Third Time Out

“This is not heavy, serious leading-man adventure stuff,” says Scott Bakula, who takes a “Quantum Leap” every Friday night on NBC. “Just your classic American hero who faces adversity with humor.”

Hmmm. Pretty lofty stuff coming from an actor who is no stranger to the tube but has yet to make a name for himself beyond the theatrical stage.

Bakula (rhymes with Dracula ) stars in this new sci-fi fantasy series (moving to Wednesday nights, starting May 3) with Dean Stockwell, who appears as a hologram known as The Observer. A quantum physicist who can travel through time, Bakula is caught in a warp and bounces from body to body, decade to decade. Though its premise mirrors the ‘60s “Time Tunnel,” this show deals with altering history, which gives it a new twist.

“In this show we take the liberty of getting involved,” says the 33-year-old, who has “leading man” written all over his face. “A pilot is supposed to die and I get him out of there before it happens . . . or, I can help some grandmother win at bingo.” When the viewer sees his character in the show, they’ll see Bakula, but those in the show will be looking at the body he’s inhabiting at the moment.

Bakula, one can sense, is itching to get into films, but right now seems content jumping back and forth from the stage to the tube. Having starred in the short-lived “Gung Ho” on ABC, and “Eisenhower and Lutz” on CBS, he is one of the few actors who can boast major roles in shows on all three networks.

Where would the actor like to see himself at 50?

“I’d like to be mixing a little more film with stage and I’d like to have a little more control of what I’m doing, whether in the producing end of it or the creating end,” Bakula said.

“Hopefully, I’ll still be working then,” he says with a laugh. “It can all go bye-bye real quick.”