The Marvel Action Hour

The Marvel Action Hour, later Marvel Action Universe, was a 1994-1996 syndicated television block from Genesis Entertainment featuring animated adaptions of Marvel Comics superheroes Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Biker Mice from Mars.[1] The show aired in syndication for two years before being cancelled.[2]

Marvel Action Universe
The Marvel Action Hour
NetworkSyndication (U.S.)
LaunchedSeptember 24, 1994 (1994-09-24)
ClosedFebruary 24, 1996 (1996-02-24)
Country of originUnited States
OwnerGenesis Entertainment
Formerly known asThe Marvel Action Hour
FormatAnimated series
Running time60 minutes
late 1994 and 1995: 90 minutes
Original language(s)English

Format

The first half of the hour was an episode of Iron Man; the second half, an episode of Fantastic Four.[3] During the first season, Stan Lee introduced the episode.[3]

Both the Fantastic Four and Iron Man were radically retooled for the second seasons, sporting new opening sequences, improved animation, and more mature writing, though the introductions by Stan Lee were shortened and now against a green screen displaying various production paintings from both shows.[4]

In most markets, the second season was known as Marvel Action Universe, which was the name of a previous syndicated programming block in the late 1980s, with the addition of Biker Mice from Mars extending the block to 90 minutes.[1] The structure was like this: there was a pre-opening overview[5][6][7][8] of the each respective series, then the Marvel Action Universe opening,[9] then the Stan Lee intro, then the episode prologue, then the regular show opening, and finally the episode.

UK modification

The show underwent a notable modification when broadcast on the BBC in the United Kingdom; because the BBC does not feature commercial breaks, the two shows that made up the Marvel Action Hour would actually only have totaled about forty minutes, and so episodes of the 1980s Incredible Hulk series were added between the two original shows to bring the whole bundle up to the promised hour in length. The Stan Lee segments were, however, dropped. First series was broadcast from 20th April[10] until 22 June 1996[11] with 3 further epsoides in late August and early September. The series was repeated ni 1997 and 1998 however the BBC did not screened Marvel Action Universe, due to the fact Channel 4 held the UK rights to Biker Mice from Mars.

Series overview programme

CBBC Animated Series overview programme
  • Incredible Hulk (September 18, 1982 – October 8, 1983) was added into the programme.

Stations

Generally, New World owned television stations broadcast The Marvel Action Hour along with generally Fox, The WB, UPN, or independent stations in markets where New World did not own a station.

CityStation
Albany GA WFXL 31 (Fox)[12]
Albany NY WXXA 23 (Fox)[13]
Atlanta WAGA 5 (Fox)
WUPA 69 (UPN)[14]
Baltimore WBFF 45 (Fox)[15]
Baton Rouge WGMB 44 (Fox)
Bellingham KVOS 12 (Ind)
Birmingham WDBB 17 (Fox)[16]
Boston WSBK 38 (UPN)
Buffalo WKBW 7 (ABC)
Charleston WTAT 24 (Fox)[17]
Charlotte WJZY 46 (UPN)[18]
Chicago WPWR 50 (UPN)[19][20][21]
Cincinnati WSTR 64 (Ind)[22]
Columbus WSYX 6 (ABC)
WWHO 53 (UPN)
Dayton WKEF 22 (NBC)[23]
Detroit WJBK 2 (Fox)[24]
Fort Worth/Dallas KTXA 21 (UPN)
Hartford WFSB 3 (CBS)[25]
Houston KTXH 20 (UPN)
Goldsboro/Raleigh WNCN 17 (WB)[26]
Greeneville/Bristol WEMT 39 (Fox)[27]
Jacksonville WPXC 21 (Ind)[28]
Kansas City KSMO 62 (UPN)[29]
Los Angeles KTLA 5 (Ind)[30]
Miami WDZL 39 (WB)[19][31]
Milwaukee WITI 6 (Fox)[32]
New York WPIX 11 (WB)[33]
Oklahoma City KOCB 34 (WB)[34]
Orlando WKCF 18 (WB)[35]
Philadelphia WPHL 17 (Ind)[36]
Pittsburgh KDKA 2 (CBS)[37]
Portland KPTV 12 (UPN)[38]
Rochester WROC 8 (CBS)[39]
Sacramento KRBK 31 (Ind)[40]
San Diego KNSD 39 (NBC)
San Francisco KBHK 44 (Ind)
Seattle KTZZ 22 (WB)[41]
St. Petersburg/Tampa WTTA 38 (Ind)[42]
Washington, D.C. WBDC 50 (WB)[43]
Yakima KCYU 68 (Fox)[44]

See also

References
  1. "New mice on the block". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. 1994. Archived from the original on 2016-08-05. Retrieved April 27, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 317–321. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. Hatfield, Don (March 8, 2012). "Ten 90s Animated Series To Rewatch On Netflix Instant". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  4. "Marvel Action Hour: A Look Back At the 'Iron Man' and 'Fantastic Four' Series". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved Aug 1, 2020.
  5. Marvel Action Universe Fantastic 4 pre-opening (version B) on YouTube
  6. Marvel Action Universe Fantastic 4 pre-opening (version A) on YouTube
  7. Marvel Action Universe Iron Man pre-opening (version A) on YouTube
  8. Marvel Action Universe Iron Man pre-opening (version B) on YouTube
  9. Marvel Action Universe animated opening on YouTube
  10. "BBC One London - 20 April 1996 - BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved Aug 1, 2020.
  11. "BBC One London - 22 June 1996 - BBC Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved Aug 1, 2020.
  12. "Retro: Albany, GA, Saturday, July 20, 1996". Radio Discussions. June 26, 2017.
  13. "Retro: Albany/Schenectady/Troy, Friday, September 30, 1994". Radio Discussions. October 30, 2017.
  14. "Retro: Rome, GA, Thursday, December 18, 1997". Radio Discussions. March 9, 2018.
  15. "Retro: Baltimore/DC/Lancaster, Thursday, May 14, 1998". Radio Discussions. August 8, 2017.
  16. "Retro: North Alabama (Birmingham and Huntsville) Saturday 8/31/96". Radio Discussions. August 28, 2010.
  17. "Retro: South Carolina/Augusta/Savannah Sat, July 27, 1996". Radio Discussions. July 9, 2007.
  18. "Retro: Charlotte Saturday, September 16, 1995". Radio Discussions. September 16, 2010.
  19. 80's Commercials Vol. 643 on YouTube
  20. "Retro Chicago TV - Saturday September 23, 1995". Radio Discussions. February 11, 2012.
  21. "Is Marvel Action Hour cancelled?". rec.arts.comics.other-media. May 29, 1995.
  22. "Retro: Dayton/Cincinnati, Sunday, November 13, 1994". Radio Discussions. February 14, 2019.
  23. "Marvel Action Hour times..." rec.arts.animation. October 2, 1994.
  24. "Retro: Detroit, December 10-11, 1994 (weekend of WJBK/WKBD/WGPR affiliation swap)". Radio Discussions. December 2, 2015.
  25. "Retro: Hartford/New Haven - Fall 1995 - Networks". Radio Discussions. April 7, 2006.
  26. "Retro: Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, July 15-16, 1995". Radio Discussions. August 4, 2005.
  27. "Retro: Tri-Cities TN/VA Sat, Aug 19, 1995". Radio Discussions. August 19, 2010.
  28. "Retro: South Georgia UHFs Saturday, August 26, 1995". Radio Discussions. August 26, 2010.
  29. "Retro: Kansas City/Topeka, Sunday, March 12, 1995". Radio Discussions. December 19, 2017.
  30. "1994: MARVEL AGE MAGAZINE: MARVEL ACTION HOUR". STARLOGGED. February 28, 2012.
  31. "Retro: Miami/West Palm Beach, Saturday, January 21, 1995". Radio Discussions. October 27, 2018.
  32. "Retro: Milwaukee, Dec. 10-11, 1994". Radio Discussions. October 21, 2015.
  33. "Retro: Albany/Schenectady/Troy, Thursday, December 11, 1997". Radio Discussions. July 15, 2018.
  34. "Retro: Oklahoma City - Week of May 26th, 1996". Radio Discussions. October 27, 2018.
  35. "RETRO: ORLANDO - 3/11/1995". Radio Discussions. April 23, 2012.
  36. "Marvel Action Hour: Philly/S.Jersey". rec.arts.comics.misc. September 23, 1994.
  37. "RETRO: PITTSBURGH - 2/04/1995". Radio Discussions. November 17, 2011.
  38. "Retro: Portland, OR, Sat. January 14th, 1995". Radio Discussions. September 17, 2012.
  39. "Retro: Syracuse and Upstate New York, Saturday, 9/24/94". Radio Discussions. August 24, 2005.
  40. "Marvel Action Hour times..." rec.arts.comics.misc. September 20, 1994.
  41. "Retro: Seattle/Tacoma, Sunday, Mar 5, 1995". Radio Discussions. July 28, 2013.
  42. "RETRO: TAMPA BAY - 6/22/1996". Radio Discussions. November 6, 2011.
  43. "Retro: Baltimore/DC/Lancaster, Tuesday, July 7, 1998". Radio Discussions. October 8, 2017.
  44. "Retro: Yakima/Seattle Saturday April 20, 1996". Radio Discussions. July 26, 2010.
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