NBC Pilot - JOURNEYMAN

speedyparker87 · 08-21-2006, 11:04 AM

Did anyone read this from scifi.com and think possible Quantum Leap sequel series?

NBC To Travel In Time

NBC has picked up an as-yet-untitled time-travel-themed drama from Emmy winner Kevin Falls (The West Wing) for a pilot, Variety reported.

The story revolves around a man who travels back in time to correct wrongs, with a romantic storyline as well.

The studio behind the project is 20th Century Fox TV, where Falls has an overall deal.

NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.

alsplacebartender · 08-21-2006, 11:50 AM

Carol posted this elsewhere on the board, but it does sound interesting.

Sequel series? I doubt it...

Original series? Yeah, right.

I'll be watching for more info on this.

Enterprise · 08-23-2006, 02:56 PM

Fingers crossed it's QL related, but i'd hate for it to be just some cheap ripoff with no involvement from Scott, Dean or Donald. Sigh.

RossBeckett · 08-23-2006, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enterprise

Fingers crossed it's QL related, but i'd hate for it to be just some cheap ripoff with no involvement from Scott, Dean or Donald. Sigh.

Dito!

Steve
RossBeckett

tina_als_girl · 08-23-2006, 11:45 PM

Hmmm... re-reading it, I noticed it said the pilot originates from 20th Century Fox, so this couldn't be QL-related, since it's NBC/Universal that owns the rights to QL... Anything QL would be originating from NBC/Universal itself and not an outside studio.

Which means this could very possibly be a rip-off, and therefore I don't foresee it lasting long (if it even goes beyond the pilot in the first place).

:Love To All:
~ Joy ~

Imaging Chamber · 08-24-2006, 08:31 AM

I would love a sequel but I'm a kinda old fashioned guy and if the sequel is to have a character named Sam Beckett then it should be Scott Bakula playing the part.

QL Nut · 08-24-2006, 04:30 PM

This just goes to show once again how out of ideas Hollywood and TV studios are. Perhaps NBC is attempting to make up for the mistake they made when they canceled Quantum Leap? Anyway, I have the impression that any sci-fi-esque show has no chance of ever surviving on a network like NBC.

CarolD · 08-25-2006, 02:45 PM

NBC cancelled QL 13 years ago - I'm willing to bet that none of the same people are in charge any more. And TV seems to thrive on copycatting and ripoffs (sigh).

I think you're right about major networks and sci-fi, Chris -- they do keep trying, and the shows always (recently, anyway) tank. My favorite genre stuff is all on smaller networks.

ziggysego · 09-02-2006, 01:27 PM

Why is it that television cancel BIG, POPULAR shows and then look for the next QUANTUM LEAP, etc.. Don't cancel the original - simple!!

TessCrazy · 09-02-2006, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Why is it that television cancel BIG, POPULAR shows and then look for the next QUANTUM LEAP, etc.. Don't cancel the original - simple!!

what was the official reason they cancelled anyway?

Al's Handlink · 09-03-2006, 02:22 PM

Ratings just wern't there for the last season. It was on against Full House and it couldn't compete against the Olson Twins.

Personally, I think the Network had it in for the show, because tey tried to cancel l twice, but the fans stepped in and saved the show. It just wouldn't happen a third time.

QL Nut · 09-03-2006, 02:45 PM

I think Quantum Leap was actually one of the longest-running sci-fi shows on that network. Five seasons is a long time for a show like that to survive on NBC, although they of course did try canceling it in the third season. So the only reason it lasted that long was primarily because of the fans.

I don't know why NBC even keeps trying with sci-fi at all, though. Back in the '80s they dumped a lot of their action shows in favor of sit-coms and it's been the same since, only now Reality TV has come into the picture added with the occasional medical drama. Yet shows like America's Got Talent (or as I call it, Simon Cowell's Paycheck) become number one in the ratings. Go figure.

LadyKayoss · 09-03-2006, 03:33 PM

Another thing that may have contributed: the network couldn't seem to control Don Bellisario. I've seen interviews where he mentioned what was wanted for the show (like Sam going into the future and having a kid for a sidekick!) but Bellisario tended to listen more to what fans wanted rather than the network. That must have driven the executives nuts.

