SPOILER ALERT: This story comprises spoilers for “Dimension 20: On a Bus” Season 2, now streaming on Dropout.
Comedy streaming service Dropout committed to the bit hard this April Fools’ Day with the launch of a “second season” of “Dimension 20: On a Bus.”
Released in a surprise drop Wednesday, the one-episode Season 2 serves because the follow-up to a viral short video released last yr alongside an episode of Dropout’s “Game Changer,” which featured a pitch for a season of “Dimension 20” with “Dragon Master” Katie Marovitch leading players (and “D&D” experts) Jasmine Bhullar (Little Army Man), Aabria Iyengar (Blue M&M), Matthew Mercer (Lint) and Brennan Lee Mulligan (Hat) as they embark on a journey on a bus going from North Hollywood to Los Angeles’ LAX airport.
Tabletop RPG newcomer Marovitch says she, “Dimension 20” creator and star Mulligan and Dropout CEO and “Game Changer” host Sam Reich didn’t expect the video to attract greater than 6 million views. But once it did, conversations quickly began about doing a full-length episode of “On a Bus.”
“It was pretty early on we were talking about it, shortly after the unique two-minute-and-30-second-long Season 1 premiered,” Marovitch told Variety. “We didn’t comprehend it was going to be such an enormous thing. It’s been very exciting, seeing everyone at conventions dressed as me in my outfits. I don’t think we were anticipating that. So it kind of made sense to do one other thing pretty soon after it actually premiered.”
Though not originally planned as an ongoing series, “Dimension 20: On a Bus” shot its second season in January with its original solid and their characters (except for Iyengar’s original Blue M&M, “because Aabria kept eating Blue M&M,” Marovitch) resuming gameplay under Marovitch’s rules.
What began as a joke (and is now the highest-rated episode of “Dimension 20” on IMDb) stays a joke throughout most of Season 2, but Marovitch says she desired to pay homage to the art of “D&D” while DM-ing for the group of hardcore players.
“There’s a superb line between making fun of something after which honoring it, because I actually, obviously respect [this],” Marovitch said. “They’re all incredible, and so they’re so significantly better at this than I could ever be. So I definitely don’t wish to offend anyone while I’m doing it, I just want it to be fun.”
Marovitch “cannot stress how little” she knew about “D&D” going into the unique “Dimension 20: On a Bus,” but says she put loads of effort into Season 2 plans.
“I actually did prepare so much. I put loads of time into pondering of the bits and like, oh, is that this crossing a line? Is that this going to be offensive to Brennan and the opposite people on the table, or is that this something that’s just fun for everybody?” Marovitch said. “Also, I’m very Type A, so for me, not reading about ‘D&D’ and knowing the whole lot about it before entering into was really hard for me. But Brennan, once I talked to him beforehand, he was form of like, the less you realize about it, truthfully, is the higher. Like, it’s funnier to have you ever entering into as just an idiot. But my impulse is unquestionably like, oh, I should prepare so as to actually know what I’m alleged to be doing, after which kind of subvert that. But no this time, we actually were like, prepare your bits. And I did prepare my bits so much, but I actually tried hard to not go further than that.”
Read more from Variety‘s interview with “Dimension 20: On a Bus” star Marovitch about Season 2 and plans for extra episodes below.
At what point in prep for “Dimension 20: On a Bus” Season 2 did you choose additional sorts of die may be helpful here? Or that it is best to include multiple rule in the sport mechanics?
The primary season, the two-minute-and-30-second-long season, I went in knowing, literally, I had no idea what I used to be going to say for the die system. And the six, the “perfect six,” just got here to me, after which we went with that. But for this one, because it was obviously a for much longer season, I believed perhaps that wouldn’t be quite enough. So that you will notice that there may be a unique system this time. It’s way more complicated. A TI-83 is involved. It may be hard for the viewers to follow it. Possibly I’m going to write down something up, some kind of handbook, perhaps my very own book. I just want people to know that there’s other systems that might be used, besides the proper six.
At the top of Season 1, had you left yourself room for where you’ll want go to plotwise if the story continued beyond just that bit?
By no means. I cannot stress how little I knew entering into for Season 1. Truly, I had no idea what I used to be going to say. The one thing that I got here in with was that there was going to be a bus. After which for Season 2, obviously, I put loads of time into the pitch, genuinely. Through talking to Brennan, he was really like, no, try to not think an excessive amount of in regards to the plot, because that really makes it harder. If the DM knows exactly what they wish to do, after which obviously you’re working with other players, it’s all depending on what they are saying. So for me, Season 1, I cannot stress enough how little thought went into it. I needed to rewatch the season multiple times. I used to be like, what did I even say? I don’t know what I did.
This was shot in January. How long did it take to film?
It was someday, and it actually began late, and a few people were already on set within the morning. So it was a protracted day that began kind of late, and it was nice. I got to bring my baby to set and it’s fun being a brand new parent and attempting to work in pumping and breastfeeding and all that. However it was a blast.
You utilize loads of props from previous seasons of “Dimension 20” on this episode. Did Brennan provide you with full access to the prop room, or suggest certain pieces to make use of?
The team behind this was truly incredible. Obviously, I do know nothing about “D&D,” but they really helped pull together all of the props from various seasons that they thought could work. And it was really a collaboration for the bits, where individuals who knew so much greater than I did would bring something up. Just like the Critical Role Vecna — which, obviously I’d don’t know, I’d not give you the chance to provide you with that bit, because I’ve never seen it. In order that was definitely another person coming up with that. It was really a collaboration. And definitely the very best bits are from other people who find themselves far more knowledgeable than I’m.
Throughout the episode, you disclose that you just were approached by Critical Role to take over as a “substitute” for an unnamed person on that show. Are those talks still ongoing?
I prefer to imagine they’re ongoing. And yeah, I’m form of selecting to imagine that that can occur. Whether or not that was true, stays to be seen. But for me, I’m selecting to imagine that those talks are ongoing.
You furthermore mght told Brennan that you just got a much larger budget than the common season of “Dimension 20” gets from Dropout. How way more would you say?
I believe they said I got, like, triple the budget? And clearly, I mean, you saw it — yes, we used it. We used the cash. The Cheeto budget alone, I believe I had $5,000. And we did undergo all of it, obviously.
These recent additions — the “Mr. Questions” badge, the Cheetos-filled dice tray — do you see these being incorporated into standard gameplay on Brennan’s future seasons of “Dimension 20”?
I prefer to imagine that they shall be kind of not only for “D20,” I prefer to imagine that they’re going to be kind of just what everyone does across all of “D&D” normally. I prefer to imagine that’s just going to be a component of gameplay any longer. And that’s kind of the fact I’m selecting to live in.
At the top of the episode, you quote considered one of Brennan’s iconic lengthy monologues from “Dimension 20: A Crown of Candy.” Why did you decide that specific speech for this moment in “On a Bus”?
It was so weird, because I didn’t even know that that was from that. Like, I just began kind of talking from the center after which the people behind the scenes shot me over that thing, and I used to be like, oh, my God. We’re, again, me and Brennan are so in sync. We provide you with the very same monologs, word for word, like, on a regular basis, and it’s just one other example of that. So, yeah, for me, no, I’d never seen it. And no, I definitely wasn’t stealing it. It was independent, yeah, needless to say.
Was this a one-time expansion of the bit or will there be more? Is there a “Dimension 20: On a Bus” Season 3 within the works?
Yeah, I plan on annoying Sam and Brennan enough where they kind of do whatever they will possibly do to shut me up. So I can promise you, we’re doing a Season 3. Although [the Dropout PR monitoring this interview] goes to say, “No, Katie has no right to vow things like that. Please don’t put that within the article. Katie has no authority.” But I’m telling you, Jenny, I promise there’s going to be a Season 3, there’s going to be Season 4, there’s going to be a Season 5.
All on a bus? Or are you pondering that “Dimension 20: On a Bus” could then be a franchise itself with further spinoffs?
I like that query. I’m seeing “Dimension 20: In an Uber.” To not blow your mind, but I could see it in a Waymo. We’re in 2026, here. We got to begin pondering big. I could definitely see it in a spaceship. You realize, let’s go to space. I believe there’s a lot. It’s such a wealthy world and I’m so ready to only keep exploring. “Dimension 20: On a Bus” Season 10 may be in space, needless to say, or underwater, haven’t decided.
Well, in Season 2 you already go on a plane, so it’s accelerating quickly. While shooting the episode, did you pre-plan to have each of the solid members come into the DM chair to take over at different points or did that just occur?
No, I had no idea I used to be gonna be doing that. I did it with Matt, just as a bit. That was my first one. After which I believed, well, hold on, it is a way for the story to really advance significantly better than how I could do it, so perhaps that is a superb idea and I should keep doing it. I don’t think all of their turns, like the complete length, obviously, didn’t make it in. But truly, the very best parts of the episode are once I’m not in the driving force’s seat.
Did you’re taking what they said and learn from it and use it throughout the remaining?
Yes. And really, I believe you may see on my face once I had kind of a lightweight bulb moment each time where they said something a lot smarter than anything that I could ever have provide you with. And I believed, oh, yeah, we’ve to do this. We have now to maintain pursuing whatever that was. You possibly can see, truly, at any time when I’m not within the chair, I’m similar to somewhat kid, similar to giddy with excitement that another person is saying something far smarter than what I could say.
This interview has been edited and condensed.