Scott Bakula Movies

John Ritter stars in this made-for-television comedy as a lonely philanderer who falls in love with a one-night-stand (Connie Sellecca) who is about to marry another man. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Making its first appearance on November 14, 1988, the long-running, Emmy-winning CBS sitcom Murphy Brown starred Candice Bergen as the title character, the driving, driven, often overbearing but essentially likable star reporter of the Washington, D.C.-based TV magazine "FYI." A thorough professional, Murphy never gave less than her best before the cameras -- but behind the cameras, it was a different story. Constitutionally incapable of doing anything by halves, Murphy told her colleagues exactly what she thought of them at all times, seldom made a comment that wasn't laced with sarcasm, and was addicted to tobacco and, for a while, booze (this last shortcoming required her to do some time at the Betty Ford Clinic). Though the rest of the "FYI" staffers were accustomed to Murphy's mood swings and idiosyncrasies, outsiders tended to be scared off by our heroine: indeed, one of the series' most famous running gags was the fact that Murphy had a different secretary in practically every episode! Also in the cast were Charles Kimbrough as "FYI"'s uptight, humorless anchorman Jim Dial; Joe Regalbuto as the show's gonzo (and obviously toupeed) investigative reporter Frank Fontana, Faith Ford as "FYI"'s voluptuous, somewhat vacuous cub reporter and ex-Miss America Corky Sherwood, who considered Murphy to be her role model (often to Murphy's dismay) and who eventually married staff writer Will Forest (Scott Bryce), thereby becoming -- are you ready? -- Mrs. Corky Sherwood Forest; and Grant Shaud as "FYI"'s nebbishy executive producer Miles Silverberg, not exactly what one would call a born leader of men (or of Murphy!).

When not on the set of her show, Murphy could be found in her townhouse apartment, often conversing with quirky, philosophy-spouting house painter Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli), who spent day and night trying to finish redecorating Murphy's living room -- a job he still hadn't entirely completed when he left the series in season seven. Murphy also hung out with her co-workers at a neighborhood bar owned by another erstwhile philosopher named Phil (Pat Corley), at least until he reportedly died, whereupon Murphy and company purchased the bar themselves (as it turned out, reports of Phil's death were slightly exaggerated -- by Phil!). Additionally, Jay Thomas appeared intermittently as Geraldo-like journalist Jerry Gold, with whom Murphy frequently clashed -- when they weren't romancing one another, that is. As the series progressed, the basic throughline, and the characters, underwent a few changes. After her divorce from Will Forest, Corky eloped with Miles Silverberg, though she stayed in Washington when he left to run a CNN-style news service in New York. Murphy's brief fling with her ex-husband, Jake (Robin Thomas), produced a baby named Avery (who apparently grew up rather quickly, since he was played during the final season by Haley Joel Osment) -- and also stirred up a controversy when no less than Vice President Dan Quayle chastised Murphy Brown for eroding "family values" in America by bearing a child out of wedlock. Later on, dashing international reporter Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula) joined the "FYI" staff, sweeping Murphy off her feet and ultimately asking her to marry him (she didn't). Other additions to the cast included Garry Marshall as new network president Stan Lansing, who waged an ongoing war with Murphy over her non-PC attitude; Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) as Stan's whiny nephew Andrew, who was forced upon Murphy as her secretary -- and actually kept the job for more than a single episode; Christopher Rich as "FYI" co-anchor Miller Redfield, just the sort of gorgeous-looking, empty-headed TV personality whom Murphy despised with every fibre of her being; and Lily Tomlin as Kay Carter-Shepley, "FYI"'s imperious, and not altogether competent, new executive producer. In addition to the main and supporting cast, the series featured a number of real-life news personalities as "themselves," among them Walter Cronkite, Connie Chung, Larry King, Katie Couric, and Paula Zahn. The series' tenth and final season found Murphy undergoing treatment for breast cancer, an outwardly grim situation that, amazingly enough, never intruded upon the laughter. Murphy Brown ended its network run on August 10, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Premiering on NBC in 1989 and continuing for five seasons, Quantum Leap gained a cult following for its ability to balance the qualities of science fiction with the hour-long television drama format. Each episode features a different adventure as Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) leaps through time, into different bodies, hoping to someday leap home. Along the way, Sam rights wrongs of the past with help from his hologram companion, Al (Dean Stockwell). In Quantum Leap: Pilot - 1956 viewers are able to see where it all began. Despite the fact that it isn't ready to be tested, Sam chooses to try out the accelerator and leaps into the body of a test pilot with little of his memory intact. After saving the pilot's family, Sam leaps, but rather than leaping back into the accelerator, he finds himself inhabiting the body of a minor league baseball player in 1968 with the task of winning the last game of the season. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Premiering on NBC in 1989 and continuing for five seasons, Quantum Leap gained a cult following for its ability to balance the qualities of science fiction with the hour-long television drama format. Each episode features a different adventure as Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) leaps through time, into different bodies, hoping to someday leap home. Along the way, Sam rights wrongs of the past with help from his hologram companion, Al (Dean Stockwell). Quantum Leap: The Color of Truth finds Sam inhabiting the body of an elderly African-American man as he faces adversity in the Southern United States of the 1950s. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Season two of Quantum Leap finds unwilling time traveler Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) trapped in someone else's body back in 1960 -- while in the present, Sam's holographic observer-advisor, Al (Dean Stockwell), is fervently begging a Senate committee to keep the Quantum Leap program alive. Later episodes feature Sam in "female" form: a fashionably dressed career woman in "What Price Gloria?: October 16, 1961" and a suburban housewife in "Another Mother: September 30, 1981." Other personalities assumed by Sam include a blind pianist in "Blind Faith: February 6, 1964" and a mentally challenged adult in "Jimmy: October 14, 1964." In the season finale, "M.I.A.: April 1, 1969," Sam is placed in the awkward position of trying to prevent Al's ex-wife from falling in love with someone else, while the "real" Al is lost somewhere as a POW in Vietnam. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The third-season opener of Quantum Leap finds time-traveling Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) "leaping" into the body of his own teenaged self, the better to avert the many tragedies that will befall his family in years to come. In later episodes, Sam again assumes the shape of a woman -- twice, in fact, as a beauty contestant in "Miss Deep South: June 7, 1958" and a 16-year-old pregnant girl in "8 1/2 Months: November 15, 1965." One of his more harrowing leaps lands Sam in the body of a condemned prisoner being strapped in the electric chair ("Last Dance Before an Execution: May 12, 1971"). And on a more amusing note, Sam assumes the form of a TV actor starring in a kiddie show about a time traveler in "Future Boy: October 6, 1957." In the season finale, "Shock Theater: October 3, 1954," Sam completely loses his memory as the result of electroshock therapy -- putting his holographic mentor/advisor, Al (Dean Stockwell), in the vexing situation of convincing Sam that he is Sam before disaster can befall them both. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Steve Martin wrote and stars in this look at the promise and dreamtime of Los Angeles culture. Martin stars as Harris K. Telemacher, a light-hearted television weatherman who does wacky comedy in lieu of reports since, being in L.A., he has very little weather to report. He spends his time roller-skating through museums and spending time with California's beautiful people. But Telemacher is fired and discovers that his girlfriend Trudi (Marilu Henner) is having an affair. He walks away from the relationship and re-evaluates his life, getting advice from a friendly electronic highway road sign. The sign suggests that he call SanDeE (Sarah Jessica Parker), a sprightly and attractive Valley Girl he met in a clothing store. With SanDeE he experiences a liberating and carefree spirit. But Telemacher comes to realize that he has actually fallen in love with Sara (Victoria Tennant), a tuba-playing British journalist who is in California to do a feature on Los Angeles lifestyles. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

