The two-season reboot of the sci-fi classic Quantum Leap is set to hit Netflix next month, giving fans another chance to experience the revived series after its brief run on NBC.
Debuting on the streaming platform Aug. 14, the 2022 reboot of Quantum Leap carried forward the legacy of the original series while introducing new characters and plotlines. Raymond Lee stars as physicist Ben Song, who, like the original protagonist Dr. Sam Beckett, is thrust into the past, inhabiting the lives of various individuals to help set things right.
The revival maintained strong ties to its predecessor. Ernie Hudson plays Herbert Williams, the head of the Quantum Leap project, and the same war veteran Beckett (played by Scott Bakula) leaped into during the original 1990 episode “The Leap Home (Part 2) – Vietnam.” Susan Diol reprises her role as Beth, the wife of Al Calavicci from the original series.
Despite fan excitement, the series was canceled after just two seasons. However, its arrival on Netflix offers the reboot a fresh opportunity to find a broader audience.
NBC’s updated Quantum Leap continued the “stealth anthology” style of the original, focusing on how each leap into a new person’s life drives the narrative forward. The show’s commitment to this format allowed Lee to explore a range of characters through his portrayal of Ben Song.
Lee, who was the first actor cast in the reboot, spoke candidly to Collider about the pressure and privilege of leading a beloved franchise. “I feel an immense responsibility to not only do the original show justice, but to also create an atmosphere at work that is conducive to the best work,” he said. “It’s not anything I’ve done before, so I have nothing to reference.”
Describing his character’s experience as transformative and versatile, Lee added, “I like to tease and say that I am the perpetual guest star in their episodes… I’m trying to fit into their world. I have to be the chameleon.”
For longtime fans, Bakula’s involvement or lack thereof remained a topic of speculation. In 2021, the actor hinted at the reboot’s development during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, recalling conversations with series creator Donald P. Bellisario. “[Bellisario] would always say, ‘I can’t write it without thinking of you and Dean,’” Bakula shared, referencing his late co-star Dean Stockwell. “I said, ‘Just think about me and Dean and write your show. Get it out there. If you have an idea, just write it.’”
As for Lee, the role of Ben Song has offered him what he calls “the roles of a lifetime.” He told Collider, “I get to check off an actor’s bucket list with every leap. As the mythology goes, I’m able to physically perform the way the person I leap into can. I just have my brain and feelings, so if I leap into the body of a woman, I have to imbue the person with that, and imbue Ben Song as well.”
Quantum Leap begins streaming on Netflix on Aug. 14.