gay and produced by Noreen McClendon. Cornell wrote and directed the acclaimed stage show "Relationshop;" wrote "Venus Conspiracy" and is set to direct "The Awesome Adventures of Frankie Stargazer." Cornell received the Southern California Motion Picture Council's Golden Halo Lifetime Achievement Award, and the first Elizabeth Montgomery Humanitarian Award (2018.) One of TV's most popular sex symbols, she is now a writer, director, mother, comedienne, talk show host, women and children's advocate, teen mentor and inspirational public speaker. Sober since September 11, 1994, she had a "catastrophic spiritual awakening" that changed her life. An addiction and recovery expert, she sponsors and mentors young women who are suffering from addiction and depression. With over 300,000 followers on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and other social media, she also hosts a mental health podcast called "Godshots® all about synchronicity. (Miracle or mere coincidence?) Her Beats 'n Eats Stitcher award-winning podcast on iTunes started in 2013. Her articles have appeared in People, US, Herald de Paris; A&E Biography, Huffington Post, Editor & Publisher, Macon Daily, and Lone Star Icon. She is the author of an upcoming book of hilarious Hollywood horror stories, and a book series based on her US Trademark "Godshots® as well as two upcoming books. Cornell is creating a new comedy series for 2024 based on her upcoming book. She is also in development on a reboot of "Too Close for Comfort" with the original producers of the show (D.L. Taffner, LTD.) based on a pilot script written by Cornell and her partner Lawrence H. Levy, an Emmy-nominee and WGA award winner. Lydia is a lecturer at the LMU School of Film and Television, teaching Acting and Directing for Screenwriters. She is also an inventor and has a show ready for Discovery Channel. Fact Check: Lydia Cornell went through a frightening incident with a stalker, a convicted felon who posed as a disabled war hero and JAC-C military attorney. He sued Kelsey Grammer, falsely using Lydia Cornell's name to get publicity. Cornell never sued Kelsey, hough this was falsely reported in the tabloids and various news outlets. "Kelsey and I both knew the truth all along. We ran into each other at Soho House and discussed how we had both been duped by this stalker but the tabloids refused to correct the story." Christine Poor as Jeanie: Christine Poor is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Last Rites (1988) and Wise Guys (1986). Layne Beamer as Tom Stratton (Mirror image): Layne Beamer was born on December 26, 1958 in Arcadia, Ohio, USA. He is an actor, known for The Thin Pink Line (1998), Quantum Leap (1989) and One False Move (1991). Deborah Pratt as Voice of Tina: Deborah M. Pratt is an American Director, Writer, Producer, Singer, Dancer, and Actress. After graduating from Webster University with a degree in Psychology and Theatre, she won a nationwide talent search and came to Hollywood under contract to NBC. She wrote songs and sang on multiple albums, started acting, writing and producing. After starring in multiple pilots and writing for the shows she had been reoccurring on, she co-Created, worked her way through the ranks and became Executive producer and head writer on the iconic series Quantum Leap (1989) for NBC for which she penned 25 episodes and co-wrote an additional 15. She Executive Produced and worked as the head writer for Tequila and Bonetti (1992) for CBS. Ms. Pratt co-Created for television and Executive Produced The Net (1998) for USA network. She wrote for multiple television series. As a writer, Ms. Pratt sold features to Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox animation. She is a proud, award-winning graduate of the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women and made her directorial debut with Cora Unashamed (2000) was for the BBC, PBS, and Masterpiece Theatre's The American Collection. Deborah is a five-time Emmy nominee, a Golden Globe nominee, and recipient of The Lillian Gish Award from Women in Film, The Angel Award, The Golden Block Award, and Five Black Emmy Nominees Awards. She has written to direct multiple feature films including the biographic screenplay for her epic, 17th century love story "Chevalier & Antoinette" and "Heartswear" about Black, Chicago attorney Mattie Tatum who returns to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to defend and save her White, childhood best friend Nadine Palmer for the murder of her abusive husband. Deborah a published novelist, she breaks the mold of science fiction and creates a genre of science fantasy with the soul bending tale of a new earth and the key to human empowerment. The books are intricately layered with scientific fact and imaginative fantasy. "The Vision Quest" (TheVisionQuest.com) is an exhilarating journey into the future of our world. The story begins in a unified, utopian society and, thanks to the biological machines we created, becomes a dystopian world at war with our mechanical creations for the salvation of humanity. Ms. Pratt is a pioneer in trans-media entertainment and is developing the Vision Quest world she's created in her books across multiple entertainment platforms. Her latest book series is "Age of Eve" and The Tempting; Seducing the Nephilim is in stores. Deborah was on the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America and is an active member of the DGA, SAG, PGA, WGA and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She lives in Los Angeles, fights for women and minority rights in the entertainment industry and has two children; Actress, Troian Bellisario, and Computer Engineer, Nicholas Bellisario. Newell Alexander as John Beckett: Newell Alexander's stage credits include the original productions of Del Shores' "Cheatin'," "Daddy's Dyin' Who's Got the Will?" (and also the film version), "Sordid Lives" (and also the film version) and "Southern Baptist Sissies". Newell's TV work includes recurring roles on Big Love (2006) for HBO, Arrested Development (2003), Alias (2001) and Walker, Texas Ranger (1993). He is a principal member of the "L.A. MadDogs", one of the industry's busiest voice-over groups (Ray (2003), Shark Tale (2004), Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), Madagascar (2005), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), among others). Has has also voiced commercials for such companies as Smith Barney, CVS Phamacy, Cool Whip, Aleve, Pfizer, Acura, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo Bank and Washington Apples. Newell is the George W. Bush sound-alike for MoveOn.org. He plays Gen. Sam Houston as the host of the Texas History Museum's "Texas Hall of Heroes" at the State Capitol in Austin. He has produced and performed in 33 hour-long radio dramas for the Autry Museum of Western Heritage for PBS. Newell performed as Neil Young's opening act "Dan Clear" for 70 shows in 1983-84. He and his wife Rosemary share five children and seven grandchildren. Lee DeBroux as Coach: Lee de Broux was born on May 7, 1941 in La Mesa, California, USA. He is an actor, known for RoboCop (1987), Pumpkinhead (1988) and Chinatown (1974). Doug Cox as Sportscaster: Doug Cox attended USC, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema. Just out of college, he joined The Groundlings, one of the foremost comedy/improv troupes, where he wrote and performed for over 12 years. Doug has made dozens of appearances on television, in films, and on stage. He co-wrote four episodes of the groundbreaking "Pee-wee's Playhouse," two of which received Emmy Award nominations. He also has a long term (business) relationship with Elvira Mistress of the Dark, writing live shows, screenplays, video and television material. He has written and directed over 50 corporate shows and videos. In addition, Doug wrote, produced and directed the independentfeature film "Shrink Rap." Hank Robinson as Umpire: Tall (6'1"), tough, and burly actor, extra, and baseball player Hank Robinson was born Henry Ford Robinson on March 27, 1923 in Covington, Tennessee. Robinson grew up on a sharecropper farm in rural Tennessee and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Hank spent thirteen seasons playing in the minor leagues in such places as Hollywood, Denver, Gladewater, Yakima, Little Rock, Saginaw, Lake Charles, Galveston, and Laredo. Robinson worked as a security guard at MGM before embarking on a career as an extra in the mid-1960's. Hank frequently popped up as cowboys on various Western TV shows and made often uncredited cameo appearances in a handful of movies. Not surprisingly, Robinson in the latter part of his acting career landed occasional credited roles both in film and on television alike in which he was cast to type as a baseball umpire. Moreover, Hank also scouted and coached young baseball players in both California and Nevada as well as was an avid golfer. Robinson died at age 89 on April 7, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was survived at the time of his death by his wife Mildred, daughters Carin and Debra, son Robbie, and three grandchildren. Patrick Cranshaw as Old Man: Joseph Patrick Cranshaw was an American character actor from Oklahoma. He is well-known for playing fraternity brother Blue from the Todd Phillips comedy film Old School. He had minor roles in many other shows and films including Seinfeld, Air Bud, Herbie: Fully Loaded and The Dukes of Hazzard. He passed away in December 28, 2005 due to natural causes. Brent Chalem as Batboy: A native of Westlake Village, Los Angeles, he was a popular child actor in the '80s, although he only had very small roles in nearly all but two of the movies he appeared in. He can be seen playing the (almost) central character "Horace" or "Fat Kid" in The Monster Squad (1987). He appeared in TV roles such as Quantum Leap and Dance Til Dawn in 1988 and 1989. His career as an adult never took off after the '80s, and he began to study law whilst working for a legal firm in the United States. On the 9th December 1997, he died of pneumonia in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of just 22. Adam Affonso as Young Sam Beckett: Adam Logan aks Adam Affonso is known for Alias (2001), Quantum Leap (1989) and Born on a Black Rainbow (2015). Mike Greenwood as Matt: Mike Greenwood is known for Quantum Leap (1989) and Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation (1992). Dave Duensing as Clyde: Dave Duensing is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Perfect Opposites (2004) and China Beach (1988). Ken Martin as Tim Fox (Mirror image): Ken Martin is known for The Closer (2005), A Song for You (1993) and Quantum Leap (1989).
