Quantum Leap Handlink History

[@AgentTSwandol]

At the 1:30 Mark you can see AL accidentally knock the handheld out of his own hand. He's able to catch it & continue the scene Flawlessly!!

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

So glad someone noticed. When I was skimming through episodes, I couldn't believe it when I saw Dean nearly knock the Handlink out of his hand but catch it! As he's yelling at Gooshie for an extended period, asking him to center him on Sam, this was no doubt the best take other than flipping the handlink around.

[@AgentTSwandol]

@@cosplaylightandsound4143 I love being able to find little mistakes in movies or TV shows. It's amazing how many there are, especially with the amount of money used to produce them. 1st time finding your channel, had to Sub & Like

[@yuplusjin]

how many times have you watched it to notice 😂😂😂

[@philnewton-england7795]

I've just finished watching the new version of QL & really enjoyed it. That led me to search out the original handlink sets & this video. Thanks for posting. Such an informative & interesting piece. Thank you.

[@mikesilva3868]

😊1989 original tv series was better

[@philnewton-england7795]

@@mikesilva3868 Oh ABSOLUTELY. You cannot beat Scott & Dean. What a groundbreaking show it was - & that amazing ending. Totally unique.

[@Melissa0774]

I was surprised they didn't just make the hand link look more like a smart phone, because that's basically what it is. I guess it just goes to show that they really couldn't imagine back then, that smart phones were going to exist one day. I wonder if they would've wanted to make a fake smart phone, but it just would've been to expensive to make something with a realistic looking screen that could show videos and everything back then, or if they just genuinely couldn't imagine what it should look like. I haven't seen the remake, but I would think the best thing to do for that, would be to use an iPhone and put it in some sort of special case that has LEDs in it, to make it look like the original and the case could also have all sorts of other special features and lights and stuff to make it look like the phone can do all sorts of extra stuff that I normal phone doesn't do, like projecting holograms and stuff like that. This way they could show the screen. I imagine it would show some sort of website that looks similar to Wikipedia, that tells the guy what his mission is and also maybe the occasional video call or videos about it.

[@godofthetranses3183]

Maybe im unique but ive always loved the halloween episode. Shit was extremely mysterious and very entertaining to watch. I plan on rewatching it at some point

[@brianfuller707]

You should do a video on the handlink used by The Evil Quantum Leapers... I believe they were more like the calculator design but red

[@nickcadwell1094]

I always liked the calculator handlink better. If one was made, it would be cool if it worked like the Texas Instruments calculator.

[@marks47]

Wow that stand-in looks like it's the one on tonight's episode (s1e3). Except cleaned up. The colors are right and the screws are dead-on.

[@DavidBrown-xm8ou]

6:08 Troian is not just Deborah's daughter, she's Don himself's daughter, too.

[@tryksta7247]

I'm surprised the production team of the new show simply didn't reach out to Replica Props and buy one?

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

They didn't know we exist (I design the electronics for the Replica Props Handlinks) until recently. Deborah Pratt bought 2 of our replicas and speaks to the production team on a regular basis, so who knows what will happen!

[@tryksta7247]

@@cosplaylightandsound4143 Awesome. I wonder how many were made in total? Only now found out about that stand-in version. I seem to remember one Gummi selling on eBay for like $2,500 15 years ago.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

@@tryksta7247 That was the Stunt/Stand-in version. I'm not sure how it got back to NBC. The two Gummy Bears that were used on a weekly basis were never sold and are currently owned by Deborah Pratt and the Stockwell family.

[@tryksta7247]

@@cosplaylightandsound4143 Awesome. In "The Boogiem@n," there appears to be even another version of the Gummi (unless it was an early version later tweaked that "Devil" Al uses during the episode). It looks to be a different shape altogether if you look closely. Do you have any info on that?

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

@@tryksta7247 Have you got a rough time index?

[@warbucks02]

This was an amazing video. A lot of time went into making this. Thank you.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

Quite welcome!

[@beckymurphy4714]

The "melted Legos" handlink never made sense to me due to the lack of screen. In one of my QL stories I mentioned that there's a small holographic projection above the top of it and sometimes Ziggy torments Al by making it harder to see. (Like the heads-up display in his car in "Killin' Time.") I wonder how many back-up handlinks there were? Gooshie had one when he had to step in for Al in "Killin' Time," Sam had one when he went home in "The Leap Back." There was one fan theory circulating that the handlink Al left behind in 1945 led to the Evil Project.

[@ajclements4627]

I had NO clue that replicas were made! This is great!

[@wolfman3295]

I loved Quantum Leap and bought the entire DVD collection several years ago and there was one or maybe two episodes in the earlier parts of the series that for a brief moment they showed the front side of the handlink so I stopped the video and it showed it to be a samsung model. I loved the original handlink because it looked clean. I didn't care for the "gummy" like ones. Thanks for the video.

[@Awelbeckk]

The Halloween Episode ... It claimed at least on victime in France ... Me I was so confused. (I taped it on VHS because I was on a school trip and could not watch it live. When I came back the taping somehow got wrong and only recorded the very end of the episode when Sam woke up. Meaning I was as confused as Al was when Sam saved the guy's life and talked about a goat. It was in 94, and it took me almost 20 years before learning that a lot of people had weird occurence with this episode.)

[@OGHawkeye]

pretty damn cool...i always wanted to know more about the specifics of the handlink and thought it was a little cheesy that the gummy bear link didnt have a text screen. its iconic though...would def be interested in buying a replica!

[@tryksta7247]

Well we were never meant to get a good look at it. It was supposed to be an unidentifiable futuristic gadget. We've just overanalyzed screen shots for decades 🤣.

[@Mitsukara]

I appreciate this history- I picked up only a vague knowledge of them before now, so it's neat to see the lineage explained. As more information becomes available with the new series running, it would be neat to see a follow-up about the new one(s?), too. And I hope the replicas make an appearance somewhere, too! I don't have enough money for one but they're super cool and I'm glad they're out there.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

I've got a followup video in mind that covers some additional details about the special LEDs used to make the gummy bear handlinks, a few photos of the 1st calculator that I forgot to include, the Future Boy handlink, and finally the evil leaper handlinks. Once episode 6 of the New show airs, then we'll have video of the "disc" and "tablet" designs of the new handlink. I might wait until then, or episode 7, before covering those.

[@eugenemelendi1589]

The replica Hand link would make a great Christmas gift 🎁

[@MMStrademark]

I always liked how the evil leader had her own version of the handling which looked even more mysterious to me.

[@feldon27]

We recently received very high resolution images of it from all angles. We're planning to make a replica of it.

[@MMStrademark]

@@feldon27 Nice! Did it come with any explanation as to how it was suppose to work?

[@feldon27]

@@MMStrademark Nope just photos from the current collector.

[@davidvincentdavidvin]

That basic gummy bear handlink just made an appearance in the third episode of the new Quantum Leap show.

[@kennethsanderson1172]

Yeah, looks like it's the stand-in handlink. The all blue, yellow & green one.

[@benjaminlebaron7128]

Awesome! The time and effort that went into this is great! Nice job

[@timmarshall2491]

Very nice! Great job putting it all together.

[@tryksta7247]

You can actually briefly see THREE handlinks once Al walks up to the Imaging Chamber door. The second Gummi is actually illuminated on the wall as a door switch. The other Gummi is in Al's hand and the Calculator is in Gooshie's hand.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

Wow never noticed!

[@SWGhostbuster]

The repaired wristlink video is mine , if you open it you will find a sticker with "repaired by Brent Kling" on it. I had to remove and replace a couple of the rare LEDs, replace the tether and rewire the driver chip , it was in real bad condition when I got it. The main white switch was worn out and couldn't be replaced so I repaired it.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

That's amazing.. Thank you for putting a video out there. It's the only source I had to make a replica (which we need to release already!).

[@Compulike]

Thanks for making this. Growing up, I was obsessed with quantum leap and the handlink! Just want to add, the iPhone 3G logic board very much resembles the shape of the gummy bear handlink. Was it inspired haha?

