Action | |
---|---|
Genre | Sitcom |
Created by | Chris Thompson |
Starring | |
Opening theme | "Even A Dog Can Shake Hands" performed by Warren Zevon |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 13 (5 unaired) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Fox |
Release | September 16 – December 2, 1999 |
Action is an American dark comedy series about a Hollywood producer named Peter Dragon, who is trying to recover from his last box-office failure. It aired on Fox from September 16 to December 2, 1999. The series was critically praised for its irreverent and sometimes hostile look at Hollywood culture. Thirteen episodes were produced. The show was created by Chris Thompson and the show runner was Don Reo. Future Saturday Night Live cast member Will Forte was the story editor for twelve episodes, and wrote three.
Action also frequently used celebrities playing themselves in cameo appearance, including Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Salma Hayek, and David Hasselhoff. [2] [3]
The song in the opening credits, "Even A Dog Can Shake Hands", was performed by Warren Zevon from his album Sentimental Hygiene . [4]
No. overall | DVD order | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Ted Demme | Chris Thompson | September 16, 1999 | 100 |
2 | 2 | "Re-Enter the Dragon" | John Whitesell | Chris Thompson | September 16, 1999 | 101 |
3 | 3 | "Blood Money" | Bryan Gordon | Don Reo | September 23, 1999 | 102 |
4 | 4 | "Blowhard" | John Whitesell | Don Reo | September 30, 1999 | 103 |
5 | 5 | "Mr. Dragon Goes to Washington" | Danny Leiner | Ron Zimmerman | October 21, 1999 | 108 |
6 | 6 | "Twelfth Step to Hell" | Gil Junger | Will Forte | October 28, 1999 | 104 |
7 | 9 | "Strong Sexual Content" | John Fortenberry | Don Reo | December 2, 1999 | 110 |
8 | 10 | "Lights, Camera, Action" | James D. Parriott | Adam Hamburger & David Hamburger | December 2, 1999 | 107 |
9 | 7 | "Dragon's Blood" | Adam Bernstein | Adam Hamburger & David Hamburger | Unaired | 105 |
10 | 8 | "Love Sucks" | John Fortenberry | Jim Vallely | Unaired | 106 |
11 | 11 | "Dead Man Floating" | Larry Shaw | Dave Jeser & Matt Silverstein | Unaired | 109 |
12 | 13 | "Last Ride of the Elephant Princess" | Vahan Moosekian | Jim Vallely & Ron Zimmerman | Unaired | 111 |
13 | 12 | "One Easy Piece" | Don Reo | Will Forte | Unaired | 112 |
Caryn James of The New York Times said "the show is truly subversive and daring in its scabrous attitude". [5] Tom Shales of The Washington Post called it "the most daring and outrageous new comedy of the season", [6] and The Seattle Times called it "a dead-on satire of lost souls in the entertainment biz, with enough boldness to qualify for cable viewing". [7] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a grade of B, saying, "Action shreds Hollywood corporate culture more viciously than current big-screen spoofs like Bowfinger and The Muse . The difference is, Action's acid heartlessness renders it a more artful but ultimately less likable piece of work." [8]
David Zurawik of The Baltimore Sun found the series insulting and the pilot episode in particular to be culturally insensitive. [9] He wondered whether audiences are supposed to identify with or despise Peter Dragon. [9]
Fox canceled it due to ratings. [10] Of the 13 produced episodes, only 8 ran on Fox in 1999. The remaining five episodes were eventually broadcast on other networks such as FX and Comedy Central. This is the first Fox series to receive a TV-MA rating.
The show reran on IFC from 2012 to 2013.
On February 21, 2006, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Region 1. [11]
On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various series from the Sony Pictures Television library including Action. [12] The complete series was subsequently re-released on April 1, 2014. [13]
As of March 2009, the show can be purchased on iTunes.
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three girls. After its cancellation in 1974, the series debuted in syndication in September 1975. Though it was never a ratings hit or a critical success during its original run, the program has since become a popular syndicated staple, especially among children and teenage viewers.
Boy Meets World is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September 1993 and May 2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews and his friends and family, as he progresses from childhood to adulthood. Episodes chronicle the everyday events of Cory's home and school life; his teacher and neighbor George Feeny delivers life lessons as Cory learns to cope with social and personal issues of adolescence. Cory has strong relationships with his older brother Eric, younger sister Morgan, and parents, Amy and Alan. Cory's friendship with Shawn Hunter and romantic interest in Topanga Lawrence serve as central focuses of episodes. Overarching themes include a focus on family and friendships as well as discovering one's identity. Further characters were introduced in later seasons; Jonathan Turner, Eli Williams, Jack Hunter, Angela Moore and Rachel McGuire.
NYPD Blue is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble cast. The show was created by Steven Bochco and David Milch, and was inspired by Milch's relationship with Bill Clark, a former member of the New York City Police Department who eventually became one of the show's producers. The series was originally broadcast by ABC from September 21, 1993‚ to March 1, 2005. It was ABC's longest-running primetime one-hour drama series until Grey's Anatomy surpassed it in 2016.
Family Guy is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois, their children, Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their anthropomorphic pet dog, Brian. Set in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island, the show exhibits much of its humor in the form of metafictional cutaway gags that often lampoon American culture.
