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On-screen violence: improved word choice. For The A-Team, like most TV shows (and, to a lesser extent, feature films) before at least the mid 1990s, realism per se was not expected or pursued, and a degree of "suspension of disbelief" on the part of the audience was generally presumed.
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{{short description|1980s American television series}}
{{Short description|American action-adventure television series (1983–1987)}}
{{For|the film based on this TV series|The A-Team (film)}}
{{About|the 1980s television series|the 2010 film based on this television series|The A-Team (film)|other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox television
{{Infobox television
|image = A-Team-Logo.svg
| image = A-Team-Logo.svg
|caption = ''The A-Team'' title screen (seasons 1–4)
| caption = Title screen (seasons 1–4)
|creator = {{Plainlist|
| creator = {{Plainlist|
* [[Frank Lupo]]
* [[Frank Lupo]]
* [[Stephen J. Cannell]]
* [[Stephen J. Cannell]]
}}
}}
|genre = [[Action-adventure fiction|Action-adventure]]
| genre = [[Action-adventure fiction|Action-adventure]]
|starring = {{Plainlist|
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[George Peppard]]
* [[George Peppard]]
* [[Tim Dunigan]] (series Pilot)
* [[Tim Dunigan]] (series pilot)
* [[Dirk Benedict]]
* [[Dirk Benedict]]
* [[Dwight Schultz]]
* [[Dwight Schultz]]
Line 19: Line 19:
* [[Melinda Culea]] (Season 1–2)
* [[Melinda Culea]] (Season 1–2)
* [[Marla Heasley]] (Season 2–3)
* [[Marla Heasley]] (Season 2–3)
* Eddie Velez (Season 5)
* [[Eddie Velez]] (Season 5)
* [[Robert Vaughn]] (Season 5)
* [[Robert Vaughn]] (Season 5)
}}
}}
|narrated = [[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]
| narrated = [[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]
|theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Mike Post]]
* [[Mike Post]]
* [[Pete Carpenter]]
* [[Pete Carpenter]]
}}
}}
|composer = {{Plainlist|
| composer = {{Plainlist|
* Mike Post
* Mike Post
* Pete Carpenter
* Pete Carpenter
* [[Garry Schyman]] (uncredited)
* [[Garry Schyman]] (uncredited)
}}
}}
|country = United States
| country = United States
|language = English
| language = English
|num_seasons = 5
| num_seasons = 5
|num_episodes = 98
| num_episodes = 98
|list_episodes = List of The A-Team episodes
| list_episodes = List of The A-Team episodes
|executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
* Frank Lupo
* Frank Lupo
* Stephen J. Cannell
* Stephen J. Cannell
}}
}}
|producer = {{Plainlist|
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]] (seasons 1-4)
* [[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]] (seasons 1–4)
* [[Patrick Hasburgh]] (season 1)
* [[Patrick Hasburgh]] (season 1)
* Tom Blomquist (season 5)
* Tom Blomquist (season 5)
}}
}}
|camera = {{Plainlist|
| camera = {{Plainlist|
* Film (1982–86)
* Film (1982–86)
* Film (principal photography)/Videotape (post-production) (1986)
* Film (principal photography)/Videotape (post-production) (1986)
* [[Single-camera setup]]
* [[Single-camera setup]]
}}
}}
|runtime = 48 minutes
| runtime = 48 minutes
|company = {{Plainlist|
| company = {{Plainlist|
* [[Universal Television]]
* [[Universal Television]]
* Stephen J. Cannell Productions
* Stephen J. Cannell Productions
}}
}}
| network = [[NBC]]
|distributor = [[NBCUniversal Television Distribution]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1983|1|23}}
|network = [[NBC]]
| last_aired = {{End date|1987|3|8}}
|picture_format = Color
|audio_format = [[Monaural|Mono]]
|first_aired = {{Start date|1983|1|23}}
|last_aired = {{End date|1987|3|8}}
}}
}}


'''''The A-Team''''' is an American [[Adventure film|action-adventure]] television series that ran on [[NBC]] from 1983 to 1987 about former members of a fictitious [[Special Forces (United States Army)|United States Army Special Forces]] unit. The four members of the team were tried by [[court martial]] for a crime they had not committed. They were convicted and sentenced to serve terms in a [[military prison]], but later escaped to [[Los Angeles]] and began working as [[mercenary|soldiers of fortune]], while still trying to clear their names and avoid capture by law enforcement and military authorities. The series was created by [[Stephen J. Cannell]] and [[Frank Lupo]]. A [[The A-Team (film)|feature film]] based on the series was released by [[20th Century Fox]] in 2010.
'''''The A-Team''''' is an American [[Adventure film|action-adventure]] television series that ran on [[NBC]] from January 23, 1983 to March 8, 1987 about former members of a fictitious [[United States Army Special Forces]] unit. The four members of the team were tried by [[court martial]] for a crime they had not committed. They were convicted and sentenced to serve terms in a [[military prison]], but later escaped to Los Angeles and began working as [[mercenary|soldiers of fortune]], while trying to clear their names and avoid capture by [[law enforcement]] and military authorities. The series was created by [[Stephen J. Cannell]] and [[Frank Lupo]] and was a joint production of [[Universal Television]] and Stephen J. Cannell Productions for NBC. A [[The A-Team (film)|feature film]] based on the series was released by [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]] in 2010.


==History==
==History==
''The A-Team'' was created by writers and producers [[Stephen J. Cannell]] and [[Frank Lupo]] at the behest of [[Brandon Tartikoff]], NBC's Entertainment president. Cannell was fired from [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in the early 1980s, after failing to produce a hit show for the network, and was hired by NBC; his first project was ''The A-Team''. [[Brandon Tartikoff]] pitched the series to Cannell as a combination of ''[[The Dirty Dozen]]'', ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission Impossible]]'', ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'', ''[[Mad Max]]'' and ''[[Hill Street Blues]]'', with "[[Mr. T]] driving the car".<ref name="B&C">{{cite magazine |first= Robert |last= Edelstein |url= http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/107290-Stephen_J_Cannell.php |title= Stephen J. Cannell: A Novel Approach to Life and Television |magazine= [[Broadcasting & Cable]] |date= January 5, 2007 |access-date= June 13, 2008}}</ref><ref name="EW">{{cite news |first= Joe |last= Neumaier |url= https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,275207,00.html |title= Encore: A Real Kick In the 'A' |work= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=January 21, 2001 |access-date=June 13, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first= Sally |last= Bedell |title= How TV Hit 'The A-Team,' Was Born |work= [[The New York Times]] |date= April 28, 1983 }}</ref><ref>Stephen J. Cannell on ''The A-Team'' Season Five DVD boxset.</ref>
''The A-Team'' was created by writers and producers [[Stephen J. Cannell]] and [[Frank Lupo]] at the behest of [[Brandon Tartikoff]], NBC Entertainment's president. Cannell was fired from [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in the early 1980s, after failing to produce a hit show for the network, and was hired by NBC; his first project was ''The A-Team''. Tartikoff pitched the series to Cannell as a combination of ''[[The Dirty Dozen]]'', ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'', ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'', ''[[Mad Max]]'', and ''[[Hill Street Blues]]'', with "[[Mr. T]] driving the car".<ref name="B&C">{{cite magazine |first= Robert |last= Edelstein |url= http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/107290-Stephen_J_Cannell.php |title= Stephen J. Cannell: A Novel Approach to Life and Television |magazine= [[Broadcasting & Cable]] |date= January 5, 2007 |access-date= June 13, 2008}}</ref><ref name="EW">{{cite magazine |first= Joe |last= Neumaier |url= https://ew.com/article/2000/01/21/real-kick/ |title= Encore: A Real Kick In the 'A' |magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |date= January 21, 2001 |access-date= June 13, 2008 |archive-date= November 14, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201114150948/https://ew.com/article/2000/01/21/real-kick/ |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first= Sally |last= Bedell |title= How TV Hit 'The A-Team,' Was Born |work= [[The New York Times]] |date= April 28, 1983 }}</ref><ref>Stephen J. Cannell on ''The A-Team'' Season Five DVD boxset.</ref>


''The A-Team'' was not generally expected to become a hit, although Cannell has said that [[George Peppard]] suggested it would be a huge hit "before we ever turned on a camera".<ref>{{cite news |first= Debra |last= Pickett |title= 'I'm not into acclaim. I tune it out.' |newspaper= [[The Chicago Sun-Times]] |date= September 16, 2006 <!--|access-date= June 13, 2008-->}}</ref> The show became very popular; the first regular episode, which aired after [[Super Bowl XVII]] on January 30, 1983, reached 26.4% of the television audience, placing fourth in the top 10 [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen-rated]] shows.<ref name="83Nielsen">{{cite news |title= NBC Scores In Ratings With Super Bowl Broadcast |agency= Associated Press |date= February 1, 1983 <!--|access-date= August 13, 2008-->}}</ref>
''The A-Team'' was not generally expected to become a hit, although Cannell has said that [[George Peppard]] suggested it would be a huge hit "before we ever turned on a camera".<ref>{{cite news |first= Debra |last= Pickett |title= 'I'm not into acclaim. I tune it out.' |newspaper= [[The Chicago Sun-Times]] |date= September 16, 2006 <!--|access-date= June 13, 2008-->}}</ref> The show became popular; the first regular episode, which aired after [[Super Bowl XVII]] on January 30, 1983, reached 26.4% of the television audience, placing fourth in the top 10 [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen-rated]] shows.<ref name="83Nielsen">{{cite news |title= NBC Scores In Ratings With Super Bowl Broadcast |agency= Associated Press |date= February 1, 1983 <!--|access-date= August 13, 2008-->}}</ref>


The show remains prominent in [[popular culture]] for its [[cartoon]]ish violence (in which people were seldom seriously hurt, despite the frequent use of automatic weapons), formulaic episodes, its characters' ability to form weaponry and vehicles out of old parts, and its distinctive theme tune. The show boosted the career of [[Mr. T]], who portrayed the character of [[B. A. Baracus]], around whom the show was initially conceived.<ref>''[[Bring Back...]] The A-Team'' (UK), Mr. T. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.</ref><ref>{{Citation|contribution=The A-Team |title=St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture |year=2002 |publisher=Gale Group |first=Margaret E |last=Burns |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100066 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708082413/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100066 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |access-date=August 17, 2007 }}</ref> Some of the show's catchphrases, such as "I love it when a plan comes together",<ref>Ranked #96 in TV Land's list of [http://www.tvland.com/originals/catchphrases/quotes.jhtml The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313194321/http://www.tvland.com/originals/catchphrases/quotes.jhtml |date=March 13, 2008 }}. Retrieved on August 17, 2007</ref> "Hannibal's on the jazz", and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have appeared on T-shirts and other merchandise.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}}
The show is prominent in popular culture for its [[cartoon]]ish violence (with few injuries even with heavy weapons), formulaic episodes, its ingenuity of quickly constructing ad-hoc weaponry and vehicles out of seemingly random parts, and its distinctive theme song. The show boosted the career of Mr. T, who portrayed the character of [[B. A. Baracus]], around whom the show was initially conceived.<ref>''[[Bring Back...]] The A-Team'' (UK), Mr. T. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.</ref><ref>{{Citation|contribution=The A-Team |title=St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture |year=2002 |publisher=Gale Group |first=Margaret E |last=Burns |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100066 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708082413/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100066 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |access-date=August 17, 2007 }}</ref> Some of the show's catchphrases, such as "I love it when a plan comes together",<ref>Ranked No. 96 in TV Land's list of [http://www.tvland.com/originals/catchphrases/quotes.jhtml The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313194321/http://www.tvland.com/originals/catchphrases/quotes.jhtml |date=March 13, 2008 }}. Retrieved on August 17, 2007</ref> "Hannibal's on the jazz", and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have appeared on T-shirts and other merchandise.{{Citation needed|date=August 2017}}


