Wizards and Warriors

I remember seeing this one episode where arch-enemies Jeff Conaway and Duncan Regehr had to rely on each other to get out of a cursed cave. Regehr tried to kill Conaway at every turn but Conaway kept reminding him he needed his help to escape alive. This came out when Dungeons & Dragons was peaking in popularity and Dragonslayer had just hit theaters. This was a predecessor to Hercules and Xena.

I loved this series, and I too was quite young when it was on. I remember it though as hilarious, satirizing a period I've always adored. I really think it was one of Julia Duffy's finest hours as well. The part of the bratty princess was so perfectly suited to her style, and was a real precursor for any work she did later on Newhart or Designing Women. Conway was also really good in this show, and I've always thought it was too bad he never got more work after Taxi and Grease. But without question, my favorite in the series was Dirk Blackpool, who we've almost never seen since. Whatta man! :)

If anyone knows where the tapes can be found, please email me!

Though it was a short run (only 8 episodes) in 1983, this TV show made a lasting impression on me. Why? I can sum it up in two words - Dirk Blackpool. However, the cast, the characters, the crew and the special effects combined to make it a fun, fantasy series with current day ('83) humor. Thankfully, folks on-line still remember it and talk about it.

Its a shame that this sitcom gem was lost to us due to constant preempting. I've never thought the rating system was all that fair. They should not include moments when prime time shows fall victim to breaking world newscasts, presidential addresses, special mini-series broadcasts, and holiday specials...its just not an accurate assessment of a show's viewer base. That said, maybe some reviewers are right that the audience wasn't 'there' yet, as the D&D gaming crowd was still mostly a little young to fall into the demographic they were shooting for...but I certainly loved it! And pay no heed to the comments of 'Oh Dear, Oh Dear'...that person obviously had no idea that the show wasn't there as a serious attempt to promote D&D to the masses...it was a COMEDY...a silly, camped-up comedy (like "Men In Tights' was to the Robin Hood franchise). And a good one at that! Julia Duffy was so memorable and funny as the spoiled, self-absorbed Princess Ariel that when she re prised that type of role as Stephanie on the 'Newhart', for the first season she was on that show I just saw her as The Princess...and that alone kept me watching 'Newhart'! I was never much a Jeff Conway fan, but the show gave me a better appreciation for him. And the villain stole the scene (or at least what part of it he could pry away from Duffy) every time he took the screen. I always thought his name was Derek Blackpool..to me that seems funnier somehow than Dirk (maybe because it rhymes with Eric?). Perhaps after a couple of decades of having seen it, its like Dark Shadows...you remember it as scarier (or in this case, funnier) than it actually was (and we'll sadly never know now how good it could have been), but I would love to go back and watch it again. I don't recall if it had a laugh track, but I don't think it would have needed one if it is indeed as funny as I recall. I was sad to see it go, and like another poster, didn't realize it was gone until it didn't come back. As a baby-boomer, I'd like to see more pop-culture related sitcoms like this revived rather than more waste-of-time reality shows.

I was an avid D&D player at the time this show premiered. I really enjoyed the show, even though it was not a brilliant action or comedic masterpiece.

I believe that one of the things that killed this show was completely unrelated to its writers or actors. This show was constantly being pre-empted for something else. My overwhelming memory of this show is actually turning on the TV and seeing President Reagan.

The show was running during the same period that a) Korean Air Flight KAL-007 was shot down when it entered Soviet airspace, b) US Marine barracks in Beirut destroyed by suicide bomber, c) United States invades Grenada, d) U.S Embassy is bombed in Beirut.

I would love to see the few episodes they filmed come out on DVD. This show was a riot!