| The A-Team | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Title: | The A-Team |
| Format: | Live-action |
| Genres: | Action |
| Rating: | TV-PG TV-14 |
| Running time: | 60 min. |
| country: | USA |
| Network: | NBC |
| Seasons: | 5 |
| Episodes: | 98 |
| Production | |
| Production company: | Stephen J. Cannell Productions Universal Network Television |
| Executive producers: | Stephen J. Cannell; Frank Lupo; John Ashley |
| Producers: | Alan Cassidy; Rob Bowman; Steve Beers; Patrick Hasburgh; Tom Blomquist |
| Principal cast: | George Peppard; Dirk Benedict; Melinda Culea; Dwight Schultz; Eddie Velez; Mr. T.; Robert Vaughn |
| Air dates | |
| First aired: | January 1st, 1983 |
| Last aired: | March 8th, 1987 |
The A-Team is an American television program of the action genre. The series was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo and ran for five seasons on NBC totalling ninety-eight episodes. The main cast members from the series, most of whom comprised the A-Team, consisted of George Peppard as Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith - the leader; Dirk Benedict as Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck - the grifter; Mr. T as Sergeant Bosco "B.A." Baracus - the strong man, and Dwight Schultz as Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock - the pilot. Actress Melinda Culea played Amy Amanda Allen in seasons one and two, who was an associate and collaborator of the A-Team. Season five of the series added the characters of Frankie "Dishpan" Santana, played by Eddie Velez and General Hunt Stockwell, played by Robert Vaughn.
The premise of the show involved a group of ex-military agents, who have been framed for a crime that they didn't commit. Banding together, they hire themselves out to help people in needed - people whose trouble requires a particular type skill set. The members of the A-Team had to rely on cunning, creativity and strategy to accomplish their goals, but with careful strategizing, they would invariably succeed in resolving the mission, or as Hannibal Smith would say, "I love it when a plan comes together".
Each episode of the series opened with the following narration, giving viewers a brief overview of what the show was about.
In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. They promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team
The A-Team proved to be extremely popular and is considered a staple of 1980s television. The series launched a line of licensed merchandise including toys, lunch boxes, sleeping apparel and a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. In 2010, a feature film remake of The A-Team was released to theaters starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Sharlto Copley and Jessica Biel.
One of the most memorable elements of the series was its musical score. The theme song itself was an upbeat percussion and horn accompaniment with a patriotic, militaristic flare. Action and montage scenes from the individual episodes, particularly when the A-Team has to build some elaborate device featured a driving electric guitar sequence that usually segued into some variation of the main title sequence.
The A-Team was nominated for Primetime Emmy awards in 1983, 1984 and 1987. It was nominated for the category of Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series (Jim Cook, Robert L. Harman, John Norman and Eddie Mahler) for the pilot episode in 1983 and for the same category in 1984 for "Welcome Back Range Rider". In 1987, it was nominated for the category of Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series (Dick Wahrman, Gene Craig, Thomas McMullen, John Kaufman, Jack Woods, Roxanne Jones, Cliff Bell, Jr., John Caper) for the episode "Firing Line".
Episodes[]
Season One[]
| Episode | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
Season Two[]
| Episode | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
Season Three[]
| Episode | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 3x01 | "Bullets and Bikinis" | September 18th, 1984 |
| 3x02 | "The Bend in the River (Part 1)" | September 25th, 1984 |
| 3x03 | "The Bend in the River (Part 2)" | September 25th, 1984 |
| 3x04 | "Fire" | October 2nd, 1984 |
| 3x05 | "Timber!" | October 16th, 1984 |
| 3x06 | "Double Heat" | October 23rd, 1984 |
| 3x07 | "Trouble on Wheels" | October 30th, 1984 |
| 3x08 | "The Island" | November 13th, 1984 |
| 3x09 | "Showdown!" | November 20th, 1984 |
| 3x10 | "Sheriffs of Rivertown" | November 27th, 1984 |
| 3x11 | "The Bells of St. Mary's | December 4th, 1984 |
| 3x12 | "Hot Styles" | December 11th, 1984 |
| 3x13 | "Breakout!" | December 18th, 1984 |
| 3x14 | "Cup a' Joe" | January 8th, 1985 |
| 3x15 | "The Big Squeeze" | January 15th, 1985 |
| 3x16 | "Champ!" | January 22nd, 1985 |
| 3x17 | "Skins" | January 29th, 1985 |
| 3x18 | "Road Games" | February 5th, 1985 |
| 3x19 | "Moving Targets" | February 12th, 1985 |
| 3x20 | "Knights of the Road" | February 26th, 1985 |
| 3x21 | "Waste 'Em!" | March 5th, 1985 |
| 3x22 | "Bounty" | April 2nd, 1985 |
| 3x23 | "Beverly Hills Assault" | April 9th, 1985 |
| 3x24 | "Trouble Brewing" | May 7th, 1985 |
| 3x25 | "Incident at Crystal Lake" | May 14th, 1985 |
Season Four[]
| Episode | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
Season Five[]
| Episode | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
Notes & Trivia[]
- One of the recurring gags on the series was the fact that B.A. hated flying. Moreover, he had zero confidence in the team's pilot, "Howling Mad" Murdock. For missions were flying was required, the A-Team often had to trick B.A. into getting onto a plane. Most often, this was facilitated by drugging him and dragging him onto a plane.
- All of the characters had notable trademarks which cropped up in nearly every episode. Hannibal Smith was often seen chomping on a cigar with a toothy grin while intoning, "I love it when a plan comes together". Templeton Peck also had a penchant for huffing on a stogie, and was known for his charm and charisma. Murdock was invariably seen doing something wild with boisterous commentary and flailing gestures. B.A. was the uptight member of the group, and could often be heard saying things like, "I pity the fool who messes with me!", and, "I don't wanna hear none of your jibba-jabba!"
- The season four episode of Legends of Tomorrow titled "Legends of To-Meow-Meow" pays homage to The A-Team. In a divergent timeline, the male members of the Legends become a group known as the Custodians of the Chronology.
See also[]
External Links[]
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