title: Iranian Americans

text: Texas also has a large population of Iranian descent. And like California, Iranians in Texas are concentrated in the larger major cities of the state. Houston has the largest population of Iranians and Iranian expats, with an estimated 70,000 residents (50,000 in 1994), mainly due to the Texas Medical Center and the presence of large energy companies. Houston contains a Persian business district including shops and restaurants that has been dubbed "Little Persia" by the "Houston Press". There are many Iranian Zoroastrians and Baháʼís living there.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Some of the more well known residents of the Houston area in the past or present are Jasmin Moghbeli, Susan Roshan, Shawn Daivari, Farinaz Koushanfar, and Kavon Hakimzadeh (captain of the USS Harry Truman Naval aircraft carrier). Ibrahim Yazdi was a graduate of Baylor College of Medicine and Kamal Kharazi also is an alumnus of University of Houston. Hushang Ansary, an active philanthropist, has been a "founding benefactor" of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. The George Bush Presidential Library has a gallery named after him. Iranians in Houston particularly came under the spotlight when Iranian student and activist Gelareh Bagherzadeh was murdered in Houston in 2012. The perpetrator, Ali Irsan, was later convicted and sentenced to death for the crime, an honor killing in retaliation against Bagherzadeh's encouragement of Irsan's daughter to leave Islam and marry a Christian man. The other notable Iranian in Texas that gained national attention in recent years was UT Austin's Omid Kokabee who was imprisoned in Iran for political reasons.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area is estimated to have over 30,000 Iranian-Americans. Iran's first astronaut Anousheh Ansari for many years was a resident of Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth. Dallas' Iranian community was large and influential enough to host US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for a private visit in April 2019. And San Antonio and Austin each are said to have 3000-5000 Iranian American residents each, who are mostly attracted to large academic centers of excellence such as South Texas Medical Center and UT Austin or the climate of the Texas Hill Country area that is not un-similar to the southern Iran Zagros Mountains region. The largest concentration of Mandaeans from Khuzestan outside the middle east are settled in the San Antonio area. The Shah of Iran was also last hospitalized at San Antonio's Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center in Lackland Air Force Base during his last days. This is the same base that trained many pilots of Iran's Royal Air Force before the 1979 revolution.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Many Iranian Americans are non-Muslim due to the religious composition of those fleeing the Iranian Revolution, which included a disproportionate share of Iran's religious minorities, as well as subsequent ex-Muslim asylum seekers and other conversions away from Islam. Many Iranian Americans identify as irreligious or Shiite, but a full one-fifth are Christians, Jews, Baháʼís, or Zoroastrians. Additionally, there are also some Iranian Mandaeans, but they are very small in number. According to Pew Research, about 22% of those who left Islam in the United States are Iranian Americans.


title: Iranian Americans

text: A 2012 national telephone survey of a sample of 400 Iranian-Americans, commissioned by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans and conducted by Zogby Research Services, asked the respondents what their religions were. The responses broke down as follows: Muslim 31%, atheist/realist/humanist 11%, agnostic 8%, Baháʼí 7%, Jewish 5%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 2%, Zoroastrian 2%, "Other" 15%, and "No response" 15%. The survey had a cooperation rate of 31.2%. The margin of error for the results was +/- 5 percentage points, with higher margins of error for sub-groups. Notably, the number of Muslims decreased from 42% in 2008 to 31% in 2012.


title: Iranian Americans

text: According to Harvard University's Robert D. Putnam, the average Iranian is slightly less religious than the average American. In the book "Social Movements in 20th Century Iran: Culture, Ideology, and Mobilizing Frameworks", author Stephen C. Poulson adds that Western ideas are making Iranians irreligious.


title: Iranian Americans

text: There are religious and ethnolinguistic differences among the Muslim, Jewish, Baháʼí, Zoroastrian, Christian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, and Assyrian groups. Calculating the percentage of Christian Iranian-Americans is difficult because most Iranian Christians (especially those raised in the faith) are of Armenian or Assyrian origin; and, apart from identifying as Iranian, a number amongst them also strongly self-identifies as Armenian or Assyrian, rather than as (or apart from) Iranian.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The majority of Iranian-Americans are ethnic Persians, with sizeable ethnic minorities being Iranian Azerbaijanis, Armenians, Iranian Jews, Kurds, Assyrians, Mandaeans, Turkmen, Baloch, Arabs, among others.


title: Iranian Americans

text: According to Hakimzadeh and Dixon in 2006, members of religious and ethnic minorities such as Baháʼís, Jews, Armenians, and Assyrians were disproportionately represented amongst the early exiles of the 1978–1979 revolution.


title: Iranian Americans

text: According to DHS, in 2015, 13,114 people born in Iran were issued green cards, while 13,298 were issued one in 2016. In 2015, 10,344 Iranians became naturalized, with a further 9,507 in 2016. Nearly all Iranians who reside in the United States are either citizens (81%) or permanent residents (15%) of the United States (2008 survey). Iranian-Americans regard their culture and heritage as an important component of their day-to-day life and their overall identity within the United States.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Four benchmarks are traditionally used to measure assimilation: language proficiency, intermarriage, spatial concentration, and socio-economic status. Per these criteria, one can determine with a significant degree of confidence that the Iranian-American community has made significant strides in successfully assimilating to a new culture and way of living. According to a survey commissioned by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) in 2008, only 21 percent of Iranian-Americans reported interacting mostly with other Iranian Americans outside of their workplace, demonstrating that most of them have successfully integrated into United States society.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The intermarriage rate is very high among Iranian Americans. It has been estimated that nearly 50 percent of Iranian-Americans who married between 1995 and 2007 married non-Iranian Americans. Research has furthermore indicated that Iranian-Americans who are Muslim are more open to intermarry than those who are members of religious or ethnic minorities, such as Jews and Armenians. Compared to men, Iranian women are less likely to mix or intermarry outside their group, which, according to the PAAIA, is likely because, as a group, they are more likely to adhere to traditional Iranian values, including making marriages that are approved by their families and are within Iranian cultural norms. Regarding language proficiency in the United States among its immigrant groups, the first generation principally speaks their native language, the second generation speaks both English and their parents' language, and the third generation typically speaks only English, while maintaining a knowledge of some isolated words and phrases from their ancestral tongue. The Iranian American community follows this pattern.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Camp Ayandeh, sponsored annually by the Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB), has attracted children of the Iranian diaspora from multiple nations with the intention of uniting Iranian youth following the mass migration after the fall of the Shah.


title: Iranian Americans

text: According to Bayor, from the very beginning, Iranian immigrants differed from other arrivals in their high educational and professional achievements. According to Census 2000, 50.9 percent of Iranian immigrants have attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to a 28.0 percent national average. According to the latest census data available, more than one in four Iranian-Americans holds a master's or doctoral degree, the highest rate among 67 ethnic groups studied.


title: Iranian Americans

text: A 1990 University of California, Los Angeles study showed that by virtue of education and occupation, native-born and Armenian-Americans of Iranian origin "tend to have the highest socioeconomic status... while those from Turkey have the lowest", although Turkish Armenians boast the highest rate of self-employment. In 1988, a "New York Times" article claimed that Middle Eastern Armenians, which includes Armenians from Iran, preferred to settle in Glendale, California, while Armenian immigrants from the Soviet Union were attracted to Hollywood, Los Angeles.


title: Iranian Americans

text: A study regarding Americans of Armenian descent showed that Armenians from Iran (Iranian-Armenians) are known for quick integration into American society: for example, only 31% of Armenian Americans born in Iran claim not to speak English well, while those Armenians from other nations were shown to have less success at integrating.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The Small Business Administration (SBA) conducted a study that found Iranian immigrants among the top 20 immigrant groups with the highest rate of business ownership, contributing substantially to the U.S. economy. According to the report, there were 33,570 active and contributing Iranian American business owners in the U.S., with a 21.5% business ownership rate. The study also found that the total net business income generated by Iranian Americans was $2.56 billion. Almost one in three Iranian-American households have annual incomes of more than $100,000 (compared to one in five for the overall U.S. population). Ali Mostasahri, a founding member of the Iranian Studies Group, offers a reason for the relative success of Iranian-Americans compared to other immigrants. He believes that, unlike many other immigrants who left their home countries because of economic hardships, Iranians left due to social or religious reasons like the 1979 revolution. About 50 percent of all working Iranian Americans are in professional and managerial occupations, a percentage greater than any other group in the United States (Bayor, 2011).


title: Iranian Americans

text: The earliest Iranian people in the U.S. were mostly young trainees who worked as medical interns or residents. Some established themselves to continue practice beyond the residency stage. Their motives to extend their stay in the United States were more for professional than economic reasons. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in 1974 reported, in the "Journal of the American Medical Association", that, in 1971, the number of Iranian physicians in the U.S. was 1,625. The authors further studied the causes for immigration by sending questionnaire to all Iranian MDs in the United States. According to the 660 respondents, the main reasons for migration were mandatory two-years' military service, low salaries as compared to the United States, expensive housing, and socio-political reasons.


title: Iranian Americans

text: In 2013, another report was published, in the "Archive of Iranian Medicine" (AIM), saying that, post-revolution, the number of Iranian medical school graduates in the United States had grown to 5,045. Those who migrated to the U.S. after the 1979 revolution were mostly experienced physicians who came with their families and an intent to stay permanently. , there are 5,050 Iranian medical school graduates in the United States.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Prior to the revolution, the 1,626 physicians migrated to the United States were 15% of all Iranian medical school graduates, while the 5,045 medical graduates who migrated post-Islamic Revolution represent only 5% of total Iranian medical graduates. This is not indicative of the entire United States, merely of the areas in which most of the Iranian-American population is concentrated.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Though Iranian-Americans have historically excelled in business, academia, and the sciences, they have traditionally shied away from participating in American politics or other civic activities. Iranian-Americans do not appear to engage in American politics, as demonstrated by survey results from large cities showing only 10 percent of them voted in the 2004 election.


title: Iranian Americans

text: In Los Angeles, Iranian Americans paid for a billboard to inform thousands of travelers on the 405 freeway of how the Iranian regime had murdered ten thousand political prisoners.


title: Iranian Americans

text: An August 2008 Zogby International poll, commissioned by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, found that approximately one-half of Iranian Americans identified themselves as registered Democrats, in contrast to one in eight as Republicans and one in four as independents (2008). A 2019 Zogby International survey, commissioned by PAAIA, found that in the 2016 presidential election, 56% of Iranian Americans respondents voted for Hillary Clinton, the democratic candidate. The survey also states that 69% of Iranian American respondents planned to vote for the democratic candidate in the 2020 election.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The same 2008 PAAIA poll indicates that more than half of Iranian Americans cite domestic U.S. issues, including issues that are not unique to Iranian Americans, as the most important to them. In contrast, one quarter of Iranian Americans cite foreign policy issues involving Iran–U.S. relations and less than one-in-ten cite the internal affairs of Iran as being of greatest importance to them.


title: Iranian Americans

text: More recently, the 2019 Zogby International survey, commissioned by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, found that one-half of Iranian American respondents consider foreign policy most important when voting. This is a significant increase from the one quarter of Iranian Americans that reported foreign policy issues, such as the Iran-U.S. relationship, as important in 2008.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Similarly, the 2019 survey also suggested that 75% of Iranian American respondents perceived the Trump Administration's Iranian foreign policy negatively. In 2017, the Trump administration put strict travel restrictions on travel to the United States from several countries, including Iran. The survey indicates that this travel ban instituted by the Trump administration in 2017, received opposition from 76% of respondents. In contrast, only 16% of respondents supported the ban. The survey states that 70% of respondents have been personally affected by the travel ban, or had family and friends affected by the ban.


title: Iranian Americans

text: From 1980 to 2004, more than one out of every four Iranian immigrants was a refugee or asylee. The PAAIA/Zogby poll cites that almost three-quarters of Iranian-Americans believe the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran is the most important issue relating to Iran–U.S. relations. About the same percentage believe diplomacy is the foreign policy approach towards Iran that would be in the best interest of the United States. 84% support establishing a U.S. Interest Section in Iran. Nearly all Iranian Americans surveyed oppose any U.S. military attack against Iran.


title: Iranian Americans

text: According to a survey conducted in 2009, more than six in ten Iranian Americans have immediate family members in Iran, and almost three in ten communicate with their families or friends in Iran at least several times a week. An additional four in ten communicate with their families or friends in Iran at least several times a month. This study indicates an unusually close relationship between Iranian-Americans and Iranians.


title: Iranian Americans

text: In the updated 2019 PAAIA survey, 15% of Iranian American respondents reported contacting with friends and family in Iran daily, while 26% of respondents communicated with relatives in Iran several times a week. Additionally, 26% of Iranian American respondents contacted with family and friends in Iran several times a month, and 14% communicated with relatives in Iran several times a year. The survey also indicated that 74% of Iranian American respondents preferred contacting their relatives in Iran via phone calls, but communication over mobile communications apps and internet services had increased to 69% and 66% respectively.


title: Iranian Americans

text: As of 2013, U.S. laws require U.S. persons to obtain a license from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to engage in transactions related to the sale of their personal property in Iran. Similarly, US persons will need a license from OFAC to open a bank account or transfer money to Iran.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The U.S. government does not have diplomatic or consular relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and therefore cannot provide protection or routine consular services to U.S. citizens in Iran. The Swiss government, acting through its embassy in Tehran, serves as protecting power for U.S. interests in Iran. The Iranian government does not recognize dual citizenship and will not allow the Swiss to provide protective services for U.S. citizens who are also Iranian nationals. The Iranian authorities make the determination of a dual national's Iranian citizenship without regard to personal wishes. In 2016, the U.S. Department of State warned U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Iran. In some instances, foreigners, in particular dual nationals of Iran and Western countries including the United States, have been detained or prevented from leaving Iran.


title: Iranian Americans

text: In Los Angeles, Persians have become the largest ethnic group in many Los Angeles' wealthiest enclaves including Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Tarzana, Encino, and Woodland Hills.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The Iranian Revolution resulted in many Iranians fleeing to America in the late 1970s, where, forty years later, Iranian immigrants have become a major force in Silicon Valley as investors, executives, and creators. Iranians have been founders or senior executives at eBay, Oracle, Google, Dropbox, YouTube, Uber, Expedia, Twitter, and other major corporations. After surveying Fortune 500 companies, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered that 50 Iranian-Americans held senior leadership positions at companies with more than $200 million in asset value.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Iranians have the highest percentage of master's degrees than any other ethnic group in the United States. Iranians have also played a large role in the American education system with over 500 Iranian-American professors teaching at top-ranked U.S. universities which include Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Harvard University; Yale University; Princeton University; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; and Stanford University.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Iranian philanthropists constructed the Freedom Sculpture in the Century City neighborhood, in honor of the Persian artifact Cyrus Cylinder.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Early Iranian diaspora television has been credited with helping form the local community in the United States. As a result of the Iranian Revolution, the first Iranian American television was formed, and with its formation there were existing political factions that were carried over. The dominate voice in television during this time was from the royalist-support. It was argued by scholar Hamid Naficy, this was not due to political sponsorship, but rather due to market support. Up until 1992, most all Iranian American television programming was in the Farsi language with exceptions to Assyrian and Armenian languages (this included for Iranian-Kurdish and Azeri-specific shows in Farsi). Most all programming was non religious, and this was reflecting the population of more minority religions of Los Angeles. There are no reliable statistics on viewership because "Middle Eastern" and Iranian wasn't defined by rating services (such as Nielsen Holdings), however the Los Angeles Times estimated by 1991 the Iranian American population was roughly 800,000 which would indicate the opening of a new share of the television viewing market.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The Long Beach-based independent television station, KSCI-TV dubbed themselves the "international station" and claimed to offer the most diverse ethnic television programming in the early 1980s, including the majority of Iranian American television during this time. Starting on March 15, 1981, the first Iranian diaspora television broadcast show IRTV (acronym for "Iranian television") was created by Ali Limonadi in Los Angeles. Other early Iranian American television programs included Nadar Rafii's Midnight Show; Parviz Sayyad's Parsian TV (on KSCI-TV); Hamid Shabkhiz's Iran; and Manuchehr Bibian's (also known as Manouchehr Bibiyan) Jaam-e-Jam TV channel. Other notables in Iranian American television programs in the 1980s included Shohreh Aqdashlu's "Sima va Nava-ye Iran TV"; Parviz Kardan's "Shahr-e Farang TV"; and Hushang Towzi's multiple television series.


title: Iranian Americans

text: In 2013, BravoTV launched "Shahs of Sunset" which followed a group of six Iranian American friends in Los Angeles who try to juggle their active social lives and careers while also balancing the demands of their families and traditions; the show was accused of racism and relaying on stereotypes in a petition.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Iranian Americans have been the focus of film documentaries, including "The Iranian Americans" (2012; directed by Andrew Goldberg); and "Immigration Stories: Iranian Americans of Silicon Valley" (2021; directed by Nima Naimi, Alireza Sanayei, Julian Gigola). Critical response in the HuffPost of "The Iranian Americans" (2012) PBS documentary included a lack of representation for "interracial marriage".


title: Iranian Americans

text: Fictional films with Iranian American themes include the satire "" (2014; directed by Jonathan Kesselman), and "Shirin in Love" (2014; directed by Ramin Niami). The fictional drama "Surviving Paradise" (2001), is the first English-language Iranian film with theatrical release in the United States; the storyline is about two Iranian refugees in Los Angeles.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University, directed and chaired by Persis Karim, was founded in 2017 and was the first program specifically focused on Iranian diaspora (which includes Iranian Americans). The center offers grants, fellowships, and scholarships, as well as scholarly lecture series, research, and creative performances.


title: Iranian Americans

text: According to the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, nearly half of Iranian-Americans surveyed in 2008 by Zogby International have experienced or personally know Iranian Americans who have experienced discrimination due to their ethnicity, religion, or country of origin. The most common types of discrimination reported are airport security check, social discrimination, racial profiling, employment or business discrimination and discrimination at the hands of immigration officials.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Iranians have been confused as Arabs by the media, government, and public. Iranians are known for their great pride in the Persian culture and language and according to the Orange County Register, "nothing annoys Iranian-Americans more than being mistaken for Arabs."


title: Iranian Americans

text: In 2009, Martin Kramer, a Harvard professor, warned about the dangers of allowing Iranian Americans to get too close to power during the 2009 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference:


title: Iranian Americans

text: In 2009, Merrill Lynch & Co. agreed to pay $1.55 million to resolve a U.S. government lawsuit accusing the bank of discriminating against an Iranian American employee. The government accused the firm of refusing to promote and later firing this employee on the basis of his national origin and religion.


title: Iranian Americans

text: On 8 September 2015, 22-year-old Iranian American Shayan Mazroei was stabbed to death by white supremacist Craig Tanber. Mazroei, who resided in Laguna Niguel, was a successful businessman operating his own car dealership in Santa Ana. On the night of 8 September 2015, Mazroei began discussing his mother visiting Iran to his girlfriend in a restaurant until Elizabeth Anne Thornburg spat on Mazroei shouting racial slurs. Tanber, who would later be sentenced to life in prison, then proceeded to stab Mazroei resulting in his death.


title: Iranian Americans

text: In 2017 in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Adam Purinton shot and killed two Indians thinking that they were of Iranian descent. While murdering them Puriton yelled "Get out of my country."


