Starring Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell
Created by Donald P. Bellasario
The Story:
Dr. Sam Beckett (Bakula) theorized that it was possible to time travel within the confines of your own lifetime. Hoping to prove his theories correct and continue funding for his project, he entered his own experiment, and vanished. He finds himself popping into the lives of other people, and with the help of Al (Stockwell) who appears to Sam as a hologram, they attempt to put right what once went wrong, hoping with each leap that Sam will leap home.
I don't watch a lot of science fiction shows, but when I do, I try and make sure they are good ones.
This, this was a good one.
I have fond memories of watching it with my dad, and then later with my wife.
We all loved the show, and aside from dabbling with an "evil leaper" later in the series run, for me, this show never jumped the shark.
Sadly, this show never gained the mainstream success and popularity of one of Bellasario's later creations, NCIS or earlier effort Magnum P.I.
But I will take this show any day of the week, and twice on Sundays. I think most of the fans of the show would also agree.
Bakula got to offer a great range throughout the series, by leaping into a wide assortment of characters. No topic or idea was off-limits as Sam wound up inhabiting people of different race, color, creed, gender, ability and so-forth.
Putting right what once went wrong was often something as subtle as making sure someone didn't get married or making sure they took a left instead of a right.
They were very human interest stories, and while they tried to show that they weren't sent back in time to change anything major (JFK assassination, things of that nature) the life events for these people, it was indeed very major.
Bakula brought humanity and an earnest performance to every episode, a touch of class and a bit of humor. He was teamed with Stockwell who brought the sleaze, brought the funnies, but brought the friendship and guidance that Sam desperately needed. The two worked amazingly well together throughout.
Most of the series is available to stream on Netflix as of this viewing. However, the pilot and the finale are not.
In a way, I'm glad the series finale isn't, because it's one that requires a box of tissues after viewing.
Well worth the time to revisit, or to try for the first time if you missed it 25 years ago.
Final Grade: A
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