Sliders FAQ 2nd Edition: General Questions
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Archive-name: tv/sliders/faq
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This posting contains the answers to many Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
about the SCI-FI Channel/Universal/Fox TV series SLIDERS. Part one of five
related SLIDERS posts.
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
SLIDERS FAQ 2nd Edition: GENERAL QUESTIONS
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This is Part 1 of the five part SLIDERS Frequently Asked Questions posting.
This part can be found on the Usenet newsgroups alt.tv.sliders,
rec.arts.sf.tv, alt.answers, rec.answers, and
news.answers.
The latest version of this FAQ is available via FTP from:
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu//pub/usenet-by-group/alt.tv.sliders/
A version of this document also exists on the World Wide Web at
the URL: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tv/sliders/faq
This faq owes a lot to the old faq (I call it the 1st edition)
originated by Ed Hall at edh...@brillig.com.
The new material is by sli...@NOSPAMnym.alias.net to whom any additions,
questions, comments, and corrections should be sent. Thanks!
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DEFINING THE SHOW - SLIDERS
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The answer to what is Sliders is not so easy. The British magazine Starburst
in issue 237 described it as the show that can be absolutely anything. Tracy
Torme dreamt up the Sliders concept after reading a book on the american
revolution.
"SLIDERS is a one-hour action/adventure series with a touch of black comedy.
The series chronicles the cosmic roller coaster ride taken by four eclectic
characters who discover a "wormhole" between dimensions that transports them
to parallel universes. Led by Quinn Mallory (Jerry O'Connell), a handsome
physics grad student who accidentally creates the gateway while working on
an experiment in his basement, the interdimensional travelers include Wade
Wells (Sabrina Lloyd), a beautiful computer tech; brilliant but arrogant
physics professor Maximillian Arturo (John Rhys-Davies); and former R&B
singer Rembrandt "Crying Man" Brown (Cleavant Derricks), who is sucked into
the vortex by mistake as he drives by Mallory's house.
Each week, the Sliders travel to a different parallel universe in which
they find themselves in present-day alternative versions of Earth. The
Sliders might encounter, for example, worlds in which the Communists have
won the Cold War; nuclear winter prevails or the male gender is considered
the weaker sex. At each stop, the Sliders face the jeopardy, surprise and
thrill of encountering worlds that may look familiar but are never quite
what they appear to be.
SLIDERS, created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Torme, is produced by St.
Clare Entertainment and distributed by MCA Television Limited. Tracy Torme,
Jacob Epstein and Alan Barnette are the Executive Producers and Robert K.
Weiss is Executive Consultant."
--from a Fox Broadcasting press release
of the first series
Since then, the four who make up the Sliders have changed, and the
series has moved to Universal, Fox and then to Sci-Fi Channel, before
the last season was screened.
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WHO CREATED THE SLIDERS CONCEPT?
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SLIDERS was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Torme. Here is some
information which was provided (in large part) by Fox Broadcasting's
publicity department, updated with information from Starburst interviews:
Tracy Torme (Co-Creator/Writer/Executive Producer of SLIDERS)
Tracy Torme graduated from the USC School of Cinema-Television in 1979.
Torme began his career before his senior year of college had a chance to
play itself out -- when he was hired as a staff writer for the much
acclaimed Second City Television. From there he joined Saturday Night
Live as a Writer/Filmmaker. He then became a member of the writing staff
of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" on the first two seasons (sometimes
under the nickname Terry Devereaux or Keith Mills due to how his scripts
were mutilated by Maurice Hurley, according to Torme in the book"Captain's
Logs") writing some of that series' best-received episodes (including the
Peabody Award-winning episode "The Big Good-bye"). Torme wrote the movie
"Spellbinder" in 1988.
He also served as Writer/Producer on the Emmy-nominated mini-series
"Intruders" (1992). The following are the Star Trek:TNG episodes written
by Tracy Torme:
Season 1: Haven, The Big Goodbye,Conspiracy
Season 2: The Schizoid Man, The Royale (as Keith Mills), Manhunt (as Terry
Devereaux)
In addition to his many television credits, Torme wrote the screenplay for
the 1993 film "Fire In The Sky," which he also co-produced.
Torme has developed "Dark City," a ninety minute pilot for HBO, and the
script for a film based on Richard Matheson's classic novel "I Am
Legend," on which he was the producer. His latest new series is Kung Pao,
which he describes as "a very dark twisted, strange comedy" likened to
"Batman meets Kung Fu meets The Prisoner". Also, Torme has produced the
show "Domination".
He has also written an episode of Outer Limits called "Rule of Law", and a
pilot for a show called "The True Tales of Terror".
He is the son of crooner Mel Torme. He has always been a big fan of
Raymond Chandler and of the film noir genre (this influence can be seen in
the Star Trek episode "The Big Goodbye".
He lives in Los Angeles.
For more information, check out Starlog's Science Fiction Explorer #7
(June 1995) for an interview with Tracy Torme written by Frank Garcia.
Robert K. Weiss (Co-Creator/Executive Consultant of SLIDERS)
Robert K. Weiss' credits as a film producer include the three "Naked Gun"
films, "Dragnet," "The Blues Brothers" and "Kentucky Fried Movie." For
television, he produced "Police Squad," the progenitor of the "Naked Gun"
film series. As President of St. Clare Entertainment, Mr. Weiss presides
over the development of network and cable television productions. His
many shows include "Dream On" and "Weird Science".
A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Mr. Weiss has extensive
experience in studio and location video production resources. He has
served on the Board of IS Robotics, a Cambridge, Mass. company whose
business is the design, development and manufacture of micro-robots for
a wide range of applications, including extraplanetary exploration. He
currently sits on the Board for The Center for the Study of the
Environment, in Santa Barbara.
Mr. Weiss lives in California. He is a member of the Directors Guild of
America.