[@NickMichalak]

I'd like to see a bit of the Lothos handlink. Not sure if they made multiples of that since it was only used in three episodes, but Zoey and Thames had different versions of it, curiously.

[@marks47]

which one? Zooey's orange one should be easy enough. No electronics. Just some orange and clear plexiglass/acrylic with some acrylic rods connecting the top and bottom. search for quantumleap-alsplace and handlink and you'll come up with a decent picture of it. No idea what Thames's was, but I thought I'd heard it was a toy lit up from the bottom or something.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

We want to do Zoey's orange handlink. We've been able to get high resolution photos of it from several angles from the prop collector who currently owns it. Thames' handlink seemed like one of those clear acrylic pyramid paperweights you put on your desk and it looks like they glued costume jewelry gems of different colors to the top. Then they added fairy lights underneath to make it glow. We're looking at both of them and seeing what the interest would be. Who knows we might be able to sneak some electronics in there.

[@headspeaks]

Great video

[@brianfuller707]

I NEVER liked the gummy bear handlink version. It looked like it was made of neon colored LEGOS! And I remember trying to pause the screen to see the display face Al would have seen and was frustrated not to be able to see an LED screen display of some sort and could not imagine how Al could have seen anything! But your video gave my 12-16 years old self the answer they were seeking (and myself at 45 also LOL) which is it had to have been a holographic display only Al could see. Maybe they did not want Sam to get an accidental look at information that the project heads (including Sam) did not want revealed which might somehow have a negative impact on his ability to do his task. Hopefully this new reboot sequel series will shed light on this some more. But for now my teenage and president day selves can rest a bit easier at this annoying plot hole LOL

[@safebox36]

I have no idea what the new handlink is supposed to be. It's a disc but the characters look at it like it's projecting a hologram that the viewer and Ben can't see. The original handlinks make more sense given how technology evolved with regards to phone and PDA technology.

[@Bren0780K]

The handlink = the 3rd main character in the series

[@pferreira1983]

I'm not sure why the production team didn't ask you guys for one of your fan props. Seems like a no brainer. EDIT: Okay just saw this answered below. Let's see if they use the replicas.

[@marks47]

Awesome awesome video thank you.. I have been obsessed with these things since the original run. I even made my own circuit boards in high school for ~12-14 blinking LED's and stuck a buzzer on it that would make a half-decent mimic of the whining effect if I jammed my thumb over it hard enough.

[@feldon27]

That sounds like fun. Have you got a video of it?

[@marks47]

@@feldon27 nah it was just a crappy piece of circuit board with hand-drawn traces on it. 30 years ago!

[@Compulike]

Nice!! Always wanted to do that in school. Alas mine was made out of card from a fuzzy paused video image instead!

[@davethomas1241]

Ali always wanted one when I was a kid

[@uncannydx8360]

PLEASE continue to sell the Gummy Bear handlink. I can't afford it now but can in a year or two.

[@mikesilva3868]

❤love this show

[@kevin10001]

The closest thing to the calculator version that was mass released was a pda for kids that could store phone numbers and things like that called the Cybiko and I still have mine the batteries need replacing I would have it with me when watching my dvd’s of quantum leap until I misplaced it

[@Maddie-zv3gv77]

I really hearing about the Handlink History.

[@X2Magneto]

Controversial opinion inbound: I always preferred the calculators. Rotten pile of gummy bears! ;)

[@tteska7480]

I want that!

[@jimwestbrook1318]

do we know where a fan can purchase a handlink recreation? 😎

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

ReplicaProps.com

[@kali3665]

"Well, the process kinda ... went a little ca-ca." So did the handlink props by today's standards. Good thing we rarely got a good look at them! Heh....

[@bluelight_19]

very cool!!!!

[@javanthomas4122]

They could make ones that look like the ones from the show

[@ChrisTopher-hy5yl]

You out there, Dermo?...

