Action Man (1995 TV series)
Action Man is an American-Canadian-British children's animated television show, created by DIC Productions, L.P. and Bohbot Entertainment. The cartoon is based on the Hasbro toy line of the same name.[2] The show also featured live action segments before and after the main show, which they were filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood and Florida.[3]
| Action Man | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | Animation Action |
| Created by | DIC Productions Bohbot Entertainment |
| Based on | Action Man by Hasbro |
| Developed by | Bob Forward Phil Harnage |
| Written by | Julie Fuller and Diane Fresco (live action segments) |
| Directed by | Jeff Pruitt (live action) Chris Bartleman (cartoon) |
| Creative directors | Jeff Pruitt Chris Bartleman |
| Voices of | Mark Griffin Rolf Leenders Joely Collins Dale Wilson |
| Composer | Stephen C. Marston |
| Country of origin | United States Canada United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1[1] |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Andy Heyward Brad Kreisberg Robby London Michael Maliani |
| Producers | Kyle Solorio Jim Weathers |
| Cinematography | Nick Woolfolk |
| Editor | Miriam L. Preissel |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | DIC Productions, L.P. Bohbot Entertainment |
| Distributor | United States DIC Entertainment Bohbot Entertainment (Syndicator) Internationally ABC Distribution Company |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndication (Amazin' Adventures) (United States) Sky One (Sky One Undun) (United Kingdom) |
| Original release | 23 September 1995 – 30 March 1996 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Action Man (2000 TV series) |
Plot
Action Man is a member of an elite multinational task force named Action Force who fight against the terrorist Dr. X and his "Council of Doom". Action Man is also portrayed as being an amnesiac who is trying to unlock the mystery of his past.
Cast
- Mark Griffin as Action Man
- Dale Wilson as Knuck
- David Hay as Gangrene
- Garry Chalk as Norris
- Iris Quinn as Vira
- Joely Collins as Natalie
- Richard Cox as Jacques
- Rolf Leenders as Doctor X
Additional cast
- Nigel Bennett
- Lisa Bunting
- Christopher Gaze
- Chris Humphreys
- David Morse
- Colin Murdock
- Rick Poltaruk
- Simon Pidgeon
- William Samples
- Devon Sawa
- Tabitha St. Germain
- Tracey-Lee Smyth
- Ingrid Tesch
Episodes
| No. | Title | Written by | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Explosive Situation" | Bob Forward | 23 September 1995 | |
|
Dr. X orchestrates the explosion of a plane to steal a nuclear warhead. With a nuclear battleship about to fall in Dr. X's hands, Action Man makes haste to recover the warhead, aided by his team and Dr. X's former lackey Ursula. First Appearance of: Action Man, Natalie, Knuck, Jacque, Dr. X, Norris, Ursula and Vira. | ||||
| 2 | "Fountain of Youth" | Phil Harnage | 30 September 1995 | |
|
Dr. X captures the Fargo scientists to get hold of the regenerative Extract Herb to gain a fortune out of youth serum. Action Man liberates the scientists, but Dr. X has destroyed all their research. First Appearance of: Gangrene. | ||||
| 3 | "Cybersoldier" | Bob Forward | 7 October 1995 | |
|
Dr. X steals an experimental KGB cybernetic android. Disguising himself as an old friend of Action Man the android shoots Action Man who lands in the river and Dr. X believes he is dead. He also leaves Knuck and Natalie injured (Knuck with an injury to his right hand and Natalie with an injury to her right leg). Unknown to them Action Man is still alive and thinking that Dr. X believes he is dead decides to use it to his advantage in order to beat Dr. X at his game at the robotics factory. Norris does not appear in this episode. | ||||
| 4 | "You Can't Go Home Again" | Greg Johnson | 14 October 1995 | |
| Natalie helps Action Man recall some of his past memories, but realise they had followed a false trail to Haven Mount village that Dr. X is holding captive to ensure the destruction of the Xtreme Station. Action Man is able to destroy Dr. X's plasma cannon and save Haven Mount. | ||||
| 5 | "Ancient History" | Brooks Wachtel | 21 October 1995 | |
| Dr. X has stolen a tunneling machine and kidnapped a team of miners for an excavation which to Natalie's horror is being led by her uncle Ian, under blackmail from Dr. X. Thanks to Ian's mine planted on Dr. X's snowcruiser, Action Man manages to destroy Dr. X's acquired lethal PAX 39 gas canisters. | ||||
| 6 | "The Red Plague" | Bob Forward | 28 October 1995 | |
| Dr. X has taken a beaker of deadly Red Plague virus and kidnapped Dr. Pandemo who developed the cure. Action Man is lured to Dr. X's underground lab so Dr. X can steal the Jet Xtreme. Action Man liberates the jet and scientist and vanquishes the Red Plague virus for good. Unfortunately Norris, Knuck and Natalie are infected with the plague so it's all down to Action Man to save their lives. | ||||
| 7 | "Peril at Perigee" | Mike Medlock | 4 November 1995 | |
