Quantum Leap Lite

[Mirta Dozar]

QuantumLeap is an American science fiction television series aired on NBC. Developed by Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, it is a revival of the 1989 show created by Donald P. Bellisario.[1] Bellisario, Lilien and Wynbrandt executive produce. It takes place in 2022, thirty years after the original show concluded. The series stars Raymond Lee as the new lead character Dr. Ben Song, along with Caitlin Bassett, Mason Alexander Park, Nanrisa Lee, and Ernie Hudson. Quantum Leap premiered on September 19, 2022. In December 2022, the series was renewed for a second season consisting of 13 episodes, which premiered on October 4, 2023. In April 2024, NBC canceled the series after two seasons.

Thirty years have passed since Dr. Sam Beckett vanished into the Quantum Leap accelerator. The Quantum Leap project has been restarted with a new team trying to piece together the mysteries behind Beckett and his machine. For reasons unknown, Dr. Ben Song, the new project's lead physicist, has uploaded new program code to the project systems and used the upgraded accelerator to leap back in time. He becomes lost in the past just as Beckett did, living the lives of other people and changing history in hopes of getting back to the present. Project employee Addison Augustine, who is Ben's fiance, acts as his liaison with the project, appearing to him as a hologram that only he can see and hear, just as the previous project's observer Al Calavicci did for Beckett.

Dr. Ben Song celebrates his engagement to Addison Augustine, and receives mysterious texts during the party that lead him to make an unauthorized leap in the Project Accelerator. Awakening in 1985 as an undercover cop, he stops a plot to steal the Hope Diamond. Suffering amnesia from the leap, Ben is aided by Addison, working as his hologram guide. In 2022, the new Project Quantum Leap (PQL) team tries to find out why Ben leapt, and to bring him back.

Ben leaps into 1979 Chicago as bodyguard Jack Armstrong, assigned to protect famous musician Carly Farmer from mysterious attempts on her life. Addison grows frustrated with Ben for leaping to save her life.

Jamie, estranged sister of Carly, reappears in her life. Initially the suspect, Ben later realizes that Jamie was framed. Trevor, Carly's manager becomes the next suspect, and Ben exposes several threatening letters that Trevor used to frame Jamie. Carly fires Trevor after, and he later reveals that Loretta, one of the backup singers also plan to kill Carly. Ben manages to subdue Loretta in time and save Carly, but he is wounded in the attempt.

Ben leaps into Nadia Malek during her father's will reading. He and Nadia's siblings Dina (who prefers being called Dean) and Sarah find pieces of a map in their inherited items leading to a treasure in Mexico. In the original timeline Dean disappeared looking for the treasure. Rachel tells Ian that her boss Gideon Rydge knows there's a mole in his company, and Jenn reminds Ian their need in the past to find Ben, and that Gideon was the only person with money and access to make the quantum chip that made possible to retrace Ben. At a tavern they find a photo of their father near a well, but realize the bartender has stolen their map. Despite this they head to the well and find tunnels underground. In the tunnels Ben finds a crevice with a fake rock. Sarah finds a key there, but the bartender and the will lawyer find them. The lawyer kills the bartender, mentions a church, and tries to take the key, causing a cave-in that kills him. After escaping the cave Dean comes out as non-binary and Sarah tells them she's leaving her husband. They find the church and the chest, but opening it causes a flood. The chest is empty but for a letter from their father. Addison postpones her elopement. Ben writes a letter to Hannah and asks Sarah to send it later, then realizes the hidden treasure was behind a family portrait. Gideon arrives at the headquarters.