title: Iranian Americans

text: In 2018, while on national television, having a discussion about taking a DNA test, Senator Lindsey Graham remarked that it would be "terrible" if he discovered he had Iranian heritage. Graham's statement outraged many high-profile Iranian-Americans, including Omid Kordestani (chairman of Twitter), Ali Partovi and Hadi Partovi (CEOs of Code.org), Pejman Nozad, and British Iranian Christiane Amanpour.


title: Iranian Americans

text: In 2020, the United States Border Patrol instituted a large scale detention of Iranian Americans at the Canadian border without probable cause. While returning to the U.S. from Canada, Americans of Iranian heritage were detained by border officers. Over 60 Americans of Iranian descent were detained and interrogated at the Canadian border. The incident took place during a time of escalated tensions between Iran and the U.S.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Iranian-Americans are among the most educated and successful communities in the U.S., according to a report by the Iranian Studies group at MIT. Iranian-Americans have founded, or hold senior leadership positions at, many major US companies, including Fortune 500 companies such as GE, Intel, Citigroup, Verizon, Motorola, Google, and AT&T. Pierre Omidyar, founder/CEO of eBay is of Iranian origin, as is the founder of Bratz, Isaac Larian. Hamid Biglari is vice-chairman of Citicorp. Bob Miner was the co-founder of Oracle Corporation and the producer of Oracle's relational database management system. In 2006, Anousheh Ansari, co-founder of the Ansari X Prize, became the first female tourist in space. Ansari is also the co-founder and former CEO of Prodea Systems, Inc., and Telecom Technologies, Inc. Other well known Iranian-American entrepreneurs include designer Bijan Pakzad, entrepreneur Sam Nazarian, business executive Hamid Akhavan, former CEO of Unify GmbH & Co. KG (formerly Siemens Enterprise Communications), Omid Kordestani of Twitter and former Senior Vice President of Google, CEO of YouTube Salar Kamangar, Sina Tamaddon of Apple Inc., and Shahram Dabiri Lead Producer for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) "World of Warcraft" from 1999 to 2007. Dara Khosrowshahi became CEO of Expedia in August 2005 and then in August 2017, Khosrowshahi became the CEO of Uber, succeeding founder Travis Kalanick.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Many Iranian-Americans are active philanthropists and leaders in improving their community. In 2006, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center was the recipient of a $10 million donation from an Iranian-American couple based in Houston, Texas. The University of Southern California was the recipient of a $17 million gift from an Iranian-American, as was San Francisco State University which received a $10 million gift from an Iranian-American couple. Chicago's Swedish Covenant Hospital received $4 million; Portland State University, $8 million; and UC Irvine, $30 million.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Well known Iranian-Americans in science include Firouz Naderi, a director at NASA; Ali Javan, inventor of the first gas laser; Maryam Mirzakhani, the first female winner of the Fields Medal; Nima Arkani-Hamed, a leading theoretical physicist; cancer biologist Mina J. Bissell; Gholam A. Peyman, the inventor of LASIK; Lotfi Asker Zadeh; Vartan Gregorian; Cumrun Vafa; Babak Hassibi; Nouriel Roubini; Ali Hajimiri; Pardis Sabeti; Vahid Tarokh; Ehsan Afshari; George Bournoutian; Payam Heydari; and Rashid Massumi, M.D., a pioneer in the fields of electrophysiology and cardiology. Prominent Iranian-Americans in American higher education include Rahmat Shoureshi, researcher, professor, and provost of New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) and Nariman Farvardin, president of Stevens Institute of Technology.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Well known American media personalities of Iranian descent include Christiane Amanpour of ABC News and CNN, born in England; Daron Malakian, member of the rock band System of a Down; Susie Gharib, of "Nightly Business Report"; Asieh Namdar; Roya Hakakian; Yara Shahidi; and Rudi Bakhtiar. There are several Iranian American actors, comedians and filmmakers, including the Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Shohreh Aghdashloo, the award-winning director, producer and screenwriters Amir Cyrus Ahanchian and Cyrus Nowrasteh, actresses Tala Ashe, Catherine Bell, Sarah Shahi, Nadia Bjorlin, Nasim Pedrad, Desiree Akhavan, Sheila Vand, Necar Zadegan, Medalion Rahimi, and Bahar Soomekh, actors Adrian Pasdar, Shaun Toub, Arian Moayed, Navid Negahban Reza Sixo Safai, Shahaub Roudbari and Aria Shahghasemi, musicians Sarah Fard (Savoir Faire) and Rostam Batmanglij, comedians Max Amini, Maz Jobrani and Tehran Von Ghasri, filmmakers Bavand Karim and Kamshad Kooshan, producers Bob Yari and Farhad Safinia, author and performer Shahram Shiva, and artist and filmmaker Daryush Shokof. There are also notable American YouTube personalities of Iranian descent, including JonTron.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Professional tennis player Andre Agassi, NFL football players T. J. Houshmandzadeh, David Bakhtiari and Shar Pourdanesh, professional wrestlers Shawn Daivari and The Iron Sheik, professional mixed martial artist Amir Sadollah, professional soccer players Sobhan Tadjalli, Alecko Eskandarian and Steven Beitashour and professional soccer coach Afshin Ghotbi.


title: Iranian Americans

text: The son of the late Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, as well as several high-ranking officials in the Shah's administration, such as Hushang Ansary and Jamshid Amouzegar live or have lived in the United States. Goli Ameri is the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs from 2008 to 2009, during which she was the highest-ranking Iranian-American public official in the United States. Drug policy expert Kevin Sabet is Iranian-American and the only person to serve as an appointee in the drug czar's office of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Beverly Hills elected its first Iranian-born Mayor, Jimmy Delshad, in 2007. Bob Yousefian served as the mayor of Glendale, California from 2004 to 2005. In November 2011, Anna M. Kaplan was elected Councilwoman in the Town of North Hempstead, New York, becoming the first Iranian-American to be elected to a major municipal office in New York State. Cyrus Amir-Mokri, who was appointed as the Treasury Department Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions by President Obama, is the highest ranking Iranian-American official in government as of 2012. In November 2012, Cyrus Habib of Washington state and Adrin Nazarian of California became the first Iranian-Americans elected to state legislatures. Habib is now the Lieutenant Governor of Washington and the first Iranian-American elected to any statewide office. Champaign County (Ohio) elected Fereidoun Shokouhi to the public office of Champaign County Engineer in 1995. He served until his retirement in 2012. Following the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections, Oklahoma Rep. Stephanie Bice became the first Iranian American elected to Congress.


title: Iranian Americans

text: Azadeh Shahshahani is a human rights attorney based in Atlanta and is a former president of the National Lawyers Guild.


title: Rhys Coiro

text: John Rhys Coiro (born March 12, 1979) is an American film, television, and stage actor. He began acting on Broadway but is best known for on-screen roles such as Billy Walsh on the television series "Entourage".


title: Rhys Coiro

text: Born in Santo Stefano in Aspromonte Calabria, Italy, to David Coiro and Ann Baynes Coiro, Coiro grew up in Princeton, New Jersey and attended Princeton High School. As a teenager, Coiro began working for a local artist who introduced him to the artistic director of The Passage Theater, June Ballinger. Ballinger got him involved with the State Street theater project in Trenton NJ, modeled after Primary stages' 52nd street project. From there, Coiro spent summers building sets and operating lights at the New Jersey Shakespeare festival. Inspired by numerous productions, including Julie Taymor's "Titus Andronicus" at TFANA, Coiro decided to study theater at Carnegie Mellon University, where he eventually graduated with a BFA. He also spent time studying at The Moscow Art Theater in Russia.


title: Rhys Coiro

text: At age 19, Coiro got his first professional gig as an understudy to three roles in the American premiere of Conor McPherson's off-Broadway play "This Lime Tree Bower" directed by Harris Yulin at Primary Stages. Within a month of graduating from CMU, Coiro landed the role of Eddie the Bellhop in the Lincoln Center revival of George S. Kaufman's "Dinner at Eight", directed by Gerald Guitierrez.


title: Rhys Coiro

text: Coiro then moved to Los Angeles and began working in construction, including a stint building a house with Nick Offerman. In fact, Coiro received the call that he'd landed his first on-screen acting gig, as Billy Walsh on "Entourage", while digging a hole for a deck in Echo Park. The role of Walsh was originally meant to be a guest star but soon evolved into an iconic character that has defined Coiro's career.


title: Rhys Coiro

text: Coiro shared a studio space in Historic Filipino town with then-unknown painter Jonas Wood. During this period, Coiro formed an underground, traditional Irish music band with artists Matt Johnson and Greg Santos, that played around East LA. In 2007, following the birth of his first child, Coiro accepted the role of Sean Hillinger on the 7th season of "24". Coiro was cast in "The Last House On The Left" but had to pull out when the writer's strike abruptly ended and production resumed on "24". The role ended up being given to Aaron Paul. In 2009 Coiro returned to the stage, starring in a production of Howard Korder's "Boy's Life" at Second Stage in New York opposite Jason Biggs. In 2010 Coiro starred in Slamdance Winner "Snow and Ashes" and in 2011 appeared alongside Alexander Skarsard in Screen Gems' remake of "Straw Dogs". In 2014, Coiro was antagonist to Stevie Van Zandt's character on the final season of Netflix's first original series, the Norwegian mega-hit "Lillyhammer" and he played one of the original Texas Rangers in The History Channel's Mini-series "Texas Rising", alongside Ray Liotta, Bill Paxton and Brendan Fraser. During this show he honed his riding and roping skills. In 2015 Coiro played Armenian gangster Ari Adamian on the final season of USA's "Graceland". In 2017 and 2018 Coiro appeared as a series regular in "Unsolved" and in arcs on "Ray Donovan", "The Walking Dead", and "S.W.A.T."


title: Rhys Coiro

text: In 2016, Coiro traveled to Standing Rock, North Dakota to take part in the peaceful protest against the North Dakota Access Pipeline.


title: Rhys Coiro

text: Coiro is married to director Kat Coiro, with whom he worked on "Life Happens" and "". They live in Los Angeles with their three children.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: Alasdair Chalmers MacIntyre (; born 12 January 1929) is a Scottish-American philosopher who has contributed to moral and political philosophy as well as history of philosophy and theology. MacIntyre's "After Virtue" (1981) is one of the most important works of Anglophone moral and political philosophy in the 20th century. He is senior research fellow at the Centre for Contemporary Aristotelian Studies in Ethics and Politics (CASEP) at London Metropolitan University, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, and permanent senior distinguished research fellow at the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture. During his lengthy academic career, he also taught at Brandeis University, Duke University, Vanderbilt University, and Boston University.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: MacIntyre was born on 12 January 1929 in Glasgow, to Eneas and Greta (Chalmers) MacIntyre. He was educated at Queen Mary College, London, and has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Manchester and from the University of Oxford. He began his teaching career in 1951 at Manchester. He married Ann Peri, with whom he had two daughters, Jean and Toni. He taught at the University of Leeds, the University of Essex and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, before moving to the US in around 1969. MacIntyre has been something of an intellectual nomad, having taught at many universities in the US. He has held the following positions:


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: He has also been a visiting professor at Princeton University, and is a former president of the American Philosophical Association. In 2010, he was awarded the Aquinas Medal by the American Catholic Philosophical Association. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (elected 1985), the British Academy (1994), the Royal Irish Academy (1999), and the American Philosophical Society (2005).


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: From 2000 he was the Rev. John A. O'Brien Senior Research Professor in the Department of Philosophy (emeritus since 2010) at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, US. He is also professor emerit and emeritus at Duke University. In July 2010 he became senior research fellow at London Metropolitan University's Centre for Contemporary Aristotelian Studies in Ethics and Politics. Since his retirement from active teaching in 2010, he remains the senior distinguished research fellow of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture, where he retains an office. He continues to make public presentations, including an annual keynote as part of the Center for Ethics and Culture's Fall Conference.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: He has been married three times. From 1953 to 1963 he was married to Ann Peri, with whom he had two daughters. From 1963 to 1977 he was married to former teacher and now poet Susan Willans, with whom he had a son and daughter. Since 1977 he has been married to philosopher Lynn Joy, who is also on the philosophy faculty at Notre Dame.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: MacIntyre's approach to moral philosophy interweaves a number of complex strands. Although he largely aims to revive an Aristotelian moral philosophy based on the virtues, he claims a "peculiarly modern understanding" of this task.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: This "peculiarly modern understanding" largely concerns MacIntyre's approach to moral disputes. Unlike some analytic philosophers who try to generate moral consensus on the basis of rationality, MacIntyre uses the historical development of ethics to circumvent the modern problem of "incommensurable" moral notions, whose merits cannot be compared in any common framework. Following Hegel and Collingwood, he offers a "philosophical history" (as opposed to analytical and phenomenological approaches) in which he concedes from the beginning that "there are no neutral standards available by appeal to which any rational agent whatsoever could determine" the conclusions of moral philosophy.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: In his most famous work, "After Virtue", he deprecates the attempt of Enlightenment thinkers to deduce a universal rational morality independent of teleology, whose failure led to the rejection of moral rationality altogether by successors such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Charles Stevenson. He emphasizes how this overestimation of reason led to Nietzsche's utter repudiation of the possibility of moral rationality.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: By contrast, MacIntyre attempts to reclaim more modest forms of moral rationality and argumentation which claim neither finality nor logical certainty, but which can hold up against relativistic or emotivist denials of any moral rationality whatsoever (the mistaken conclusion of Nietzsche, Sartre, and Stevenson). He revives the tradition of Aristotelian ethics with its teleological account of the good and of moral actions, as fulfilled in the medieval writings of Thomas Aquinas. This Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition, he proposes, presents "the best theory so far," both of how things are and how we ought to act.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: More generally, according to MacIntyre, moral disputes always take place within and between rival traditions of thought relying on an inherited store of ideas, presuppositions, types of arguments and shared understandings and approaches. Even though there is no definitive way for one tradition in moral philosophy to logically refute another, nevertheless opposing views can dispute each others' internal coherence, resolution of imaginative dilemmas and epistemic crises, and achievement of fruitful results.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: Probably his most widely read work, "After Virtue" was written when MacIntyre was already in his fifties. Up to then, MacIntyre had been a relatively influential analytic philosopher of Marxist bent whose moral inquiries had been conducted in a "piecemeal way, focusing first on this problem and then on that, in a mode characteristic of much analytic philosophy." However, after reading the works of Thomas Kuhn and Imre Lakatos on philosophy of science and epistemology, MacIntyre was inspired to change the entire direction of his thought, tearing up the manuscript he had been working on and deciding to view the problems of modern moral and political philosophy "not from the standpoint of liberal modernity, but instead from the standpoint of… Aristotelian moral and political practice."


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: In general terms, the task of "After Virtue" is to account both for the dysfunction of modern moral discourse in modern society and to rehabilitate the alternative of teleological rationality in Aristotelian virtue ethics. MacIntyre's philippic articulates a politics of self-defence for local communities who aspire to protect their traditional way of life from the corrosive capitalist free market.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: MacIntyre's second major work of his mature period takes up the problem of giving an account of philosophical rationality within the context of his notion of "traditions," which had still remained under-theorized in "After Virtue". Specifically, MacIntyre argues that rival and largely incompatible conceptions of justice are the outcome of rival and largely incompatible forms of practical rationality. These competing forms of practical rationality and their attendant ideas of justice are in turn the result of "socially embodied traditions of rational inquiry." Although MacIntyre's treatment of traditions is quite complex he does give a relatively concise definition: "A tradition is an argument extended through time in which certain fundamental agreements are defined and redefined" in terms of both internal and external debates.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: Much of "Whose Justice? Which Rationality?" is therefore engaged in the task of not only giving the reader examples of what MacIntyre considers actual rival traditions and the different ways they can split apart, integrate, or defeat one another (e.g. Aristotelian, Augustinian, Thomist, Humean) but also with substantiating how practical rationality and a conception of justice help constitute those traditions. Specifically, according to him, the differing accounts of justice that are presented by Aristotle and Hume are due to the underlying differences in their conceptual schemes. MacIntyre argues that despite their incommensurability there are various ways in which alien traditions might engage one another rationally – most especially via a form of immanent critique which makes use of empathetic imagination to then put the rival tradition into "epistemic crisis" but also by being able to solve shared or analogous problems and dilemmas from within one's own tradition which remain insoluble from the rival approach.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: MacIntyre's account also defends three further theses: first, that all rational human inquiry is conducted whether knowingly or not from within a tradition; second, that the incommensurable conceptual schemes of rival traditions do not entail either relativism or perspectivism; third, that although the arguments of the book are themselves attempts at universally valid insights they are nevertheless given from within a particular tradition (that of Thomist Aristotelianism) and that this need not imply any philosophical inconsistency.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: "Three Rival Versions of Moral Inquiry" was first presented by MacIntyre as part of the Gifford lecture series at the University of Edinburgh in 1988 and is considered by many the third part in a trilogy of philosophical argumentation that commenced with "After Virtue". As its title implies, MacIntyre's aim in this book is to examine three major rival traditions of moral inquiry on the intellectual scene today (encyclopaedic, genealogical and traditional) which each in turn was given defence from a canonical piece published in the late nineteenth century (the Ninth Edition of the "Encyclopædia Britannica", Friedrich Nietzsche's "Genealogy of Morals" and Pope Leo XIII's "Aeterni Patris", respectively). MacIntyre's book ultimately conducts a complex series of both interior and exterior critiques of the encyclopaedic and genealogical positions in an attempt to vindicate philosophical Thomism as the most persuasive form of moral inquiry currently on offer. His critique in chapter IX of Nietzsche's and Michel Foucault's genealogical mode as implicitly committed to an emancipatory and continuous notion of self which they cannot account for on their own terms has been of particular influence.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: The tradition-bound account of rational inquiry MacIntyre articulates and deploys throughout these lectures suggests reforms, which he explores in chapter X, both for the lecture as a genre and for the university as an institution. To advance rational inquiry, MacIntyre argues that lectures ought to take account of the tradition-constituted roles both of lecturer and of student. Lecturers as members of explicitly articulated traditions should engage students, recognized as standing in various relationships to the lecturer's own and/or rival traditions, on material situated in the historically-contextualized progress of the lecturer's home tradition. In support of such lectures and of tradition-bound inquiry on the research front, universities should become forums for growing and engaging rival traditions. For students, such forums would invite intentional formation within a tradition, and support learning how to profitably confront rival traditions through imaginative participation in them. For researchers, inquiry at the frontier must advance toward holistic, inter-disciplinary accounts, at once both theoretical and practical, undertaken together by members of communities of practitioners bound together in traditions. Such tradition-bound inquiry contributes to the advancement of researchers' host traditions on their own terms. Moreover, undertaking such inquiry in a reformed university setting would support encounter among host traditions and their rivals, and thus visibility as traditions both to themselves and to others through imaginative engagement with rival perspectives. The public hosting of such engagements at suitably-reformed universities, including opportunities for agreement from complementary perspectives and for sharpening differences, would support both adjudication among the mutual claims to rational superiority among rival traditions, and initiation of students into the skill sets required to profitably join and assess such encounters.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: While "After Virtue" attempted to give an account of the virtues exclusively by recourse to social practices and the understanding of individual selves in light of "quests" and "traditions," "Dependent Rational Animals" was a self-conscious effort by MacIntyre to ground virtues in an account of biology. MacIntyre writes the following of this shift in the preface to the book: "Although there is indeed good reason to repudiate important elements in Aristotle's biology, I now judge that I was in error in supposing an ethics independent of biology to be possible."


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: More specifically, "Dependent Rational Animals" tries to make a holistic case on the basis of our best current knowledge (as opposed to an ahistorical, foundational claim) that "human vulnerability and disability" are the "central features of human life" and that Thomistic "virtues of dependency" are needed for individual human beings to flourish in their passage from stages of infancy to adulthood and old age. As MacIntyre puts it:


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: It is most often to others that we owe our survival, let alone our flourishing ... It will be a central thesis of this book that the virtues that we need, if we are to develop from our animal condition into that of independent rational agents, and the virtues that we need, if we are to confront and respond to vulnerability and disability both in ourselves and in others, belong to one and the same set of virtues, the distinctive virtues of dependent rational animals


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: Engaging with scientific texts on human biology as well as works of philosophical anthropology, MacIntyre identifies the human species as existing on a continuous scale of both intelligence and dependency with other animals such as dolphins. One of his main goals is to undermine what he sees as the fiction of the disembodied, independent reasoner who determines ethical and moral questions autonomously and what he calls the "illusion of self-sufficiency" that runs through much of Western ethics culminating in Nietzsche's "Übermensch". In its place he tries to show that our embodied dependencies are a definitive characteristic of our species and reveal the need for certain kinds of virtuous dispositions if we are ever to flourish into independent reasoners capable of weighing the intellectual intricacies of moral philosophy in the first place.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: MacIntyre is a key figure in the recent surge of interest in virtue ethics, which identifies the central question of morality as having to do with the habits and knowledge concerning how to live a good life. His approach seeks to demonstrate that good judgment emanates from good character. Being a good person is not about seeking to follow formal rules. In elaborating this approach, MacIntyre understands himself to be reworking the Aristotelian idea of an ethical teleology.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: MacIntyre emphasises the importance of moral goods defined in respect to a community engaged in a 'practice'—which he calls 'internal goods' or 'goods of excellence'—rather than focusing on practice-independent obligation of a moral agent (deontological ethics) or the consequences of a particular act (utilitarianism). Before its recent resurgence, virtue ethics in European/American academia had been primarily associated with pre-modern philosophers (e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas). MacIntyre has argued that Aquinas' synthesis of Augustinianism with Aristotelianism is more insightful than modern moral theories by focusing upon the telos ('end', or completion) of a social practice and of a human life, within the context of which the morality of acts may be evaluated. His seminal work in the area of virtue ethics can be found in his 1981 book, "After Virtue".


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: MacIntyre intends the idea of virtue to supplement, rather than replace, moral rules. Indeed, he describes certain moral rules as 'exceptionless' or unconditional. MacIntyre considers his work to be outside "virtue ethics" due to his affirmation of virtues as embedded in specific, historically grounded, social practices.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: Politically, MacIntyre's ethics informs a defence of the Aristotelian 'goods of excellence' internal to practices against the modern pursuit of 'external goods', such as money, power, and status, that are characteristic of rule-based, utilitarian, Weberian modern institutions. He has been described as a 'revolutionary Aristotelian' because of his attempt to combine historical insights from his Marxist past with those of Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle after MacIntyre's conversion to Catholicism. For him, liberalism and postmodern consumerism not only justify capitalism but also sustain and inform it over the long term. At the same time, he says that "Marxists have always fallen back into relatively straightforward versions of Kantianism or utilitarianism" ("After Virtue", p.261) and criticises Marxism as just another form of radical individualism. He says about Marxists that "as they move towards power they always tend to become Weberians." Informed by that critique, Aristotelianism loses its sense of elitist complacency; moral excellence ceases to be part of a particular, historical practice in ancient Greece and becomes a universal quality of those who understand that good judgment emanates from good character.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: In 1951 in student debates at Manchester MacIntyre described himself as a Disraeli Tory but later was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (leaving in 1956), briefly of the Socialist Labour League, and later of the Socialist Review Group/International Socialists.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: MacIntyre converted to Catholicism in the early 1980s, and now does his work against the background of what he calls an "Augustinian Thomist approach to moral philosophy." In an interview with "Prospect", MacIntyre explains that his conversion to Catholicism occurred in his fifties as a "result of being convinced of Thomism while attempting to disabuse his students of its authenticity." Also, in his book "Whose Justice, Which Rationality?" there is a section towards the end that is perhaps autobiographical when he explains how one is chosen by a tradition and may reflect his own conversion to Catholicism.


title: Alasdair MacIntyre

text: Fuller accounts of MacIntyre's view of the relationship between philosophy and religion in general and Thomism and Catholicism in particular can be found in his essays "Philosophy recalled to its tasks" and "Truth as a good" (both found in the collection "The Tasks of Philosophy") as well as in the survey of the Catholic philosophical tradition he gives in "God, Philosophy and Universities".


title: Susan Blanchard (socialite)

text: Susan Blanchard (née Jacobson; born March 8, 1928) is an American socialite and former lyricist and theatrical producer. She was the stepdaughter of Oscar Hammerstein II, the third wife of actor Henry Fonda, with whom she adopted a daughter, Amy Fishman (born 1953), and the second wife of actor Richard Widmark.


title: Susan Blanchard (socialite)

text: The younger child of Dorothy Kiaora Blanchard, a native of Australia, and Henry Jacobson, a New York businessman, Susan Jacobson took her mother's surname after her parents' divorce and was known as Susan Blanchard thereafter. She studied at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.


title: Susan Blanchard (socialite)

