Okay, yes, I may be crazy, but that does not mean I'm wrong, and I think a Celebrity D&D tv show would be a major hit. Also, I am not alone, as a quick search on Yahoo reveals:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22Celebrity+D%26D%22&toggle=1&ei= UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-web-t&b=1
Unbeknownst to me, Wil Wheaton had actually pitched this idea to Comedy Central when I thought of it on my own. Recently, other celebrities ranging from Vin Diesel and P. Diddy to Lindsey Lohan and Lexa Doig have admitted being fans of D&D. Celebrity Poker has had high ratings and spawned a renewed interest in card games. But seriously, is watching people play poker anywhere near as exciting as watching people role-play? I think not! Role-playing is improvisational acting and storytelling with dice, an opportunity for a skilled actor to create any character he wishes, a chance for an entertainer to have fun doing what he does best. With a good DM to run the game and a good editor to make the best parts of the game shine on tv, Celebrity D&D could show the viewing audience what RPGs are really about and how fun it can be to role-play a character in an adventure. And any chance to see Lexa Doig can't all bad either... :-)
That's almost as good an idea as when ESPN2 ran Magic: The Gathering tournaments . . . I'll just leave that out there . . .
I don't think it would be entertaining. Now, celebrities taking on real SCA members in battle--that I would watch!!
Washed-out celebrities getting their asses kicked to cling on to a few remaining threads of public exposure--oh yeah!!
D&D on TV? About as entertaining as watching paint dry as far as I'm concerned.
I imagine the audience's response would be far more interesting. "No, you idiot, take out the cleric first! He's gonna bolster those undead next turn! Jack Ass! Jack Ass!"
You're right though - I don't know if I could watch someone play D&D on TV. I'd be the one wanting to play. It would be a great one shot, maybe in the venue of a PvP "Championship".
D&D on TV? About as entertaining as watching paint dry as far as I'm concerned.
Know what might work? I emphasize "might" work....
Survivor: Dungeon
.......set in an old mine.....throw in some "American Gladiator" based combat challenges....the thing could be filmed with nightvision cameras. Have some of the people that set up some LARP events get involved. Don't mention D&D--make the public think some of the "challenges" are based on Tolkien or whatever.
You heard it here first, folks! If anyone makes a ton of money off this idea, they have my blessing. I'll take a byline credit and an airplane ride to California, a limo, golf at Riviera Country Club, 4 free tickets to GenCon SoCal and an assortment of odd show-related trinkets and I'll be happy....oh, if you need a fat innkeeper for the show, I'm your guy as well.
I don't think it would be entertaining. Now, celebrities taking on real SCA members in battle--that I would watch!!
Washed-out celebrities getting their asses kicked to cling on to a few remaining threads of public exposure--oh yeah!!
D&D on TV? About as entertaining as watching paint dry as far as I'm concerned.
Folks watch robots smash each other up, play poker, and there is always Max-X. I don't think D&D would do it, perhaps Miniatures Skirmishes would... who knows. There is so much crap on TV that I only turn it on to watch sports these days, sadly, many others think TV is actually good these days.
They had a show a few years back called "Murder in Small Town X". It was half reality TV and half role-play.
The contestants all played as cops (detectives) trying to solve a murder in a small coastal community. Each episode, they would go from event to event and watch actors develop the story around them. At the end of each show, two of the contestants would have to choose to visit some dark bleak area (an abandoned lighthouse, a cemetary, or an old warehouse). One contestant would find a clue (e.i. proof that eliminated one of the actors from being the killer), and the other would himself be "killed" (e.i.: eliminated from the game).
The contestant that won on that show was a fireman who died in the september 11 attack while the program aired.
Ultradan
Okay, I'm sensing some resistance to the idea...
...But my question is, would it be watched by the general public (not necessarily hard-core gamers)? Bloods who do real gaming don't need to have someone show them what it is like, there's no mystery. Doing is always more fun than watching. But I think it would expose a lot of new people to the hobby, dispel a lot of myths about gaming, and improve the image D&D has among the masses. Tell me it wouldn't at least be more interesting than celebrity poker...
I really don't think so. I think it would only reinforce stereotypes because H'Wood would trivialize our hobby and overplay the "weird" aspects in order to get ratings. Any activity that is at the "fringes" of normal society gets made fun of in the mainstream entertainment media (even when they think they're being objective), whether it be nerd-related or not.
Reality TV blows in most of its aspects. The only reality TV that I watch on a regular basis is college football...love it!
Don't even talk to me about D&D on any night that a bowl game is on or Oklahoma plays Texas or my beloved UTEP Miners are battling some lame ass C-USA opponent (I go to ALL home games that I can!). The rest of it can be flushed down a toilet as far as I'm concerned, and I'm afraid D&D TV would just be that much worse.
IMO some network should approach Dead Gentlemen productions to try making "Gamers" into a 7 episode sitcom trailer.
Or as Farewell2Kings wrote pitch an Idea to westernize Takeshi's Castle, Just leave out any reference to D&D in general and keep it as a underground trival thing.
Just as long as its not treated to serious and has some tounge in cheek humor involved, after all there was comedy bits in the Conan movies.
, after all there was comedy bits in the Conan movies.
"lot on your knife!".......ahem....LOL!!
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Okay, yes, I may be crazy, but that does not mean I'm wrong, and I think a Celebrity D&D tv show would be a major hit.
Celebrity Poker has had high ratings and spawned a renewed interest in card games. But seriously, is watching people play poker anywhere near as exciting as watching people role-play? I think not! :-)
Poker is absolute drivel; I have friends who try to rope me in, but it's a mug's game. Whoever has most money to spare can simply raise the ante so the others drop out without revealing. The cards are irrelevant, no? Playing a "friendly" game for matchsticks or tokens etc doesn't change that.
If the D&D game were true to life, you would have heaps of dead airtime, while someone looked up a rule, or some player dithered around asking 20 questions before declaring an action. You don't notice when you're involved, but if you've ever been a spectator at an RPG, you notice the huge chunks of wasted time, where nothing is happening.
What I WOULD like to see, though is a games review show, where each week a different boardgame/cardgame could be playtested, physical components examined, basic rules concepts explained, and guidance given for optimum no of players.
There may already be such a show, but I live in the UK, and I certainly haven't seen one. If anyone knows of such a show, please let me know...
ROFL; I am so into this idea; I would even watch it; it could have little voting blocks about what viewers think celebrities could do; we could all commiserate about sucky die rolls and bogus gm calls; wow a celebrity gm; who would be picked as the gm and first celebrity guests? heck, I am so into this idea as I dont even watch tv anymore cause it sucks so bad (well other than watching hockey :) and there are some pretty good Morphs to play instead, but this would definately get me to tune in. I am so geeking out about this idea; sigh the fact that it probably wont happen is as depressing as farscape ending; serentity ending; buffy ending; and the several other shows I loved that never made it. Big Sigh; now I am bummed, yet hope springs eternal.
Anyone know how much pbs airtime costs? sheesh ,a lot of cities have local channels; man, I want this to happen. (my A type personality is kicking into overdrive) lol a 24 hour channel; All Gaming; All the Time; hmm how long would the blocks be; would they be condensed; would they make sense if they were; could you download dialog commentary of the scenes from the celebrities commenting on why the make given actions; the gms would totally have to rock; heck; I would do it; we all drink beer, soda and various junk food; It would be a sponsors dream; "Wil Wheaton, player of Bogota the Lizardman Monk; prefers Andy Capp's Hot Fries" Vin Diesel prefers Lays potatoes chips when roleplaying Hack the Halforc carousing with elven babes, cause you can't eat just one" lol, every seen the Knife Show on channels like HSN; "Buy the magic sword authentic representation that Hack the Halforc used mightly cleave to critically kill the (insert something nasty) yours for only $19.99 if you order now; we throw in Bogota lost shurkin of pointy death." heh man I just have to stop before my brain springs a leak. :)
Well, it can't be much worse than golf. Maybe the announcer could whisper while the DM was looking up a rule and give out meaningless trivia such as "Celebrity XYZ lost her last character to a pit trap in the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, she might be a little apprehensive about going through that door."
The viewers could see the DM's maps and have pop up notes about upcoming encounters so they could quiver in anticipation about the pending ambush by the half-dragon minotaur zombie blackguard and his cohorts.
I still don't think it would be fun to watch unless really skillfully pulled off by a very talented producer with lots of gaming AND television experience.
The arguments between the players might be the reason most people would tune in to this. The arguments at our gaming table are pretty amusing to those non-gamers who happen to be around when we all get into it.
Maybe a call in 800 number where the public could vote on who role-played the best, with money going to the celebs favorite charity if they win the vote.
But, yeah, it's too complex and requires too much set up explanation for Joe Q. Budweiser Citizen.
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You could always have a panel of rules lawyers to help the DM so as to lessen downtime. DM gets an earbud to hear certain ruling and to help guide the flow of the show.
That said G4 tv is a channel dedicated to tech and video games. Why not a Fantasy channel. It could play alot of older films like Willow, Conans, Krull, the old Sinbad movies, etc. and have several shows dedicated to different games (d20 starwars, d20 modern, D&D, etc.). Have review shows (unbiased) to review different gaming accessories and showcase different fan created websites (Athas.org, Lilith's NPC site, etc.). It isn't too far-fetched to have a whole cable channel dedicated to this. So people would tune in to see their favorite movie from way back when and be turned on to D&D by the commercials and Fantasy driven advertising. How many guys sitting around bored on whatever day would see Conan on their Program Guide and not switch to it even just for a bit. It could make the game explode into the mainstream.
