Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Happy to hear that Tracy's revival continues!

62 (edited by RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan 2021-07-02 08:34:08)

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Who knows, maybe SyFy channel or Peacock would bite.  There was a time a few years ago, when everyone was trying to chase prestige tv and mimick AMC/USA's success.  Sliders was looked down upon, seen as hoaky.  Perhaps development execs will be warmer to the franchise given all their failures in trying to create new ones.  The biggest issue is just how big Sliders is?  Too cult?  Too many years ago?  Maybe, maybe not.

Sliders cost money to do right because it's based on the premise of a different world of the week.  If Tracy has an approach that is interesting enough from a character perspective, and a network/studio thinks programming can be done at a medium range, perhaps lower end of that, budget level then maybe we get to see the gang back together?

One thing is for sure.  Tracy has always been ahead of his time from a creative perspective.  He's never been given full runway as a creator to just go with his gut.  But the man can create something interesting to people, and that's not the case for every creator in hollywood who gets an opportunity.  So I hope he is given a chance to do Sliders again -- because maybe we'll get more storytelling that lasts the test of time, at least to some audience.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Well Cabbie, this is the time to push for projects on Peacock.  NBC are pushing for new projects to up the subscriber base.  A couple years from now, they'll be like Netflix and not want to spend any money.

64 (edited by RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan 2021-07-02 14:00:51)

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Grizzlor wrote:

Well Cabbie, this is the time to push for projects on Peacock.  NBC are pushing for new projects to up the subscriber base.  A couple years from now, they'll be like Netflix and not want to spend any money.

I think they spent a billion dollars on programming and made like 100-150m on it last year.  So they are in the hole significantly.  A lot of key execs actually lost their jobs. 

Point being, Peacock is gonna be very careful about what they put money into now, but they have seen some success with Girls5Eva and maybe a couple of other things.  Making peacock a success is important to  the future of the company (though there's  been some rumors they may have to throw in the towel and merge with another giant if they can't see a path with it).  Something like Sliders they'd really have to be convinced of to greenlight.  They already have streaming numbers of the library to make some assumptions on consumer interest on.  I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility they could give it a shot because it is so hard to create new shows/brands now. 

We just have to also appreciate they don't have a lot of ability to greenlight many originals.  Not many bets they can take so any of these decisions are big for them but they may say we'll give it a shot.  They of course did go for nostalgia with Saved by the Bell and Punky Brewster.  I am not sure how they'd assess the success of those bets.

But in any case, either Peacock or SyFy would be a great home for it.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I don't know if SLIDERS needs to be an expensive show. It could be filmed in Toronto with stock footage of San Francisco intercut with studio and outdoor shots. The harbourfront could represent the coastal areas of San Francisco. SLIDERS only has one critical effect: the vortex. Alternate realities on the Torme model are best presented through set dressing, signs, costuming, news articles and segments, dialogue and performances, not computer generated special effects. Crises are addressed through conversation and negotiation. Peacock could probably do a SLIDERS reboot with a new cast, a revival with the original cast, a Disney Channel style version and might still have spent less than they did on SAVED BY THE BELL.

66 (edited by RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan 2021-07-02 14:47:50)

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

ireactions wrote:

I don't know if SLIDERS needs to be an expensive show. It could be filmed in Toronto with stock footage of San Francisco intercut with studio and outdoor shots. The harbourfront could represent the coastal areas of San Francisco. SLIDERS only has one critical effect: the vortex. Alternate realities on the Torme model are best presented through set dressing, signs, costuming, news articles and segments, dialogue and performances, not computer generated special effects. Crises are addressed through conversation and negotiation. Peacock could probably do a SLIDERS reboot with a new cast, a revival with the original cast, a Disney Channel style version and might still have spent less than they did on SAVED BY THE BELL.

perhaps.  however, we saw some of that on season 4&5.   I think the show benefits from having a lot of locations to utilize, but that drives up the cost.

back in 95, i think s1 was about 1.4m per episode. s2 and 3 about 1.2.  then with syfy it got to be 600-800k.

although I do agree tracy is such a talent, you could probably do something still interesting without many locations.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Well, I would argue that the budget in S4 - 5 was severely mismanaged by:

  • That ridiculous Chandler Hotel set which was lavish, overlarge and devoured the episodic budget with its rental and maintenance fees

  • The constant emphasis on stories that are presented and resolved in terms of gunfights, vehicle chases, fistfights, laser beams, historical reenactment groups playing cowboys and civil war soldiers, motorcycle stunts, etc.

  • Repeatedly stripping episodes of their episodic budget to set aside money for a grand scale series finale (that was never filmed)

  • Leather jackets

I think Torme wouldn't have written scripts that needed an action budget and therefore wouldn't strain against the restrictions the way the Sci-Fi years often did.