During the first season of SLIDERS, Mr. Weiss was one of the three
Executive Producers of SLIDERS. For the second season, his title was
changed to that of Executive Consultant.
Mr. Weiss has been known to post on both alt.tv.sliders, on America
Online and he has taken part in a number of online chats.
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SLIDERS PROLOGUE
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In all seasons except the final one, the introductory voice is Quinn's. In
Season 5, it is Remmy's.
First season:
"What if you could find brand new worlds right here on Earth where
anything's possible? Same planet--different dimension."
"I've found the gateway!"
"SLIDERS"
Second season:
"What if you could travel to parallel worlds? The same year, the same
Earth, only different dimensions."
"A world where the Russians rule America, or where your dreams of being
a superstar came true, or where San Francisco was a maximum security
prision?"
"My friends and I have found the gateway. Now the problem is finding a way
back home!"
Third Season:
"What if you found a portal to a parallel universe? If you could slide to
thousands of different worlds, where the year is the same, you are the
same person, but everything else is different?"
"And what if you could not go back home?"
Fourth Season:
"What if you found a portal to a parallel universe? What if you could
slide to a thousand different worlds, where it's the same year and you're
the same person, but everything else is different?"
"And what if you can't find your way home?"
Fifth Season (Remmy's Voice):
"What if you found a portal to a parallel universe? What if you could
slide to a thousand different worlds, where it's the same year and you're
the same person, but everything else is different?"
"And what if you can't find your way home?"
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ACTORS' BIOGRAPHIES
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Most of the following information is from a Fox Broadcasting press release
(for the original four Sliders), with some extra information from interviews
in magazines etc:
Jerry O'Connell (Quinn Mallory)
Jerry's full name is Jeremiah O'Connell. In "Sliders", Jerry plays Quinn
Mallory, a physics genius who discovers a way to create a wormhole to
"Slide" to different dimensions or parallel realities. O'Connel wrote one
of the two comic book issues of Sliders released by Acclaim Comics. As a
young boy, Jerry O'Connell appeared in numerous television commercials
and, at age 11, co-starred in the hit film "Stand By Me", directed by Rob
Reiner.
O'Connell's television credits include "My Secret Identity" ( a campy show
where he played a teenage superhero), "Camp Wilder" and "Olie Hopnoodle's
Haven Of Bliss" for PBS and the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of "The
Room Upstairs." He has also starred in the TV movie "The Ranger, the Cook
and the Hole in the Sky", and in the feature film "Calendar Girl" opposite
Beverly Hills:90210 star Jason Priestly as a guy with a prosthetic leg.
His more recent roles include the Fox TV movie "Blue River" and the lead
role in MTV's feature film "Joe's Apartment" in which he shares the screen
with 3,500 cockroaches. He did a play directed by Herbert Burgoff
co-starring with Patrick Dempsey at HB studios in New York and other off
broadway productions.
A native New Yorker, O'Connell majored in Film and Television at New York
University. He was also the captain of NYU university's sabre fencing
team and made it to the NCAA's in his junior year. He is very athletic and
does lots of water sports and basketball. He graduated from NYU film, and
has since done a lot of writing. He does not have a fan club. He has a
scar on his upper lip, having been bit by a dog when he was 11 years old.
He was born on February 17th, 1974.
He has directed episodes of Sliders starting from Season 4.
Other movies Jerry O'Connell has starred in, include "JERRY MAGUIRE",
"SCREAM 2" and "MISSION TO MARS" where he plays an astronaut.
Sabrina Lloyd (Wade Kathleen Wells - spelling according to Jerry O'Connell
interview in Starburst Magazine)
Sabrina Lloyd knew at the age of 12 that she wanted to be an actress. She
made her start in a local production of "ANNIE" in her hometown of Eustis,
Florida. She continued to work in the local community theatre there,
starring in such productions as "Grease", "Crimes of the Heart", and "The
Wizard of Oz." She says she was an "Honor Roll student". When she was 15
she took part in a student exchange in Australia where she got training at
the Brisbane Royal Theatre Company. She has two cats, Lucy and Theodore,
and is a vegetarian, and a talented singer. She writes and records music
with her guitar. Sabrina's favourite tv show is "60 minutes". She is a
fan of "The X-Files" also. Her favourite singers are Van Morrison and Cat
Stevens, because their music touches her. She likes to shop in New York
boutiques for her clothes. Her favourite museum is the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. She got married in 2000.
Before she discovered acting, she wanted to be an equestrian of some
sort. When she isn't acting, she likes to travel. In an online AOL chat,
she said that she left Sliders because she was not creatively challenged
any more.
Lloyd made her first feature film appearance in "Chain of Desire" and
subsequently starred in "Father Hood" with Patrick Swayze, "Wanderlust"
(2000) and "On Edge" (2001), a documentary on ice-skating. For
television, Lloyd made a guest starring appearance (her break actually) in
the series "Law & Order" (as Katie) and starred in television movies such
as "The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter" and "Off Limits." She guest starred
in "Superboy" (as Betsy).
After leaving Sliders, she was a regular in the show "Sports Night" (as
Natalie Hurley). She reprised her role as Wade for one Sliders episode
Requiem in Season 5. She has guest starred, most recently on 11/21/2000,
in "3rd Rock From the Sun" (uncredited) in the episode "Dick'll Take
Manhattan". Her latest role is the star of the new series "Madigan Men"
(she plays Wendy).
Lloyd currently resides in New York and her birthdate is November 20th
1970 (according to IMDB, not 11th) in Mt. Dora, Florida.
Cleavant Derricks (Rembrandt Lee "Crying Man" Brown)
Cleavant Derricks decided to try his hand at acting when it occurred
to him that while all his friends were playing sports, he was always
playing in front of a camera. He began his career in the theatre,
performing first with local tours, then Off-Broadway productions and
later he won a Tony Award for his performance in "Dreamgirls."