The term "[[A-Team (Special Forces)|A-Team]]" is a nickname coined for [[Green Berets|U.S. Special Forces]]' Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) during the Vietnam War.<ref>The [[US Army Special Forces]] still uses the term ODA for their 12-man direct operations teams.{{Citation |url= http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/10/26/29315-special-forces---shooters-and-thinkers/ |title= Special Forces&nbsp;– Shooters and thinkers |place= United States |publisher= Army |date= October 26, 2009 |access-date= January 5, 2010}}</ref>
The term "[[A-Team (Special Forces)|A-Team]]" is a nickname coined for the Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) of the [[Green Berets|U.S. Special Forces]] during the Vietnam War. The U.S. Army Special Forces still uses the term ODA for its 12-man direct operations teams.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/10/26/29315-special-forces---shooters-and-thinkers/ |title= Special Forces&nbsp;– Shooters and thinkers |place= United States |publisher= Army |date= October 26, 2009 |access-date= January 5, 2010}}</ref>


In a Yahoo! survey of 1,000 television viewers published in October 2003, ''The A-Team'' was voted the "oldie" television show viewers would most like to see revived, beating such popular television series from the 1980s as ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'' and ''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/a-team-is-viewers-most-wanted-oldie-for-prime-time-revival-92658.html|title='A-Team' is viewers' most-wanted oldie for prime-time revival|publisher=Independent|author=Matthew Beard|language=English|date=23 October 2003|access-date=15 August 2007}}</ref>
In a Yahoo! survey of 1,000 US television viewers published in October 2003, ''The A-Team'' was voted the "oldie" television show viewers would most like to see revived, beating such popular television series from the 1980s as ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'' and ''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/a-team-is-viewers-most-wanted-oldie-for-prime-time-revival-92658.html|title='A-Team' is viewers' most-wanted oldie for prime-time revival|publisher=Independent|author=Matthew Beard|language=English|date=October 23, 2003|access-date=August 15, 2007}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
{{Quote_box|width=45%|align=Centre|"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men 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." <br />(Narration originally stated "10 years ago" instead of "In 1972".)|-[[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]'s opening narration.}}
{{Quote_box|width=45%|align=right|In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men 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.|[[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]'s opening narration.}}


''The A-Team'' is an episodic show, with few overarching stories, except the characters' continuing motivation to clear their names, with few references to events in past episodes and a recognizable and steady episode structure. In describing the ratings drop that occurred during the show's fourth season, reviewer Gold Burt points to this structure as being a leading cause for the decreased popularity "because the same basic plot had been used over and over again for the past four seasons with the same predictable outcome".<ref>{{Citation |title= Late changes couldn't rescue The A-Team |newspaper= [[Regina Leader-Post|The Leader-Post]] |place= Canada |date= October 30, 2006 |first= Gold |last= Burt}}</ref> Similarly, reporter Adrian Lee called the plots "stunningly simple" in a 2006 article for ''[[Daily Express|The Express]]'' (UK newspaper), citing such recurring elements "as BA's fear of flying, and outlandish finales when the team fashioned weapons from household items".<ref>{{cite news |first= Adrian |last= Lee |title= The Final Mission |newspaper= [[Daily Express|The Express]] |date= March 4, 2006}}</ref> The show became emblematic of this kind of "fit-for-TV warfare" due to its depiction of high-octane [[combat]] scenes, with lethal weapons, wherein the participants (with the notable exception of General Fulbright) are never killed and rarely seriously injured (''see also'' [[#On-screen violence|On-screen violence]] section).
''The A-Team'' is an episodic show, with few overarching stories, except the characters' continuing motivation to clear their names, with few references to events in past episodes and a recognizable and steady episode structure. In describing the ratings drop that occurred during the show's fourth season, reviewer Gold Burt points to this structure as being a leading cause for the decreased popularity "because the same basic plot had been used over and over again for the past four seasons with the same predictable outcome".<ref>{{Citation |title= Late changes couldn't rescue The A-Team |newspaper= [[Regina Leader-Post|The Leader-Post]] |place= Canada |date= October 30, 2006 |first= Gold |last= Burt}}</ref> Similarly, reporter Adrian Lee called the plots "stunningly simple" in a 2006 article for ''[[Daily Express|The Express]]'' (UK newspaper), citing such recurring elements "as BA's fear of flying, and outlandish finales when the team fashioned weapons from household items".<ref>{{cite news |first= Adrian |last= Lee |title= The Final Mission |newspaper= [[Daily Express|The Express]] |date= March 4, 2006}}</ref> The show became emblematic of this kind of "fit-for-TV warfare" due to its depiction of high-octane [[combat]] scenes, with lethal weapons, wherein the participants (with the notable exception of General Fulbright) are never killed and rarely seriously injured (''see also'' [[#On-screen violence|On-screen violence]] section).


As the television ratings of ''The A-Team'' fell dramatically during the fourth season, the format was changed for the show's final season in 1986–[[1987 in American television|87]] in a bid to win back viewers. After years on the run from the authorities, the A-Team is finally apprehended by the military. General Hunt Stockwell ([[Robert Vaughn]]), a mysterious CIA operative, propositions them to work for him, in exchange for which he will arrange for their pardons upon successful completion of several [[suicide]] missions. To do so, the A-Team must first escape from their captivity. With the help of a new character, Frankie "Dishpan Man" Santana, Stockwell fakes their deaths before a military firing squad. The new status of the A-Team, no longer working for themselves, remained for the duration of the fifth season while Eddie Velez and Robert Vaughn received star billing along with the principal cast. The missions that the team had to perform in season five were somewhat reminiscent of ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'', and based more around political espionage than beating local thugs, also usually taking place in foreign countries, including successfully overthrowing an island dictator, the rescue of a scientist from East Germany, and recovering top secret Star Wars defense information from Soviet hands. These changes proved unsuccessful with viewers, however, and ratings continued to decline. Only 13 episodes aired in the fifth season. In what was supposed to be the final episode, "[[The Grey Team]]" (although "[[Without Reservations (The A-Team episode)|Without Reservations]]" was broadcast on NBC as the last first-run episode in March 1987), Hannibal, after being misled by Stockwell one time too many, tells him that the team will no longer work for him. At the end, the team discusses what they were going to do if they get their pardon, and it is implied that they would continue doing what they were doing as the A-Team. The character of Howling Mad Murdock can be seen in the final scene wearing a T-shirt that says, "Fini".
As the television ratings of ''The A-Team'' fell dramatically during the fourth season, the format was changed for the show's final season in 1986–[[1987 in American television|87]] to increase viewership. After years on the run from the authorities, the A-Team is finally apprehended by the military. General Hunt Stockwell, a mysterious CIA operative, propositions them to work for him. In exchange, he will arrange for their pardons upon successful completion of several suicide missions.


===Connections to the Vietnam War===
===Connections to the Vietnam War===
During the Vietnam War, the A-Team were members of the [[5th Special Forces Group (United States)|5th Special Forces Group]] (see the episode "[[West Coast Turnaround]]"). In the episode "[[Bad Time on the Border]]", Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), indicated that the A-Team were "ex-Green Berets". During the [[Vietnam War]], the A-Team's [[commanding officer]], Colonel Morrison, gave them orders to rob the Bank of [[Hanoi]] to help bring the war to an end. They succeeded in their mission, but on their return to base four days after the end of the war, they discovered that Morrison had been killed by the [[National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam|Viet Cong]], and that his headquarters had been burned to the ground. This meant that the proof that the A-Team members were [[Superior orders|acting under orders]] had been destroyed. They were arrested, and imprisoned at [[Fort Bragg (North Carolina)|Fort Bragg]], from which they quickly escaped before they were to go to trial.
During the Vietnam War, the members of what became the A-Team were originally members of the [[5th Special Forces Group (United States)|5th Special Forces Group]]. In the episode "[[The A-Team season 2#Episodes|Bad Time on the Border]]", Lieutenant Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, indicated that the A-Team were "ex-Green Berets". During the [[Vietnam War]], the A-Team's [[commanding officer]], Colonel Morrison, gave them orders to rob the Bank of [[Hanoi]] to help bring the war to an end. They succeeded in their mission, but on their return to base four days after the end of the war, they discovered that Morrison had been killed by the [[Viet Cong]], and that his headquarters had been burned to the ground. This meant that the proof that the A-Team members were [[superior orders|acting under orders]] had been destroyed. They were arrested, and imprisoned at [[Fort Bragg (North Carolina)|Fort Bragg]], from which they quickly escaped before they were to go to trial.


An article in the ''[[New Statesman]]'' (UK) published shortly after the premiere of ''The A-Team'' in the United Kingdom, characterized it as the representation of the idealization of the Vietnam War, and an example of the war slowly becoming accepted and assimilated into American culture.<ref name="Statesman">{{cite web |url=http://www.ateamshrine.co.uk/article2.php |title=Television: All Our Fantasies |access-date=August 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811220533/http://www.ateamshrine.co.uk/article2.php |archive-date=August 11, 2007}}</ref>
The origin of the A-Team is directly linked to the [[Vietnam War]], during which the team formed. The show's introduction in the first four seasons mentions this, accompanied by images of soldiers coming out of a helicopter in an area resembling a forest or jungle. Besides this, ''The A-Team'' would occasionally feature an episode in which the team came across an old ally or enemy from those war days. For example, the first season's final episode "[[The A-Team (season 1)|A Nice Place To Visit]]" revolved around the team traveling to a small town to honor a fallen comrade and end up avenging his death, and in season two's "[[Recipe For Heavy Bread]]", a chance encounter leads the team to meet both the POW cook who helped them during the war, and the American officer who sold his unit out. Though he was affiliated with them during the war, the group's pilot "Howling Mad" Murdock was neither tried or involved in the bank robbery and is rather the group's secret member.

An article in the ''[[New Statesman]]'' (UK) published shortly after the premiere of ''The A-Team'' in the United Kingdom, also pointed out ''The A-Team's'' connection to the Vietnam War, characterizing it as the representation of the idealization of the Vietnam War, and an example of the war slowly becoming accepted and assimilated into American culture.<ref name="Statesman">{{cite web |url=http://www.ateamshrine.co.uk/article2.php |title=Television: All Our Fantasies |access-date=August 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811220533/http://www.ateamshrine.co.uk/article2.php |archive-date=August 11, 2007}}</ref>

One of the team's primary antagonists, Col. Roderick Decker ([[Lance LeGault]]), had his past linked back to the Vietnam War, in which he and Hannibal had come to fisticuffs in "the DOOM Club" (Da Nang Open Officers' Mess).<ref>"[[When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? (Part 1)]]", broadcast on October 25, 1983.</ref> At other times, members of the team would refer back to a certain tactic used during the War, which would be relevant to the team's present predicament. Often, Hannibal would refer to such a tactic, after which the other members of the team would complain about its failure during the War. This was also used to refer to some of Face's past accomplishments in scamming items for the team, such as in the first-season episode "[[Holiday In The Hills]]", in which Murdock fondly remembers Face being able to secure a '53 Cadillac while in the Vietnam jungle.

The team's ties to the Vietnam War were referred to again in the fourth-season finale, "[[The Sound of Thunder (The A-Team episode)|The Sound of Thunder]]", in which the team is introduced to Tia ([[Tia Carrere]]), a war orphan and daughter of fourth season antagonist General Fulbright. Returning to Vietnam, Fulbright is shot in the back and gives his last words as he dies. The 2006 documentary ''Bring Back The A-Team'' joked that the scene lasted seven and a half minutes,<ref name="Bring Back" /> but his death actually took a little over a minute. His murderer, a Vietnamese colonel, is killed in retaliation. Tia then returns with the team to the United States (''see also: [[#Casting|casting]]''). This episode is notable for having one of the show's few truly serious dramatic moments, with each team member privately reminiscing on their war experiences, intercut with news footage from the war with [[Barry McGuire]]'s ''[[Eve of Destruction (song)|Eve of Destruction]]'' playing in the background.

The show's ties to the Vietnam War are fully dealt with in the opening arc of the fifth season, dubbed "The Court-Martial (Part 1–3)", in which the team is finally court-martialed for the robbery of the bank of [[Hanoi]]. The character of Roderick Decker makes a return on the witness stand, and various newly introduced characters from the A-Team's past also make appearances. The team, after a string of setbacks, decides to plead guilty to the crime and they are sentenced to be executed. They escape this fate and come to work for a General Hunt Stockwell, leading into the remainder of the fifth season.


==Episodes==
==Episodes==
{{see also|List of The A-Team episodes}}
{{main|List of The A-Team episodes}}


The show ran for five seasons on the [[NBC]] television network, from January 23, 1983, to December 30, 1986 (with one additional, previously unbroadcast episode shown on March 8, 1987), for a total of 98 episodes.
The show ran for five seasons on the [[NBC]] television network, from January 23, 1983, to December 30, 1986 (with one additional, previously unbroadcast episode shown on March 8, 1987), for a total of 98 episodes.


==Characters==
==Characters==
[[File:Ateam.jpg|thumb|right|The main cast of ''The A-Team'' is [[Templeton Peck|Templeton "Faceman" Peck]], [[John "Hannibal" Smith]], [[Howling Mad Murdock|H.M. "Howlin' Mad" Murdock]], and [[B. A. Baracus]].]]
{{Main|List of The A-Team characters}}
{{main|List of The A-Team characters}}
[[File:Ateam.jpg|thumb|right|The main cast of ''The A-Team''. Standing (L-R): [[Templeton Peck|Templeton "Faceman" Peck]], [[Howling Mad Murdock|H.M. "Howlin' Mad" Murdock]], [[B. A. Baracus]]. Front: [[John "Hannibal" Smith]].]]

''The A-Team'' revolves around the four members of a former commando outfit, now mercenaries. Their leader is Lieutenant Colonel [[John "Hannibal" Smith]] ([[George Peppard]]), whose plans tend to be unorthodox, but effective. Lieutenant [[Templeton Peck]] ([[Dirk Benedict]]; [[Tim Dunigan]] appeared as Templeton Peck in the pilot), usually called "Face" or "Faceman", is a smooth-talking con man who serves as the team's appropriator of vehicles and other useful items, as well as the team's second-in-command. The team's pilot is Captain [[Howling Mad Murdock|H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock]] ([[Dwight Schultz]]), who has been declared insane and lives in a [[United States Department of Veterans' Affairs|Veterans' Affairs]] mental institution for the show's first four seasons. Finally, there is the team's strong man, mechanic and Sergeant First Class [[B. A. Baracus|Bosco "B.A.", or "Bad Attitude", Baracus]] ([[Mr. T]]).

The team belonged to the 5th Special Forces as seen in the left side shoulder patch on Hannibal's uniform in the episode "[[List of The A-Team episodes#Season 1 (1983)|A Nice Place To Visit]]". A patch on Hannibal's uniform on the right shoulder in that episode indicates he belonged to the [[101st Airborne]] during a prior combat assignment, but that patch was replaced by the 1st Air Cavalry Division patch in the episode "[[Trial by Fire (The A-Team episode)|Trial by Fire]]". The patch worn on the left sleeve according to uniform wear in the Army is the current assignment of the person wearing it and in the episode "A Nice Place to Visit" shows that the team was assigned to the Special Forces with a tab Airborne over the shoulder patch. Also their berets in that episode are green and have the tab of the 5th Special Forces in Vietnam on them. In the episode "[[West Coast Turnaround]]", Hannibal stated they were with the 5th Special Forces Group. Then, in the episode "[[Bad Time on the Border]]", Hannibal refers to his friends as "ex-Green Berets". Though the name they have adopted comes from the "A-Teams", the nickname coined for Special Forces Operational Detachments Alpha, these detachments usually consisted of ''twelve'' members; whether the four were considered a "detachment" of their own or had once had eight compatriots who were killed in action was never revealed. In the episode "A Nice Place to Visit" Ray Brenner is stated to have been a Major and part of Hannibal's team in Vietnam.

For its first season and the first half of the second season, the team was assisted by reporter Amy Amanda Allen ([[Melinda Culea]]). In the second half of the second season, Allen was replaced by fellow reporter Tawnia Baker ([[Marla Heasley]]). The character of Tia ([[Tia Carrere]]), a Vietnam war orphan now living in the United States, was meant to join the Team in the fifth season,<ref name="Carrere">"For NBC, Trouble At 'A-Team'". ''[[The New York Times]],'' May 18, 1986, written by Aljean Harmetz.</ref> but she was replaced by Frankie Santana (Eddie Velez), who served as the team's special effects expert. Velez was added to the opening credits of the fifth season after its second episode.

During their adventures, the A-Team was constantly met by opposition from the [[Military Police Corps (United States)|Military Police]]. In the show's first season, the MPs were led by Colonel Francis Lynch ([[William Lucking]]), but he was replaced for the second, third, and earlier fourth season by Colonel Roderick Decker ([[Lance LeGault]]) and his aide Captain Crane ([[Carl Franklin]]). Lynch returned for one episode in the show's third season ("[[Showdown! (The A-Team episode)|Showdown!]]") but was not seen after. Decker was also briefly replaced by a Colonel Briggs ([[Charles Napier (actor)|Charles Napier]]) in the third season for one episode ("[[Fire (The A-Team episode)|Fire]]") when LeGault was unavailable but returned shortly after. For the latter portion of the show's fourth season, the team was hunted by General Harlan "Bull" Fulbright ([[Jack Ging]]), who would later hire the A-Team to find Tia in the season four finale, during which Fulbright was killed.

The fifth season introduced General Hunt Stockwell ([[Robert Vaughn]]) who, while serving as the team's primary antagonist, was also the team's boss and joined them on several missions. He was often assisted by Carla (Judith Ledford, sometimes credited as Judy Ledford).

===Character traits===
''Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith'' is "The Brains" for the A-Team, the tactician and leader of the team, and a cunning master of disguise. His most used disguise (onscreen only on the pilot episode) is Mr. Lee, the dry cleaner. This is one of the final parts of the client screening process, as he tells the client where to go to make full contact with the A-Team. He dresses most often in a tan safari jacket and black leather gloves. He also is constantly seen smoking a cigar. Hannibal carries either a [[Browning Hi-Power]], [[Colt M1911A1]] or a [[Smith & Wesson Model 39]] as a sidearm, most often "Mexican carried" although he uses a holster when on missions. His catchphrase is "I love it when a plan comes together". Often said, usually by B.A., to be "on the jazz" when in the fury of completing a mission.

''Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck'' is "The Face" for the A-Team, and a master of the [[Persuasion|persuasive arts]]. The team's scrounger and [[con artist]], he can get virtually anything he sets his mind to, usually exploiting women with sympathy-appeal and flirtation. He grew up an orphan, and is not without integrity, as stated by Murdock in the episode "[[Family Reunion (The A-Team episode)|Family Reunion]]": "He would rip the shirt off his back for you, and then scam one for himself." Faceman is also the A-Team's accountant. He dresses suavely, often appearing in suits. Faceman carries a [[Colt Trooper#MK III|Colt Lawman Mk III]] revolver for protection, and drives a custom white 1984 [[Chevrolet Corvette (C4)|Corvette]] with red trim.


''The A-Team'' revolves around the four members of a former commando outfit, now mercenaries. Their leader is Lieutenant Colonel [[John "Hannibal" Smith]] ([[George Peppard]]), whose plans tend to be unorthodox but effective. Lieutenant [[Templeton Peck]] ([[Dirk Benedict]] in the TV series, [[Tim Dunigan]] appeared as Templeton Peck in the pilot), usually called "Face" or "Faceman", is a smooth-talking con man who is second-in-command, and the appropriator of vehicles and other useful items. The team's pilot is Captain [[Howling Mad Murdock|H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock]] ([[Dwight Schultz]]), who has been declared insane and lives in a [[United States Department of Veterans' Affairs|Veterans' Affairs]] mental institution for the first four seasons. The team's strong man and mechanic is Sergeant First Class [[B. A. Baracus|Bosco "B.A.", or "Bad Attitude", Baracus]] ([[Mr. T]]).
''Sergeant Bosco "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus'' is "The Muscle" for the A-Team, able to perform exceptional feats of strength. He is also the team's mechanic, master at arms, demolition and weapons specialist. Baracus affects a dislike for Murdock, calling him a "crazy fool", but his true feelings of friendship are revealed when he prevents Murdock from drowning in his desire to live like a fish. Baracus also has a deep [[fear of flying|aviophobia]], and the others usually have to trick and/or knock him out to get him on an aircraft. It is very rare that Baracus is awake while flying, and even rarer for him actually to consent to it. When he does, however, he then goes into a catatonic state. Baracus generally wears overalls and leopard or tiger print shirts in the early seasons, and wears a green jumpsuit in the later seasons. He is almost always seen with many gold chains and rings on every finger, and also wears a weightlifting belt. Baracus' hairstyle is always in a mohawk-like cut. He drives a customized black GMC van that acts as the team's usual mode of transport.


Until the first half of the second season, the team was assisted by reporter Amy Amanda Allen ([[Melinda Culea]]). In the second half of the second season, Allen was replaced by fellow reporter Tawnia Baker ([[Marla Heasley]]). The character of Tia Fulbright ([[Tia Carrere]]), a Vietnam war orphan now living in the United States, was meant to join the team in the fifth season,<ref name="Carrere">"For NBC, Trouble At 'A-Team'". ''[[The New York Times]],'' May 18, 1986, written by Aljean Harmetz.</ref> but she was replaced by Frankie Santana ([[Eddie Velez]]), who served as the team's special effects expert. Velez was added to the opening credits of the fifth season after its second episode.
''Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock'' is the A-Team's resident pilot, and can fly any kind of aircraft with considerable skill. However, due to a helicopter crash in Vietnam, Murdock apparently went insane. He lives in a Veterans' Hospital in the mental wing. Whenever the rest of the team requires a pilot, they have to break him out of the hospital, generally using Faceman to do so. In Seasons 1–4, Murdock has a different pet, imaginary friend, or alter-ego in each episode. Whenever one of his pets or imaginary friends is killed by an enemy, Murdock snaps and takes revenge (but never kills). Many times, when Baracus is mad at Murdock for being crazy, Hannibal will side with Murdock in a sympathetic way. Once he is discharged from the hospital in Season 5, Murdock has a different job each episode. Murdock usually wears a leather flight jacket, a baseball cap, and basketball sneakers.


===Casting===
===Casting===
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[[Tia Carrere]] was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season after appearing in the season four finale,<ref name="Carrere" /> providing a tie to the team's inception during the war. Unfortunately for this plan, Carrere was under contract to ''[[General Hospital]]'', which prevented her from joining ''The A-Team''. Her character was abruptly dropped as a result.
[[Tia Carrere]] was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season after appearing in the season four finale,<ref name="Carrere" /> providing a tie to the team's inception during the war. Unfortunately for this plan, Carrere was under contract to ''[[General Hospital]]'', which prevented her from joining ''The A-Team''. Her character was abruptly dropped as a result.


According to Mr. T's account in ''Bring Back... The A-Team'' in 2006, the role of B. A. Baracus was written specifically for him. This is corroborated by Cannell's own account of the initial concept proposed by Tartikoff.<ref name="B&C" />
According to Mr. T in ''Bring Back... The A-Team'' in 2006, the role of B. A. Baracus was written specifically for him. This is corroborated by Cannell's own account of the initial concept proposed by Tartikoff.<ref name="B&C" />


[[James Coburn]], who co-starred in ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'', was considered for the role of Hannibal in ''The A-Team'', while [[George Peppard]] (Hannibal) was the original consideration for the role of Vin (played by [[Steve McQueen (actor)|Steve McQueen]] instead) in ''The Magnificent Seven''.<ref name="Bring Back">''[[Bring Back...]] The A-Team'' (2006). Broadcast on May 18, 2006.</ref> Robert Vaughn played one of main characters in the film.
[[James Coburn]], who co-starred in ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'', was considered for the role of Hannibal in ''The A-Team'', and [[George Peppard]] (Hannibal) was the original consideration for the role of Vin (played by [[Steve McQueen]] instead) in ''The Magnificent Seven''.<ref name="Bring Back">''[[Bring Back...]] The A-Team'' (2006). Broadcast on May 18, 2006.</ref> Robert Vaughn played one of the main characters (Lee) in the film.

