Look: There are a lot of things, probably, that Peacockās upcoming reboot of classic time travel TV series Quantum Leap has to offer. The basic premise, lifted from the original seriesāscientist jumps into the bodies of people throughout time with hologram pal, setting right what once went wrongāremains basically unimpeachable as a way to get a whole new ākindā of show pretty much every week. And new series star Raymond Lee has that ābaffled but charming everymanā quality that such a series demands. But, hey, Peacock: Are you really going to bust out a trailer for a Quantum Leap revival project and not give us a hit of that classic theme song? What the fuck?
Penned by Mike Postāwhose ubiquitous TV composing work encompasses some of the best television soundtracking of a generation, including Magnum, P.I., The Rockford Files, and the ādun-dunā sound from Law & Orderāthe Quantum Leap theme was the perfect introduction for a show that blended high-concept sci-fi with the classic beats of an old-school adventure series. Weāre not saying the new show has to use the song in its entirety. Weāre not totally beholden to our nostalgia for a TV show, even one that sort-of, kind-of defined our childhoods completely. But a few licks couldnāt have killed them, right?
Anyway.
If weāre being honest, the reboot looks a little on the streaming-TV-budget side; some of those effects shots in the trailer are definitely a bit dubious, which we might just have to accept as the price of doing business. The basic idea is solid, though, including the reveal that Dr. Benjamin Seongās holographic helper Addison (Caitlin Bassett) is also a former romantic partner he no longer remembers because of the whole āSwiss-cheesed memoryā thing. And the setups for various leaps seem solid enough: Getaway driver, rock star, boxer, astronaut, all good āHowās he gonna get out of this one?ā opportunities. (Weāre just going to accept that Dr. Seong apparently says āOh shitā instead of the seriesā classic āOh boyā; like we said, weāre not the ones trapped in the past!) Ultimately, the show is going to live or die on Lee; fingers crossed that he can find his proper place in time.