Sliders
By Emily Ashby,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Smart, thought-provoking sci-fi series is great for teens.
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What's the Story?
SLIDERS is a sci-fi series that follows four people as they journey between parallel universes through vortexes of time and space. Central to the group is Quinn Mallory (Jerry O'Connell), a brilliant physics student who inadvertently developed the "sliding" technology. He is joined by his mentor, Professor Maximillian Arturo (John Rhys-Davies); his friend Wade Welles (Sabrina Lloyd); and Rembrandt Brown (Cleavant Derricks), an unsuspecting bystander who's drawn into the fray when he's accidentally sucked through the vortex with the others. Unable to find their way back to their own dimension, the four hop between different versions of Earth, getting pulled into the struggles of the residents there and hoping that one of their trips will take them back to their own time and place. The series ran for five seasons and experienced cast changes that saw some characters leave and others -- including Maggie Beckett (Kari Wuhrer) and Quinn's brother, Colin Mallory (Charlie O'Connell) -- join the group on their quest to return home.
Is It Any Good?
It's no wonder that Sliders was a hit with sci-fi fans in the late '90s. The show is smart and its premise unique, plus it adds in just the right level of comedy to lighten the mood at appropriate times without resorting to corniness. It manages to toe the line between entertaining and challenging viewers to think critically about how the world has evolved over time, thanks to storylines that adjust history to present images of how the world would look if important events were altered, like the outcomes of wars or the invention of modern medicine.
This is good news for viewers who want something besides a predictable, one-dimensional story, but Sliders does require some background experience and knowledge for the show's format and somewhat fragmented storyline to make sense. For this reason, it's best suited for teens and adults, and those who watch will be treated to a thought-provoking journey through versions of what might have been our world had history played out differently.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how history shapes us. What events in history have had lasting effects that still influence your life? How does the way you live your life reflect the values you hold dear?
Teens: Did this show change how you view long-past events? Do you think that was the show's intention? What other shows have you seen that are a good example of entertaining education?
How have scientific advancements changed our life in the past few decades? What do you think people from previous generations would think of how we live and work now? How do these advancements affect our personal relationships? Are they always an improvement in that regard?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 22, 1995
- Cast: Jerry O'Connell , John Rhys-Davies , Sabrina Lloyd
- Network: Discovery Family Channel
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures , Science and Nature
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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