Deadlinereports that NBC’s reboot of the hit sci-fi seriesQuantum Leaphas tapped Canadian filmmaker and actressHelen Shaverto direct its pilot. Having recently directed episodes of Shaver Netflix’sMaidand HBO Max’sStation Eleven, Shaver will now take on the classic time travel comedy, which originally followed Dr. Samuel “Sam” Beckett (Scott Bakula), a physicist who leaps in time and enters the bodies of other people, usually making changes to history. The revival series will take place thirty years after Dr. Beckett vanished after entering his Quantum Leap accelerator, and will follow a new team who wish to restart his experiments and learn about Beckett in the process.
Steven LilienandBryan Wynbrandt, who currently serve as showrunners on NBC’sLa Brea, wrote the pilot, and will also executive produce, along with Shaver, originalQuantum LeapcreatorDon Bellisario, andDeborah Pratt, who voiced Ziggy the A.I. in the original series. Bakula is currently not officially attached to return as Dr. Sam Beckett, but has reportedly had conversations about a possible appearance.
The originalQuantum Leapaired for five seasons from 1989 to 1993 on NBC, spanning ninety-seven episodes. The series started out with low ratings, but its finale garnered thirteen million views per household, andQuantum Leapis considered a major cult classic by many. In addition to Bakula and Pratt, the original series starred the lateDean Stockwellas Admiral Al Calavicci. It is not clear which, if any, original characters will appear in the new reboot.
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On top ofMaidandStation Eleven, Shaver has really made her mark as a television director to watch. The actress-turned-director has helmed episodes of13 Reasons Why,Vikings,Orphan Black,Westworld,Snowpiercer, andLovecraft County, showcasing her range. She also directed the 2020 Canadian dramaHappy Place, about a group of women at an inpatient mental health clinic. As an actress, Shaver has appeared inThe Amityville Horror,Tremors 2: Aftershocks,and the spin-off seriesPoltergeist: The Legacy.
