Quantum Leap (TV Series) Genesis: Part 1 - September 13, 1956 (1989) User Reviews

A new Time Travel experience!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 14 November 2017]

I found this series accidentally in a second hand store for a cheap price, a true bargain, something call my attention, 1989 the year of production, therefore it fill up in my first concept of desire, old series, l've never heard about it before and the subject time travel amazed me right way and yesterday l have watched the first episode, quite good really, remembering a little The Time Tunnel's premise, where the voyagers never got comeback, leaping through of time, I glad to see Dean Stockwell again!!

Resume:

First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

Unique.

[nickthewright · 8/10 · 21 October 2000]

This is an excellent show with limitless possibilities and a strong cast. It is rare indeed that a television series will spark the imaginations of so many people. I can only fault the series on a few inconsistencies... For example, it is Sam's body and not the person he leaped into that he utilizes, which explains why after leaping into a legless Vietnam survivor he could stand and fight, but on the other hand he could also give birth, something Sam's body is most certainly incapable of.

Several episodes of the series do seem to be a trifle unnecessary, or "filler" material, but even these have their own special charm (i. e. the bigamist episode, "Dr. Ruth.") On the whole I would recommend this series to anyone, because with such a varied subject matter there is sure to be something for everyone. It's almost like watching a different show each time.

ENCORE!!!

[tina_als_girl · 7/10 · 8 July 2000]

I LOVE Quantum Leap! It is the best show out there, with the exception of Touched By An Angel.... Anyway, I haven't seen the final episode of QL, but I hear that 99.99% of fans were disappointed in it. I believe they need to make a box-office movie of Quantum Leap and have Sam Leap home!!! All those in favor say "I!"

a smile on my face everytime I watched it

[modius · 17 October 2000]

I loved this show, so okay - its got more time-travel holes than say the Terminator or Star Trek series, and it doesn't concetrate on the physics, science and stuff as it should do - and yes, perhaps at the end it became a religious thing turning to god, etc...

You can say all that, but I still loved this show, it was great viewing, most of the early episodes were really inspiring, intresting, even some could argue intelletucal - but the shows became too formalic, too much the same. The writers injected more ideas with the introduction of an evil leaper (possibly from the future, or from a foreign power - we never get to find out), and the interesting social commentary it sutley presents.

Its more family viewing than say the slam bang action, over the top sci-fi special effects laden technobabble that you get say from Star Trek or from other shows, but it has heart, it has enjoyment.

I've started to notice that a lot of shows copy the idea of leaping around - StarGate SG1, Sliders, and so much more...they more or less sound like the same thing, but they lack the heart and social commentary that this series had.

The last series (or last but one) reintroduced the character of Dr. Sam Beckett - we get to see him leap into Lee Harvey Oswald (who we see as an unstable character - Beckett struggling to leap out of his body before Oswald/Beckett shoots JFK), then in the last episode he leaps into himself - and decides to devot his life to fixing the past - as god's worker.

Although it was a pretty touching end, and we got hints of a TV/movie sequel (his daughter was working on the Quantum Leap project, etc - this could have meant his daughter trying to look for him), it never materialised - which is a real shame, most of the fans were upset that Beckett never returns home - they wouldn't accept it...I certainly didn't - I kept thinking there was a twist in the end titles were it said: "Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home" or similar...I always thought - well that could mean "because he never left home" or something.

Anyway, this is a great TV show, and as more and more producers try and fail to copy this show - we, as fans, can only hope a one off feature film or similar. They owe us that at least.

Quantum Leap

[dnvergrl · 10/10 · 8 June 2006]

I watched the marathon that ran today as I had not seen the series in quite a while. It made me remember just how much I enjoyed this show. I especially liked seeing the series finale again, and again i cried as i did the first time. So happy I was able to enjoy the TV series again. Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell were really good together. I had truly forgotten just how much I enjoyed this show. I also went on to watch Scott Bakula in the TV series, Enterprise. I have been a fan of Star Trek since the first series in the sixties. I was really sorry to see it go off the air so soon. Thank you for allowing me to comment. Helen Clark

My favorite Television series of all time

[dlermajr2003 · 10/10 · 3 April 2005]

