26 Years Ago Today, an Iconic Sci-fi TV Series Ended on a Cliffhanger (And We’re Still Waiting on the Answer)

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Science fiction had been a part of television for years, with classic shows like The Twilight Zone and Star Trek. However, the 1990s saw a huge surge in the genre, launching series like The X-Files, Babylon 5, Stargate SG-1, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that significantly impacted both science fiction and television in general. These shows have become fan favorites and continue to be popular, with frequent discussions about bringing them back even though most have already concluded their storylines.

One popular sci-fi show from the 1990s is Sliders. The series starred Jerry O’Connell, Sabrina Lloyd, Cleavant Derricks, and John Rhys-Davies, and followed a group who traveled through the multiverse, visiting alternate versions of Earth with drastically different histories. While the show had its highs and lows over five seasons, fans still remember the series finale – which aired on February 4, 2000 – for its unresolved cliffhanger, a mystery that remains unanswered even today.

26 Years Ago, Sliders Ended on a Major Cliffhanger

Each episode of Sliders transported the team to a different alternate Earth, presenting thought-provoking scenarios that drastically altered society. The show explored countless ‘what if’ questions, such as ‘What if the British had won the American Revolution?’ or ‘What if intelligence was valued as much as athletic ability?’ Other episodes considered scenarios like a never-ending Prohibition or an Egypt that remained a dominant global power. While each week featured a unique story, the series also followed a larger plot: the team’s struggle to find their way back to their original Earth, known as Earth Prime. Later on, the story expanded to include the Kromaggs, alien invaders who also traveled between realities, but with the goal of conquering them.

The show ends with a memorable finale. By this point, Jerry O’Connell and John Rhys-Davies were no longer with the series, but the final episode of Season 5 found the characters in a strange situation: they’d landed on an alternate Earth where they were famous, and their adventures were a TV show. This clever, self-aware twist was funny initially, but it led to a shocking revelation. A psychic warned them they would die on their next slide, and despite their sliding timer being broken, they took the warning to heart.

The Sliders discovered leftover technology from the Kromagg on a different Earth, giving them a virus that could destroy the show’s villains and a Kromagg sliding machine that might send them home. However, a prophecy reveals a catch: the unstable portal can only carry one person back to their original Earth to defeat the Kromagg. In a selfless act, Rembrandt injects himself with the virus and jumps through the portal, potentially sacrificing himself to end the threat and close the portal forever. This marked the abrupt end of Sliders; the show wasn’t renewed for another season, and there were no follow-up projects like comics, cartoons, or reunion specials to provide closure.

A Sliders Reboot Could Finally Answer This Decades-Old Question

Even though Sliders ended over twenty years ago and left many fans disappointed, the show still has a dedicated following. While other series have explored similar ideas, people have often talked about bringing Sliders back. Jerry O’Connell and John Rhys-Davies, two of the original stars, have repeatedly expressed their interest in returning. Just last September, much of the cast got together at a comic convention and continued to advocate for a revival of the show.

A potential revival of Sliders faces a significant challenge: many of the original actors left the show before its unresolved cliffhanger ending. Fans would expect a new season to both explain what happened in Season 5 and account for the return of characters who previously departed. While the team behind the original series might be able to create a believable explanation, there’s another hurdle: co-creator Tracy Tormé sadly passed away in 2024.

Another potential problem for a Sliders revival involves the rights to the show. Originally airing on Fox for three seasons, it was cancelled and then continued for two more seasons on the Sci-Fi channel (now Syfy). Now that Disney owns Fox, it might be difficult to get the show back on the air. Disney tends to hold tightly to its properties and isn’t always interested in smaller, more specialized franchises.

It’s been twenty-six years since the show Sliders ended on a cliffhanger, and while the cast and fans have always hoped for a continuation, perhaps leaving the story unresolved is actually what best suits the show’s premise about exploring alternate realities.

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2026-02-04 20:44