Quantum Leap Reboot Headed To Cancellation
According to a television cancellation predictor that proved fairly accurate in 2021, the Quantum Leap Reboot is so far the most likely NBC show to be cancelled in 2022.
Only 5 episodes in, NBC’s Quantum Leap reboot is on its way to the chopping block according to a predictor table set up by SpoilerTV. Unfortunately, this isn’t the most surprising news for the science fiction series. At the end of September the numbers revealed viewership between the revival’s first and second episodes dropped by roughly 500,000 viewers.
The table seems based solely on the Nielsen Television Index, where the Quantum Leap reboot rates a dismal 4.25. That places it in the table’s yellow range, meaning it’s “in danger” of being canceled; if it drops below 3.9, that will put it in the red zone of “Likely to be Canceled.” Right now the series Spoiler TV puts in the red include Walker: Independence, CSI: Vegas, and Big Sky.
It should be noted that, as Spoiler TV admits, they make no claim to 100% accuracy and see the table as “a bit of FUN.” Looking at their predictor table for last year, if you’re one of the–admittedly, few–fans hoping the Quantum Leap reboot will get another chance, you shouldn’t lose hope just because of Spoiler TV’s predictions. Of the 26 series they put in the red in 2021, 11 of them, or 42%, survived the cut; albeit some of those like Riverdale and The Thing About Pam were renewed, but for a final season.
But as of right now things definitely look bad for the revival series regardless of what Spoiler TV has to say. As folks who are professionally obligated to regularly check ratings on the site, we can safely say it is rare for critics and fans to be as unanimously agreed on a show being bad as they seem to be in regards to the Quantum Leap reboot on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s Tomatometer, i.e. the critics’ rating, has the revival at 53%, while the fan rating is just a bit lower at 50%.
According to the reviews, the biggest problem the show has is that it lacks something vital. The word “fun” pops up in a lot of reviews for the Quantum Leap reboot; as in the writers are pointing out how little bit of it is apparently in the show. While its predecessor certainly had its serious moments, both in terms of the plot and the back-and-forth between Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) and his handler Al (Dean Stockwell), there was plenty of fun to be had.
We have nothing more than speculation, but this could be why Bakula passed on being involved in the Quantum Leap reboot. Around the time of the premiere, Scott Bakula took to social media to let fans know he was asked to appear for a small part in the pilot episode but he chose to pass. He didn’t elaborate on why he passed, but his tweet did include a shot of himself from the original series dressed up as a woman in a fruit hat; perhaps hinting at what the new series was missing.
The next episode of the Quantum Leap reboot airs on NBC and Peacock on Monday, October 24th.