68 (edited by RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan 2021-07-02 16:39:34)

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

ireactions wrote:

Well, I would argue that the budget in S4 - 5 was severely mismanaged by:

  • That ridiculous Chandler Hotel set which was lavish, overlarge and devoured the episodic budget with its rental and maintenance fees

  • The constant emphasis on stories that are presented and resolved in terms of gunfights, vehicle chases, fistfights, laser beams, historical reenactment groups playing cowboys and civil war soldiers, motorcycle stunts, etc.

  • Repeatedly stripping episodes of their episodic budget to set aside money for a grand scale series finale (that was never filmed)

  • Leather jackets

I think Torme wouldn't have written scripts that needed an action budget and therefore wouldn't strain against the restrictions the way the Sci-Fi years often did.

The leather jackets pretty much summed up those seasons!

There were some scripts however that could have played better with a bigger budget.  The universal lot looked like a lot, so many of the episodes looked the same.  It def. had an impact on quality imo.  That said, it was also Sci-Fi's no. 2 show... almost no. 1.

Parallels was a pilot shot for fox digital five or so years ago.  They filmed in a foreign location to help drive down cost and did some amazing thing with CGI.  I got the sense it was done for like 500k to 800k.  So there certainly are ways.  If the stars are willing to go to a less than desirable location. 

The thing is, whether Sliders comes back on a SyFy or a Peacock, you don't want to set the budget too high to the point where it is unprofitable (even nbc's manifest can't find a new home despite being no. 1 on netflix for example)... but  you also don't want to set it too low where (a) it's not a strong enough (standout enough) final product where it can't attract an audience beyond hardcore fans, and (b) fails to make the network or streamer an irreplaceable part of those viewers' lives.  Because that passion is what drives cable subscription fees to the network or in the case of premium, sign-up or audience retention.   

I still think it's more challenging to have a many-worlds show moreso stuck on a lot but you are right that tracy is very clever and might be able to go with more subtle differences in worlds to create interesting situations.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Thanks JWSlider3. I sent out an update to everyone who has signed the petition. I linked the forum. Sounds like promising stuff, and as ireactions says at least Tracy still cares about the show.

slidecage.com
Twitter @slidersfanblog
Instagram slidersfanblog

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Thanks JWSlider3.

I mentioned this a while ago how it’s great to know Torme still cares about the show. Most show creators would have just moved on to another project and completely forgot about it, despite ending on a bad note. It’s very kind.

ireaction’s is right on the money in what ruined the budget in those later seasons. The historical reanactments are good. It would have been better if they didn’t spend all their money on those vehicle and action chases, and spent the whole season in the Chandler Hotel...and leather jackets.

I have a feeling that if Sliders returns, it will probably be on Netflix or some big streaming platform. I know NBCUniversal has the rights to it but let’s just hope that Fox doesn’t get their mitts on it again.

I also agree, Sliders doesn’t need to be a huge expensive show. Some episodes can be more expensive then others, but then it’s good to have low budget episodes like In Dino Verates sprinkled it.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

There's another thing about most TV creators: most TV creators with a property would try to reboot it with a new cast and happily alter their property into whatever would sell the most easily. MACGYVER (1985) was a show about a genius secret agent with interesting hair, MacGyver. MacGyver worked alone. MacGyver avoided violence and gunplay and declared himself a pacifist (although he had some punchouts). MacGyver had come into espionage from the civilian world as a handyman, engineer and general contractor. MacGyver worked for a non-governmental firm that consulted on crisis situations and did not work for the US government and was deeply skeptical of American intelligence services and their morals and values. (Admittedly, in the first season, MacGyver fired a gun in the Pilot and was said to be a Vietnam veteran specializing in bomb disposal; these references were expunged in Season 2.)

The creator of the show, Lee David Zlotoff, had really only been involved in the first season. When the opportunity came for Zlotoff to pitch a reboot, Zlotoff altered the 2016 version to make MacGyver a more conventional 2016 action hero: MacGyver was now a former Afghanistan-experienced bomb disposal specialist for the US Army; his organization is a front for the CIA; he works on a team which has an expert marksman and a later martial artist -- which makes MacGyver's non-violent preferences oddly meaningless because he has no problem with his partners shooting and killing and beating people to a pulp. The CIA is presented as an almost totally benevolent organization devoted to relief work through various subsidiaries. MacGyver was now played by a young man in his mid-20s rather than a man in his late-30s.

Why did Zlotoff make these changes? My guess is that it made it easier to sell and Zlotoff was less concerned about maintaining his creation and more concerned with producing a pitch that CBS would be willing to buy and air.

