Quantum Leap Cancelled After Two Seasons at NBC
Quantum Leap has made its last jump.
The dynamic sci-fi series starring Raymond Lee and Caitlin Bassett will not be returning for Season 3 at NBC, TVLine has confirmed.
Quantum Leap‘s sophomore run averaged 3.6 million total viewers and a 0.44 demo rating (with Live+7). Out of the 11 original dramas NBC has aired this TV season, it ranked last in audience and No. 9 in the demo (besting only the previously cancelled Magnum P.I. and La Brea).
Season 2 saw Ben (Lee) resurface after having gone missing for three years, with the HQ team shutting down operations believing he was dead. This set up an emotionally turbulent journey as both he and Addison (Bassett) navigated a complicated breakup and new love interests.
The shortened, 13-episode sophomore run ended with a two-hour finale on Feb. 20 that revealed Ben’s new paramour Hannah (Eliza Taylor) had created a code to bring him home — the caveat being that someone would swap places with him. But things went awry when Addison, who ended her engagement with Tom (Peter Gadiot), voluntarily made the jump and wound up right alongside Ben in the past. (Don’t forget to read our finale post-mortem interview with the EPs.)
Co-showrunners Martin Gero and Dean Georgaris previously told TVLine that they had already mapped out a general gameplan for the potential third season.
“We know what the shape would be for Season 3, where it would go and how it would end,” Gero explained. “We like to have these seasons feel like standalone novels in a series of books you really love and so, this season had a real beginning, middle and end, and always that little epilogue that is like, ‘This is where we’re going in the future.’ We know the shape of what the Season 3 book would be.”
Geogaris, meanwhile, teased a more lighthearted dynamic if they’d gotten the opportunity to continue.
“We’ve spent two seasons building up two great leapers and a supporting cast that now may or may not have a code that may or may not work again to pull people out, and it really becomes about what can we affirmatively do with this new dynamic,” he said. “The fact that we can have a little more humor now because we don’t have this heaviness hanging over us. We spent two seasons building up a launchpad to a whole new journey.”
The ensemble also included Ernie Hudson as Magic, Mason Alexander Park as Ian and Nanrisa Lee as Jenn.
Deadline was first to report the cancellation.
TVLine’s 2024 Renewal Scorecard has been updated to reflect Quantum Leap’s demise.
What did you hope to see in Quantum Leap Season 3?
Poor Ben Song and Sam Beckett will never get home :(
At least poor Ben has Addison, I guess? :(
Sam Beckett got home, The code Hannah gave them to bring him home was a swap code but she didn’t keep count with the other leaper. So Addison swapped with Sam…
Nice, that makes total sense! It also brings about a theory I had that even know Ben didn’t see him that Sam was leaping with Ben this whole time working behind the scenes.
If the last episode was just airing now, NBC would say: “Dr. Sam Becket and Dr. Ben Son never returned home.”
Don’t worry. The reboot was just a dream like on Dallas where Bobby (Patrick Duffy) only died in his TV wife’s dream. Neither the writers/producers or actors worked on the original so whatever they did on this newer show has no effect on the original storyline.
I am not surprised about the show being cancelled, but I would love to see at least a two-hour movie to wrap things up and bring closure. Now we have Sam, Ben, and Addison all not returning home.
I knew it was going to get cancelled too. Unlike the first season, the second season didn’t have a story. It was more about jumping time than a story leading somewhere.
Sometimes shows don’t need many seasons, but season 2 was clearly saying “we can give you as many seasons as possible”
Agreed. So many great shows get cut off with no closure.
The original Quantum Leap series at least got an ending.
Its a big mistake, they have a lot of crap shows. They renew bad shows and cancel the good ones, it would have really boosted rating if they found a way to bring back SAM BECKETT. But it was getting better and better, and what can be better then helping people, and righting wrongs. The original should have not been cancelled. Look what they did with STAR TREK , and what a big mistake that was. Between series and the movies, they blew it big. They should have atleast renewed it for streamimg pourposes. That a very good idea a movie.
Noooooo.
Perhaps NBCU can reconsider and put it on Syfy?
They would have to move the show to Canada and cut the cast in order to make it work for basic cable. Streaming would be a better option.
It really did have a needlessly large cast compared to the original.
Especially because they never figured out what to do with them.
Exactly, the show should have been like the original where the only main cast was Sam and Al, you only saw the people behind the leap in one or two episodes of the series.
Don’t worry. The reboot was just a dream like on Dallas where Bobby (Patrick Duffy) only died in his TV wife’s dream. Neither the writers/producers or actors worked on the original so whatever they did on this newer show has no effect on the original storyline.
It was already being filmed in Vancouver.
Another great show cancelled by NBC 🤬. Any show that teaches you something and makes you use your brain gets cancelled. Time for a #bringbackquantumleap campaign like what was done for #timeless. I’m going to miss this show very much!
I still miss Timeless! It was so unlike anything else on at the time, and introduced the audience to history both infamous and unfamiliar. I’m so glad they got a wrap-up movie, but I could’ve watched so many more seasons of that!
It isn’t enjoyable when great shows like Quantum Leaps are canceled prematurely. This series was steadily improving each season and deserved a better chance. Networks need to give proper closure to loyal viewers when canceling shows instead of leaving loose ends.
Such BS. Now NBC has nothing worth watching.
All they care about is crime shows. I fall for it every time when they have a sci-fi show. It’s embarrassing. I’m done with NBC
I don’t like any of the Dick Wolf’s series. I don’t watch them. Still, they must have an audience or they wouldn’t be on the air.
