Action Pack (TV programming block)
Action Pack, also called Universal Action Pack, was a 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 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. With 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 Hollywood Premiere Network in 1990-91. History. In 1994, the "Action Pack" initially ran as a Wheel series of television movies, which were all effective pilots as if successful they would then become TV series in the following season. The initial plan was for 4 films created from 6 franchises for the block including "TekWar", "Smokey and the Bandit", "Midnight Run", "", "Vanishing Son" and the working title "Fastlane" when offered at programming  executive conference in January 1994. 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 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. The block aired its first season until January 1995 and lost $30 million. "TekWar" was picked up as a regular TV series for the USA Network instead of Action Pack, starting in  January 1995. From January to June 1995, the series included "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Vanishing Son" with the "Hercules" series, becoming a surprise hit as the third most watched first-run syndicated action hour. From September 1995 through January 2000, it included the "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and its spinoff, "". After "Hercules" ended its run in January 2000, the "Universal Action Pack" launched the "Back2Back Action Hour" consisting of two thirty-minute series: "Jack of All Trades" and "Cleopatra 2525" 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. After "Xena", the most successful series on the "Action Pack", completed airing its final season's reruns in the summer of 2001, "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: TekWar (Based on the books by William Shatner): The Midnight Run Action Pack, Midnight Run films (Spin-offs of the 1988 Robert De Niro film): Bandit films (Spin-offs of the "Smokey and the Bandit" films): Vanishing Son films : Starting as a series of four made for television movies in 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 ground-breaking for the casting of an Asian male in an attractive leading-man role. An additional movie was a part of the initial lineup, titled "Fastlane" was set to be directed by John Landis and would concern two friends finding a spaceship/car hybrid vehicle. 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. 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.