‘Sliders’ Finally Find Home - Or Do They?
FOX’s “Sliders” at 8 fires up an episode that reads like a “Twilight Zone” script. It’s another mad dash across parallel universes. But this time, Quinn, Arturo, Wade and Rembrandt (Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys-Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, Cleavant Derricks) believe they’ve finally made it home to San Francisco in the here and now.
They become instant celebrities: Arturo steps forward to declare himself a scientific pioneer; Wade sells her diary to Newsweek; and Rembrandt prepares to re-launch his music career with an appearance on MTV’s “Unplugged.”
But wait a minute. Quinn notices a framed newspaper proclaiming the 49ers were winners over the Jets in Super Bowl IXX. And his old Roger Maris baseball card is missing that historic home run asterisk.
In life, it’s the little things that count. And the little things in this world just don’t add up. It’s another bit of clever writing that keeps this fantasy series hopping.
Unfortunately, in a rush toward a cliff-hanging ending the story thins out. By the time the four comrades discover that things are not what they seem (in more ways than one), there’s little time to fully develop a wrinkle that leaves you rather dumbfounded.
But as with all good cliff-hangers, it leaves you in anticipation of the next chapter in these characters’ chaotic lives.
Highlights
“Due South,” CBS at 8: It’s an old idea: Ray (David Marciano) is threatened by a released criminal (Colm Feore) whom he helped send to jail. Typically, there are unique twists, including an internal-affairs investigation that makes Ray out to be a bad guy.
“Unsolved Mysteries,” NBC at 8: Included is a report on the disappearance of photos of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination taken by then-teenager Scott Enyart. Speculation is that the theft is part of a conspiracy that goes beyond Kennedy’s lone killer.
“The X-Files,” FOX at 9: NBC. Mulder and Scully (David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson) investigate a series of deaths near a lake in a small town. The locals say it’s the work of a creature not unlike the Loch Ness monster.
“Dateline NBC,” NBC at 9: Reporter Josh Mankiewicz profiles two women who say they have been unjustly diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which a parent harms or murders her child to gain attention for herself.
“Turning Point,” ABC at 10: The newsmagazine revisits the Dilley sextuplets of Indianapolis, now turning 3 years old. Also, the first look at the Haner sextuplets born March 22 in Chatham, N.Y. The most amazing fact revealed in the hour: Becki Dilley has quit her full-time job as a nurse … and now works part-time at, of all places, a day-care center!
“Homicide: Life on the Streets,” NBC at 10: Lewis and Kellerman (Clark Johnson, Reed Diamond) find themselves in the middle of a drug war that has already led to a string of six murders. Kellerman gets personally involved, and it almost costs him his life when he tries to bring in a suspected killer.
Cable Calls
“The Diary of Anne Frank” (1959), AMC at 5:15 and 11: George Stevens deserves credit for bringing Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett’s play to the big screen with dignity and obvious loving respect. Millie Perkins plays the title role. Shelley Winters won an Oscar for her performance as the ever-fearful Mrs. Van Daan.