The A-Team

[Superman]

Please, please tell me that there are fans of 80's action show The A-Team on this forum? There has never been a show like it and never will be. It is one of the best shows ever made.

The premise was simple. Four Vietnam veterans were on the run for a crime they didn't commit whilst in 'Nam. Pursued by the Military Police, they hired their services out to underdogs, usually taking on untouchable criminals or big corporations. They drove around in a black van with a red stripe on the side.

Leader of the Team was Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, a guy who only seemed to be enjoying himself when bullets were whizzing past his head and things were being blown up. He was the brains of the team but got mixed up in the action too.

Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck was the conman of the team, always scamming whatever the team needed, whether that be guns, a place to stay or even a garbage truck.

Sergeant B.A. Baracus (B.A. stood for Bad Attitude) was the muscle of the team (played by Mr. T) and also the mechanic. He was tough and grouchy but had one weakness-he was scared to fly.

Captain Murdock (whose first name was never given) was not wanted by the Military Police as he was deemed insane. However, he was a member of The A-Team and helped them out on every mission.

Throughout the show, the A-Team were joined by various people. Early on, they were joined by reporter Amy Allen. In the final season, they were joined by a special effects guy called Frankie Santana and Gen. Hunt Stockwell.

Pursuing the team were the likes of Col. Lynch (bumbling fool), Col. Decker (played very straight by actor Lance Le Gault) and Gen. Fulbright (crazed psycho). In the final season, The A-Team became unofficial agents of the government and completed so many missions for a Gen. Stockwell in order to gain a Presidential Pardon.

The show was a mix of comedy and action, which didn't take itself too seriously. For the first four seasons, the plots were pretty much the same but that's not a knock on the show. It's the destination, not the journey, that is important.

I notice there seem to be a lot of people on this forum born in the late eighties, just after The A-Team finished. That's why I thought I'd post this topic. The show was never meant to be taken seriously, it was a parody of the action genre but it did have a degree of verisimilitude. Anyone who criticizes it is missing the point. It was meant to be fun from beginning to end. When I watched it initially in the 80's, it wasn't just a programme. It was an event, I felt I was there with The A-Team, taking part in their adventures.

Anyway, if you ever watch the show, here's some things you'll see frequently;

* Murdock resides at a Mental Institution. Prior to every mission, "Faceman" used to have to go in and break him out, using some elaborate scam.

* B.A. was afraid to fly. When The A-Team needed to go overseas, they always managed to drug him or KO him so that they could get him aboard a plane.

* Despite the amount of bullets whizzing about, no-one ever got hit. There was never any blood in the show (maybe once or twice). There were a few deaths in the show but overall, it was non-violent action if you know what I mean. In fact, in one episode, the bad guy's helicopter crashed and they actually survived, just a bit dazed.

* When backed into a corner, The A-Team used to make some kind of armoured vehicle out of raw materials lying around. Don't ask me how they did it.

The episodes, for the most part, had a formula. Some criminal or evil capitalist would pick on the underdog. The underdog would call in The A-Team. The A-Team would beat up the bad guys or humiliate them. The bad guys would assemble a bigger team, get their guns and go out to beat The A-Team. The A-Team would instead beat them. The good guys won. The bad guys lost. The underdog was happy. And that was that.

All in all, it was pure escapism. The world is a harsh place. Now and again, we need to watch shows where the good guy ALWAYS beats the bad guy and The A-Team is one entertaining ride where you see that happen. The first season (whilst not the best) is out on DVD now. You could do worse than check it out.

I sincerely hope there are some fans of The A-Team on this site. Are there?

[Creeper the sneaker]

I've watched it I liked it.

[Link, the Hero of Time]

I watch the re-runs with a passion. And you cant forget the fact that in every episode there's a big car chase where 2 or 3 of the bad guy's cars would flip, explode and shatter, but no one would get seriously hurt.



Upper left - Murdock.
Lower Left - B.A.
Upper right - "Face"
lower right - Mr. "I love it when a plan comes together" Hannibal.

[superwoman]

[Oliver]

I used to watch The A-Team when is was on. I remember liking it too. No one every died in the show and back then, I didn't question it; it seemed so normal.

We get to see the A-Team again in reruns. Although I dodn't watch it anymore, it always is fun to remember shows you've watched when you were younger.

On a sad note, I believe the actor who played Hannibal commited suicide several years ago.

[Superman]

[Oliver]

[Superman]

Whilst I think the show can be enjoyed, you really had to view it during the 80's to appreciate it. You had to lose yourself in the whole 80's spirit.

I believe shows nowadays try TOO HARD to work. The A-Team simply did. I believe some of it's success was down to it's spontaneity. No-one could have predicted it would be a major hit. It was a case of chemistry, the right actors, the right scripts, the right time. That's why it worked.

Rumours persist of a big-screen movie. I don't want to see that happen. Remakes suck 99% of the time. The original actors WERE the characters, no-one else could play them. A remake would lack 80's spirit. And no doubt a new movie would change the core concept, it'd probably be full of death and they'd probably make superficial changes to the characters.

I'd rather cherish the memories of what I consider the best show in history.