Sliders

[Styles clash]

Sliders is a 1995-1999/2000 TV series originally starring Jerry O'Connell, Sabrina Lloyd, John Rhys-Davies (later more famous for playing the dwarf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Cleavant Derricks.

A boy genius and his comrades travel to different parallel universes, trying to find their way back home.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112167/

Watched this show as a kid every Friday night. The literal ticking clock in O'Connell's hand had them in a different, typically strange universe every episode. Some would be alternate history, some would be horror, some would be very comedic, some worlds like ours but with a moral dilemma the sliders' arrival had caused, and so on. Quantum Leap crossed with Star Trek and Stargate you could say (I've never watched a full episode of Quantum Leap so feel free to disagree).

Come season 3 it changed a little. The militaristic "Kromaggs" (actors wearing prosthetics) who'd figured out their own superior slide technology become big picture villains trying to control humanity in all the parallel universes. Rhys-Davies and Lloyd get written out. Kari Wuhrer gets added to the cast. There was an episode focused on Kari Wuhrer mum wouldn't let me watch for some reason...

https://earthprime.com/reviews/the-breeder-review

In season 4 Charlie O'Connell is added to play his real life brother's onscreen previously secret long lost brother.

I never saw the 5th final season because Channel 10 didn't show it or if they did it was late at night without promotion. I know both O'Connells were gone leaving Derricks the only actor to go start to finish. According to the internet it's the worst season.

Anyway, I post this because just now I watched the pilot episode again after all these years. It holds up. Couple sex jokes I didn't get as a kid. You could watch it as a 87-minute movie. Even the ending is decent.


Probably won't watch anymore unless its remastered in high definition someday. Given Hollywood's dependence on "DO YOU REMEMBER THIS???" maybe we'll get a reboot eventually.

 

[Zoidberg]

Was a must watch show for me before the footy on Friday nights for a few years. I enjoyed it back then but haven’t gone back.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I enjoyed the first few weeks back in 1995 but then it got repetitive and meh.

Another formulaic 90s sci fi TV show that looked dreary (filmed in Canada) with shoddy/dated effects.

Good cast though. Decent ideas. Done now with 8 eps a season, it probably could be quite good.

You know a show has jumped the shark when there’s dinosaurs / the Wild West / Jack the Ripper - Sherlock Holmes - Victorian era.

 

[Styles clash]

I enjoyed the first few weeks back in 1995 but then it got repetitive and meh.

Another formulaic 90s sci fi TV show that looked dreary (filmed in Canada) with shoddy/dated effects.

Good cast though. Decent ideas. Done now with 8 eps a season, it probably could be quite good.

You know a show has jumped the shark when there’s dinosaurs / the Wild West / Jack the Ripper - Sherlock Holmes - Victorian era.

As it went on and they ran out of "What could a sliders double do this episode?" ideas they started ripping off movies more. Networks (Fox then Sci-Fi Channel) encouraged self-contained action. It had two or three different sets of people in charge over the course of its run which contributed to the cast changes. Wade out for Maggie is a blatant "more sex appeal" change. It is very 90s TV.

 

[Perth Tiger]

loved this show as a kid/teenager but saw a couple of episodes recently, cant remember from when but think it was later series and thought man this does not hold up well

 

[Styles clash]

 

[Timbo]

Used to love this show. Watched it in the 90s and then again in the mid 2000s on Fox late at night while I was at uni.

The introduction of the Kromaggs was because the network decided they needed an enemy to be constantly fighting. Wells and Rhys-Davies didn't like this tonal change and it eventually resulted in both of their departures.

Likewise, Jerry O'Connell was in a few movies at the time and got famous enough to demand his brother be added to the cast. Which further hurt the show because Charlie O'Connell could. not. act.

The final season sucked, I don't think I made it to the end even on my late night binge watches during uni. But the early seasons are a lot of fun - even if every alternate universe looks suspiciously like Vancouver.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I’m tempted to buy series 1 and 2 just to revisit.

 

[Styles clash]

The introduction of the Kromaggs was because the network decided they needed an enemy to be constantly fighting. Wells and Rhys-Davies didn't like this tonal change and it eventually resulted in both of their departures.

Liked the Kromaggs as a kid. Don't remember my feelings on Rhys-Davies getting killed off. Wells going became annoying when I realised she wasn't coming back despite the character being alive.

every alternate universe looks suspiciously like Vancouver.

There's an episode that ends with snow on the ground and breath in front of the actors faces even though it never snows in San Francisco haha. It may in a parallel universe Filming moved to Los Angeles in season 3 I believe.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Just on Jerry O’Connell - and I’m showing my age here - watched this religiously in 89/90. Think on ABC.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Secret_Identity