QL Nut · 09-04-2006, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyKayoss

Another thing that may have contributed: the network couldn't seem to control Don Bellisario. I've seen interviews where he mentioned what was wanted for the show (like Sam going into the future and having a kid for a sidekick!) but Bellisario tended to listen more to what fans wanted rather than the network. That must have driven the executives nuts.

All the more reason I have respect for the man. That's not such a common quality.

LadyKayoss · 09-04-2006, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QL Nut

All the more reason I have respect for the man. That's not such a common quality.

And the show was all the better because of it. Can you imagine what a sixth season would've been like if the execs had their way. *shudders*

CarolD · 09-05-2006, 12:04 PM

I kind of think Don (as wonderfully creative as he is) listened to what HE wanted for the show. If he truly took fans' opinions above all else, he would have sent Sam home in the finale. JMO.

JuliaM · 09-05-2006, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarolD

I kind of think Don (as wonderfully creative as he is) listened to what HE wanted for the show. If he truly took fans' opinions above all else, he would have sent Sam home in the finale. JMO.

You've also got to wonder, had he given in to NBC just a bit more maybe there would have been a 6th season. Ratings weren't there for it for the that last season so it must have been missing something that wasn't attract people to it. Mind you, I'm playing devil's advocate here. I don't know how much I would have enjoyed it if he'd gone with a younger observer, leaping into the future, etc.

leaper1 · 09-05-2006, 02:31 PM

I tend to think there was a bit of the chicken and egg about it.

Ratings dropped in Season 5 because Don compromised on his principles and allowed TPTB to talk him into doing the 'famous people' leaps that he always said he wanted to avoid, messing with established 'real' history like the Kennedy's and Marilyn Munroe.

Personally, though they are not my favorites, I don't mind them, but I know there were some fans who were put off by the 'new direction'. Similarly, there were those who hated the new arrangement to the theme tune in Season 5.

Little things like that can be enough to lose those who weren't die hard fans, and the loss of those rank and file viewers were enough to hit the ratings.

It has even been suggested that those at the netword who wanted to kill off the series work were counting on the changes to make viewers give up on it. It was a deliberate self-destruct strategy.

McDuck · 09-05-2006, 07:19 PM

Not to mention they kept moving QL around....it's hard enough to remember to watch a show when you KNOW when it's coming on!

asearcher · 09-08-2006, 02:02 PM

Quote:

If he truly took fans' opinions above all else, he would have sent Sam home in the finale. JMO.

It's been suggested that he wanted to keep the tension of Sam being out there in play so that people would continue to care. However, he made a grave error (IMO) in that he used the word "NEVER" (I know...I'm sounding like a broken record here).

Never implies finality. Yes, I know, in the world of TV that's not necessarily true. But in the storyline, Sam was NOT on TV. In the storyline it was a "real project that had gone caca." By saying "Never" it looked to fans that watched the final episode that there was no hope of him ever coming home. You can justify this with Sam's "altruism" (He himself could never stop fixing things) or his disbelief (Sam never did believe in himself enough to realize that he had control over the "ruby slipper") or that a new timeline developed and he never returned back to the point of origin or whatever. The fact is, those words did more to prevent many fans from continuing to care about QL. (I myself was mad at Bellasario for YEARS...I still don't watch shows he's created since then.)

I've put the link in the fanfic area...but this is my take on trying to reconcile the "NEVER" in that final show. As such the title,

NEVER
Dr. Sam Beckett Never Returned Home. A consideration of what this means.
Complete - Quantum Leap - Fiction Rated: K
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2995691/1/

Wrong Arturo · 09-11-2006, 08:53 PM

THANK you, Helen! I'm so glad somebody else gets it.

While fans at the time seemed to dislike the finale, newer fans seem to love it. The episode regularly shows up in top-10 lists and such. I find myself banging my head against the wall in discussions with them.

NEW FAN: Don't you get it, man? It's so cool! Sam's still out there. He's still doing what he loves...traveling through time, righting wrongs, and all that!

ME: Yeah, I always got that. But don't you understand what "never" means? It means Sam never got to reunite with his best friend Al, and apparently the last time Al got to see Sam, he thought Sam was going insane. And then Al never saw him again.

Not only that, but Sam never reunited with his wife, even though he had the chance. I guess he was just lying when he swore that someday he'd be back. And he never played any part in raising Sammy Jo, which makes him a deadbeat dad. And Sammy Jo never figured out a way to bring Sam home, which makes her a failure as a physicist, and she never found out who her real dad was.

And ultimately, Sam never got to rest, never got to experience "his next leap [being] the leap home," as promised to us in nearly 100 saga sells. Which means that either 1) Sam died of old age, somewhere out in time where no one knew who he was, or 2) Sam was killed in the "line of duty," and again died friendless and anonymous, lying in a pool of blood in some unknown point of time.

I have no problem with "Sam's still out there, making changes in history." I have a problem with that whole blasted word "never." That little word changes everything.

Whew. Thank you for letting me vent my spleen for a moment.

08-21-2006, 11:04 AM	#1
speedyparker87 PQL Visitor Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1	NBC Pilot - JOURNEYMAN Did anyone read this from scifi.com and think possible Quantum Leap sequel series? NBC To Travel In Time NBC has picked up an as-yet-untitled time-travel-themed drama from Emmy winner Kevin Falls (The West Wing) for a pilot, Variety reported. The story revolves around a man who travels back in time to correct wrongs, with a romantic storyline as well. The studio behind the project is 20th Century Fox TV, where Falls has an overall deal. NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM. __________________

08-23-2006, 02:56 PM	#3
Enterprise Assistant to Gooshie Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Newcastle, UK Posts: 487	Fingers crossed it's QL related, but i'd hate for it to be just some cheap ripoff with no involvement from Scott, Dean or Donald. Sigh. __________________ Ummm.... Quantum Leap Heroes, LOST, Scrubs and Angel RULE!!!

08-23-2006, 11:45 PM	#5
tina_als_girl PQL Security Staff Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Missouri, USA Posts: 739	Hmmm... re-reading it, I noticed it said the pilot originates from 20th Century Fox, so this couldn't be QL-related, since it's NBC/Universal that owns the rights to QL... Anything QL would be originating from NBC/Universal itself and not an outside studio. Which means this could very possibly be a rip-off, and therefore I don't foresee it lasting long (if it even goes beyond the pilot in the first place). :Love To All: ~ Joy ~ __________________

08-24-2006, 08:31 AM	#6
Imaging Chamber PQL Visitor Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Fife, Scotland Posts: 4	I would love a sequel but I'm a kinda old fashioned guy and if the sequel is to have a character named Sam Beckett then it should be Scott Bakula playing the part. __________________ The biggest risk in life is not to take one!

08-24-2006, 04:30 PM	#7
QL Nut Project Observer Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 821	This just goes to show once again how out of ideas Hollywood and TV studios are. Perhaps NBC is attempting to make up for the mistake they made when they canceled Quantum Leap? Anyway, I have the impression that any sci-fi-esque show has no chance of ever surviving on a network like NBC. __________________ - Chris

08-25-2006, 02:45 PM	#8
CarolD Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 1,601	NBC cancelled QL 13 years ago - I'm willing to bet that none of the same people are in charge any more. And TV seems to thrive on copycatting and ripoffs (sigh). I think you're right about major networks and sci-fi, Chris -- they do keep trying, and the shows always (recently, anyway) tank. My favorite genre stuff is all on smaller networks. __________________

09-02-2006, 01:27 PM	#9
ziggysego Observer's Aid Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: An Caislean Glas, Tir Eoghain, Éire Posts: 692	Why is it that television cancel BIG, POPULAR shows and then look for the next QUANTUM LEAP, etc.. Don't cancel the original - simple!! __________________

09-03-2006, 02:22 PM	#11
Al's Handlink Project Observer Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Bristol, Connecticut Posts: 733	Ratings just wern't there for the last season. It was on against Full House and it couldn't compete against the Olson Twins. Personally, I think the Network had it in for the show, because tey tried to cancel l twice, but the fans stepped in and saved the show. It just wouldn't happen a third time. __________________ Tom . . Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

09-03-2006, 02:45 PM	#12
QL Nut Project Observer Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 821	I think Quantum Leap was actually one of the longest-running sci-fi shows on that network. Five seasons is a long time for a show like that to survive on NBC, although they of course did try canceling it in the third season. So the only reason it lasted that long was primarily because of the fans. I don't know why NBC even keeps trying with sci-fi at all, though. Back in the '80s they dumped a lot of their action shows in favor of sit-coms and it's been the same since, only now Reality TV has come into the picture added with the occasional medical drama. Yet shows like America's Got Talent (or as I call it, Simon Cowell's Paycheck) become number one in the ratings. Go figure. __________________ - Chris

09-03-2006, 03:33 PM	#13
LadyKayoss Observer's Aid Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 638	Another thing that may have contributed: the network couldn't seem to control Don Bellisario. I've seen interviews where he mentioned what was wanted for the show (like Sam going into the future and having a kid for a sidekick!) but Bellisario tended to listen more to what fans wanted rather than the network. That must have driven the executives nuts. __________________

09-05-2006, 12:04 PM	#16
CarolD Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York Posts: 1,601	I kind of think Don (as wonderfully creative as he is) listened to what HE wanted for the show. If he truly took fans' opinions above all else, he would have sent Sam home in the finale. JMO. __________________

09-05-2006, 02:31 PM	#18
leaper1 PQL Security Staff Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Bedford, England Posts: 2,577	I tend to think there was a bit of the chicken and egg about it. Ratings dropped in Season 5 because Don compromised on his principles and allowed TPTB to talk him into doing the 'famous people' leaps that he always said he wanted to avoid, messing with established 'real' history like the Kennedy's and Marilyn Munroe. Personally, though they are not my favorites, I don't mind them, but I know there were some fans who were put off by the 'new direction'. Similarly, there were those who hated the new arrangement to the theme tune in Season 5. Little things like that can be enough to lose those who weren't die hard fans, and the loss of those rank and file viewers were enough to hit the ratings. It has even been suggested that those at the netword who wanted to kill off the series work were counting on the changes to make viewers give up on it. It was a deliberate self-destruct strategy. __________________ Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.(Leo Buscaglia) Helen in Bedford

09-05-2006, 07:19 PM	#19
McDuck Junior Leaper Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,360	Not to mention they kept moving QL around....it's hard enough to remember to watch a show when you KNOW when it's coming on! __________________ Jennie

09-11-2006, 08:53 PM	#21
Wrong Arturo Imaging Chamber Technician Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicago suburbs, IL Posts: 79	THANK you, Helen! I'm so glad somebody else gets it. While fans at the time seemed to dislike the finale, newer fans seem to love it. The episode regularly shows up in top-10 lists and such. I find myself banging my head against the wall in discussions with them. NEW FAN: Don't you get it, man? It's so cool! Sam's still out there. He's still doing what he loves...traveling through time, righting wrongs, and all that! ME: Yeah, I always got that. But don't you understand what "never" means? It means Sam never got to reunite with his best friend Al, and apparently the last time Al got to see Sam, he thought Sam was going insane. And then Al never saw him again. Not only that, but Sam never reunited with his wife, even though he had the chance. I guess he was just lying when he swore that someday he'd be back. And he never played any part in raising Sammy Jo, which makes him a deadbeat dad. And Sammy Jo never figured out a way to bring Sam home, which makes her a failure as a physicist, and she never found out who her real dad was. And ultimately, Sam never got to rest, never got to experience "his next leap [being] the leap home," as promised to us in nearly 100 saga sells. Which means that either 1) Sam died of old age, somewhere out in time where no one knew who he was, or 2) Sam was killed in the "line of duty," and again died friendless and anonymous, lying in a pool of blood in some unknown point of time. I have no problem with "Sam's still out there, making changes in history." I have a problem with that whole blasted word "never." That little word changes everything. Whew. Thank you for letting me vent my spleen for a moment. __________________