Episode
Adopted by: MikeKraken
Additional info provided by: Brian
Greene
Synopsis:
Much
like the book "Misery", Sam leaps into the life of a famous soap opera
star who gets kidnapped by an obsessed fan and her husband. The woman
wants Sam to father her child and plans to keep him hostage until he
agrees!
TV Guide
Synopsis: Sam
(Scott Bakula) pops into a soap-opera star whose bubble is burst when
he's kidnapped by a deranged fan and her husband. Norma Jean: Kathleen
Wilhoite. Hank: Pruitt Taylor Vince. Al: Dean Stockwell.
Piano music at the lunch scene between Sam and Norma Jean.
Norma Jean plays "All I Have to Do Is Dream" by the Everly Brothers,
trying to evoke memories from Kyle of a scene from "Moments to Live" at
the diner and in the bedroom at Millie's house.
Al Trivia:
Al watched soap operas, or as he prefers, "daytime drama"s, when he
was down with the flu (at the reccomendation of Tina).
Al
never uses the Imaging Chamber Door.
Al's
Women:
Al wants some intensive care from the Nurse on the set of Moments To Live.
Tina is mentioned as well.
Al's Outfits
Worn in the Episode:
First through fourth appearances: Red suit coat; black pants; red,
black, and white patterened shirt; string tie with silver, triangular
buckle; circular pendant on left breast; unlit cigar; watch with black
band.
Fifth and sixth appearance: Purple jacket with gold linings; black
pants; turqouise dress shirt; black tie with polka specks; lit cigar.
Miscellaneous Trivia: The episode title references the soap
opera "One Life To Live."
The scene on the bridge was
filmed on the collapsing bridge at Universal Studios Hollywood, and can
be visited on the Studio Tour.
Matthew Ashford played Jack
Deveraux on "Days
of Our
Lives" beginning in 1987, as well as other characters on various soap
operas: "One Life to
Live" (1982-1983), "Search for Tomorrow" (1984-1986), "General
Hospital" (1995-1997).
Bloopers: Modem of the floppy disk?
Bloopers: Dr Hunk...
Bloopers: It's Television...
Regular Cast:
Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett
Dean Stockwell as Al Calavicci
Guest Starring:
Kathleen Wilhoite as Norma Jean Bates Pilcher
Pruitt Taylor Vince as Hank Pilcher
Frances Bay as Mildred "Millie" Reynolds
Brian George as Ben (Kyle Hart's agent)
Matthew Ashford as TV Husband
Ellen Gerstein as Woman
James Gleason as Roger
Krista Mione (Tesreau) as Nurse Kidman
Julie Lloyd as Waitress
Mark Fauser as Policeman
Richard Merson as Vendor
Patrick Lowe as Kyle Hart (Mirror Image)
Kathleen Wilhoite as Norma Jean Bates Pilcher: Born
in Santa Barbara, California on June 29, 1964, almond-eyed Kathleen
Wilhoite grew up there and began singing in her church choir from the
first grade. Two years later, she was performing on stage, as part of a
back-up choir, with The Carpenters, at the Santa Barbara County Bowl.
All the while, she studied piano and songwriting and appeared in her
high school's theater productions, such as "The House of Blue Leaves".
Kathleen wrote and sang as one of the "Boogie Woogie Bugle Girls", a
harmony group inspired by The Andrews Sisters. She also became the
youngest member of the Santa Barbara Songwriters Guild (age 16). After
high school, Kathleen elected to pursue an acting career, as opposed to
music, and enrolled at the USC Drama School. Just a couple of months
later, she landed her first movie role in Private School (1983).
