Sliders and Quantum Leap

Date: 8/3/99
From: Fish_Bone

Some people have asked me what the heck doe's Sliders and
Quantum Leap have in Common.
Here are some facts.

1) Both shows involve a genius inventing something that ultimately goes wrong and strands the inventor in a far off place, forcing him to wander at random in search of a way home.

2) In both shows, the main characters have a positive influence on the people they encounter, usually making someone's life better off for their interference.

3) Both Quantum Leap and Sliders show what things would be like
if history took a different course.

4) There was a main character with the last name Beckett on both shows. In Quantum Leap, it was Sam Beckett, the central character. In Sliders, it was Maggie Beckett, the new slider added to replace Professor Arturo.

5) The basically good characters in both shows have evil
counterparts. Sam, Al, and Ziggy were rivaled in the forms of
Alia, Zoey, and Lothos. For Quinn Mallory, Logan St. Clair, and Rickman comes immediately to mind as a direct parallel to the "evil leaper" situation on Quantum Leap, but all of the sliders
have had less than scrupulous dopplegangers.

6) Neither Quinn nor Sam made it home before their shows saw an untimely demise.

7) Both shows were affiliated with Universal Studios.

8) The Sci-Fi Channel has picked up both shows.

9) Both shows have a famous device of some sort, Quantum Leap= The handlink. (Al is seen holding this)
Sliders= The Timer

10) Both shows has only 5 seasons.

11) Both shows explain what the show is about in the theme song.

These are just some, I can think of more!

interesting

Date: 8/3/99
From: SouthernSlider

And they are both big favorites of mine. Now I guess I know why.

Good work, Fishbone.

SS

Well Stated!!

Date: 8/3/99
From: trniles

Well done, Fish_Bone!!

There are also differences, largely due to budgeting, advances in image technology, and the perceived target market.

Quantum Leap was an NBC production, which was recognized as having enough potential that during one summer, there was a full week - one episode per evening - of QL to showcase it and try to bring up the ratings. It featured the talents of Scott Bakula who was already a well regarded stage actor, with a Tony to prove it, and, a great singing voice. JOC is a younger version of Bakula (probably minus the singing ability) with excellent acting ability... which hasn't been stretched enough lately.

The production of QL was also a showcase for some of the truly great talents of the stage - probably refed by Bakula - and was constantly amazing in that it revealed how much acting talent existing outside television and the films: A LOT!!! I would be surprised if the cast (past and present) of Sliders has a great deal of stage experience, or experience outside LA. Excepting Rhys-Davis of course.

The scripts for QL were more like stage plays which were altered to match the production reqs of television. There were clear references to the works of many of the great southern authors. The producers were clearly presenting episodes which had influenced them as print or stage works. The producers and writers for Sliders are clearly picking up their ideas from television and the films. This is not necessarily a knock, because there were times with QL when seeing Faulkner yet again tired me out; it was too stagey, too stage-insular at times.

The video technology has really given Sliders the edge. SciFi has invested in some heavy duty production equipment (or is leasing or out-sourcing it) and the video looks great... when they don't push it too far. The SPX of QL was not much beyond the original ST, if you overlooked the times when "Al" would walk through another object (those times became fewer as the series' advanced because it was expensive to do.)

I wish that the Sliders' production staff would simply plunder some of the great themes of SF by lesser known, or maybe just lesser remembered, authors.

Time runs out

What about...?

Date: 8/3/99
From: Cordelia99

...the way they were both deeply affected by the death of their fathers & get a chance to see them again.

I have to give extra points to QL for linking all their episodes together-something Sliders originally did.

-Cordy99 ;-)

Corrections to your list..

Date: 8/4/99
From: BigRich

I saw an episode where Sam got back home. It was a 2 hour show. I haven't seen QL in probably 5 years and forgot the story line but I think I do recall that Sam's memory was Zapped when he leaped. He didn't remember he had a wife and Al didn't tell him. Am I right or wrong? Anyhow, I do remember him coming back in the 2 hour show, met up with his wife, then he had to go Leaping again for some unknown (at least to me) reason. Oh yeah, wasn't Ziggy a computer or some litte kid? I may be thinking about the little kid in the Mork & Mindy show. Nevermind, I'm trip'n.

BGR

Original URL http://www.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/545/10062
Nominated by Fish_Bone