The Checklist: Acapulco H.E.A.T. (S1 Ep5) “Code Name: Million Dollar Ladies”
In today’s modern world of action entertainment, Michael Worth may be best known for his tireless restoration work of Bruceploitation classics. But I will always remember a fresh-faced Michael Worth on the syndicated television series, Acapulco H.E.A.T. (or Mike Worth as he was credited in some of the early episodes).
Worth played Tommy Chase (or “Backflip” for those in the know), a standout member of the Hemisphere Emergency Action Team! Tommy was the team’s “Zen Warrior” and it was no surprise when the show was retooled for a second season, that they made sure Tommy was still a part of the show.
Today, in honor of Michael Worth’s birthday, I decided to go back and watch an episode from the first season of Acapulco H.E.A.T. and put it to The Checklist test…
#1. Did the episode start strong?
I recently had a great conversation with Matt Poirier on the DTVC Podcast about “fake outs” in movies and TV shows. “Code Name: Million Dollar Ladies” features one of the most used “fake outs” as the episode’s opening scene.
We see current H.E.A.T. co-captain and former CIA man, Mike Savage (Brendan Kelly) on the run from some ninjas! It turns out that the ninjas are actually H.E.A.T. members, Tommy Chase and Brett Richardson (Spencer Rochfort) and the whole thing was just a training exercise and NOT Savage being chased by actual ninjas!
If the fake out beginning wasn’t enough, getting to see Michael Worth in a ninja uniform was something special. Plus, Tommy and Brett start talking Kung Fu Theater with 1980’s The Invincible Kung Fu Legs and 1972’s Five Fingers of Death getting called out!
The chopsocky chat is interrupted by Mike who mentions The Three Stooges before delivering a good old fashioned “double noggin’ knocker” complete with a Three Stooges musical cue! This is how you start a show folks! 1/1
#2. Did Mike and Ashley bicker?
For those of you not in the know, Mike Savage is only half of the Acapulco H.E.A.T. leadership team. Mike’s partner is former MI6 member, Ashley Hunter-Coddington (Catherine Oxenberg). There is definitely some “will they or won’t they?” vibes between Mike and Ashley. One moment they are flirting, the next they are taking playful jabs, and then the next it’s full on bickering!
In “Code Name: Million Dollar Ladies”, Mike objects to Ashley going out on a date with an old friend, who happens to be in Puerto Vallarta. It’s a mix of jealousy and overprotectiveness on Mike’s part… but his bad feeling about Sergio, Ashley’s old friend, turns out to be worse than he imagined.
Sergio has Ashley kidnapped, with intentions of selling Ashley and other beautiful women that he has caught in his web, to the highest bidders! And rest assured, when he has a chance Mike is sure to let Ashley know that “he told her so”! 2/2
#3. Was this a Fabio episode?
Fabio was only in 16 of the 22 episodes in Season 1 of Acapulco H.E.A.T. and as luck would have it, this was one of them. We first see Fabio’s Claudio in the hotel gym, giving Mike some relationship advice in regards to Ashley.
Later, when Ashley goes missing… it’s all hands on deck to rescue her and that includes Claudio, who goes undercover along with the team’s comic foil, Arthur (Graham Heywood), posing as interested buyers in the skin trade. 3/3
#4. Does the Acapulco H.E.A.T. theme song play during the show?
I believe that Pepper Mashay’s “Feel the Heat” is among the greatest television theme songs in history and nobody can tell me different. You’ll never see me select SKIP INTRO if I am streaming an episode.
When the theme song would be used within an episode, it was always cause for celebration. If “Code Name: Million Dollar Ladies” taught me anything the instrumental version of “Feel the Heat” makes for great car chase music! Although it wasn’t too great that Sergio was attempting to add Cat (Alison Armitage), Claudio and Arthur to his list of captives! 4/4
#5. Were there any notable guest stars?
I knew that Lorenzo Caccialanza, who played white slave trader Sergio Lanti, looked familiar to me, but I couldn’t figure out from where. Boy did I feel foolish, when IMDb told me he was Marco, one of Hans Gruber’s terrorists in Die Hard… being in an action classic like that definitely makes you a notable guest star in my book! 5/5
- Final Score = 5/5 (100%) Kicking things off with “ninjas”, the entire cast of regulars being utilized, and a proven winner of a storyline made “Code Name: Million Dollar Ladies” one of my favorite episode from the first season of the show. I should point out a technical snafu streaming wise. Somehow they managed to jumble up the episode, with scenes out of order. I was going to check my DVD to see if it was that way on the Acapulco H.E.A.T. physical media release too, then I remembered I only have the superior Season 2 on DVD!
