X
  • NBC
  • Mar 26, 1989
  • NBC
  • Mar 26, 1989
Quantum Leap

Summary "Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observe...

Created By: Donald P. Bellisario

  • NBC
  • Mar 26, 1989
  • NBC
  • Mar 26, 1989
Quantum Leap
Season 1
5 Seasons
Season Premiere: Mar 26, 1989
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews
61
User Score Universal Acclaim Based on 17 User Ratings
8.4
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary "Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observe...

Created By: Donald P. Bellisario

Where to Watch

Season Episodes

View All Seasons
Episode 1 • Mar 26, 1989 • 44 m
Genesis: Part 1 - September 13, 1956
Episode 2 • Mar 26, 1989 • 45 m
Genesis: Part 2 - September 13, 1956
Episode 3 • Mar 31, 1989 • 48 m
Star-Crossed - June 15, 1972
Episode 4 • Apr 7, 1989 • 48 m
The Right Hand of God - October 24, 1974
Sam leaps into a boxer that is owned by a convent of nuns who need him to win a boxing match to finance their new chapel.
Episode 5 • Apr 14, 1989 • 49 m
How the Tess Was Won - August 5, 1956
Sam finds himself as a veterinarian who has to compete as a cowboy to win the heart of a cowgirl heiress.
Episode 6 • Apr 21, 1989 • 48 m
Double Identity - November 8, 1965
Sam leaps into a Mafia hit man who may not live long since he is romancing the godfather's girlfriend. Also an attempt to bring Sam home causes the 1965 East Coast blackout.
Episode 7 • May 3, 1989 • 48 m
The Color of Truth - August 8, 1955
As the black chauffeur of an elderly southern woman, Sam must overcome prejudice to prevent the death of a black woman.
Episode 8 • May 10, 1989 • 48 m
Camikazi Kid - June 6, 1961
Sam leaps into the body of a gawky teenager to keep the boy's older sister from marrying an abusive alcoholic. Taking advice from Al, Sam hopes to reveal the young man's true nature by challenging him to a drag race.
Episode 9 • May 17, 1989 • 1 h
Play It Again, Seymour - April 14, 1953
Sam, in the body of a Bogie-like shamus, teams up with a 'neat kid' to find the hit man who killed his partner.
5 Seasons

Top Cast

View All

Scott Bakula

Dr. Sam Beckett, Captain Tom Stratton, Jimmy LaMotta

Dean Stockwell

Al

Deborah Pratt

Narrator, Ziggy, Troian Claridge

Dennis Wolfberg

Irving 'Gooshie' Gushman

W.K. Stratton

Lawrence 'Larry' Stanton III, Dr. Berger, Sheriff Lyle Roundtree

Brad Silverman

Jimmy LaMotta, Pete

Michael Bellisario

Martin Elroy Jr., Billy, Kid #2

Carolyn Seymour

Zoey, Priscilla Stoltz

Fran Bennett

Marie Billings, Ada Simpson

John D'Aquino

Frank LaMotta, Tonchi

Eric Bruskotter

Beau, Glen, Red

Howard Matthew Johnson

Jesse Tyler

Adam Logan

Young Sam Beckett, Young Sam

Willie Garson

Alik Idell, Lee Harvey Oswald, Seymour

Renée Coleman

Alia

Stephen Lee

Sheriff Bo Loman, Deputy Sheriff Bo Loman

Meg Foster

Laura Fuller

Rodney Kageyama

Joda, Choo Choo

Mary Gordon Murray

Leta Aider

Richard Herd

Moe Stein, Ziggy Ziganovich

View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews
61
43% Positive
3 Reviews
57% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews
61
43% Positive
3 Reviews
57% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
90
Jun 30, 2013
Beyond its gimmicky concept and fantasy angle, Quantum Leap -- from "Magnum, P.I." creator Donald P. Bellisario -- touches on forms of alienation that grip everybody at one time or another. For Sam, it's one time or several others...The premise holds out a prospect even more attractive in the late '80s than it would be in many other eras: escape from the present. [25 Mar 1989, p.D1]
By Tom Shales FULL REVIEW
80
Jun 30, 2013
With some delicious comic touches, Quantum Leap is slyly offering two cheers for the "sensitized" man of the 1980's. Sam even managed to phone his beloved father, who had died in 1974. The experience left him with tears streaming down his face. Mr. Bakula (''Eisenhower & Lutz,'' Broadway's ''Romance Romance'') pulls all of this off with skillful charm. He could easily get away with devouring an entire quiche. [30 Mar 1989, p.C24]
By John J. O'Connor FULL REVIEW
80
Jun 30, 2013
A canny and clever series that makes hardware take a back seat to humanity. [31 Mar 1989, p.3D]
By Matt Roush FULL REVIEW
50
Jun 30, 2013
Familiar turf, but not bad, considering. Trouble is, the premise will wear out quickly. [24 Mar 1989, p.4]
By Clifford Terry FULL REVIEW
50
Jun 30, 2013
The only thing for sure about Quantum Leap is that it's a difficult show to explain to anybody, and that the more difficult it is to explain a show, the less likely it is to succeed. [25 Mar 1989, p.C-7]
By Robert P. Laurence FULL REVIEW
40
Jun 30, 2013
It was all quite boring...What the series does have going for it is a nostalgic sense of humor and Bakula, whom some may recall from Eisenhower and Lutz, a midseason show that lasted about 10 minutes last spring. Bakula has this hound-dog kind of handsomeness and a certain goofy charm...What it has going against it, is its sheer nutty illogic. Even science fiction is supposed to have some ground rules. God? Holograms? Amnesia? Come on! This thing is just nonsense.
By Steve Sonsky FULL REVIEW
40
Jun 30, 2013
Quantum Leap for the most part is so excruciatingly slow and laborious that you wonder if director David Hemmings was trapped in his own time warp. Yet Bakula does nicely, and the story ultimately accelerates and even yields some very affecting moments as Beckett intrudes on his own past. [25 Mar 1989, p.C6]
By Howard Rosenberg FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 17 User Ratings
8.4
94% Positive
16 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
6% Negative
1 Rating

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 17 User Ratings
8.4
94% Positive
16 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
6% Negative
1 Rating

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Related Shows

Samurai Jack

93
Universal Acclaim

Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal

91
Universal Acclaim

Battlestar Galactica (2003)

89
Universal Acclaim

Barry

88
Universal Acclaim

Game of Thrones

86
Universal Acclaim

The Pacific

86
Universal Acclaim

Justified

86
Universal Acclaim

Harley Quinn

86
Universal Acclaim

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

85
Universal Acclaim

The Last of Us

84
Universal Acclaim

X-Men '97

82
Universal Acclaim

The Tick

82
Universal Acclaim

Legion

82
Universal Acclaim

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

82
Universal Acclaim

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

82
Universal Acclaim

Star Wars: Visions

81
Universal Acclaim

The Legend of Vox Machina

81
Universal Acclaim

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

80
Generally Favorable

The Long Road Home

80
Generally Favorable

From the Earth to the Moon

80
Generally Favorable

The Tourist

80
Generally Favorable

Lupin

79
Generally Favorable

Related News

What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

What to Watch on Prime Video Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Amazon's Prime Video, updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

What to Watch on Netflix Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Netflix, updated frequently. You can also find a list of titles leaving Netflix this month.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Hulu Right Now

What to Watch on Hulu Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Hulu, updated frequently.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Disney+ Right Now

What to Watch on Disney+ Right Now

Jason Dietz

Get a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added (and coming soon) to Disney's streaming service, updated frequently.

  • tv show
April TV Preview (2024)

April TV Preview (2024)

Jason Dietz

The month ahead will bring a series adaptation of the videogame Fallout plus Netflix newcomer Ripley, Park Chan-wook's miniseries The Sympathizer, a sequel to Emmy winner The Jinx, Idris Elba's weirdest project to date, and more.

  • tv show
What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

What to Watch on Paramount+ Right Now

Jason Dietz

Find a list of the best movies and TV shows recently added to Paramount+ and Paramount+ With Showtime, plus a list of titles coming soon to the streaming services.

  • tv show