In 1989, the NBC network kicked off a unique science fiction series called Quantum Leap about a scientist named Samuel Beckett (Scott Bakula) who accidentally sends himself leaping through time and inhabiting the bodies of people in the past during a time travel experiment gone awry. His only contact on these journeys is the hologram of his best friend, Al (Dean Stockwell,) who’s charged with the responsibility of helping Sam figure out his purpose with the help of an artificial intelligence device called Ziggy, so he can make the next leap, which will hopefully bring him back home.

During the series’ five seasons, the writers explored a number social issues sexism, politics and racism and ventured into unique time lines, putting Sam into the bodies of everyone from Jack Kerouac and Dr.

Ruth and Elvis Presley. Set to the task of helping people change their life circumstances with hope and wisdom, often steering them onto a course they might not have otherwise taken without his inspiration. As he leaps through time, his memories of his life and experiences often escape him, making it difficult for him to remember his purpose and his goal to return to his present time.

Enjoying a huge, fan following, the TV show inspired a series of comic books, numerous fiction novels and a few nonfiction explorations of the possibility of traveling through. After the show’s cancellation, it entered rerun history, appearing from time to time on channels like Syfy and ION. In 2004, Universal Studios began to release the series by season on DVD, so that viewers old and new could leap back in time with Dr. Samuel Beckett, uttering the phrase, “Oh boy,” each time he entered into a new body.

As a teen, this series introduced me to cultural references I longed to explore further. I found myself interested in the literature of Jack Kerouac, the truth about Marilyn Monroe and the Underground Railroad. Sam’s subtle brushes with history were often so intense, and his encounters so real, it was often hard to see him move on to the next leap, even though I really wanted him to make that final leap home.