View source for Action Pack (TV programming block)

{{Short description|Television series}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox programming block
| name            = Action Pack
| image           = File:Universal Action Pack screenshot.png
| image_size      = 200px
| alt             =
| caption         =
| formerly_known  =
| premiered       = {{Start date|1994|1|17}}
| closed          = {{End date|2001}}
| channel         = [[#Carrying stations|various]]<br>via syndication
| division        =
| country         = United States
| key_people      =
| headquarters    =
| major_contracts =
| parent          = [[MCA Inc.|MCA]] (1994–1996)<br>[[Seagram]] (1996–2000)<br>[[Vivendi]] (2000–2001)
| sister          = Universal Family Network
| format          =
| runtime         = 2 hours
| website         =
| language        =
| footnotes       =
}}
'''''Action Pack''''', also called '''Universal Action Pack''',<ref name="vty"/> was a [[Television syndication|syndicated]] programming block series of [[television movies]] and [[television series]] created by [[Universal Television]] that aired from 1994 until 2001. The ''Action Pack'' included two hours of various television series produced by Renaissance Pictures and distributed by MCA TV (later known as [[NBCUniversal Television Distribution|Universal Television Enterprises]] and Studios USA Television Distribution).
==Background==
Previously, there were three attempts by MCA TV/Universal Television to launch some sort of organized independent programming. First, MCA TV launched the ad hoc movie [[Universal Pictures Debut Network]] in 1985.<ref>{{cite book|author=Kerry Segrave|title=Movies at Home: How Hollywood Came to Television|date=January 1, 1999|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|pages=147|isbn=9780786406548|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IZTehB3M1_kC&pg=PA146|access-date=April 8, 2015|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> With [[Fourth television network#Premier Program Service|Premier Program Service]], MCA TV teamed up with Paramount for this planned network by October 1989, which was abandoned in February 1990. The last was a two night three-series [[WWOR-TV#Hollywood Premiere Network|Hollywood Premiere Network]] in 1990–91.<ref name=vty0>{{cite news|title=MCA TV Spins The Bottle |url=https://variety.com/1995/tv/features/mca-tv-spins-the-bottle-99128011/|accessdate=April 6, 2017|periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information|Cahners Business Information]]|date=April 10, 1995}}</ref>
==History==
In 1994, the ''Action Pack'' initially ran as a [[wheel series]] of television movies, which were all effectively pilots; if successful, they would become TV series the following season.<ref name=lat>{{cite news|last1=Cerone|first1=Daniel|title=Television : There's Action Off the Beaten Path : The ground is shifting in TV's prime time as a slew of new shows arrive--but don't go looking for them in the usual places|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-01-16-ca-12369-story.html|access-date=June 8, 2017|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 16, 1994|pages=1–2}}</ref><ref name="ws">[http://www.whoosh.org/issue3/kym1.html Mysteries Surrounding the Creation of the Syndicated Television Show XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS] Whoosh Online Edition. Issue Three. November 1996.</ref> The initial plan was for four films created from six franchises for the block, including ''[[TekWar]]'', ''[[Smokey and the Bandit]]'', ''[[Midnight Run]]'', ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]'', ''[[Vanishing Son]]'' and the working title ''Fastlane'' when offered at programming executive conference in January 1994.<ref name=lat/><ref name="vty">{{cite news|last1=Benson|first1=Jim|title='Action' packs wallop, gives markets a boost|url=https://variety.com/1994/tv/news/action-packs-wallop-gives-markets-a-boost-117597/|accessdate=June 9, 2017|periodical=Variety|publisher=Cahners Business Information|date=January 20, 1994}}</ref>