I love "Quantum Leap". I also really like the fact that they are on DVD now. However, I noticed that on the third disc, side B from the Season 2 set, it says that there are bonus features. Where are they? How do I access them. Anyway, this is a great show and it cancelled way too soon. Also, I hated the last episode. I wish it hadn't ended the way it did. I've noticed that a lot of the soundtrack on the Season 2 DVD has been replaced with other music. "Call Me" from Blondie used to be on the episode ANOTHER MOTHER. "Georgia on My Mind" from Ray Charles used to be on the episode M.I.A.-which I find really odd because they even give reference to that song in the episode. At least they kept the original music for GOOD MORNING, PEORIA--Although strangely, "Tutti Fruiti" isn't featured in the cliffhanger piece that appears at the end of the BLIND FAITH episode. Why were they changed? Anyway, enough said--great show--great actors. Thank you, Quantum Leap.

quite the show

[kimpham54 · 10/10 · 6 July 2002]

this show, made in the 80s, probably has the most clever idea. it definitely can have an infinite number of plots and it can never get boring because the writers have so much to work with. I am a fan of science-fiction shows and movies and i personally think this show is priceless. it's clever and lovable. The two main characters, Sam and Al are very likeable because of their persistent charm and wit. and the show will never fail to bring sentimental values and suspense (at times).

By far, the most philosophically intriguing TV show ever.

[TerrorClaw · 10/10 · 22 January 2000]

This program is one of the few reasons to watch television. As a scientist from the future, Dr. Sam Beckett travels from time period to time period. In each time period, he "leaps" into the space of someone living there, who in turn is transported to Sam's own time. He then has to figure out, with the help of his best friend Al and his supercomputer named Ziggy, why he is there. It always is some problem he has to fix - preventing a murder, stopping a divorce, or maybe just setting someone on the right track. Once he has completed his task, he leaps again. The real attraction of this show is the implications of how and why he has to do what he does. The show indicates that there is a supernatural force guiding his leaps, and even introduces an "evil leaper" whose task it is to screw things up. Theologically, the show does all kinds of justice to beliefs in most religions. Philosophically, it provides th viewer with one of the most enviable characters ever created - Dr. Beckett does not ever have to question himself, "Why am I here?" He always knows.

This show can still be found on syndication in many places, and I urge anyone reading this to try to catch as many episodes of it as possible.

Slightly awkward start

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 23 February 2020]

QUANTUM LEAP was one of those television series I absolutely adored as a kid, so when I saw it repeated on a late-night channel I decided to revisit it to see how it held up. This first episode feels a little bit awkward, but then that's to be expected as nobody had got into their stride as yet. Most of this first part of the opening two-parter is exposition, with a negligible test pilot storyline; but Scott Bakula sells it with his endearing confusion. Al comes across as more creepy than I remember, but the seeds are already sown here.

Great Series!!! Shame about the ending

[darren_ddw · 10/10 · 22 March 2001]

Quantum leap was and still is one of the top five series ever made, but why did it have to end like it did??? I found the ending so confusing! If any one can shed any light on what actually happened please let me know by posting another comment. Saying that i will always remember how much i looked forward to this every week and when watching the re-runs i try to block out how it all eventually ends.

Genesis: Part 1 - September 13, 1956

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 20 November 2020]

The first story of Quantum Leap is divided into two parts.

There is a futuristic start as Al Calavicci is driving on a highway at night and meets a beautiful woman who has broken down. She has lit up high heels and earrings.

There is something glowing in the night sky and Al contacts his base. A technician called Gooshie tells Al that the scientist Sam Beckett is conducting a test in advance.

Sam has stepped into the Quantum Leap Accelerator Chamber and it is too late to stop it.

Sam wakes up not knowing it is 1956 and he has entered the body of Tom Stratton an air force test pilot with a young son and a pregnant wife. He also has little memory about himself and certainly knows nothing about flying.

He gets on with Tom's life and waits for the boogeyman to arrive. Eventually a hologram of Al does show up and gives him some kind of explanation but not too much.

It is a slow but atmospheric beginning. There is the 1950s atmosphere with hotshot pilots in a post world war 2 world.

There is confusion in Sam Beckett especially when he looks in the mirror and sees another face staring back at him.

It is an uncertain start, the series has not quite got its formula right and the rapport between Al and Sam is still not there. Too much swiss cheese in the head.

However this is the first part of the two part story and Sam is not quite aware of what he needs to do to leap out.

I forgot that Bruce McGill was in this story. He would more memorably turn up in the series finale.

This is THE best thing on TV!

