"Roberto!"

Leap Date:

July 27, 1982

Episode Adopted by: MikeKraken
Additional info provided by: Alan Mercer

Synopsis:

In what seems like a cross between Geraldo and the X-Files (featuring Jerry Hardin from the X-Files!), Sam leaps into a TV reporter who, when challenged by a co-worker to do just one real investigative piece, discovers a secret chemical weapons plant hidden inside a local corporation. But the company will do anything to keep it's secret - even murder.

Audio from this episode
Video from this episode (dailies)

Place
Leap Date
Project Date
Name of the Person Leaped Into
Songs
Music Artists
Project Trivia
Sam Trivia
Al Trivia
Al's Women
Al's Outfits Worn in the Episode
Miscellaneous Trivia
Kiss with History
Writers
Director
Producers
Crew
Broadcast Date
Guest Stars
Guest Cast Notes
Guests who appeared in other Quantum Leap episodes
Cast members who have passed away
Personal Review
Best Lines
Best Scenes
Say what? (things in the episode that make no sense)
Quotable Quotes
Awards

"Roberto!"

It's the early 1980s, and day-time talk shows are just beginning in their popularity. Sam leaps into the host of "Roberto!", and he has more to do than just be the "local sort-of version of Geraldo".


::Place::
Destiny, New Mexico, USA

::Leap Date::
January 27, 1982

::Name of the Person Leaped Into::
Roberto Roberto Guttierrez, host of KPNM-TV's daily live talk show.


::Songs/Music::
» Regular background music (by Velton Ray Bunch)


::Project Trivia::
» Handlink: third version (colourful cubes)

» Project Quantum Leap will be in existence in seven years (thirty miles from where Sam and Jenny interview Red Norton, who saw "aliens", at Blue Rock and Whispering Pine Lake).

» At the beginning of Project Quantum Leap, they used cards as keypasses to open doors, before using "electronic implants".


::Miscellaneous trivia::
» "Roberto!" airs live at four o'clock in the afternoon.

» Dr. Laura Schlessinger appears as a guest, playing herself, on the first show that Sam hosts fully.

» Probably the first episode that we see a desktop computer on the show.

»Near the beginning of the episode, Sam is talking to somebody in the television studio, and up in the corner on the television monitors, you can actually see (for a split-second!) the King Thunder music video playing on one of the screens!



::Al's Outfits Worn in the Episode::
» First and second appearances: Cream pants; matching cream suede jacket; golden-yellow dress shirt; golden thin tie; small, round amulet on the jacket's left breast; unlit cigar.

» Third and fourth appearances: Blue suit coat with green tintings; white dress shirt; emerald tie; small, rectangular, silver amulet on coat's left breast; blue dress pants.

» Fifth and sixth appearances: Red suit coat; red-patterned dress shirt; small, circular amulet on left breast; red thin tie; unlit cigar; red dress pants; black dress shoes.

» Seventh appearance: Purple dress shirt; black thin tie with white spots; purple-patterened vest; lit cigar; black dress pants; black belt with gold buckle.


::Writers::
Chris Ruppenthal


::Director::
Scott Bakula


::Producers::
Deborah Pratt, Michael Zinberg, Harker Wade, Jeff Gourson, Tommy Thompson, Chris Ruppenthal, Paul Brown


::Broadcast Date::
Wednesday, March 11, 1992.


::Regular Cast::
Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett
Dean Stockwell as Al Calavicci


::Guest Stars::
DeLane Matthews - Jani Eisenberg
Alan Oppenheimer - Earl Skinner
Jerry Hardin - Ed Saxton
Michael Heintzman - Tim
Marcus Giamatti - Rick Upfield
Don Gibb - Man with glasses
:Co-Starring:
Barbara Tarbuck as Esther
Dr. Laura Schlessinger as herself
Charles Dougherty as Jetters
Dennis Fimple as Red Norton
Victor Talmadge as Foreman/Hank
:with:
Sherri Lynn Rothman - Dawn
Gregg Binkley - Deputy
Paul-Felix Montez - Ernesto
Andrew Roa - Roberto/Mirror (although Sam never saw Roberto in a mirror, neither did we: only on TV or on the camera)


::Guest Cast Notes::
» Alan Oppenheimer is an accomplished actor, both on screen and in voices, doing many various cartoon shows since the 1940s up until today (including "Captain Planet", which Dean Stockwell did a voice for), such as "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", and the various Ghostbusters and Transformers cartoon shows. Mr. Oppenheimer played the recurring character of Eugene Kinsella on "Murphy Brown", which Scott also acted on. For voice acting, he is probably most well known as Skeletor on He-Man and She-Ra in the 1980s.

