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As part of the Sliders Online Convention, new Sliders producer/writer Marc Scott Zicree agreed to sit down and answer questions from the fans. Earlier this month, the convention hosted a board where fans could post their questions. Selected questions were then answered by Mr. Zicree.
Marc Scott Zicree is best known as the author of the Twilight Zone Companion. He has also penned scripts for such science fiction shows as Babylon 5, Star Trek:The Next Generation, The Twilight Zone. He has also written for the television series Beauty and the Beast. This year, Marc adds yet another science fiction series to his resume, as he tackles double duty as both a producer and writer for the television series Sliders, which moves to the Sci-Fi Channel in June of 1998.
Ryan asks:
We heard of the possibility that Sci-Fi channel might order more than the 22 episodes
scheduled. When will we know for sure if Sci-Fi will order more episodes?
Marc Zicree answers:
Ryan, it's possible -- I'd say even probable (now that Barry Diller owns both Universal TV
and the Sci-Fi Channel -- that more episodes would be ordered of SLIDERS. But I don't
assume that will happen until late Spring or early Summer.
Temporal Flux asks:
One question that has been eargerly debated on the net is whether or not Rembrandt took
Rickman's timer with him to Earth Prime.Many of us have watched the episode over and over,
and it appears that Quinn meant to give Remmy the timer as he pushed him the vortex, but
it is quite obvious that Quinn kept it according to the footage. In fact, the next scene
shows Quinn putting it in his back pocket. So, the question is...was this a production
mistake? Did Jerry just forget to hand off the timer or was it written where Quinn was
supposed to keep Rickman's timer and not give it to Remmy as Quinn pushed him into the
vortex? Also, is there any mention of the "Future World" that Maggie and Quinn
ended up on, or will it be skipped over?
Marc Zicree answers:
Temporal Flux--As to the question of whether or not Remmy took Rickman's timer... well, it
does get confusing. This season, we've been playing it that our guys have only one timer.
Anything more than that would be confusing. And whatever Remmy had when he arrived on
Earth Prime, the Kromaggs soon captured him and no doubt took it. As to the "Future
World" Quinn and Maggie landed on, we haven't yet dealt with it but are talking about
a story which would examine it.
Alan H asks:
Any chance of Sabrina Lloyd returning say as a guest star?
Marc Zicree answers:
Alan H--As to Sabrina Lloyd returning as a guest star, we're not planning that at this
time -- but that doesn't rule it out down the line.
Temporal Flux asks:
Will the Sliders be getting yet another new timer this season?
Marc Zicree answers:
Temporal Flux--So far, the Sliders haven't gotten a new timer this season. Though they do
utilize the Slidewave Device in my episode "World Killer."
Temporal Flux asks:
I was wondering if you roughly know the ratings that Sci-Fi Channel is shooting for with
Sliders on its cable network...in other words, roughly what number level of ratings would
get Sliders a season five?
Marc Zicree answers:
Temporal Flux--I don't know what ratings the Sci-Fi Channel would need to consider SLIDERS
a success. Certainly ones lower than the broadcast networks.
PirateQueen asks:
Can you tell us more about the new Slider. Will he be a bit comical? (we could use a few
laughs after last season) How will his relationship with Quinn progress? Also how do you
think Charlie O'Connell is doing in the role so far?
Marc Zicree answers:
Pirate Queen--Our new Slider, Colin Mallory, Quinn's brother, comes from a
non-technological world, yet is himself a genius inventor (along the lines of a Leonardo
or Benjamin Franklin). His wide-eyed innocence allows us to see worlds like our own
through new eyes. We've used him to great advantage both in serious and comedic episodes.
It's great fun to see Charlie get comfortable wit the role and flex his acting muscles.
We're giving him a wide variety of notes to play, and both he and we are having a good
deal of fun with it.
PirateQueen asks:
I was wondering which repeating characters like, Bennish, Pavel the cabbie, and Logan
St.Claire, will be returning? Will new repeating characters be developed?
Marc Zicree answers:
Pirate Queen--As to repeating characters like Bennish, Logan, etc., we haven't used them
this season (partly due to the show being filmed this year in L.A. rather than up north).
