Dungeons &amp; Dragons (TV series)Dungeons &amp; Dragons (TV series) Dungeons & Dragons (TV series) Dungeons & Dragons is an American animated television series based on TSR's "Dungeons & Dragons" role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1983 through 1985 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty-seven episodes. The Japanese company Toei Animation did the animation for the series. The show focused on a group of six friends who are transported into the titular realm and followed their adventures as they tried to find a way home with the help of their guide the Dungeon Master. A final unproduced  episode would have served as both a conclusion to the story as well as a re-imagining of the show had the series been picked up for a fourth season; however, the show was cancelled before the episode was made. The script has since been published online and was performed as an audio drama as a special feature for the BCI Eclipse DVD edition of the series. Overview. The show focuses on a group of friends aged between 8 and 15 who are transported to the "realm of Dungeons & Dragons" by taking a magical dark ride on an amusement park  roller coaster. Upon arriving in the realm they meet Dungeon Master (named for the referee in the role-playing game) who gives each child a magical item. The children's main goal is to find a way home, but they often take detours to help people or find that their fates are intertwined with that of others. The group comes across many different enemies, but their primary antagonist is Venger. Venger is a powerful wizard who wishes to rule the realm and believes the power from the children's weapons will help him to do so. Another recurring villain is  Tiamat, who is a five-headed dragon and the only creature that Venger fears. Throughout the show, a connection is suggested between Dungeon Master and Venger. At the end of the episode "The Dragon's Graveyard", Dungeon Master calls Venger "my son." The final unproduced episode "Requiem" would have confirmed that Venger is the Dungeon Master's corrupted son (making Karena Venger's sister and Dungeon Master's daughter), redeemed Venger (giving those trapped in this realm their freedom), and ended on a cliffhanger where the six children could finally return home or deal with evil that still existed in  the realm. Episodes. Unfinished finale. The intended final episode from the third season, and potential series finale, entitled "Requiem", was written by the series' frequent screenwriter Michael Reaves, but was not finished due to the show's cancellation. It would have served as both a conclusion to the current story as well as a re-imagining of the series had the show continued into a fourth season. Reaves has discussed the episode online, and published the original script on his personal website. The BCI Eclipse Region 1 DVD release includes the script recorded in the form of an audio drama  as a special feature. A fan-made animated version of the finale appeared online in 2020. It includes the original audio drama, animations mostly recut from the series, and a legal disclaimer stating the rights belong to Marvel, Disney and Wizards of the Coast. This version closely follows Reaves' script, except it deviates from the latter's "open ending", in which the characters were given the choice to return home or stay in the realm, as their decision is shown. Production. Opening credits. The opening credits served as an introduction to the series and an explanation as to how the  children ended up in the realm. It begins with the group getting on the "Dungeons & Dragons" ride, which then transports them to the realm. Dungeon Master appears to give them their individual weapons to defend themselves from Tiamat and Venger. The credits were altered for the second and third seasons. It started in a similar way to the first with the group getting onto the roller coaster. Once in the realm, however, the characters can be seen in a castle and already in possession of their weapons fighting various enemies before Venger appears and says – The credits featured an orchestral  score composed by Johnny Douglas, which played alongside the soundtrack of Dungeon Master. 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") sung by Dulces became very popular. Controversy. The level of violence was controversial for American 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 demanded that the FTC run a warning during each broadcast stating  that "Dungeons & Dragons" had been linked to real-life violent deaths. The series spawned more than 100 different licenses, and the show led its time slot for two years. Home media. In 2004, Contender Entertainment Group released the series on four stand-alone DVDs (under license from Fox Kids Europe/Jetix Europe). Extra features on each volume include fan commentary tracks on two episodes, character profiles, and DVD-ROM content. The original series bible, scripts, character model sheets, original promo artwork, an interview with Michael Reaves (writer on the unproduced finale episode "Requiem"), and a featurette on the title sequence  are spread amongst the discs. The fourth volume includes the script for "Requiem" and a featurette about it. The four DVDs each have different original cover artwork (by Eamon O'Donoghue) that form a panorama when placed side by side, depicting the series' main characters: Hank and Sheila with Venger, Presto with Tiamat, Eric and Diana with Shadow Demon, and Bobby with Uni and Dungeon Master. The first Region 1 DVD release, "Dungeons & Dragons - The Complete Animated Series", was on December 5, 2006 by BCI Eclipse LLC, under its Ink & Paint classic animation entertainment brand (under license from Disney). The 5 -disc set featured all 27 episodes, uncut, digitally re-mastered, and presented in story continuity order, as well as an extensive array of special features including documentaries, commentaries, character profiles, a radio play of the unproduced finale episode "Requiem", and more. This release is now out of print, as BCI Eclipse ceased operations in December 2008. In June 2009, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to the series and subsequently re-released the complete series on August 25, 2009 (once again under license from Disney), in a 3-disc set without any special features, but with almost all the original  music restored; the release contains all the televised episodes but does not contain the radio play of "Requiem". The series was also shown on Toon Disney's Jetix block during the summer for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. Foreign language versions on the series can be found on YouTube. Awards. For her work on the series, Tonia Gayle Smith (as "Diana") was nominated for "Outstanding Young Actress in an Animation Voice-over" at the 1984–1985 Youth in Film Awards. In January 2009, IGN ranked "Dungeons & Dragons" at #64 on its "Best 100 Animated Series" list. Merchandise and other media . The show produced a variety of spin-off merchandise. Board games. In 1984 TSR, Inc. released the board game named "Quest for the Dungeonmaster", inspired by the episode "In Search of the Dungeon Master", in which Dungeon Master is captured by Warduke and frozen in a magic crystal, and the kids try to rescue him before Venger gets there. Brazilian company Grow released a Portuguese-language version of this game in 1993. Books. Several books based on this series were released at the time of its highest popularity. Card games. In June 2021, Wizards of the Coast announced a "Secret  Lair set" for "Magic the Gathering" based on the animated series. Also, announced that series will be streamed on Twitch. Music. A full orchestral version of the "Dungeons & Dragons" animated series main theme, composed by Johnny Douglas, was released as the sixth track of the 1991 album "The Johnny Douglas Strings - On Screen", published by the label Dulcima, a record label founded by Douglas in 1983. Television advertisements. The characters were licensed for a Brazilian live-action television commercial, released in May 2019 to promote the launch of Renault's Kwid Outsider. The commercial was shot in Salta, in Argentina , in a place near the Andes mountain range. Toys and collectibles. An "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" toy line was produced by LJN in 1983, including original characters such as Warduke, Strongheart the Paladin, and the evil Wizard Kelek, who would later appear in campaigns for the Basic edition of the roleplaying game. None of the main characters from the TV series were included in the toy line, but a connection does exist, as Warduke, Strongheart and Kelek each appeared in one episode of the series. Only in Spain and Portugal were PVC figures of the main characters produced. The Brazilian company  named Iron Studios will release in 2019 an entire set of polystone collectible statues for most of the "Dungeons & Dragons" cartoon characters"," using a 1/10 scale and together they form a full diorama. Planned for the same year, more exactly June–August 2019, "PCS Collectibles" company will release two versions of Venger in 1:4 scale, both fully sculpted polystone statues hand painted. One version, a Sideshow and PCS Collectibles partnership, will be strictly limited to only 400 pieces worldwide; the second version, a PCS exclusive version will include Venger's loyal henchman, the Shadow Demon, as well as an alternate  swap-out arm with a magical energy effect, will be limited to 250 pieces. Dungeons & Dragons (TV series) Dungeons & Dragons is an American animated television series based on TSR's "Dungeons & Dragons" role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1983 through 1985 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty-seven episodes. The Japanese company Toei Animation did the animation for the series. The show focused on a group of six friends who are transported into the titular realm and followed their adventures as they tried to find a