Ben Song, a young physicist, is the protagonist of NBC’s “Quantum Leap,” which tells the story of his adventures traveling through time. His leaps transport him to the past, where he lives in another individual’s body for a short time. After helping them change aspects of their lives, and more importantly preventing anything negative from happening, he transports himself to another time and body of another individual. The show is based on the same concept as the television series that aired in 1989 under the same name and in which Scott Bakula starred as the main character Sam Beckett. The events of the first series take place thirty years after the start of the current series. It confirms Sam Beckett’s existence while emphasizing the fact that he never made it back to his family, that he is still disoriented in the past, and that he is constantly changing bodies. With Ben in a similar predicament as Sam Beckett, is it possible that the two men will eventually connect? Will Scott Bakula come back to continue his role? let’s find out
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Will we see Sam Beckett in the next episode of Quantum Leap?
Fans of the original Quantum Leap series have been left curious as to whether or not Scott Bakula will reprise his role as Sam Beckett after it was announced that the show would be updated for modern audiences. The actor put an end to speculation among his followers on Instagram by sharing the news that he will not be involved in the development of the new series. He mentioned that he was given the pilot script for the series, but has no connection to the Quantum Leap reboot, “either in front of or behind the camera.” He said he made the “extremely painful decision to pass on the project, a decision that has upset and confused so many fans of the original series,” even though the show is “very dear to him.”
Bakula has asserted, while not part of the project, that the premise “remains a truly intriguing subject and therefore merits investigation, particularly in light of humanity’s current situation.” He conveyed his best wishes to the cast and crew of the series and expressed his hope that they would “immerse themselves in the magic that propelled the original quantum leap into the hearts and minds of generations past and present.” While it looks like Bakula won’t be involved in the new version of the show, many fans, including the actors who star in the show, are hoping he’ll reconsider his decision in the future.
“I’ve always loved his work,” said actor Ernie Hudson, who portrays Herbert “Magic” Williams. I thought he was fantastic at both [original] Series and everything else I’ve seen him in. Everyone I know participating [the reboot] is really looking forward to his comeback. When asked about Bakula, he said “the invitation is out there”. Steven Lilien, the show’s executive producer, has also expressed his desire to add the actor to the cast. “I think all of us here would be delighted to see Sam Beckett. “I find it comforting to know that he’s out there helping people,” he added. “I’m sure he’s doing a good job.”
Due to the fact that the original series ended with Beckett still living in the past, the narrative remains in an open-ended state with plenty of room for exploration. Considering Beckett starred virtually every year over the course of five seasons from 1953 to 1987, there’s tremendous potential for his storyline and Ben Song’s to cross paths. The showrunners are currently more focused on laying the groundwork for the new characters and getting the audience invested in this new story they want to tell, although that’s a very tempting prospect to explore more in the future. If Bakula agrees to the idea, perhaps the new program will jump at the chance to wrap up any loose ends left from his narrative. Until then, Quantum Leap will continue to follow its own original storyline centered around Ben Song, his leaps and his team, and will only get more exciting with each new episode.
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Scott Bakula’s career
Bakula made his Broadway debut as baseball legend Joe DiMaggio in 1983’s Marilyn: An American Fable. He also appeared in the well-received 1985 Off-Broadway production of Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down; he would later appear in his Pasadena Playhouse production. Bakula moved to New York City in 1976. He made his Broadway debut in 1983’s Marilyn: An American Fable as Marilyn. When his next show, the musical Nightclub Confidential, which starred his wife Krista Neumann, moved to Los Angeles, he moved there at the urging of his California agent Maggie Henderson and New York agent Jerry Hogan. The success of Three Guys Off-Broadway caught his attention, and when his next show, the musical Nightclub Confidential, moved to Los Angeles, he moved there. As Bakula could recall in 2000:
He had roles on the programs Gung Ho and Eisenhower & Lutz, both of which were discontinued after a short run. While there was a writers’ strike in Hollywood, he went back to New York to star in the romantic comedy Romance/Romance. Shortly thereafter, he was offered the lead role in the sci-fi television series Quantum Leap alongside his co-star Dean Stockwell (1989–1993). Bakula played the role of Dr. Sam Beckett, a time traveler who was unable to fix bugs in the past due to a technical issue with the time machine he was using. His work on the show earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award, four Emmy Award nominations, and five Viewer Quality Television Awards for Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series. He also won the Golden Globe Award, which was one of the three nominations he received.
