Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)

Dungeons & Dragons is an American animated television series that was a co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, and made in the United States during the 1980s. Based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the show was popular in the US, and ran for three seasons on CBS.

Although aimed at a young audience as many animated series are, the show had distinctive plots, and was unusual in children's television for the amount of ethical awareness and empathy displayed to and encouraged in the viewer. It was not unusual for members of the band to lose hope or break down in tears, only to be comforted by others, or reinvigorated through good works. The level of violence was controversial for children's television at the time, and the script of one episode, "The Dragon's Graveyard", was almost shelved because the characters contemplated killing their nemesis, Venger. In 1985, the National Coalition on Television Violence claimed it was the most violent show on network television. At least some of the criticism of the show was based not so much on its actual content, as its association with the Dungeons & Dragons franchise which had become highly controversial by the 1980s due to its supposedly occult content.

In 1987, the series premiered in France (under the name "Le Sourire du Dragon" — The Smile of the Dragon) and in the United Kingdom, satellite television channels were showing re-runs at least into the late 1990s. In 1999, Saban Entertainment bought out the Marvel Productions catalog (minus the Hasbro related series), including all the airing rights. Saban later merged with the Fox Entertainment Group, and for a while (about six months), the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon was aired during the Saturday morning and weekday afternoon FoxKids time block. In August 2002, Disney acquired Fox & Saban and gained the broadcast rights to the cartoon; however, it had not been shown on any affiliated television channel until April 7 2006, when it was broadcast on Jetix on Toon Disney. BCI has recently acquired the DVD rights. The series was very successful in Brazil, and was aired during the Xou da Xuxa, the most famous Brazilian children's show. The whole series is currently available on DVD in the United Kingdom and was released in the United States on DVD for the first time ever on December 5, 2006. Currently, a fan of the show is trying to use some of the original characters voice to make the final episode according to the UK DVD set.

Premise
The general premise of the show is that a group of kids are pulled into the "Realm of Dungeons & Dragons" by taking a magical roller coaster trip at a fairground. Invariably, the children just want to get home, but often take detours to help people, or, especially, find that their fates are intertwined with the fate of others.

After arriving in the Realm, the children are a little out of place, but the Dungeon Master (named for the role of the referee in the role-playing game) appears, assuming the role of their mentor, and gives them each clothing and magical paraphernalia to suit their abilities.

The original title sequence is a concise dramatization of the kids' arrival in the realm and the assignment of their respective character classes. The second season version begins with the ride, only to shift to a stylized action sequence with the kids, more accustomed to the demands of the realm, capably doing battle. This sequence was kept when the show was reaired by Fox, but was shortened and remixed with different music. Also the ending credit sequence was completely replaced by a generic closing credit sequence common to shows on the Fox network at the time. This is the version currently shown on Jetix (in the U.S.). The U.S. DVD release uses both the original 1st Season opening and original ending for all the episodes, but still includes all the various openings and endings in the special features. A storyboard for the second season's introduction can be viewed here

Main characters
The main characters of the show are six friends from age 8 to 15, trying to find their way home. They are:

Season one: 1983-1984

 * 01 - The Night of No Tomorrow - Dungeon Master sends Hank, Shela, Eric, Diane, Presto and Bobby toward the town of Helix to attend a local celebration, but on their journey into town they are greeted by Merlin, who offers to take Presto under his wing as his apprentice - but only if Presto will stay there for the rest of his life...


 * 02 - Eye of the Beholder - While chased by a vicious giant scorpion, Dungeon Master's students are saved by a knight calling himself Sir John. When Dungeon Master instructs them to seek out and destroy The Beholder in a distant valley, the children decide to take Sir John with them. However during the battle the children learn one thing - Sir John is a complete coward!


 * 03 - The Hall of Bones - During a battle with some winged creatures the children's magical weapons begin to falter. It soon becomes apparent that the weapons have run out of energy, prompting Dungeon Master to direct them towards the Hall of Bones where they can recharge their weapons. As they make their way toward the hall, Venger seeks to capture their weapons for his own gain...


 * 04 - Valley of the Unicorns - The children come to the aid of a unicorn known as Silvermane, leader of the last unicorn herd. During their battle with the wolves their attention is diverted and Uni is taken away by an evil old wizard named Kelek, who is trying to steal all the horns from unicorns to harness the teleportation powers they possess. The children may well have to turn to their biggest enemy in order to succeed in saving the unicorns..


 * 05 - In Search of the Dungeon Master - While taking a leisurely ride through the forest, Dungeon Master is unexpectedly attacked by the evil bounty hunter Warduke, who freezes him inside a magical crystal. The children soon learn of Dungeon Master's capture and set out to rescue him, attempting to overcome the many obstacles in their way before Venger can claim him first!


 * 06 - Beauty and the Bogbeast - Dungeon Master's pupils must seek out a mystical river that changes its course once a year, as the sixty seconds will allow the children to return home. Before the children split into two groups in order to locate the river Dungeon Master gives them one warning; that they must never touch the beauty that breathes the beast...


 * 07 - Prison Without Walls - Dungeon Master sends the children to a valley where the gnomes reside. When they arrive they discover that the gnomes have been enslaved by evil Venger, who makes them mine for mystic gems. To free the gnomes, the children must search for Lukion, the spellbinder whose magic protected the gnomes' valley for centuries. However, the Dungeon Master's pupils are hounded by a giant creature in the Swamp of Sorrow...


 * 08 - Servant of Evil - Bobby's birthday celebrations are ruined when his companions are captured by Venger's warriors and taken to the villain's Prison of Agony. With the help of Dungeon Master's magical amulet, Bobby and Uni must befriend the reluctant giant Karrox and save their friends.


 * 09 - Quest of the Skeleton Warrior - Dekion, the enslaved skeleton warrior who has been in servitude to Venger for many years, informs his master that he has found the Circle of Power. Because he is under Venger's spell, Dekion is unable to enter the Lost Tower of the Celestial Knights and so enlists the help of Dungeon Master's pupils. The children unwittingly agee to aid Dekion, not knowing that they will have to face their greatest fears in order to defeat Venger...


 * 10 - The Garden of Zinn - In an unsuccessful attempt to catch food, Bobby is bitten by a dragon turtle and poisoned. The children seek the help of Dungeon Master, who tells them that he does not possess the power to undo nature's will. While Bobby is nursed by Sheila, Uni and their new friend Solars, the other children journey to the Garden of Queen Zinn. However a mysterious connection between Queen Zinn and Solars may put their mission in jeopardy...


 * 11 - The Box - The children stumble upon a mysterious box after a sudden quake splits the ground in two. Dungeon Master informs his pupils that the box belongs to Zandora, an old friend and ally. They soon learn that the box is a magical container that can open worlds to anywhere, depending on where it is placed. The children race to free Zandora and prevent Venger from terrorizing Earth itself.


 * 12 - The Lost Children - The Dungeon Master's pupils seek a ship held at Venger's castle that will help them return home. During their journey they meet a group of children who themselves are considered lost. After learning that their elder, Alfor, has been captured and is held within the walls of Venger's castle, Hank and his friends aid the lost children, with the threat of venger standing over them.


 * 13 - P-R-E-S-T-O Spells Disaster - During a battle with some Orc warriors Presto unleashes a spell that goes wrong and results in the disappearance of his friends. The children find themselves in the castle of a giant, high in the clouds. As Presto and Uni climb a tower in search of their friends, the other pupils of Dungeon Master evade the giant's vicious slimy pet, Willy.

Season two: 1984-1985

 * 14 - The Girl Who Dreamed Tomorrow - The children find a rollercoaster car that appears to be the same one in which they unexpectedly entered The Realm. Soon they find Terri, a lost girl from Earth held captive by Venger's warriors. After freeing Terri, Dungeon Master's pupils learn that she can dream the future. To journey home the children must battle their way through Venger's Maze of Darkness, as Terri has one last hopeful dream.


 * 15 - The Treasure of Tardos - Venger creates the evil Demodragon, but when the creature with the power to destroy The Realm captures the children's magical weapons, it breaks the villain's control over the creature. Dungeon Master explains to his pupils that should Demodragon succeed in destroying The Realm, they will never be able to return home. The children must form an uneasy alliance with Venger in order to defeat his creation.


 * 16 - City at the Edge of Midnight - Dungeon Master informs his pupils that they must find the City at the Edge of Midnight, where children from The Ralm and Earth are being held prisoner. Allying themselves with the kind Ramuud, Dungeon Master's pupils journey to the city to free the children and save Ramuud's daughter, but they have to first contend with the evil malevolence of Nightwalker...


 * 17 - The Traitor - Whilst resting in the Moon Forest, Dungeon Master's pupils are awakened by the sudden appearance of the Cloud Bears, who are attempting to steal their magical weapons. After befriending the Cloud Bears, Hank and Bobby are captured in a battle with the Orcs, and Sheila leaves to follow them. While the children aid the Cloud Bears against the Orcs, Sheila witnesses Hank planning an ambush with the Orc leader...


 * 18 - Day of the Dungeon Master - Dungeon Master's biggest critic, Eric, rebukes him after a skirmish with some large insect-like creatures. When Eric boasts that he could make a difference with Dungeon Master's powers, Dungeon Master makes Eric the Dungeon Master. With the power of Dungeon Master flowing through him, the reluctant Eric realizes one thing; he has the power to get his friends home...


 * 19 - The Last Illusion - In the Swamp of Darkness Presto stumbles across the image of Varla, the lovely illusionist, who tells him that she is being held prisoner by Venger. The children arrive at a village where the people are unhappy due to a constant curse that looms over them. A warrior arrives at the village and blames the curse on Dungeon Master's pupils. The warrior is Venger in disguise, and without their weapons, the children are imprisoned.


 * 20 - The Dragon's Graveyard - The children are close to a portal home when Venger destroys it. The frustration is too much for Dungeon Master's pupils, and they decide to confront Venger and defeat him once and form all. Tiamat reveals to the children that their weapons are more powerful than Venger in the Dragon's Graveyard. When Venger arrives in the Dragon's Graveyard and appears to be defeated, Hank must make the toughest choice of his life.


 * 21 - Child of the Stargazer - Relaxing in a peaceful part of The Realm, the children stumble upon a young man named Kosar, sick from exhaustion and hunger. Forming a close relationship with Kosar, Dungeon Master's pupils learn that he is destined to fulfill a prophecy that will both end the reign of the evil Queen Syrith, and enable the children to go home. But what bond do Kosar and Diana share that will change the events about to unfold?

Season three: 1985-1986

 * 22 - The Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn - Eric's curiosity about a seemingly harmless box leads to the return of the most powerful enemy the kids have ever faced, He Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken. With both Dungeonmaster and Venger drained of their magic, the race is on to see who can recharge at the energy spring in the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn first...before the Nameless One destroys the entire Realm!


 * 23 - The Time Lost - Venger's got a new idea for eliminating his annoying young enemies, and pulls both a futuristic plane and a WWII Nazi fighter pilot into the Realm using his Crystal of Chronos. Venger intends to send Josef Mueller, the pilot, back to Earth to win the war for Germany, but after meeting the kids, Josef has other plans.


 * 24 - Odyssey of the Twelfth Talisman - A lonely but sharp-witted orphan, Lorne, finds a lost amulet that leads him into big trouble. He and Eric become fast friends through the usual exchange of insults and put-downs, and the gang teams up with him on their search for the Stone of Astra. But the wizard Korlok, who also seeks the Stone, is following them...


 * 25 - Citadel of Shadow - Anxious to prove her worth after a botched thieving job, Sheila befriends Kareena, a young woman who is more than she appears to be. Soon the kids are in the middle of a VERY bitter family feud indeed!


 * 26 - The Winds of Darkness - The Darkling, a skeletal creature of darkness, kidnaps Hank. The kids have to convince the kindly Martha to help rescue their leader, before the Darkling claims his final victim and his Winds of Darkness destroy all light in the Realm. But Martha has been hurt by the creature one too many times and wants nothing to do with their quest.