I feel that Torme completely rejects this approach. He is only going to work on the version of SLIDERS that is true to his vision and if a studio wouldn't want to fund it or a broadcaster wouldn't want to air it, Torme is fine with that. Torme would rather not work on SLIDERS than work on a version of SLIDERS that isn't the version he wants to make, and the version he wants to make is with the original cast that accounts for the passage of time since 1994 / 1995 / 2000. To him, a continuity reboot with a new cast is a version of SLIDERS that somebody else can try to make.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Firstly, blasphema from ireactions!!!  TORONTO!?!?!  NEVER!  Vancouver all the way!  LOL

The budget should not be our concern.  The problem which Torme will have is the same one he dealt with 25+ years ago.  Will studio execs understand the concept?  Remember, TV critics swore Sliders was a time travel show, and FOX has no use for alternate history, eventually leading to lazy movie of the week crap.  Multiverse shows/movies have come and gone for many years now, and their longevity is not great.  Why?  Well, pretty simple, not a single one of them has featured the Lost in Space, Land of the Lost, Quantum Leap like format where your cast moves through the multiverse each week.  It's what's always baffled me, but they never do it.  I think a lot has to do with the way they wish to tell stories, to have that "anchor" in one reality.  The OA, Counterpart, Fringe, The Leftovers, Lost, Arrow/Flash, The Man In the High Castle.....they all feature that anchor like Star Trek has done with it's Mirror Universe.  It's old fashioned story telling.  Sliders is an adventure story that can reset every week.  I guess studios and writers hate this concept?  That makes absolutely no sense, because if you ask any actor or writer who worked on Sliders, they can only praise the format.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

For a long time, one of my descriptions of Sliders is that it’s Twilight Zone if Rod Serling was a character in the story each week instead of a narrator.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

The one world thing each week is probably one of the best aspects of sliders. Clean cut storytelling. You go there, have a problem, get it fixed and then slide out. End of show. Yes, Sliders can reset itself each week but it can also have the opportunity to have on going story threads like Torme wanted to do with the bringing people along and the FBI agents thread.

I feel like studio execs will have a better time understanding the concept today then they did in 1995. Since then, there has been multiverse content on the air. I don’t think there wasn’t much of it in the 90s. Especially with Rick and Morty being very popular, I have a feeling Sliders will have a chance at being put on the air again.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

If it came back with original cast, especially Sabrina too, and Tracy at the helm, than it imo is every true sliders fan's dream to come true.  Wow how great would that be.  A second shot at what we loved. I won't let myself get overly excited until we hear it actually is going into production but it would be special if it happened.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

In the 90's was probably its best chance for success, star trek tng and xfiles made Sci fi cool, Quantum Leap had been off the air just long enough people were looking for a substitute it was a easy sell quantum leap meets twighlight zone.  Fox was the only one having trouble, they put it in Friday, it delivered OK ratings, it actually had goid ratings in yr 1 after 90210, out performing the show it replaced party of 5, but po5 was the audience fox was after.

If xfiles hadn't exploded in that Friday night then the numbers sliders and millennium were delivering would of impressed fox more, tgif on ABC was a juggernaut that would take cbs stilling its best shows 4 years later to destroy.

Saying that,
So if this reboot was to happen, Quinn 1995, displaced lives of 4 people that outside of the professor were not established and even he didn't really ever bring up the fact that Quinn destroyed his career by him dissapearing with no notice from the University.

Saying that, if using original cast, I would assume trying to continue the original show to some extent, if the show just plays it as the team has been stuck on the same world for 29.7 years, how upset will the team be that he screwed with their lives again, so they could be old men sliders, going to dangerous places?

Of course the team could be stuck on a earth with limited resources and the better choice is to slide.

77 (edited by Tucker 2021-07-04 07:52:24)

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I’ve heard some people say that the ratings could have been better if they put it in a different time slot. The same people who watched 90210 are probably not the same people who watched Sliders. I’ve heard a comment that there was a show called VR5 back in the day that wasn’t very good, but did okay in the ratings because it premiered after the X-Files. People would stick around and watch it. If they had swapped Sliders and VR5 they might have done better in the ratings. Sliders is more closely linked with the X-Files then it is with 90210.

Honestly I don’t know how a reboot is going to go. Of course if you get the original actors, some explanation is going to be needed. I feel that explanation might be as simple as we started following the wrong sliders at some point in time. The universe being broken and repaired is great for fanfiction, but it probably wouldn’t work in a TV show reboot that would as well be trying to capture a new audience as well as the people who liked the old show back in the day.

So if this reboot was to happen, Quinn 1995, displaced lives of 4 people that outside of the professor were not established and even he didn't really ever bring up the fact that Quinn destroyed his career by him dissapearing with no notice from the University.
Saying that, if using original cast, I would assume trying to continue the original show to some extent, if the show just plays it as the team has been stuck on the same world for 29.7 years, how upset will the team be that he screwed with their lives again, so they could be old men sliders, going to dangerous places?

