
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 22, 1994                   TAG: 9401220337
SECTION: SPECTATOR                    PAGE: S-19   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE ANTONUCCI KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

`QUANTUM LEAP' ZEALOTS JUMP AT CHANCE TO REVIVE THEIR SHOW

After NBC canceled "Quantum Leap," executive producer Don Bellisario said it would be only a matter of time before the series was resurrected in some form (probably as a TV movie).

But the show's fans, who have the same kind of passion as "Star Trek" fans, aren't content to just sit back and wait. They're still putting out newsletters, swapping trivia by computer message and, most important, organizing.

At the moment, for instance, they're hard at work setting up QuantumCon '94, a convention expected to attract more than 2,000 people to the Pasadena Civic Center on Feb. 19-20.

So far, the celebrity guest list features relatively obscure names (supervising producers, the stunt coordinator, etc.). But the show's stars, Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell, have a good relationship with the organizers, who say they've invited just about everyone ever associated with the program in any capacity. As the event gets closer, the lineup is likely to get more impressive.

A variety of charities will benefit from some of the proceeds (particularly those generated by auctions of scripts and props). Tickets are $35 through Feb. 1, $40 at the door. For more information, write to QuantumCon '94, P.O. Box 93819, Pasadena, Calif. 91109-3819.

Bad trend: If there's one thing we all should know by now, great programs can flop as completely as terrible ones. Which brings me to "The X Files," a riveting Fox show that has picked up enormous support from critics and viewer groups. But its ratings remain disturbingly low, even though it reportedly will be renewed.

The Jan. 7 episode, for instance, was heavily promoted but got thoroughly whipped by everything else in its regular 9 p.m. ET Friday time slot. "The X-Files" is more than science fiction - it's a psychological thriller with neat subplots that focus on personal relationships.

by CNB