Scott Bakula has already said no following Quantum Code but his showrunner still hopes that the comedian will save the series and bring fans back.
Ambitious project or risky crash, the cult series Quantum Code just resurrected on NBC. Thirty years after its last episode, the adventures of Dr. Sam Beckett finally have a sequel (more or less) with QuantumLeap. New cast, same concept and we relaunch the time machine. The science fiction series began broadcasting on September 19 and claims to be part of the continuity of the original story with, this time, for protagonist Dr. Ben Song (played by Raymond Lee) to take over.
Many dreaded this return, fearing not to find what made the charm of Quantum Code. It indeed seemed difficult to go after the iconic duo of Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell, even with good intentions. Certainly, QuantumLeap may not have played all its cards yet, however the first episodes do not seem to be convincing. Especially since the desire of the series to play on a nostalgic fiber already seems compromised.
In effect, the possible return of Scott Bakula, interpreter of Sam Beckett, in this sequel seems complicated, the gentleman seems to have turned the page. On his own Twitter account, the actor was very explicit: he has no connection with the series either in front of or behind the camera and, even if his character appeared in the scenario of this sequel, he did not wish to be part of it. A decision that undoubtedly dealt a blow to the fans who placed their hopes in the return of his character, but even harder for NBC. The channel had long raised doubts about the actor’s participation in the project.
(2/5) I have no connection with the new show, either in front of the camera or behind it.
In January, the pilot was sold and a script was sent to me because the character of Sam Beckett was in it, which makes sense, right? As so many of you have been asking me the last…— Scott Bakula (@ScottBakula) September 15, 2022
Still, Martin Gero – the show’s executive producer who became showrunner after a last-minute reshuffle – still leaves the door open. He spoke to Collider on the subject:
“I would always come back to ask him, respectfully, to do the series. […] I think that would be very exciting. But I also respect his wish. He knows our enthusiasm for him. Our enthusiasm, love and devotion to the old series. Well, that’s a no for now. It would still be great to have it. Although I don’t know if it’s still possible. […] I’m able to call his managers often enough that they know how much I want him on the show, but not so much that they’re like, ‘This is a bullying situation, you need to go to the authorities. ” We respect his choice. »
“Bring Scott Bakula back! Quick!”
The phone calls are likely to become more and more frequent as the series continues to air, if it fails to generate excitement on its own. Some will say that this is already in itself an admission of failure for a work that does not manage to find its own success without using that of its predecessor.
However, as Scott Bakula also mentioned in his message, the concept of QuantumLeap remains exciting enough to renew itself and offer some good surprises to the spectators. And this, without copying the old formulas. We wouldn’t be totally surprised if it was all just a communication game and Scott Bakula made his surprise appearance in an end-of-season cliffhanger. Verdict in a few weeks.
Quantum Code: the rest of the series hopes to bring Scott Bakula back (and we want to believe it)