Eh, I’m not sure. Good idea but I don’t think I want an entire show where the team is just blaming Quinn for getting them lost. I’m sure he already deals with a lot of guilt of that already.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

VR5 featured a hot blonde, Lori Singer, that was it's only appeal.  The show stunk.  A Sliders revival would initially have the benefit of that Lost in Space angle, where the cast becomes lost in the multiverse.  From there is the question, though, because if further seasons were ordered, the network/carrier is going to expect some kind of long-term, background story arc.  That's something Torme preferred not to do, and in fact we never saw that on the show until the chase of Rickman.

79 (edited by Tucker 2021-07-04 14:08:43)

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

From what I heard, Torme wanted to do some ongoing continuity story arcs. He had a thing planned for Ryan where he would slide with them for four or five episodes and then sacrifice himself for either Wade or Quinn. I know Torme wanted to do something about Bennish and the FBI Agents on Earth Prime searching for the sliders. And of course, Logan St. Clair was set up as a recurring villian until Fox shut that down. But yes, most definitely the network or streaming service today who picks up the show will want some ongoing story arcs.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I suspect the simplest route for a SLIDERS revival that meets Torme's requirements: in 2021, a 48 year-old Quinn Mallory discovers sliding for the first time and on his first adventure, he brings along his ex-wife (Wade), his former teacher (Arturo), and an over-the-hill R&B musician-turned music teacher (Rembrandt). Old fans of the show understand that these are not the same people we met in 1995; they are doubles of the originals. New fans view them as new characters and get into the show on the ground floor. Temporal Flux suggested the older-doubles approach for a new pilot in 2000; Slider_Quinn21 suggested that the present-day ages could be continually updated in each hypothetical reboot concept -- and if Torme is insistent on the original cast, this ensures the absolute minimum of continuity confusion even if the original versions of the characters are left as they were in 2000.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Tracy Tormé is live tonight 7/5/21 on Youtube with the Cardinal Sin Channel 8:00pm EST:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq_iXGXZGdc

slidecage.com
Twitter @slidersfanblog
Instagram slidersfanblog

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

It would be a great opportunity to ask about Sliders return.

JWSlider3

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I asked all my followers on twitter to join the chat. We'll see how it goes.

slidecage.com
Twitter @slidersfanblog
Instagram slidersfanblog

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Well the stream never went live with Tracy. It's not like this Youtuber has only done a couple of interviews either. If anything changes I'll try to remember to update here.

slidecage.com
Twitter @slidersfanblog
Instagram slidersfanblog

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I missed this all entirely, ha ha.  Maybe Tracy canceled on the guy, but geez, should at least let people know.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

The Youtuber said there were issues on both ends and is going to reschedule.

slidecage.com
Twitter @slidersfanblog
Instagram slidersfanblog

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

ireactions wrote:

I suspect the simplest route for a SLIDERS revival that meets Torme's requirements: in 2021, a 48 year-old Quinn Mallory discovers sliding for the first time and on his first adventure, he brings along his ex-wife (Wade), his former teacher (Arturo), and an over-the-hill R&B musician-turned music teacher (Rembrandt). Old fans of the show understand that these are not the same people we met in 1995; they are doubles of the originals. New fans view them as new characters and get into the show on the ground floor. Temporal Flux suggested the older-doubles approach for a new pilot in 2000; Slider_Quinn21 suggested that the present-day ages could be continually updated in each hypothetical reboot concept -- and if Torme is insistent on the original cast, this ensures the absolute minimum of continuity confusion even if the original versions of the characters are left as they were in 2000.

I hadn't considered that we could reboot with doubles.  It is really quite an elegant solution.  I would love it if Rembrandt would accidentally get sucked in again.  Perhaps he's a music professor at the same campus they're teaching at.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I hadn't considered that we could reboot with doubles.  It is really quite an elegant solution.  I would love it if Rembrandt would accidentally get sucked in again.  Perhaps he's a music professor at the same campus they're teaching at.

It's a very effeciant solution. The only problem is, the original ones are left behind on a damper since there wasn't an explaination for them. But that's okay! We can use our current explaination for that in whatever fanfiction stories you write can be your new ending!

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Tucker wrote:

I hadn't considered that we could reboot with doubles.  It is really quite an elegant solution.  I would love it if Rembrandt would accidentally get sucked in again.  Perhaps he's a music professor at the same campus they're teaching at.

It's a very efficient solution. The only problem is, the original ones are left behind on a damper since there wasn't an explanation for them. But that's okay! We can use our current explanation for that in whatever fanfiction stories you write can be your new ending!

I also imagine that it would have to be a more heavily serialized form.  Much the same way Star Trek: Picard tells its stories, versus the alien-of-the-week version of Star Trek in the 80's and 90's. Perhaps that what the whole show is about.  There are so many ways to 'stumble' across the Original versions.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

It all depends on what form a return takes.  If it's a streaming series, then yes, the format is kind of set, where you introduce, and build an arc that usually results in a major cliffhanger.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I imagine that if and when Sliders returns to the small screen, it will be heavily serialized. Hell, Torme wanted to make it serialized until Fox shut them down.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I think that if the original cast return to play doubles of the characters we met in 1995, there could also be comic books or audioplays to address the original characters and wrap up those storylines properly.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

ireactions wrote:

I think that if the original cast return to play doubles of the characters we met in 1995, there could also be comic books or audioplays to address the original characters and wrap up those storylines properly.

