QUANTUM LEAP: GENESIS {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The first in this fantasy/science fiction series about Dr. Sam Beckett, a scientist who "leaps" into other people's lives against his will as the result of a flawed time travel experiment.
The story opens as Dr. Sam Beckett prematurely activates a time-travel device. He awakens with amnesia alongside a pregnant woman in an unfamiliar house. He soon deduces that he is in the year 1956, and that he somehow apparently inhabits the body of Air Force pilot Tom Stratton. The woman is Peg Stratton, his wife, and he also finds a son, Mikey. He cannot remember much of his own life, but slowly pieces together information about Tom’s: Tom works in the desert of the southwestern United States to test supersonic jets. When he tries to explain he has “forgotten” how to fly, his friend, fellow pilot Bill “Bird Dog” Burdell assumes Tom is playing a joke on him.
Once the initial fear and confusion passes, Sam begins to settle into Tom’s life. He is periodically visited by a mysterious man named Al who seems to recognize Sam for who he is. Sam finds that no one else seems to notice Al’s presence except him. While driving back from a dance, Sam tries to reveal his true identity to Peg, but cannot fully go through with it.
The next day, Sam wakes up and suddenly remembers more details of his own life, including the date of his fathers’ death in the 1970’s, but it provides little help. Since his father is still alive in 1956, Sam tries to call him, but cannot go through with it. Later, he encounters Al again. Al proves to be quite evasive in his answers, but Sam manages to glean some more information, such as the time travel project being his own creation. Al isn’t really with Sam; he is being projected as a “neurological hologram,” i.e. he is totally intangible and only Sam can see or hear him. He learns of “Ziggy,” an artificially intelligent supercomputer that monitors Sam’s actions. Al informs Sam that the people back in Sam’s time can’t figure out how to restore him to the present. They tried to bring Sam back that morning, but the attempt failed, accounting for Sam’s sudden increase in memories. They determine that this was caused by Sam informing Peg of his identity, which is evidently hindering the retrieval process. Al also reveals that the real Tom Stratton is in the future, taking the place of Sam; they have switched places. Another attempt to retrieve Sam will be made on Tuesday, but Sam is scheduled for a supersonic flight on Monday.
Later, at the airfield, Sam encounters Al again. Al explains that Sam is “leaping” either backwards or forwards in time in the span of his own lifetime. Al informs Sam that Ziggy believes Sam has “leapt” into Tom’s life to correct a mistake. Tom died during his supersonic test flight, and if Sam successfully survives the flight, Ziggy believes that Sam should “leap” back to his own time. Al offers to help Sam fly the jet, citing his experience as a former astronaut.
The day of the test flight arrives and Al is nowhere to be found. Just as the jet is released, Al appears in the cockpit alongside Sam and guides his actions. At about mach 3, Sam’s jet explodes, but he manages to parachute safely out. However, he still hasn’t leapt into the future. He arrives at the hospital to find that the shock of the crash caused Peg to go into early labor. The chances of a safe delivery look slim, but Sam suddenly remembers a great deal of medical knowledge and uses it to save Peg and the baby.
Sam then leaps forward in time to 1968 and finds himself a baseball player out on the field. He learns his name is Tim Fox, a once major-league player sent back to the minor leagues and playing his last game before retirement. Al appears and talks to Sam, but neither one can figure out why Sam didn’t leap all the way forward. Although Ziggy warned him not to, Al reveals Sam’s last name to him. Since his father is still alive, Sam calls him and, without revealing his true identity, says goodbye to him. Sam steps up to the plate and due to a botched play, manages to win the game for his team. He has little time to celebrate, for Sam makes another leap to another unfamiliar setting, starting a whole new adventure. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: March 26, 1989 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:32:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:54067
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Time travel
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1989-1993
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Donald P. Bellisario … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- John Hill … Supervising Producer
- Harker Wade … Producer
- Deborah Pratt … Co-Producer
- David Bellisario … Associate Producer
- David Hemmings … Director
- Mike Post … Music by
- Scott Bakula … Cast, Dr. Sam Beckett
- Dean Stockwell … Cast, Al Calavicci
- Jennifer Runyon … Cast, Peg Stratton
- John Allen Nelson … Cast, Captain Bill "Bird Dog" Burdell
- W. K. Stratton … Cast, Dr. Berger
- Newell Alexander … Cast, John Beckett
- Lee DeBroux … Cast, Coach
- Larry Poindexter … Cast, Captain Tony LaMott
- Bruce McGill … Cast, Weird Ernie
- Barbra Horan … Cast, Tina
- David Trent … Cast, Captain Doug Walker
- James F. Dean … Cast, Dr. Blaustein
- Lela Ivey … Cast, Lucy
- Dennis Wolfberg … Cast, Gooshie
- Lydia Cornell … Cast, Sally
- Christine Poor … Cast, Jeanie
- Doug Cox … Cast, Sportscaster
- Christian Van Dorn … Cast, Mikey Stratton
- Hank Robinson … Cast, Umpire
- Patrick Cranshaw … Cast, Old Man
- Brent Chalem … Cast, Bat Boy
- Adam Affonso … Cast, Young Sam
- Mike Greenwood … Cast, Matt
- Dave Duensing … Cast, Clyde
- David Dawson … Cast, Barnes
- Kevin Johnson … Cast, Pepper
- Ken Martin … Cast, Tim Fox
- Layne Beamer … Cast, Tom Stratton