Otherworld- Was a short lived sci-fi fantasy released in 1985. It is true family entertainment where a family visiting the pyramids in Egypt gets swept into a vortex that transports them to a parallel world where societies are isolated from each other. In each episode, the family must face conflict brought on by extreme xenophobia and differing cultural norms, much like Sliders encountered a decade later, but the dynamic of a 1980s nuclear family is very different than the heroes of Sliders.
These 8 episodes are only available from VCR recordings, so this digital copy is not high quality. But this is an otherwise lost program, so enjoy it for what it is.
The family’s nemesis is played by Jonathan Banks better known from Breaking Bad. He is first to encounter the Sterling family when they reach the Otherworld. He is a trooper responsible for maintaining the boundaries called forbidden zones between isolated provinces. Each province has it’s own set of social norms and laws. The struggle and ensuing escape from him gives the family his access crystal which allows them to open any door and thereby gain access to any province they come across. So while traveling looking for a way home, the Sterlings are also being ruthlessly pursued by him.
