Which were your favourite episodes of Sliders?

[Dave Howery]

one of the problems was that the show was stuck in San Francisco... so that all PODs that made up the alternate earths had to involve SF in some way... so there was an 'independent TX" world that had to stretch to SF, a 'gambling/casino' world that had to be centered on SF, etc. If they could have moved around more, they could have done more.
I should point out that I only saw the first two seasons, so if this all changed later, I never saw it...

 

[Rush Tarquin]

one of the problems was that the show was stuck in San Francisco... so that all PODs that made up the alternate earths had to involve SF in some way... so there was an 'independent TX" world that had to stretch to SF, a 'gambling/casino' world that had to be centered on SF, etc. If they could have moved around more, they could have done more.
I should point out that I only saw the first two seasons, so if this all changed later, I never saw it...

It later extended...all the way to LA.

 

[Petike]

one of the problems was that the show was stuck in San Francisco... so that all PODs that made up the alternate earths had to involve SF in some way... so there was an 'independent TX" world that had to stretch to SF, a 'gambling/casino' world that had to be centered on SF, etc. If they could have moved around more, they could have done more.
I should point out that I only saw the first two seasons, so if this all changed later, I never saw it...

Yeah. While it made sense they couldn't hop around too much in terms of geography, it was still silly how San Fran centric the show was, even to the point of bending each timeline to accomodate for the very local setting.

 

[Petike]

Speaking of the writers spit-balling implausible, silly worlds:

It makes fun of another trope from the show that always bugged me too - that they would stand around chatting for ages while the portal was open, usually to show off to the locals, and risk missing the slide window! Get your head in the game!

Quinn really is a prick ! (Never liked the guy, never liked the actor.)

"...or as my good friend Rembrandt calls me, Q-ball..." *sniggers*

 

[Brady Kj]

snip.

Wow! There's 13 worlds there I've never heard of! Are those all from the later seasons? I haven't seen many of those.
PS There have been at least 3 British worlds. The one where Arturo was somehow second in line to the throne, the one where Rembrandt got pregnant (and was somehow second in line to the throne), and the one where the San Francisco football team was the Royals. I think they shouldn't have had more than one world where a Slider is nearly in charge of the British Empire. Nude World was just a little joke at the end of an episode, and it worked great for that.
Another great one was El Sid. They went to a strangely peaceful but heavily rule-based San Francisco, with some shady guy as their guide, and they discussed the pros and cons of such a society before they figured out they're in a giant prison.

 

[Rush Tarquin]

Wow! There's 13 worlds there I've never heard of! Are those all from the later seasons? I haven't seen many of those.

Earth Prime tends to extrapolate a lot and just adds in a lot of relatively obvious alternate history worlds. So for example, there's a Nazi World entry in their travelogue, but we never see that world (and yes, it's distinct from the world in California Reich since that world is described as 'White World' on Earth Prime).

 

[alter]

From the ones you listed my favorites are Exodus and World Killer. I also have a soft spot for Roads Taken. I remember bawling my eyes out over it when I first saw it as a child, and no matter how often I see it again, it always makes me cry, especially the part where Quinn and Maggie's life is shown in the Bubble Universe, and Thomas, their son (who will soon be made never to exist) narrates. I don't know how this scene came off in the original English version, but in the Hungarian dub, it's very powerful and emotional. It's strange because I'm not a Romantic person, and don't care for Romance movies, but somehow this episode always has this effect on me.

Wow! There's 13 worlds there I've never heard of!

Mardi Gras, Buttonwillow, Rollerblade, and Lemoore world is only mentioned off-screen.

Sitting Moose, Edison, Public Transit, Forest, Spiderwasp, Romani, Cannibal, Ice cream, Corporate, and Nude worlds are only explored for minutes at the end or beginning of episodes.

Cuban Missile and Pastiche worlds are from a fanfic series, I think, related to the creators of the website earthprime.com


Oh, and I love Season 4, but hate Season 5 with a passion. I wish Jerry and Charlie stayed with the cast, and they continued the storyline of Season 4. Finding the real Kromagg Prime, meeting Quinn's parents, getting the anti-Kromagg weapon (not like depicted in Season 5), liberating Earth Prime, finding Wade (not like depicted in Season 5), and infiltrating the world the Kromaggs used as a base after they were banished from Kromagg Prime.

Anyway, my favourite episodes would be The King is Back because Rembrandt is my favourite character.

It's hard to pin down my favorite character, I think it depends on which Season we look at. My ultimate favorite was Maggie, she seemed to have the most "Eastern European" personality from all the characters, and most like the one I could relate to. She also resembled my Mother both in looks and personality. From Season 1 and 2, Quinn was my favorite, from Season 3 I liked Arturo the most. Wade was likeable through all of the three seasons she was in, perhaps she was the one whose personality changed the least.

Season 4 brought a lot of improvement and depth for all of the cast, except Quinn. I think I liked Remmy the most from that Season.

Although I don't like Season 5 like I said above, I had some sympathy for Diana in those episodes.

Colin and Mallory seemed pretty one-sided characters, though both revealed their more complex characteristics in later episodes.

 

[Rush Tarquin]

Although I don't like Season 5 like I said above, I had some sympathy for Diana in those episodes.

I generally liked the more character-driven episodes where the world differed in a more personal way for a character. That's why 'Applied Physics' is one of the better episodes of season 5 for me because Diana is faced with the idea that without Dr Geiger (ie. the bad guy) she would never have become what she thought was a self-made, accomplished PhD physicist and would have instead been a struggling single mother stereotype.

Finding the real Kromagg Prime, meeting Quinn's parents, getting the anti-Kromagg weapon (not like depicted in Season 5), liberating Earth Prime, finding Wade (not like depicted in Season 5), and infiltrating the world the Kromaggs used as a base after they were banished from Kromagg Prime.

You're just reminding me of all the times the writing was needlessly cruel and almost deliberately nasty toward the fanbase in the last season.

 

[alter]

I generally liked the more character-driven episodes where the world differed in a more personal way for a character. That's why 'Applied Physics' is one of the better episodes of season 5 for me because Diana is faced with the idea that without Dr Geiger (ie. the bad guy) she would never have become what she thought was a self-made, accomplished PhD physicist and would have instead been a struggling single mother stereotype.

I liked "Applied Physics" for the same reason. Like an echo of Season 4 in Season 5, but with Diana.

You're just reminding me of all the times the writing was needlessly cruel and almost deliberately nasty toward the fanbase in the last season.

Yeah, don't remind me of the time when I smashed my fist against the floor so hard it hurt, then went outside to kick the trunk of a pine tree until my parents came out to ask what's my problem.

Anti-Kromagg weapon - scrapped
Finding Wade - scrapped
Separating Quinn and Mallory and bringing Colin back - scrapped
Going to Kromagg Prime - scrapped

I was almost tempted to stage a protest for a Season 6, then I realized that the show was cancelled five years before Season 5 was shown in Hungary, and either way I don't have the financial means, nor the passport to fly to LA.

Now Sliders had a HUGE Hungarian fandom ever since its debut in the 90s up to that point, not just among stereotypical sci-fi fans, but from 6-year-old children up to 70-year-old grandmas, and message boards all over the Hungarian internet were furious that the show ended like this. When Quinn was merged with Mallory, and Colin became unstuck, a whole nation mourned. When Earth Prime was invaded by the Kromaggs, and Wade was transported to a breeder camp, previously enemious people in my Primary School (including so-called "Jocks") teamed up with people outside their social circle to find out what will happen next, based on who has Internet access and who knows English the best. All in all, it was a great time to be a Primary School student, and to imagine that this single not-very-well known TV-show united all of us.

 

[Rush Tarquin]

Now Sliders had a HUGE Hungarian fandom ever since its debut in the 90s up to that point, not just among stereotypical sci-fi fans, but from 6-year-old children up to 70-year-old grandmas, and message boards all over the Hungarian internet were furious that the show ended like this. When Quinn was merged with Mallory, and Colin became unstuck, a whole nation mourned. When Earth Prime was invaded by the Kromaggs, and Wade was transported to a breeder camp, previously enemious people in my Primary School (including so-called "Jocks") teamed up with people outside their social circle to find out what will happen next, based on who has Internet access and who knows English the best. All in all, it was a great time to be a Primary School student, and to imagine that this single not-very-well known TV-show united all of us.

Wow, contrast that with my country and I wasn't even aware it was still running in season 5 despite having been a massive fan of the show (or as massive as a kid could be). I doubt it was being televised in my country at that point. I caught up on it after the fact.

 

[alter]

Wow, contrast that with my country and I wasn't even aware it was still running in season 5 despite having been a massive fan of the show (or as massive as a kid could be). I doubt it was being televised in my country at that point. I caught up on it after the fact.

For us, it was simply the run of the weekly Saturday TV-shows. Early Afternoon: A Latin-American soap-opera, Mid-Afternoon: Sliders, Late-Afternoon: Stargate. This schedule was running on a widespread commercial TV-station which everyone could receive in the country with a rooftop antenna, and eventually all of the nation tuned in to these after-soap sci-fi series, not just young people. This was nothing new, as even in the Communist 80s, Knight Rider and MacGyver was shown during the Saturday afternoon run on State TV. My Grandma always appreciated how my cousin's and my imagination was fueled by Sliders and Stargate and how we went off on our adventures every Saturday during the summer vacation exploring new worlds and fighting the Kromaggs

Even now in my adult years, I crack a Kromagg joke once in a while with the Mother of one of my current friends, she understands it and asks whether we want the TV-remote as a Sliders-timer in our Role-Play. It still brings a smile to our faces.

 

[Brady Kj]

Wow. In the US, it fades into such obscurity that even though I loved it as a kid, I wasn't 100% positive my sister remembered the show until a couple years ago. On the occasions I've seen it referenced since then, I smiled just because it meant other people remember the show too.
I've only seen a couple episodes of the later seasons. I think Sliders switched to cable right before it started changing the cast around, and I didn't have cable. Now, Hulu has every episode until shortly after Arturo left the cast, but I haven't found where to find anything after that.

 

[Petike]

Wow, contrast that with my country and I wasn't even aware it was still running in season 5 despite having been a massive fan of the show (or as massive as a kid could be). I doubt it was being televised in my country at that point. I caught up on it after the fact.

Though it wasn't generally worth it catching up at that point.

 

[Johari Abdul Patah]

My ultimate favorite was Maggie, she seemed to have the most "Eastern European" personality from all the characters, and most like the one I could relate to.

what is "Eastern European personality"?

 

[alter]

what is "Eastern European personality"?

Toughness and no-nonsense pragmatism.

 

[alter]

Wow, contrast that with my country and I wasn't even aware it was still running in season 5 despite having been a massive fan of the show (or as massive as a kid could be). I doubt it was being televised in my country at that point. I caught up on it after the fact.

Wow. In the US, it fades into such obscurity that even though I loved it as a kid, I wasn't 100% positive my sister remembered the show until a couple years ago. On the occasions I've seen it referenced since then, I smiled just because it meant other people remember the show too.
I've only seen a couple episodes of the later seasons. I think Sliders switched to cable right before it started changing the cast around, and I didn't have cable. Now, Hulu has every episode until shortly after Arturo left the cast, but I haven't found where to find anything after that.

I find it a very interesting cultural phenomenon when a show which didn't have such a large fandom in its country of origin to begin with and has since largely faded into obscurity, unexpectedly gathers a much more diverse circle of fans in a totally different place and is still somewhat mainstream.

I've looked up "Sliders" on the Hungarian online TV-schedule which searches all TV-channels available in Hungary, tv.animare.hu, and the show is apparently still aired on three different Hungarian TV stations concurrently.

But then again, The A-Team, Knight Rider, and Macgyver is still pretty popular in Hungary. Not long ago, I've heard a group of kids around the age of 8 excitedly talking about the "new" Macgyver episode they watched yesterday like we were still in the 80s

 

[Johari Abdul Patah]

I find it a very interesting cultural phenomenon when a show which didn't have such a large fandom in its country of origin to begin with and has since largely faded into obscurity, unexpectedly gathers a much more diverse circle of fans in a totally different place and is still somewhat mainstream.

I've looked up "Sliders" on the Hungarian online TV-schedule which searches all TV-channels available in Hungary, tv.animare.hu, and the show is apparently still aired on three different Hungarian TV stations concurrently.

But then again, The A-Team, Knight Rider, and Macgyver is still pretty popular in Hungary. Not long ago, I've heard a group of kids around the age of 8 excitedly talking about the "new" Macgyver episode they watched yesterday like we were still in the 80s

Germans Love David Hasselhoff

 

[Petike]

Twitter of an ATL where Sliders was a hit show that lasted for 14 seasons.

what is "Eastern European personality"?

There is no such thing as an "Eastern European personality" or any "region X personality". People from everywhere have varying personalities, including great ones and crap ones, and everything in between.

Personally, I don't like the new characters from season 3 onward on principle. Regardless of what personality Maggie had (impressions or no impressions), I had no interest in her character because it was clearly based on an idea by clueless execs who wanted to get rid of Rhys-Davies and Lloyd.

Toughness and no-nonsense pragmatism.

Really ? I've looked at "true Eastern European behaviour" all my life, and I never got a sense of either "toughness" and "no-nonsense pragmatism". Mostly, I saw people who were actually cowards or incompetent, but trying to play tough guy in a vain hope to "amaze" others. Usually, other people found them just as rude as me, and they were either from Eastern Europe or other parts of Europe. So, on that front, I call BS on any "true Eastern European personality".

But this is getting political...

 

[Rush Tarquin]

Twitter of an ATL where Sliders was a hit show that lasted for 14 seasons.

The Kromagg Dynasty has outsourced its tech support needs to an enslaved Earth. Wade helps a Manta ship captain rebuild his Vista registry.

The Sliders visit the Bennish Buddha's monastery high atop Loma Prieta. Quinn uncovers a vast conspiracy masterminded by sentient bats.

Diana deciphers an alien message encoded in the Rosetta Stone. Colin takes Arturo's bowl away while he's eating and loses some fingers.

Mallory is disconsolate on a world where paraplegia is considered cool. Wade is relentlessly hunted by an undead motorcycle gang.

Wade's knowledge of C++ might hold the key to ending a plague. A Sliding mishap causes Quinn to become his own great-grandfather.

Arturo promises to prove chainsaws make effective close-quarters weapons. The Sliders pick up a replacement Arturo at the next Earth over.

Quinn sees the whole of the multiverse during a peyote-fueled vision quest. Arturo insists he's okay to drive after a fifth of gin.

Remarkably in character. Hmm, reference to ASBs...

 

[Brady Kj]

I find it a very interesting cultural phenomenon when a show which didn't have such a large fandom in its country of origin to begin with and has since largely faded into obscurity, unexpectedly gathers a much more diverse circle of fans in a totally different place and is still somewhat mainstream.

I've looked up "Sliders" on the Hungarian online TV-schedule which searches all TV-channels available in Hungary, tv.animare.hu, and the show is apparently still aired on three different Hungarian TV stations concurrently.

But then again, The A-Team, Knight Rider, and Macgyver is still pretty popular in Hungary. Not long ago, I've heard a group of kids around the age of 8 excitedly talking about the "new" Macgyver episode they watched yesterday like we were still in the 80s

Actually, there is a new Magyver series. I discovered it in December. Maybe they're airing it in Hungary at the same time as the US because it's so popular there.

But for shows catching on outside of where they started, I've heard on NPR about an extreme case of that, but I don't remember the details. The gist was that a guy starred on an action show that was canceled either in the 80s or the early 90s. And then the show was put on TV in Yugoslavia or somebody around there, and the country wasn't able to import a lot of TV shows. The show became a huge phenomenon there, and there's even songs about it. Meanwhile, the star quit acting and had no idea this was going on.