Quantum Leap's Season 2 ending made it clear there were plans for a potential Season 3, and Caitlin Bassett shared her positive renewal hopes when speaking with CinemaBlend in January. Suffice it to say, I was saddened when the series was canceled at NBC, but held out hope for its Peacock chances, given recent movies like Law & Order: Organized Crime shifting to the streamer. We now have some answers, thanks to some top brass at the network.
Jeff Bader, President of Program Planning Strategy at NBCUniversal Entertainment, was asked by TVLine about Quantum Leap getting the same treatment as Law & Order: Organized Crime by way of having a new season ordered specifically for those with Peacock subscriptions. Unfortunately for hopefuls like me, the exec offered a pretty blunt response confirming the sci-fi reboot isn't making the jump to streaming, and explained why that's the case:
Organized Crime is a VERY successful show; this isn’t a show that was on the bubble. It’s a show that works across the board, and it’s very, very strong on streaming. [Moving Season 5 to Peacock] is a win-win for us — 80% of its viewing isn’t in the time period where we schedule it, it’s delayed on Peacock, so it just made sense to move that to free up the time period.
Peacock subscribers will get to watch Season 5 of Law & Order: Organized Crime on the platform next season in part because a vast majority of its viewership was already doing so. While the decision may keep Stabler away from Benson and more episodic cameos on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, it sounds like the spinoff is still thriving, just in a different way.
The story is a bit different when it comes to Quantum Leap, according to Jeff Bader. In about as kind of a way as possible, the executive made it clear that when it comes to the viewership and ratings, the sci-fi revival was not hitting the same mark as the crime procedural:
Different discussion with Quantum, which was just a much softer show, performance-wise.
In short, it sounds like the odds of us getting answers to that Season 2 ending that threw me for a loop are slim to nil if Peacock is its only saving grace. It's technically possible other networks can pick up the series for a third outing, but it remains to be seen if any other studioes would view the revival as a good fit that would find more success under their branding.
NBC isn't the only network cutting primetime shows either in 2024, as CBS also dropped several fan-favorites from its lineup that shocked audiences. Of course, the fans are always the ones that believe there's no justification by way of most cancellations, but the television industry is a business, after all.
If the viewership numbers aren't there to inspire confidence in keeping a particular show on the air, chances are high that it'll get pulled, which sounds like it was the case with Quantum Leap. In a way, that feels better than the situation where a show like So Help Me Todd was pushed out of primetime due to scheduling issues, despite earning promising numbers. Looks like two more souls have lost their chance of finding a way back to their own timelines. I guess if Sam Beckett is still alive out there, he'll have some company!
Quantum Leap is finished at NBC, but those wanting to still check the series out, its first two seasons are up on Peacock. I'll keep my hopes high that there's some chance for the series to be saved, but based on these recent comments, the odds don't look too good.
