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situations, and how sometimes all that is required is the helping hand of someone who cares enough to make things right. Sam Beckett played the role of the universal good neighbor, out to help others without asking for anything in return. One might argue that his motivation was to finish each Leap for another shot at getting home, and that cannot be denied, but it was abundantly clear that he also came to care for the people he helped, and would have been willing to do so under normal circumstances as well. In short Sam was a great role model, and it's no wonder that my parents were glad to share the show with us kids.

On the other hand...Al was quite a character. Fond of alcohol, cigars and women, he had been married - I forget how many times, but enough that he had plenty of stories and advice regarding most any female. (No guarantee that his advice is worthwhile, however.) He's been through a military career, and is more worldly and jaded than Sam, providing a nice balance, lest Dr. Beckett overwhelm the show with too much "goody-two-shoe-edness". Al was a prime example of what my parents wouldn't want us to grow up to be, and it was, of course, a tribute to Sam that he had helped his friend through hard times as well.

With all that said - wow, parents, it's definitely time for you to get this series and share it with your own kids. Since it's set in the past, it won't be out-of-date despite the lack of cell phones. It teaches excellent values, and does it by example rather than preaching (usually). You don't have to worry about the language, because its old enough that they kept it clean, and best of all, it really was intended for adult viewers, so it won't bore you either. In fact, you'll likely appreciate the humor and cultural references throughout. Enjoy!

Learn more about this author, Ernest Capraro.
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