The 2022-23 TV season is only about one third finished, but NBC is looking ahead to next season — starting with its show about time travel.
The network has renewed its first-year drama Quantum Leap for a second season. The pickup comes as the series, a reboot/sequel of the 1989-93 sci-fi drama, is midway through its first season. After airing eight episodes in the fall, the show is slated to return to NBC’s primetime lineup on Jan. 2.
“We’re leaping into a second season thanks to the incredible work by our cast, producers, writers and everyone who has played a role in giving this iconic NBC series a new life,” said Lisa Katz, president scripted content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “As we continue to bring audiences to our must-watch dramas, it’s gratifying to know Quantum Leap will have a prominent place next season both on our NBC schedule and next day on Peacock.”
Quantum Leap was the first rookie series of the fall to have its run extended when NBC ordered six additional episodes in early October. The extension brings its first-season total to 18 episodes.
Through its first eight episodes, Quantum Leap is averaging 4.34 million viewers and a 0.6 rating among adults 18-49 after a week of Nielsen-measured delayed viewing. Those figures don’t include streaming, and NBCU generally doesn’t provide data for its SVOD platform Peacock. The network does say, however, that since the series premiere has amassed 10.8 million viewers and a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic across all platforms since its Sept. 19 debut, tripling its total audience and quadrupling its demo rating from the initial airing (3.35 million, 0.48).
Raymond Lee stars in the series as Dr. Ben Song, a physicist on the Quantum Leap project who, unbeknownst to his fellow team members, has upgraded the Quantum Leap accelerator and sends himself back in time and into the bodies of people in the past. The cast also includes Ernie Hudson, Caitlin Bassett, Mason Alexander Park and Nanrisa Lee.
Universal Television produces the series in association with I Have an Idea! Entertainment, Belisarius Productions and Quinn’s House Productions. Martin Gero (Blindspot) is the showrunner and executive produces with Dean Georgaris, original series creator Don Bellisario, Deborah Pratt, Chris Grismer, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt.
Source: Hollywood
