Wizards and Warriors (1983) User Reviews

Sadly went the way of 'The Charmings' - two sorely missed sitcoms!

[miteafrodite · 8/10 · 18 August 2009]

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.

Exactly right.

[scott-1411 · 10/10 · 10 October 2006]

I remember watching this show as an 11 year-old and LOVED IT. I'd look forward to it each week and would not miss it for the world. It seemed like it was preempted ALL THE TIME by something in the news, just like the other reviewer said. Of course, I'd tune in the next week and get to watch it. No problem. But this kept happening. A week on the air, a week off the air. Finally, it was "preempted" by another show. It took several weeks before I realized it was never coming back. At least I still had "Tales of the Gold Monkey". The best way to describe this show would be as follows: Wizards & Warriors was to the Dungeons and Dragons genre as "Sledge Hammer" was to cop shows. A true classic that needs to be released on DVD.

An unsung comedy

[myklebust-1 · 9/10 · 22 December 2006]

I agree with the previous comment. Plus, believe it or not, some of the jokes were rather subtle. For example, it was shown at a time in which "Real men don't eat quiche" was a cultural saying. In the show, the muscular good-guy hero and Princess Ariel were sitting on a blanket preparing to eat a picnic lunch that Ariel had prepared. She pulled out many items and offered each one to the hunk. When she off-handedly offered him quiche, he merely replied in a normal tone of voice, "No thanks." And that was it. No laugh tracks. You had to actually watch the show to understand and appreciate the comedy (I tend to do additional activities during TV shows).

Julie Duffy was outstanding as the spoiled, self-centered princess. This role was reprised during "Newhart" in which she played a spoiled housekeeper in Bob Newhart's series at an inn in the Pacific Northwest.

Anyway, good show. It is still missed.

Before its time?

[mystiefreak · 18 June 2004]

Oh, how I miss "Wizards and Warriors." Why didn't this show last more than one season? Perhaps the audience for it wasn't "there" yet. I was. This show made me a huge Julia Duffy fan. And I'd always loved Clive Revill. Anyway, about the show... The basic premise of the show - Prince Dirk Blackpool wants to rule the kingdom (of course) and holds the evil wizard "Vector" to his bidding by stealing the wizard's power-crystal with the help of the witch Bethel. Meanwhile Princess Ariel loves the hero, Prince Greystone, but is too self involved to get him. She's pretty much what made the show so great and memorable and certainly I remember it at all. I actually remember some of the episodes pretty well, as I had taped them to watch later, and saved them for a long time (they are, alas, long gone now. But as the previous reviewer stated, if anyone has them...). I remember the "over the top" heroism of Jeff Conaway's character. I remember mostly Ms. Duffy's Princess Ariel. The great lines she had. When the evil Blackpool went to kiss her hand and he scolded "don't get it wet." And her physical comedy (she's a master and underrated "pratfaller.") - especially with that conical hat she had to wear. I guess the only real criticism I might have for the show was that it was perhaps a little uneven (hard for me to explain, but even if you loved the show you might know what I mean). But if you're reading this, you probably don't care about whatever "uneven" may mean - you remember, and wish, as I do, for the "fun" of it again. Why isn't this on video/DVD? Would it work today, when it didn't find it's audience back when it first aired? I'd love to know - wouldn't you?

A memorable show

[leeglasson-1 · 9/10 · 14 June 2019]

I always looked forward to this show and was annoyed that it didn't get the chance of another season. I loved the tongue in cheek humour. One memorable joke was when the evil wizard was playing a game of chess I think. The bet was that if he lost he'd have to remove his hat/skull cap, to which he replied that he wasn't wearing a hat. I guess you had to be there, but I still remember it after 36 years.

So happy to be able to buy the DVD

[sterhill-1 · 10/10 · 9 February 2022]

How many times have I remembered some line from this show!!

Princess Ariel was in the dark, gloomy haunted castle and getting more terrified by the moment when she suddenly brightens up and says "I don't want to be here anymore. I want to be at a ball where people are saying 'that's a gorgeous dress she's wearing' and 'doesn't she have beautiful teeth'... no, I don't want to be HERE anymore."

Whew! Was thinking that just this morning and was so pleased to find the DVD for sale on Amazon. Love it!!

This show was killed by the news of the world around it.

[steventhomas42 · 10 August 2004]

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!

Short-lived but it was campy fun while it lasted

[Krillian · 10 June 1999]

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.

Fantastic, under appreciated Medieval spoof that went off the air far too soon.

[jennythegreat-1 · 18 January 2006]

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!

Fond Memories

[dawn99 · 3 October 2003]

I watched this series faithfully back when I was in college. I remember seeing the first episode and being quite puzzled. In those days, mixing comedy and drama was not very common, so I was not sure how to react. But the show interested me enough to watch the second episode, and that was when I got the joke -- a hero who wasn't always heroic, a princess who could be annoying, and a villain who could be quite sympathetic in a twisted sort of way. From that point on, I was hooked. I was so unhappy when it was canceled, but not too surprised. I think it was a little too different for most people. But I still think of it now and then and am hoping that some day it will be released on DVD (or whatever the next technology will be).

What a great show!

[crownhelm · 26 January 2000]

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.

