Bellisario's Maxim

"Don't examine this too closely."

Said by producer Donald P. Bellisario on March 17, 1990 at an SF convention in response to a persistent fan with very specific questions about the way things worked on Bellisario's series Quantum Leap. An unashamed admission of handwaving details unnecessary to the enjoyment of a show, and an exhortation to not let the obsession with those details get in the way of the story. Implicit in the Maxim is a request to understand that the story is being told by a small production team that (due to the limitations of the medium) has to work quickly, with limited budget and tight deadlines, and has to dodge Executive Meddling, all while trying to turn out the best product it can.

Frequently quoted in various fan communities in response to excessive Fan Wank and Did Not Do the Research, and to arguments about Canon, Fanon and the Word of God.

See also MST3K Mantra, Rule of Cool, A Wizard Did It, and Anthropic Principle. Contrast Moff's Law.