For Your Batty Consideration: Season 12, Episode 8: Dungeons and Dragons

The podcast took an amazing journey into role playing games, or at least cartoons based on RPGs. Dungeons and Dragons, the Eighties CBS animated series, gave us plenty to discuss in the 50th anniversary year of the original game. For example, what is the deal with the Dungeon Master? We don't solve that one, but we explore the origins of the show while considering an action-packed story.

Links:

Our podcast episode 

Show Notes and YT Playlist

Anonymous Batty insider says: "Saturday mornings aren't always fodder for big winners at the Batty Awards, but I am calling this one the sleeper contender of this season. You have a large and diverse cast of characters that will provide plenty of nominees, and there are lots of possibilities in some of the less conventional categories. If Outstanding Villain is featured again this year, we could have a winner here. Remember, too, how much Rick in particular praised the theme song. All I'm saying is, for a show with only 27 episodes, D&D will have a big impact. I think a lot of people might root for the Random Number Generator to make an appearance with an award involving this series."

YouTube Spotlight: The Tom Swift and Linda Craig Mystery Hour

Here's a clip from this week's Dungeons and Dragons playlist you may not recognize:

This is an attempt to launch a series based on the popular Tom Swift series of books for young readers. ABC had some success pairing The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries in this time slot, so it tried to match Willie Aames and Lori Loughlin. All viewers got was this single outing, though, on July 3. 1983.

The interesting supporting cast includes William Windom, Janet Du'Bois, Carmen Zapata, Lucille Benson, and George DiCenzo. It was called the premiere of a new mystery series in the press, but nothing came of it. Presumably it didn't fare well against 60 Minutes and a Voyagers! rerun. The following Sunday, ABC ran a Ripley's Believe It or Not rerun in the spot.

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Episode 12-8: Dungeons and Dragons

*Mazes and Monsters premiered December 28, 1982, on CBS.

*Dragon magazine was in print 1976 to 2007, and since then has remained more or less active as a digital publication.

*Mark Evanier's site is right here.

*Dungeons and Dragons aired 27 episodes and 3 seasons, September 1983 to December 1985. CBS ran reruns in 1987 and 1990.

*This episode we discuss premiered Saturday, October 15, 1983. I didn't mention the primetime shows on that day, just the Saturday morning lineup, but here is what was on that night:

CBS: Cutter to Houston, Movie: Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer

ABC: T,J. Hooker, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island

NBC: Diff'rent Strokes, Silver Spoons, The Rousters, The Yellow Rose

And later, Saturday Night Live welcomed hosts Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman with musical guest Eddy Grant

*Let's salute Johnny Douglas, the series' composer, for that wonderful orchestral theme music!

*Finally, here is the video playlist for this episode, chock full of promos, that great theme song, commercials, and SID Miller on Barney Miller! All this plus Menudo!

*And remember, you can always check out our official YouTube page for all of our past podcasts and episode-specific playlists for each one!

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...