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And it’s no holiday for him either. He’s there
to fix up whoever’s life he’s jumped into before
being abruptly teleported out and into the next.
Typical of these kinds of series, he, of course, only wants
to go home. Thankfully, he’s got a friend to keep him
company along the way. A hologram named Al, who’s actually
stationed back at the home base.
“Quantum Leap” was a mid-season replacement that
premiered in March of 1989. It ended up garnering quite a
large fan base along the way and became a permanent fixture
on the network for a further few seasons.
The newly released DVD set includes all eight episodes of
the first season.
The first episode – the pilot – is the one that
sets it all up for us. Dr. Samuel Beckett (Scott Bakula) jumps
into the body of a test pilot. His companion is Admiral Al
Calavicci, who’s actually a neurological hologram, essentially
joining him in spirit if not physical form. Whilst trying
to fix what’s gone wrong in the pilot’s life, Sam
starts to wonder whether he’ll actually be able to get
home.
Most of the episodes are quite entertaining – if not
largely due to the presence of the always commanding Bakula
(now starring on TV’s “Enterprise”) and veteran
film star Dean Stockwell (Blue Velvet). It’s as
corny as cinema edibles, but it’s also a good high-spirited
42 minutes or so of adventure, fun and drama.
One of the highlights of Season 1 is an episode in which
Sam has to help his sister escape from the clutches of an
abusive husband.
It’s fantastic that these classic shows are coming out
on DVD. Even better that they’re getting the kind of
treatment they deserve. Look and sound wise, all seems to
be in order. There are some minor problems with the sound
at times and even some grain and speckle on the print, but
you’ve got to expect a little bit of fuzz for a show
that’s over fifteen years old.
“Quantum Leap” wasn’t the finest moment of
television that the '80s produced, but it was still a goodie,
and extras or no extras, it’d still be worth picking
up on DVD.
DVD Extras
Extras wise, there are a couple of goodies. Scott Bakula,
Dean Stockwell, and Donald Bellasario feature in the newly
recorded retrospective documentary called “A Kiss with
History: Remembering Quantum Leap”. Bakula also introduces
each episode which is quite welcome, and there’s some
Easter eggs of Bakula and Stockwell that’ll keep hunters
busy for a while too.
Conclusion: Movie 75% Extras 60%
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