Product Description

See how it all began in this exciting, premiere episode that launched the "Quantum Leap" series as Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula), a brilliant scientist from the future, takes part in a mysterious experiment--an attempt to defy the very laws of time and space.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42402 in DVD
• Released on: 1998-12-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.com
The only flaw with the release of Quantum Leap's original pilot (a.k.a. "Genesis") is that the end leaves you wanting another episode... at least. (The intelligent, funny, and often touching series aired five seasons between 1989 and 1993, and was later syndicated on the Sci-Fi Channel.) The pilot is a reminder of how entertaining television can be when the writing is smart and the right actors possess the charisma to carry a show from week to week. As Sam Beckett (get it?), a brilliant scientist who's caught in a time machine nightmare--he spent five seasons bouncing from body to body, righting many of history's mistakes and trying to get, er, back to the future--Scott Bakula blends just the right mixture of confusion, frustration, and heroic self-parody. Dean Stockwell, as Al, Sam's oversexed colleague who now appears as a hologram image and Sam's guiding spirit, is always fun to watch, especially when he lands such a juicy role as this. In this pilot, Sam first steps into the time machine in 1995 and suddenly awakes in 1956 as Tom Stratton, a married Air Force test pilot who's getting ready to break the Mach 3 barrier. As Sam tries to piece his memory back together, Al informs him that Tom originally perished during the experiment, and that to get back, he must make sure he breaks the barrier safely. The only catch is that Sam has never flown a plane before. Quantum Leap's climax is both surprising and moving--a testament, perhaps, to how the series managed to survive for so long without becoming stale. For those who've never seen the show, this is a perfect introduction. --Dave McCoy

Customer Reviews

Very Good - But buy season 1 - it's included
There is no need to buy this dvd. The pilot, genesis, is included in the Season One DVD which just came out. They don't write smart tv shows like Quantum Leap anymore. If they did, you'd probably see something like this on HBO. Each episode is more like a movie than a tv show.

EVERYONE CHECK THIS OUT
...Oh, Boy. Quantum Leap on DVD.
August 22, 2002

The floodgates are open. Releasing television series on home video was completely unpractical six years ago, but the convenience of DVD has showed studios that fans will buy up television programming on DVD. As many television shows have been announced over the last month or so, it appears that a great deal more are coming. Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Warner Brothers Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment have all recently announced commitment to television on DVD. One of the first new series coming from this announcement is the science fiction drama Quantum Leap due in 2003.

Before Scott Bacula traveled through space as the captain of the Enterprise, he traveled through time as Sam Beckett, a scientist who discovered the ability to leap through time, from person to person, within his own lifetime. Along with his friend Al, who appeared to Sam as a hologram from the future, Sam used the ability not for personal gain, but to help fix other's lives which had gone astray. Although the pilot of this series is out there on a discontinued DVD, it looks like the rest of the series will follow. Although no information is available on prices, specs, or features. Information on the show and likely many other popular series will be coming down the pipeline soon.

When can we have the entire series on DVD box sets
I loved Quantum Leap when it was on terrestrial TV and unfortunately I do not have satellite to watch re-runs on UK Gold. We've got Buffy box sets, Angel box sets, Friends box sets, even Red Dwarf box sets and all of them pale in comparison to the excellent writing and production of Quantum Leap.
It was a well thought out, interesting and funny programme which could also be moving and thought provoking. Please please please, can we have the different seasons released as box sets on DVD as I'm sure there are many like me who agree!