Cult Spy Icons #6: Al Calavicci

Holograms may have been given a bad rep by the smeghead Arnold Judas Rimmer in Red Dwarf, but Quantum Leap redressed the balance thanks to the legendary Albert 'Al' Calavicci. Played by former child star Dean Stockwell, he enthralled a nation of schoolkids in the early 90s when the show was screened on BBC2.

Only visible to the body and time jumping Dr Sam Beckett and the occasional kid, Al was resplendent in his choice of suave and often very loud outfits throughout the show's five seasons. Al had two main accessories that played a huge role in his iconic status - Ziggy and a cigar. Every boy loves a toy, but Al had some serious gadgetry stuffed in his pocket that he was only to happy to whip out.

Taking on the form of a large, flashing calculator-shaped device, it provided a link back to the supercomputer 'Ziggy' and served up a number of cryptic hints along the way. By being able to access historical information via Ziggy, Al helped Sam to worm his way out of countless scrapes over the years and escape the assortment of bodies he found himself in. Secondly, a big fat cigar hadn't been chomped with such relish on mainstream television since the days of The A-Team.

Always a chirpy and cheerful presence, Al's background was far from happy. Although a former US army pilot and Admiral, his personal life endured spells in an orphanage, a dalliance with alcoholism and being forced to leave behind the love of his life. Hooking up with Beckett to work on the time travel project, Al became his only link back to the contemporary world he travelled from. Oh boy...