[@MadTheDJ]

I never liked the gummy bear hand links (or, as I called them back before the internet, the LEGO hand links). I still don't like them. For me it marks a departure from an attempt at visual realism in the design to an exaggerated prop that exists just to be an exaggerated prop. Dean Stockwell did his best to sell it as a functional piece of tech, but both its look and lack of actual display or buttons or interface just killed it for me.

[@srv524]

Why don't we mention the Halloween episode name? I've never heard this before

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

Because many strange events have circled around the airing of the episode (and mentioning of its name) including tape recording faults.

[@beckymurphy4714]

Much like "The Scottish Play" there are rumors of strange things happening to fans (VCRs failing to record or recording a different show entirely) and production crew (cameras failing) when the title is spoken, or even typed out.

[@gaboxvend8484]

Cool❤

[@ADAM_NORMAN_AND_MELODY]

The first cellphone.....

[@DeconvertedMan]

*hits handlink several times*

[@1978rharris]

Wait. What don’t you say the Boogieman?

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

When the episode aired, all kinds of problems happened with the broadcast and multiple VCRs broke down to the point where it became known as the cursed episode and people won't say the name out loud.

[@taiwhan]

Long live Ziggy

[@edgamet8077]

DEAN STOCKWELL QUANTUMLEAP & DEAN STOCKWELL ENTERPRISE

[@edgamet8077]

ION TELEVISION

[@edgamet8077]

HANDLINK

[@caronstout354]

The first tablet

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

Star Trek The Next Generation might have us beat by a couple years. :)

[@Scorch1028]

I am so glad that the guide in the new Quantum Leap series doesn't need a hand link.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

Addison has a handlink in the new series. It looks like the disc from Tron. I think a prop is appropriate, especially for recalling minute details. Many of us have our phone out all the time anyway. Looking forward to the new series and see what they do with it!

[@Mitsukara]

The new one has a big blue light ring on it, and Addison uses it to project holograms to explain things to Ben a couple times (a street map and a photo of Sam).

[@bubby14]

In the original pilot Addison has a hand-link that is very close to the calculator version in shape. We should see it in a few weeks. Also Deborah is said to have ordered two gummy bear replicas for production on Episode 7.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

@@bubby14 It was incredibly exciting to build two handlinks for Deborah. Talk about going full circle as a fan of the show since she and Don created it.

[@bubby14]

@@cosplaylightandsound4143 Wow! That’s incredible!! I can’t wait to see it on the screen.

[@MeyerBen27]

Something I absolutely can't stand about the new show is that the present looks nothing like it did in the original show. It's not good at all.

[@mem1701movies]

The colorful block handlink and wristlink and control room looks so dated and dopey

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

If we're going with modern design, then everything would be black on dazzling white with a single highlight color that's so bright we're all looking around for a "Dark Mode".

[@qdllc]

Yeah…like a kid put it together with Lego pieces.

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

@@qdllc I built a handlink out of Legos as a kid. It's not the same.

[@qdllc]

@@cosplaylightandsound4143 - True, but the look was (to me) sooooo lame. The future control room likewise looked bad, but I guess once they went with the motif, they were stuck with it.

[@biguy617]

I am hearing the new Quantum Leap show stinks. I refuse to watch the new show, I am currently rewatching the old series.

[@DeconvertedMan]

plus the new quantom leap sucks bane.

[@mem1701movies]

The colorful gummy bear one sucked

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

We're working on a replica of the second Calculator.

[@holyboy1]

@@cosplaylightandsound4143 I like the gummybear version. I thought a replica was already available?

[@cosplaylightandsound4143]

@@holyboy1 We sell the Gummy Bear replica at ReplicaProps.com. We are working on the second Calculator.

[@holyboy1]

@@cosplaylightandsound4143 Hi, thank you. I'm sorry, but what do you mean the second calculator? EDIT - Ah right I get you. As for the gummybear, is the latest one you have going to be the last iteration or are improvements going to be made to it?

[@feldon27]

@@holyboy1 The Gummy Bear Handlink replica we sell in Season 3 (Great Spontini) and Season 4 (Play Ball) versions, contains 99 (or 100) LEDs and every sound effect from the show, plus an Easter egg mode. What improvements were you hoping for?