» Jerry Hardin is another well-known actor, with recurring rolls on "L.A. Law" and "The X-Files" (Deep Throat). His is also a familiar face.

»Barbara Tarbuck guest starred on the "Enterprise" episode entitled "Shadows of P'Jem", and played a recurring roll on "Falcon Crest".

» Dennis Fimple played recurring rolls on "Petticoat Junction" and "Alias Smith and Jones", and also guested on an episode of "Battlestar Galactica".

» Victor Talmadge was in "Naked Souls", in which Dean Stockwell starred, and also guest starred in the episode "Judgement" of "Enterprise".

» Sherri Lynn Rothman is not in the IMDb.


::Cast members who have passed away (as of the date the synopsis was written)::
Dennis Fimple died on August 23, 2002 at the age of 62 from natural causes.


::Personal Review::
This is definitely one of my favourites. "Roberto!" has a great mix of comedy and mystery, not to mention the acting is superbly executed from the excellent script. I enjoyed the insight to earlier days of Project Quantum Leap, and it was interesting to see Sam acting like Roberto when necessary.


::Best Line::
» Al: "Yeah, it's annoying, isn't it? That's what you get working with a genius."


::Best Scene::
I think the best scene is the interview at the end with Mr. Saxton. Sam came up with an ingenius way to reveal his crimes.


::Quotable Quotes::
» Sam: "Uhhh, I was just wondering if French imported wine goes with crow."

» Sam: "I guess I kinda see myself as champion of underdogs everywhere."

» Al: "That's the key! You look for a door that's got a slot next to it."
... "Just like the beginning of the Quantum Leap project, remember? This credit card thing, you stick it in the slot, opens the door. Before we had those electronic implants, remember, Sam?"

» Al: "A lot of the guys in this place are military-itis!"

» Jenny: "Why do I suddenly feel like I've stepped behind you? I never used to feel that way."
Sam: "Well, I dunno... I, uh..."
Al: "Yeah, it's annoying, isn't it? That's what you get working with a genius."



Theme by - Mike Post
Music by - Velton Ray Bunch
Co-executive Producers - Deborah Pratt, Michael Zinberg
Supervising Producer - Harker Wade
Produced by - Jeff Gourson, Tommy Thompson, Chris Ruppenthal, Paul Brown
Written by - Chris Ruppenthal
Directed by - Scott Bakula
Executive Producer - Donald P. Bellisario

(flashing credits playing the "Roberto!" theme instead of the "Quantum Leap" theme)
Associate Producers - Julie Bellisario, James S. Giritlian
Co-ordinating Producer - David Bellisario
Director of Photography - Michael Watkins A.S.C.

Production Designer - Cameron Birnie
Edited by - M. Edward Salier A.C.E.
Unit Production Manager - Ron Grow
First Assistant Director - Ryan Gordon
Second Assistant Director - Kate Yurka

Casting by - Ellen Lubin Sanitsky
Set Decorator - Robert L. Zilliox
Costume Designer - Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Costume Supervisor - David Rawley

Art Director - Ellen Dambros-Williams
Sound Mixer - Barry D. Thomas
Stunt Co-ordinator - Diamond Farnsworth
Panaflex® Camera and Lenses by PANAVISION®
Sound Editor - Greg Schorer
Music Editor - Bruce Frazier
Special Visual Effects - Roger Dorney, Denny Kelly

This motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in in civil liability and criminal prosocution

Copyright © 1992 by Universal City Studios, Inc. All rights reserved.

Country of first publication: United States of Amercia. Univeral City Studios, Inc. is the author of this motion picture for purposes of the Berne Convention and all national laws giving effect thereto.

The charcters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious, and any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

(second Universal Television logo at end)