Above Average TV for the time

[michaeldouglas1 · 26 July 2011]

Like other reviews, I watched every show I could (what with postponements!) and I enjoyed it for what it was, a light-hearted treatment of the D & D craze. Erik and Ariel were adequate, but Blackpool and the wizard Vector really stole the show. Vector, played by great character actor Clive Revill, was somewhat dimwitted, and Blackstone had to suffer him as best he could. I also remember the fondness Blackstone showed when speaking of torturing people, especially with his spiked boots! The episode I recall most was when Erik and Ariel were lured into an evil castle where the spirit of a former lord still lurked, and were tormented by shades of people they knew, such as Blackpool, the Queen, and Marco (even an evil version of Erik). At the end, when they finally meet up with the real Marco, he says something like, "I just killed Blackpool, the King, the Queen, and myself....did I do the right thing?" While this was going on, the real Blackpool and Vector were playing some sort of board game and getting drunk. I also remember that for each segment's fadeout for the commercial break, the scene would turn into a comic book drawing (kinda like in Creepshow). Someone mentioned Wizards & Warriors only lasted 8 episodes? Wow. Good luck ever getting released on DVD...best we could hope for is someone with old VHS tapes offering a set on DVD for sale (like on Ioffer or some such site).

A memorable and underappreciated little TV classic

[Dan_Harkless · 6 December 2000]

I really enjoyed this show and I wish I remembered more about it, but the 17 intervening years, its short run, and the fact that I was just a youngun when it was on conspire so that I remember very few details.

I do remember how well written and acted the deliciously evil Dirk Blackpool was. I don't remember if this was a catch-phrase or if he only said it once, but one of his threats that stayed with me was "[Stop that] or I'll chain you to the floor and walk all over you in my spiked boots." Another tidbit is that baseball player Pete Rose always reminded me of Blackpool, appearance-wise.

I believe the line above was said to Blackpool's comedically bumbling assistant Marko. I've seen actor Walter Olkewicz in a few things and this is the role I remember him for.

I imagine this show must be a bit of a holy grail for tape-traders. If anyone has it, let me know. :-)

A deliciously ridiculous and hilarious TV series

[Ross-Durham · 6 May 2004]

that was vastly under-appreciated by both the network and the viewing public. I am particularly angry at the network for dumping it without giving it a chance to catch on. It was written tongue-in-cheek by someone with a delightful sense of humor, and was so classically silly that it was both camp and genuinely funny.

Julia Duffy was particularly good as the goofy princess and the plots were well conceived and singularly well directed. For some reason, the series was never rerun nor were video tapes ever made available to the purchasing public. One gets the feeling that the people who made the decision to cancel Wizards and Warriors were the same people who decided in 1964 that Star Trek would never attract a decent following and determined to dump it after a single season.

Humorous Xena-like fantasy

[Ventrell · 8 April 2002]

I am glad that I still have my video of the 8 episodes of this creative and funny show. It didn't take itself at all serious, and that was its charm. The first few episodes are excellent, and the acting is wonderful, but after a while, it seemed that the authors merely wrote out their Dungeons and Dragons stories, which can be about as boring as it sounds. Perhaps if it were made now, with cable channels hungry for shows, it would be as big of a hit as Hercules and Xena were.

Dungeons and Dragons Brought to Life

[Teach-8 · 1 September 2000]

In 1983, the "Dungeons and Dragons" role-playing game was extremely popular at the University of California, Riverside; as a result, "Wizards and Warriors" struck a very responsive chord among the D&D faithful, including myself. The chief feature was the impression that the writers themselves had played D&D and then wrote up their game as a script for the next episode--this, by the way, is not an insult, but seemed to explain the way each episode flowed: Three-quarters serious adventure, one-quarter comedy. Why it was cancelled after so short a run is still a mystery to me--perhaps the show did not appeal to others outside of the college roll-playing crowd--but I daresay that it would be quite popular now in rerun or even on video, thanks to the good memories it would bring back to that older D&D group.

Oh dear! Oh dear!

[Rob_Taylor · 19 December 2003]

Way back when I was a kid, we used to play Dungeons and Dragons. Back then, our attempts at sensible scenarios were anything but sensible and our abilities to write anything consistent and plot-like was pretty weak.

And that's what W&W feels like. As if some kids decided to write down their D&D adventures on a weekly basis, then someone found the notes and made a TV show out of it.

To it's credit, the series never takes itself remotely seriously and everyone overacts to excess. Jeff Conaway, later seen in Babylon 5, here acts atrociously, mugging for the camera at any opportunity. The scripts are almost laughably D&D-ish and you have the distinct impression that the makers wanted to see how foolish they could make the show and still get away with it. Unfortunately for them, the show was too foolish and was swiftly cancelled.

The humour is at times awful to the point of cringe-inducing. For example, in one episode, the heroes debate whether they should buy some specially trained badgers (seriously!) to sniff out for poison gas in the tunnels they are going to raid. To my chagrin, I didn't see where this was going until one of the characters approached a shopkeeper and asked if he had any badgers for sale. Then it hit me, but I couldn't tear myself away from the screen to groan until the shopkeeper had come back with the awful, awful, yet somehow strangely funny reply "Badgers? Badgers!You don't need no stinkin' badgers!"

If that line doesn't tell you all you need to know about the show, then I don't know what will. Although it is humourous, there are many dull and boring moments too, which are probably what led to its short run.

I'm not really sure which I dislike the most. This show, the "Dungeons and Dragons" movie or the "Dungeons and Dragons" cartoon series. They are all equally bad. No wait. I take that back, the movie had a Wayans in it. I hate that the most.

Not the best TV show in the world......ever!