Wizards and Warriors (TV series)
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = WizardsandWarriors-Titlecard.jpg
| alt_name = Greystone's Odyssey
| genre = Adventure
| creator = Don Reo
| developer =
| writer = Don Reo
| director = {{ubl|Bill Bixby|Richard A. Colla}}
| creative_director =
| presenter =
| starring = {{ubl|Ian Wolfe|Jeff Conaway|Clive Revill|Duncan Regehr|Julia Duffy|Thomas Hill|Walter Olkewicz}}
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = {{ubl|Lee Holdridge|Alf Clausen}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 8
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = Don Reo
| producer =
| editor =
| location =
| cinematography =
| camera =
| runtime = 60 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Don Reo Productions
- Warner Bros. Television
}}
| network = CBS
| first_aired = {{Start date|1983|02|26}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1983|05|14}}
| related =
}}
Wizards and Warriors is an American comedy adventure fantasy series that aired on CBS from February 26 to May 14, 1983. Starring Jeff Conaway, Julia Duffy, Walter Olkewicz, Duncan Regehr, and Clive Revill, eight one-hour episodes were made. The series was created by Don Reo for Warner Bros. Television and three of the episodes were directed by Bill Bixby.
Summary
In the medieval realm of Aperans, the neighboring kingdoms of Karteia and Camarand engage in repeated conflict. Prince Erik Greystone, who is engaged to Princess Ariel Baaldorf, battles the evil Prince Dirk Blackpool. Both princes employ magic users of various alignments to gain the upper hand against each other.
Cast
Characters are described, according to the newspaper, Wilmington Morning Star.
=Starring=
- Jeff Conaway as Prince Erik Greystone.
- Walter Olkewicz as Marko, Prince Erik's valet.
- Duncan Regehr as Dirk Blackpool, the handsome-but-sinister Crown Prince of Karteia.
- Julia Duffy as Ariel Baaldorf, the lovely-but-spoiled Crown Princess of Camarand. Her tastes run to "furs, jewels, and leather pants". She has a pet unicorn named Pumpkin.
- Clive Revill as Vector, an evil Karteian sorcerer.
=Recurring=
- Thomas Hill – Edwin Baaldorf, King of Camarand. Ariel's father.
- Ian Wolfe – Traquill, an aging Camarandian wizard.
- Tim Dunigan – Geoffrey Blackpool, Prince of Karteia. Dirk's younger brother and frequent aide-de-camp. Less crafty than Dirk, but also nowhere near as vicious.
- Jay Kerr – Prince Justin Greystone, Erik's playboy brother.
- Julie Payne – Lattinia Baaldorf, Queen of Camarand and Ariel's mother.
- Randi Brooks – Bethel, a Karteian witch who frequently serves House Blackpool.
- Phyllis Katz – Cassandra, a handmaiden in the service of House Baaldorf.
- Lonnie Wun – Oriental Guard
US TV Ratings
{{Television season ratings
| title = Show
| link1 =
| timeslot1 =
| timeslot_length1 =
| episodes1 = 8
| start1 = {{Start date|1983|02|26}}
| end1 = {{End date|1983|05|14}}
| season1 = 1982-83
| rank1 = 89
| hide_timeslot = TEXT
| hide_viewers = TEXT
| hide_rank = TEXT
| hide_18_49_rank = TEXT
| hide_18_49_rating = TEXT
| hide_FLratings = TEXT
| show_caption = TEXT
| show_references = TEXT
| timezone = TEXT
| unit = TEXT
| nolink = TEXT
}}
Episodes
{{Episode table |background= |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title=The Unicorn of Death
| DirectedBy=Bill Bixby
| WrittenBy=Bill Richmond
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1983|02|26}}
| ShortSummary=
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title=The Kidnap
| DirectedBy=Richard A. Colla
| WrittenBy=Don Reo
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1983|03|05}}
| ShortSummary=
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title=The Rescue
| DirectedBy=James Frawley
| WrittenBy=Don Reo
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1983|03|12}}
| ShortSummary=
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title=Night of Terror
| DirectedBy=Bill Bixby
| WrittenBy=Bill Richmond
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1983|03|19}}
| ShortSummary=
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title=Skies of Death
| DirectedBy=Bill Bixby
| WrittenBy=Don Reo
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1983|04|09}}
| ShortSummary=
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title=The Caverns of Chaos
| DirectedBy=Paul Krasny
| WrittenBy=Don Reo
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1983|04|30}}
| ShortSummary=
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| Title=The Dungeon of Death
| DirectedBy=Kevin Connor
| WrittenBy=Judith D. Allison
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1983|05|07}}
| ShortSummary=
| LineColor=
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| Title=Vulkar's Revenge
| DirectedBy=Kevin Connor
| WrittenBy=Robert Earll
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1983|05|14}}
| ShortSummary=
| LineColor=
}}
}}
Broadcast and reception
The series debuted as a midseason replacement for the cancelled series Bring 'Em Back Alive.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0HEjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NiQEAAAAIBAJ&dq=wizards%20warriors%20ratings&pg=4146%2C245431 |title=The Times-News - Google News Archive Search |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2015-06-06}} It aired on Saturdays at 8:00pm Eastern / 7:00pm Central. Syndicated columnist Judy Flander praised the series as "witty", including the directing, the writing, and the acting. Due to low ratings, the series was not renewed for the second season and was cancelled.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hqpRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LRIEAAAAIBAJ&dq=wizards%20warriors%20ratings&pg=6921%2C2269419 |first=Duane |last=Dudek |work=Milwaukee Sentinel |at=Part 3, Page 2 |date=May 12, 1983 |title=Pink slips are all in the family as Archie and Gloria lose shows}} The costume designer Theadora Van Runkle won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series.{{cite news |date=September 19, 1983 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1jk0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=c_UIAAAAIBAJ&dq=wizards%20warriors&pg=4105%2C4217055 |title=People behind camera get Emmys |page=57 |agency=United Press International}}{{cite web |title=Wizards and Warriors |accessdate=November 4, 2013 |work=Emmys.com |url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/wizards-and-warriors}} The series' hairstylist Sharleen Rassi lost a Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling to Edie Panda for the made-for television film Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story.{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1983/hairstyling-general |title=35th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling (1983) |accessdate=November 4, 2013}}
DVD release
On July 29, 2014, Warner Bros. released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a manufacture-on-demand (MOD) release, available through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Wizards-Warriors-The-Complete-Series/20112 |title=Wizards and Warriors DVD news: Announcement for Wizards and Warriors - The Complete Series |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com |date=2014-07-29 |accessdate=2015-06-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073346/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Wizards-Warriors-The-Complete-Series/20112 |archivedate=2016-03-04}}
References
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0085113|title=Wizards and Warriors}}
- [http://www.wizardsandwarriors.org Wizardsandwarriors.org], unofficial fan site
- [http://www.retroist.com/2009/02/18/sword-and-sorcery-television-in-1983-wizards-and-warriors/ Wizards and Warriors] at the Retroist
Category:1983 American television series debuts
Category:1983 American television series endings
Category:1980s American comedy-drama television series
Category:American fantasy comedy television series
Category:Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
Category:American English-language television shows
{{US-drama-tv-prog-stub}}