LEAPING into ACTION

What to expect from a reboot of a classic sci-fi adventure

-  JUDY EWENS

QUANTUM LEAP
NEW FROM THURSDAY 13 JULY, PARAMOUNT+ SCI-FI

Running from 1989 to 1993, US time-travel drama Quantum Leap became a cult classic thanks to its unique concept of having Scott Bakula's Dr Sam Beckett involuntarily and temporarily leaping' into other people's bodies over different timelines at pivotal moments in their lives.

Now, in a much-anticipated revival of the sci-fi epic, launching on Paramount+ this Thursday, Raymond Lee (Top Gun: Maverick) stars as Dr Ben Song, the lead physicist on a team trying to uncover what happened to Sam 30 years after he vanished in space-time. Then, like his predecessor, Ben steps into the Quantum Leap accelerator and suddenly finds himself in the past, living other people's lives and rewriting history, while trying to get back to 2022.

CONTINUING THE STORY

For new showrunner and executive producer Martin Gero, the 18-part adventure – nine episodes of which are available from this week – is less a reboot and more of a sequel to the beloved original series.

‘It takes place 30-something years from where the original show ended so it exists in that timeline,’ he says. ‘We want to deliver a show that feels like a reverence for the original, but we also want the feel to be modern and something new fans will love.’