=== Notable guest appearances ===
<!-- Please limit this list to only those that play themselves, or people with a connection to the cast or crew. This is NOT intended a list of every guest appearance. -->
Notable guest stars included:
* [[William Windom (actor)|William Windom]] as Al Massey in "Mexican Slayride" (Parts 1 & 2)
* [[John Saxon]] as Martin James in "Children of Jamestown"
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as Officer Collins in "A Small & Deadly War"
* [[Wendy Fulton]] as Kelly Stevens in "Bounty". Fulton and [[Dwight Schultz]] had married a few years before the episode, and the episode plays on the theme of Kelly and Murdock falling in love.
* [[Boy George]] as himself in "Cowboy George"
* [[Isaac Hayes]] as C.J. Mack in "The Heart of Rock n' Roll"
* [[Hulk Hogan]] as himself in "Body Slam" and "The Trouble With Harry". In "Body Slam", other [[WWE|WWF]] wrestlers such as [[The British Bulldogs]] and [[Paul Orndorff|"Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff]] also made cameo appearances.
* [[Rick James]] as himself in "The Heart of Rock n' Roll"
* [[David McCallum]] as Ivan Trigorin in "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair". McCallum guest stars as a former associate of [[Robert Vaughn]]'s character General Stockwell. Vaughn and McCallum had co-starred together as friendly [[Napoleon Solo|American]] and [[Illya Kuryakin|Russian]] secret agents in ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]''. This ''A-Team'' episode sent up many aspects of the classic series, such as Stockwell saying "Open Channel D" (an ''U.N.C.L.E.'' catchphrase).
* [[Joe Namath]] as T. J. Bryant in "Quarterback Sneak", season 5, episode 4
* [[William Perry (American football)|William "The Refrigerator" Perry]] as himself in "The Trouble With Harry"
* [[Markie Post]] as Rina Turian in "Hot Styles" and Sister Teresa/Leslie Becktall in "The Only Church in Town"
* [[Pat Sajak]] as himself in "Wheel of Fortune"
* [[Vanna White]] as herself in "Wheel of Fortune"
* [[Yaphet Kotto]] as Charles F. Struthers in "The Out of Towners"
* [[Shecky Greene]] as himself roasting Gen. Harlan "Bull" Fulbright, in "Members Only"
* [[Della Reese]] as Mrs. Baracus in "A Lease with an Option to Die"
* [[Steven Keats]] in the episode "Harder than it Looks" before co-starring in ''[[All My Children]]''
* [[Professor Tanaka]] in episode "The Spy Who Mugged Me"
* [[Ana Obregón]] as Marta in double episode "Judgment Day"


==Reception==
==Reception==
===Critical response===
During the show's first three seasons, ''The A-Team'' managed to pull in an average of 20% to 24% of all American television households. The first regular episode ("Children of Jamestown"), reached 26.4% of the television watching audience, placing fourth in the top 10 rated shows, according to the [[Nielsen ratings]].<ref name="83Nielsen" /> By March, ''The A-Team'', now on its regular Tuesday timeslot, dropped to the eighth spot, but rated a 20.5%.<ref>{{cite news |title= N/A |publisher= United Press International |date= March 30, 1983}}</ref> During the [[sweeps]] week in May of that year, ''The A-Team'' dropped again but remained steady at 18.5%,<ref>{{cite news |title=ABC Special On Slips Tops Ratings, But CBS Wins Week |agency= Associated Press |date= May 3, 1983}}</ref> and rose to 18.8% during the second week of May sweeps.<ref>{{cite news |title=ABC Wins Its Second Week in the May Sweeps |agency= Associated Press |date= May 24, 1983}}</ref> These were the highest ratings NBC had achieved in five years.<ref>{{cite news |title=NBC Hits Highest Mark in May Ratings Sweeps in Five Years |agency= Associated Press |date= May 27, 1983}}</ref> During the second season, the ratings continued to soar, reaching fourth place in the twenty-highest rated programs, behind ''[[Dallas (1978 TV series)|Dallas]]'' and ''[[Simon & Simon]]'', in January (mid-season),<ref>{{cite news |first=Jerry |last=Buck |title=CBS Wins Ratings But NBC Out of Cellar First Time This Season |agency= Associated Press |date= January 10, 1984}}</ref> while during the third season, it was beaten out only by two other NBC shows, including ''[[The Cosby Show]]''.
{{Expand section|date=March 2023}}
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], season 1 scores 53% (19 reviews),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_a_team/s01|title=The A-Team – Season 1|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=March 21, 2023}}</ref> and season 5 scores 60% (5 reviews).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_a_team/s05|title=The A-Team – Season 5|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=March 21, 2023}}</ref>


===Awards===
The fourth season saw ''The A-Team'' experience a dramatic fall in ratings, as it started to lose its position while television viewership increased. As such, the ratings, while stable, were relatively less. The season premiere ranked a 17.4% (a 26% audience share on that timeslot) on the Nielsen Rating scale,<ref>{{cite news |first= John |last= Carmody |title= The TV Column |newspaper= Washington Post |date= September 26, 1985}}</ref> but ratings quickly declined after that. In October, ''The A-Team'' had fallen to 19th and by Super Bowl Night had fallen further, to 29th on the night where the show had originally scored its first hit three years earlier.<ref>{{cite news |title= List of Nielsen Ratings |agency= Associated Press |date= January 28, 1986}}</ref> For the remainder of its fourth season ''The A-Team'' managed to hang around the 20th spot, far from the top 10 position it had enjoyed during its first three seasons.
''The A-Team'' was nominated for three [[Emmy Awards]]: in 1983 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the pilot episode, in 1984 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the episode "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?", and in 1987 (Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series) for the episode "Firing Line".

After four years on Tuesday, NBC decided to move ''The A-Team'' to a new [[Friday night death slot|timeslot on Friday]] for what would be its final season. Ratings continued to drop, and after seven episodes, ''The A-Team'' fell out of the top 50 altogether.<ref>{{cite news |first= John |last= Carmody |title= The TV Column |newspaper= Washington Post |date= December 13, 1986}}</ref> In November 1986, NBC canceled the series, declining to order the last nine episodes of what would have been a 22-episode season. The final season ranked 61st with a 12.8 average rating.<ref name="1986-87 Ratings">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/1991/08/1986-87-ratings-history.html|title=The TV Ratings Guide: 1986-87 Ratings History}}</ref>


===Ratings===
===Ratings===
During the show's first three seasons, ''The A-Team'' viewership included an average of 20% to 24% of all American television households. The first regular episode ("Children of Jamestown"), reached 26.4% of the television watching audience, placing fourth in the top 10 rated shows, according to the [[Nielsen ratings]].<ref name="83Nielsen" /> By March, ''The A-Team'', now on its regular Tuesday timeslot, dropped to the eighth spot, but rated a 20.5%.<ref>{{cite news |title= N/A |publisher= United Press International |date= March 30, 1983}}</ref> During the [[sweeps]] week in May of that year, ''The A-Team'' dropped again but remained steady at 18.5%,<ref>{{cite news |title=ABC Special On Slips Tops Ratings, But CBS Wins Week |agency= Associated Press |date= May 3, 1983}}</ref> and rose to 18.8% during the second week of May sweeps.<ref>{{cite news |title=ABC Wins Its Second Week in the May Sweeps |agency= Associated Press |date= May 24, 1983}}</ref> These were the highest ratings NBC had achieved in five years.<ref>{{cite news |title=NBC Hits Highest Mark in May Ratings Sweeps in Five Years |agency= Associated Press |date= May 27, 1983}}</ref> During the second season, the ratings continued to soar, reaching fourth place in the twenty-highest rated programs, behind ''[[Dallas (1978 TV series)|Dallas]]'' and ''[[Simon & Simon]]'', in January (mid-season),<ref>{{cite news |first=Jerry |last=Buck |title=CBS Wins Ratings But NBC Out of Cellar First Time This Season |agency= Associated Press |date= January 10, 1984}}</ref> while during the third season, it was beaten out only by two other NBC shows, including ''[[The Cosby Show]]''.

In the fourth season, ''The A-Team'' experienced a dramatic fall in ratings, as it started to lose its position while television viewership increased. As such, the ratings, while stable, were relatively lower. The season premiere ranked a 17.4% (a 26% audience share on that timeslot) on the Nielsen Rating scale,<ref>{{cite news |first= John |last= Carmody |title= The TV Column |newspaper= Washington Post |date= September 26, 1985}}</ref> but ratings quickly declined after that. In October, ''The A-Team'' had fallen to 19th and by Super Bowl Night had fallen further, to 29th on the night where the show had originally scored its first hit three years earlier.<ref>{{cite news |title= List of Nielsen Ratings |agency= Associated Press |date= January 28, 1986}}</ref> For the remainder of its fourth season ''The A-Team'' managed to hang around the 20th spot, far from the top 10 position it had enjoyed during its first three seasons.

After four years on Tuesday, NBC moved ''The A-Team'' to a new [[Friday night death slot|timeslot on Friday]] for what would be its final season. Ratings continued to drop, and ''The A-Team'' later fall out of the top 50.<ref>{{cite news |first= John |last= Carmody |title= The TV Column |newspaper= Washington Post |date= December 13, 1986}}</ref> In November 1986, NBC canceled the series, declining to order the last nine episodes of what would have been a 22-episode season. The final season ranked 61st with a 12.8 average rating.<ref name="1986-87 Ratings">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/1991/08/1986-87-ratings-history.html|title=The TV Ratings Guide: 1986–87 Ratings History}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Season !! Time slot (ET) !! Rank !! Rating<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brooks |first1=Tim |last2=Marsh |first2=Earle |date=2007 |title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present |publisher=Ballantine Books |pages=1690–1691 |isbn=978-0-345-49773-4 |edition=Ninth }}</ref>
! Season !! Time slot (ET) !! Rank !! Rating<ref name="Brooks and Marsh">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&pg=PA1690 |first1=Tim |last1=Brooks |author-link1=Tim Brooks (historian) |first2=Earle |last2=Marsh |year=2007 |edition=9 |title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present |pages=1690–1691 |publisher=[[Ballantine Books]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-345-49773-4 |access-date=2024-07-10 }}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[1982–83 United States network television schedule|1982–83]] ||Sunday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episode 1)</small><br/>Sunday at 10:00 pm <small>(Episodes 2–3)</small><br/>Tuesday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episodes 4-14)</small> ||10 ||20.1 <small>(Tied with ''[[Monday Night Football]]'')</small>
|[[1982–83 United States network television schedule|1982–83]] ||Sunday at 9:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episode 1)</small><br/>Sunday at 10:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episodes 2–3)</small><br/>Tuesday at 8:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episodes 4–14)</small> ||10 ||20.1 <small>(Tied with ''[[Monday Night Football]]'')</small>
|-
|-
|[[1983–84 United States network television schedule|1983–84]] ||Tuesday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1–5, 7-23)</small><br/>Tuesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episode 6)</small> ||4 ||24.0
|[[1983–84 United States network television schedule|1983–84]] ||Tuesday at 8:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episodes 1–5, 7–23)</small><br/>Tuesday at 9:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episode 6)</small> ||4 ||24.0
|-
|-
|[[1984–85 United States network television schedule|1984–85]] ||Tuesday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1–2, 4-25)</small><br/>Tuesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episode 3)</small> ||6 ||21.9
|[[1984–85 United States network television schedule|1984–85]] ||Tuesday at 8:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episodes 1–2, 4–25)</small><br/>Tuesday at 9:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episode 3)</small> ||6 ||21.9
|-
|-
|[[1985–86 United States network television schedule|1985–86]] ||Tuesday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1, 3-23)</small><br/>Tuesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episode 2)</small> ||30 ||16.9
|[[1985–86 United States network television schedule|1985–86]] ||Tuesday at 8:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episodes 1, 3–23)</small><br/>Tuesday at 9:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episode 2)</small> ||30 ||16.9
|-
|-
|[[1986–87 United States network television schedule|1986–87]] ||Friday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1–8, 10–11)</small><br/>Tuesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episode 9)</small><br/>Tuesday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episode 12)</small><br/>Sunday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episode 13)</small> ||61<ref name="1986-87 Ratings" /> ||12.8<ref name="1986-87 Ratings" />
|[[1986–87 United States network television schedule|1986–87]] ||Friday at 8:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episodes 1–8, 10–11)</small><br/>Tuesday at 9:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episode 9)</small><br/>Tuesday at 8:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episode 12)</small><br/>Sunday at 8:00&nbsp;pm <small>(Episode 13)</small> ||61<ref name="1986-87 Ratings" /> ||12.8<ref name="1986-87 Ratings" />
|}
|}

===In syndication===
The series has achieved [[cult television|cult status]] through heavy [[Television syndication|syndication]] in the U.S. and internationally. It has also remained popular overseas, such as in the United Kingdom, since it was first shown in July 1983. It is airing on satellite and cable channel [[Esquire Network]]. The series was to begin airing over NBC-TV's [[Digital television|OTA digital subchannel]] network, [[Cozi TV]], in January 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.cozitv.com/ |website= COZITV.com |publisher=NBCUniversal Broadcasting Group |access-date=November 13, 2015}}</ref> Forces TV started showing the series every weekday since October 17, 2016. The series has been airing in Spanish on Telemundo-TV's OTA digital subchannel network, [[TeleXitos]] since December 2014. The series is available through [[Starz]], [[ELREY]], [[Tubi]], [[COZI TV]], and [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] as of December 2021.


===International===
===International===
''The A-Team'' has been broadcast all over the world; international response has been varied. In 1984, the main cast members of ''The A-Team'', George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz were invited to the Netherlands. Peppard was the first to receive the invitation and thus thought the invitation applied only to him. When the other cast members were also invited, Peppard declined, leaving only Mr. T, Benedict and Schultz to visit the Netherlands.<ref>As told by Dirk Benedict in ''[[Jensen!]]'', a Dutch talk show, broadcast on May 11, 2007.</ref> The immense turn-out for the stars was unforeseen, and they were forced to leave early as a security measure. A video was released with the present actors in which Schultz apologized and thanked everyone who had attended.<ref>Repeated showing on ''Jensen!'', a Dutch talk show, broadcast on May 11, 2007.</ref>
''The A-Team'' has been broadcast worldwide and international response has been varied. In 1984, main cast members George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict, and Dwight Schultz were invited to the Netherlands. Peppard was the first to receive the invitation and thus thought the invitation applied only to him. When the other cast members were also invited, Peppard declined.<ref>As told by Dirk Benedict in ''[[Jensen!]]'', a Dutch talk show, broadcast on May 11, 2007.</ref> The immense turn-out for the stars was unforeseen, and they were forced to leave early as a security measure. A video was released in which Schultz apologized and thanked everyone who had attended.<ref>Repeated showing on ''Jensen!'', a Dutch talk show, broadcast on May 11, 2007.</ref>

In Australia ''The A-Team'' was broadcast on Channel Ten. From 2010 [[7mate]] has been showing reruns of the show. The show was broadcast in New Zealand on TV2. In Brazil, the series was broadcast on [[Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão|SBT]] from 1984 to 1989, later moving to [[Rede Globo]] in the early 1990s. In the UK, the program was shown on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], starting on Friday, July 22, 1983; when it returned for its second run (resuming mid-second season) it moved to Saturday evenings. The series continued to be repeated on ITV until 1994. The series was later repeated on [[UK Gold]] from 1997 through 2007 at various times. It was also repeated on [[Bravo (UK TV channel)|Bravo]] from 1997 to 1999. It returned to the channel in 2008 until the channel's closure in 2011. In 2017 the digital channel [[Spike (UK)|Spike]] began showing the series from the beginning. [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] also repeated it in 2017. It is now shown in the UK on comedy channel [[Comedy Central (British TV channel)|Comedy Central]].


Although ratings soared during its early seasons, many US television critics described the show largely as cartoonish and thereby wrote the series off. Most reviews focused on acting and the formulaic nature of the episodes, most prominently the absence of actual killing in a show about Vietnam War veterans.
Although ratings soared during its early seasons, many US television critics described the show largely as cartoonish and thereby wrote the series off. Most reviews focused on acting and the formulaic nature of the episodes, most prominently the absence of actual killing in a show about Vietnam War veterans.
Line 193: Line 145:
The show was a huge hit in Italy in the mid-1980s to the 1990s. In Indonesia, ''The A-Team'' also gained success as a big hit since the television network [[RCTI]] aired the show in December 1989 until 1994.
The show was a huge hit in Italy in the mid-1980s to the 1990s. In Indonesia, ''The A-Team'' also gained success as a big hit since the television network [[RCTI]] aired the show in December 1989 until 1994.


{{quote box |width=63em |bgcolor=#c6dbf7 |align=center |quote=They are all Vietnam veterans. The gradual assimilation of Vietnam into acceptable popular mythology, which began solemnly with ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'', has reached its culmination with ''The A-Team'': No longer a memory to be hurriedly brushed aside, but heroes of a network adventure show. Their enemy is a comic army officer, Col. Lynch, see ''[[Sgt. Bilko (film)|Sgt. Bilko]]'', see ''[[Beetle Bailey]]'', see ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', whose pursuit of our heroes is doomed to slapstick failure. This is classic right-wing American populism; patriotic, macho, anti-authority, and is unlikely to be understood in Britain, where to be right-wing implies an obsequiousness towards officers and the status quo. But right-wing this series certainly is. The bandits, it turns out, are in league with a group of sinister guerrillas who are trying to destabilise the country. Thanks to the A-Team's hearts and minds policy, the villagers rise up and put them to rout, in a 20-minute series of comic-book battle scenes, over-turning cars and airplane stunt-tricks, in which not a single person is hurt.|salign=right |source=Mary Harron, ''New Statesman''<ref name="HDTDT">{{cite web|first=Mary |last=Harron |url=http://www.oocities.org/tim_dunigan/art1.html <!--This cite was missing the url, so this url I added may not be the one actually used.--> |title=volume 106, p. 133 |work=[[New Statesman]] |date= July 29, 1983 |access-date=November 25, 2011}}</ref>}}
{{blockquote|They are all Vietnam veterans. The gradual assimilation of Vietnam into acceptable popular mythology, which began solemnly with ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'', has reached its culmination with ''The A-Team'': No longer a memory to be hurriedly brushed aside, but heroes of a network adventure show. Their enemy is a comic army officer, Col. Lynch, see ''[[Sgt. Bilko (film)|Sgt. Bilko]]'', see ''[[Beetle Bailey]]'', see ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', whose pursuit of our heroes is doomed to slapstick failure. This is classic right-wing American populism; patriotic, macho, anti-authority, and is unlikely to be understood in Britain, where to be right-wing implies an obsequiousness towards officers and the status quo. But right-wing this series certainly is. The bandits, it turns out, are in league with a group of sinister guerrillas who are trying to destabilise the country. Thanks to the A-Team's hearts and minds policy, the villagers rise up and put them to rout, in a 20-minute series of comic-book battle scenes, over-turning cars and airplane stunt-tricks, in which not a single person is hurt.|source=Mary Harron, ''New Statesman''<ref name="HDTDT">{{cite web|first=Mary |last=Harron |url=http://www.oocities.org/tim_dunigan/art1.html <!--This cite was missing the url, so this url I added may not be the one actually used.--> |title=volume 106, p. 133 |work=[[New Statesman]] |date= July 29, 1983 |access-date=November 25, 2011}}</ref>}}


==On-screen violence==
==On-screen violence==
The violence presented in ''The A-Team'' is highly sanitized. People do not bleed or (usually) bruise when hit (though they might develop a limp or require a sling), nor do the members of the A-Team kill people. The results of violence were only ever presented when it was required for the script. In almost every car crash there is a short take showing the occupants of the vehicle climbing out of the mangled or burning wreck, even in helicopter crashes. However, more of these types of takes were dropped near the end of the fourth season. According to Stephen J. Cannell, co-creator of the show, this part of the show did become a running joke for the writing staff and they would at times test the limits of believability on purpose.<ref>''[[Bring Back...]] The A-Team'' (UK), Stephen J. Cannell. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.</ref>
The violence presented in ''The A-Team'' is highly sanitized. People do not have visible wounds and blood though they might have a limp and sling, nor does the A-Team kill people. The results of violence are only ever presented when required for the script. After almost every car crash, there is a brief shot showing the occupants of the vehicle climbing out of the mangled or burning wreck, even in helicopter crashes. However, more of these types of takes were dropped near the end of the fourth season. According to co-creator Stephen J. Cannell, this part of the show became a running joke for the writing staff and they would at times test the limits of believability on purpose.<ref>''[[Bring Back...]] The A-Team'' (UK), Stephen J. Cannell. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.</ref>


The show has been described as cartoonish and likened to ''[[Tom and Jerry]]''. Dean P. of the ''[[The Advertiser (Australia)|Courier-Mail]]'' described the violence in the show as "hypocritical" and that "the morality of giving the impression that a hail of bullets does no-one any harm is ignored. After all, Tom and Jerry survived all sorts of mayhem for years with no ill-effects."<ref>{{Citation |title= No Mercy To Villains: But Do We Want More? |newspaper= [[The Courier-Mail]]/[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Sunday Mail]] |place= AUS |date= January 8, 1985 |last= Dean |first= P}}</ref> Television reviewer [[Ric Meyers]] joked that the A-Team used "[[neutron bomb|antineutron]] bullets—they destroy property for miles around, but never harm a human being".<ref>[[William L. DeAndrea|DeAndrea, William L.]] (editor). ''Encyclopedia Mysteriosa'', p. 1. MacMillan, 1994, {{ISBN|0-02-861678-2}}.</ref> According to certain estimates, an episode of ''The A-Team'' held up to 46 violent acts. Cannell responds: "They were determined to make a point, and we were too big a target to resist. Cartoon violence is a scapegoat issue."<ref name="EW" /> Originally, ''The A-Team's'' status as a hit show remained strong, but it ultimately lost out to more family-oriented shows such as ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', ''[[Who's the Boss?]]'' and ''[[Growing Pains]]''.<ref name="EW" /> John J. O'Connor of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote in a 1986 article that "...a substantial number of viewers, if the ratings in recent months are to be believed, are clearly fed up with mindless violence of the car-chasing, fist-slugging variety".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEFDD143BF935A25751C0A960948260 |title=TV View; It's Fun And It's Not Violent |work= The New York Times |first= John J |last= O'Connor |date= February 16, 1986 |access-date=August 17, 2007}}</ref>
The show has been described as cartoonish and likened to ''[[Tom and Jerry]]''. Dean P. of the ''[[The Advertiser (Australia)|Courier-Mail]]'' described the violence in the show as "hypocritical" and that "the morality of giving the impression that a hail of bullets does no-one any harm is ignored. After all, Tom and Jerry survived all sorts of mayhem for years with no ill-effects."<ref>{{Citation |title= No Mercy To Villains: But Do We Want More? |newspaper= [[The Courier-Mail]]/[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Sunday Mail]] |place= AUS |date= January 8, 1985 |last= Dean |first= P}}</ref> Television reviewer [[Ric Meyers]] joked that the A-Team used "[[neutron bomb|antineutron]] bullets—they destroy property for miles around, but never harm a human being".<ref>[[William L. DeAndrea|DeAndrea, William L.]] (editor). ''Encyclopedia Mysteriosa'', p. 1. MacMillan, 1994, {{ISBN|0-02-861678-2}}.</ref> According to certain estimates, an episode of ''The A-Team'' held up to 46 violent acts. Cannell responded: "They were determined to make a point, and we were too big a target to resist. Cartoon violence is a scapegoat issue."<ref name="EW" /> Originally, ''The A-Team's'' status as a hit show remained strong, but it ultimately lost out to more family-oriented shows such as ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', ''[[Who's the Boss?]]'' and ''[[Growing Pains]]''.<ref name="EW" /> John J. O'Connor of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote in a 1986 article that "...a substantial number of viewers, if the ratings in recent months are to be believed, are clearly fed up with mindless violence of the car-chasing, fist-slugging variety".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEFDD143BF935A25751C0A960948260 |title=TV View; It's Fun And It's Not Violent |work= The New York Times |first= John J |last= O'Connor |date= February 16, 1986 |access-date=August 17, 2007}}</ref>


