QUANTUM LEAP: PRIVATE DANCER (TV)
Summary
One 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.
Sam leaps to October 6, 1979, where he finds himself in the life of Rod McCarty, a.k.a. “Rod the Bod,” a handsome male stripper in a New York City Chippendales club, where he's constantly man-handled by female audience members. Exiting the stage in his torn Zorro costume, Sam gets to Rod's dressing room and meets up with Al -- who's amused to see red lipstick kiss marks all over Sam's face and chest from Rod's "fans." Looking in the mirror -- and seeing hunky Rod's lipstick-print covered image -- a flabbergasted Sam takes a deep breath while considering what's ahead.
Circulating in the club, Sam meets Joanna Chapman, a well-known choreographer who’s holding open auditions for her dance company. He also meets Diana, a Chippendales waitress, who he gradually realizes is deaf. Sam and Al deduce that Diana is the person he is here to help; Ziggy has determined that she is a high school dropout with no family, and that she will fall into prostitution. Without Sam's help, Diana is destined to die of AIDS in 1986.
Sam makes a deal with club owner Mario to prevent Diana from stripping at a bachelor party he’s organizing. Sam runs into Diana after hours to find her dancing to music, which she feels through its vibrations. Sam thinks she’s good enough to audition for Joanna’s dance company. Diana is hesitant and wants no part of Sam’s help, but finally agrees. Later, unbeknownst to Sam, Diana makes arrangements with Valleri, Mario's scheming assistant, for extra "jobs."
Sam helps Diana prepare for the audition and, with a little encouragement, gets the hang of it. At the audition, Diana does well initially, but experiences trouble when she misses some of Joanna’s instructions. When Sam tells Joanna that Diana is deaf, Joanna apologetically says that she can’t accept Diana into the company. Diana tearfully leaves, only to find police towing away the van in which she's been living. Desperate, she accepts Valleri's offer of prostitution.
Sam and Al return to the club, just missing Diana, and find out what happened. Sam arrives in time to prevent Diana from going through with the job, and they leave the hotel of Valleri's "client" together. After convincing Joanna to give Diana a second chance, Sam gleefully watches as Joanna accepts Diana into the company. According to Ziggy, Diana will get her high school degree and then become the troupe's lead dancer. The story ends as Sam leaps into the life of a lounge-based piano player on the run from a killer. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: March 20, 1991 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:44
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:55044
- GENRE: Fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1989-1993
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Donald P. Bellisario … Executive Producer, Created by
- Deborah Pratt … Co-Executive Producer
- Michael Zinberg … Co-Executive Producer
- Harker Wade … Supervising Producer
- Chris Ruppenthal … Producer
- Paul Brown … Co-Producer, Writer
- Jeff Gourson … Co-Producer
- James S. Giritlian … Associate Producer
- Debbie Allen … Director, Choreographer
- Velton Ray Bunch … Music by
- Mike Post … Theme Music by
- Scott Bakula … Cast, Dr. Sam Beckett
- Dean Stockwell … Cast, Al Calavicci
- Debbie Allen … Cast, Joanna Chapman
- Heidi Swedberg … Cast, Valleri Nevsky
- Rhondee Beriault … Cast, Diana Quinna
- Christopher Solari … Cast, Rod "The Bod" McCarty
- Charles Emmet … Cast, Officer Arden
- Louis Mustillo … Cast, Mario
- Robert Schuch … Cast, Otto
- Henry Woronicz … Cast, Martin
- Melinda Cordell … Cast, Winnie
- Frank Novak … Cast, Lou
- Harry Cohn … Cast, Louie
- Marguerite Pomerhn-Derricks … Cast, Female Dancer