His other Broadway credits include "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Big Deal",
"I Have a Dream" and "Your Arm's Too Short to Box With God." Forging his
way into television, Derricks has starred in "Drexell's Class", "Whoops",
"Roseanne" and "Something Wilder." Derricks is also a singer, whose
ability could be seen in the early show's seasons. He has in fact
released a CD and has his own official website
(http://www.cleavantderricks.com).
Derricks currently resides in Agoura Hills, CA and his birthdate is May
15th.
John Rhys-Davies (Professor Maximillian P. Arturo)
John Rhys-Davies plays the physics genius and eccentric pioneer of the
"slide effect". Acclaimed Welsh-born actor John Rhys-Davies is probably
best know to film audiences for his roles in the Indiana Jones
blockbuster hits "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade". He has also had leading roles in "Victor, Victoria", "The
Living Daylights", "The Unnameable Returns" and "King Solomon's Mines".
What people mostly remember of him is his voice. He left Sliders due to a
dispute with the new production when it changed channels. He complains of
a general "malaise", a lack of imagination, which is weighing down the
Hollywood system.
Rhys-Davies, who was raised in England, Africa and Wales, credits his
early exposure to classic literature for his decision to pursue acting and
writing. He later refined his craft at London's renowned Royal Academy of
Dramatic Arts.
His television credits include James Clavell's "Shogun" and "Noble House",
"Great Expectations", "War and Remembrance", "Archaeology" and "The
Untouchables."
Rhys-Davies is also known for his roles in the radio version of
"Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" and as one of the live action characters
in the game "Wing Commander 3" and the voice of a recurring character in
the animated series "Gargoyles."
An avid collector of vintage automobiles, Rhys-Davies has a host of
theater roles to his credit, including "the Misanthrope", "Hedda Gabler"
and most of Shakespeare's works. He divides his time between Los Angeles
and the Isle of Man.
Rhys-Davies was born on May 5th 1944 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.
Note: Stephen Bosch (sfb...@acs.ucalgary.ca) has made the observation
that it would be difficult for Mr. Rhys-Davies to be both "Welsh-born"
and "born in Salisbury, England." Salisbury is nowhere near Wales.
NEW: He has played hologram character Leonardo da Vinci to help Janeway
fight the Borg menace in the Season 3 finale of Star Trek: Voyager. He
appeared in the 1994 movie High Crusade, recently broadcast on VOX in
Germany.
Rhys-Davies went to school in Truro, Cornwall. His father had gone out
to Africa after World War II, and the rest of the family joined him a
few years later. It was in Tanzania, then called Tanganyika. He grew up
partly on the coast, partly by Kilimanjaro, until he was sent back to
England to be educated. He did not want to grow up in England, and
wanted to go back to Africa and become a district commissioner and shoot
things in the bush, he said in an SFX interview. He says that he has a
hunter's values.
This information is taken from the Internet Movie database:
Charlie O'Connell (Colin Mallory)
Charlie O'Connell originally starred in Sliders in the episode "As Time
Goes By" (episode #2.13) as "Kit Richards". He starred again as "Officer
O'Hara" in the episode "Dragonslide" (episode #3.7).
He starred in "V.I.P." as Jimmie in the episode "Val Got Game". He has
appeared in the show "Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane".
He was a recurring actor in Season 4 of Sliders, together with his
real-life brother Jerry, playing Quinn's long-lost brother who lived on a
parallel Earth. Ex-farm boy Colin remains lost between dimensions because
of a certain Dr. Oberon Geiger.
Since then he has starred in the movies "Cruel Intentions" (1999), "The
Magicians" (2000) - a tv movie, "Dude, Where's My Car" (2000) and in
"Devil's Prey" (2001).
He was born on the 21st April 1975 in New York, USA. While attending
New York University he was a foil fencer and competed in the 1996 NCAA
Championships. He was the captain of NYU's fencing team for two years.
Kari Wuhrer (Maggie Beckett)
Kari Wuhrer had starred in a number of movies before landing up the role
of Maggie on Sliders (Seasons 3 - 5). She is a sci-fi comic book fan. Her
big break was in 1987 with MTV's Remote Control. She has a new cat, a
Sphynx. And his name is 'Gato'. She also has two others, 'Monkey', the
Abyssinian cat and 'Houdini', the Cornish Rex. She says she likes
weird-looking cats.
She was born on the 28th April, 1967 in Brookfield, Connecticut, USA very
close to NYC.
She played roles in "Married... with Children" (as Joanie), "Beverly
Hills: 90210" (as Ariel Hunter), "The Marshal" and joined the Sliders team
as Captain Maggie Beckett in the episode "The Exodus: Part 1" (episode
#3.16). She starred in "Nash Bridges", as "C.J" in the episode "Blackout".
She regularly starred in the series "Swamp Thing", as Abigail, and in the
"Class of 96" tv-series as Robin Farr.
She stars in the interactive computer game "Command & Conquer: Red Alert
2" (2000).
She has a CD out and should have another one out soon. You can hear her
sing in the Season 4 Wild West episode of Sliders (Way Out West).
She has an official website at http://www.kari-wuhrer.com
Her long list of movie credits includes "Fire with fire" (1986 - tv
movie), "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane" (1990 - tv movie), "Beastmaster
2: Through the Portal of Time" (1991 - she claims this is her first
movie), "Teen Vid II" (1991) (as herself), "Sensation" (1994 - with Eric
Roberts), "Boulevard" (1994), "Higher Learning" (1995), "The Crossing
Guard" (1995), "Terminal Justice" (1995), "Red Blooded American Girl II"
(1995), "Beyond Desire" (1995), "Thinner" (1996), "An Occasional Hell"
(1996), "Disappearance of Kevin Johnson" (1996), "Anaconda" (1997),
"Kate's Addiction" (1999), "Ivory Tower" (2000), "Out of Sync" (2000 tv
movie), "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" (2000 FOX tv movie), "G-Men from Hell"
2000), "The Medicine Show" (2000), "Fatal Conflict" (2000), "Berserker"
(2001) and "Arac Attack" (2001).
Sometimes in her movies, she is credited as Kari Salin-Wuhrer, or Kari
Salin.
Robert Floyd (Mallory)
Robert Floyd had starred in the movie "GODZILLA" before landing the role
of Mallory, an alternate Quinn who gets merged, perhaps irrevocably, with
our Quinn.
Floyd starred in the tv series Early Edition and Law and Order. He also
appeared in the movies: "The Disappearing Act" (1997 tv-movie),
"When He Didn't Come Home" (1998) and "Cold Hearts" (1998).
Tembi Locke (Diana Davis)
Robert Floyd had starred in the movie "GODZILLA" before landing the role
of Mallory, an alternate Quinn who gets merged with our Quinn.
She starred in Beverly Hills: 90210 and in the movies "Ringer" (1996),
"Star Command" (1996 tv-movie), "Claude's Crib" (1997), "Steel" (1997)
and "Unbowed" (1998).
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RECURRING CHARACTERS
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No matter where the Sliders travel, they keep running into some of the same
people again and again. this list is broken up based on whether or not the
character has shown up in more than one episode as well as on more than one
alternate Earth. These lists are sorted by number of appearances.
NB: This section still needs more updates.
Recurring Characters (Multiple Episodes)
Quinn's Mom (Linda Henning, Deanne Henry)
* a widow on Earth Prime [Linda Henning, Pilot] waiting for her missing
son to return [Deanne Henry, Into the Mystic]
* married to Jake the gardener (and pregnant) on Elvis' Earth [Linda
Henning, Pilot]
* happily married (never widowed) on Dad's Earth [Linda Henning, Pilot]
* it's mentioned that she has moved "back east" on Egghead Earth
[Eggheads]
* a widow on Earth Double Prime waiting for her missing son to return
[Deanne Henry, Post Traumatic Slide Syndrome]
Michael Hurley (Gary Jones)
* manager of Doppler Computer Superstore on Earth Prime [Pilot]
* member of resistance on Red Dawn Earth [Pilot]
* British army officer on British Earth [Prince of Wails]
* manager of Doppler Computer Superstore on Skirted Cops Earth [Time
Again And World]
* "Smarter" Quinn mentions that Hurley is a "putz" on every alternate
world he (Quinn) has visited.
Gomez Calhoun (William Sasso)
* Motel 12 manager on Fever Earth [Fever]
* Motel 12 manager on Crying Man's Earth [The King Is Back]
* Manager of the Dominion Hotel on Technophobe Earth [Gillian of the
Spirits]
* Manager of the Dominion Hotel on Skirted Cops Earth [Time Again And
World]
* Manager of the Dominion Hotel on Prohibition Earth [Greatfellas]
Mace Moon (Gerry Nairn)
* owner of Moonatic Electronics on Asteroid Earth [Last Days]
* owner of Moonatic Electronics on Hippie Earth [Summer of Love]
* assumed to be the owner of Moonatic Electronics on Spiderwasp Earth
(we see his store but never see him) [Summer of Love]
* assumed to be the owner of Moonatic Electronics on Water Earth (we see
his store but never see him) [Summer of Love]
Pavel Kurlienko (Alex Bruhanski)
* a taxi driver on Red Dawn Earth [Pilot]
* a taxi driver on Dad's Earth [Pilot]
* a taxi driver on Fever Earth [Fever]
* a taxi driver on Halloween Earth [Into the Mystic]
Conrad Bennish Jr. (Jason Gaffney)
* a student in Professor Arturo's class on Earth Prime [Pilot] and a
friend of Quinn's. [Summer of Love]
* a physics graduate student who helps build the Bomb [Last Days]
* the president of Young Republicans *For* the War. [Summer of Love]
* the unnamed, eyeless prisoner of the Kromaggs. [Invasion] (Thanks to:
DXDale for this)
Ross J. Kelley (John Novak)
* Attorney-At-Law on Earth Prime who sells his "services" via TV
commercials using the slogan "I'm Ross J. Kelley and I won't take 'No'
for an answer! I'll fight for you!" [Pilot]
* An interrogator for the Soviets on Red Dawn Earth, he tells Rembrandt
"I'll fight for you!" [Pilot]
* A lawyer on Halloween Earth who promises in his TV commercials that
"I'll fight for you!" [Into the Mystic]
Artie Field (Don MacKay)
* Rembrandt Brown's long suffering manager on Earth Prime [Pilot]
* Rembrandt Brown's long suffering manager on Earth Double Prime [Post
Traumatic Slide Syndrome]
Michael Mallory (Tom Butler)
* Quinn's long lost father on Dad's Earth [Pilot]
* Quinn's father, a pro-technology advocate on Technophobe Earth
[Gillian
of the Spirits]
Policeman (Mike Dobson)
* Policeman on Asteroid Earth [Last Days]
* First Policeman on Hippie Earth [Summer Of Love]
Wing (Yee Jee Tso)
* a student in Professor Arturo's class on Earth Prime [Pilot]
* tells Quinn about oil well in Quinn's backyard [Fever]
Recurring Characters (Single Episode)
Crazy Kenny/Senator (Frank C. Turner) [Pilot]
* A bum ranting in an Earth Prime park about the imminent rise of
communism over capitalism. He warns Quinn: "Join the Revolution or
suffer the consequences!"