We haven't introduced new characters that we meet more than once. Our main focus this
season has been to examine and expand our regulars.
BeerDoctor asks:
Has John Rhys-Davis expressed a desire to be a part of SLIDERS again, and is there a way
to make that happen?
Marc Zicree answers:
The Doctor--I haven't talked with John Rhys-Davies. At this point, there's no plan to
bring him back. But the good side of this is that not having Arturo has allowed us to
focus more on the others, who have grown as a result. Quinn is now more the leader and
expert. And Remmy has become something of "the wise old man." Fun stuff.
Viricide asks:
What episodes will be rerun in March on the Sci-Fi Channel? Is there a way Sliders fans
can vote for what episodes they want to see?
Marc Zicree answers:
Viricide--The episodes to be rerun have not been set yet. Naturally, the key episodes that
establish Sliding, the characters and the Kromaggs would be likely candidates. As to the
fans voting, I've mentioned the idea to the Sci- Fi Channel and they're open to it. You
might want to drop them a note via DOMINION, their website.
Viricide asks:
I was wondering if the show would get some of the humor back it had in the first season.
Many fans including myself would like to see a few episodes like "The Weaker
Sex" where it was mostly a comic episode instead of "uh oh someone stole the
timer again".
Marc Zicree answers
Viricide--As to getting back the humor of the first season, we here on staff all agreed
that was a great idea. Bill Dial, our co-exec producer, and Chris Black, our executive
story editor, both come from comedy writing backgrounds. So a number of our episodes have
both big laughs and sharp social satire. And in some of the other ones we just blow stuff
up (just kidding...).
Viricide asks:
I know the main story arc is the kromaggs but will there be a story arc that last only a
few episodes and will there be any two part episodes?
Marc Zicree answers:
Viricide--As to whether there'll be any mini-arcs of two-parters, the answer is no, at
this time. However, we do have various character beats that we set up in one episode and
pay off in another, etc.
BeerDoctor asks:
How come a window can be "minutes on some worlds and months on others" - why not
years, or even 29 years; if the next window is 29.7 years (if they miss their slide), why
are their stays limited to minutes or months, and not years (besides the obvious TV
complications this would present to the series)?
Marc Zicree answers:
BeerDoctor--As to the different lengths of time our guys have on each world... I could
give you a pseudo science answer, but the real reason if whatever serves a given story.
Besides which, it's fun to have them one place for an hour in one story and a few days in
another, it shakes up the mix.
Temporal Flux asks:
What has Torme' had to say about the ideas for this season? In my opinion, they look close
to what he had tried to do with the Kromaggs the first time, but Fox wouldn't let him. Has
he had any input thus far in the fourth season of Sliders?
Marc Zicree answers:
Temporal Flux--In terms of Tracy Torme's role this season. He's busy with many other
projects, so he's not hands-on this year. But we do speak to him periodically. We're glad
to be brining back the Kromaggs. They're great characters and have sparked a number of fun
episodes this season.
Viricide asks: Will there be an episode where we go over the rules and explanations--like why do you have to wait 29.7 years if you miss the slide and just can't build a new timer, why does the timer count down, etc..
Marc Zicree answers:
Viricide--As to episodes explaining why the slide windows are different, how the timer
counts down, etc., we have a bit of that threaded here and there throughout the episodes
but we don't linger. For one thing, we want an hour of adventure, drama, humor, etc. --
not a lecture.
BeerDoctor asks:
Hasn't most every slide been random? Why would Max say at the end Egyptian world that,
"if we advance this here Egyptian timer, it means we're back to random sliding"?
Marc Zicree answers:
BeerDoctor--As to Max's line at the end of Egyptian world, I guess we should ask Max.
Seriously, though, the Slides remain largely random this season, with the exception that
if the Sliders find the coordinates of a specific world they can Slide to it -- but only
when the timer counts down to zero. There are exceptions to this, however, which we learn
about in my episode "Slidecage."
Informant asks:
If you had to say that season 4 was most like one of the other seasons, which would you
say it was more like, 1, 2, or 3?