==GMC Vandura==
==GMC Vandura==
[[File:Long Beach Comic Expo 2012 - A-Team van (7186650356).jpg|thumb|The A-Team's 1983 GMC van]]
[[File:Long Beach Comic Expo 2012 - A-Team van (7186650356).jpg|thumb|The A-Team drove a 1983 GMC Vandura van.]]
The 1983 [[Chevrolet van#1983|GMC Vandura]] van used by the A-Team, with its characteristic red stripe, black and red turbine mag wheels, and rooftop spoiler,<ref>{{cite web |title=A-Team 1983 GMC Van |url=http://www.classictvcars.com/gmc-van.php}}</ref> has become an enduring [[pop-culture|pop culture]] icon. The customized 1994 Chevrolet G20 used on [[The A-Team (film)|''The A-Team'' movie]] was also on display at the 2010 [[New York International Auto Show]].<ref>{{cite web |title=New York 2010: Hero cars invade Gotham |first=Frank |last=Filipponio |publisher=[[Autoblog.com]] |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/01/new-york-2010-hero-cars-invade-gotham/ |date=April 1, 2010 |access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref>
The 1983 [[Chevrolet van#1983|GMC Vandura]] van used by the A-Team, with its characteristic red stripe, black and red turbine mag wheels, and rooftop spoiler,<ref>{{cite web |title=A-Team 1983 GMC Van |url=http://www.classictvcars.com/gmc-van.php}}</ref> is an enduring [[pop culture]] icon. The customized 1994 GMC van in [[The A-Team (film)|''The A-Team'' movie]] was displayed at the 2010 [[New York International Auto Show]].<ref>{{cite web |title=New York 2010: Hero cars invade Gotham |first=Frank |last=Filipponio |publisher=[[Autoblog.com]] |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/01/new-york-2010-hero-cars-invade-gotham/ |date=April 1, 2010 |access-date=April 5, 2010}}</ref>

A number of devices were seen in the back of the van in different episodes, including a mini printing press ("Pros and Cons"), an audio surveillance recording device ("A Small and Deadly War"), Hannibal's disguise kits in various episodes, and a gun storage locker.

Early examples of the van had a red GMC logo on the front grille, and an additional GMC logo on the rear left door. Early in the second season, these logos were blacked out, although GMC continued to supply vans and receive a credit on the closing credits of each episode.

The van was almost all-black, as the section above the red stripe was metallic gray. The angle of the rear spoiler can also be seen to vary on different examples of the van within the series. Additionally, some versions of the van have a sunroof, whereas others, typically those used for stunts do not. This led to continuity errors in some episodes, such as in the third season's "The Bells of St. Mary's", in a scene where Face jumps from a building onto the roof of the van with no sunroof but moments later, in an interior studio shot, climbs in through the sunroof.


==Merchandise==
==Merchandise==
The huge success of the series saw a vast array of merchandise, including toys and snacks released both in America and internationally. There were several sets of [[trading cards]] and stickers, [[action figure]]s of the characters were produced by [[Galoob]] as well as vehicles, including B.A.'s van and Face's Corvette (available in several different sizes), as well as items such as helicopters, trucks and jeeps to fit in with the line, from model car manufacturer [[Ertl Company|Ertl]]. Some of the other array of items available included jigsaw puzzles, [[View-Master]] reels containing 21 3-D pictures (over three reels) of the second season ''A-Team'' story "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?", was produced by View-Master International (available both as a pack of reels, and also as a "gift set" with 3-D viewer), an electric race car track with ''A-Team'' vehicle covers instead of normal cars, and a TYCO produced train set with various accessories and pieces themed for the ''A-Team'' look. The set includes a Baldwin shark nose engine painted up like the Van and a matching Caboose.
The huge success of the series yielded a vast array of merchandise, including toys, video games, and snacks released worldwide. This includes several sets of [[trading cards]] and stickers, [[action figure]]s from [[Galoob]], B.A.'s van, Face's Corvette, helicopters, trucks, and jeeps from model car manufacturer [[Ertl Company|Ertl]]. It includes jigsaw puzzles, [[View-Master]] reels, an electric race car track, and a TYCO produced train set. Following the original cancellation of the series, further merchandise has appeared as the series has achieved cult status, including an ''A-Team'' van by [[Hot Wheels]]. In 2016, [[Lego]] released a pack that includes a B.A. Baracus minifigure and constructible van, which unlocks additional ''A-Team'' themed content in the video game ''[[Lego Dimensions]]'', including all four team members as playable characters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/06/new_lego_dimensions_packs_confirmed_beetlejuice_and_the_a-team_make_the_cut|title=New Lego Dimensions Packs Confirmed, Beetlejuice And The A-Team Make The Cut|work=Nintendo Life|date=June 9, 2016|access-date=October 23, 2017}}</ref>
Following the original cancellation of the series, further merchandise has appeared as the series has achieved cult status, including an ''A-Team'' van by "Hot Wheels". In 2016 [[Lego]] released a pack that includes a B.A. Baracus minifigure and constructible van; the pack unlocks additional ''A-Team'' themed content in the video game ''[[Lego Dimensions]]'', including all four team members as playable characters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/06/new_lego_dimensions_packs_confirmed_beetlejuice_and_the_a-team_make_the_cut|title=New Lego Dimensions Packs Confirmed, Beetlejuice And The A-Team Make The Cut|work=Nintendo Life|date=June 9, 2016|access-date=October 23, 2017}}</ref>


===Comics===
===Comics===
{{main|The A-Team (comics)}}
{{main|The A-Team (comics)}}


[[Marvel Comics]] produced a three-issue ''A-Team'' [[comic book]] series, which was later reprinted as a [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperback]]. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, an ''A-Team'' [[comic strip]] appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and [[comic]] ''[[Look-In]],'' to tie in with the British run of the series. It was preceded, though, by a short run in the final year (1984) of ''TV Comic,'' drawn by Jim Eldridge.
[[Marvel Comics]] produced a three-issue ''A-Team'' comic book series, which was later reprinted as a [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperback]]. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, an ''A-Team'' [[comic strip]] appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and comic ''[[Look-In]]'', to tie in with the British run of the series. It was preceded by a short run in the final year (1984) of ''TV Comic''.
====Parody====
The group was called the "B-Team" in a parody story in ''[[E-Man]]'' in 1984.<ref>{{Cite comic| cartoonist = [[Joe Staton]]| inker = [[Rick Burchett]]|| colorist = Wendy Fiore| letterer = [[Ken Bruzenak]] | editor = [[Mike Gold (comics)|Mike Gold]]|story = The B-Team| title = [[E-Man]]| volume = 2| issue = 21| date = December 1984| publisher = [[First Comics]]}}</ref>


===Books===
===Books===
Several novels were based on the series, the first six published in America by [[Dell Publishing|Dell]] and in Britain by [[Target Books]]; the last four were only published in Britain. The first six are credited to Charles Heath. The books are generally found in paperback form, although hardback copies (with different cover artwork) were also released.
Several novels are based on the series, the first six published in America by [[Dell Publishing|Dell]] and in Britain by [[Target Books]], and the last four only published in Britain. The first six are credited to Charles Heath. The books are generally found in paperback form, although hardback copies (with different cover artwork) were also released.
* ''The A-Team'' (adapted from the pilot written by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell)
* ''The A-Team'' (adapted from the pilot written by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell)
* ''Small But Deadly Wars'' (adapted from the episodes "A Small and Deadly War" written by Lupo and "Black Day at Bad Rock" written by Patrick Hasburgh)
* ''Small But Deadly Wars'' (adapted from the episodes "A Small and Deadly War" written by Lupo and "Black Day at Bad Rock" written by Patrick Hasburgh)
Line 228: Line 171:
* ''Old Scores to Settle'' (adapted from the episodes "The Only Church in Town" written by Babs Greyhosky and "Recipe for Heavy Bread" written by Cannell, although the novel features the latter episode first)
* ''Old Scores to Settle'' (adapted from the episodes "The Only Church in Town" written by Babs Greyhosky and "Recipe for Heavy Bread" written by Cannell, although the novel features the latter episode first)
* ''Ten Percent of Trouble'' (adapted from the episodes "Steel" written by Lupo and "The Maltese Cow" written by Thomas Szollosi and Richard Christian Matheson)
* ''Ten Percent of Trouble'' (adapted from the episodes "Steel" written by Lupo and "The Maltese Cow" written by Thomas Szollosi and Richard Christian Matheson)
* ''Operation Desert Sun: The Untold Story'', credited on the cover to Charles Heath but on the title page to Louis Chunovic. (This is an original story that tells of the events of the mission that got the team sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit.)
* ''Operation Desert Sun: The Untold Story'', credited on the cover to Charles Heath but on the title page to Louis Chunovic. (This is an original story that tells of the events of the mission that got the team sent to prison for a crime they did not commit.)
* ''Bullets, Bikinis and Bells'' by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Bullets and Bikinis" written by Mark Jones and "The Bells of St. Mary's" written by Cannell)
* ''Bullets, Bikinis and Bells'' by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Bullets and Bikinis" written by Mark Jones and "The Bells of St. Mary's" written by Cannell)
* ''Backwoods Menace'' by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Timber!" written by Jeff Ray, and "Children of Jamestown" written by Cannell)
* ''Backwoods Menace'' by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Timber!" written by Jeff Ray, and "Children of Jamestown" written by Cannell)
* ''The Bend in the River'' by David George Deutsch (adapted from the episode of the same name written by Cannell and Lupo)
* ''The Bend in the River'' by David George Deutsch (adapted from the episode of the same name written by Cannell and Lupo)
* ''Death Vows'' by Max Hart (adapted from the episode "Till Death Us Do Part" written by Greyhosky) – This is the only book in the series to be based on one standard-length episode.
* ''Death Vows'' by Max Hart (adapted from the episode "Till Death Us Do Part" written by Greyhosky) – This is the only book in the series to be based on one standard-length episode.
* Two "Choose Your Own Adventure|Plot-your-own-adventure" books, where the reader would read a section of text and choose from several options of what to do next, were also released as part of the same range, again only available in Britain.
* Two plot-your-own-adventure books, with a section of text and several options of what to do next, were released as part of the same range, again only available in Britain.


In the United Kingdom from 1985 to 1988, four Annuals were produced, each consisting of text and comic strip stories, puzzles, and photos of the show's stars, with a further one produced by [[Marvel Comics]] consisting of several reprinted comic strips, released in 1989/1990.
In the United Kingdom from 1985 to 1988, four Annuals were produced, each consisting of text and comic strip stories, puzzles, and photos of the show's stars, with a further one produced by [[Marvel Comics]] consisting of several reprinted comic strips, released in 1989 and 1990.


A [[Panini Group|Panini]] set of stickers, which adapted six TV episodes (from the first and earlier second season) using shots from the episodes, could be stuck into an accompanying book, with text under each inserted sticker to narrate the story.
A [[Panini Group|Panini]] set of stickers, which adapt six TV episodes (from the first and earlier second season) using shots from the episodes, can be stuck into an accompanying book, with text under each inserted sticker to narrate the story.