* A Senator speaking in a Red Dawn Earth park about the plight of the
Proletariat
* A bum sleeping behind the Lincoln statue in the park on Dad's Earth
Mr. Gale (Hrothgar Mathews) [Into The Mystic]
* A farmer on Cliffhanger Earth; Gale also appeared as an Undertaker
in Quinn's nightmare
* the sorcerer's aide on Halloween Earth (although he prefers the title
"executive assistant)
* Mrs. Mallory's new gardener on Earth Prime
Four FBI Agents [Summer of Love]
* investigating the Sliders' disappearance from Earth Prime
* attempted to capture "subversive" Quinn and Arturo
Jake [Pilot]
* The Mallory's gardener on Earth Prime
* Apparently married to Quinn's (pregnant) Mom on Elvis' Earth
L.J. (Claude Brooks) [El Sid]
* A member of Sid's gang on War Zone Earth
* A prisoner on Prison Earth
Natalie (Rebecca Gayheart) [Time Again And World]
* A witness to the murder of Judge Nassau on Bearded Women Earth
* A member of the pro-constitutional movement on Skirted Cops Earth
Bearded man [Time Again And World]
* A witness to the murder of Judge Nassau on Bearded Women Earth
* A member of the pro-constitutional movement on Skirted Cops Earth
Judge John Nassau (George Delhoyo) [Time Again And World]
* A murder victim on Bearded Women Earth
* A leaders of the pro-constitutional movement on Skirted Cops Earth
Jay Acovone appeared in Sole Survivors (as Dr Tassler) and in Eye Of
The Storm (as the Chandler Hotel receptionist Stu).
Marshall Teague appeared in The Dying Fields, in Way Out West (as
sherrif Redfield) and in Heavy Metal (as Redfield).
Dr Oberon Geiger (Peter Jurasik):
appeared as the same person in the following Season 5 episodes:
* The Unstuck Man
* Eye Of The Storm (with multiple doubles of his)
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RUMOR MILL (MINOR SPOILERS) (THIS SECTION IS TO BE UPDATED)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SLIDERS third season will probably be filmed in Hollywood rather than in
Vancouver which is where most of the first two seasons were shot.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Rhys-Davies (Arturo) will not be returning for SLIDERS' third season.
It seems that this decision was a mutual one made at the end of the second
season's filming by all parties involved.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A future episode will feature an Earth which was overrun by in 1947 by
extraterrestrials who landed in Roswell, New Mexico. Look carefully for a
secondary character we haven't seen yet during the second season. [Invasion]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This section is for all the little bits of trivia which don't really fit
into any other section of the FAQ. If you think of something which should be
asked and yet isn't here, drop me a line at sliders AT nym.alias.net and
I'll try to include it in the next version of the FAQ.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Has SLIDERS concluded? Can one still see it?
A: Yes, after moving from Fox to Universal and to SCI-FI Channel. Yes,
it is still broadcast in Europe on RTL 5 (Season 5), RTL 2 (Season 1,
dubbed), Yorin (Season 5) and Max Plus (Season 4) currently at the least.
Italia Uno stopped showing Sliders at the fourth season. Try writing to your
local tv station, PBS, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Will there be a Sliders Movie?
A: The show's co-creator Tracy Torme has said that he is interested. I
believe that even Jerry O'Connel has expressed similar ideas. Keep writing
about Sliders to show that the interest exists.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Where can I get a copy of episode (whatever) of SLIDERS on videotape?
A: Fox never sold tapes of the episodes so there is no "official" place to
get an episode on tape. If you missed an episode, your best bet is to ask
your friends and see if any of them taped the episode; otherwise, you'll
have to wait for the repeats. I recall seeing an official tape being sold in
a small local shop years ago however.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Where was SLIDERS filmed?
A: The first two seasons of SLIDERS were primarily filmed in Vancouver,
British Columbia, although a few establishing exterior shots were filmed in
San Francisco and on the University of California at Berkeley campus.
The third season of SLIDERS will probably be filmed in Hollywood.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What are SLIDERS fans called?
A: People have been kicking this one around since the show first aired and
dozens of suggestions have been made on alt.tv.sliders. Star Trek fans are
called Trekkers or Trekkies, X-Files fans are called X-philes, so it's only
fair that SLIDERS fans have their own name.
It seems that the name which has gotten the most support among fans is the
obvious one: "Sliders."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Quinn has a cat on Earth Prime. What is the cat's name?
A: The cat's name is Schrodinger and is named for Erwin Schrodinger, a
quantum physicist famous for (among other things) formulating a "thought
experiment" involving a cat, a geiger counter, a piece of uranium and a
loaded gun. For more information regarding Schrodinger's Cat, refer to
Michio Kaku's book "Hyperspace" or take two years of college physics.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Is there a SLIDERS Fan Club?
A: There aren't any *official* SLIDERS Fan Clubs. Not *yet* anyway.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What merchandise is there? Are there any toys?
A: Only some t-shirts, a novel, a book on the Sliders show, and two comic
books by Acclaim (one issue was written by Jerry O'Connell). Nothing else.
Wouldn't you love to have a Timer or a little four inch tall Crying Man
action figure? :-)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Is Earth Prime *our* earth?
A: No, it is not. If the Sliders were to visit our Earth, they would be
surprised to discover their alternates were all actors in a SCI-FI Channel
TV show! <g> This actually kind of "happened" in the final episode.
Further evidence that the Sliders aren't from our Earth can be found in the
first few episodes. The University which Quinn attends looks exactly like
the U.C. Berkeley campus but seems to be located in San Francisco's Golden
Gate Park. (Berkeley is across the bay from San Francisco, about 30 miles
away.)
More proof is that in the episode Summer of Love, it is mentioned that Wade
Wells attends Northshore Junior College--there is no such college in *our*
San Francisco.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Where do I send fan mail? (TO BE UPDATED)
A: The new and improved address to send fan mail is:
SLIDERS
c/o Fox Broadcasting
P.O. Box 900
Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900
USA
Fox had an e-mail address (sli...@delphi.com) during SLIDERS first season
but it doesn't seem to be working anymore.
