If you grew up in the 1990s (and were a dedicated sci-fi fan), chances are you encountered Fox’s beloved cult series, “Sliders.” The show that ran for five seasons between 1995 and 2000 quickly garnered a sizable fanbase with its first two seasons that starred Jerry O’Connell, Sabrina Lloyd, John Rhys-Davies, and Cleavant Derricks as its core team. Together, this team explored alternate universes through fantastic adventures. “Sliders” was a ton of fun because the actors had terrific chemistry, which, combined with the thought-provoking and stimulating writing, resulted in a peculiar little series that wasn’t afraid to push boundaries and experiment: at least, throughout the first two seasons. After that, the quality dropped, and cast regulars slowly started to leave the show.
But while things were still going great, “Sliders” actually laid down a blueprint of multiverse scenarios (being far ahead of its time) that the MCU has been obsessed with for the past 7-8 years. Whether we’re talking “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” or “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” most Marvel stories on the big screen have been revolving around alternate universes lately.
Which is why (maybe more than ever) now would be a perfect time to revive “Sliders” with its original cast. Two former cast members have spoken about a reboot for years, saying they would totally welcome it if the approach is right.
Jerry O’Connell and John Rhys-Davies might be up for a Sliders reboot
Jerry O’Connell (who played Quinn Mallory for 70 episodes) and his co-star John Rhys-Davis (who played Professor Max Arturo for 40 episodes) have been talking about where the show went wrong, and how, as of late. But they were also keen on a revival, stating that they’d potentially reprise their roles. According to Syfy, O’Connell shared his opinion online about what direction the series should go if it ever gets the green light. He said, “I love my experience and everyone involved, but come Season 3, we had all new bosses. A lot more guns/CGI/Explosions. I personally preferred the first two seasons. If we ever reboot, that’s the direction I would go…”
In a separate Syfy interview, Rhys-Davies was a lot more specific about how the series could continue. He explained, “My idea and proposal was we regroup the original four, which can be done, and what we’re doing through the seasons is rescuing a few people, testing them to see how the public responds to these characters, and using that essentially as a casting process.”
Considering how many TV shows return (or get revived) these days — such as “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Frasier,” or “The Twilight Zone” — it’d totally make sense to bring back a 30-year-old series like “Sliders.” Nostalgia sells, and given the technological advancements that occurred in the last three decades, “Sliders” could easily have a chance to become big again. Sadly, however, fans will have to wait: There’s been no news or confirmation tied to whether a revival will ever happen.