|
Dr. X has hijacked a stealth bomber. Dr. X takes the bomber's weapons to launch from the European Space Agency base. Dr. X takes Jacque as hostage, but Jacques turns the tables on Dr. X and puts his satellite out of operation. Cameo Appearance by: Gangrene. | ||||
| 8 | "Rogue Moons" | Jeff Kwitny | 11 November 1995 | |
| Dr. X has a rogue moon launcher set to destroy Earth's cities. After Action Man braves the Gobi Desert hazards, Jacques seeds some precipitation to wash out Dr. X's camouflaged gun bunker and destroy the launcher. | ||||
| 9 | "Hands Down" | Gildart Jackson | 18 November 1995 | |
|
Dr. X kidnaps the American ambassador to brainwash him in order to set up the Action Team. While Knuck and Natalie end up being arrested Action Man goes vigilante to root out Dr. X and clear the Action Team's name. Cameo Appearance by: Gangrene. | ||||
| 10 | "We Come in Peace" | Jules Dennis | 25 November 1995 | |
| Dr. X has stolen an anti-gravity device to stage an alien attack on Earth. With the aid of the scientist Professor Mackenzie who invented the device, Action Man destroys the fake alien spaceship while Natalie distracts Dr. X and his Skullmen. | ||||
| 11 | "R.A.I.D." | Reed Shelly and Bruce Shelly | 2 December 1995 | |
|
With his Catalyst Crystal plot thwarted, Dr. X sends a dog (which Jacque adopts under the name Raid) to attack Action Man. Jacque uses Raid to track down Dr. X and terminate his Catalyst Crystal missiles. First Appearance of: Raid & Cameo Appearance by: Gangrene (regular from here). | ||||
| 12 | "Skynap" | Reed Shelly and Bruce Shelly | 9 December 1995 | |
|
Dr. X steals Jet Xtreme and kidnaps Secretary Norris and takes over the Action Space Station to start a major war around the world. Operating from base paradise and using his VR Suit, Action Man hacks into the Space Station to drive Dr. X out. Cameo Appearance by: Raid. | ||||
| 13 | "The Outside Edge" | Jess Winfield | 16 December 1995 | |
|
Dr. X and his infiltrator Domichi frame Secretary Norris of corruption and disband the Action Team. The Action Team liberate their equipment and Norris and thwart Dr. X's next shipment theft, thus clearing their names. Cameo Appearance by: Raid. | ||||
| 14 | "The X Factor" | Phil Harnage | 6 January 1996 | |
|
Action Man helps Knuck investigate his nephew Tom who has been involved in Gangrene's X-Vitamin steroid tests. Action Man tricks Dr. X into destroying Gangrene's lab and prevents him from putting the X-Vitamin into the city's water supply. Jacque, Natalie and Norris dont appear in this episode. Cameo Appearance by: Raid. | ||||
| 15 | "Ice Age" | Diane Fresco | 13 January 1996 | |
|
Dr. X steals a Neutron Phalanx Gun and a large amount of Plutonium to destroy the world of its oceans. Action Man recovers the Neutron Phalanx, while Kunck defuses the Plutonium bombs. Cameo Appearance by: Ursula. | ||||
| 16 | "Soul of Evil" | Kim Rawl | 20 January 1996 | |
|
Soon after winning a martial arts match, Ursula arrives begging for Action Man to help as she claims that Dr. X is trying to terminate her. He later encounters an assassin named Gem Eye who shares exactly the same voice as Action Man alongside the same "AM" tattoo, unfortunately after getting confused Natalie shoots at the wrong person allowing Gem Eye to escape. Learning they both have the same "AM" tattoo, Action Man is led to believe that he and Gem Eye are both members of an assassin cult called the "Acolytes of Mayhem". Cameo Appearance by: Ursula. Gangrene does not appear in this episode. | ||||
| 17 | "Deja Vu" | Mike O'Mahony | 27 January 1996 | |
|
While Dr. X attempts to abduct the G7 leaders, Action Man is constantly troubled by how familiar Dr. X's plan feels. A memory flash reveals that it was Action Man himself that came up with the plan in the first place. Cameo Appearance by: Ursula. Gangrene does not appear in this episode. | ||||
| 18 | "Satellite Down" | Mike Medlock | 3 February 1996 | |
| A satellite containing important security codes for the World Security Council goes down in a hidden civilization nestled somewhere in the Antarctic. | ||||
| 19 | "Space Walk" | Phil Harnage | 10 February 1996 | |
| Dr. X takes control of a fully automated private space shuttle carrying two of the world's richest men. | ||||
| 20 | "The Most Dangerous Prey" | Bob Forward | 17 February 1996 | |
| The Action Team head to Australia to free a group of locals being forced by Dr. X to mine uranium, but Jet Extreme is shot down soon afterwards by Dr. X's Overseer robot. Stranded with no working equipment, Action Man and his friends must survive as Dr. X and the Overseer hunt them down. Surviving however will prove to be tough for the team as during the crash Jacques wheelchair is destroyed, Knuck has a fractured ankle and Natalie has a broken arm. | ||||
| 21 | "Points of Danger" | Wendy Reardon | 24 February 1996 | |
|
Action Man and his team must protect a special fish called the "Puppet Quill" that can emit a special gas. Dr. X needs the fish to create a mind control gas which he plans to use on the world's leaders. Cameo Appearance by: Ursula. | ||||