Throughout the 1980s, she appeared in a number of film and TV projects
as both leads and second leads where her brash sexuality and quirky,
unconventional style was eagerly put on display. She appeared
noticeably opposite Charles Bronson in Murphy's Law (1986), Jane Fonda
in The Morning After (1986), Robert De Niro in Angel Heart (1987), Amy
Irving in Crossing Delancey (1988), Patrick Swayze in Road House
(1989), and Debra Winger and Nick Nolte in Everybody Wins (1990), and
Susan Sarandon and Nolte in Lorenzo's Oil (1992). Kathleen appeared on
many of the popular series of the 80's and '90s including "AfterMASH,"
"Family Ties," "The Jeffersons," "Cagney & Lacey" and "Fame," "Cop
Rock," "Twin Peaks," "Quantum Leap," "Mad About You," "Ally McBeal" and
"Family Law." While her acting career flourished, she continued to
expand her music skills but was dealt with a few setbacks, including a
contract with Mercury Records that fell through. After a brief sojourn
to Texas to refocus intently on her music, Kathleen returned to the
Hollywood rat race and eased back in as a "working actress". A variety
of offbeat roles in such movies as Nurse Betty (2000) and Pay It
Forward (2000) has kept her name active on the credits list for over
two decades. She landed a number of challenging roles, including a
recurring roles on the law series L.A. Law (1986) as intellectually
disabled assistant Benny's Adhipathi (1990) likewise girlfriend
Rosalie, and the medical series ER (1994) as troubled, substance abuser
Chloe Lewis. In the late 1980s, Kathleen was chosen by cartoonist Cathy
Guisewite to give vocal life to her creation Cathy (1987) in a series
of TV movies. Wilhoite later voiced another cartoon creation, Sue
Rose's Pepper Ann (1997) in an animated TV series. Into the millennium,
Kathleen's on-camera featured work included the films Nurse Betty
(2000), Pay It Forward (2000), Quicksand (2003), Perfect Opposites
(2004), Firecracker (2005), Winged Creatures (2008), Seeking Justice
(2011), Crazy Kind of Love (2013) and The Ride (2018). In addition to a
recurring role on Gilmore Girls (2000), she had guest parts on "Touched
by an Angel," "24," "Boomtown," "Will & Grace," "Charmed," "The
Ghost Whisperer," "Boston Legal," "Criminal Minds," "Grey's Anatomy,"
"Battle Creek," "The OA" and "Yellowstone." Married to record
producer/drummer David Harte and the mother of three children, Kathleen
was signed by her husband to his "The Daves" record label (the other
"Dave" is booking agent David Surnow) and released two CDS - "Pitch
Like a Girl" (1997) and "Shiva" (2000). In sync with both her edgy
acting and music style, she wrote and performed an autobiographical
one-woman show, "Stop Yellin'," directed by Kathy Najimy, in which she
sings her own music and performs monologues.
Pruitt Taylor Vince as Hank Pilcher: Pruitt
can next be seen starring as a series regular in the Apple TV+ series
Lady in the Lake, opposite Natalie Portman. Other television work
includes recurring in Netflix's Stranger Things, Marvel's Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D., NBC's Heroes Reborn, True Blood, The Walking Dead, The
Mentalist, and Murder One (for which he won an Emmy). On the film side,
Pruitt has held prominent roles in Netflix's Bird Box opposite Sandra
Bullock and The Life and Death of John Gotti opposite John Travolta.
Frances Bay as Mildred "Millie" Reynolds: Cute,
tiny, and prolific little old lady character actress Frances Bay worked
constantly in both films and TV shows alike after making her debut at
the age of 59 in life with a small part in the comedy Foul Play (1978)
in 1978. She frequently portrayed eccentric elderly women and
good-hearted grandmothers in all kinds of pictures and television
programs. Frances acted several times for David Lynch: she's Kyle
MacLachlan's sweet doddery aunt in Blue Velvet (1986), a gruff, profane
whorehouse madam in Wild at Heart (1990), and the spooky Mrs. Tremond
in the cult TV series Twin Peaks (1990) and its spin-off feature Twin
Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). Frances popped up in two movies for
director Stuart Gordon: she's a kind witch in The Pit and the Pendulum
(1991) and a fortune teller in Edmond (2005). Other notable film roles
include a snippy librarian in The Attic (1980), a mysterious blind nun
in the offbeat Nomads (1986), another librarian in In the Mouth of
Madness (1994), and Adam Sandler's loving grandmother in the hit comedy
Happy Gilmore (1996). Frances had the unique distinction of guesting on
the final episodes of the TV shows Happy Days (1974), Who's the Boss?