text: Blanchard has been married four times, the first three marriages ending in divorce. Her first marriage was to actor Henry Fonda on December 27, 1950, and lasted until their divorce in May 1956. Peter Fonda told the "Daily Express" in 2014, "We were living in Rome and she came down to breakfast and told us. I was devastated and cried and she said, 'I'm young, I want to dance and tell jokes. I need to cut loose.' And I knew exactly what she meant." Her second marriage was to another actor, Michael Wager, in 1962, with whom she had a son. Her fourth marriage was in 1999 to actor and producer Richard Widmark, to whom she remained married until his death on March 24, 2008.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: I Told Sunset About You / I Promised You the Moon (known in Thai as ; , lit. 'translate my love with your heart') is a Thai boys' love drama coming-of-age series by Nadao Bangkok. It stars Putthipong "Billkin" Assaratanakul and Krit "PP" Amnuaydechkorn as teenage boys Teh and Oh-aew, and explores their relationship as they come to terms with identity, teenage angst, and love.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series comprises two parts, with 5 episodes each. Part 1, titled "I Told Sunset About You", is directed by Naruebet Kuno, and follows Teh and Oh-aew's lives in Phuket as they prepare for university admissions, while part 2, titled "I Promised You the Moon" and directed by Tossaphon Riantong, picks up after their entry into university and is set in Bangkok.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series was released via the Line TV streaming platform, with episodes shown weekly on Thursdays at 20:00. Part 1 was released from 22 October to 19 November 2020, and part 2 from 27 May to 24 June 2021. A 14-minute short film, titled "Last Twilight in Phuket", was released on 20 May 2021, serving as a thematic bridge between the two parts. The series was available outside Thailand through Vimeo.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Part 1 of the series was well received, with praise given for its story, performances and cinematography. The series is accompanied by a behind-the-scenes documentary series, as well as original songs and music videos, as part of the promotion plan BKPP Project.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Part 1, "I Told Sunset About You", follows the relationship of Teh and Oh-aew, schoolboys living in Phuket who used to be childhood best friends but had a falling out and have not spoken for several years. Now in their final year of school, they meet again at a Chinese-language tutorial school as they prepare for university admissions. Starting out as rivals, they eventually make up and begin rebuilding their relationship as Teh helps tutor Oh-aew for their upcoming Chinese exam. They grow closer, forming a new bond that begins to extend beyond friendship but also tests their relationship as Teh struggles to understand and deal with his feelings.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Teh and Oh-aew are supported by their friends and family, but also have to deal with their own conflicting feelings for them. Teh is from a Chinese Thai family and lives with his mother and elder brother Hoon, and has a close female friend, Tarn. Oh-aew lives with his parents, who own an island resort, and is close friends with Bas, who recently joined his and Teh's mutual group of friends Mod, Kai and Phillip.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The 14-minute short film, "Last Twilight in Phuket", picks up after Teh and Oh-aew become boyfriends and follows their last day in their hometown Phuket before leaving for university in Bangkok.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Part 2, "I Promised You the Moon", explores the development of Teh and Oh-aew's relationship as they adjust to life as university students in Bangkok, with Teh becoming involved in the Drama Club at his university and meeting older fellow students Jai, Khim and Top, while Oh-aew makes a new group of friends including Q, Plug, Maengpong and Auu.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series was conceived shortly after Nadao Bangkok's previous series "My Ambulance" concluded in October 2019. A side couple from that series, played by Putthipong and Krit, had attracted a large fanbase, especially among shippers, and "My Ambulance" director Naruebet Kuno, in response to audience feedback, briefly considered featuring them in a sequel, but abandoned the idea as it could not be fitted into the earlier story. Instead, he opted to create a new story based on a topic he wanted to explore, that of a relationship between two teenage boys. He presented the idea to Nadao producers and executives Songyos Sugmakanan and Kriangkrai Vachiratamporn, who agreed that a simple coming-of-age story would make a refreshing change of pace from the fantastical "My Ambulance". The project was pitched to Line TV, who were eager to produce another collaboration with Nadao Bangkok and promptly agreed to finance the project as Nadao's fourth Line TV original series.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series was developed as part of what Nadao termed the "BKPP Project", an integrated promotion plan centred on the two actors and codenamed after their nicknames, Billkin and PP. In addition to the series itself, Nadao planned to release music singles and behind-the-scene documentary series, and hold a fan meeting event. The series was envisioned as a ten-episode story following the development of the characters' relationship from their school days and as they adjust to university life, and Kriangkrai suggested the approach of splitting the series into two self-contained five-episode parts.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Development of part 1 began in December 2019, with Naruebet at the helm. He invited Karakade Norasethaporn and Naron Cherdsoongnern, both of whom he had worked with as fellow students at the Faculty of Communication Arts of Chulalongkorn University, to develop the screenplay with him. , one of Naruebet's co-writers from "My Ambulance", later joined the team. The project was Karakade and Naron's first screenwriting experience; Karakade primarily worked as a writer and editor, and Naron as a flight attendant.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: As is often Nadao's approach, the writers interviewed the lead actors to aid the development of the script, partly basing the characters on their personalities and taking inspiration from their experiences. The characters meeting at tutorial school, for example, was an early plot point based on Putthipong and Krit's introduction in real life. The actors joined in improvisation sessions with the writers in January 2020, and the project was teased via Nadao Bangkok's Twitter account on 14 January.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Naruebet envisioned visually rich imagery for the series, and wanted a locale that would serve as an atmospheric backdrop. The writers briefly considered Ayutthaya, as well as several other provinces, before settling on Phuket, which offered the combination of beaches, hills, and an urban environment. With a rough draft for the story, the team conducted a research trip to the Southern island province in late January. They took inspiration from Phuket's multicultural heritage, Sino-Portuguese architecture and local cuisine, and set the story mainly in Phuket's Old Town. Several food items are featured in the story, including the Hokkien noodles sold by Teh's mother and the dessert "o-aew", which inspired the name of Krit's character. The names of the characters Teh and Hoon, meanwhile, are from the Hokkien words for tea () and rice vermicelli (), one of many nods to the Hokkien Chinese heritage which forms a large part of Phuket's culture. Chinese culture is also featured in the story through the language (as Mandarin), which plays a central role in the university-admissions plot, contributed to by language consultant Suppawat Zhou. Phuket's pluralism is also reflected through language, with several characters speaking in the Southern Thai dialect and employing code switching during conversation.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The writers saw the series as first and foremost a coming-of-age story, and created a character-driven narrative focusing on the characters' internal conflicts, having them questioning and learning to understand their own feelings through experience. They employed a lot of symbolism to visually enhance the storytelling. The Chinese hibiscus flower, for example, is commonly used in school textbooks to illustrate the concept of a perfect flower—one with both male and female structures—and the writers used it in different scenes to alternatively represent male and female characters, while leaving open the possibility for viewers to differently interpret the flower's metaphorical meanings. They originally planned for forty-minute episodes, but with the gradually increasing ambition of the project, ended up at almost twice the length.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The project was officially announced by Line TV at its Line Nexplosion 2020 event on 19 February, under the working title "BKPP: The Series". It was originally slated for a July 2020 release. However, production was delayed as the COVID-19 pandemic spread through Thailand in March, just as work was entering pre-production. After one of its actors tested positive for the virus, Nadao closed its office from 20 March and advised its staff to self-isolate. The writers, who had until then had almost daily face-to-face meetings, continued working via conference calls, and used the time to further refine the screenplay. A first read-through was held with lead actors Putthipong and Krit via Zoom video call on 24 April, after which some further refinements continued, totalling about months of screenplay development.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series entered pre-production under isolation conditions, with the crew holding online meetings where each department presented their work via video conference. Though travel restrictions were in place, one of the crew members lived in Phuket and was able to do location work outside of curfew hours.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: As the disease came under control, the country began easing restrictions around mid-May, allowing in-person auditions to take place. With the lead actors already fixed for the project, casting for the supporting roles focused on ensuring good chemistry with Putthipong and Krit. The task was split among the casting directors: A-tis Asanachinda, who had done extensive casting work with Nadao, covered the roles of Bas, Hoon, and young Teh and Oh-aew, while Nantanat Thakadkul, who had also co-written My "Ambulance", was responsible for the others.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: For the role of Hoon, Nat Kitcharit was among the first choices A-tis considered, having been impressed by his lead appearance in the 2018 film . The roles of Tarn and Bas, in particular, depended on chemistry with the main actors, and Tarn had to speak Southern Thai. Parada Thitawachira, a TV actress and singer, was invited to audition for the role after the crew came upon a Facebook video of her rapping to a popular song in the dialect, and was promptly chosen. On the other hand, the crew had difficulty filling the role of Bas until Songyos suggested auditioning Pongpol Panyamit, who had earlier been recruited to Nadao Academy, the company's recently launched talent development project. Pongpol had no acting experience and didn't match Naruebet's vision of the character, but his portrayal impressed Naruebet and secured the role.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The crew was also particular about the roles of young Teh and Oh-aew, which required resemblance with their older counterparts as well as the ability to convey the characters. Pitchanan Jiemsirikarn and Inthanon Seangsiripaisarn, neither of whom had acting experience, were ultimately deemed the best fit for the roles. Like Pongpol, both had earlier been discovered by Nadao crew when scouting for the Nadao Academy project. The roles of Teh and Oh-aew's friends Kai, Phillip and Mod were filled by teen actors Jirayus Khawbaimai, Theethat Suk-im and Christiaan Churaporn Bos, respectively. Apart from the two leads, Jirayus was the only Nadao-signed actor to appear in the series.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: A complete read-through with all the actors was held on 2 June. The actors underwent several acting workshops around mid-June, which focused on the lead actors' understanding of their characters as well as interactions between character pairs and groups. The lead actors also worked with their younger counterparts, who learned to imitate their demeanour and mannerisms. Screenwriter Arachaporn and casting director Nantanat also served as acting coaches, together with Romchat Tanalappipat and others.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: In preparation for the series, Putthipong and Krit took Chinese lessons, practised phrases in the Southern accent, learned to ride the motorcycle, and had lessons in scuba diving. Putthipong also learned to sing Chinese opera, while Krit lost for the role. Speaking of the experience of their first lead roles, both say they felt tremendous pressure and responsibility, which was compounded by each day's almost continuous shooting. The two are close friends in real life, which they note helped greatly in assuming their roles.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: A blessing ceremony, marking the start of production, was held on 4 June. Principal photography took place in July, with three weeks spent in Phuket and few more scenes shot in Bangkok. Filming in Phuket commenced on 1 July, and alternated between filming days and break days, during which the camera crew would plan and block shots for upcoming scenes. Filming was highly subject to weather conditions, as it took place during the rainy season, frequently necessitating impromptu changes to the shooting schedule, managed by line producer Patcharaporn Liewpairoj.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series employed multiple locations in Phuket's Old Town, as well as several places further afield around the island. Filming employed a two-camera setup, overseen by director of photography Tawanwad Wanavit. Tawanwad worked with Naruebet to produce their shared vision of a visually cinematic piece, and used warm lighting to accentuate the tones for the scenes, most of which employed a colour palette highlighting the primaries red, green and blue, which was also factored in the costume and art design. (Teh and Oh-aew are represented in large part by the colours blue and red, respectively, which were expressed through clothing prepared by costume designer Chayanuch Savekvattana, who was working with Nadao Bangkok for the first time.)


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: As the series entered editing in August, Naruebet found the emotional arc in some scenes to be lacking, and the story hard to follow in places. He discussed the matter with producer Songyos, who decided to have the scenes reshot. Following modification of the screenplay and further workshopping by the actors, the crew spent another two weeks in September reshooting in Phuket, during which music videos for the series' several songs were also filmed. Editing was led by Foolhouse Production's Rachaphun Phisutsinthop, who had worked with Naruebet on "My Ambulance" and 2017's "Project S:" "Side by Side". The music score was created by Hualampong Riddim and composed by the studio's head Vichaya Vatanasapt, who had also worked on "Side by Side". Editing continued alongside the release of the series in October.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: As part 2 entered development when part 1 was still under production, the directorial role was handed over to Tossaphon Riantong, who had worked in several of Nadao Bangkok's and its parent GDH's projects as a screenwriter. Naruebet moved on to the role of producer, together with Songyos. Karakade continued as screenwriter from part 1, developing the screenplay together with Tossaphon and Vasudhorn Piyaromna (Tossaphon and Vasudhorn had worked as co-writers on "In Family We Trust" and "").