Bewitched is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife. The show was popular, finishing as the second-rated show in America during its debut season, staying in the top ten for its first three seasons, and ranking in eleventh place for both seasons four and five. The show continues to be seen throughout the world in syndication and on recorded media.
Party of Five is an American teen and family drama television series created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000, with a total of six seasons consisting of 142 episodes. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Scott Wolf as Bailey, Matthew Fox as Charlie, Neve Campbell as Julia, and Lacey Chabert as Claudia Salinger, who with their baby brother Owen constitute five siblings whom the series follows after the loss of their parents in a car accident. Notable co-stars included Scott Grimes, Paula Devicq, Michael Goorjian, Ben Browder, Jeremy London, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. While categorized as a series aimed at teenagers and young adults, Party of Five explored several mature themes, including substance and domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, mental illness, cancer, and the long-term effects of parental loss.
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural television drama series that aired on the Fox network and in first-run syndication from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, spanning 103 episodes over five seasons. The series focuses on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in schools, gangs, and other teenage venues. It was originally going to be titled Jump Street Chapel, after the deconsecrated church building in which the unit has its headquarters, but was changed at Fox's request so as not to mislead viewers into thinking it was a religious program.
Touched by an Angel is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey as an angel named Monica, and Della Reese as her supervisor Tess. Throughout the series, Monica is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives. From season three onward, they are frequently joined by Andrew, the Angel of Death.
Dungeons & Dragons is an American animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is a co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, with the Japanese Toei Animation. It ran on CBS from 1983 through 1985 for three seasons, for a total of twenty-seven episodes.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot episode was aired as the season finale of the fourth season of its parent series on May 18, 1964. The show ran for a total of 150 half-hour episodes spanning over five seasons, in black-and-white for the first season, and then in color for the remaining four seasons. In 2006, CBS Home Entertainment began releasing the series on DVD. The final season was released in November 2008.
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series, a spin-off and sequel of the 1984 comedy film Ghostbusters. The series ran on ABC between September 13, 1986 and October 5, 1991, and was a joint production of DIC Enterprises in association with Columbia Pictures Television and distributed by Coca-Cola Telecommunications.
Bobby's World is an American animated comedy children's television series that aired on Fox Kids from September 8, 1990, to February 23, 1998. The show was created by Canadian actor/comedian Howie Mandel, who also performs the voices of both Bobby and his father Howard Generic.
Nash Bridges is an American police procedural television series created by Carlton Cuse. The show stars Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment. It is the first and only live-action television series in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. It ran on the Fox Kids network from 1997 to 1998.
Weird Science is an American television sitcom, based on John Hughes' 1985 film of the same title, that aired on the USA Network from March 5, 1994, to April 11, 1997. Six previously unaired, "lost" episodes aired on the Sci-Fi Channel from July 11 to 25, 1998.
Dilbert is an American adult animated sitcom produced by Adelaide Productions, Idbox and United Media, and distributed by Columbia TriStar Television. The series is an adaptation of the comic strip of the same name by Scott Adams, who also served as executive producer and showrunner for the series along with former Seinfeld writer Larry Charles. The first episode was broadcast on January 25, 1999, and was UPN's highest-rated comedy series premiere at that point in the network's history; it lasted two seasons with thirty episodes and won a Primetime Emmy for its title sequence.
Saving Grace is an American crime drama television series that aired on TNT from July 23, 2007, to June 21, 2010. The show stars Holly Hunter as well as Leon Rippy, Kenny Johnson, Laura San Giacomo, Bailey Chase, Bokeem Woodbine, Gregory Norman Cruz and Yaani King. It is set in Oklahoma City—including numerous shots of local buildings and landmarks —while much of the show was filmed in Vancouver and Los Angeles.
Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the Detective Murdoch novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick Bisson as William Murdoch, a police detective working in Toronto, Ontario in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The series was titled The Artful Detective on the Ovation cable TV network in the United States, until season twelve.
The first season of Family Guy aired on Fox from January 31 to May 16, 1999, and consisted of only seven episodes, making it the shortest season to date. The series follows the dysfunctional Griffin family—father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, son Stewie and their anthropomorphic dog Brian, all of whom reside in their hometown of Quahog, a fictional city in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The show features the voices of series creator Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, and Lacey Chabert in the roles of the Griffin family. The executive producers for the first season were David Zuckerman and MacFarlane. It is also the only full season to feature Chabert, before she was replaced by Mila Kunis for the rest of the series' run, starting with the season two episode "Da Boom".
Zorro is an American Western superhero television series featuring Duncan Regehr as the character of Zorro. Regehr portrayed the fearless Spanish hero and fencer on The Family Channel from 1990 to 1993. The series was shot entirely in Madrid, Spain and produced by New World Television (U.S.), The Family Channel (U.S.), Ellipse Programme of Canal Plus (France), Beta TV (Germany), and RAI (Italy). 88 episodes of the series were produced, Raymond Austin directed 55 episodes and produced 37. There were 10 more episodes made than the first Zorro television series, which was produced by Disney in the late 1950s.
"Even a Dog Can Shake Hands," written by Zevon and R.E.M. sans Stipe, growls with fury and swagger. The song was a fitting theme song to the short-lived TV show, Action.