==={{anchor|Theme|Theme song|Soundtrack}}Theme song and soundtrack===
==={{anchor|Theme|Theme song|Soundtrack}}Theme song and soundtrack===
The original main theme composed by [[Mike Post]] and [[Pete Carpenter]]<ref name="Overmind">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvovermind.com/tv-news/top-20-theme-songs-80s-television-shows|title=The Top 20 Theme Songs of 80s Television Shows|date=May 17, 2018|first=Nat|last=Berman|publisher=TV Overmind}}</ref> (in a performance credited to Post) was released on the vinyl LP ''Mike Post&nbsp;– Television Theme Songs'' (Elektra Records E1-60028Y, 1982) and again on the ''Mike Post&nbsp;– Mike Post'' LP (RCA Records AFL1-5183, 1984), both long out-of-print; however, this was not the same version of the theme as heard on-screen. The theme, as heard on seasons two through four (including the opening narration and sound effects), was also released on TVT's ''[[Television's Greatest Hits|Television's Greatest Hits: 70s and 80s]]''. A [[7-inch single]] of the song credited to Post was released on RCA in 1984.<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/Mike-Post-The-A-Team/release/4051869 "Mike Post – The A Team"] at Discogs.com. Retrieved July 15, 2018.</ref>
The original main theme composed by [[Mike Post]] and [[Pete Carpenter]]<ref name="Overmind">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvovermind.com/tv-news/top-20-theme-songs-80s-television-shows|title=The Top 20 Theme Songs of 80s Television Shows|date=May 17, 2018|first=Nat|last=Berman|publisher=TV Overmind}}</ref> (in a performance credited to Post) was released on the vinyl LP ''Mike Post&nbsp;– Television Theme Songs'' (Elektra Records E1-60028Y, 1982) and again on the ''Mike Post&nbsp;– Mike Post'' LP (RCA Records AFL1-5183, 1984), both long out-of-print; however, this was not the same version of the theme as on-screen. The theme from seasons two through four (including the opening narration and sound effects), was also released on TVT's ''[[Television's Greatest Hits|Television's Greatest Hits: 70s and 80s]]''. A [[7-inch single]] of the song credited to Post was released on RCA in 1984.<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/Mike-Post-The-A-Team/release/4051869 "Mike Post – The A Team"] at Discogs.com. Retrieved July 15, 2018.</ref>


The [[French language|French]] version of the song had lyrics, which mirrored the spoken description of the show in the English opening credits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/news/a833052/the-a-team-theme-tune-lyrics-french-version-agence-tous-risques/|title=WTF, The A-Team theme had LYRICS all this time?|date=July 13, 2017|website=Digital Spy}}</ref> The theme has been ranked among the best TV themes ever written, with TV weatherman [[Al Roker]] sharing that opinion, and using the song to "get jazzed up" in the morning.<ref name="Overmind"/>
The French version of the song has lyrics, which mirror the spoken description of the show in the English opening credits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/news/a833052/the-a-team-theme-tune-lyrics-french-version-agence-tous-risques/|title=WTF, The A-Team theme had LYRICS all this time?|date=July 13, 2017|website=Digital Spy}}</ref> The theme has been ranked among the best TV themes ever, with TV weatherman [[Al Roker]] sharing that opinion, and using the song to "get jazzed up" in the morning.<ref name="Overmind"/>


Though no original music other than the theme has been released, in 1984 EMI issued an album of re-recorded material from the series conducted by [[Derek Wadsworth|Daniel Caine]] (reissued by Silva Screen on compact disc in 1999, SILVAD 3509).
Though no original music other than the theme has been released, in 1984 EMI issued an album of re-recorded material from the series conducted by [[Derek Wadsworth|Daniel Caine]], reissued by Silva Screen on compact disc in 1999, SILVAD 3509.


# Theme from ''The A-Team'' (3:13)
* Theme from ''The A-Team'' (3:13)
# Young Hannibal (2:57)
* Young Hannibal (2:57)
# B. A.'s Ride (2:34)
* B. A.'s Ride (2:34)
# The A-Team In New York City (2:43)
* The A-Team in New York City (2:43)
# Bandits (2:08)
* Bandits (2:08)
# Taxi Chase (2:13)
* Taxi Chase (2:13)
# The A-Team Escape (1:16)
* The A-Team Escape (1:16)
# The A-Team Prepare For War (2:08)
* The A-Team Prepare For War (2:08)
# Showtime (3:22)
* Showtime (3:22)
# Move, Sucker (1:04)
* Move, Sucker (1:04)
# Let's Get Busted (1:06)
* Let's Get Busted (1:06)
# Murdock's "Face" (3:01)
* Murdock's "Face" (3:01)
# Helicopters (2:36)
* Helicopters (2:36)
# More Bandits (1:22)
* More Bandits (1:22)
# Theme From ''The A-Team'' (3:27)
* Theme From ''The A-Team'' (3:27)


==Production notes==
===Video games===
Video games were released for numerous platforms, mostly as [[Shoot %27em up#|shooter games]].
===Filming===
The series was co produced by former actor John Ashley who also provided the opening narration to the movie.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://diaboliquemagazine.com/the-nine-lives-of-john-ashley/url=https://diaboliquemagazine.com/the-nine-lives-of-john-ashley/|magazine=Diabolique Magazine|title=A Hell of a Life: The Nine Lives of John Ashley|date=December 2019}}</ref>


In 1985, ''The A-Team'' was published and released on the [[Commodore 64]] by [[Video games in the Netherlands#Defunct game developers|Courbois Software]]. It is an action game, in the form of a [[Shoot 'em up#Types|top-down shooter]], in which players assume the role of an unnamed soldier charged with doing battle against the A-Team in the form large floating heads. Players are positioned on the bottm portion of the screen allow being able to move left and right shooting upwards at the A-team as they scroll left to right each with their own attack pattern based on the personalities of each character. The player eliminates each member by shooting them enough times, defeating each one to end a round with the process repeated with each round being harder than the last. Players have three lives and are killed on one hit. The game is [[Glossary_of_video_game_terms#E|endless meaning there is no way to complete it]]. The only achievement during prolonged play is getting the highest score. A strange notable trait this game has the digitized version of the [[Star Wars (Main Title)|main theme for ''Star Wars'']] that plays on the title screen instead of ''The A-Team's'' theme.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lemon64.com/review/a-team/603|website=lemon64|title=The A-Team Review | access-date=March 21, 2023}}</ref>
===Awards===
During its time, ''The A-Team'' was nominated for three [[Emmy Awards]]: In 1983 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the pilot episode, in 1984 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the episode "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?" and in 1987 (Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series) for the episode "Firing Line".


In 1989, ''El Equipo A'' (Spanish for ''The A-Team'') was developed and published by Zafiro Software Division as a [[Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters|side scrolling shooter]] for the [[Amstrad CPC]], [[ZX Spectrum]], [[MS-DOS]], and [[MSX]]. Gameplay consists of levels scrolling to the left or right depending on the level as players shoot various enemies such as soldiers, tanks, and jeeps while avoiding shooting innocent civilians and the A-Team as they appear on screen. The game is only in Spanish and from most of the gameplay, low quality, and different graphics, it is believed that the game is likely a [[Copyright infringement|bootleg]] [[Video game piracy|version]] of ''[[Operation Wolf]]'' each based the original's respective platforms that manages to reuse many of their same overall mechanics as a whole.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.giantbomb.com/the-a-team/3030-11043/|website=Giantbomb|title=The A-Team}}Retrieved on March 21, 2023</ref>
===Professional wrestlers===
The show featured professional wrestlers such as [[Hulk Hogan]], [[Charles Kalani, Jr.|Professor Toru Tanaka]], [[Ricky Steamboat|Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat]], [[Dynamite Kid|The Dynamite Kid]], [[Bobby Heenan|Bobby "The Brain" Heenan]], [[Davey Boy Smith|Davey Boy Smith (The British Bulldog)]], [[Big John Studd]] and [[Greg Valentine|Greg "The Hammer" Valentine]], in most cases playing themselves. In the episode "Body Slam" (which featured Hogan) wrestling interviewer and announcer [[Gene Okerlund|"Mean" Gene Okerlund]] also appeared.


On June 15, 2010, [[The A-Team (film)#Video game|''The A-Team'']] was released by [[GameHouse]] and [[RealNetworks]] under [[Fox Digital Entertainment]] and is [[The A-Team (film)|based on the 2010 film]] for the [[iPhone]] as an [[Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters|overhead scrolling]], third person, action shooter with [[Cover system|cover based mechanics]] for the purpose of marketing the film. Players control the A-team as they battle enemies with melee hand-to-hand or ranged weapon combat and can switch between each member during levels. Some levels allowed players to control an attack helicopter the shoot enemies and destroy objects. Voice-overs from B.A. Baracus are portrayed by [[Quinton Jackson]] from the film.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-a-teamtm-explodes-onto-mobile-devices-with-the-official-game-from-gamehouse-and-fox-digital-entertainment-96371684.html|website=Cision PR Newswire|title=The A-Team(TM) Explodes Onto Mobile Devices With the Official Game From GameHouse and Fox Digital Entertainment}}Retrieved on March 21, 2023</ref>
In addition, the music video for [[John Cena]]'s "Bad, Bad Man" (on Cena's ''[[You Can't See Me]]'' album) featured the Chain Gang as a three-man A-Team—Cena as Hannibal, plus Cena's cousin [[Tha Trademarc]] as Howling Mad and [[Bumpy Knuckles]] as B.A.

==Production==
===Filming===
The series was co-produced by former actor John Ashley who narrated the movie.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://diaboliquemagazine.com/the-nine-lives-of-john-ashley/url=https://diaboliquemagazine.com/the-nine-lives-of-john-ashley/|magazine=Diabolique Magazine|title=A Hell of a Life: The Nine Lives of John Ashley|date=December 2019}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


===Weapons===
===Weapons===
In early episodes the team used [[Colt AR-15|Colt AR-15 SP1]] semi-automatic rifles (with automatic sound effects, simulating the [[M16 rifle|M16]]), while in later seasons they used the [[Mini-14|Ruger Mini-14]], and on rare occasions, the [[selective fire]] [[Mini-14#AC-556|AC-556K]] variant of the Mini-14. Hannibal is also seen using an [[M60 machine gun]] (which Hannibal called "Baby") in some episodes as well as a [[Micro-uzi|Micro-Uzi]]. [[MAC-11]]s with parts added to simulate the Uzi appear in at least two early episodes. Hannibal's sidearms are either a nickel-plated [[Smith & Wesson Model 59]], or a stainless steel [[Smith & Wesson Model 39|Smith & Wesson Model 639]]. Unusually in the episode "Black Day At Bad Rock" he is seen carrying a [[Browning Hi-Power]]. Face's usual sidearm is a [[Colt Trooper#MK III|Colt Lawman Mk III]], though he does use [[Smith & Wesson]] revolvers in latter seasons. Many antagonists and members of the team are seen using [[M1911 pistol|1911s]] as well. Starting from Season 4, the then-exotic [[Steyr AUG]] bullpup rifle also became prominent in the series. "So many different firearms were used in the 1980s hit 'The A-Team' that it's impossible to list them all. For five seasons, the wrongly accused foursome used rifles, handguns, submachine guns and shotguns to bring justice for the little guy while trying to stay out of jail. Regardless of the number of explosions or rounds fired, nobody ever got seriously hurt except for the occasional flesh wound of a team member."<ref name="americanrifleman.org">http://www.americanrifleman.org/GalleryItem.aspx?cid=22&gid=107&id=949 |American Rifleman. Guns on TV...No. 1...The A-Team [https://web.archive.org/web/20131205195737/http://www.americanrifleman.org/GalleryItem.aspx?cid=22&gid=107&id=949]</ref> As a result, the ''American Rifleman'' declared ''The A-Team'' the Number One Show on Television to regularly feature firearms.<ref name="americanrifleman.org"/>
In early episodes, the team used [[Colt AR-15|Colt AR-15 SP1]] semi-automatic rifles (with automatic sound effects, simulating the [[M16 rifle|M16]]), while in later seasons they used the [[Mini-14|Ruger Mini-14]], and on rare occasions, the [[selective fire]] [[Mini-14#AC-556|AC-556K]] variant of the Mini-14. Hannibal is also seen using an [[M60 machine gun]] (which Hannibal called "Baby") in some episodes as well as a [[Micro-uzi]]. [[MAC-11]]s with parts added to simulate the Uzi appear in at least two early episodes. Hannibal's sidearms are either a nickel-plated [[Smith & Wesson Model 59]], or a stainless steel [[Smith & Wesson Model 39|Smith & Wesson Model 639]]. Unusually in the episode "Black Day at Bad Rock" he is seen carrying a [[Browning Hi-Power]]. Face's usual sidearm is a [[Colt Trooper#MK III|Colt Lawman Mk III]], though he does use [[Smith & Wesson]] revolvers in latter seasons. Many antagonists and members of the team use [[M1911 pistol|1911s]] as well. Starting from Season 4, the then-exotic [[Steyr AUG]] bullpup rifle also became prominent in the series. "So many different firearms were used in the 1980s hit ''The A-Team'' that it's impossible to list them all. For five seasons, the wrongly accused foursome used rifles, handguns, submachine guns and shotguns to bring justice for the little guy while trying to stay out of jail. Regardless of the number of explosions or rounds fired, nobody ever got seriously hurt except for the occasional flesh wound of a team member." The ''American Rifleman'' declared ''The A-Team'' the Number One Show on Television to regularly feature firearms.<ref name="americanrifleman.org">http://www.americanrifleman.org/GalleryItem.aspx?cid=22&gid=107&id=949 |American Rifleman. Guns on TV...No. 1...The A-Team [https://web.archive.org/web/20131205195737/http://www.americanrifleman.org/GalleryItem.aspx?cid=22&gid=107&id=949]</ref>