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Patcharaporn, A-tis and Chayanuch reprised their respective roles as line producer, casting director and costume designer for part 2. Newly introduced cast members include Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang, part 1 writer Arachaporn, and Naphat Vikairungroj as Teh's fellow students Jai, Khim and Top; and Kamolpipat Bunnag, Sarit Trilertvichien, Taninrat Wadsriwat, and Chayapak Tunprayoon as Oh-aew's friends Plug, Maengpong, Q and Auu. The blessing ceremony for part 2 was held on 7 December 2020, and the main cast met for the read-through session on 8 December. Acting workshops during pre-production were overseen by acting coach Prawee Saeueng, while Warunya Munkaew served the role during filming.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Boonyanuch Kraithong served as director of photography for part 2. Production began around mid-December, but was halted in early January 2021 due to renewed outbreaks of the virus. Filming later resumed and concluded in February, with additional shoots in April. As with part 1, editing was done by Foolhouse Production, with a music score by Hualampong Riddim's Vichaya Vatanasapt.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series' official Thai name, as well as its premiere date of 22 October, was announced at the blessing ceremony on 4 June 2020. Nadao Bangkok also released a timeline for the BKPP Project, announcing the fan meeting event on 30 January 2021 and teasing an unannounced event on 11 March. The theme song "Skyline" was released on 30 September, and the series was officially announced (and the trailer released) at a press event on 8 October.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The five episodes of "I Told Sunset About You" were released weekly through the Line TV streaming service (in Thailand) at 20:00 on Thursdays, from 22 October to 19 November 2020. They were also made available with English and Chinese subtitles outside Thailand via Vimeo On Demand, for a per-episode rental fee, initially set at US$12 but later reduced to $5.99 for subsequent episodes.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series' second part, with an originally scheduled release date of 11 March 2021, was revealed with the fifth and final episode of part 1, and officially announced at a press event on 21 November. However, its release, as well as the fan meeting event, was postponed due to the new outbreak of COVID-19 cases. A new release date of 27 May 2021 was announced in February.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Nadao Bangkok began promoting the release of part 2 in April, releasing the poster and announcing the English title "I Promised You the Moon" on 19 April, and the theme song "Safe Zone" on the 29th. The trailer was released on 13 May, and the short film "Last Twilight in Phuket", billed as a side story to the series, was shown in a surprise release on 20 May. Part 2 was released from 27 May to 24 June 2021 on Line TV and Vimeo, following the original weekly schedule.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: As the pandemic's largest wave surged in Thailand around mid-2021, Nadao Bangkok issued refunds for tickets to the fan meeting event, and ultimately announced the cancellation of the event in March 2022. A smaller outdoor concert, titled "Plae Rak Chan Duai Chai Thoe" The Last Twilight: Music in the Park, was instead held at the Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park on 26 March 2022 as the closing event for the BKPP Project.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Line TV ended its service in Thailand at the end of 2021. The series, along with Line TV's other original works, was later made available in Thailand via the Line Today website.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series has also received local distribution in a few other countries: the Philippines (dubbed in Filipino) via the streaming platform POPTV, Taiwan via Line TV, and Japan on Wowow Prime.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: As part of the BKPP Project, Nadao Bangkok also produced behind-the-scenes documentaries to accompany each part of the main series. They were directed and filmed by Patipol Teekayuwat, who had joined the series crew under the Nadao Intensive Trainee project. The documentary for part 1 consisted of eight twenty-minute episodes which were released weekly on Saturdays, from 19 October to 5 December 2020. The documentary series for part 2, with six episodes, was likewise shown weekly on Saturdays, from 22 May to 26 June 2021.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Nadao Bangkok created several items of tie-in merchandise, which were used as costumes and props in the series. They were designed by a team led by actor Sarit, who had his own apparel brand. Part 1's English title, "I Told Sunset About You", in fact originated from the design for one of the shirts, which is worn by Teh in the series.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: "I Told Sunset About You" was accompanied by three original songs, released in seven versions by Nadao Music (Nadao Bangkok's record label) through online streaming platforms, with music videos for each released via YouTube. The series' theme song "Skyline", whose Thai version is known as "" ( 'set apart'), was sung by Putthipong and released on 30 September 2020. Subsequent releases followed each week's new episode, with Skyline's Chinese version (, 'How?') accompanying episode 1, "" ( 'I can't translate') for episode 2, and another version of "" sung by Krit featured in episode 3. The third song, "" ( 'freaking special'), had its two versions by Putthipong and Krit released following the fifth episode. Nadao also released ten tracks from the score on YouTube following the conclusion of part 1.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The songs for part 1 were recorded in August, and their accompanying music videos filmed in Phuket in September when the crew went back for reshooting. Songyos assigned the task to various members of the crew, letting them exercise their directing skills. The music video for "Skyline" was directed by series still photographer Rinrada Pornsombutsatien and director of photography Tawanwad, "Plae Mai Ok" was directed by documentary director Patipol, and Krit's version of "Khot Phiset" was directed by second assistant director Watjakorn Hankoon.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: "I Promised You the Moon" likewise was accompanied by original songs. The theme song "Safe Zone" (known in Thai as , ), sung by Putthipong and Krit, was released on 29 April, and "Hold Me Tight" (, ) by Krit was released following the first episode.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Part 1 of the series received enthusiastic responses from viewers, with associated hashtags becoming the top trending item on Twitter in Thailand during each week's release, as well as globally for later episodes. It was the most viewed series on the Line TV platform for November 2020. It was also popular internationally, with significant followings in Vietnam, Japan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, and especially in China, where it rose to the top-rated list on the review website Douban with an aggregate rating of 9.4 out of 10.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: Feedback for the series was highly positive, with praise given for the acting and chemistry between the two leads, as well as the cinematography, which effectively conveyed the charms of the Phuket setting. Some viewers compared its mood and tone to that of the 2017 film "Call Me by Your Name". Reviewers also took note of the emotionally affecting writing, and commended the story for its approach to sexuality issues. The "Bangkok Post" lifestyle columnist wrote: "At times sensual, at times heartbreaking, "Sunset" was a well-rounded, coming-of-age drama with good writing, and beautiful cinematography to match." The marketing for "I Told Sunset About You" had sometimes promoted it as Nadao Bangkok's first boys' love series, and in that respect, reviewers noted its exceptional quality for the genre: the "Bangkok Post" noted it was "better crafted than many of its predecessors," while the Philippines' ABS-CBN's reviewer called it a game changer for the genre. Other commentators noted that the series did not fit most of the genre's conventions, but actually more closely reflected those of LGBT cinema.


title: I Told Sunset About You

text: The series' popularity helped fuel a resurgence of tourist activity in Phuket, whose tourism-oriented economy had been battered by the pandemic in 2020. The province saw about 59,000 tourist arrivals over the long weekend holiday of 10–13 December, a significant part of which comprised film tourism by fans of the series, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Phuket Office. The Phuket Tourist Association noted that the series contributed to a substantial increase in visitors especially to the Old Town area and Phrom Thep Cape, which served as major filming locations.


title: 3 Ninjas

text: 3 Ninjas is a series of action comedy family films about the adventures of three young brothers who are trained by their Japanese grandfather in the art of Ninjutsu. Victor Wong is the only cast member to appear in all four films.


title: 3 Ninjas

text: Samuel "Rocky" Douglas Jr. — portrayed by Michael Treanor ("3 Ninjas" and "3 Ninjas Knuckle Up"), Sean Fox ("3 Ninjas Kick Back"), and Matthew Bothuchis


title: 3 Ninjas

text: Each summer, Samuel, Jeffrey and Michael, three suburban California brothers, visit their grandfather Mori Tanaka's cabin in the desert to train to become ninjas. On their last day of summer vacation, the boys receive "ninja names": Samuel is Rocky because of his strength and level headed mentality, Jeffrey is Colt because of his speed and temper like a young wild horse, and Michael is Tum Tum due to his energy coming from his gluttony. They witness a confrontation between their grandfather and Hugo Snyder, ex-student/partner of Tanaka and a criminal who is being pursued by the boys' father, FBI agent Sam Douglas. Snyder plans to kidnap the boys with the help of his assistant Mr. Brown, who employs his irresponsible nephew Fester and his friends Hammer and Marcus to abduct them. After a failed attempt at kidnapping foiled by the three boys outsmarting the three men while their parents are out, Mr. Brown along with heavyweight fighter "Rushmore" appear and they easily capture the trio, leaving a note with Rocky's girlfriend Emily, telling Sam that Snyder has kidnapped his children in retaliation for his constant attempts to arrest him. Mori arrives at the house and Sam reluctantly agrees to give him one hour to rescue the children. Mori tracks the children to a ship at the docks where Snyder is training an army of ninjas and begins searching for the boys and Snyder. Meanwhile, the boys escape their containment cell using the training bestowed upon them by their Grandfather and begin fighting their way out of the ship, leading up to a final confrontation between Snyder and Mori. Mori wins, despite Snyder's foul play and Sam ambushes the ship with a slew of FBI agents, wounding Snyder and foiling his evil organization.


title: 3 Ninjas

text: Rocky, Colt and Tum Tum must battle an evil, wealthy toxic waste dumper in order to save a local Indian tribe and their friend Jo. The 3 Ninjas must help find Jo's father and find a secret disk that contains evidence that could stop the toxic landfill that is destroying the Indian community. However, the town is owned by the wealthy toxic waste dumper and he controls the police and the mayor. The 3 Ninjas must fight a motorcycle gang and renegade cowboys, retrieve the secret disk and expose the wealthy baron of his misdeeds.


title: 3 Ninjas

text: Rocky, Colt and Tum Tum are torn between seeing a championship baseball game through to the end or going to Japan to deliver a golden dagger to their grandfather; they choose the latter. On the way to Japan they meet Miyo, a girl who Rocky is very fond of. When Koga gets the dagger and sword, he tries to open the cave of gold. Koga and Mori become friends and Miyo gets the dagger. During their Japanese adventure, the kids learn important skills and life lessons which help them win the final baseball game of their season, with Colt hitting a home run. A poor sport on the opposing team picks on them; he attempts to attack Miyo but ends up getting knocked unconscious during one of the final scenes.


title: 3 Ninjas

text: Rocky, Colt and Tum Tumalong with their neighbor friend, computer whiz Amandaare visiting Mega Mountain amusement park when it is invaded by an army of ninjas led by master criminal Mary Ann "Medusa" Rogers. The boys have to thwart Medusa's vicious plans and liberate Mega Mountain.