I don't know what happens in Season 5, but the only character that would need a wrap-up would be Rembrandt, or Professor Arturo if you decide to follow him from Earth Double Prime.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I'd say a proper wrap-up would resurrect Quinn, Wade and Rembrandt, reunite them with Arturo and get them safely home and to undo the Kromagg invasion and the Kromagg Prime backstory and that... thing with the forced Humagg progenitors that I wish I could forget.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

They shouldn't try to wrap up anything.  Establish the premise over the opening credits like iZombie or Buck Rogers in the 25th Century or Gilligan's Island then start the show with the four Sliders tumbling out of a wormhole into whatever world we're visiting this week.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I meant there could be a proper wrap-up to the 1995 - 2000 series in spin-off media like a comic book, an audioplay, a novel, a puppet show, a popup picture book or a dramatization with fruit salad figurines.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

The only thing is though-if they bring the show back, you're banking on it being widley popular enought to warrent enough money and audience numbers to make a comic book series, audioplay, novels, etc.

I think a proper wrap up really should resurect the characters. Hell take mine that I'll never use. Quinn was replaced by Smarter Quinn after season 2. Wade was cloned and set free before she could be torchured, and the wrong Arturo slid. Makes little sense and works. By the way, for all intenstive purposes, I will now believe that the breeding camps are places where they harvest their eggs instead of raping them. Still awful but better.

I think this is why I think the easiest way to bring back the series without using doubles is you say that the later seasons were doubles, and we started following the wrong ones somewhere down the line.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

The Tracy Tormé interview I mentioned by Cardinal Sin was rescheduled to this Monday 7/12/21 at 8pm EST:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq_iXGXZGdc

slidecage.com
Twitter @slidersfanblog
Instagram slidersfanblog

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Jim_Hall wrote:

The Tracy Tormé interview I mentioned by Cardinal Sin was rescheduled to this Monday 7/12/21 at 8pm EST:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq_iXGXZGdc

Oh good to hear.  I'll give it a listen, though Tracy's UFO theories quickly lose me.  Does the host take "audience" questions at all?

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

The Sliders discussion begins around 1:04:03 https://youtu.be/Qq_iXGXZGdc

slidecage.com
Twitter @slidersfanblog
Instagram slidersfanblog

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Sounds a lot more positive than I expected.  That’s exciting!

Also glad to see Tracy is looking so well.  After hearing about his previous health issues, I was really worried for him; but he’s looking great!

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Jim_Hall wrote:

The Sliders discussion begins around 1:04:03 https://youtu.be/Qq_iXGXZGdc

Actually they talk Sliders a bit around 42 mins in for like 7 mins.  The host Cardinal Sin was ROUGH.  Interrupting Tracy mid-thought over and over.  Tracy lamented that he gave up on various projects too quickly when rejected, and moved on, and felt he should have fought harder to get some of them off the ground. 

The main host is clearly displeased with DSC/PIC "ideology" but Tracy said he was going to write a script for Picard, which would have been a new Dixon Hill story.  He said he conceived a love story between Picard and a young black woman, but that he realized it wouldn't work.  Jonathan Frakes reminded Tracy that Patrick Stewart was now in his 80's, and a romance with a 30-year old wouldn't quite work!  Torme also says that industry people warned him to stay away from Picard, whatever that means.  I have to assume he may have been speaking of season 2 pre-production. 

Says he's still amazed by Sliders fans, and their continued support, loves hearing from them still.  Then went into Peckinpah, repeating his "too cerebral" infamous comment, that Fox made.  Says he left the show after writing his favorite episode, The Guardian, and being told by Peck, "That's exactly the kind of show we're not going to be doing anymore."  Gabbed about Marc Scott Zicree, asked them for his contact info, always liked him. 

Also has some cool Patrick McGoohan/Jonathan Harris/Bob Dylan stories.

<SPOILERS>
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Talks to Cleavant all the time, can't imagine it without Jerry, and talked to JRD about it.  Imagines original cast with new ones.  Said this is being actively worked on.  Said everyone is hyper reactive on politics, and feels it's much worse now.  Threw ideas out, people told him NO you can't do that!  Struggle is not to be PC and safe.  He was literally about to mention Peacock network and his connection dropped, and of course these awful hosts didn't bother asking him again.  Almost sounded like they spoke to them but there was some reason they won't be a likely pairing, but again, who knows?

