Quantum, Leap was first screened in America on March the 26th, 1989. Its creator was Donald P. Bellisario, who had form, shall we say, with many popular series beneath his belt. It ran for five seasons, until 1993. The two main stars, who appeared in every episode, were the very well known former child star Dean Stockwell and Scott Bakula who was mainly known for his theatrical work.
The basic story was that the Bakula character, Dr. Sam Beckett, discovered a way to travel through time, but unfortunately he could not come back. Instead, every week he leaped and the closing scene was him waking up in someone else`s body, sometimes male and sometimes female. His only hopes were Dean Stockwell, playing a hologram called Al, (short for Albert, not Artificial Intelligence - his cast name was actually Rear Admiral Albert "Al" Calavicci) who helps him by researching the newly inhabited body and the feasibilty of the task he has to do - and a computer which he built himself called Ziggy, which gave him a task to accomplish each week in order to change history in a small way, which would eventually bring him home. In fact, and very poignantly, the final scene of the final series was just words on a screen "Dr. Sam Becket never returned home". This was universally slated because throughout the series D. Beckett`s name had been spelt correctly with two "T"s, not incorrectly with one.
The show was enormously popular, won lots of awards, but at the end of season five it simply failed to be renewed by the network. It is believed that if it had continued not only would Al have gone after Dr. Sam Beckett, but he would probably managed to bring him back. There have also been several attempts to close the series in that way, or to continue the story, both on the small screen and as films, but nothing came of any of them. However in 2022 there was a sixth season, thirty years ahead, with all an new cast but some of the same characters, though not the two original main leads, though they are cross referenced in the episodes. In fact Dean Stockwell had died by then, on November the 7th, 2021, at the age of eighty-five. Sam Bakula was still alive, but chose not to reprise his role. And, after just two seasons, the show was cancelled.
The strangest thing about the series is that despite its popularity, I was unable to find any sets of cards or stickers devoted to it. In fact I almost had to pass on speaking of it. Then I was told that there are several cards in the "Garbage Pail Series" - these being
- 2020 35th Anniversary set -"Quantum Leif" (card 83.a) and "Sightseeing Sam" (card 83.b)
- 2023 Intergoolactic Mayhem series -"Quentin Leap" (card 95.a) and "Quantum Lee" (card 95.b)
- 2023 Wacky Packages : Planetary Provisions - "Quantum Realms" (card WP-8)
Some of these can also be found in parallel printings, with different coloured borders. But I have to say I am not fond of those sort of cards.Then I was told of the set we feature today, which I had never come across before. This takes original covers from "Starlog", a science fiction magazine, and reproduces them as cards, but sadly the set was issued in 1993, so none show the X-Files. However there is plenty of scope one day for a second series (and some X-Files covers) as the magazine was published from August 1976 to April 2009, some three hundred and seventy-four issues.
It is reported that the set could only be bought as a complete set, but there were actually packets, each containing nine cards, with the chance of a "Space Fantastic Promo Card" or a "Hologram Card" being included. These packets do not seem to have a price though, so it is possible they were giveaways at conventions or with magazines - though each packet is printed with a redemption offer in which you could exchange five packets, and three dollars, for a different one off hologram, in gold colour - the one in the packet being in silver colour, and the fact that you needed to send up five wrappers seems to rule out the packets being given away in a one off fashion.
There were also two sub sets - one is a set of five cards which dealt with Star Trek, and again you had to send up to apply for that, the cards were not in the packets - whilst the other was a set of four cards called "Space Art", the same art as appears sectionalised on the covers. These seem to have been issued first, as the backs are just text on a white background saying "Space Art Fantastic Available July 1993" but it appears that they were also put in the packets and they were what is described as "Space Fantastic Promo Cards" thereon