October 1999	selected from Cult Times #49
Highlights by Paul Spragg (PS), Tom Spilsbury (TS), Richard Atkinson (RA)

	Deep Space Nine
	A Time to Stand BBC2: Thursday 21st, 18.00 FIRST TERRESTRIAL UK SHOWING
	With DS9 in Dominion hands, the sixth season of Deep Space Nine begins as no other before. After the station was lost in the Season Five finale Call To Arms, it quickly becomes apparent that re-taking it will be no easy task. As the curtain-raiser for a new season, A Time To Stand has certain obligations to the audience. Explosions? Of course. All our favourite characters featured? Sure. A triumphant victory for the Federation? Well, that one might have to wait for a few weeks, since the episode begins the Dominion War arc which will see our heroes put through quite a few scrapes before the time comes for the big showdown. Among the highlights to watch out for here are Sisko trying to tell his dad that Jake has been left on DS9, and Weyoun trying to reassure everyone that he just wants to be their friend. (TS) pic © Paramount

9th - 15th October

	Xena: Warrior Princess
	The Furies Channel 5: Saturday, 20.05 NEW SEASON • FIRST TERRESTRIAL UK SHOWING
	Xena is told that she must avenge the death of her father, or else be driven gradually mad, which comes as news to her, as although she hasn’t seen Daddy for a bit, she didn’t know he was dead. Can she take on the Furies? Of course, the answer is yes. The start of the long-awaited (by terrestrial viewers) Season Three is upon us, promising more angst than ever before for Xena and Gabrielle, with darker storylines like this merely the tip of the iceberg. The usual action and adventure is still in evidence, but this year stretches the pair’s friendship to breaking point and beyond. Hercules also returns to C5 later this month. (PS) pic © Renaissance Films

16th- 22nd October

	Star Trek: Voyager
	One BBC2: Sunday, 18.35 FIRST TERRESTRIAL UK SHOWING
	The Voyager’s path takes it directly through a radiation-full nebula, and the crew are forced to go into stasis, leaving the unaffected Doctor and Seven in charge of the ship. Another excellent Seven tale, One shows her getting more and more unbalanced as the nebula gases give her nightmarish visions. Again, the teaming of Seven and the Doctor works well, but Jeri Ryan comes into her own later in the episode, when it is just her left on the ship, with some tremendous acting. (PS) pic © Paramount

23rd - 29th October

	Sliders
	A Current Affair Sky One: Monday, 21.00 FIRST UK SHOWING
	The US is waging war. Not a popular move. And so when Maggie Beckett accidentally falls into the President’s arms, it seems like a good idea to distract the populace with gossip about an affair. In a way it’s quite a clumsy satire but it has a delightfully farcical quality, as larger than life villains and bumbling idiots run around trying to deal with such weighty, and of course topical, issues. Good fun. (RA) pic © Sci-Fi

hIGHMore highlights, with broadcast and merchandise listings for October, in Cult Times #49