The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
Scientist Sam Beckett discovers a means to travel short distances in time (within a lifespan) and uses himself as the first experimental traveler. But something goes wrong, and he finds himself leaping into the bodies of other people, where he must change history for the better while also trying to find a way to get back to his own time and his own body.
Aired: NBC, 1989-93, 5 Seasons Totaling 97 Episodes
Starring: Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell
Created By: Donald P. Bellisaro
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:
This time-traveling series hit NBC’s schedule at a time when sci-fi and fantasy shows were sparse on the broadcast networks, and it quietly turned into a sleeper genre entry. It managed to stick around for five seasons and offered some interesting (and at times gut-wrenching) social commentary while also taking some chances and pushing the boundaries of television storytelling.
At a time when the Prime Time schedule was dominated by sitcoms and cop shows, Quantum Leap offered challenging drama with emotional depth and good character development. While many shows on television at that time offered little more than distraction, this show pushed its audience to think and consider the social issues of the day. It delved into racism and sexism, along with gender roles and women’s rights, and it was one of the early shows that addressed LGBTQ+ issues. The show also tinkered with the formula of having Sam leap into the body of a man each week, having him leap into female characters several times, and even into a monkey.
But most important to the series were its two leads. Scott Bakula was infinitely likable as Sam Beckett, while Dean Stockwell had a ton of fun chewing up the scenery as Al. The two also had a great chemistry that helped carry the show, even when the scripts were not at their best. Quantum Leap did have its share of mediocre to bad episodes, as do pretty much all TV shows, but when it was hitting on all cylinders, it delivered a first-rate genre entry, and it definitely counts as one of the greatest sci-fi TV shows of all time. (You can read more about the show at this link.)
Argument Against:
Quantum Leap did have its moments, and it was nice to have a long-running genre entry in Prime Time during the early to mid ’90s, but the show never quite reached the level of a sci-fi TV classic. It was an early example of a show that pushed “woke” storylines, and it provided an overly simplistic treatment of those complex issues. It also suffered from a shift in tone, going from drama to melodrama to over-the-top campiness from week to week. The fact that Sam knew nothing about the person he leaped into and had to spend half the episode coming up to speed led to some rather cringy moments, which were all too often resolved with sloppy writing. It also rarely delivered anything along the lines of actual science fiction stories, instead using its sci-fi elements as an excuse to get from one character to the next. When at its best, Quantum Leap showed its potential, but that did not happen often enough, and this one falls short of being counted as one of the greatest sci-fi TV shows of all time.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
I was not a big fan of Quantum Leap when it aired in the late ’80s and into the ’90s. I watched it early on and would tune in from time to time over its five-year run, but it was not appointment TV for me like the Star Trek shows airing at that time and Babylon 5. It followed a familiar broadcast network formula of a sci-fi show without much in the way of sci-fi, and I often found it more annoying than entertaining. Sure, it could deliver good drama when at its best, but it wasn’t consistent enough to convince me to tune in each week. And I absolutely hated the first half of most episodes where Sam was fumbling about trying to figure out who he was while onstage expected to deliver a piano concerto or flying in a military jet or some similar convoluted setup (the revival series did a much better job with that).
But I have since re-watched some of the episodes and developed an appreciation for the show. It did deliver some challenging stories and addressed issues that most television shows preferred to shy away from at that time. The lead actors did an excellent job of carrying the show, so you knew you would at least enjoy their performances, if not the story itself. The fact that it lasted for five seasons at a time when the broadcast networks had a strong aversion to genre entries counts as a huge accomplishment as well. So while I would not put this show in the Top 25 greatest sci-fi TV shows, I could accept it as a Top 50 entry.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray. Surprisingly this one is not streaming on Peacock seeing as both the show and the service are owned by NBCUniversal (and the revival is currently there). But it is available to stream for free (with ads) on The Roku Channel and you can purchase it VOD from sources like Amazon.com.
Do you consider Quantum Leap one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy shows of all time or does it not live up to its reputation? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV.
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