[brit boy · 10/10 · 3 June 1999]

When I watched Sam's first 'leap' I was hooked. I found myself asking, 'Where's Sam going to end up this time??' And one of the things that made this TV show a great one is the fact that it mixed education with fun/comedy. I have learned many things from watching Quantum Leap (IE How to do Sign Language, how to do trapeze, what the story behind Lee Harvey Oswald was...) And the list goes on. I feel the only flaw in this show was the way it ended, Don (The creator) left too many questions unanswered and left more gaps than in Sam's 'swiss cheesed' mind. Sorry guys but the ending sucked! Other than that it was a great show!!

Let the leaping begin!

[AllisonLVenezio · 24 September 2002]

This 1989 TV-Movie was the pilot episode for the Science Fiction/Drama series "Quantum Leap" (1989-1993). It takes the viewer on the first adventure of Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula), a brilliant scientist with a dream to theorize that one could travel within his own lifetime.

With the funding running out on his top-secret time-travel project, Sam Beckett (Bakula) must prove that his project works, and jumps in the Acceleration Chamber. With the kinks not quite worked out, Sam is hurled into time and space on the adventure of a lifetime. He lands in 1956 as an Air Force Test Pilot named Tom Stratton, and must fly his plane to break Mach 3, and correct the original problem that happened in 1956, when the plane exploded in the process. However, Sam is in quite a predicament himself. The "leap" has left his brain swiss-cheesed (amnesia), and he doesn't know who he is, where he came from, or why that stranger in the bathroom mirror is staring back at him, and not his own reflection. When the project's observer, Rear Admiral Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell) shows up, Sam is terrified of him when he notices the stranger walking through walls, and cannot understand why no one else can see Al. The next leap, which is the last 25 minutes of the pilot, involves Sam leaping into minor-league baseball player Tim Fox in 1968, and Sam must sort out some details of his own life before he changes Tim's. In this case, it's to win the last game of the season. Can he complete his missions, and what will happen next?

I first saw this episode in January 2002, even though I've been watching the reruns since September 2001, and it answered alot of questions for me. This was a great lead-in to a great series. Although this was early on, and the characters certainly developed over the four and a half years this show aired, the pilot was not too shabby. Scott Bakula gave an endearing performance, and you could easily feel bad for him when he can't remember anything, or just giggling at his facial expressions. I admit that I'd be terrified too if I looked in a mirror and saw that the person staring back was not me. Dean Stockwell put up a convincing performance as Al, but his character certainly improved with the show's run. Scott Bakula developed nicely as Sam, and it's amazing to see how young he was in the pilot (I'm assuming they filmed it in late 1988 or early 1989, so he was about 35 years old, but gorgeous nonetheless--and still is!).

My favorite scenes from the pilot episode are when Sam first wakes up in 1956 and doesn't remember anything. I kept laughing at his facial expressions and voice over, but I certainly couldn't help to feel bad for him. When he stepped in front of the mirror for the first time, I cracked up when he jumped back. I also liked the last scene of the pilot (which I will not give away). This pilot also produced a great Al Calavicci line "Ain't that a kick in the butt?" which I said alot after seeing this pilot. Of course, I love Scott Bakula, who I didn't know before watching this show in September 2001, and he makes watching enjoyable. Sort of serious, and incredily cute, and Al is a great comedic foil, definitely not of second-banana status, certainly much more!

All in all, this was a well-done pilot, perhaps one of the best I've seen. I don't care much for drama or science-fiction, but this has an even blend, and it's great for families. The reruns don't air anymore, but I taped all my favorites, including this episode. If you can find this episode, I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially families. It's a feel-good pilot, and a great way to understand identity crises!!!

Oh boy, let the adventure begin!

the best series ever!!

[groundspider · 10/10 · 6 October 2007]

I loved this show!! it was very hard for me to follow it because here in Holland the only showed the first season. i had to try and follow it on the BBC. the acting was great and the chemistry between Scott and Dean was fantastic. the story were simple but because the acting of every member on every episode was superb it lifted to a higher ground. they just released the DVD boxes of the series here and i bought them all I'm now watching the last few episodes and I'm still impressed by the acting and how good the story's survived through time. i never saw a series with a pilot episode that had me hooked withing 10 minutes. i must admit that the first scene with Al driving the car in 1999 had a stupid feel about it but the rest was just surreal a must see series!!!

One of the best shows ever

[claudonio · 10/10 · 22 January 2000]

"Quantum Leap" is one of the very best shows ever on T.V. it a real shame the show got cancelled. This is an exhilarating show,I was always curious to the characters outcome. I watch this show everyday on the Sci-Fi channel. If you have cable and get the Sci-Fi channel I recommend you watch this you will not be disappointed.

An excellent beginning to an excellent series

[Op_Prime · 17 August 2000]

This was a great premiere for one of the best science fiction shows of all time. The premise to the whole series was very original, even though time travel was worn out plot device by then. The premiere had action, adventure and suspense. This is a number one premiere.

OH BOY... THE BEST OF EM ALL!!

[rjmcready · 20 April 2000]

If I had to compose a list of the best TV shows of all time, Quantum Leap would be sitting right on top (with the Simpsons ever so close behind.) Sure there's other good stuff out there, but most every Quantum Leap episode will actually have you feeling good about life. The writing was simply excellent. They combined the perfect mixture of comedy, action, romance, and drama, then blended it all together with actual history. But I believe the key to the show was the underrated Scott Bakula's terrific acting. Just watch any of the reruns on Sci-Fi and you'll see what I mean. It's a real shame that shows like this get cancelled, and shows like Friends don't.

a smile on my face everytime I watched it

[modius · 17 October 2000]

I loved this show, so okay - its got more time-travel holes than say the Terminator or Star Trek series, and it doesn't concetrate on the physics, science and stuff as it should do - and yes, perhaps at the end it became a religious thing turning to god, etc...

You can say all that, but I still loved this show, it was great viewing, most of the early episodes were really inspiring, intresting, even some could argue intelletucal - but the shows became too formalic, too much the same. The writers injected more ideas with the introduction of an evil leaper (possibly from the future, or from a foreign power - we never get to find out), and the interesting social commentary it sutley presents.

Its more family viewing than say the slam bang action, over the top sci-fi special effects laden technobabble that you get say from Star Trek or from other shows, but it has heart, it has enjoyment.

I've started to notice that a lot of shows copy the idea of leaping around - StarGate SG1, Sliders, and so much more...they more or less sound like the same thing, but they lack the heart and social commentary that this series had.

The last series (or last but one) reintroduced the character of Dr.Sam Beckett - we get to see him leap into Lee Harvey Oswald (who we see as an unstable character - Beckett struggling to leap out of his body before Oswald/Beckett shoots JFK), then in the last episode he leaps into himself - and decides to devot his life to fixing the past - as god's worker.

Although it was a pretty touching end, and we got hints of a TV/movie sequel (his daughter was working on the Quantum Leap project, etc - this could have meant his daughter trying to look for him), it never materialised - which is a real shame, most of the fans were upset that Beckett never returns home - they wouldn't accept it...I certainly didn't - I kept thinking there was a twist in the end titles were it said: "Dr.Sam Beckett never returned home" or similar...I always thought - well that could mean "because he never left home" or something.

Anyway, this is a great TV show, and as more and more producers try and fail to copy this show - we, as fans, can only hope a one off feature film or similar. They owe us that at least.

The Best Show ever to grace the world of television!!

[vyperman7 · 15 March 2000]

This is the best show ever made. Each episode was exciting because each week, each episode was different, and the show never got boring. My favorite show is Quantum Leap.

The best three shows are Quantum Leap, Married With Children, and Wings.

Favorite Quantum Leap episodes are

1. Unchained 2. Justice 3. The Leap Home PTS 1 and 2 4. Glitter Rock 5. Play Ball

Of course I love them all, but these are my absolute favorites.

A possible reason for the ending Slight Spoilers Possible

[johnkelly90 · 28 November 2003]

A possible reason for the ending of the series is that Sam changed Al at the end by setting it up so his wife and he are reunited after he gets back from being a POW in the war.

A even more in depth possibility might be that the time travel project wasn't really started by Sam, but by Al. It's possible that Al had a twin (this was never mentioned one way, or the other), but that would explain the "Evil Leaper" that Sam ran into a couple of times.

How it could have went was that Al and, his brother had worked on the program, his brother had sent himself the same way that Sam did, but they didn't expect memory loss, and Al's brother started to do the things that Sam would later have to undo. A leap could leave a electrical signature that Ziggy's equipment could pick up, and that's how it knew where to send Sam.

At the end, he chooses Al over going home, but the Al who is now reunited with his wife might never have started the program in the first place. Therefore the Sam that we all new would vanish himself because he now doesn't exist, but a Sam with his wife. might now exist because of the time line change.