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.
"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.
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.
"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.