This award goes out to the set designers, the prop guys, the CGI people, and everyone else who brings the alternate realities of Sliders to the small screen. Some would say that the first two seasons have an edge because on location shooting simply looks better than on set. Others could counter that the third season had the highest budget. And of course, the fourth and fifth season teams had to get very creative in their re-use of material.

While CGI and explosives have their place, the most richly visualized world is (in my humble opinion):

Into the Mystic

The second season premier of ghouls and sorcery showcased the best transformed San Francisco without losing the reference points inherent to parallel universes. The on location shooting featured some unique backdrops to the series (the Oriental styled buildings including Mr. Miyagi's home from "The Karate Kid", the Sorcere's Palace) plus some great make-up work and special effects. The disappearing bridge trick is by no means new, but it still looked good. The prop team earned their money with neat alt-comedy moments including the warning located at the entrance to the Golden Gargoyle Gate Bridge and the decoration of Dr. Xang's office. And for once, Vancouver's lousy weather came in handy to futher bolster this dark and gloomy world.

It may lack the fancy CGI of later episode, but "Into the Mystic" is a visual treat.

I expect the picks for this award will vary greatly. Let's see what the Academy has to say!

R317