‘Sliders’ Turns 30! Celebrate With 8 Facts About the Show That Are More Fun Than Jumping Through a Wormhole
You loved him on the big screen in Stand by Me.; maybe you caught him on the daytime hit The Talk. However, somewhere between classic ’90s series My Secret Identity and 2003 big-screen bomb Kangaroo Jack, Jerry O’Connell led an ensemble cast of intrepid reality-benders through five seasons of sci-fi goodness know as Sliders.
Premiering on Fox in 1995, Sliders followed a physics student (O’Connell) who discovers a way to … well, you guessed it … “slide” through wormholes to different parallel universes. But once he and his buddies have left our world, they discover that getting back home isn’t so easy; the group find themselves sent from alternate reality to alternate reality, where things are a little different than in our own — like, say, Russia controls the US, Elvis is still alive, or all modern technology is banned. Beyond Jerry, the show boasted an eclectic (if ever-changing) cast, including Cleavant Derricks, Sabrina Lloyd, John Rhys-Davies, Kari Wuhrer, and Jerry’s brother Charlie O’Connell.
Despite being canceled by Fox after only three seasons, the show’s rabid fanbase demanded more, so it quickly found new life on the Sci-Fi Channel before “sliding” away for good in 2000. With a 30-year legacy to celebrate, here are some little-known facts about Sliders.
1 The Show Was Inspired by … Mad Magazine??
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Robert K. Weiss and Tracey Tormé, the original creators of the show, found inspiration in all the right places, including iconic science fiction series like The Twilight Zone and The Time Tunnel, not to mention Robert Heinlein’s classic book, By His Bootstraps. However, Weiss was also influenced by a surprising resource – a recurring Mad Magazine feature entitled “Scenes We’d Like to See,” which featured unlikely scenarios, like a princess whose kiss turns a frog into a handsome prince … but when she meets the rest of his family, she discovers that they, too, are frogs.
2 Tormé Learned from Sci-Fi Royalty
Paramount/Courtesy: Everett Collection.
A protégé of the legendary Gene Roddenberry, Torme cut his teeth working on Star Trek: The Next Generation and learned the art of tackling controversial social issues through the lens of a world that was different than ours. These learnings set the table for Sliders‘ satirical take on Earth’s mightiest problems, such as a season one episode that explored a reality where Hillary Clinton was US President and men were discriminated against.
3 Weiss Whisperer
Ever wonder who originally whispered the word “sliders” in the opening credits? Turns out it was Robert K. Weiss, whose voice was used for the first two seasons. After that, the trademark whisper was handled by a variety of cast members.
4 Tragedy on The Set
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Sadly, guest star Ken Steadman, a veteran of shows like Baywatch and NYPD Blue, died tragically as a result of a horrific accident during production. He was riding in a dune buggy during a pivotal scene when it overturned unexpectedly and killed him.
5 O’Connell Made His Mark in Front of and Behind The Cameras
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In addition to headlining the show for four seasons, Jerry O’Connell took the opportunity to spread his wings in a new way by trying out the director’s chair. He ended up directing five episodes in total, building enough of a reputation to score additional directing opportunities on Mistresses and Andi Mack.
6 Talk About a Perfect Stunt Double
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Former Broadway star Cleavant Derricks, the first actor to take on the role of James ‘Thunder’ Early in Dreamgirls, had the perfect actor to play alternate versions of his character, Rembrandt: his real-life twin brother, Clinton Derricks-Carroll. Appearing in three episodes of the series, Clinton’s presence allowed the two doppelgangers to interact without the usual post-production trickery that involves the splicing together of one actor playing both sides of a conversation.
7 The Show Was Plagued with Departures…
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Talk about turnover! While the show’s overall spirit kept loyal fans invested for all five seasons, most of its stars couldn’t be bothered to stay for the duration. In fact, Cleavant Derricks was the only original cast member to stick around from beginning to end.
John Rhys-Davies got the ball rolling, bailing during Season 3 due to discontent over the quality of the writing. Tormé, Weiss and producer John Landis also walked away around that time for similar reasons. Sabrina Lloyd chose not to return after the show was picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel (although she agreed to cameo in season 5 to tie up her storyline, albeit via voiceover.) Both O’ Connells left after season 4, unhappy with what they felt was too much of a shift from the show’s original direction.
8… Not to Mention Some Great Additions
Chris Cuffaro/Universal Television/Courtesy: Everett Collection
While the departure of fan-favorite characters certainly stung, those vacancies also opened the door for fun new characters (and the actors who portrayed them) to enter the Sliders world. Most notably, Kari Wuhrer joined the cast as Captain Maggie Beckett following Rhys-Davies’ exit, becoming a permanent fixture until the very end. The talented Tembi Locke also climbed about the series as Dr. Diana Davis in season five.
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