quantum leap

[MAGNUM308]

Hey everyone, got a question for you guys. I know they filmed part of a quatum leap crossover episode. I was woundering if anyone has seen footage from that show?

[Doc Ibold]

Hey Mag 308,

I don't THINK that footage has ever gotten out, but you are correct in that it was filmed.

It would be awesome if someone could get a clip of it though!

(Would be a nice "extra" on season 8 DVD, along with the original episode of "Limbo")

[JonnyDaytona]

[Kahunagirl]

I had also heard somewhere about a planned but abandoned crossover of Quantum Leap and Magnum, so I did a quick Google search, The first item that turned up was not the item I was vaguely remembering, but interesting nonetheless. At http://poobala.com/magnumand50.html ...

"Autmn Warrior. In it Higgins helps take three teenage ex-cons camping. With him off the estate Magnum and his friends decide to throw a huge party. Among the friends they contact to come over is a party animal named Al and another more... brainy friend named Sam. The names and descriptions do oddly parallel the names and character traits of Quantum Leap's Al Calavicci and Sam Beckett. But despite the similarities it's also obvious they are not intended to be the same Al and Sam. I don't even think it was meant as a reference joke. It's more just a weird coincidence.
Damn damn damn. If only Quantum Leap had done the episode they intended to with time traveler Sam Beckett leaping into the life of Thomas Magnum I'd still have a legit crossover between the shows. Buuuut noooooo... They couldn't go do that."

Meanwhile, I'm going to keep looking for that other reference!

Kahunagirl

[Kahunagirl]

I believe I found it, just a couple of items down in my Google search, at:http://www.autotube.co.uk/Film_and_TV_Cars/Film_and_TV_Cars/Magnum_PI/

"It was originally intended for there to be an episode of the science fiction program Quantum Leap where main character Sam Beckett leaps into the body of Thomas Magnum. The episode would have Beckett (played by Scott Bakula) stumbling through a day-in-the-life of Magnum, P.I., and presumably interacting with the varied series regulars. Both Magnum P.I. and Quantum Leap were produced by Donald P. Bellisario. Plans for a Magnum, P.I. movie led to the early demise of the crossover, but some footage was filmed; namely, the end-of-episode "jumping in" scene, in which Beckett jumps into Magnum's body, turns to the camera, and raises his eyebrows the same way Selleck made famous."

But I also recall a mention somewhere of the fact that since an episode of Magnum was seen on a TV within one of the QL episodes -- and prominently commented upon by the characters -- it was impossible to carry out a crossover and the fiction that Magnum and QL inhabited the same "universe" in the manner that Magnum and MSW and S&S did.

In fact, in recently watching the Season 1 and Season 2 DVDs of QL, I actually noticed two references to Magnum. One sort of in passing in the last episode of Season 1 (took me totally by surprise -- I had to re-wind and re-view it a couple of times to make sure I wasn't imagining it!), and the prominent mention in the Season 2 episode.

Kahunagirl

[Kahunagirl]

And one last (I promise ) explanation of the failed crossover, from: http://www.answers.com/topic/magnum-p-i?cat=entertainment

"It was originally intended for there to be an episode of the science fiction program Quantum Leap where Scott Bakula's character, Sam Beckett, leaps into the identity of Thomas Magnum. The episode would depict Beckett stumbling through a day-in-the-life of Magnum, P.I., and presumably interacting with the varied series regulars. Both Magnum P.I. and Quantum Leap were produced by Donald P. Bellisario. Plans for a Magnum, P.I. movie led to the early demise of the crossover, but some footage was filmed; namely, the end-of-episode “jumping in” scene, in which Beckett jumps into Magnum’s life, turns to the camera, and raises his eyebrows the same way Selleck made famous. If this episode had been made, however, it would have presented a minor continuity problem, as the episode "Another Mother" showed a character watching Magnum, P.I. on television, implying Magnum is a fictional show within the Quantum Leap universe. "

Can you tell I do research for a living? Speaking of which, I really should be off to bed now!

Kahunagirl

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

I wish they would've released this on one of the Magnums seasons. Maybe it can be a nugget they add to a Quantum Leap season release. I know I'd love to see this!

[JonnyDaytona]

That's some great work, Kahunagirl! I find it really odd that they would have gone to the trouble of filming the 'leap in' without realizing it would compromise the QL universe. That couldn't be the real reason or the proposed episode would never have gotten the green light.

I think the reasons must have been bigger than that, maybe an 11th hour cancellation because TS was about to sign on for a film adaptation. I wonder if there is a script hiding deep in the Universal studios vault?

_________________
"Ivan?......Did you see the sunrise?'

[Kahunagirl]

I just started watching my QL Season 2 DVDs and uncovered yet a third tie-in to Magnum.

The first one was in the last episode of Season 1. At about 30 minutes into the episode, Sam (as a PI who looks a lot like Humphrey Bogart) is sitting in a taxi with his girlfriend and a nerdy, annoying other guy and says to the girl "He's gonna find out sometime that he's not going to be like Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, or Thomas Magnum" She says "Magnum?" And the scene just goes on from there, no explanation or anything.

The second one actually was in the 13th episode of the 2nd season (which I saw on TV before I got my DVD set), when the teenage girl in the family is watching Magnum on TV.

The third one (which I guess is really the 2nd one, chronologically-speaking -- but since we're talking QL here, I guess it's OK for me to leaping around in time and space ) is in the 1st episode of the 2nd season. The main bad guy is a former French Resistance fighter named Roger. When he flicks his silver lighter to light a cigarette, a silver Croix de Lorraine is affixed to the front. Not quite as snazzy a version as Magnum's, but still clearly the Croix. They actually show it twice in the episode.

Guess I'm going to have to be on the lookout for more Magnum references as I make my way through Season 2!

Kahunagirl

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

Nice spots. I know if you go to the IMDB website they have a list of shows/movies in which Magnum is referenced. It's been a while since I have looked at it, so I am not sure if these are on there or not.