In the first episode of Quantum Leap, Raymond Lee’s character Ben Song took an unlawful leap and ended up in the 1985 body of a would-be diamond thief.
Although the precise reason he jumped is still unknown, we do know that Al’s daughter Janice Calavicci is somehow connected.
Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Hudson) announced at the end of the episode that Janice wants to participate in the newest Quantum Leap project like her father. However, the Department of Defense turned her down due to reservations about her emotional connections to Sam (Scott Bakula), who was never able to return home, and Al (Dean Stockwell), who passed away last year. Ben received urgent messages from Janice the night he jumped telling him to do it right away because they were “running out of time.”
Martin Gero, the creator of the program, claims that Janice is really just getting started. He tells TVLine that “The Calaviccis play a significant part throughout Season 1.” “Janice’s actress, Georgina Reilly, will appear frequently on the show.”
While Stockwell was still living, NBC’s new version of Quantum Leap was being developed, and the show’s creators always knew the Calavicci family would play a significant role in the plot. However, the way the show handled Al’s role changed once Stockwell passed away in November 2021.
“Having Dean perhaps have a little role on the program was always the dream,” says Gero. But once he died away, it was crucial for us to continue the show’s portrayal of that character in a meaningful and lasting way.
Continue reading for more information from the show’s creator Martin Gero and the actors Raymond Lee and Ernie Hudson.
The global relatability of this guy, who is adrift and a fish out of the water, is where you should start, Lee added. Everyone can identify with the fact that he simply feels extremely out of place. Not everyone can immediately identify with an immigration tale. It was quite wise of them to withhold that, as it’s a soft introduction to a person with a really shady past. Several aspects of Ben’s past will be important at the end of the first season.
With regard to Quantum Leap’s similarities to the original series, Gero said: “The show is its own thing, but we have this really beautiful connection to the past that is informing everything that we’re doing, and in a way that I think will reward viewers of the old show but not alienate new viewers who may not have seen all of Quantum Leap’s more than 90 episodes. I can’t wait for you all to see more of Georgina as Janice Calavicci in this incredibly cool story, which is heading to some really awesome places.
It’s up to Addison to share what she can reveal because there are some things better left unsaid for Ben’s own benefit, health, and well-being. Lee on Addison telling Ben, who lost his memory, that she was originally scheduled to leap and Ben was supposed to be her hologram: She might be aware of a justification for his unauthorized jump, but it might not be appropriate for her to share it with me. But there is so much drama there that needs to be revealed.
Lee is someone you can relate to, according to Hudson about his co-star. What I adored about Scott Bakula in the original was how humorous, silly, and endearing he was while still being that guy you liked. He would encounter these circumstances, yet it was difficult to feel sympathy for him. I believe Raymond also possesses a lot of sympathies.
“We’re hoping to have a couple every [episode], and there are some classic objects that eventually will make its way back into the canon of this show as well,” says Gero of inserting Easter eggs throughout the show. This show is being produced by both the original show’s creators and by fans of the original show.