To write to Tembi Locke:
c/o Abrham's Artist Agency
9200 Sunset Blvd
Suite 1130
Los Angeles, CA 90069
USA
To write to Robert Floyd:
c/o Don Buchwald & Associates
6500 Wilshire Blvd
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, CA 90048
USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Where can I get copies of the SLIDERS scripts?
A: The first draft of the script for the SLIDERS' pilot (dated January 14th
1994) is available for $19.95 from a company called Script City. Script City
is in Hollywood, California and can be reached at (213) 871-0707.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Were the First Season Episodes Shown in the Correct Order?
A: Not even close. For some reason, Fox decided not to show the episodes in
the order they were filmed. I don't know why this was done, maybe Fox wanted
to group what they thought were the better episodes together or maybe some
episodes weren't quite ready to be aired so others were shown in their
place.
Assuming that the production number assigned to each episode represents the
order in which the episodes were filmed, here is a list of the episodes as
they were filmed and as they were aired.
As Filmed As Shown
---------------- ----------------
1. Pilot (2 hours) Pilot (2 hours)
2. Summer Of Love Fever
3. Prince of Wails Last Days
4. Fever Prince of Wails
5. Last Days Summer Of Love
6. The Weaker Sex Eggheads
7. Eggheads The Weaker Sex
8. The King Is Back The King Is Back
9. Luck Of The Draw Luck Of The Draw
Just to confuse matters a little bit more, Fox decided to air the repeats of
of the first season episodes in yet another order. The episodes appeared as
repeats in the following order:
1. Pilot, part 1
2. Pilot, part 2
3. Fever
4. The King Is Back
5. Last Days
6. Eggheads
7. The Weaker Sex
8. Summer of Love
9. Prince of Wails
10. Luck Of The Draw
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMER OF LOVE: THE LOST SCENE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally, in "Summer of Love" there was a scene which explained a bit
about the fuctionality of Quinn's timer and explained why it is so important
for the Sliders to not miss the next opening of the gate out of the current
Earth. Unfortunately, this scene just didn't make sense once "Summer of
Love" was bumped from episode #2 to episode #5 and the scene was cut from
the episode.
That said, here is the original scene as it appears in the "Summer of Love"
script and, presumably, as it was filmed:
-----------
REMBRANDT (CONT'D)
Where's the Professor?
As if on cue, Aurturo bursts out of the loft, running after
them and trying to hold four guns at the same time. Scant
seconds later, the Feds also exit the building, sprinting
after him. Arturo spins, dropping three of the guns and
shooting the fourth one in the air as a warning that gets
the Feds to freeze.
Uncomfortable carrying any firearms, he flings the fourth
gun away and resumes running toward his friends.
ARTURO
Hurry up, get back in the car!
The Feds are scrambling to retrieve their guns as Quinn,
Arturo and Rembrandt hurry back to the Cadillac.
Rembrandt jumps behind the wheel, Quinn and Arturo dive into
the open back seat - Copeland and Yenn have retrieved their
guns, they OPEN FIRE. Rembrandt is driving and ducking, as
bullets whiz past the accelerating purple vehicle.
REMBRANDT
Seems like you two make friends
wherever you go! Why am I not
surprised?!
The Caddy screeches around the corner at breakneck speed and
gets away - for the moment.
INT. THE CADDY - NIGHT - ARTURO IS IN THE FRONT
Quinn in the back; Rembrandt drives, keeping a careful eye
on the rearview mirror, while bemoaning his near brush with
domesticity.
REMBRANDT
Man, that is the _last_ time I do a
good deed. The Crying Man gave
that woman his all, and look at
the thanks he got.
(to Quinn, in
mirror)
Now, what was that about the
timer?
QUINN
It's badly damaged. We can't open
the gate at will anymore. So the
Professor and I did some
calculating based on The Helix
Spiral --
REMBRANDT
-- Felix who?
QUINN
_Helix_. It's a ten dimensional
form of Witten's index theorem.
REMBRANDT
Oh. That.
QUINN
It suggests there will be a single
window of opportunity on each
Earth we visit. A moment in time
when the weakened powers of the
gizmo will still allow us to
access the gate.
ARTURO
The window he's referring to will
be different on each Earth - mere
minutes till it arrives on some,
several months on others.
REMBRANDT
So you're saying we may have to
wait _months_ on some of these
worlds before we can try and get
home again?
ARTURO
Correct. We've re-rigged the
timer to serve as a countdown
device, telling us how long till
the window on each Earth we visit.
REMBRANDT
What if the window comes and goes
and we never access the gate?
ARTURO
I'm afraid it's 29.7 years to the
next opportunity. So that's a
mistake we can not afford. We
must always be sure to be together
at the appointed time... or else.
QUINN
We're lucky we didn't miss the
window on this world.
He shows Rembrandt the timer: it reads 42 MINUTES, 16
SECONDS, and counting.
QUINN (CONT'D)
How far to the commune?
REMBRANDT
About forty-five minutes
(winks)
_If_ we obey the speed limit.
That said, he slams on the accelerator.
-----------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FURTHER READING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Books and stories having to do with parallel universes.