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

He's going to try to have Tracy on his show again. It doesn't seem like it's signed, seal and delivered but its perhaps the best shot we'll ever have with Tracy at the helm.

slidecage.com
Twitter @slidersfanblog
Instagram slidersfanblog

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Of course, though I have to say he might simply be too much of a Hollywood "dinosaur" to get this off the ground.  Certainly not Tracy's fault, but the landscape has totally shifted.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

It's interesting -- Torme declared that a SLIDERS revival with him at the helm would not be "woke" or "politically correct."

I think Torme has an unusual definition of "woke" and "politically correct," just going by his previous work and interviews where he previously called "political correctness the great lie of the left." Torme was born in 1959, and the early twentieth century definition of "political correctness" was adherence to a specific political party's dogma and having that dogma override any personal positions and by the 70s, it was a mockery of the Russian Communist Party supposedly having pre-written and pre-approved responses for any and all social situations. He seems to attach the adjective "woke" to this definition. I think he's still using "politically correct" this way.

Since then, "politically correct" has evolved into an insult to disparage any discussion of sexuality, gender, class divisions, race, and systemic inequality -- and I don't believe Torme means "politically correct" in this manner because these are subjects which I feel Torme would gladly dive into from his libertarian perspective. I think Torme rejects the idea that any political party -- Republican or Democrat -- can hold the only truths to be found in this world (although he certainly sees the US Constitution as absolutely sacred). We are talking about someone who has described himself as "a radical leftist," "a radical environmentalist" and a "radical animal rights person" and "an ex-Democrat."

Torme is capable of mocking every side of every political divide, satirizing every gender role and racial stereotype -- and he doesn't allow political fealty to any particular party or dogma to interfere with his finding faults to gently observe, invert and explore.

Just my read. I could be Wrong.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

If Peacock won't do it, then SyFy Network should do it.  That would be awesome, especially because their programming is linear and it would be fun to get a roll out weekly rather than a binge in one day sorta thing.

107 (edited by Grizzlor 2021-07-14 10:47:04)

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

ireactions wrote:

Torme is capable of mocking every side of every political divide, satirizing every gender role and racial stereotype -- and he doesn't allow political fealty to any particular party or dogma to interfere with his finding faults to gently observe, invert and explore.

That's his point, he would like to be able to satire anybody he feels works for the story, but will be shot down.  However, Tracy's comments, which were unfortunately cut off, seemed to be more along the lines of they don't even want to broach subjects now.  That I feel is a problem, forget about your take on it, we don't even want to write a story that deals with this current topic or that.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

roulettewheel wrote:
Transmodiar wrote:

I've got other things to prioritize; that's why you haven't seen updates to Earth Prime even though I've got plenty to share. The audience isn't there.

wait hold on i want to know what the updates are lmao

I soooo want to see these updates!

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

ireactions wrote:

I think pilight is right about what the cast would and wouldn't sign up for.

I get the sense that for Tracy Torme, SLIDERS ceased to exist after "The Guardian" and, fairly or unfairly, he probably won't take the time to learn about Maggie, Colin, Mallory or Diana in order to present those characters at all. That is the realm of a lunatic fanfic writer (hello).

This isn't realistic given the casting situation, but my guess is that Torme's dream vision of SLIDERS in 2021 is a remake of the Pilot updated to the present day. Slider_Quinn21 once suggested something like that (and I'll embellish it with ideas from TF):

Quinn is a 47 year old who lost his passion for science after failing to create anti-gravity; he became a student loan officer and accountant and hated by students and faculty alike; he's in trouble at work because he keeps blowing off his job to sit in on Arturo's lectures longingly.

Wade is a 49 year old manager of Doppler Computers who failed to become a tech entrepreneur and now miserably hawks smartphones. Rembrandt is a music teacher who failed to remain a star of the musical stage and now loathes the 10 year olds to whom he teaches trombone and he wishes he were dead.

The Professor is exactly the same except older, grayer and much more relaxed -- except when he sees Quinn as he loathes Quinn for abandoning science but not leaving the campus. Wade and Quinn are married but possibly not for much longer as Quinn's halfhearted tinkering with the anti-grav machine in the basement blows power to the block and costs them their house insurance and has Wade serving Quinn with divorce papers the next day.

Desperate to save his marriage, Quinn starts to disassemble the coils, but then he has an idea for a last new configuration. He accidentally opens a gateway. In shock, he passes out. When he wakes up, he discovers that (a) Wade is willing to reconcile with him if they'll go into counselling and that he somehow got their house paid off and their insurance situation fixed (b) Quinn has a new job offer from Arturo as a research assistant in applying engineering principles to the Professor's mathematics and (c) his anti-gravity equipment has been reconfigured into a sliding machine.