When a decorated New York City policeman voiced his opposition to an accused cop killer's death sentence, his co-workers ostracized him in this true story. ~ All Movie Guide

Corky (Faith Ford) is depressed over the prospect of turning 30, and never mind that she's still the "kid" of the "FYI" staff. To alleviate her distress, dashing Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula) comes up with a surefire cure for the over-30 blues. As it turns out, this cure involves a great deal of travelling to a great many faraway places--and, it is implied, a bit of fresh romance for the former Mrs. Sherwood-Forrest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With semi-regular Jane Leeves leaving Murphy Brown to costar on Frasier, something had to be done to resolve the romance between Leeves' character Audrey Cohen and "FYI" producer Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud). Not surprisingly, the resolution is guaranteed to heap a maximum of humiliation upon poor Miles, as his scheme to propose to Audrey via the stadium scoreboard during a Washington Redskins game comes a-cropper. Heartbroken, Miles gives the two sidelines passes he had purchased to someone else--thereby setting off a chain reaction of devastating disasters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's time again for the prestigious Humboldt Awards, and among this year's nominees are "FYI" colleagues Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen), Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto) and Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula). Typically, each one reacts differently to his or her nomination: Murphy is anxious to add another statuette to her mantelpiece; Frank obsesses over possibly losing his job if he doesn't win; and Peter doesn't seem to care one way or another. And the winner is...? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this suspenseful drama, a medium sized plane en route from the U.S. to New Zealand gets hopelessly lost over the vast Pacific after his companion plane crashes. Now his only hope for salvation is the small commercial jet liner with whom the lost pilot is in radio contact. As his plane runs out of fuel, the larger plane must somehow find him before it is too late. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Jim (Charles Kimbrough) suggest that the members of the "FYI" staff serve on the judging board for this year's Humboldt Awards. Murphy (Candice Bergen) is assigned to a relatively easy category, finishes her job in record time, and heads off to a music festival with Peter (Scott Bakula)--only to be hauled back to Humboldt headquarters to sit through a stupefyingly boring series of TV documentaries. As Murphy drives her fellow judges crazy with her grousing, Frank (Joe Regalbuto) faces a separate crisis involving his qualification for a Humboldt...or lack of same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide