"Dungeons & Dragons" (1983) TV series

Writers:

Dave Arneson (game "Dungeons & Dragons") &
E. Gary Gygax (game "Dungeons & Dragons") ...
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

17 September 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy

Plot:

A group of kids are thrown into a world where they must search for a way home, armed with magic weapons that an evil tyrant lusts for.

Plot Keywords:

Magic | Sword And Sorcery | Magic Weapon | Unicorn | Dragon

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Willie Aames	...	Hank the Ranger (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Don Most	...	Eric the Cavalier (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Katie Leigh	...	Sheila the Thief (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Adam Rich	...	Presto the Magician (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Tonia Gayle Smith	...	Diana the Acrobat (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Teddy Field III	...	Bobby the Barbarian (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Sidney Miller	...	Dungeon Master (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Frank Welker	...	Additional Voices / ... (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Peter Cullen	...	Venger / ... (26 episodes, 1983-1985)

Series Writing credits
Jeffrey Scott		(9 episodes, 1983-1984)
Michael Reaves		(7 episodes, 1984-1985)
Karl Geurs		(4 episodes, 1983-1985)
Katherine Lawrence		(3 episodes, 1985)
Paul Dini		(2 episodes, 1983)
Mark Evanier		(2 episodes, 1983)
Dave Arneson		(unknown episodes)
Kevin Paul Coates		(unknown episodes)
E. Gary Gygax		(unknown episodes)
Dennis Marks		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Lee Gunther	....	executive producer (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
E. Gary Gygax	....	co-producer (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Karl Geurs	....	producer (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Margaret Loesch	....	executive producer (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
David H. DePatie	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 1983)
Bob Richardson	....	producer (13 episodes, 1983)

Series Original Music by
Johnny Douglas		(27 episodes, 1983-1985)

Series Casting by
Hank Saroyan		(27 episodes, 1983-1985)

Series Production Design by
Takashi Masunaga		(27 episodes, 1983-1985)

Series Production Management
Jim Graziano	....	production manager (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Karl Geurs	....	production manager (13 episodes, 1983)

Series Art Department
Bob Kline	....	storyboard director (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Lonnie Lloyd	....	storyboard director (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Don Sheppard	....	storyboard director (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Wendell Washer	....	storyboard director (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
John Ahern	....	storyboard director (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Todd Kurosawa	....	additional storyboard (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Martin Strudler	....	additional storyboard (14 episodes, 1984-1985)

Series Sound Department
Jim Blodgett	....	sound effects editor (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
John Detra	....	sound effects editor (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Bruce Elliott	....	sound effects editor (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Richard S. Gannon	....	sound effects editor (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Michael L. DePatie	....	sound effects editor (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Ron Fedele	....	sound effects editor (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Michael Tomack	....	sound effects editor (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
David H. DePatie Jr.	....	sound effects editor (13 episodes, 1983)
Susan Trieste	....	sound effects editor (13 episodes, 1983)
Martin Varno	....	sound effects editor (13 episodes, 1983)

Series Animation Department
Gerry Chiniquy	....	animation director (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
George Goode	....	model designer (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Tom Ray	....	animation director (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Martin Strudler	....	background designer (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Dennis Venizelos	....	background designer (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Warren Batchelder	....	animation director (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Bob Kline	....	background designer / model designer (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Chris Lane	....	background designer (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Kevin Shaw	....	checking supervisor (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
James T. Walker	....	animation director (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
John Walker	....	animation director (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
John Ahern	....	animation supervisor (13 episodes, 1983)
Kent Butterworth	....	animation supervisor (13 episodes, 1983)
Barbara Donatelli	....	checking supervisor (13 episodes, 1983)
Milton Gray	....	animation director (13 episodes, 1983)
Paul Gruwell	....	background designer (13 episodes, 1983)
Paul Julian	....	background designer (13 episodes, 1983)
Takashi Masunaga	....	model designer (13 episodes, 1983)
Armand Shaw	....	checking supervisor (13 episodes, 1983)
Nelson Shin	....	animation director (13 episodes, 1983)

Series Editorial Department
Robert T. Gillis	....	supervising editor (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Jeffrey L. Sandler	....	supervising editor (13 episodes, 1983)

Series Music Department
Johnny Douglas	....	conductor (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Mark Shiney	....	music editor (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Joe Siracusa	....	music editor (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Robert J. Walsh	....	composer: additional music (27 episodes, 1983-1985)

Series Other crew
John Gibbs	....	supervising director (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Hank Saroyan	....	voice director / additional dialogue / ... (27 episodes, 1983-1985)
Karl Geurs	....	story editor (14 episodes, 1984-1985)
Steve Gerber	....	story editor (13 episodes, 1983)
Bob Richardson	....	supervising director (13 episodes, 1983)
Dave Arneson	....	game writer (unknown episodes)
E. Gary Gygax	....	game writer (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Marvel Productions
• Dungeons & Dragons Entertainment Corporation
• Toei Animation Company (in association with)
• TSR

Distributors

• AVRO Television (1987-1988) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1983-1987)
• Divisa Home Video (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Fox Television (2000)
• Genesis Entertainment
• Saban Entertainment

Runtime:

30 min (27 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-Y7 | UK:PG (some episodes) | UK:U (some episodes)

Company:

Marvel Productions

Trivia:

One of the pieces of library music that often appears in action sequences is taken from the 1964 British comedy Carry on Spying (1964).

Quotes:

Dungeon Master: Evil energy is like evil force. Change its direction, and it changes to good!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 100 Greatest Cartoons (2005) (TV)

Liked this one, even tho I was older than the nostalgic age

Nostalgia for cartoons for me will have to be the Hanna Barbera, Ruby and Spears, Sid and Marty Krofft period and Bugs Bunny, so to have this one tagged on is pretty rare for this child of the seventies, but its there.

It was different and unique. The voices were phenomenal, just now learned Adam Rich (Nicholas of 'Eight is Enough') was Presto and not Bobby as I always believed. Donny Most (Ralph Malph on 'Happy Days') and Willie Aames (Tommy on 'Eight is Enough') did the best thing for their careers by doing this cartoon. I managed to get about half or more than half of the cartoons on tape before Fox stopped showing them. Didn't get some I wouldhave liked to have, but I do have some treasures. None of htem ever really bothered me as being bad or less than average. Hands down, the direction in music and sound is what makes this fellow rare among eighties cartoons and cartoons in general, as well as the art and animation. Scooby Doo has a steady run of music with no pauses for effect or reflection, but D & D would get silent when Vengar entered or spoke or one of the kids was unhappy. the music would get gentle during thoughtful moments as well. The show strived to use all six kids evenly and not be dominated by Eric and Presto (Most and Rich) and did a good job doing this while keeping the shows upbeat and entertaining. The concept of a token will always bother me, but Diana did get a boyfriend in one episode and befriended a WW II German pilot in another. LIke Valerie in Josie and the Pussycats, she did often get stuck with the more interesting kids like Eric and Presto. Uni, too, had his moments and met his family of Unicorns. One that will always stand out to me from this show was when the kids decided they had enough of Vengar and wanted Dungeonmaster to tell them how to stop Vengar instead of telling them how they could get home. They meant business, and when DM told them what to do to stop Vengar, it was quiet, and he said "May I go now?" with such humility the likes of which I had never heard and have yet to hear again in a cartoon. Won't spoil how the showdown with Vengar went either. This show was a jewel.