Marc Zicree answers:
Informant--As to which previous season Season 4 is most like, I'd have to say I think
we've taken what's best of each and jettisoned the weakest elements. We'll see if the
audience agrees. But we've definitely tried to get a good mix of action, humor, science
fiction, social satire and moving human moments.
Informant asks:
Will the look of Sliders be more like it was before, or like other cable shows, like
Mission Genisis for example?
Marc Zicree answers:
Informant--Will Sliders look like previous seasons or other cheesy cable shows? The look
this season is great. We have the same Director of Photography as before and are shooting
on the Universal Lot on 35mm film.
Informant asks:
If you could have the Sliders slide into any other tv show, what would it be?
Marc Zicree answers:
Informant--Co-executive Producer Bill Dial replies, "If we could have the Sliders
slide into any other show, it would be ER -- for the ratings."
Christine Cain asks: How did you get into scriptwriting? Did you attend a film-oriented school or was it fate?
I loved TWILIGHT ZONE, OUTER LIMITS and STAR TREK as a kid. Wrote THE TWILIGHT ZONE COMPANION right out of college. Broke into TV writing animation (SMURFS, SUPERFRIENDS, etc.), then segued into live action -- the recent TWILIGHT ZONE, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, STAR TREK - TNG, and so on. It wasn't so much fate as obsession.
Temporal Flux asks: If Sliders is picked up for a fifth season (as we all hope it will be), do you see yourself returning in the same capacity or even another capacity in the show's production?
If there's another season, what will my role be? Um, on to the next question...
Kieran asks: Do you know if the SciFi Channel has a policy on the delay between airdates in the US and in Europe? In short, when can we expect to see Sliders here in the UK?
I don't know when it will air in the UK, but I'm sure it will be soon.
Jenae Cook asks: Could they somehow let Sabrina Lloyd visit once in awhile? And even Arturo so he could help them out on some worlds? And if Sabrina can visit, they could let Colin be interested in her so that Quinn would open his eyes a little more and realize he misses her?
As to Wade and Arturo coming back, we won't see that this season, but in the future anything is possible.
Temporal Flux asks: My question is, since JMS is about wrap up his epic saga(B5) on TNT...what would be the chances of getting him to write an episode for Sliders either this season or in the possible season five?
As to JMS (the Great Maker) writing a SLIDERS episode, I'll ask Joe next time I have lunch with him. But I wouldn't count on it...
Spooky Doo asks: Will there be any new Sliders merchandise we can look forward to?
Any new Sliders merchandise? There's an episode guide coming out in paperback, and the Sci-Fi Channel will have a cool website. Beyond that, we'll see what develops.
Spooky Doo asks: Where can I find scripts from the show?
At this point, we don't send out scripts, so I wouldn't know what to suggest.
Spooky Doo asks: Will Remmy sing any new songs?
Remmy sings a song Cleavant composed in "Asylum," a love story written by Bill Dial.
Spooky Doo asks: What episodes have been filmed so far?
Which episodes have been filmed so far? We're currently filiming our 15th episode this season -- out of 22. I don't want to give out all the specifics (let's leave some surprises), but there's a wide variety of stories taking place on many delightful and surprising alternate Earths. Best of all, each of our main characters gets to take center stage in several episodes, so it's a true ensemble.
Viricide asks: My question is will the direction of the show return to its roots and have a mix of genres so it incorporates many elements in to an episode like the first season?
Yeah, we'll have a mix of genres like in the first season. Or put more simply, more of what we all like and less (or none) of what really ticked people off last year.
Julia asks: We know that Wade's character will not be a part of season four, and the fans genuinely liked her. A lot of fans feel a degree of hostility towards Maggie's character and Wade's departure has exacerbated this. What reassurances can you provide Sliders fans with that the writers will be developing Maggie's character to make her more sympathetic and less hostile as a member of the group?
As to what I can say to reassure fans of the show regarding Maggie, just watch the new episodes. You'll be pleased. She's funny, complicated, compassionate, charming -- all the things we hoped she'd be. Just wait and see.
Temporal Flux asks: On Usenet, there are several moderated newsgroups relating to television programs. One of the main ones is the Babylon 5 moderated newsgroup that JMS uses to talk with fans and receive feedback. I was wondering if you would like to particpate in something like this for Sliders (especially if there is a season five)?