Fiction
"Time Patrol" (and sequels) by Poul Anderson
"Ox" by Piers Anthony
"Virtual Mode" (and sequels) by Piers Anthony
"The End of Eternity" by Isaac Asimov
"Eon" (and sequels) by Greg Bear
"The Maze in the Mirror" by Jack L. Chalker
"Fireball" (and sequels) by John Christopher
"Lest Darkness Fall" by L. Sprague de Camp
"The Wheels of If" by L. Sprague de Camp
"The Infinite Worlds of Maybe" by Lester Del Rey
"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick (won the 1962 Hugo award)
"The World Next Door" by Brad Ferguson
"The Woodrow Wilson Dime" by Jack Finney
"The Difference Engine" by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
"Replay" by Ken Grimwood
"Job: A Comedy of Justice" by Robert Heinlein
"The Number of the Beast" by Robert Heinlein
"The Proteus Operation" by James P. Hogan
"Thrice Upon a Time" by James P. Hogan
"Worlds of the Imperium" (and sequels) by Keith Laumer
"Einstein's Dreams" by Alan Lightman
"The Dark Tower" (and sequels) by Stephen King
"Alternities" by Michael P. Kube-McDowall
"At the Narrow Passage" (and sequels) by Richard C. Meredith
"Elric of Melnibone" (and sequels) by Michael Moorcock
"All the Myriad Ways" (short story) by Larry Niven
"Crossroads of Time" by Andre Norton
"Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen" by H. Beam Piper
"Para-Time" by H. Beam Piper
"The Coming of the Quantum Cats" by Fred Pohl
"The Anubis Gates" by Tim Powers
"Trips" (short story) by Robert Silverburg
"The Probability Broach" (and sequels) by L. Neil Smith
"The Guns of the South" by Harry Turtledove
"Crosstime Traffic" (short stories) by Lawrence Watt-Evans
"The Universe Next Door" (and sequels) by Robert Anton Wilson
"Stranger Suns" by George Zebrowski
"Nine Princes in Amber" (and sequels) by Roger Zelazny
Non-Fiction (!)
"Hyperspace," by Michio Kaku
Required reading for all would-be Sliders. Quinn was reading this book
in the pilot before his first slide.
"The Fourth Dimension," by Rudy von Rucker
Covers the basic concepts of the Einstein-Rosen bridge, with cartoons.
"Lorentzian Wormholes," by Matt Visser
Discusses various theoretical types of wormholes including the ever
popular Einstein-Rosen Bridge. Also includes a section on time travel
by way of wormhole.
"Parallel Universes: The Search for Other Worlds," by Fred Alan Wolf
Explains the quantum physics theories behind the concept of parallel
universes, then moves on to some speculation about parallel universes.
"'Relative State' Formulation of Quantum Mechanics," by H. Everett III,
Reviews of Modern Physics 29, pg 454-462 (1957) [also see Hugh Everett
III's Ph.D. thesis submitted to Princeton University on March 1, 1957]
Everett's theory introduced the original concept of parallel universes
as a real scientific theory, entirely consistent with quantum
mechanics.
I'm sure these lists (especially the first one) will grow over time.
Contributions are always welcome.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER SOURCES OF ONLINE SLIDERS INFORMATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Wide Web sites:
SCI-FI CHANNEL's Official SLIDERS page:
http://www.scifi.com/sliders/
Sliders' SLIDERS FAQ web page: (the WWW version of this FAQ)
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tv/sliders/faq
The Sliders Where Can I Find It FAQ: (Lists other Sliders Internet
resources)
http://cwebdesign.com/scirev/wherecanifinditfaq.txt
The Usenet Alternate History List, maintained by R.B. Schmunk:
http://www.panix.com/~rbs/AH
USENET Newsgroups:
alt.tv.sliders
This is *the* newsgroup for SLIDERS fans. Robert K. Weiss (Co-Creator/
Executive Consultant of SLIDERS) was known to post tidbits of
information regarding future episodes here (while the show was still in
production). Fanfics may be posted here.
alt.binaries.sliders
Have a SLIDERS image or audio file you'd like to share with the rest of
us? Post it here or just read what others have posted.
rec.arts.sf.tv
All science fiction shows, not just SLIDERS, are discussed here.
alt.history.what-if
soc.history.what-if
These two newsgroups are not for SLIDERS related postings!
These groups are for serious discussions regarding alternative history,
not science fiction TV shows. Of course, if you want to discuss what the
world would be like if the American Revolution had never occurred or if
the United States had lost the Battle of Coral Sea, these are the
newsgroups for you!
SLIDERS Mailing Lists:
Sliders Mailing List
A mailing list for the descussion of all aspects of SLIDERS.
To subscribe to this mailing list, send a message to the address
majo...@stargame.org and in the *body* of the message type either
"subscribe sliders" or "subscribe sliders-digest" without the quotes and
without your name.
This list is run by Alicia Mowlai-Ashtiani (mowl...@ucunix.san.uc.edu).
Sliders Creative Mailing List [New]
A mailing list for SLIDERS fan fiction and the discussion of SLIDERS fan
fiction.
To subscribe to this mailing list, send a message to the address
slfic-...@xmission.com and in the *subject* of the message type
"subscribe" without the quotes and without your name.
This list is run by Kyrie Daniels (ky...@deltainet.com).
SLIDERS Internet Relay Chat (IRC):
SLIDERS fans gather in the #sliders channel on IRC after each episode
airs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SLIDERS NEWS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 May 2001
news.answers approval for 2nd Edition of FAQ
9 January 2001
Updated version of Sliders FAQ released on Usenet
21 May 1996
SLIDERS' THIRD SEASON ANNOUNCED!
Fox announced SLIDERS will return next fall in its usual Friday night at
8PM timeslot. A full slate of twenty-five episodes have been ordered
making the third season SLIDERS first full season.
1 March 1996
SLIDERS' SECOND SEASON BEGINS!
31 January 1996
SLIDERS TO AIR FRIDAYS AT 8:00 BEGINNING MARCH 1
Thirteen new episodes of SLIDERS will return to Fox starting March 1st at
8pm. The first episode aired will be "Into the Mystic" will will resolve
the first season's cliffhanger.
10 December 1995
NO AIR DATE YET
Fox Broadcasting has still not selected an air date for the second season
of SLIDERS. Since they've waited so long, it's now only 50% likely that
new episodes of SLIDERS will begin to air in January as had been
previously announced here. If SLIDERS doesn't begin in January, it will be
delayed until March of 1996.
SLIDERS COMIC BOOK SERIES
A three-part SLIDERS comic book mini-series, targeted at adults.
Acclaim/Armada Comics was behind this project with the full backing Tracy
Torme and the SLIDERS creative team. D.G. Chichester was the writer, comic
book legend Dick Giordano was on the pencils, with the inks being done by
Mike DeCarlo.
Look forward to plot lines which just can't be done on television due to
budgetary limitations.
14 November 1995
D.G. Chichester (dg...@aol.com) posted the following to alt.tv.sliders:
> To coincide with the new episodes, Acclaim/Armada comics will be doing a
> special two part comic book featuring the characters and concepts from
> the show (plus a few that were developed and haven't yet been approved
> for on air)! This will not mirror the new programs (not just
> adaptations) but will be all new adventures, and is being done with the
> cooperation and supervision of the Sliders' creative head honchos. If
> response warrants, this would lead to an ongoing Sliders comic.
>
> Hopefully this will be as succesful as the X-Files comic books so
> Sliders can get a little more exposure.
13 November 1995
The exact air date for the first episode is still up in the air. It most
likely will be a Sunday in January but which one is unknown until an
offical date is set. I've heard anywhere from the 7th to the 21st of
January mentioned.
Filming of "Time Again and World" has been completed. Filming of "El Sid"
has begun.
1 November 1995
Filming for the second season of SLIDERS begins on schedule.
29 September 1995
Filming for the second season of SLIDERS is scheduled to begin on
Wednesday, November 1st. A *tentative* airdate for this episode has also
been scheduled: Sunday, January 21st 1996.
The Executive Producers for the second season of SLIDERS are Tracy Torme,
Jacob Epstein and Alan Barnette.
18 August 1995
Robert K. Weiss, Executive Consultant of SLIDERS, reports that all four
principal actors (Jerry O'Connell, Sabrina Lloyd, Cleavant Derricks, and
John Rhys-Davies) will be returning for the second season of SLIDERS.
29 July 1995
Robert K. Weiss announces that the Executive Producers of SLIDERS
(himself,
John Landis and Leslie Belzberg) have all stepped down from that post.
Weiss will be remaining at St. Clare Entertainment with the title
Executive
Consultant.
26 June 1995
Fox issues a press release which makes it official: Sliders has been
picked up as a 1995-96 mid-season replacement series!
16 June 1995
Fox Broadcasting ordered thirteen new episodes of SLIDERS as a mid-season
replacement. The new episodes will begin filming in October of 1995 with
an
expected air date of early 1996.
Congratulations to everyone who took the time to tell Fox that you wanted
to see more episodes of SLIDERS!
1 June 1995
Fox announced that SLIDERS re-runs will be aired starting Sunday June 25th
at 7PM (6PM Central.) Repeats will continue until a new series, SPACE,
ABOVE AND BEYOND takes over the timeslot in the fall. Fox also said "a
decision on SLIDERS as a fall backup is still pending."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE MUSIC OF SLIDERS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This has been moved to part 5 of this FAQ.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COLOPHON
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sliders FAQ consists of four postings:
1. Sliders FAQ: General Questions and Answers (this one!)
2. Sliders FAQ: Episode Guide Seasons 1-2
3. Sliders FAQ: Episode Guide Seasons 3-5 (NEW)
4. Sliders FAQ: Alternate Earths
5. Sliders FAQ: Sliders Music
Currently the first part is posted on a regular basis to the alt.tv.sliders,
rec.arts.sf.tv, alt.answers, rec.answers, and
news.answers newsgroups. The other parts are being updated and will be
posted on alt.tv.sliders later and submitted to the news.answers moderation
team.
The latest version of this FAQ is available via FTP from:
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu//pub/usenet-by-group/alt.tv.sliders/
The HTML version of these documents can be found at:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tv/sliders/
Comments, suggestions, and contributions are always welcomed by the
maintainer of this FAQ:
Sliders
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My thanks to the following people who, in one way or another, helped make
this a better FAQ:
Stewart M. Clamen (cla...@cs.cmu.edu)
Brian Eirik Coe (bc...@trumpet.aix.calpoly.edu)
Kyrie Daniels (ky...@deltainet.com)
Darren "PromoGuy" Denham (ko...@ionet.net)
Ed Dravecky III (dshe...@netcom.com)
Beth Epstein (epst...@carleton.edu)
Frank Garcia (fga...@direct.ca)
Mitch Gold (go...@rpi.edu)
Vincent V. Juodvalkis (juod...@ee.eng.ohio-state.edu)
C. Daniel Kinser (7000...@compuserve.com)
Tim Lucas (luc...@etsu.east-tenn-st.edu)
J. Brett Martinson (u901...@muss.cis.mcmaster.ca)
Will Mengarini (sel...@eskimo.com)
Nigel G. Mitchel (Zikz...@aol.com)
David Playle (dpl...@ins.infonet.net)
Lloyd "Gromit" Quinto (lqu...@rohan.sdsu.edu)
Robin Reid (rmr...@opus.freenet.vancouver.bc.ca)
Scott W. Roby (ro...@oswego.oswego.edu)
Mark Schey (mark_...@delphi.com)
Stephen Sisk (sjs...@islandnet.com)
Ford A. Thaxton (For...@aol.com)
Larry Trujillo (ltru...@cctr.umkc.edu)
Special thanks to Francesca Redwine.
And of course, thanks to Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Torme for creating
SLIDERS
in the first place!
Thanks for everyone's comments, suggestions, and answers!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portions Copyright (c) 1995,1996 by Ed Hall. All rights reserved.
Additions and 2nd Edition (c) 2001 by "Sliders". All rights reserved.
This FAQ may be posted to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service, or BBS as
long as it is posted in its entirety and includes this copyright statement.
This FAQ may not be distributed for financial gain. This FAQ may not be
included in commercial collections or compilations without the express
written permission of the authors.
Ed Hall
Sliders (current maintainer)