"Basements & Bongs" (Eastland version of "Dungeons & Dragons") - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:30 AM

So, as of the creation of this thread, I've been spending so much time at this board lately, and I have also been binge-watching one of my favorite cartoons from my childhood, the 1980s Saturday morning series Dungeons & Dragons (incidentally, I've never played the famous role-playing game, I'm only familiar with the mostly-unrelated cartoon).

For those unfamiliar with the show, 6 youngsters from our world take an innocent ride on a Dungeons & Dragons ride at an amusement park, but when inside, they get transported to the realm of Dungeons & Dragons and are each assigned a role and a magical weapon by the Dungeon Master. They then embark on adventures (or are sent on quests/assignments from Dungeon Master), all the while hoping to find a way back home.

So I wondered what would happen if we combined Eastland with "The Realm" (said like "The Group"

) and cast "Facts" characters in the D&D roles?

For characters in "Basements & Bongs", lol, there are several options. Here are some that I've considered:

'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:30 AM

Dungeon Master could be played by Mrs. Garrett; or perhaps she would be "Dungeon Mistress".

Wise, seemingly all-knowing, guide and counselor...and older and shorter as well, lol.

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'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:31 AM

Hank the "Ranger" could be played by mature Jo; level-headed, responsible, taking initiative, watching out for those around her. Her weapon is the ranger's energy bow, lol.

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'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:31 AM

Diana the "Acrobat" I could see being played by any of these three gals. Kimberly is assertive, outspoken, athletic (in her dancing), and adventurous. But Cindy is a tomboy, restless, very athletic, unafraid to take on an opponent, and agile in gymnastics (which is a great strength of Diana's). And then there is Sue Ann, full of energy and endurance, high-spirited, a cheering support for her gang (and I liked that I was able to find pics of Kimberly and Sue Ann that kind of go with Diana's acrobat outfit, lol). Whoever would play Diana would get the acrobat's bo staff (for some reason always referred to as "javelin" in the series), which can expand from a few inches to 6 feet at will.

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'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:31 AM

Eric, the "Cavalier" and the breakout star of the series, could be wonderfully played by Blair, who became the breakout star in the first season. Eric is cowardly and complaining and uncomfortable in The Realm, very much masking his heart of gold, and Blair can be self-involved and spoiled and petty, masking her heart of gold, lol. Her weapon is the cavalier's shield which she can cower behind, lol.

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'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:32 AM

Presto the "Magician", could be played by Molly. Presto (real name: Albert) is auburn-haired and a nerdy guy who's into magic, and Molly is auburn-haired and into nerdy things like ham radios, photography, and her small-scale guitar. Her weapon is the magician's or wizard's hat which can conjure up anything (if used with just the right spells/incantations).

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'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:32 AM

Sheila the "Thief", could easily be played by Nancy. Sheila is sweet and tender, and her weapon, the thief's cloak of invisibility, allows her to become invisible living wallpaper, and Nancy can be sweet and tender, and she is invisible living wallpaper! Even part of her wardrobe is already akin to Sheila's look!

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'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:33 AM

Bobby the "Barbarian" could be played by season 2 Jo. As a young boy Bobby is aggressive and easily gets angered, and young Jo is certainly aggressive and easily gets angered! You can just imagine what a weapon the Barbarian's club would be in her hands!

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'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:35 AM

Venger, "the force of evil" in The Realm, the vile one-horned being against our girls and their guide, could beautifully be portrayed by headmaster Harold J. Crocker, a.k.a. "The Croc/The Crock", lol.

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'80sSitcoms · 08-13-2018, 10:36 AM

Venger has a servant, Shadow Demon, who serves him in his schemes and spies all over The Realm for him. No offense Miss Mahoney, but as someone under the headmaster's authority and part of his establishment, you could fulfill this role in the series, lol.

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RetroGuy2000 · 08-14-2018, 12:56 AM

Haha!

This is pretty zany!

I will say that Eric and Blair both have a lot in common: they love themselves! Diana and Cindy are both able to perform flips, so that is a good match. I could also see Sheila and Nancy. The Crock is cruel and an authoritarian; he could fit the Venger role surprisingly well.

Some of the other character crossovers seem like a bit of a stretch.

'80sSitcoms · 08-14-2018, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Haha!

This is pretty zany!

I will say that Eric and Blair both have a lot in common: they love themselves! Diana and Cindy are both able to perform flips, so that is a good match. I could also see Sheila and Nancy.

This has been fun to explore, lol.

Another thing Kimberly shares with Diana, they're both quick to constantly knock a boy peer down a peg or two! I think if the three of these girls auditioned, Kimberly and Cindy would have a stronger shot than Sue Ann, and yes, naturally Cindy's gymnastic prowess would really give her an edge!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Some of the other character crossovers seem like a bit of a stretch.

Really? I think Natalie and Tootie would really be stretches, lol. At first I thought of Molly as Sheila since her hairstyle and color is the closest to hers, lol, and I could sort of see her doing that character, but then I thought how "invisible" Nancy is, and I couldn't resist, lol...you used the "nerdy" word recently in a post about Molly, and she and Presto have their propensity for their respective hobbies in common (and poor Molly's wardrobe doesn't help her "with it" factor any, lol). Oh well, it's still been fun trying to merge Eastland with "The Realm", lol.