 * 27 - Cave of the Fairie Dragons - Tasmira, queen of the Faerie Dragons, is held prisoner by the greedy King Varen, who desires the fabulous treasure they guard. Aided by the sassy little dragon Amber, the gang must free her and help her people relocate to a new home.
 * 28 - Requiem - The children finally have a chance to return home - but is it worth the risk?
 * This episode was written by the series original scriptwriter Michael Reaves but was never produced, although he did publish the script on his personal website, and the episode is included in the form of a radio play on the recent DVD release. Michael's take on the rumors of a lost episode can be found here.

Awards

 * Nominated for the 1986 Young Artist Award in the category of outstanding young actress in an animation/voice-over (Tonya Gayle Smith)

Theme song
The cartoon ran in the United Kingdom and United States with an instrumental theme song; however, in France it ran with the song "Le Sourire du Dragon" sung by Dorothée; in Spain, the theme song "Dragones y Mazmorras" ("Dragons and Dungeons") sang by Dulces became very popular.

In other countries, it also ran with a local translation of this song. However, in Brazil, due to a change in character roles, the lyrics are altered.



DVD
DVDs of the series were released in the UK in 2004. The US DVDs were released on December 5, 2006.

UK - From the Contender Entertainment Group
 * Dungeons & Dragons — The Complete Animated Series
 * Dungeons & Dragons volume 1
 * Dungeons & Dragons volume 2
 * Dungeons & Dragons volume 3
 * Dungeons & Dragons volume 4

US - From BCI Eclipse
 * Dungeons & Dragons — The Complete Series

Differences with the Pen & Paper Game

 * The "Dungeon Master" appears as a gnome-like character who interacts physically with the characters, acting as a mentor, with wizard or godlike powers. The Dungeon Master could as a result, in some rare instances, also be hurt or threatened in the show.  The DM of a pen & paper game does not have a physical manifestation or character representing him/herself in the game, but instead acts out the parts of Non-Player-Characters & Monsters, and gives descriptions of the player's physical surroundings, while acting as a referee.  Yet, Dungeon Master is a play on pen & paper refereeing. Dungeon Master personifies jokes and familiar tropes to DM's of pen & paper gaming. Dungeon Master controls the world around the characters; his son plays the arch-evil NPC, Venger.  When the party complains he teasingly offers them a way home, much like a pen & paper DM suggesting it's time to end a D&D session, but something always comes up to keep the game going. The mysterious appearances of Dungeon Master in the cartoon may be inspired by the occasional instances in pen & paper D&D where the DM breaks the fourth wall, or ceases to act mearly as a narrator and directly gives hints or guidance to players who were too close to dooming their characters.
 * Most D&D games have characters whose origins are in the world they exist, such as Greyhawk or the Forgotten Realms. In the show, the protagonists were children from Earth who were transported to "The Realm".  However, in many ways, pen & paper players tend to recreate a one-to-one fantasy-world version of themselves in their character.  The cartoon characters are like D&D reflections of the ordinary humans who rode the roller coaster at the start of the series.  Each character's personality is a derivative of their real-world personality, just like regular D&D player-characters.  Thus, the premise of the cartoon is a send-up on role-playing gaming, where normal people transport themselves (in their minds) to another world, to act out a character.  Although a pen & paper character will usually cite his origin as an area of the fantasy world, in fact all the fantasy characters are invented on earth, which is represented in the series.
 * There are several appearances of creatures true to the game. Purple Worms, and other creatures were often accurately depicted in the show, clearly drawing inspiration from art within such books as the Monster Manual.  At times, however, the monsters differed from their game descriptions.  One case was the Beholder.  In the game, a beholder has different powers for each eye, but during the in-show appearance of "Eye of the Beholder", the beholder used generic energy blasts and "force tentacles".
 * The US Complete Series DVD release has packaged inside a 30-page hardcover minibook entiled "Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series Handbook", which was prepared by Wizards of the Coast as an adaptation of the animated series to D&D 3.5 paper & pen rules. The handbook includes an adventure, "Beneath the Blade of Sword Mountain", that serves as a prequel to the Animated Series episode "The Dragon's Graveyard".  The book also outlines the D&D statistics of the main characters of the Animated Series (along with Venger and Shadow Demon), and rules for their items of power--although, the adaptations do not include exact power conversions from the series.  For example, Hank's Energy Bow can fire energy arrows (which are treated as Magic Missles), but there is no mention in the converted rules of his ability to warp that energy into the energy rope constructs seen many times in the series.
 * A magic hat is usually not the source of a wizard's spell powers in the game (verbal and material components may be required). Presto's magic hat is derived from a blend of magicians (people who play magic tricks such as pulling a rabbit out of a hat), and the pointy wizard hats in fantasy art and literature.  Also in the game, a wizard memorizes specific known spells and calls for which spell he wishes to cast in any given scenario, whereas Presto does magic by saying a rhyme and pulling randomly related results out of his hat.

