Streaming Sci Fi TV: Tracking down sci fi and fantasy shows of interest available on the streaming services. Note that these shows can be pulled from the services at any time with little notice.
[Updated]
What Is It?
One man invents a device that allows people to travel to parallel universes (referred to as “sliding”), and upon testing it, he and three others find themselves sent to another Earth with no certain way to return to their own world. They must slide across multiple Earths, some very different from their own and some with only slight variances, as they attempt to find their way back home.
Aired: 1995-99, FOX/The Sci Fi Channel, 5 Seasons Totaling 88 Episodes
Starring: Jerry O’Connell, Cleavant Derricks, Sabrina Lloyd, John Rhys-Davies, Kari Wuhrer, Charlie O’Connell
Created By: Tracy Tormé, Robert K. Weiss
Why Watch It?
Sliders hit the air in 1995 and delivered an interesting tale of a group of people traveling to parallel Earths in an attempt to get back to their own reality. It had a retro sci fi feel to it with some similarities to Irwin Allen’s The Time Tunnel from 1966 as well as some hints of Star Trek: TOS with the main characters visiting a new world each week. And it delivered a decent sci fi series when at its best, exploring some interesting “what if?” ideas and also offering some good drama at times with a sense of fun. But the broadcast networks were rather averse to sci fi at that time, and the execs at Fox tinkered with Sliders behind the scenes, wanting it to be a more action-oriented show that borrowed heavily from whatever was popular at the theaters. They also aired episodes out of order and eventually chased away the creators.
The cast of Sliders was its strength, and they did what they could to hold things together through the first three seasons. But John Rhys-Davies regularly complained about the scripts and he was written out during the third season before Fox decided to cancel the show altogether. Syfy would pick it up for two more seasons, though the budget was cut and they continued with the network tinkering, leading to further cast departures. But throughout its run, the show did produce some good episodes, and it could be plenty of fun when it was hitting on all cylinders. It has since gone on to become a cult favorite (you can read more about the show at Cult-SciFi.com) and it is at least worth a look for sci fi fans.
Where Is It Streaming?
The entire series is available for streaming with a subscription to Peacock, and you can watch with or without ads, depending on the tier you pay for. The show is also streaming for free (with ads) on Xumo Play. That is one of several free streaming services out there and it has a few other genre selections of interest like The Lost World, Dark Shadows, My Favorite Martian, One Step Beyond, and more. And it has just arrived on Tubi TV, another free service, and that one has quite a lot of genre shows and movies available to watch. It is also available to purchase VOD from providers like Amazon.com
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