1995’s Sliders had plenty of potential to turn into a classic sci fi TV series, but network tinkering and cancellations relegated it to cult infamy.
What Is It?
One man invents a device that allows people to travel to parallel universes (referred to as “sliding”), and upon testing it he and three others find themselves sent to another Earth with no certain way to return to their own world. They must slide across multiple Earths, some very different from their own and some with only slight variances, as they attempt to find their way back home.
Aired: 1995-99, FOX/The Sci Fi Channel, 5 Seasons Totaling 88 Episodes
Cast: Jerry O’Connell, Cleavant Derricks, Sabrina Lloyd, John Rhys-Davies, Kari Wuhrer, Charlie O’Connell
Crew: Tracy Tormé (Creator/Executive Producer), Robert K. Weiss (Creator/Executive Producer), John Landis (Executive Producer)
Legacy:
This series started out with an interesting premise and developed a notable following early on, but it derailed in later seasons and was ultimately cancelled with no conclusion.
A Closer Look:
From the 1980s and into the 1990s, the broadcast networks were not very supportive of the sci fi and fantasy genre, with few entries added to their schedules across those decades. FOX was the upstart network at that time, having kicked off in the late 80s, but by the mid-90s it was starting to develop the same network-think as the Big Three broadcasters (ABC, CBS, and NBC). It had taken a chance on low-rated The X-Files a couple of seasons earlier, and that ultimately became a big hit. Sliders certainly looked like an interesting sci fi addition to the schedule when it debuted in the Spring of 1995, but sadly the network never allowed the series to fully reach its potential. Co-creator Tracy Torme brought some good genre cred having written for Star Trek: The Next Generation (and he would go on to work shows like Odyssey 5 and Carnivale). But it appears that network execs were less interested in a series that fully explored the possibilities of parallel worlds and instead wanted more of a Prime Time Friendly action-adventure.
Sliders became one of those “sci fi” shows that breaks down pretty quickly when you really think about the science behind it (or lack thereof). Broadcast network execs had no real interest in the intricacies of parallel world theory or such concepts as the butterfly effect, both of which should have been heavily incorporated into the show. Instead, it delivered a cascading series of “what if?” scenarios that followed a very television-friendly formula of the main characters arriving on a new world, discovering its twist, getting involved with some sort of complication (often meeting one or more of that world’s versions of themselves), followed by a series of plot contrivances that has them all coming back together just in time to slide to a new world by episode end. Even the best episodes had their leaps of logic that kept this show from ever really overcoming its faults. And co-star John Rhys-Davies complained about the sub-par scripts and how the writers often lifted ideas from genre movies that were popular at that time, leading to his departure after the third season.
Ultimately, the strength of this series was the cast. This group of people that was thrown together and forced to travel across many different worlds in an attempt to return home became a family of sorts and that is what fans of the series keyed in upon. And the four leads developed a good chemistry, becoming the backbone of the series and helping to overcome the poor writing. But sadly cast shakeups started with the fourth season (when the show moved to the Sci Fi Channel), and it never recovered after that. Sliders did have a good sense of humor and did not go the dark sci fi route spearheaded by The X-Files, but better scripts and less network tinkering would have definitely helped this one during its run. It did develop a notable following which helped to get the show moved to Sci Fi after the FOX cancellation. And it can still be fun to watch, especially the early seasons. But overall this one counts more as a cult favorite than a sci fi TV classic.
Cancelled Too Soon?
Yes. Twice. FOX axed the show due to low ratings in its third season, but then fans staged a campaign to save it and The Sci Fi Channel stepped in as it had an interest in building up its own scripted programming at that time. But both John Rhys-Davies and Sabrina Lloyd departed from the cast while Tracy Torme and much of the rest of the creative staff left as well. The fourth and fifth seasons of the show are often considered lower in quality than the first three seasons (which already had their share of flaws) and the viewership continued to dwindle. Sci Fi canceled the show after its fifth season, leaving it on a pretty large cliffhanger.
The Story Continues:
A novelization of the pilot was written by Brad Linaweaver and published in 1996. Allegedly, he wrote a second Sliders novel, but I can’t find any evidence that it exists (Linaweaver also wrote the guide Sliders: The Classic Episodes). The first book is available to read for free on the Internet Archive. Acclaim Comics put out several mini-series and one shots, totaling ten issues altogether. It does not appear that those were ever collected in trade paperback or eBook format.
Should It Be Rebooted?
This is a show that would be ripe for a reboot or revival if done correctly. Since it fell short of its potential in its original incarnation, a complete reboot that gives more respect to the science would definitely be welcome. But a revival with the original cast could work as well. They could have gotten stranded on one of the many alternate Earths and twenty years later found a way to start sliding again. I don’t believe any of the original cast are involved with any major projects at the moment, so it might be possible to bring them back together. They could potentially resolve the cliffhanger from season five and then carry on with new stories (and hopefully better scripts).
Series star Jerry O’Connell recently suggested on Twitter that if a reboot/revival happened, they should try to follow the first two seasons of the show which were its best:
I love my experience and everyone involved but come Season 3, we had all new bosses. A lot more guns/CGI/Explosions. I personally preferred the first two seasons. If we ever reboot, that’s the direction I would go…
There is no indication that anything is moving forward in that direction, but if fans were to stage some watch parties and get the show trending on social media, perhaps it could make a return. Sadly, Tracy Torme passed away in 2024, but perhaps Robert K. Weiss could be coaxed back to the show.
Interesting Facts:
In 1993, a pilot titled Doorways was given the greenlight by ABC. It had a similar parallel world premise and was created by George R.R. Martin before he had ventured to the world of Westeros. It was not picked up to series, but some believe it had an influence on the creation of Sliders. (You can read more about Doorways at this link.)
Jerry O’Connell wrote a script in which the group encountered an Earth where drugs had been legalized. Fox execs felt that was too dark for Prime Time, but the story was adapted with the one shot comic Sliders: Narcotica.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD but not Blu-ray yet, and it is also available for purchase on VOD. It is streaming on Peacock with a subscription and it is available free (with ads) on Xumo Play.
Stream or Purchase VOD