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Guests Who Appeared in Other Quantum Leap Episodes:
Lela Ivey appeared in "Permanent Wave" as Chloe. Bruce McGill apeared in the series finale, "Mirror Image" as Al the Bartender. Hank Robinson plays an umpire again in "Play Ball." Adam Affonso played Young Sam again (this time as Sam's mirror image) in "The Leap Home." |
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Tina, who Al meets near Project Quantum Leap, is on restricted government property. How is the there? Peg says she got the shaving cream from the PX, but this is an Air Force base. It would have been called a BX.Sam is quite obviously clean-shaven, but proceeds to shave anyway. The Howdy Doody Show was broadcast on Saturday mornings at 10 AM in 1956, and would not have been on the TV that morning. The stock footage used for the plane is flipped, showing a reverse Air Force logo. The radio changes versions between shots in the kitchen. When the pilot of the X-2 makes a turn above Mach 2, how did he just forget not to do that? Al reflects at least three times during the episode, including the plane's wing. The pieces of the plane fall straight down, instead of being spread out over a larger area. In the mirror shot, Fox's jacket has a "B" facing the correct way, instead of being reversed. This is due to the mirror shots being filmed with two sets mirroring each other, with the actors on each side of the glass. The synchronization of the mirror shots are not done very clean. You can see Scott Bakula's reflection slightly in the double set glass. |
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Quotable
Quotes: ~Sam:
You know my name! I knew
how it was going to end
when I took Brenda into the file room . . . but I still took her. |
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| Awards: Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography 1989 |
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| Syndication Edits: When the episode was split into two parts for syndication and repeat viewing, several scenes were trimmed to fit in the standard slot for a 1 hour episode. 13m47s: Cuts straight from “Ain’t this a kick in the butt?” to exterior of Tom’s house, losing Al walking after Sam and three stock clips of planes (29s lost). 17m12s: Cuts straight from “I can’t fly” to Bird Dog looking at the flight controls, losing a stock shot of the plane (4s lost). 17m58s: Loses a little of the stock footage of the plane, then Peg cleaning up (4s lost). 18m27s: Skips from “Roger mother hen, you are clear to drop” to discussion in the plane, skipping Weird Ernie knocking himself on the head, walking away and then staring into the skies, plus one stock plane shot (18s lost). 36m57s: Adds a fade to black after “nothing cures a cold faster that a fishing trip” where there was none before, then skips the stock footage of the lake (5s lost). 38m09s: Loses the first 7s of Sam walking into frame before meeting Al. 42m02s: A fade to black is changed to a cut, straight from Sam smiling to a shot of the desert (4s lost) 45m49s: Skips Ernie apologising to Sam and the Berger-Ernst Engramic Standard introduction scene, losing 1m31s and going straight to a fade from black as Sam approaches the X-2. 54m19s: Skips Sam returning his answers to the Engramic Standard, Sam approaching the X-2 and several pieces of plane stock footage, going straight to two shot of the X-2 prior to the discussion about Marilyn’s boobs, with a cutaway to Sam between these two shots also lost (loses 50s). 57m5s: Goes straight from Weird Ernie’s colourful comments over the radio to stock footage of three planes, missing out the reaction to the Engramic Standard (loses 27s) 58m:32s: Misses more about the Engramic Standard and Sam having his helmet put on, skipping from having his breathing apparatus attached to more stock footage (loses 50s) 74m28s: Shaves off two shots of Sam looking uncomfortable and the dog continuing to bark, losing 6s and jumping straight to the coach turning around. 76m43s: Skips from “it may have seemed like a couple of minutes to you” to “I’m in a real identity crisis here, Al”, missing the description of the party (loses 26s). 87m46s: Misses a little of Al watching Sam, the lightning and Al’s reaction to it, and the announcer (loses 11s). 88m05s: Misses the coach telling Sam to “be patient out there” (loses 6s). Source |
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Production Credits: Music by:
Mike Post Executive Producer: Donald
P. Bellisario Panaflex ® Camera and Lenses by: Panavision ® Air Force Technical Adviser: Chuck Davis Titles & Optical Effecta: Howard Anderson Company With grateful appreciation
to: The Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base Copyright © 1989 by Universal City Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Bellisarius Productions and Universal, an MCA Company |
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In the first installment of The Quantum Leap Podcast, Albie and Heather discuss the pilot episodes of Quantum Leap “Genesis” parts 1 and 2. There’s first impressions, an episode recap, thoughts and opinions, and much more. Welcome to the 100th Episode of the Quantum Leap Podcast, where we begin our post Mirror Image series retrospective by Revisiting Genesis! Join hosts Allison Pregler, Matt Dale and Christopher DeFilippis for a new look at the Quantum Leap pilot, as requested by listeners. Does the series premiere hold up? Tell us what you think! Leave us a voicemail by calling (707) 847-6682. Send feedback and MP3s to quantumleappodcast@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. |
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