It appears that there will be no more leaps for Ben Song because NBC has announced the cancellation of its Quantum Leap revival after two seasons. That show performed well for the network in its first season and received an early renewal to get as much of the production completed as possible on the second year before the writers’ strike. It returned this past Fall and still did relatively well, averaging a 0.29 rating based on same-day viewing for the 18-49 demographic which was just a few ticks below the network’s averages for dramas. But in January it was moved to the Tuesday 10 PM EST timeslot where its numbers dropped to a 0.18 score in the demo. It sure looked like that was a move to justify killing off the show, and ultimately that is what happened.
Showrunner Dean Georgaris had the following to say about how the second season wrapped up:
When we got the early renewal for Season 2, we knew we were not going to end it on a cliffhanger. We were going to end it on the first scene from Season 3, and we’re going to end it with the two characters together, but in a way that you never expected. And that sort of says to the audience, ‘look at all the great places we can go.’ So if it feels like a completion for audiences, that’s wonderful. It is a completion of part of the journey, but I think for us, it serves as the launch for the rest of the journey.
He went on to say:
The new reality we’re all getting used to is, it’s not just about one rating anymore. It’s not just about one number. There are multiple platforms. So the truth is, I think every showrunner and every show creator is living a bubble existence, for the most part. That just comes with it. And that’s fine.
I had not moved Quantum Leap to Bubble status yet, though it was getting close because NBC was renewing other shows while remaining quiet on this one. I had heard that it performed well in digital viewing, though no numbers were shared. And I figured if they were going to end the series they would go the same route as La Brea and give it a shortened final season to wrap up its storylines and allow it a more satisfying, binge-friendly run on streaming. Or it could have also shifted to Peacock. But the networks tend to look at their shows as dispensable and seem to have no problem cutting them off without an ending. Now, a second Quantum Leap series has ended without the leaper returning home. If fans were to stage a Call to Action on the social networks and make enough noise, perhaps this one could at least get a final movie like Timeless did back in 2018. Perhaps they could bring back Sam Beckett in that and provide a conclusion for the franchise.
With this announcement, the Cancellation/Renewal Score for the current season is now at 10 cancelled and ending sci fi and fantasy entries (20% of shows tracked) vs. 21 renewed (41%). You can see the breakdown of the numbers and the full list of shows for the current and prior seasons at our Cancellation Watch Page.
Quantum Leap is a continuation of the classic NBC series taking place thirty years after Sam Beckett disappeared. The Quantum Leap Project is reactivated in an attempt to find the lost time traveler, but Dr. Ben Song begins to leap ahead of schedule and loses his memories. The others involved, including his fiancé, must guide him through his leaps while trying to figure out why he leaped early. It stars Raymond Lee, Caitlin Bassett, Mason Alexander Park, Nanrisa Lee, and Ernie Hudson.
We are approaching the end of the broadcast network regular season and I expect more announcements to come over the next month. You can see the status of all this season’s shows at this link. And be sure to follow this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for updates and breaking news.
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
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