Regarding moderated newsgroups and our participation on them, it's a possibility.
Viricide asks: Will there be any returning to worlds featured in past episodes to see what has happen since they left and will the sliders have the option to return to a world they visited in the past? If so, will they use this?
Returning to a previous world. Possible, if a cool story occurs to us.
Viricide asks: Will the characters be more developed then they are now?
Will the characters be more developed than they are now? Yes.
Temporal Flux asks: Does the new Egyptian timer have limits(regarding how many people they can bring along, which the old timer did) as well or can it hold more capacity? Does the Egyptian timer have the same 400-500 mile radius as the old one?
The radius and number of people the Egyptian timer allows is similar to the other one. Or even identical (they push the button and it goes...).
Spooky Doo asks: How important is it to you to follow the Sliders mythology and stay within what has been established in previous episodes? Would you break the rules of sliding that has been set up before or make characters act in a way that doesn't fit their personality?
In terms of character consistency and the rules of Sliding, we're trying to stay as consistent as possible. We're mostly concerned that the characters be smart and that they care about each other, treat each other with compassion. As to the rules of Sliding, we'll sometimes bend them a little (if we have a great story) but we try not to break them. And if we do bend them, we come up with some scientific rationale to explain it.
Spooky Doo asks: Will we be seeing anymore doubles of the Sliders?
We'll be seeing more doubles of the Sliders -- in ways we haven't seen them before. It's a lot of fun. One has to be careful not to use it too much, though. I think we've got a good mix this season.
Spooky Doo asks: Has any of the unproduced scripts from the previous seasons been rewritten or produced such as In the Heat of the Moment, Onliners, Twisted Cross, or Beauty World? If not, where could I find scripts to these unproduced episodes? And maybe could you give us a summary of those episodes?
As to unproduced scripts from previous seasons, we haven't made any of them. And since they're unproduced, we really can't send them out. Sorry.
Spooky Doo asks: What exciting special effects sequences can we look forward to?
As to special effects, we're doing an episode called "The Alternateville Horror" that should have some very fun visuals. It's a very funny piece written by Chris Black, our executive story editor.
Spooky Doo asks: How can I become an extra on Sliders?
As to becoming an extra on Sliders, Bill Dial suggests calling Central Casting. Beyond that, I don't know.
Spooky Doo asks: In Genesis, will we find out who has the tracking implant from Invasion?
As to the tracking implant, watch and see.
Spooky Doo asks: Since Maggie can't breath on Earth Prime, how is this dealt in Genesis when they go back to EP?
When Maggie comes back to Earth Prime, we find that her Sliding to so many Earths has allowed an adaptation where she can breathe, albeit with some difficulty.
Shannen asks: Can you give us some clues as to how Quinn will handle the loss of Wade this season? Will he go the "I blame myself" route, or just try not to react too much, like he did with Arturo's death(unless he thought someone was blaming him for Arturo's death..then he reacted!)?
Quinn will mourn the loss of Wade and try hard to find her, but it won't be something that takes center stage.
Shannen asks: If Sliders happens to continue on into another season beyond this one, is there a chance(depending on the finale) that the character of Wade will be brought back..either being played by Sabrina Lloyd, or by another actress altogether? Fans seem split--some think that any Wade is better than none at all, while others don't want to see Wade if she's not played by Sabrina.
As to Wade being brought back, it won't happen this season, but who knows.
Phillip asks: If each daughter universe is a copy of its' parent, how can it have a different quantum signiture?? Is not the physics copied?
As to daughter universes, quantum signatures, etc., Bill Dial answers, "I have no idea." I think I'll let that answer stand.
And that's it! Let's all give Marc a big hand for putting up with our questions! :-D And, on a side note, if you're interested in seeing some of Marc's work, he passes along this message:
"Oh, and you might mention to the fans to watch DS9 the week of Feb. 9th. The episode is "The Far-Off Stars." Yours truly thunk it up. It takes place in Manhattan, 1953, and all the DS9 characters have double roles as science fiction writers."
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