| 22 | "Crack of Doom" | Wendy Reardon | 2 March 1996 | |
| The people of Vulcana Island live in isolation from the rest of the world, but Dr. X earns the locals' trust after saving their island from a volcanic eruption, and manages to make the Action Team and the World Security Council look bad in the process. | ||||
| 23 | "Space Wars" | Jess Winfield | 9 March 1996 | |
|
Dr. X sends a diversionary attack to Brussels to keep the Action Team busy while he steals and arms a space shuttle from Cape Canaveral. His goal: to take over an abandoned but still armed space station. Cameo Appearance by: Raid. | ||||
| 24 | "Past Performance" | Greg Johnson | 16 March 1996 | |
|
Dr. X breaks into a top secret facility in Switzerland with intentions to steal a decryption computer with intentions to steal secret codes and launch a missile in a bid to destroy select points across the Earth. It is therefore down to Action Man and his team to stop Dr. X and his scheme. Unfortunately for Action Man Ursula is once again involved. Final Appearance of: Raid and Ursula. | ||||
| 25 | "A Time for Action: Part 1" | Bob Forward | 23 March 1996 | |
| Jacque is invited to join his family for the holidays, however a sargovian gold shipment is underway which Dr. X wants to get his hands on which as a result interrupts these plans. Despite managing to take out Dr. X's skullmen fighter jets one manages to infiltrate the plane which unknown to Action Man and Natalie turns out to be a robot which succeeds in stealing the gold and then blowing up the plane. | ||||
| 26 | "A Time for Action: Part 2" | Bob Forward | 30 March 1996 | |
|
After escaping from the destroyed plane before Jacque can land and pick up Action Man and Natalie he discovers his father has been captured and being held as prisoner alongside Secretary Norris at the embassy. Not wishing for his father to be harmed he is therefore forced to abandon Action Man and Natalie and proceed to where they are located, Dr. X is hoping to as well as acquire Jet Extreme but the wealth of the world. Unknown to Dr. X however who wanted to let Action Man and Natalie freeze to death Knuck drops a package for the duo and together they manage to access and hijack the black shark. Series Finale Final Appearance of: Action Man, Natalie, Knuck, Jacque, Dr. X, Norris, Gangrene and Vira. | ||||
Toys
The show introduced several new team mates for Action Man which were then made into toys. The action figures of Natalie Poole and Knuck have become very rare collectors items. At Joecon 2010, a convention exclusive Q-Force action figure of Natalie Poole was released.
Media releases
United States
In November 2001, Lions Gate Home Entertainment and Trimark Home Video released two VHS tapes titled "Secret of Action Man" and "Action Man in Space", containing two episodes each. A DVD also titled Action Man in Space was also released, containing the same four episodes as the VHS's.
In 2003, Sterling Entertainment released a DVD called "Space Wars" containing the two episodes found on the "Action Man in Space" VHS as well as two more. It was re-released by NCircle Entertainment in 2007.
On 17 February 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment released Action Man- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[4] This marked the first time all episodes of the show had received a DVD release.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the series was released on VHS by Abbey Home Entertainment and later on DVD by the company’s successor Abbey Home Media, but the episodes on the DVDs are in a random order, and many episodes have been released numerous times while several have not been released at all. This has caused confusion amongst many fans.
| DVD name | Episodes | Release date | Running time | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explosive Situation | Explosive Situation, Fountain of Youth, Cyber Soldier | 2002 | 63:00 minutes | |
| A Time for Action | A Time For Action - Part One, A Time For Action - Part Two, The Most Dangerous Prey | 2003 | 63:00 minutes | |
| The Outside Edge | The Outside Edge, Skynap, Crack of Doom | 2004 | 63:00 minutes | |
| Past Performance | Soul of Evil, We Came in Peace, Past Performance | 2004 | 63:00 minutes | |
| Peril At Perigee | Peril At Perigee, You Can't Go Home Again | 2005 | 42:00 minutes | |
| Rogue Moons | Rogue Moons, Points of Danger, Deja Vu | 2006 | 63:00 minutes |
Other Countries
In Latin America and France, VHS tapes of the series were released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, once again usually containing two episodes.
References
- US Copyright Office Archived 5 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine Registration No PA0000793624 1996-05-03
- Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1949 through 2003. McFarland & Co. pp. 57–58. ISBN 07864-2255-6.
- Both Seasons of the 1995 Series Come to DVD in 'The Complete Series' Archived 8 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine