‘Leap’ Episode Clears Censorship Hurdle

The NBC series “Quantum Leap” took a leap past network censors on Friday with the disclosure that a controversial episode featuring a gay character contemplating suicide had been approved for broadcast with slight modifications.

NBC spokeswoman Pat Schultz confirmed that the episode had been sent on for review by the NBC ad sales division. No air date has been set, she said, but it will not air during the November ratings sweeps.

The science-fiction drama--in which actor Scott Bakula portrays a time traveler who experiences life in someone else’s shoes each week--ran into a storm of controversy in late September when creator and executive producer Don Bellisario said that NBC was balking at broadcasting the episode, about a military cadet (Bakula) whose former roommate has been harassed by other cadets because he is gay. He said the network was afraid of advertising losses because of the homosexual theme. NBC’s concern stemmed from the story’s suicide aspects.

A gay activist group criticized dialogue that it said was stereotyped and homophobic.

NBC threatened to withhold payment of the network licensing fee if the episode failed to pass NBC’s standards and practices scrutiny.

Bellisario said Friday NBC will require only two minor edits, when the gay character prepares to hang himself.

“They wanted us to reduce the time that he has his head through the noose,” he said. The network also asked that the act not end on a freeze frame, with his neck still in the noose, he said.

“But there have been no changes made in the controversial comments that seem to have been the hotbed (of criticism),” Bellisario said. Offensive language about gays was left to condemn those who use such language, not to uphold the stereotype, he said.