Why Ziggy?

Donofrio_QLTD

Project QL Intern
May 21, 2013
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Mexico City (D.F.)
OK, I don't know if this has been brought up before, and if it was, I'm sorry, but does anyone know why the hybrid computer was called Ziggy? When I was a kid I thought that maybe it had something to do with Ziggy, the character that appeared in the little Christmas Special "Ziggy's Gift" from 1982 or so. It was a very cute 30 minute cartoon. Has anyone seen this? And if you have, do you think it was called after that? Or is there any actual explanation I'm missing here?

By the way, if you have never seen this, I highly recommend you to. It's not Christmas yet, but I've found it. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnN0pxQ8bSI
 
There was never an explanation only an implication in Leap For Lisa that Al had been a significant deciding factor of her identity, both name and gender by his brief replacement with St. John during which time the computer had become a male called Alpha.

Writing wise however Bellisario found the specifics of the project including Ziggy's identity irrelevant. In fact he even admits this in response to the confusion The Leap Back presented when the male reference was contradicted by the female voice provided by Deborah Pratt; though also offered that if fans must have an in-story explanation let it be that Sam simply forgot Ziggy was female and Al went along with it to prevent confusion.

As for the cartoon, somehow I've never seen or even heard of it but remember as a child having a stuffed animal of the character wearing a one piece blue pajama.
 
There was never an explanation only an implication in Leap For Lisa that Al had been a significant deciding factor of her identity, both name and gender by his brief replacement with St. John during which time the computer had become a male called Alpha.

Writing wise however Bellisario found the specifics of the project including Ziggy's identity irrelevant. In fact he even admits this in response to the confusion The Leap Back presented when the male reference was contradicted by the female voice provided by Deborah Pratt; though also offered that if fans must have an in-story explanation let it be that Sam simply forgot Ziggy was female and Al went along with it to prevent confusion.

As for the cartoon, somehow I've never seen or even heard of it but remember as a child having a stuffed animal of the character wearing a one piece blue pajama.

Oh, the Alpha reference and everything involving St. John was quite funny. Love the way he pronounces his name, like "Sinjun" or something.

However it was, Ziggy has always been a cute little name, and everytime I heard it on QL I couldn't help remembering the little guy from the Christmas special. I wonder if DPB ever saw it and maybe he got his inspiration from there to name her that, hehe!

The character wearing a one-piece blue pajama. Could you please point out which scene it is or maybe the exact time where he appears? Is he one of the kids at the foster home?
 
Donofrio_QLTS said:
Oh, the Alpha reference and everything involving St. John was quite funny. Love the way he pronounces his name, like "Sinjun" or something.
Personally my favorite part was:
"...and don't call me Samuel! No ones called me that since my great aunt Tilly!" XD
Haha I'd like to know a bit more about great aunt Tilly.

Donofrio_QLTS said:
the character wearing a one-piece blue pajama. Could you please point out which scene it is or maybe the exact time where he appears? Is he one of the kids at the foster home?

...:/ So it wasn't this Ziggy then? My bad I could swear the toy looked like the character in the video you posted but I only took a few minute peek. Sorry.

First and last time I compose a response/post via iPhone. This is a pain!
 
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Personally my favorite part was:
"...and don't call me Samuel! No ones called me that since my great aunt Tilly!" XD
Haha I'd like to know a bit more about great aunt Tilly.



...:/ So it wasn't this Ziggy then? My bad I could swear the toy looked like the character in the video you posted but I only took a few minute peek. Sorry.

First and last time I compose a response/post via iPhone. This is a pain!

Yup. The link I posted is actually the entire Christmas Special. It only runs for about 25 mins. Ziggy is the little guy with the funny nose who goes around the entire thing doing good deeds, mostly in a Santa Claus suit. He wears something blue at the end, but I don't think it was a pajama. They look like regular clothes to me. Didn't know they actually made stuffed animals about him. I could've wanted to get one as a kid. :( :b

Oh, by the way, Donofrio_QLTS??? Haha! Never mind, JK! You're right, the iPhone sucks. ;)
 
When I split a post to answer different comments separately I am required to type out the quote tags myself and I ALWAYS have to take a second look at your name to get it right but that wasn't easy on that tiny screen while on the bus. Not to mention I was getting frustrated because somehow the tags weren't working at first. It turned out I was using the wrong slash for the end tags. XP
 
Some thoughts on Ziggy:

"Al always called her 'Ziggy.'" Alpha seems to be the original name of the parallel-hybrid computer with a 1 million gigabyte capacity and Internet access. What's cool, however, is that Ziggy is the ultimate Siri. Ziggy reminds me of K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider or HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey (of which K.I.T.T. was inspired and conceptualized from).

What is Ziggy's gender? Yes, early seasons there are male references. In one episode (can't remember specifically), Ziggy's gender actually switches back and forth within the same conversation Sam and Al have! From then on, the gender is female. OK. How about Sam and Al see Ziggy as however they want to see it? Al certainly did by actually nicknaming the primary Project computer. He had to go string along Sam's Swiss-cheesed memory throughout most of the series. What we're seeing throughout the series is Al's (Dean's?) interpretation.

Project Quantum Leap's entire aesthetic was likely inspired by Sam's favorite show as a child, Time Patrol, as we saw in "Future Boy." (At least the final version of the handlink and control console were.) Isn't it poetic that Moe Stein's doppelganger in "Mirror Image," Simo Zevanovic, is also nicknamed "Ziggy"? Is that the underlying significance?
 
QLNut said:
OK. How about Sam and Al see Ziggy as however they want to see it?

Then what about Ziggy's female voice in The Leap Back accompanied by her humorous lecherous comments towards Sam? (Ex. "Mmm great legs Doctor" XD) You think that is what Sam wants to see his computer as?

QLNut said:
In one episode (can't remember specifically), Ziggy's gender actually switches back and forth within the same conversation Sam and Al have!

Hmm interesting catch, I myself have not notice this conversation however recently have picked up a couple of moments after The Leap Back in which the 'he' reference is reverted back to.
One is in Revenge of The Evil Leapers.
"Sam, we've got problems. Get this, Ziggy says there's another leaper."
"Well she's just picking up Alia."
"No he already counted her."

Hmm, I just picked up on that, perhaps this is the conversation you are remembering.

I can no longer remember what the other one was but I know there was one other at least that I have caught.
 
Then what about Ziggy's female voice in The Leap Back accompanied by her humorous lecherous comments towards Sam? (Ex. "Mmm great legs Doctor" XD) You think that is what Sam wants to see his computer as?



Hmm interesting catch, I myself have not notice this conversation however recently have picked up a couple of moments after The Leap Back in which the 'he' reference is reverted back to.
One is in Revenge of The Evil Leapers.
"Sam, we've got problems. Get this, Ziggy says there's another leaper."
"Well she's just picking up Alia."
"No he already counted her."

Hmm, I just picked up on that, perhaps this is the conversation you are remembering.

I can no longer remember what the other one was but I know there was one other at least that I have caught.

Haha! I was watching that episode the other day and that line you mentoned cracked me up. We're twisting ourselves into knots here and they just go along and play with his/her identity like that. :p
 
Haha. Well the truth of the matter is that Bellisario didn't properly establish Ziggy's "gender" because he didn't care and the name will always be a mystery other than the fact that Al came up with it.