Quinn starts to wonder if he's losing his mind or memory only to be approached by a familiar stranger. It is Quinn Mallory. Quinn-2 says Quinn's clumsy vortex drew Quinn-2's slide trail to this world. He says he was sorry to see Quinn's life in such a state and thought he'd help him out with the three hours that he had: save his marriage, sell a few patents for him, get him a job he doesn't hate. Quinn-2 explains sliding and says he has been sliding since 1995 and he warns Quinn to be careful with it.

QUINN-2: "The first five years were rough. I lost Wade, Rembrandt and the Professor -- and getting them all back -- it was a miracle."

QUINN: "Who's Rembrandt?"

QUINN-2: "Maybe you'll find out. There are wonders out there, Quinn. But also horrors you can't imagine. It's beautiful. And it's not for the timid."

Quinn-2 leaves Quinn to his new adventures or to stay home. Quinn begins to work on sliding again and inevitably screws up, getting himself, Wade and the Professor lost along with a passing Rembrandt who just happened to be driving by the house, and the adventure begins again?

Maybe. I know it isn't plausible. But this is a place for dreams. :-)

Holy. Crap. I'D TOTALLY WATCH THIS!!!!

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan wrote:

If Peacock won't do it, then SyFy Network should do it.  That would be awesome, especially because their programming is linear and it would be fun to get a roll out weekly rather than a binge in one day sorta thing.

Maybe the CW? I mean it's the home of Supernatural. (They even got away with Scooby-Doo and Supernatural crossover.) wink

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Classchic1 wrote:
RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan wrote:

If Peacock won't do it, then SyFy Network should do it.  That would be awesome, especially because their programming is linear and it would be fun to get a roll out weekly rather than a binge in one day sorta thing.

Maybe the CW? I mean it's the home of Supernatural. (They even got away with Scooby-Doo and Supernatural crossover.) wink

good idea..

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

I feel like it might be kind of cringeworthy on CW. I think personally it should go on a streaming network like Netflix or Amazon or Peacock.

And to add on to Ib’s note from earlier. I’ve seen people on Reddit say they would like to see a follow up to the Seer. I don’t think Torme is going to do that. He hasn’t seen seasons 4 and 5 and what he saw of season 3 after he left, he was highly critical of. I feel like if there is any sort of explaination it will be that these are the sliders we met in 1995 and somehow down the line, we started following the wrong ones. Either that or a show focusing on a different set of sliders entirely.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Tucker wrote:

I feel like it might be kind of cringeworthy on CW. I think personally it should go on a streaming network like Netflix or Amazon or Peacock.

And to add on to Ib’s note from earlier. I’ve seen people on Reddit say they would like to see a follow up to the Seer. I don’t think Torme is going to do that. He hasn’t seen seasons 4 and 5 and what he saw of season 3 after he left, he was highly critical of. I feel like if there is any sort of explaination it will be that these are the sliders we met in 1995 and somehow down the line, we started following the wrong ones. Either that or a show focusing on a different set of sliders entirely.

i would imagine amazon or netflix would find the idea of sliders (especially a continuation) on their networks cringeworthy.  cw would be fine if they continue it with a reboot, featuring a young protagonist.  but then again, I am not sure cw would hold any value of having jerry o'connell and jrd on their network.  since their target audience has little interest in those people.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan wrote:
Tucker wrote:

but then again, I am not sure cw would hold any value of having jerry o'connell and jrd on their network.  since their target audience has little interest in those people.

CW has a history of bringing legacy actors onto a series.  Annette O’Toole had a supporting role on Smallville, and Christopher Reeve had a guest spot.  John Wesley Shipp, Helen Slater, Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher had recurring roles on the Arrowverse shows.

So it’s possible, but I couldn’t see Jerry or JRD as the stars. They would be supporting actors.  To be honest, I’m starting to wonder if Jerry would even have time to be the star of Sliders.  Jerry is now hosting The Talk, hosting Pictionary and voicing Star Trek: Lower Decks.  A supporting / recurring role on Sliders may be all Jerry could manage.

115 (edited by RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan 2021-07-27 13:44:57)

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

TemporalFlux wrote:
RussianCabbie_Lotteryfan wrote:
Tucker wrote:

but then again, I am not sure cw would hold any value of having jerry o'connell and jrd on their network.  since their target audience has little interest in those people.

CW has a history of bringing legacy actors onto a series.  Annette O’Toole had a supporting role on Smallville, and Christopher Reeve had a guest spot.  John Wesley Shipp, Helen Slater, Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher had recurring roles on the Arrowverse shows.

So it’s possible, but I couldn’t see Jerry or JRD as the stars. They would be supporting actors.  To be honest, I’m starting to wonder if Jerry would even have time to be the star of Sliders.  Jerry is now hosting The Talk, hosting Pictionary and voicing Star Trek: Lower Decks.  A supporting / recurring role on Sliders may be all Jerry could manage.

I assume covid messed with production, but his WGN show might be a possibility too.