Bakula was on the cover of Playgirl in 1995. In the only season of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which aired in 1996, he played the title role of Mr. Smith. He provided the voice of Danny Cat in the animated film Cats Don’t Dance (1997). He played the role of Gus Cantrell, an aging veteran pitcher, in the third and final installment in the Major League film series entitled Major League: Back to the Minors (1998). He also portrayed the role of Jim Olmeyer, the same-sex lover of Sam Robards’ character Jim Berkley (1999) in the film American Beauty.
Between 2001 and 2005, Bakula portrayed Captain Jonathan Archer, Earth’s first long-distance interstellar cruiser, on the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. In 2006, he provided the voice-over performance for Archer in the Star Trek: Legacy video game series for PC and Xbox 360 platforms.
Bakula’s first role in a professional production was the play Shenandoah, in which he appeared at Ford’s Theater in 1976. In 2006 he starred in the musical adaptation of the play. Bakula sings “Pig Island” on the children’s CD “Philadelphia Chickens” created by Sandra Boynton. The CD is marketed as “Suitable for all ages except 43”. According to an article published in TV Guide Magazine, Scott Bakula has expressed interest in reprising his role as Sam in a future installment in the Quantum Leap film series alongside Dean Stockwell. At Comic Con in 2010, he said a script was being written and that despite the fact that he would star in the film, he would not be starring.
An Evening with Scott Bakula was a one-night only event held at Sidney Harman Hall on January 18, 2008, entitled “An Evening with Scott Bakula”. It was an asset to the restoration of the historic Ford’s Theatre. Bakula sang a variety of songs throughout his career. 2008 was a busy year for Bakula as she had three performances. He starred in the role of Atty. Jack Ross appeared in the episode of Boston Legal entitled “Glow in the Dark” which first aired on the ABC network on February 12, 2008 and can be viewed online here. He starred as Tony Hunter in the production of Dancing in the Dark, which premiered at The Old Globe in San Diego, California from March 4 to April 20. The film The Band Wagon served as inspiration for the play Dancing in the Dark (1953). In the Showtime sketch comedy series State of the Union, starring Tracey Ullman, Bakula had a recurring role as Chris Fulbright in all five episodes of the show.
Bakula appeared as FBI agent Brian Shepard in the 2009 film The Informant! on, a role played by the actor. In April 2009, he appeared on the television series Chuck in the recurring role of Stephen J. Bartowski, the long-lost father of the title character Chuck Bartowski. He starred in three performances of Guys and Dolls at the Hollywood Bowl between July 31 and August 2, 2009. During this time he played the role of Nathan Detroit. Bakula’s first appearance as Terry, one of the three main characters in the hour-long comedy/drama Men of a Certain Age on TNT, was in December 2009.
In 2011, Bakula performed a voice cameo in the film Source Code as a slight nod to his character in Quantum Leap, with his catchphrase “Oh boy”. and appeared in the feature-length documentary The Captains, written and directed by William Shatner. In this film, Bakula is interviewed by the original Star Trek Captain about his life and career that led up to his appearances as Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise. In Star Trek: Enterprise, Bakula plays the role. During the course of the film, Shatner interviews Bakula at his ranch in California. The two talk about the challenges of working in television.
Bakula had a starring role in the production of Saul Rubinek’s play Terrible Advice, which ran at the Menier Chocolate Factory in September 2011. During the months of April and May 2012, he guest-starred in the final five episodes of Desperate Housewives. His role was that of Bree Van de Kamp’s third husband and criminal defense attorney. In April 2013, he appeared on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men in the role of a car dealer. Bakula was cast in a role that would see him appear multiple times during the first season of “Looking,” which premiered on HBO in August 2013. He also played a role in the film “Geography Club” (2013).
Bakula landed the role of the lead character in the backdoor pilot of the NCIS spin-off series NCIS: New Orleans spring 2014 season in February 2014.
Bakula appeared on the HGTV show Brothers Take New Orleans in 2016 where she served as a guest judge with Property Brothers hosts Jonathan and Drew Scott.
He had a cameo appearance playing himself in the season 12 premiere of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
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