Scott Bakula reflects on Quantum Leap on its 30th anniversary: "It was a wild ride!"

Vulture

The NBC time-traveling drama Quantum Leap premiered 30 years ago this week, on March 26, 1989. It ran for five seasons with visits to the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s before its series finale in May 1993. Quantum Leap was created by Donald P. Bellisario, who also is responsible for creating or co-creating Magnum P.I., JAG, NCIS and Airwolf. "It was a wild ride!" says Bakula. "It was terribly difficult to make. We didn’t have any standing sets, any place we could go and flip the lights on. Everything had to be created new and unique to each episode, so it was these little mini period movies, around 53 minutes long back in that day. Everybody worked their tails off, but that also gave us a bonded group. And Don (Bellisario) made everybody be on their game. He insisted that the license plates were the right license plates for the right period of time, and the pants were the right length and the shoes were the right kind. He was a stickler for all that stuff. So when you look at it in hindsight, it’s not sloppy. Every episode is true and consistent."