I don't think CW would be opposed to JOC and JRD but I am not sure they would see value in the Sliders brand if it's not gonna pull in twenty year olds.   They might just do a mutliverse show without it in that case.

It still would be worth pitching though and you are  right that our gang would have  to be supporting  cast.  Which Jerry would be thrilled with.

John?  NOT SO MUCH big_smile

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

The CW would probably be more interested in be focusing on young people (played by 30 year olds). Not so much JOC and JRD. Plus, I feel like they would be more interested in a supernatural sliders, not the down to earth alt-history rooted show it was in the first two seasons.

As far as Jerry’s involvement. Well he has been trying to bring it back for years at this point so I have a feeling that he would make time for it.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

As I've said before, Jerry or really anybody's availability may not even be required until 2022, could be up to a year from now or more.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

It's natural for fans of the show to want a follow up to The Seer.  People want closure.  I suspect the vast majority would get on board with a reboot, especially if Jerry and/or the other Sliders are involved.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

It's natural for fans of the show to want a follow up to The Seer.  People want closure.  I suspect the vast majority would get on board with a reboot, especially if Jerry and/or the other Sliders are involved

Torme said in his interview he’s trying his best to get all the OG sliders back. Yes, it is pretty natural to want a follow up to The Seer but that’s most likely what we’re not going to get (I’m okay with that.)

Grizzlor’s right. This is meerly discussion at this point. Nothing has hit the news and it doesn’t look like any deals are being made. It could be 2022, 2023 or even 2024 before we even see a reboot hit the screen and people need to make commitments.

Re: Reboots: The Return of Sliders (?), Quantum Leap, and Other Properties

Classchic1 wrote:
ireactions wrote:

I think pilight is right about what the cast would and wouldn't sign up for.

I get the sense that for Tracy Torme, SLIDERS ceased to exist after "The Guardian" and, fairly or unfairly, he probably won't take the time to learn about Maggie, Colin, Mallory or Diana in order to present those characters at all. That is the realm of a lunatic fanfic writer (hello).

This isn't realistic given the casting situation, but my guess is that Torme's dream vision of SLIDERS in 2021 is a remake of the Pilot updated to the present day. Slider_Quinn21 once suggested something like that (and I'll embellish it with ideas from TF):

Quinn is a 47 year old who lost his passion for science after failing to create anti-gravity; he became a student loan officer and accountant and hated by students and faculty alike; he's in trouble at work because he keeps blowing off his job to sit in on Arturo's lectures longingly.

Wade is a 49 year old manager of Doppler Computers who failed to become a tech entrepreneur and now miserably hawks smartphones. Rembrandt is a music teacher who failed to remain a star of the musical stage and now loathes the 10 year olds to whom he teaches trombone and he wishes he were dead.

The Professor is exactly the same except older, grayer and much more relaxed -- except when he sees Quinn as he loathes Quinn for abandoning science but not leaving the campus. Wade and Quinn are married but possibly not for much longer as Quinn's halfhearted tinkering with the anti-grav machine in the basement blows power to the block and costs them their house insurance and has Wade serving Quinn with divorce papers the next day.

Desperate to save his marriage, Quinn starts to disassemble the coils, but then he has an idea for a last new configuration. He accidentally opens a gateway. In shock, he passes out. When he wakes up, he discovers that (a) Wade is willing to reconcile with him if they'll go into counselling and that he somehow got their house paid off and their insurance situation fixed (b) Quinn has a new job offer from Arturo as a research assistant in applying engineering principles to the Professor's mathematics and (c) his anti-gravity equipment has been reconfigured into a sliding machine.

Quinn starts to wonder if he's losing his mind or memory only to be approached by a familiar stranger. It is Quinn Mallory. Quinn-2 says Quinn's clumsy vortex drew Quinn-2's slide trail to this world. He says he was sorry to see Quinn's life in such a state and thought he'd help him out with the three hours that he had: save his marriage, sell a few patents for him, get him a job he doesn't hate. Quinn-2 explains sliding and says he has been sliding since 1995 and he warns Quinn to be careful with it.

QUINN-2: "The first five years were rough. I lost Wade, Rembrandt and the Professor -- and getting them all back -- it was a miracle."

QUINN: "Who's Rembrandt?"

QUINN-2: "Maybe you'll find out. There are wonders out there, Quinn. But also horrors you can't imagine. It's beautiful. And it's not for the timid."

Quinn-2 leaves Quinn to his new adventures or to stay home. Quinn begins to work on sliding again and inevitably screws up, getting himself, Wade and the Professor lost along with a passing Rembrandt who just happened to be driving by the house, and the adventure begins again?

Maybe. I know it isn't plausible. But this is a place for dreams. :-)

Holy. Crap. I'D TOTALLY WATCH THIS!!!!

What a lovely thing to say. Thank you very much. And I'm sure TF and Slider_Quinn21 appreciate you enjoying their ideas too!