title: 3 Ninjas

text: The first "3 Ninjas" film was a box office success and was the only entry in the franchise to be released by Disney, through its Touchstone Pictures label. The rights to the franchise were subsequently acquired by Tristar Pictures, which released the three sequels, all of which were box office bombs. The first film developed a cult following and was released on DVD on June 3, 2003.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron is a 1993–1994 American animated television series created by Christian and Yvon Tremblay and produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. The series takes place in the fictional metropolis of Megakat City, which is populated by anthropomorphic felines, known as "kats". The "SWAT Kats" of the title are two vigilante pilots who possess a state-of-the-art fighter jet with an array of weaponry. Throughout the series, they face various villains as well as competition from Megakat City's militarized police force called the Enforcers.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: The show originally premiered and ran on the syndication block "The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera", as well as TBS Superstation (as a part of the "Sunday Morning in Front of the TV" block) from 1993 to 1995. Every episode of the series was directed by Robert Alvarez. The bulk of the series was written by Glenn Leopold (15 episodes) or Lance Falk (9 episodes). Jim Stenstrum contributed two episodes, while David Ehrman, Von Williams, Eric Clark (with Lance Falk), Mark Saraceni and Jim Katz all contributed one episode each.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: A revival series, titled "SWAT Kats: Revolution", is under development, with both the Tremblay brothers and the Toonz Media Group at the helm.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: Jake "Razor" Clawson (Barry Gordon) and Chance "T-Bone" Furlong (Charlie Adler) were members of Megakat City's paramilitary law enforcement agency, known as the Enforcers. They were discharged from the Enforcers after disobeying the orders of Commander Feral (Gary Owens), which resulted in the destruction of the newly built Enforcer Headquarters. While in pursuit of the criminal mastermind Dark Kat (Brock Peters), one of the main arch-villains of the series, the two rebelled against Enforcer Commander Feral's orders to fall back and leave Dark Kat to him. When they objected, citing their already-acquired target lock, Commander Feral crowded out their jet, clipping their wing and sending Jake and Chance's jet crashing into Enforcer headquarters. The resultant explosion distracted Commander Feral, allowing Dark Kat's escape. The Commander took no responsibility for the incident, discharged Jake and Chance from the Enforcers and reassigned them to work at the city's military salvage yard to pay for the damage to the Enforcer Headquarters which Feral caused.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: Using discarded military parts and weapons from the salvage yard, Jake and Chance built themselves a three-engine jet fighter called the Turbokat, which resembled several different jet fighters, most notably the Grumman F-14 and the Saab Draken, along with a handful of other vehicles such as the Cyclotron (a motorcycle built into the jet's seating, deployed from the bomb bay of the Turbokat like a missile), the TurboMole (a subterranean vehicle used to drill underground), the HoverKat (a militarized hovercraft), and the Thunder Truck (a militarized Jeep modified from their tow truck). All these vehicles were stored, along with a training area and other equipment, in a secret hangar below the yard. Razor and T-Bone now patrol Megakat City as the SWAT Kats, defending it against any kind of menace that threatens the city. Their enemies include Dark Kat, the undead sorcerer Pastmaster (Keene Curtis), the mutant evil genius Doctor Viper (Frank Welker), and the robotic gangsters the Metallikats, husband and wife Molly (April Winchell) and Mac Mange (Neil Ross). The SWAT Kats also face many villains-of-the-week, such as Madkat (Roddy McDowall) and Volcanus.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: The SWAT Kats keep their identities secret from everyone, including their closest ally Deputy Mayor Callie Briggs (Tress MacNeille), who assumes the responsibilities of both her post and of her boss, Mayor Manx (Jim Cummings), who mainly neglects his political duties in favor of pastimes like golf. Their methods do not endear them to Commander Feral, and the three of them often clash throughout the series. In the second season, Feral's niece Felina (Lori Alan), who holds a lieutenant rank in the Enforcers, becomes another ally of the SWAT Kats.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: In July 1995, Hanna-Barbera (through Turner Home Entertainment) released three VHS collections with two select episodes on each. These releases also included some of the "Secret Files of SWAT Kats" clips that ended each episode in original airings. In October 27, 1998, Hanna-Barbera (through Warner Home Video) released a VHS with eight selected episodes on each. The VHS released was titled:


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: "The Kat Chronicles" - featuring "Bride of the Pastmaster", "The Ci-Kat-A", "A Bright and Shiny Future", "Mutation City", "When Strikes Mutilor", "Caverns Of Horror", "The Dark Side Of The SWAT Kats" and "Unlikely Alloys". Plus a bonus music video "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor at the end of the video.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: On December 14, 2010, Warner Archive released "SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron- The Complete Series Collection" on DVD in region 1, as part of their Hanna–Barbera Classics Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: The episodes themselves are not remastered, and the DVDs contain no extras or bonus features, although three scenes that were originally cut from the show were restored for the DVD. However, Warner Bros. put the end credits for the episodes in the wrong order, meaning voice actors either were not credited for episodes they were in, or were credited for ones where they did not appear. Only a few episodes had their proper end credits intact. On March 3, 2011, Warner Bros. removed "SWAT Kats" from its DVD page. On January 19, 2012, Warner Archive re-released the "SWAT Kats" set with the end credits corrected.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: "SWAT Kats" became the number one syndicated animated show of 1994, according to Nielsen Television Index (NTI) and Nielsen Syndication Service (NSS). "Toon Magazine" documented the success of "SWAT Kats" in its Fall 1994 issue. Due to the program's success, Hanna Barbera Productions planned to release new episodes, posters, and other works in 1995. However, the show was ultimately canceled with three unfinished episodes.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: Ted Turner, owner of Turner Entertainment which produced and aired the show, was reportedly displeased with the level of violence in his cartoons, leading to the delay of its merchandising and its eventual cancellation. Turner went on record in front of Congress and in an early 1995 interview after the show's cancellation, stated that "We have more cartoons than anybody: "The Flintstones", "The Jetsons", "The Smurfs", "Scooby-Doo". They're nonviolent. We don't have to worry that we're encouraging kids to kill each other - like some of the other cartoon programs do." According to the Tremblay Bros. in an interview, this quote was more directed against more adult-oriented TV shows at the time such as "Beavis and Butt-Head", which depicted more realistic and easily copyable violence, compared to the more cartoony slapstick violence of the aforementioned shows. However, this was misconstrued by both fans and Hanna-Barbera execs as being a strict "anti-violence" policy, especially in the wake of Turner's own pet project show, "Captain Planet and the Planeteers".


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: On July 23, 2015, creators Christian and Yvon Tremblay announced a Kickstarter campaign to revive "SWAT Kats", seeking to produce a new series, and if possible, a 70-minute film. On July 24, one day after the campaign began, the Kickstarter successfully reached its first funding goal of $50,000, needed for production of concept art and promotional material, which the pair had aimed to use to help them find an investor who would be interested in helping with the revival.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: A more major goal of $200,000 would allow the pair to produce a 22-minute episode, while a pledge total of $1,000,000 would allow them to do a mini-series of five episodes. Their highest pledge, $1.5 million or more, would help them to make a film of the SWAT Kats. The campaign ended on August 22, 2015, with $141,500 pledged, and already passing another goal of $100,000 will help to create a 2-minute-long trailer of how the series should look.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: On February 17, 2016, the Tremblay Brothers confirmed they had started development on the trailer, which they will show to a TV company in order to have the green light for production on "SWAT Kats Revolution".


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: Christian Tremblay, confirmed Warner Bros. had expressed interest in "bringing back" SWAT Kats on Boomerang, but were unable to convince the parent network to commit for a new series, and thus they passed on the project. Tremblay then started working with investors to create independent episodes of SWAT Kats that will be available online for streaming. In a Kickstarter campaign update on July 23, 2020, show co-creator Christian Tremblay alluded to the issues being faced in getting the Swat Kats: Revolution re-boot picked up:""It has been a long time coming to provide an update on Swat-Kats Revolution, we sincerely apologize. I hope this update will bring you comfort that the efforts to bring back SK is very much alive and we are actively pushing to make it happen...For us the challenge is not IF a new series will be produced, but WHEN will it be done...So we encountered roadblocks after roadblocks: Hulu passed, Netflix passed, Warner Bros passed. Amazon was not really the place for it and changed its animated content approach. A fairly important movie producer wanted to bring Swat-Kats to Netflix, where he has an output deal, but ultimately, the deal did not make sense for us. I can't count the number of potential business investors we met, trips we did, meetings we held. There have been many opportunities we believed were very promising (with some very important mini Major studios, among others), and we hold on to those opportunities to bring some good news, only to fall apart. Some additional difficulties were unexpected, such as the movie CATS! (Anthropomorphic cats), and a major box office disaster, ridiculed by everyone, let's just say that we had to let the dust clear on this one before we could even approach anyone in the industry, so they could not make any types of similarities between the two properties...this is a Hollywood mindset; when something bombs at the box office it becomes radioactive...We are more motivated than ever before. We have seen and encountered roadblocks in the past but we are resilient. It's not the 100's of NO that count, its the one Yes that allows everything to fall into place. We will make SK happen, no matter how hard or how long it takes."


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: In a Kickstarter campaign update on January 19, 2022, show co-creator Christian Tremblay announced that they "teamed up with Toonz Media Group, an amazing global media company, to bring Swat-Kats Revolution to life." On February 1, 2022, several websites reported additional details, including that "the new series is billed as being for kids in the age range of 5-11" and that the series was already in pre-production as of that date.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: Remco produced a line of action figures in 1994 which included Razor, T-Bone, Dark Kat and Dr. Viper. Both White Castle and Carl's Jr. have offered SWAT Kats toys in their kids' meals in the 1990s.


title: SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

text: The game "", developed by AIM, was released by Hudson Soft on June 9, 1995, for Japan and August 21, 1995, in North America for the Super NES. A Sega Mega Drive game based on "SWAT Kats" was in development by Traveller's Tales but it was cancelled before being completed.


title: Maraca

text: A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair.


title: Maraca

text: Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were rattles of divination, an oracle of the Brazilian Tupinamba people, found also with other Indigenous ethnic groups, such as the Guarani, Orinoco and in Florida. Rattles made from "Lagenaria" gourds are being shaken by the natural grip, while the round "Crescentia" calabash fruits are fitted to a handle. Human hair is sometimes fastened on the top, and a slit is cut in it to represent a mouth, through which their shamans ("payes") made it utter its responses. A few pebbles are inserted to make it rattle and it is crowned with the red feathers of the (scarlet ibis). Every man had his maraca. It was used at their dances and to heal the sick. Andean curanderos (healers) use maracas in their healing rites.