I watched the first series of Quantum Leap, but had not interest in watching this version. I do feel bad for those who enjoy this series, and have great disappointment due to its cancellation.
I do wonder if some of these series would have continued on if NBC didn’t have both oars in the water. Meaning linear television as well as streaming.
I don’t think Peacock has enough content to survive on its own. Neither does Paramount+. They can’t just rely on old reruns and expect people huge numbers to sign up for their streaming services.
And they are cheaper to make. QL was expensive. Lare cast, time specific sets/costumes, etc. If it isn’t a hit, from day 1, it won’t last.
Maybe that’s the solution… Bring on Dick Wolf as Quantum Leap producer. Not only will it get renewed, there will be two spinoff series on the same night within a couple years, and there will be one less night a week for NBC to fill up with mindless dragonshit like “The (autotuned) Voice” or “Americans Who Simon Coward Thinks Have Talent”
What? You don’t want to watch Chicago Auto Repair, Chicago Lawn Service, and Chicago Cab Drivers?
Now that’s funny
and don’t forget Law and order 4 5 and 6
I’m still waiting for Law and Order Elevator Inspectors Unit
Dang nabbit! I was really hoping for a third season!! This is disappointing.
Ugh. That’s a shame. I was curious to see how the new dynamic would play out. And if Sam benefited from the swap! I’ve been doing a watch of Classic Quantum Leap with this so still have two seasons of that to finish. At least we got a happier ending than the first time around.
Everyone looks at the endingcof the original Quantum Leap as a downer when it isn’t. Sam chose to continue leaping tto continue righting wrongs.
While true, I think if not for his memory holes he might have wanted to be reunited with his wife and grown-up daughter at some point though.
Boooooo!!
With such puny ratings, this was expected. Remember, you can watch this next day on Peacock, so it makes it easier for them to decide if it’s worth it financially.
Hopefully the demise of Leap is good news for Law and Order: Organized Crime.
Unlikely Quantum Leap was already an expensive show with low ratings OC is the same especially with the wage they pay Meloni after that was why he left SVU years ago nothing less than firing the rest of the cast to free up money for him would get OC renewed and considering how much they give Marissa and Ice I doubt SVU can afford all of them they had to demote Rollins to recurring just to cut costs alone.
Did you mean “Mariska” and “Ice-T?”
yeah, auto correct you know
So correct it yourself next time, you 🤬
Maybe Quantum Leap would have done better as a Peacock only series
Saw that coming but it still makes me sad.
Canceling Quantum Leap during a Leap Year – Not Cool.
Guess it is time to shop it around –
Hello Netflix?
Hey, Hulu, have you lost some weight?
So they rebooted/remade the show just to end it on a cliffhanger like the original? Talk about long con my sympathies to fans. I feel Organized Crime is next it already got a shortened season and it under performs compared to OG and SVU and as we saw with Chicago Justice a franchise name doesn’t guarantee longevity.
Nah. Organized Crime will make it. It’s SO GOOD this season. They’re not going to break up Law & Order night. I don’t know why people are so surprised about Quantum Leap, considering the ratings.
Terribly disappointed in this news. Truly enjoyed this show. I’m sure it is too early to be asking this, but any plans to shop it around to another network or streaming service? I’m sure you will pass along any news that you hear regarding this. Or at a very least pester the show’s writers and creators to let us know what would’ve happened in the new season!
I enjoyed QL but the central couple had zero chemistry.
They really didn’t! A shame, as they were good separately.
Im not surprised but I blame NBC. In 2 seasons the show was on 3 different nights. Never good for a TV show to shift to different nights in a short period of time. Hopefully they’ll shop it around and someone picks it up.
The show had terrible writing and no technical consultation. Seemed like it was written by a bunch on preteen adolescents.
WTF??!!?!!
I’m going to miss this one. Aways wished there were more episodes each season. Shame it wasn’t getting the necessary ratings
Well, this news sucks! Big time! Very sorry to see this excellent reboot of a great OG series with an equally excellent cast ensemble. It will be missed!
So what’s the hashtag for saving the show?? How do we get a streaming service like Peacock to just pick it up directly?
Just use #SaveQuantumLeap and tags the official accounts of other streamers. I’ll try doing that.
Why do I continue to support NBC. After Timeless and countless other shows. They just don’t care about sci-fi. They care about crime dramas. That’s it. Syfy channel, I need you to come back and save our sci-fi shows. This is so upsetting. This show was FANTASTIC, and still continued the legacy of the original. I’m so upset by this. NBC. Nothing. But. Cancelations.
Bad decision! The show was fantastic, and it was great seeing everything from the crew’s perspective, too.
Boooo!
I disagree, the show was awful. Half the time the characters were making decisions no normal person would make and things happened that made no sense. Ian would have been arrested and thrown in prison for what he did. The whole Tom/Addison/Ben love triangle would have been a major conflict of interest for the security and mission of the program. I get that it’s sci-fi, but come on…some grounding would have aided suspension of disbelief.
I don’t think the three-year present day time jump did the show any favors. It just looked like a poor attempt to introduce a little more tension. Too bad, since the show seemed to be improving by the end of the season.
I knew this was going to happen, but it still hit me hard to have it oficiality confirmed. I loved Quantum Leap from first episode and always looked forward for new episodes. Shame more people didn’t watch this season. will miss Ben & Addison.
I say this with my full voice and chest BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!