Trivia

 * An urban legend regarding the show, which gained prominence in the 1990s, was the notion that the writers originally planned on ending the series with the shocking revelation that the main kid characters were actually all dead, having died on the rollercoaster that supposedly brought them into the mystic realm of the series and that the entire series takes place in Purgatory or Hell (depending on the version of the story being told). The show's writers have publicly dismissed this rumor.
 * The characters Kelek (Valley of the Unicorns), Warduke (Search for Dungeon Master) and Strongheart (Servant of Evil) were part of a Dungeons & Dragons action figure toy line released in the 80s. They also appear as good and evil Non-Player Characters - along with complete gaming statistics - in the Dungeons and Dragons accessory The Shady Dragon Inn, and Warduke has a Miniature.
 * The show was one of the greatest cartoon hits in Brazil, where it was known as Caverna do Dragão ("Dragon's Cave"), exhibited almost daily over 20 years. Due to many e-mails asking about a film adaptation, the movie magazine Set begun in its mail section a part called "Carta-Caverna do Mês" ("Dungeon letter of the month"), "answered" by the Dungeon Master.
 * In one episode of the Brazillian MTV cartoon Megaliga de VJs Paladinos (translated roughly to Mega League of Paladin VJs), the heroes are lost in another dimension where they find the kids and Venger. When they come back, the kids lose the chance to get back home like the original series.
 * No major character in the show used a sword.
 * According to the series development bible included with the DVD box set of Dungeons & Dragons, Presto's real name was Albert.
 * Willie Aames (Hank) occasionally had scheduling conflicts which required him to record his lines via telephone. On one occasion, Aames had to record his lines from a public telephone while being yelled at by someone asking to use the phone.(source: end credits DVD box set “Entering the Realm of Dungeons & Dragons” documentary)
 * Ted Field III (Bobby) is the son of Ted Field II, who was the Director of Children's programming at CBS. Ted Field II claims that he had no part in selecting his son for the part and was forced to sign a contract stipulating that he did not use his influence to get his son the part. (Source: “Entering the Realm of Dungeons & Dragons” documentary)
 * Katie Leigh (Sheila) was the only actor to reprise her role in the radioplay of Requiem.
 * Peter Cullen (Venger) had to record his part separate from the cast because performing the voice of Venger was such a stress on his vocal cords that he couldn't afford to do too many retakes. (Source: “Entering the Realm of Dungeons & Dragons” documentary)

Airing history
USA
 * CBS
 * FOX
 * Toon Disney (2006-)

UK
 * BBC
 * The Children's Channel
 * Boomerang (TBA)

Fansites

 * The Realm, by Zakiyah
 * Zakiyah's Links page - has links to many more fan sites.
 * Cavern of Tiamat - a comprehensive episode guide with more details.
 * "Choices" - the first live-action short based on the cartoon.

Dungeons and Dragons - Im Land der fantastischen Drachen Dungeons & Dragons (serie animada) Le Sourire du dragon Dungeons & Dragons (tekenfilm) Dungeons & Dragons (série)