QL finally leaps back onto DVD!

QL finally leaps back onto DVD!
Posted by David Lambert
2/17/2004


With the original DVD release of Quantum Leap - The Pilot Episode being long out-of-print, fans of the show have longed for Universal Home Entertainment to bring the beloved series back to DVD in season sets.

We knew something was in-the-works last November, when reports surfaced that Deborah Pratt - who was heavily involved in the show - had mentioned in an interview that she was called in to do some work on the new home video version.

Now the waiting is over, and the countdown to the street date begins. This morning, Universal Home Video announced that Quantum Leap - Season 1 will leap home on June 8th. The nine hours of program that made up the rookie season - including the pilot episode "Genesis" from the out-of-print item - will arrive on 2 DVDs, at a $59.98 SRP.

Right now details are thin, with no details on the specs, no extras mentioned so far (though we're sure there will be some, since Ms. Pratt participated on the release), and no cover art to show you yet. Still, it's great to know that Sam, Al, and Ziggy will be coming back home this summer, in one of the most-requested releases here at the site (in the top 10!). Stay tuned, and we'll be back just as soon as Universal circulates the remaining information about this box set.

Great News!

This is really amazing news! June 8 is really not that far away either! I agree that $60 price has me worried. Not just for this set. The later sets will have 22 episodes each, meaning more than twice as many discs as this one. Will those sets cost more then twice as much? So I hope that universalstudios.com is closer to the truth.

Re: Great News!

This just made my night!

Actually, DZL, I've always been paying about $100.00 for the Star Trek season box sets at Best Buy, when they're usually around $120.00 to $130.00 each everywhere else. Did you leave out an extra zero? :b

Hmm, I wonder how they're doing it on just 2 discs... Pilot + 3 episodes on Disc 1, and 4 episodes on Disc 2? If you count the pilot as 2 episodes, then that's technically 9 "hours" on 2 discs... normally, DVD box sets have no more than 4 episodes on 1 disc and the extras would go at the end of whatever's left over. At least, that's how the Star Trek seasons work...

All the same, this is encouraging news! Hope Universal doesn't screw it up...

Awesome News!

I got the Amazon email as well. To comment on the dual sided question I would say they won't use dvd9 (dual layered) for this set. It's too expensive to use (DL) for them. I highly doubt we are going to have much extras so I wouldn't count on that either. I'm just looking at it like this. $40 for the first season and that's it. It's totally worth it to me. If we get anything extra at all it will be a bonus.

It just keeps getting better!

WOW! Deleted scenes! Does anybody have any idea what they may be based on early scripts? Mock movie footage sounds like some of the ideas that people here suggested for the DVDs! I really, really like the box art! To see anything new for QL is great. I have a feeling this is going to be a great year for Quantum Leap!

AAAAACK!!! How exciting!!

Hi, folks! Long time no see! Errr...write!

This is fantastic news. I couldn't believe it when I saw the message from Amazon in my inbox!

Folks, please buy this without reservation. Advance order it if at all possible. $60 is the list price, but that's for 3 DVDs, not two, and through Amazon it's only $40. There's even an option for no shipping and handling (it just takes a couple of extra days to arrive). $40 for 3 DVDs is great, even if there aren't a whole lot of extras...and we already know there will be some. (The longer seasons will have more extra features, I bet.)

This is crucially important. If we don't support this set, there won't be any future sets. And what's more, there might not be any TV movie.

Case in point: writer-producer Joss Whedon created the space show "Firefly" for Fox. The network messed up the order of the episodes, confusing many viewers, and the show bombed in the ratings. It was canceled after only 15 episodes, with only 12 of them ever airing.

Fox decided to put out a box set of the DVDs anyway, including the missing episodes. Thanks to the loyal fans, sales of the DVDs went through the roof.

As a result, Universal bought the rights away from Fox and began developing a big-screen "Firefly" movie with Joss.

Similarly, the canceled Sci-Fi Channel series "Farscape" now has a mini-series in the works, thanks to the fabulous sales of the DVDs.

Two key points to get from this:

1) If we tell everyone we know to get these, and pre-order it ourselves, sales will go through the roof. Only money, and a lot of it, will convince a studio to move forward with a franchise.

2) Look at which studio is developing Firefly--Universal, not Fox. The same studio that owns Quantum Leap is just dying to find sci-fi franchises to revive! Let's convince them that Quantum Leap is worth their time!!

OK, I'll get off the soapbox now. I'm just really excited, and anxious to see this thing go through, that's all.

Final note. A while back, someone posted that we should send suggestions for what we want to see on the DVDs to beckettslady@aol.com. She in turn would then send it on to Deborah Pratt. I would guess it's too late for suggestions on the Season 1 disc, but can I still send suggestions to that address for the other season box sets? If not, where should I send them?

Anyway, glad that there's finally new Quantum Leap news! Can't wait to hear more!!

Take care,
Tom