Bakula wished the production well, but won’t be participating.

1989 science fiction serial Quantum Leap starred Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist sent spiraling through time after a botched experiment and made to right wrongs in the lives of others throughout history. The show ran for five seasons, and still has a dedicated fanbase to this day. A revival of the series is set to premiere this month, but unfortunately, Dr. Beckett won’t be the one making the leap this time.

In a statement on his personal social media, Scott Bakula revealed that he passed on an offer to appear in the rebooted series, and explained his reasoning for doing so.

“Here’s the simple version of what’s going on with the Quantum Leap reboot and me: I have no connection with the new show, either in front of the camera or behind it,” Bakula wrote on his Instagram.

“In January, the pilot was sold and a script was sent to me because the character of Sam Beckett was in it, which makes sense, right? As so many of you have been asking me the last several months, “How could you do QL without Sam?”(or Al, for that matter) Well, I guess we’re about to find out.”

Scott Bakula, star of the original Quantum Leap, passed on the chance to appear in the upcoming reboot. https://t.co/TqtMIyaWeN

— IGN (@IGN) September 16, 2022

“That’s the story. As the show has always been near and dear to my heart, it was a very difficult decision to pass on the project, a decision that has upset and confused so many fans of the original series. However, the idea of anyone ‘leaping’ around in time and walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, remains a very appealing concept and so worthy of exploration, especially given the current state of mankind. In that spirit, I am crossing my fingers that this new cast and crew are lucky enough to tap into the magic that propelled the original Quantum Leap into the hearts and minds of generations past and present.”