646f9e108c While exploring the Egyptian pyramids, the Sterling family become lost inside the labyrinths. After finding their way out, they find that they are in a parallel universe. The Earth they wind up on is called Thel, ruled by the Church of Artificial Intelligence, and kept in line by ruthless Zone Troopers. Making their way through the various Provinces on the planet, the Sterlings make their way toward the province of Imar, capital of Thel and home to Signpost Astrologers who may be able to help them find their way back to their universe. Thrown into another dimension, a family must keep ahead of a tyrannical state&#39;s hunters while searching for a way home. Of all the shows to come and go during the 80&#39;s, Otherworld established itselfa series that needed better. Perhaps time and the powers that be could&#39;nt save this show, but it definately had a storyline that could have really been spectacular. Filled with alternate universe strangeness, tinges of cultural mirroring and a 80&#39;s futuristic feel and look that permeates it right down to the pseudo Tangerine Dream soundwork of Sylvester Levay, the series progressivly reached highs and lows with some of its stories, however that was not totally unexpected. Audiences back then were not very tollerant of sci-fi programming like they are now, and the world created by Mr. Taylor was definately in need of more time and a better litmus test before it could fully become a hit. At last, it was not to be, but it still lives in the hearts and mindsone of the more interesting series to come about during the rocky road of sci-fi programming.<br/><br/>For those unfamiliar with the series, it was the on-going saga of the Sterling family who find themselves trapped in a alternate universe during a visit to Egypt during a planetary conjunction. The world they now wander has many provinces each with their own unique twist. Sarlax: with its population completely comprised of androids. Adore: where society is based upon female control or Metraplex: A society controlled the MacroElite with MicroWorkers being the underclass. Futuristic sights and sounds pervade this strange worldthey seek the province of Imar and a way to get back to Earth but its not an easy taskevery place they go has an unexpected danger,well, hot on their heels is a commander in this worlds armed forces knownZone Troopers who will stop at nothing to capture the Sterlings and restore his honor that they took from him.<br/><br/>The series is currently owned by SciFi/USA networks so it will undoubtedly show up from time to time on possibly both channels. If you are fortunate to catch it, view with an open mind and an unassuming heart and you might just be surprised. I think &quot;Otherworld&quot; was a mid-season replacement for something else that was quickly replaced in it&#39;s turn…Thanks to &quot;tvtome.com&quot; in the last five minutes I found out that the show only ran for 8 episodes, making it the shortest lived SciFi program I know of. Like another IMdB reviewer, I have vague memories of the show; I remember the android town, the episode where the son gets drafted, the woman&#39;s town where the son is auctioned off (!) I also have really vague memories of the primitive &quot;Mad Max/The Hills Have Eyes&quot; people they run across, the rock and roll episode, and their retelling of &quot;Beauty and the Beast.&quot; The one episode I have the most memories of is the one where their hot air balloon (!) is shot down by some townies and the daughter is mistakenthe town&#39;s queen. That episode sticks in my mind due to the long computer effects scene where the girl is brainwashed into thinking she is this ruler, who I think also came from earth. The composer really got to show off his synthesizer work there,did the Amiga &quot;Video Toaster&quot; guy who did the visual effects. But I&#39;m rambling…What burns me about the show is that the family never leaves the &quot;Otherworld&quot;, which is a problem for &quot;quest&quot; shows that are cancelled. Also, every episode was the same thing over and over just in a different setting,another reviewer pointed out; heck, I misremembered the &quot;primitive people&quot; show and the &quot;Beauty and the Beast&quot; showparts of one episode! I remember &quot;TV Guide&quot; running a joke article in 1986 featuring memos from the characters of certain shows to their networks; the father of the &quot;Otherworld&quot; clan begged for CBS to continue the show because his family was still stuck in that other dimension! &quot;From nothing to nothing&quot; should be the motto of the producers of this show.
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