Doorways

George R. R. Martin, writer of "Beauty And The Beast," and a well known professional SF writer ("Tuff Voyaging" is heartily recommended) came up with this pilot for an alternate universe adventure show some time before Sliders, but Tracey Torme's version was the one that became a series. Ignore the disparaging remarks and watch it -- George Newbern goes well beyond the bounds of 'male ingenue (sp?)' and Kurtwood Smith delivers two good performances (conceivably he could have been the Kenny of live action TV, a comment you will need to watch it to understand, if the series had made it.

This fun,imaginative TV pilot by George R.R.Martin(Beauty & the Beast) dealt with a couple who could travel to earth-like planets located in other dimensions.Cat comes from another world to our earth,in fact she is a former slave on the run from her masters who are in hot pursuit. Here she is befriended by a doctor who then becomes caught up in her flight. With the advanced technology from her homeworld, she is able to find a portal that will open up into the next world. Trouble is she isn't always conveniently near the opening & must race to get to it. She also carries an organic weapon with her that packs a devastating punch.The premise is similar to the TV series Sliders. I wish this had been picked up by the network(ABC) as a series as it had so much potential. Visiting a new & different world each week would offer endless story possibilities. The report is that the ABC network had to choose between this or another sf show. They went with the other show:Lois & Clark. What a shame.

I caught the last half of this on cable last night. Looks like a pilot for a possible series. Except for the confused confrontation with the "Dark Lord" at the end it looked pretty good. I got involved with the characters and definitely wanted like to know how things turned out - I would expect no less from George R. R. Martin. Too bad it never got picked up.

This show preceded SLIDERS, at least by a year or two. It deals with a somewhat similar premise. Sliding thru parallel worlds, alternate realities, where it's the same time, date, continent...but somehow things are just not the same.

I also remembered, in one segment of this 2-hr cable movie...the story was sorta similar to the world of 'Kevin Costner's THE POSTMAN;' in this version, in order to cure some oil-spill catastrophe in the world's oceans...scientists had created this petrol-cured oil eating bacteria. But when they unleashed it...things got outta control, and it consumed all the oil-supplies in the world. So, now supposedly everything went back to being kinda the old west. Traveling in horse pulled buggy-coaches. Horse back riding. Seeing abandoned luxury cars on the side of cracked freeways.

Interesting premise. Too bad it didn't turn into a series. There's this other film with a similar title, starring RUGER HAUER...I think it called: CROSSWORLDS, which uses a similar plot.

REZULETA

I was intrigued with the basic science fiction concepts behind this film. There are too many cloying multi-million dollar fairy tales, posing as science fiction, produced today. "Doorways" was made for TV, seemingly as a series pilot; and it is thus confined in its scope and special effects. But the story is strong. The characters are well developed and interesting. The Alien girl is wild, determined and strong; yet she is still vulnerable, in a feminine way; not your typical alien superhuman. It is well worth sitting down and getting involved in this entertaining film. I wish someone would make a full blown theatrical release from this idea; with a definitive resolution and the time to truly develop the characters. This one is still fun. It will keep you in your seat, and let you use your imagination. See if if you're a Sci Fi fan.