Hasbro’s Entertainment One (eOne) is rolling the D&D dice — betting that Dungeons & Dragons fans will flock to a new free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel dedicated to the fantasy franchise it’s prepping for a summer launch.
The Dungeons & Dragons Adventures FAST channel is expected to be available on “a number” of platforms but eOne has not cut any distribution deals as yet, according to the company.
The channel will feature a slate of original celebrity-focused unscripted series, including “Encounter Party,” “Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!” and “Heroes’ Feast,” as well as catalog content including the 1980s “Dungeons & Dragons” animated series. In addition, the FAST channel is to feature third-party content from top internet creators and influencers with a focus on live gameplay.
“This is an amazing opportunity to create and highlight exciting, engaging Dungeons & Dragons content, to both serve our wide audience of existing fans and welcome a new wave of fans to the community,” said Dan Rawson, SVP of Dungeons & Dragons at Wizard of the Coast (a subsidiary of Hasbro). “We look forward to bringing this channel to life and continuing to build out the thrilling D&D universe with even more content, partnerships and innovative formats.”
The FAST channel will include episodes of the animated Dungeons & Dragons series that originally aired from 1983–85. With a voice cast including Frank Welker, Willie Aames, Don Most and Katie Leigh, the show follows a group of young friends who are transported to the world of Dungeons & Dragons and must find their way home, taking many detours to help others along the way.
“Encounter Party,” from the creators of the podcast of the same name, follows six returning professional actors and improv artists from the original podcast and welcomes new cast member Khary Payton (“The Walking Dead”), as they role-play an original D&D campaign with original characters set in the world of the Forgotten Realms.
“Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!” is described as an improv comedy spin on classic Dungeons & Dragons gameplay. Each episode features a party of first-level characters — replete with backstories, accents, theme songs and more — marching to their certain deaths as they face beasts against which they stand absolutely no chance. The series features a revolving cast of special guests and celebrities, including series co-creator Matthew Lillard.
“Heroes’ Feast,” based on the recipes in the bestselling cookbook, is part talk show, part cooking competition. Each episode features the show’s two hosts — culinary hero Mike Haracz and first-level cook Sujata Day — prepping dishes for a revolving pair of guest diners.