Na, never happen. Oh well. I can dream.
FH
Its happened before. kind of.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeshi%27s_Castle
Contributor
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I'm with FWTK on this one. I'm not sure I want to see Lindsey Lohan butcher a perfectly good game on national television.
The only way to increase the amount of new players is to go out there and teach people to play. At this point, D&D has never been easier to play. You roll a d20 and add a modifier to determine the success or failure of any action. A decent DM can run a perfectly good game with all new players in less time than it takes to teach someone how to play poker. D&D is an incredibly intuitive game, it doesn't take much to get a new player involved. I'm always amazed at how good 1st time players actually are at Role-Playing.
I'd rather watch a show where a DM goes out into the realworld and recruits 4 random people who've never played before (and don't know each other), gives them character sheets and runs them through a dungeon.
I think that D&D doesn't compress into a TV timeslot well enough to have any audience at all.
I'll wait for video streaming on the WWW to become mainstream enough to the point that video podcasts are as commonplace as radio - audience interest will drive D&D shows via the Web, but not on broadcast TV, where not enough people in general would pay for that show.
As broadcast/cable TV fodder, I'd watch a telecast of any SCA War (Gulf War/Pennsic/Estrella War, etc.) done via ESPN2 or The History Channel - enough action to actually fill an hour timeslot with some compelling TV.
I'm surprised that THC hasn't picked up any SCA themed programming, considering the mutual interest and entertainment value; then again, it's not like they televise the annual Gettysburg reenactment...
M
.......set in an old mine.....throw in some "American Gladiator" based combat challenges....
Add some of the True dungeon skill tests with elimination rounds and it might work. If you really wanted a celebrity game show though how about split screen or flashbacks. 1st, participants roll the d20 for the jump across the chasm of lava, the reflex save against the kobold's fireball, attack against the Goblin King etc. A 2nd filming later of the contestests having to jump a pit (filled by Nickleodon), dodge the kobold's (played by W Wheaton) fireball (played by ILM), then swing a sword at the goblin King (played by Vin Deisel).
The roll could be translated into the size of the pit so each contestant has their own to cross. It is not entriely d20 dependent, but it will affect the outcome. Celebs only have to show up to play their part and it would have more of movie feel with the special effects.
Celebrity D&D... I'd surely watch it. I'm imagining something like Celebrity Poker, except more character sheets and miniatures.
There'd be a special "character cam", a camera angle that lets you see someone's character sheet, and a special dice camera that zooms in on the result of someone's dice when they roll. They'd also have a commentary voice-over and after the game with Gary Gygax and some experts you've probably never heard of who were picked because their voices weren't too weeny.
As broadcast/cable TV fodder, I'd watch a telecast of any SCA War (Gulf War/Pennsic/Estrella War, etc.) done via ESPN2 or The History Channel - enough action to actually fill an hour timeslot with some compelling TV.
At last I'd be able to "go" to these events, at least vicariously. :-D
For people from the UK we used to have a programme called Knightmare. It was teen/kids programming which involved three kids in the studio shouting instructions to a fourth who was wearing a large helmet do they couldnt see anything. the screen was then filled with cgi backgrounds and the objective was to walk the fourth kid through a dungeon/castle solving puzzles and avoiding monsters. It was only a few steps away from being roleplaying on tv and it had decent effects for the time (80s into 90s). If some variation of this could be done nowadays it would look really good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightmare
For people from the UK we used to have a programme called Knightmare. It was teen/kids programming which involved three kids in the studio shouting instructions to a fourth who was wearing a large helmet do they couldnt see anything. the screen was then filled with cgi backgrounds and the objective was to walk the fourth kid through a dungeon/castle solving puzzles and avoiding monsters. It was only a few steps away from being roleplaying on tv and it had decent effects for the time (80s into 90s). If some variation of this could be done nowadays it would look really good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knightmare
OMFG!!!!! I used to watch that show religiously when I lived in England! Geeze, and I thought I was the only one who knew anything about it...Wow, it's nice to know someone else who knows something about it. I love the bit where you could "spy" on the bad guy, but the longer you did it, the more likely he'd figure out he was being spied upon and send somebody after you.
Sounds cool nermal; but did you like it? that would be key. I still think the pen and paper with celebrities sitting around a table would be totally cool; if you got good players; none of this crap of people just because they look good in dinky tight clothes. That is what commercials are for... lol Anyone seen Star Trek 2.0; having a nice log in of streaming comments would be cool too.