D&D General D&D TV Series Coming This Fall From G4

G4, the company which partnered with WotC for some of their streamed events this year, has announced that it is bringing a limited-run Dungeons & Dragons television series to screens this fall. They describe themselves as a ‘digital first network’.

”Dungeons & Dragons Limited Series: Coming off the immense success of D&D Live 2021 featuring notable celebrities like Jack Black, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Smith, and DrLupo, G4 will continue its partnership with Wizards of the Coast with an all-new, limited-run series to premiere on G4 this Fall. The series will follow four campaigns with a mix of G4 talent, veteran D&D players, and celebrities for a new generation of D&D fans.”

It sounds like the show will be a mix of several live games.

G4 is coming to TV and streaming services on November 16th, via Verizon Fios, Cox, and Xfinity TV, as well as streaming services like Twitch.

G4TV

G4TV

g4tv.com

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Ah yes, G4TV, where Olivia Munn got her start. She probably got as many teen boys (and girls) to watch as the video games did. lol

 

[ProfessorDetective]

Ah yes, G4TV, where Olivia Munn got her start. She probably got as many teen boys (and girls) to watch as the video games did. lol

I was an X-Play kid, personally. It was fun watching the reviews and sketches. So many dead interns... And freaking Ratty the puppet!

 

[overgeeked]

Didn't that second Rick & Morty vs D&D comic make this exact joke?

Maybe. Never read it.

 

[ProfessorDetective]

Maybe. Never read it.

Hold on, yeah. The world becomes obsessed with D&D overnight. The hobby store is the size of a full mall, Campaigns are being broadcast like sports games, and monsters from the Manual start invading.

 

[Von Ether]

Hold on, yeah. The world becomes obsessed with D&D overnight. The hobby store is the size of a full mall, Campaigns are being broadcast like sports games, and monsters from the Manual start invading.

Oh. Like the Dream Park series

Dream Park - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[doctorhook]

I would watch a D&D show! But I’m really not very interested in watching streams of people playing the game, alas.

 

[doctorhook]

Oh. Like the Dream Park series

Dream Park - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Or the baseball episode of American Dad!

 

[Dire Bare]

Not sure why this is a big announcement, it just sounds like live streamed games. Not a bad thing, but not particularly newsworthy either. Maybe it's just that everyone wants to try to hitch a ride on Critical Roles success?

The big difference is that most "actual play" games are broadcast on internet platforms like YouTube and Twitch. G4 is a television network. Of course, the difference between TV and web-based video platforms is diminishing, and it also sounds like this new incarnation of the G4 network is perhaps a hybrid itself . . . .

Also, I get the impression these won't be live streamed, but pre-recorded and edited. We'll see.

Finally, it's a big announcement because G4 wants your eyeballs. Anybody producing a new series, regardless of the nature of the series, is going to do some promotion to let everybody know about it. Why wouldn't they announce their new show?

 

[Eyes of Nine]

(Just as an aside, a streamed show with Jack Black and Kevin Smith makes me think the DM would have their hands full managing spotlight away from those hams)

 

[bedir than]

The big difference is that most "actual play" games are broadcast on internet platforms like YouTube and Twitch. G4 is a television network. Of course, the difference between TV and web-based video platforms is diminishing, and it also sounds like this new incarnation of the G4 network is perhaps a hybrid itself . . . .

G4 already has been a streaming content producer. They softlaunched via Twitch and YouTube several months ago. Many of us on these very forums watched D&D Live 2021, which was a G4 production.

In the linked press release you can note that they also have other social platforms that will get unique content too.

But, as much as the internetirati like to claim TV is dead, a TV show that got the viewership that Critical Role does wouldn't make the 30-ish people only 10 million a year (an assumption that Twitch is only about 40% of revenue). It would also be one of the least watched shows on television. Shows with viewership as low as CR get cancelled.