In September 2021, Scott Bakula, who played main character Sam Beckett in the series, hinted that a reboot of the show was being considered, with creator Donald P. Bellisario returning in some capacity.[39] A pilot episode was ordered by NBC the following January with plans for writers Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt to act as showrunners with executive producer Martin Gero and with original producer and writer Deborah Pratt.[40] Helen Shaver was hired to direct the pilot episode and to serve as an executive producer as well.[41] NBC ordered the revival with a full season pickup in May after viewing the test pilot.[42]

After it received a full season order, Aadrita Mukerji and Dean Georgaris joined as additional executive producers, and Gero took over as showrunner while Lilien and Wynbrandt stayed with the series as executive producers.[43][44] A new pilot was directed by Thor Freudenthal and written by Lilien and Wynbrandt, with the original pilot being scheduled to air later in the season.[44] The decision not to launch the revival with the original premiere episode of the season was made in order to provide a better introduction in the series,[45] and it was rescheduled as the sixth episode with some reshoots added for context.[46]

In September 2022, Bakula confirmed that he had been asked by producers to reprise his role as Sam Beckett in the revival but had ultimately decided to not be involved with the new series, saying in a statement on Instagram, "As the show has always been near and dear to my heart, it was a very difficult decision to pass on the project".[47]

After the first three episodes had aired, NBC ordered six additional episodes for the first season, bringing its total to 18 episodes.[48] On December 12, 2022, NBC renewed the series for a second season consisting of 13 episodes, which premiered on October 4, 2023.[49][50] The first 8 episodes of the second season went into production immediately after the first season wrapped, with no break in between because of the impending strikes.[51] The final 5 episodes of the second season began filming on November 27, 2023, once the strikes had ended and there was time for pre-production.[52] On April 5, 2024, NBC canceled the series after two seasons.[53]

Raymond Lee was the first actor cast in the show, taking the lead role as Dr. Ben Song in March 2022.[54] Shortly afterwards, the cast was filled out with Ernie Hudson, Nanrisa Lee, Mason Alexander Park, and Caitlin Bassett, making her television debut.[55][56] After being ordered to series, Georgina Reilly joined the cast in a recurring role.[57]In Season 2, two new series regulars were added: Eliza Taylor (The 100)[58] and Peter Gadiot (Yellowjackets).[59]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 57% approval rating for Season 1 with an average rating of 5.2/10, based on 23 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "This more serialized reboot of Quantum Leap has enough heart to merit a look from viewers with the luxury of time, but it often forgets to have fun with the episodic structure that made the original a classic."[61] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 based on nine critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[62]

Exploiting quantum mechanics to observe, manipulate, and control the behavior of particles and energy at atomic and subatomic scales, resulting in next-generation technologies for sensing, computing, modeling, and communicating.

Many of today's technologies -- lasers, computers, GPS and LEDs among them -- rely on the interaction of matter and energy at extremely small and discrete dimensions. By exploiting interactions of these quantum systems, next-generation technologies for sensing, computing, modeling and communicating will be more accurate and efficient. To reach these capabilities, researchers need understanding of quantum mechanics to observe, manipulate and control the behavior of particles and energy at dimensions at least a million times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Research into quantum materials is essential for preparing future scientists to implement the discoveries of the next quantum revolution into technologies that will benefit the average consumer. There will be strong connections to industry, federal agencies and international partners.

Ten research and process "big ideas" that will drive important aspects of NSF's long-term research agenda, push forward the frontiers of U.S. science and engineering research, and lead to new discoveries and innovations.

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes are large-scale interdisciplinary research projects that aim to advance the frontiers of quantum information science and engineering. Research at these Institutes will span the focus areas of quantum computation, quantum communication, quantum simulation and/or quantum sensing. The institutes are expected to foster multidisciplinary approaches to specific scientific, technological, educational workforce development goals in these fields. Two types of awards will be supported under this program: (i) 12-month Conceptualization Grants (CGs) to support teams envisioning subsequent Institute proposals and (ii) 5-year Challenge Institute (CI) awards to establish and operate Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes. This activity is part of the Quantum Leap, one of the research Big Ideas promoted by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes program is consistent with the scope of NSF multidisciplinary centers for quantum research and education as described in the National Quantum Initiative Act [1].

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