Dead Man Sliding

// K1804 · Originally aired November 29, 1996

In a case of mistaken identity, Quinn is arrested, tried and sentenced to death on TV, leaving the other Sliders scrambling to find the real culprit—Quinn’s double.

Written By // Nan Hagen
Director // Richard Compton
Music // Stephen Graziano

Reviews

// Earth Prime

“Dead Man Sliding” succeeds by creating an America that has taken a serious idea—tort reform—and pushing it to absurd while believable levels.

// Think of a Roulette Wheel

Television is a strange beast. A different world in a tiny box. A thousand different worlds in a tiny cube. An infinite number of tiny impossible worlds, all trapped in a box. Television, then, is Sliding.

// External Reviews

Worlds Visited

Buttonwillow World

Between here, Wasco World and Lemoore World, Arturo’s had his fill of dreadfully dull pieces of dirt in California.

Justice World

The legal system has been supplanted by a revenue-earning series of Court TV shows.

Muppet World

A world inhabited by short, green and moldy “people.”

Details

Universal CityWalk stores include a nacho stand, a children’s bookshop, a Tony Roma’s restaurant, and a Hollywood Athletics store.
The green digital tele-ticker behind the bar reads: “…please. Odds: 75-1 for denial of peti…”
The store beside the Royal Chancellor Hotel is called Sparky’s.
The criminals that will also appear on The Judgment Game with Quinn are named Greg Hughson and Mary Margaret Peters.
Wade, Rembrandt and Arturo travel to the game in a taxi from the Crosstown Cab Company.
To phone in your vote for The Judgment Game, call 1-96-JUSTICE (or 1-965-878-423).
A sign on the wall as Quinn is being beaten reads: “Contestant Transport Area—Authorized Personnel Only.”
Taryn’s computer readout of Quinn’s Double says that he’s 23, 185 pounds, 6 feet 2 inches, and has a 6 inch scar on his back from a knife wound.
There’s another Game contestant named Golin who lives in Silicon Valley.
When they’re testing the guillotine at night, the license plate on the truck behind the executioner reads 4074862.
Quinn’s prisoner number is 506627.
The news truck is “Remote Truck No. 5.

Character Information

Rembrandt says that the R&B singing group The Commodores offered him the lead singing duties after Lionel Richie went solo in 1982.
Wade says she’s a big fan of Dolly Parton.
Arturo says that Wade spent two years in college.

Notable Quotes

“I think that being a double from another dimension should qualify.”—Wade, trying to think of special circumstances as grounds for Quinn’s appeal.
“I’m scared too, Professor. But you know what keeps me going? You guys. Knowing that you’re here, knowing that if that was me in there you’d do anything in the world to get me out. And Quinn knows that too, and he’s countin’ on us. So we can’t lose faith now.”—Wade. ‘Nuff said.
“Now there is no way that that is me. That guy is huge.”—Quinn’s double, in a hilarious New York accent (even though he’s still from San Francisco).
“For all I care, the European affiliates can…”—Quinn, though he doesn’t finish the sentence, he forms his mouth to utter the F-word.

Money Matters

Wade has enough to buy a disposable camera, a map to the stars’ homes and a pair of sunglasses.
The Sliders pay to have comedic photos taken of one another.
Arturo buys drinks in the Royal Chancellor Hotel bar.
The Sliders stay at the Royal Chancellor Hotel.
Arturo, Rembrandt and Wade can afford a taxi to where The Judgment Game is filmed.
Wade is able to buy an outfit that would make a hooker blush.

Neatpicks

Wade says that Arnold Stang, Jill Whelan and Linwood Boomer were all considered major Hollywood stars on this world. Never heard of them? Neither had the Sliders, except Boomer whom Quinn remembers as being on Little House on the Prairie. Actually, Arnold Stang was quite successful in Hollywood. He appeared on television in Broadside (1964 comedy), Doc Corkle (1952 comedy), Henry Morgan’s Great Talent Hunt (1951 comedy) and The Milton Berle Show (from 1953-1955). He also appeared in the 1949 comedy variety seriesSchool House, an episode of Tales From the Darkside and was the voice of Top Cat in the 1961 cartoon of the same name. Jill Whelan is best known as Vicki Stubing on The Love Boat, and also played Nancy Wilkes on the TV comedy Friends — not the NBC series, but the 1979 sitcom-drama that ran for one month on ABC. Linwood Boomer did indeed play blind man Adam Kendall on Little House on the Prairie from 1978-1981. Sadly, that’s about all he ever did… until 2000, when he created and wrote FOX’s surprise hit comedy, Malcolm in the Middle.

Rewind That!

When Arturo, Wade, and Rembrandt approach Quinn’s double on the steps of Deanne’s help Arturo yells “Ah, young man, a word.” Quinn’s double turns calmly, smiles and darts. The smile is hilarious.

Parallel History

Criminal punishment on this world is, in a word, harsh. Public caning applies for infractions like spray painting, but more serious crimes put criminals on a TV game shows like Justice Tonight and The Judgment Game.

As a result of these harsh punishments, the state of California is exceptionally safe. Don’t worry about locking your door or losing your wallet. Paranoia coupled with a surveillance system that makes Singapore look like an amateur keeps people in line.

The government of California implemented such safeguards and ceded legal matters to court television to dispose with criminals in a fashion suitable to the viewing audience. Lawyers were banned, but the accused were allowed to provide an Advocate (who must have no legal knowledge) to speak for the defendant on the Games while the People’s Proponent serves as prosecutor.

The folks in Europe really love the shows and network feeds are picked up by different stations in Europe.

Guest Starring

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as The People’s Proponent
Perrey Reeves as Taryn
Fredric Lane as Phil
Lisa Rieffel as Deanne Bloch
Don Most as Skip Collins

Co-Starring

Brett Miller as Prison Guard
Robert DiTillio as Emcee
Ed Wasser as Studio Guard

Uncredited

The map seller.
The cab driver.
The caning victim and caner.
The three judges.
The guards who beat Quinn with their nightsticks.
Joey the pink-mohawked bartender.

Script Archive

Click on the links below to download rare scripts, outlines, and memos associated with this episode.

The Inside Slide

So what was it like filming in a crowd? “It’s funny, when you film in crowds, you know, because you sort of blend in,” says Jerry O’Connell. “And that’s what filming in New York is like a lot. You know, when you’re walking in throngs of people, and you just have a radio mike on, and you sort of blend in. And it’s funny, it gives it a nice natural look.”

· · ·

Before this episode finally aired, it had been scheduled twice previously by Fox. On Sept. 20, 1996, Fox announced it would air “Dead Man Sliding” on Oct. 11. Then, on Sept. 30, Fox revised its schedule and decided it would air this episode on Oct. 18. Later, on Oct. 11, it changed its mind once again—for the last time. The network announced that this episode would air a full mouth and a half later on Nov. 29. It did.