'80sSitcoms · 08-14-2018, 01:28 AM

Look out! It's Venger and Shadow Demon flying in the skies over Eastland! lol

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RetroGuy2000 · 08-14-2018, 01:34 AM

Okay, that expression on Miss Shadow Demon's face is priceless...

Yes, Presto and Molly are nerds, but is there anything else connecting them?

'80sSitcoms · 08-14-2018, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Okay, that expression on Miss Shadow Demon's face is priceless...

Yes, Presto and Molly are nerds, but is there anything else connecting them?

Yup...their auburn hair.

...but really, I just figured Molly would be the closest to him I could get. You could use Natalie if you wanted, but then that would make Presto and his hat more "clownish", almost like a one-girl stand-up act.

08-13-2018, 10:30 AM	#1
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	"Basements & Bongs" (Eastland version of "Dungeons & Dragons") So, as of the creation of this thread, I've been spending so much time at this board lately, and I have also been binge-watching one of my favorite cartoons from my childhood, the 1980s Saturday morning series Dungeons & Dragons (incidentally, I've never played the famous role-playing game, I'm only familiar with the mostly-unrelated cartoon). For those unfamiliar with the show, 6 youngsters from our world take an innocent ride on a Dungeons & Dragons ride at an amusement park, but when inside, they get transported to the realm of Dungeons & Dragons and are each assigned a role and a magical weapon by the Dungeon Master. They then embark on adventures (or are sent on quests/assignments from Dungeon Master), all the while hoping to find a way back home. So I wondered what would happen if we combined Eastland with "The Realm" (said like "The Group" ) and cast "Facts" characters in the D&D roles? For characters in "Basements & Bongs", lol, there are several options. Here are some that I've considered:

08-13-2018, 10:30 AM	#2
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Dungeon Master could be played by Mrs. Garrett; or perhaps she would be "Dungeon Mistress". Wise, seemingly all-knowing, guide and counselor...and older and shorter as well, lol. - Attached Images

08-13-2018, 10:31 AM	#3
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Hank the "Ranger" could be played by mature Jo; level-headed, responsible, taking initiative, watching out for those around her. Her weapon is the ranger's energy bow, lol. - Attached Images

08-13-2018, 10:31 AM	#4
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Diana the "Acrobat" I could see being played by any of these three gals. Kimberly is assertive, outspoken, athletic (in her dancing), and adventurous. But Cindy is a tomboy, restless, very athletic, unafraid to take on an opponent, and agile in gymnastics (which is a great strength of Diana's). And then there is Sue Ann, full of energy and endurance, high-spirited, a cheering support for her gang (and I liked that I was able to find pics of Kimberly and Sue Ann that kind of go with Diana's acrobat outfit, lol). Whoever would play Diana would get the acrobat's bo staff (for some reason always referred to as "javelin" in the series), which can expand from a few inches to 6 feet at will. - Attached Images

08-13-2018, 10:31 AM	#5
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Eric, the "Cavalier" and the breakout star of the series, could be wonderfully played by Blair, who became the breakout star in the first season. Eric is cowardly and complaining and uncomfortable in The Realm, very much masking his heart of gold, and Blair can be self-involved and spoiled and petty, masking her heart of gold, lol. Her weapon is the cavalier's shield which she can cower behind, lol. - Attached Images

08-13-2018, 10:32 AM	#6
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Presto the "Magician", could be played by Molly. Presto (real name: Albert) is auburn-haired and a nerdy guy who's into magic, and Molly is auburn-haired and into nerdy things like ham radios, photography, and her small-scale guitar. Her weapon is the magician's or wizard's hat which can conjure up anything (if used with just the right spells/incantations). - Attached Images

08-13-2018, 10:33 AM	#8
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Bobby the "Barbarian" could be played by season 2 Jo. As a young boy Bobby is aggressive and easily gets angered, and young Jo is certainly aggressive and easily gets angered! You can just imagine what a weapon the Barbarian's club would be in her hands! - Attached Images
	Last edited by '80sSitcoms; 08-13-2018 at 10:58 PM.

08-13-2018, 10:35 AM	#9
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Venger, "the force of evil" in The Realm, the vile one-horned being against our girls and their guide, could beautifully be portrayed by headmaster Harold J. Crocker, a.k.a. "The Croc/The Crock", lol. - Attached Images

08-13-2018, 10:36 AM	#10
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Venger has a servant, Shadow Demon, who serves him in his schemes and spies all over The Realm for him. No offense Miss Mahoney, but as someone under the headmaster's authority and part of his establishment, you could fulfill this role in the series, lol. - Attached Images

08-14-2018, 12:56 AM	#11
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	Haha! This is pretty zany! I will say that Eric and Blair both have a lot in common: they love themselves! Diana and Cindy are both able to perform flips, so that is a good match. I could also see Sheila and Nancy. The Crock is cruel and an authoritarian; he could fit the Venger role surprisingly well. Some of the other character crossovers seem like a bit of a stretch.
	__________________ The Facts of Life's "Lost Girls" Tribute to Julie Piekarski, Eastland Girl Join "The Group", Sitcoms Online's Facts of Life group!

08-14-2018, 01:28 AM	#13
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Look out! It's Venger and Shadow Demon flying in the skies over Eastland! lol - Attached Images

08-14-2018, 01:34 AM	#14
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	Okay, that expression on Miss Shadow Demon's face is priceless... Yes, Presto and Molly are nerds, but is there anything else connecting them?