On January 17 and 18, 1994, a dozen stations showed ''[[TekWar]]'', the premiere TV movie of the programming block. The stations' ratings increased greatly with a 350% increase in [[KOFY-TV|KOFY]] in San Francisco. MCA cut Rob Cohen's ''Midnight Run'' to three films, so that star Christopher McDonald could star in a feature film. Cohen produced ''[[Knight Rider 2010]]'' as a replacement.<ref name="vty"/> The block aired its first season until January 1995 and lost $30 million.<ref name=vty0/> ''TekWar'' was picked up as a regular TV series for the [[USA Network]] instead of Action Pack, starting in January 1995.<ref name="sfts">{{cite book|last1=Garcia|first1=Frank|last2=Phillips|first2=Mark|title=Science Fiction Television Series, 1990–2004: Histories, Casts and Credits for 58 Shows|date=March 28, 2012 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=9780786491834 |page=326 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQIDAQAAQBAJ&q=%22Captain+Zoom%22+%22Action+Pack%22&pg=PA326|access-date=June 9, 2017|language=en|via=Google Books}}</ref>
From January to June 1995, the block included ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and ''Vanishing Son''. The ''Hercules'' series became a surprise hit as the third most-watched first-run syndicated action hour.<ref name=vty0/> From September 1995 through January 2000, ''Action Pack'' included ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and its spinoff, ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]''.<ref name="ws"/><ref>[http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Contrib/Entertainment/Xena/welcome.html Bevis King's Xena: Warrior Princess website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224095116/http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Contrib/Entertainment/Xena/welcome.html |date=December 24, 2008 }}</ref> A year after ''Hercules'' ended its run, the ''Universal Action Pack'' launched the ''Back2Back Action Hour'' consisting of two thirty-minute series: ''[[Jack of All Trades (TV series)|Jack of All Trades]]'' and ''[[Cleopatra 2525]]''<ref name="pgz">{{cite news|last1=Owen|first1=Rob|title=On the Tube: The ratings dropped with her golden locks - WB says grow it back|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/tv/20000121owen3.asp|accessdate=June 9, 2017|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|publisher=[[Block Communications]]|date=January 21, 2000}}</ref> to air alongside ''Xena''. The lineup lasted until second quarter 2001. ''Jack of All Trades'' and ''Xena'' were canceled and ''Cleopatra 2525'' was increased to an hour-long show in January 2001.<ref name="abc">{{cite news|title=Xena Canceled|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=114424&page=1|accessdate=June 9, 2017|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|publisher=[[Disney-ABC Television Group]]|date=October 17, 2000}}</ref>
After ''Xena'', the most successful series on the ''Action Pack'', completed airing its final season's reruns in the summer of 2001,<ref name="abc" /> ''Cleopatra 2525'' also stopped production and the ''Action Pack'' block was discontinued.
==Television movies==
The television movies aired during the ''Action Pack's'' first year included:
'''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys|Hercules]]''' series:
*''[[Hercules and the Amazon Women]]''
*''[[Hercules and the Lost Kingdom]]''
*''[[Hercules and the Circle of Fire]]''
*''[[Hercules in the Underworld]]''
*''[[Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur]]''<ref name="ws"/>
'''[[TekWar (TV series)|TekWar]]''' (Based on [[TekWar|the books]] by [[William Shatner]]):<ref name="sfts"/>
*''Tekwar''
*''[[TekLords]]''
*''Teklab''
*''TekJustice'', an original story
'''[[The Midnight Run Action Pack]]''', '''[[Midnight Run]]''' films (spin-offs of the 1988 [[Robert De Niro]] film):
*''[[Another Midnight Run]]''
*''[[Midnight Runaround]]''
*''[[Midnight Run for Your Life]]''<ref name="ws"/>
'''[[Bandit (film series)|Bandit]]''' films (Spin-offs of the ''[[Smokey and the Bandit]]'' films):
*''Bandit Goes Country''
*''Bandit Bandit''
*''Beauty and the Bandit''
*''Bandit's Silver Angel''<ref name="ws"/>
'''[[Vanishing Son]]''' films:
*''Vanishing Son I''
*''Vanishing Son II''
*''Vanishing Son III''
*''Vanishing Son IV''<ref name="ws"/>
Starting as a series of four made-for-television movies in [[1994 in television|1994]], the series debuted on January 16, 1995. ''Vanishing Son I'', ''Vanishing Son II'', ''Vanishing Son III'', and ''Vanishing Son IV'', were aired on February 28, July 18, July 25, and October 10, 1994, respectively. The series was groundbreaking for the casting of an [[Asian people|Asian]] male in an attractive leading-man role.
An additional movie was a part of the initial lineup; titled ''Fastlane'', it was set to be directed by [[John Landis]] and would concern two friends finding a spaceship/car hybrid vehicle.<ref name=lat/> However, for unknown reasons the project never actually made it to air. The "shell" prop for the spaceship/car (which was designed to fit over a [[Pontiac Fiero]]) was auctioned off in 2007.
*''[[Knight Rider 2010]]'' (1994)<ref name="vty"/>
*''[[The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space]]'' (December 9, 1995)<ref name="ct">{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Allan|title=Mission On Planet Pangea Full Of Sci-fi Schtick|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/12/03/mission-on-planet-pangea-full-of-sci-fi-schtick/|access-date=June 9, 2017|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|publisher=[[Tronc|Tribune Publishing]]|date=December 3, 1995|language=en}}</ref>
* ''[[Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus]]'' (May 24, 1996)
* ''Atlantis: The Lost Continent'', first shown on a Starz/Encore network channel in March 1997 before being run on Action Pack as a pilot TV film in August 1997.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ryan|first1=Tim|title=Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features|url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/96/11/04/features/story1.html|accessdate=June 9, 2017|newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|date=November 4, 1996}}</ref> When it finally aired it was known as ''[[Escape from Atlantis (film)|Escape from Atlantis]]''.{{CN|date=November 2023}}
==Series==
*''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]''<ref name="ct"/>
* ''[[Vanishing Son]]''<ref name="ct"/>
* ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]''<ref name="abc" />
* ''Back2Back Action Hour''
**''[[Jack of All Trades (TV series)|Jack of All Trades]]''<ref name="pgz" />
**''[[Cleopatra 2525]]''<ref name="pgz" />
==Theme song==
The theme song is used in the ''Action Pack'' opening sequence, sponsorships, as well as the full version of the theme used in promos for the TV movies. The theme was composed by [[Velton Ray Bunch]].
==Carrying stations==
{{incomplete|stations carrying the syndication package, omitting several dozen stations|date=June 2019}}
* [[KTLA]], Los Angeles, CA
* [[KLRT-TV|KLRT]], Little Rock, AR
* [[KOFY-TV|KOFY]], San Francisco, CA
* [[WPIX]], New York, NY
* [[WSBK-TV|WSBK]], [[WLVI]], Boston, MA
* [[KPLR-TV|KPLR]], St. Louis, MO
* [[WSFL-TV|WBZL]], Miami, FL
* [[KDFW]], [[KTXA]], [[KDFI]], [[KDAF]], Dallas, TX
* [[KIAH|KHWB]] Houston, TX
* [[WGN-TV|WGN]], Chicago, IL
* [[KRCW-TV|KWBP]], Portland, OR
* [[WPNT|WCWB]], Pittsburgh, PA
* [[WATL]], [[WANF|WGNX]], [[WUPA]], Atlanta, GA
* [[WDCA|WDCA-20]], [[WDCW]], Washington, DC
* [[WFLX]], West Palm Beach, FL
* [[KAUU|KYES]], Anchorage, AK
* [[KHON-TV|KHON]], Honolulu, HI
* [[WCWJ|WJWB]], Jacksonville, FL
* [[WNUV]], [[WBFF]], Baltimore, MD
* [[WFLI-TV|WFLI]], Chattanooga, TN
* [[WMYT-TV|WFVT]], Rock Hill, SC / Charlotte, NC
* [[WLMT-TV]], Memphis, TN
* [[WPSG]], [[WPHL-TV|WPHL]], Philadelphia, PA
* [[WFTC]], Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
* [[WKBD-TV|WKBD]], [[WMYD|WDWB]], Detroit, MI
* [[WKCF]], [[WOFL]], Orlando, FL
* [[WTVT]], [[WTSP]], Tampa, FL
* [[KUTP]], Phoenix, AZ
* [[WUAB]], Cleveland, OH
* [[WSTR-TV|WSTR]], Cincinnati, OH
* [[WPMT]], [[WXBU|WLYH]], Harrisburg, PA
* [[WYZZ-TV|WYZZ]], Peoria, IL
* [[WVTV]], Milwaukee, WI
* [[WAAY-TV|WAAY]], [[WZDX]], Huntsville, AL
* [[WTIC-TV|WTIC]], Hartford, CT
* [[WUXP]], [[WZTV]], Nashville, TN
* [[KIRO-TV|KIRO]], [[KSTW]], Seattle, WA
* [[KCYU-LD|KCYU]], Yakima, WA
* [[KREM (TV)|KREM]], Spokane, WA
* [[WGNT]], Norfolk, VA
* [[WRBL]], Columbus, GA
* [[WFXL]], Albany, GA
* [[WKPT-TV|WKPT]], Johnson City, TN
* [[WTNZ]], Knoxville, TN
* [[WCJB-TV|WCJB]], Gainesville, FL
* [[KOCB]], Oklahoma City, OK
* [[WNKY]], Bowling Green, KY
* [[KDSM-TV|KDSM]], Des Moines, IA
* [[WJBF]], Augusta, GA
* [[KAAL (TV)|KAAL]], Rochester, MN
* [[WTVQ-DT|WTVQ]], [[WDKY-TV|WDKY]], Lexington, KY
* [[KOAT-TV|KOAT]], Albuquerque, NM
* [[WPDF-LP|WEYB]], [[WPDE-TV|WPDE]], Florence, SC
* [[WACH]], Columbia, SC
* [[KWGN-TV|KWGN]], Denver, CO
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
[[Category:Television syndication packages]]
[[Category:Television programming blocks in the United States]]
[[Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States]]
[[Category:1990s American television series]]
[[Category:1994 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2001 American television series endings]]
[[Category:Television series by Universal Television]]
[[Category:Action Pack (TV programming block)| ]]