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Subject: Sliders FAQ: General Questions (Part 1 of 4)
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Version: 2.0 (text)
Summary: This posting contains the answers to many Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) about the SCI-FI Channel TV series SLIDERS.
Part one of four related SLIDERS posts. New maintainer.
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#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
SLIDERS FAQ: GENERAL QUESTIONS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is Part 1 of the four part SLIDERS Frequently Asked Questions posting.
This is the *original* FAQ about the science fiction tv programme Sliders,
which now has a new maintainer.
All four parts 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 was originated by
Ed Hall at [email protected].

Please send additions, questions, comments, and corrections to this FAQ to
[email protected]. Thanks!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT IS SLIDERS?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"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
Welles (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 and then to Sci-Fi Channel, before the last season was
screened.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHO CREATED SLIDERS?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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:

Tracy Torme (Co-Creator/Writer/Executive Producer of SLIDERS)

Tracy 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," writing some of that series'
best-received episodes (including "The Big Good-bye", for which he won a
Peabody Award). Torme also served as Writer/Producer on the Emmy-nominated
mini-series "Intruders."

In addition to his many television credits, Torme wrote the screenplay for
the 1993 film "Fire In The Sky," which he also co-produced.

At present, Torme is developing "Dark City," a ninety minute pilot for
HBO, and is working on the script for a film based on Richard Matheson's
classic novel "I Am Legend," which he will also produce.

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. St.
Clare's 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 has
changed to that of Executive Consultant.

Mr. Weiss has been known to post on both alt.tv.sliders and on America
Online.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SLIDERS PROLOGUE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTORS' BIOGRAPHIES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most of the following information is from a Fox Broadcasting press release:

Jerry O'Connell (Quinn Mallory)

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", "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 Jason Priestly. 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.

A native New Yorker, O'Connell is currently a senior at NYU, where he is
majoring in Film and Television. He is also a member of the university's
sabre fencing team. He was born on February 17th, 1974.

A recent movie Jerry O'Connel has starred in, is "MISSION TO MARS".

Sabrina Lloyd (Wade Kathleen Welles)

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."

Lloyd made her first feature film appearance in "Chain of Desire" and
subsequently starred in "Father Hood" with Patrick Swayze. For television,
Lloyd made a guest starring appearance in the series "Law & Order" and
starred in television movies as "The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter" and "Off
Limits."

Lloyd currently resides in New York and her birthdate is November 11th.

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 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 currently resides in Agoura Hills, CA and his birthdate is May
15th.

John Rhys-Davies (Professor Maximillian P. Arturo)

Acclaimed Welsh-born actor John Rhys-Davies is probably best know to film
audiences for his roles in the 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", and "King Solomon's Mine".

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 ([email protected]) 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.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECURRING CHARACTERS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No matter where the Sliders travel, they keep running into some of the same
people again and again. I've broken up this list 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.

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]

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.

Whether or not this has anything to do with events which take place in the
episode "Post Traumatic Slide Syndrome" is unknown. It's interesting to
speculate however....

LATEST UPDATE: I've heard that John Rhys-Davies approached Universal in early
June about returning to the show for the third season. No word yet on
Universal's response.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 gets asked all
the time in the alt.tv.sliders newsgroup and
yet isn't here, drop me a line at [email protected] 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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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. In the USA,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. In Europe it has started being shown recently.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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: Are there any SLIDERS toys?

A: I heard in Fall of 1995 that there were some in the works but I haven't
heard anything since.

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: Of course 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>

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
Welles 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

Fox had an e-mail address ([email protected]) during SLIDERS first season
but it doesn't seem to be working anymore.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 theorum.

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.

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OTHER SOURCES OF ONLINE SLIDERS INFORMATION
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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) has been know to post tidbits of
information regarding future episodes here. 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! We have our
own newsgroup (alt.tv.sliders) for that. 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
[email protected] 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 ([email protected]).

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
[email protected] and in the *subject* of the message type
"subscribe" without the quotes and without your name.

This list is run by Kyrie Daniels ([email protected]).

SLIDERS Internet Relay Chat (IRC):

SLIDERS fans gather in the #sliders channel on IRC after each episode airs.

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NEWS
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9 January 2001

Updated version of Sliders FAQ (approved by the Usenet answers team) released on
Usenet - new maintainer and url.

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 ([email protected]) 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 (known also as SPACE:2063) takes over the timeslot in the fall.
Fox also said "a decision on SLIDERS as a fall backup is still pending."

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THE MUSIC OF SLIDERS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This has been moved to part 4.
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COLOPHON
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Sliders FAQ consists of four postings:

1. Sliders FAQ: General Questions and Answers (this one!)
2. Sliders FAQ: Episode Guide
3. Sliders FAQ: Alternate Earths
4. Sliders FAQ: Sliders Music

These are posted on a regular basis to the alt.tv.sliders,
rec.arts.sf.tv, alt.answers, rec.answers, and
news.answers newsgroups.

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 ([email protected])
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My thanks to the following people who, in one way or another, helped make
this a better FAQ:

Stewart M. Clamen ([email protected])
Brian Eirik Coe ([email protected])
Kyrie Daniels ([email protected])
Darren "PromoGuy" Denham ([email protected])
Ed Dravecky III ([email protected])
Beth Epstein ([email protected])
Frank Garcia ([email protected])
Mitch Gold ([email protected])
Vincent V. Juodvalkis ([email protected])
C. Daniel Kinser ([email protected])
Tim Lucas ([email protected])
J. Brett Martinson ([email protected])
Will Mengarini ([email protected])
Nigel G. Mitchel ([email protected])
David Playle ([email protected])
Lloyd "Gromit" Quinto ([email protected])
Robin Reid ([email protected])
Scott W. Roby ([email protected])
Mark Schey ([email protected])
Stephen Sisk ([email protected])
Ford A. Thaxton ([email protected])
Larry Trujillo ([email protected])

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!

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Copyright (c) 1995,1996 by Ed Hall. All rights reserved.
Additions (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 at [email protected]
Sliders (current maintainer) at [email protected]

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