Star Light, Star Bright – Episode 81

Star Light, Star Bright was the sixth episode of Quantum Leap’s fifth season to air, with Sam trying to persuade Al to help him prove extraterrestrial UFOs are real while his family tries to have him sectioned. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss priorities and perspective.



Sam leaps into Max Stoddard, a 79-year old man who lives with his son, John (Guy Boyd), daughter-in-law Eva (Anne Lockhart) and his grandson Tim (Morgan Weisser). He has an obsession with UFOs dating back to his time as a WWI pilot, but his son is finding it hard to look after him in light of his apparent delusions, not helped when he sees Sam, as Max, talking to an invisible Al.


When two shady government types, Dr Hardy (H.Richard Greene) and Major Meadows (Michael Maguire) take an interest in Max’s tales, John and Tim see an opportunity to have him committed to the mental hospital nearby, but it’s when Hardy brings out the sodium pentothal that Al really starts to worry.


Star Light, Star Bright was directed by Christopher Hibler, the second of his four episodes for the show. The writer was Richard C. Okie, the third of his six Quantum Leap stories.


In this episode Gerry and Iain considered recording under the influence of truth serum.


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You can listen to the show here on the website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Stitcher, Google or wherever you find your podcasts.


Star Light, Star Bright was released in 1992. It is 47 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on NBC’s Peacock streaming service in the UK and in the United States. The show is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries.