The Marvel Action Hour
Encyclopedia
The Marvel Action Hour was a syndicated television
block from Marvel Productions Ltd (as "Marvel Films" (A Division of New World Entertainment) featuring animated adaptions of Marvel comic book
heroes the Fantastic Four
and Iron Man
. The Marvel Action Hour debuted in 1994
. The Marvel Action Hour lasted two seasons before being cancelled.
; the second half an episode of Fantastic Four
(many episodes of which were direct recreations of episodes from the original 1960s series
). During the first season, Stan Lee
was featured speaking before each show about characters in the following episode and what had inspired him to create them.
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.
In some markets, the second season was known as Marvel Action Universe
(with the addition of Biker Mice from Mars
), which was the name of a previous syndicated programming block in the late 1980s.
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
block from Marvel Productions Ltd (as "Marvel Films" (A Division of New World Entertainment) featuring animated adaptions of Marvel comic book
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
heroes the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
and Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
. The Marvel Action Hour debuted in 1994
1994 in television
The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
. The Marvel Action Hour lasted two seasons before being cancelled.
Format
The first half of the hour was an episode of Iron ManIron Man (TV series)
Iron Man, also known as Iron Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man...
; the second half an episode of Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four (1994 TV series)
Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
(many episodes of which were direct recreations of episodes from the original 1960s series
Fantastic Four (1967 TV series)
Fantastic Four is an animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and the first animated series based on Marvel's comic book series Fantastic Four. The program, featuring character designs by Alex Toth, aired on ABC from 1967 to 1970. It lasted for 20 episodes, with repeat episodes airing...
). During the first season, Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
was featured speaking before each show about characters in the following episode and what had inspired him to create them.
The show underwent a notable modification when broadcast on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; 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.
Season 2
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 noticeably missing the introductions by Stan Lee.In some markets, the second season was known as Marvel Action Universe
Marvel Action Universe
Marvel Action Universe is a weekly syndicated television block from Marvel Productions featuring animated adaptions of Dino-Riders and RoboCop. Marvel Action Universe debuted in 1988.-Format:...
(with the addition of Biker Mice from Mars
Biker Mice from Mars
Biker Mice from Mars is a science fiction animated series created by Rick Ungar that began airing in 1993 in the United States and lasted for three seasons before it was cancelled...
), which was the name of a previous syndicated programming block in the late 1980s.
See also
- Fantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
- Iron Man (TV series)Iron Man (TV series)Iron Man, also known as Iron Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man...
- New World CommunicationsNew World CommunicationsNew World Pictures was an independent motion picture and television production company, and later television station owner in the United States from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s...
- Generally, New World owned television stations broadcasted The Marvel Action Hour along with generally Fox, WB, UPN, or independent stations in markets where New World did not own a station.