(1984), and Seinfeld (1989). Among the many TV series Bay had guest
spots on are Charmed (1998), ER (1994), Matlock (1986), The X-Files
(1993), Murder, She Wrote (1984), The Commish (1991), L.A. Law (1986),
Hill Street Blues (1981), Touched by an Angel (1994), The Golden Girls
(1985), and Amazing Stories (1985). She won a Gemini Award for her
performance in the Disney TV program Avonlea (1990). Frances was also
in the music video for Jimmy Fallon's "Idiot Boyfriend." In addition to
her substantial movie and TV credits, Bay also acted in both
Off-Broadway stage productions and regional theater; these plays
include "Finnegan's Wake," "Grease," "Genuis," "The Caucasion Chalk
Circle," "Number Our Days," "Uncommon Women," "Sarcophagus," and "The
Pleasure of His Company." Frances won two DramaLogue Awards and was
nominated for a Los Angeles Dramatic Critics' Award. In 2002 Bay was
the unfortunate victim of an automobile accident which resulted in
having part of her right leg amputated. Her husband Charles sadly died
in 2002 as well. In real life Frances Bay was a very practical and
unassuming woman with an avid love for jazz music. Born January 23,
1919 in Mannville, Alberta, Canada. Died September 15, 2011 in Tarzana,
Los Angeles, California, USA.
Brian George as Ben (Kyle Hart's agent): The
youngest of four siblings, Brian George was born in Jerusalem to Jewish
parents in July 1952. Both of his parents had immigrated to Israel from
India. His father was born in Iraq but raised in Bombay and his mother
was born and raised in India. When Brian was a year old, the family
immigrated to London. Brian attended an all-boys school in London. In
1966, the family moved to Toronto and he attended public high school,
followed by the University of Toronto, where he became involved in
theater. George left before graduation and formed an unsuccessful
theater group. He joined The Second City, where he trained with comedy
greats including John Candy, among others. His career in acting and
voice-over work has flourished ever since.
Matthew Ashford as TV Husband: Matthew
Nile Ashford was born on January 29, 1960, in the town of Davenport,
Iowa. He is the third youngest [youngest boy] of eight kids. He has
four brothers and 3 sisters, and in descending order their names are:
Dave [6/4], Jeff [6/4], Phil [10/1], Teresa [4/16], Randy [8/9], Matt
[1/29], Susie [3/13], and Sally [9/16]. When he was 12 years old, his
sisters took him to auditions for a local play, and it was there that
he was bitten by the acting bug. A year later, the family moved to
Fairfax, VA, where Matthew attended Hayfield High and continued to
involve himself in local theatre as well as school productions. After
graduation, Matthew attended the highly accredited North Carolina
School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. During the summer months, he and a
friend worked as street performers in Myrtle Beach, SC doing mime,
magic, juggling, improv. Eventually, he joined the Ragamuffin Magic
& Mime Company where he earned his first professional paycheck.
Soon after graduating from NC School of the Arts, in 1982, with a
B.F.A. in Theatre, he followed his star to New York City; it was full
of opportunities, and it was still only a train ride from mom. Matthew
was not in town long before he was put under contract by ABC and cast
as Drew Ralston on One Life to Live (1968) (1982-83). Sadly, Drew was
killed in a flower shop on the eve of his wedding. After his year on
OLTL, Matt toured with a troupe performing "Member of the Wedding,"
which soon led to his second soap, Search for Tomorrow (1951). Matt
played Cagney McCleary, with brothers John Forsythe and 'Jeff Meek',
from 1983 until the show was canceled in December of 1986. Matt quickly
made the role of "Jack" his own and won several awards for his
portrayal of the popular Days' character including Soap Opera Digest's
Best Villain in 1989, a Super Couple (1991) and Best Wedding (1992)
award with Melissa Reeves, as well as the Best Comedic Performance
award in 1992. Strangely, the birth of Matthew and Christina's daughter
Grace seemed to coincide with the birth of Jack's television daughter,
Abigail. Little Grace was born on June 15, 1992. Matt left Days of Our
Lives (1965) within the following year, in September of 1993, after six
years as Jack Deveraux. He remains the only true "Jack" in the hearts
of many. In 1997, he and his wife Grace had a second child -- a
daughter Emma. During his time off from the soaps, Matt took the
opportunity to get involved with live theatre again. He joined the
prestigious Interact Theatre Company, headed by former co-star Marilyn
McIntyre (ex-Jo Days). He remains active in the troupe, despite his
daytime schedule.
Ellen Gerstein as Woman: Ellen
has been an actress for many years, she was honored with the Robert
Prosky Character Actor Award. She was recently seen in the feature
Venom and soon to be seen in the upcoming feature Dead of Night. You
may have seen her in Treasure of The Black Jaguar and Swelter. In such
television shows as Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Brothers,
Fresh Off the Boat, and recurring on Shameless, as well Southland,
Friends, and Seinfeld to name a few. Winning awards for best actress in
the short films Passage and Firm with Purpose both on the festival
circuit and she appears as a lead in the feature The Golden Age. She's
done numerous films and has worked with incredible people like Danny
DeVito, Lainie Kazan, Robert DeNiro, Kathy Bates, Cuba Gooding, Jason
Bateman, Ted Danson, Martin Scorcese, Paul Schraeder, Rob Marshall, and
Mimi Leder to name a few. Ellen directed and acted in her international
award winning short film, Come Away with Me, winning over 30 festival
awards worldwide. She also wrote and produced the original song "Come
Away with Me Tonight" for the film. Ellen wrote, produced, and directed
the international award winning short film Waiting for Ronald. A
34-year-old mentally challenged man leaves the institution where he has
spent most of his years to start a new life. She cast actors with
disabilities along with non-challenged actors and had incredible
success. It is being developed into a TV series, Just South of Normal.
She created and stars in the popular and hysterical web series Sylvia's
Just Sayin'. Ellen has acted in, as well as produced and directed
theater in LA. She co-wrote and co-produced Club Disco and created the
character, Angie, an interactive play at the Llillian theater. Ellen
has worked with incredible people like Danny Divito, Lainie Kazan,
Robert DeNiro, Kathy Bates, Jason Bateman,Ted Danson, Martin Scorcese,
Paul Schraeder, Rob Marshall, and Mimi Leder to name a few. Ellen has
acted in, as well as produced and directed theater in LA. Including her
award winning one-woman show, My Psychotherapy Comeback Tour, a
semi-finalist in the Samuel French Short Play Festival. Performed in LA
and New York. She originated characters including: Ruthie in Potroast
at the Actors Gang; Shirley in Sit and Shiver, a play by Steven
Berkoff, at the Odyssey; Rosalie in the play Angel Share at the
Tiffany, with Paula Prentiss. She co-wrote, co-produced and originated
the character Angie in the long running interactive play Club Disco.
Ellen is a member of Women in Film, The Alliance of Women Directors. As
well as a life member and on the audition committee of the Actors
Studio and an audition judge. Somewhere along the line Ellen received a
Graduate Degree in Psychology, so she does not have to pay for therapy,
she can just talk to herself.
James Gleason as Roger: James
Gleason was born on September 30, 1952 in New York City, New York, USA.
He is an actor, known for Lessons in Chemistry (2023), Modern Family
(2009) and The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (1987).
Krista Mione (Tesreau) as Nurse Kidman: Krista
Tesreau was born on January 10, 1964 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She
is an actress, known for Guiding Light (1952), One Life to Live (1968)
and Ringmaster (1998). She has been married to Glenn Strauss since July
24, 2004. They have two children. She was previously married to Robert
Mione. Was Miss Teen 1981.
Julie Lloyd as Waitress: Julie Lloyd is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Coach (1989) and Hill Street Blues (1981).
Mark Fauser as Policeman: Mark
Fauser is known for Madison (2001), It's All About You (2002) and
Waking Up in Reno (2002). Mark is the Director of Marketing for the
City of Marion. Winner of the Governor's Arts Award in Indiana April of
2012. His first job in Hollywood was taking blow dryers and cooling off
Little People in the movie The Garbage Pale Kids. Was one of 12 people
selected into Burt Reynolds Institute for Theatre Training in 1986.
Mark was Burt Reynold's Personal assistant for 2 years during Evening
Shade when Burt won an Emmy and Golden Globe.
Richard Merson as Vendor: Richard
Merson was born on May 14, 1934 in Orpington, Kent, England, UK. He was
an actor, known for Night Court (1984), Quantum Leap (1989) and Star
Trek: The Next Generation (1987). He was married to Tamara Clark and
Barbara Francis. He died on June 1, 2003 in Fulton, Texas, USA.
Patrick Lowe as Kyle Hart (Mirror Image): Patrick Lowe is known for Slumber Party Massacre II (1987), Quantum Leap (1989) and Primal Rage (1988).
Say
What?
Does Sam really not notice a full film crew around him as he leaps into the hospital setting?
The
magazine reads, "Kyle Hart",
but the credits call him "Lyle". Kyle's
agent also calls him Lyle. (The original script had him named Lyle.)
Quotable Quotes:
Al (after an actress nurse walks through him): "Gee, suddenly, I feel
kinda sick."
Sam: "Come here... Would you get over here? Quit fooling around!"
Al: "I think I need some intensive care."
Al (on soap operas): "Everybody is sleeping with everybody!"
Al: "Ziggy had a new data search component installed, and we had to
have it shipped in from Hong Kong, and I think that gave a little jet
lag to the modem of the floppy disk."
Sam: "Why do you make this stuff up all the time? Why don't you just
say to me, 'Sam, we don't know.'? Why don't you just do that for once
instead of making it up all the time?"
Al: "Well, that wouldn't be any fun."
Sam: "I have to go and lunch with some woman who won this
soap-detergent contest."
Al: "Well, you can look at it this way: at least you konw she'll be
clean!"
Al: "Norma Jean Pilcher? Sounds like one of the Beverly Hillbillies."
Norma Jean: "People often mistake me for Sally Fields."
Waitress: "I don't see it."
Norma Jean: "You feel asleep on your control stick again."
Millie: "Oh, thank God. I dreamt I was caught in a tornada!"
Al: "You know, she reminds me of my second wife, only her specialty
was small appliances."
Sam: "He wants to take what happened here and put it on the show. ...
Is that ethical? That can't be ethical."
Al: "No, it's television."
Best Line:
Al: "Well, you can look at it this way: at least you konw she'll be
clean!"
Best Scene:
My favorite scene must be the very first one. Sam leaps in, thinking
that he's a real doctor, and then the interplay with Al is classic in
this episode. It really sets the mood for this episode that sits high
in the humor category.
Synopsis & Review:
Sam
leaps into Kyle Hart (the leapee is played by Patrick Lowe), a soap
opera actor who is kidnapped by a woman named Norma Jean Pilcher
(played by Kathleen Wilhoite), an obsessed fan who wants him to father
her baby... and, in the original history, his host ended up wandering
the countryside with a gunshot wound to the head that rendered him
totally amnesiac.
Sam
is able to get Norma to see reality when her husband Hank Pilcher
(Pruitt Taylor Vince), appears to have passed out while holding Sam
hostage with a shotgun. When Sam, pretending to be the doctor Kyle
plays on TV, says that he has seen the same condition that Hank is
suffering from, a ruptured ventricle. Norma says "maybe we should call
for an ambulance-" as Sam reminds of her of an episode of the show in
which Dr. Conner performed on a woman as she abruptly says "You can't
do that!" as he gets her to admit that Kyle is not a doctor.
Sam "revives" Hank, who still wants to hold him hostage though Sam
tries to convince him that wife Norma has serious psychological
problems. Finally Sam simply punches Hank unconscious, as they get her
to put down the shotgun that she picked up while Sam was bringing Hank
back to.
In the end, after the police have arrived to arrest Hank and Norma and
take them both into custody, Kyle's agent Ben (Brian George) drives up,
who suggests that they should lobby the producers of the soap to
incorporate the story of his ordeal on the series!
Al reports to Sam, with Ziggy's help, that Hank gets convicted of
kidnapping and assault and serves six years with time off for good
behavior. And then he ends up opening a little fix-it shop next to the
mental hospital where Norma is placed, as she eventually gets better
and they get back together once she's released. Source
Personal Review & Synopsis by MikeKraken:
"You mean it's your evil twin's baby, not
yours?" Sam has leaped into
the star of a soap opera, Kyle Hart, who is the heart-throb of
housewives the country over. However, Norma Jean Pilcher, the winner of
a detergent contest to win a date with Kyle, has other ideas about
who's going to be having a baby.
Not necessarily one of my
favourite episodes, but one of the great ones
nonetheless. It definitely focusses on the lighter side of things, with
satire regarding soap operas, as well as people who watch television
and believe what they see is real. There are many jokes cracked, and
though there is a serious side to the episode, it doesn't last too long
and is quickly resolved. It's a happy ending; a really feel-good
episode.
Production Credits:
Theme by: Mike Post Music by: Velton Ray Bunch Co-Executive Producer: Deborah Pratt Co-Executive Producer: Michael Zinberg Supervising Producer: Harker Wade Produced by: Jeff Gourson, Tommy Thompson Produced by: Chris Ruppenthal, Paul Brown Created by: Donald P. Bellisario
Written by: Tommy
Thompson Directed By: Joe Napolitano Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario Associate Producers:James S. Giritlian, Julie Bellisario Coordinating Producer: David Bellisario Director of Photography: Robert McBride Production Designer: Cameron Birnie Edited By: Jon Koslowsky A.C.E. Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow First Assistant Director:R. John Slosser Second Assistant Director: Kate Yurka Casting by: Ellen Lubin Sanitsky Set Director: Robert L. Zilliox Costume Designer: Jean-Pierre Dorleac Costume Supervisor: David Rawley Art Director: Ellen Dambros-Williams Sound Mixer: Barry D. Thomas Stunt Coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth Sound Editor: Greg Schorer Music Editor: Bruce Frazier Special Visual Effects: Roger Dorney, Denny Kelly
Panaflex ® Camera and Lenses by: Panavision ®
This
motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other
countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may
result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.
The
characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any
similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Bellisarius Productions in association with Universal Television, an MCA Company
Quantum Leap Podcast: Moments To Live
Listen
to The Quantum Leap Podcast on this episode here:
Cue the daytime drama music, it’s time for Moments to Live!
Tune in with hosts Allison Pregler, Christopher DeFilippis and Raul
Dale, as Sam Leaps into the hottest soap star on TV – just in time to
get kidnapped by a crazed fan!
This thrilling installment of the QLP features mystery! Intrigue! Teddy Boys! Join us, won’t you?
Let us know what you think… Leave us a voicemail by calling (707)847-6682.
Send in your thoughts, theories and feedback, Send MP3s & Email to quantumleappodcast@gmail.com.
Also join us on Facebook.com/QuantumLeapPodcast and Twitter.com/QuantumLeapPod
