What Dimension 20 Is & How To Watch It
Dimension 20 is a Tabletop Rpg actual play series available through the streaming service Dropout. The show is a largely improvised series, following a group of performers as they use the mechanics of TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons or Kids With Bikes to guide them through a fantastical adventure. Many seasons of Dimension 20 function as stand-alone stories, with different casts and settings.
However, there are some that continue specific the specific storylines of certain characters (like "Fantasy High" and "The Unsleeping City") or expand on previously settings (like "The Seven" or "The Ravening War," which are spin-offs of longer seasons). Dimension 20 functions similar to shows like Critical Role, albeit in a more self-contained and comedic format. Each season has a DM, who serves as the narrator of the season. The DM also plays the antagonists and NPCs who appear. The cast each play a specific character, navigating the events thrown their way. The choices of the players and the role of the dice within the game determines the arc of the show takes, giving it a very improvisational and often silly tone. As of writing, there are twenty-one completed seasons of Dimension 20, which are all available on Dropout.
Who Is Involved In Dimension 20
Dimension 20 was created by Brennan Lee Mulligan, who regularly serves as the DM. The seasons typically last between four and ten episodes, with the "Intrepid Heroes" stories sometimes reaching twenty episodes. The show features a rotating cast, with six regular performers who star together in the show's longer-running campaigns and appear separately in other seasons. Emily Axford, Ally Beardsley, Brian Murphy, Zac Oyama, Siobhan Thompson, and Lou Wilson are the "Intrepid Heroes," and star in all three seasons of "Fantasy High," both seasons of "The Unsleeping City," as well as "A Crown of Candy," "A Starstruck Odyssey," and "Neverafter."
The show's other seasons, dubbed "Side-Quests," are typically shorter and feature a larger bench of Comedy performers and other actual-play stars. Jasmine Bhullar, Aabria Iyengar, and Matthew Mercer have been DMs of side-quests, some of which featured Mulligan as a player. Other major recurring guest stars in certain campaigns include Erika Ishii, Carlos Luna, Ify Nwadiwe, Danielle Radford, Isabella Roland, Rekha Shankar, Alex Song-Xia, and Mike Trapp. The show's expansive nature allows for a deep bench of guest stars as well, including the entire cast of "Dungeons & Drag Queens." That roster could be further expanded upon in future seasons.
Which Parts Of Dimension 20 You Should Watch (& Which Parts You Can Skip)
The largely stand-alone nature of Dimension 20 seasons makes it a very easy show to pick-and-choose seasons of. Some fans will likely connect deeper to the longer "Intrepid Heroes" storylines, especially the ones that span multiple seasons. Others might be drawn to the more self-contained story-arcs of "Coffin Run," "Misfits & Magic," and "A Court of Fey and Flowers." "Starstruck Odyssey" is arguably the best season of Dimension 20, with the riff on the space opera genre featuring the "Intrepid Heroes" in a stand-alone season that spans the entire cosmos. "Dunegons & Drag Queens" is also a great starting point.
There hasn't been a bad season of Dimension 20, strictly speaking. The talent of the performers and strong worldbuilding has produced over twenty solid seasons of Comedy. However, the seasons produced during the pandemic do suffer somewhat from the nature of their circumstances. Those seasons were entirely filmed remotely, and as an unfortunate result, the comedic banter that is naturally fostered while playing together around a table suffers. As a result, "Pirates of Leviathan," "Mice & Murder," and the second season of "The Unsleeping City" shrink in comparison to other seasons. They're still good, but are noticeably (and understandably) hindered.
The Best Way To Start Watching Dimension 20 As A Beginner
The best way to watch Dimension 20 is through Dropout. Formerly known as College Humor, the comedy site rebranded with an independent comedy streamer that's become increasingly successful since its launch in 2018. This is largely thanks to the success of comedy shows like Dimension 20, Game Changer, and Very Important People. However, viewers wishing to dip their toes into Dimension 20 can do so through the show's YouTube page. The first two seasons of "Fantasy High," as well as the first season of "The Unsleeping City" and the first side-quest "Escape From the Bloodkeep" are available in their entirety.
"Fantasy High" serves as the flagship storyline of Dimension 20. It features the show's primary cast, and is the longest-running series with three seasons and two spin-offs. New fans will likely find plenty to love about the show in this season. However, the shorter, and deceptively thoughtful (and hilarious) parodies "Escape From The Bloodkeep" and "Misfits and Magic" are great introductions, establishing the series' comedic riffs on fantasy tropes and hilarious approach to Actual Play. Dimension 20 is one of the funniest shows currently available for audiences, with enough unique characters and comedy to appeal to all sorts of audiences.
