Update: Quantum Leap has now had a full series order, and could air as early as this year
Hollywood loves a reboot, and the power of nostalgia means audiences are often willing to tune in. TV isn’t immune from this either, and there are plenty of classic series that have been subjected to the reboot, sequel or spin-off treatment in recent years. Well two more reboots of canceled shows are on the way.
HBO Max has announced that a new version of ‘70s teen drama Degrassi (yes, another one) is on the way in 2023. Meanwhile Peacock has commissioned a pilot for a brand new version of sci-fi classic Quantum Leap.
Few details are known about either series at the moment, though it’s clear from the announcement that Quantum Leap is a sequel series, following the continuity of the original 1989 series. It refers to Dr Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) leaping through time 30 years earlier and will focus on a new team restarting the project to try and understand what happened to him.
The idea of reviving Quantum Leap has been thrown around for about 20 years now, with Syfy announcing development on a TV movie in 2002 — with the goal of using it as a backdoor pilot for a possible TV series. Original star Scott Bakula also confirmed a script for a feature film was in the works back in 2010.
Back in 2020 NBC was later said to be considering a reboot for the impending launch of Peacock, but it never materialized. Now it looks like all the show needed was extra couple of years for the network to greenlight a pilot. Sadly, ordering a pilot is no guarantee that there will be a full series order, nor when that series might arrive.
Quantum leap creator Don Bellisario is back on board, with Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrant (Gotham, Alcatraz) serving as showrunners. It’s unclear whether Scott Bakula will reprise his role, though just last year he confirmed that there were talks about reviving the series. That suggests he’s at least involved enough to be kept in the loop on what’s going on.
Meanwhile details on Degrassi are scant. The show has existed in multiple forms over the past 40-odd years, with five distinct versions of the show being made in the same continuity — the most recent of which was Netflix’s Degrassi: Next Class which ran from 2016 to 2017.
However, questions linger about the new series, which is simply titled "Degrassi." Will it be in the same continuity as the previous series? Or will this be a complete reboot that shares little more than a name and setting. All HBO Max has said is that the new version will be “a reprise of the original teen drama,” which tells us next to nothing.
In other words, we’ll keep our ears open and keep you in the loop on anything else we hear.
In other TV news, we've got a tip that every Fire TV owner needs to hear — and we just updated our guide on the new movies and shows to watch this weekend. Looking for what to watch? We've got all the details on how to watch How I Met Your Father online.
