Sliders: Everything We Know About The Reboot

What’s the current status of a Sliders reboot? In March 2019, two of the main cast members were reportedly in talks with NBC about a possible Sliders revival, which prompted speculation about legal rights and the thematic premise for new episodes. Created by Tracy Tormé and Robert K. Weiss, Sliders aired for five seasons on Fox and SyFy between 1995 and 2000.

Sliders was never a major network hit but attracted sci-fans fans with its parallel universe premise. The series begins with Quinn Mallory (Jerry O’Connell) inadvertently “sliding” into an alternate earth where Russia rules over America. For the initial first two seasons on Fox, the supporting cast consisted of Sabrina Lloyd as Wade Welles, Cleavant Derricks as Rembrandt “Crying Man” Brown, and John Rhys-Davies as Professor Maximilian Arturo. Sliders season 3 introduced Kari Wuhrer as Capain Maggie Beckett, a replacement for a killed-off character. After being cancelled by Fox in 1997, SyFy picked up Sliders for seasons 4 and 5.

It’s been over two decades since the Sliders season 5 finale ended with a major cliffhanger. In 2000, O’Connell was somewhat of a movie star due to prominent roles in Scream, Jerry Maguire, and his debut performance as Vern Tessio in Stand By Me; yet, he wasn’t able to sustain that industry momentum during the early 21st century. In the past decade, however, O’Connell has appeared in numerous high-profile televisions shows and currently stars as Harley Carter in the CTV Drama Channel series Carter. O’Connell would almost certainly be involved in a possible Sliders reboot — if it gets greenlit.

Sliders Reboot Release Date

A Sliders reboot hasn’t official been greenlit yet. O’Connell and Rhys-Davies were reportedly discussing a reboot with NBC prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, an updated version of the series doesn’t appear to be an immediate priority. Moving forward, NBCUniversal could incorporate Sliders into the new streaming platform Peacock, which debuted in July 2020 and will be home to the upcoming reboots for Battlestar Galactica, Punky Brewster, and Saved by the Bell. Don’t be surprised if executives order a Sliders update for 2021. According to Rhys-Davies:

“Jerry had been pestering me for a number of years and we’re actually talking to NBC at the moment to see if there’s any possibility of rebooting the series. They’re looking into the basic question of who actually owns it? At the moment we don’t seem to be able to find that out. I would do it again, if just to show how it should be done.”

Sliders Reboot Cast

The casting for a Sliders reboot depends on the narrative approach. O’Connell is currently 46 years old and has been pitching the project with the 76-year-old Rhys-Davies, whose character was originally killed off, along with Lloyd’s character Welles. A Sliders reboot would theoretically star O’Connell and possibly the aforementioned Derricks. However, it’s certainly possible that characters could somehow return for a new update.

Sliders Reboot Story Details

The new Sliders will most likely revolve around O’Connell’s Quinn Mallory, whether it’s the original character or a double that enters the storyline. A proper narrative continuation would address the Sliders season 5 cliffhanger, in which Rembrandt slides off and leaves the rest of the gang wondering if their collective fates have been prophesied. Given that Quinn and company are famous for inspiring a TV series within the Sliders series itself, that may be the ideal meta scenario for a Digital Age Sliders reboot, possibly even with Rhys-Davies. According to the actor:

“I think maybe if we got another chance at doing it with the new technology, but also new stories, I think we could do something quite extraordinary. I wouldn’t want to do it for the rest of my life, but I would do it for a season or two if it was right.”

About The Author

Q.V. Hough
(1892 Articles Published)

Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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