==Home media {{anchor|DVD|Video}}==
==Home media==
[[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment|Universal Studios]] has released all five seasons of ''The A-Team'' on DVD in Region 1, 2, and 4. In Region 2, a complete series set entitled ''The A-Team--The Ultimate Collection'' was released on October 8, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000SLW5Y0/ |title=The A-Team&nbsp;— The Ultimate Collection |format=DVD |publisher=Amazon |location=UK |access-date=August 22, 2010}}</ref> A complete series set was released in Region 1 on June 8, 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/ATeam-The-Complete-Series/13380 |format=retailer's product page |title=The A-Team DVD news: Announcement for The A-Team&nbsp;— The Complete Series |publisher=TV Shows on DVD |access-date=August 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805084638/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/ATeam-The-Complete-Series/13380 |archive-date=August 5, 2010}}</ref> The set includes 25 discs packaged in a replica of the A-Team's signature black van from the show. The complete series set was released in Region 4 on November 3, 2010.
[[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment|Universal Studios]] has released all five seasons of ''The A-Team'' on DVD in Region 1, 2, and 4. In Region 2, a complete series set titled ''The A-Team—The Ultimate Collection'' was released on October 8, 2007. A complete series set was released in Region 1 on June 8, 2010 including 25 discs packaged in a replica of the black van. The complete series set was released in Region 4 on November 3, 2010. All 5 seasons were re-released in Region 2 with new packaging on June 21, 2010. The series was remastered and released on Blu-ray disc in the United Kingdom by Fabulous Films on October 17, 2016.


==Legacy==
All 5 seasons were re-released in Region 2 with new packaging on June 21, 2010. The series has been remastered and was released on Blu-ray disc in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fabulousfilms.com/products/377|title=The A-Team|publisher=Fabulous Films|access-date= September 10, 2016}}</ref>
===''Bring Back... The A-Team'' (2006)===
On May 18, 2006, [[Channel 4]] in the UK attempted to reunite the surviving cast members of ''The A-Team'' for the show ''[[Bring Back...]]'' in an episode titled "Bring Back...The A-Team".{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} [[Justin Lee Collins]] presented the challenge, securing interviews and appearances from Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Marla Heasley, Jack Ging, series co-creator Stephen Cannell, and Mr. T.


Collins eventually united Benedict, Schultz, Heasley, Ging and Cannell, along with William Lucking, Lance LeGault, and George Peppard's son, Christian. Mr. T was unable to make the meeting, which took place in the Friar's Club in [[Beverly Hills]], but he appeared on the show for a brief talk with Collins.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2"|DVD name
! rowspan="2"|Ep#
! colspan="3"|Release dates
|-
! Region 1
! Region 2
! Region 3
|-
|Season One
| style="text-align:center;"|14
|June 8, 2004
|September 13, 2004
|December 3, 2004
|-
| Season Two
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|April 12, 2005
|July 4, 2005
|July 13, 2005
|-
|Season Three
|style="text-align:center;"|25
|January 31, 2006
|May 22, 2006 <br /><small>(R2 has different cover art)</small>
|July 20, 2006
|-
| Season Four
| style="text-align:center;"|24
|April 4, 2006
|September 18, 2006
|September 19, 2006
|-
| Season Five: <br />The Final Season
| style="text-align:center;"|13
|October 10, 2006
|February 12, 2007 <br /><small>(R2 has different cover art)</small>
|February 21, 2007
|-
| The Complete Series
| style="text-align:center;"|98
|June 8, 2010
|DVD: October 8, 2007 <br />Blu-ray: October 17, 2016
|November 3, 2010
|}


===Feature film===
==''Bring Back... The A-Team'' (2006)==
On May 18, 2006, [[Channel 4]] in the [[UK]] attempted to reunite the surviving cast members of ''The A-Team'' for the show ''[[Bring Back...]]'' in an episode titled "Bring Back...The A-Team".<ref>{{IMDb title|id=0808180|title=Bring Back... The A-Team}}. Retrieved on August 17, 2007.</ref> [[Justin Lee Collins]] presented the challenge, securing interviews and appearances from Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Marla Heasley, Jack Ging, series co-creator Stephen Cannell, and Mr. T.

Collins eventually managed to bring together Benedict, Schultz, Heasley, Ging and Cannell, along with William Lucking, Lance LeGault, and George Peppard's son, Christian. Mr. T was unable to make the meeting, which took place in the Friar's Club in [[Beverly Hills]], but he did manage to appear on the show for a brief talk with Collins.

==Feature film==
{{main|The A-Team (film)}}
{{main|The A-Team (film)}}
A feature film based on ''[[The A-Team (film)|The A-Team]]'' was released on June 11, 2010, and was produced by [[20th Century Fox]].<ref>"Plan Coming Together for The A-Team", Variety, March 19, 2008</ref> The film stars [[Liam Neeson]] as Hannibal, [[Bradley Cooper]] as Faceman, [[Quinton Jackson]] as B.A. and [[Sharlto Copley]] as Murdock with [[Jessica Biel]] as the team's ally and [[Patrick Wilson]] as the film's villain, Agent Lynch while both Dirk Benedict (Faceman) and Dwight Schultz (Murdock) made brief cameo appearances in the film (as a prisoner using a sunbed and a psychiatrist overseeing Murdock's shock therapy, respectively); because of timing issues, these scenes were moved to the end of the credits. They were later reinserted for the extended-cut of the film.


===Reboot series===
A feature film based on ''[[The A-Team (film)|The A-Team]]'' was released on June 11, 2010, and was produced by [[20th Century Fox]].<ref>"Plan Coming Together for The A-Team", Variety, March 19, 2008</ref> The film stars [[Liam Neeson]] as Hannibal, [[Bradley Cooper]] as Faceman, [[Quinton Jackson]] as B.A. and [[Sharlto Copley]] as Murdock with [[Jessica Biel]] as the team's ally and [[Patrick Wilson (American actor)|Patrick Wilson]] as the film's villain, Agent Lynch while both Dirk Benedict (Faceman) and Dwight Schultz (Murdock) made brief cameo appearances in the film (as a prisoner using a sunbed and a psychiatrist overseeing Murdock's shock therapy, respectively); because of timing issues, these scenes were moved to the end of the credits. They were later reinserted for the extended-cut of the film.
{{expand section|date=January 2024}}

In September 2015, Fox announced the development of a reboot ''A-Team'' series with [[Chris Morgan (screenwriter)|Chris Morgan]] as executive producer with Cannell's daughter, [[Tawnia McKiernan]], and Albert Kim writing. The team has male and female characters.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/a-team-series-remake-chris-morgan-stephen-j-cannell-1201544600/ |title='A-Team' TV Series Remake In Works With Chris Morgan Producing |magazine=Deadline |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=September 24, 2015}}</ref>
==Reboot series==
In September 2015, Fox announced that they were developing a reboot ''A-Team'' series with [[Chris Morgan (screenwriter)|Chris Morgan]] as executive producer with Cannell's daughter, [[Tawnia McKiernan]], and Albert Kim writing. The team is to be made up of both male and female characters.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/a-team-series-remake-chris-morgan-stephen-j-cannell-1201544600/ |title='A-Team' TV Series Remake In Works With Chris Morgan Producing |magazine=Deadline |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=September 24, 2015}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[1983 in American television]]
* [[1983 in American television]]
* [[Mercenaries in popular culture]]
* [[Mercenaries in popular culture]]
* ''[[T.H.E. Cat]]''—a forerunner of the "expert(s) help(s) people in trouble" genre
* ''[[T.H.E. Cat]]''—a forerunner of the genre of experts helping people in trouble
* [[United States Army Special Forces in popular culture]]
* [[United States Army Special Forces in popular culture]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}


===General===
===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{Citation |title= The A-Team (broadcast and DVD) |first1= Stephen J |last1= Cannell |first2= Frank |last2= Lupo |date= 1983–1987}}.
* {{Citation |title= The A-Team (broadcast and DVD) |first1= Stephen J |last1= Cannell |first2= Frank |last2= Lupo |date= 1983–1987}}.
* {{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084967/ |title= The A-Team |year= 1983 |access-date= August 14, 2008}}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.tv.com/the-a-team/show/727/summary.html |title= The A-Team |format= TV show |publisher= TV.com |access-date= August 14, 2008 |archive-date= August 14, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080814190747/http://www.tv.com/the-a-team/show/727/summary.html |url-status= dead }}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/the-a-team/show/727/summary.html |title= The A-Team |format= TV show |publisher= TV.com |access-date= August 14, 2008}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}

===Specific===
{{Reflist|30em}}


==External links==
==External links==
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{{Commons category|The A-Team (television series)}}
*{{Citation |format= official website |url= http://www.cannell.com/ |title= ''A-Team'' co-creator Stephen J. Cannell's site |access-date= July 18, 2007 |archive-date= January 27, 2011 |archive-url= http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20110127150529/http://www.cannell.com/ |url-status= dead }}
*{{Citation |format= official website |url= http://www.cannell.com/ |title= ''A-Team'' co-creator Stephen J. Cannell's site |access-date= July 18, 2007 |archive-date= January 27, 2011 |archive-url= http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20110127150529/http://www.cannell.com/ |url-status= dead }}
*{{Citation |url= http://www.ateamresource.com/ |title= A-Team Resource Page}}; contains information on episodes, cast, etc.
*{{Citation |url= http://www.ateamresource.com/ |title= A-Team Resource Page |access-date= April 6, 2012 |archive-date= February 27, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210227010751/http://www.ateamresource.com/ |url-status= dead }}; contains information on episodes, cast, etc.
*{{AllMovie title|123786}}
*{{AllMovie title|123786}}
*{{epguides|ATeam}}
*{{epguides|ATeam}}
*{{IMDb title|0084967}}
*{{IMDb title|0084967}}


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Latest revision as of 03:13, 26 October 2024

The A-Team
Title screen (seasons 1–4)
GenreAction-adventure
Created by
Starring
Narrated byJohn Ashley
Theme music composer
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes98 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Frank Lupo
  • Stephen J. Cannell
Producers
Camera setup
  • Film (1982–86)
  • Film (principal photography)/Videotape (post-production) (1986)
  • Single-camera setup
Running time48 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJanuary 23, 1983 (1983-01-23) –
March 8, 1987 (1987-03-08)

The A-Team is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983 to March 8, 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court martial for a crime they had not committed. They were convicted and sentenced to serve terms in a military prison, but later escaped to Los Angeles and began working as soldiers of fortune, while trying to clear their names and avoid capture by law enforcement and military authorities. The series was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo and was a joint production of Universal Television and Stephen J. Cannell Productions for NBC. A feature film based on the series was released by 20th Century Fox in 2010.

History

[edit]

The A-Team was created by writers and producers Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo at the behest of Brandon Tartikoff, NBC Entertainment's president. Cannell was fired from ABC in the early 1980s, after failing to produce a hit show for the network, and was hired by NBC; his first project was The A-Team. Tartikoff pitched the series to Cannell as a combination of The Dirty Dozen, Mission: Impossible, The Magnificent Seven, Mad Max, and Hill Street Blues, with "Mr. T driving the car".[1][2][3][4]

The A-Team was not generally expected to become a hit, although Cannell has said that George Peppard suggested it would be a huge hit "before we ever turned on a camera".[5] The show became popular; the first regular episode, which aired after Super Bowl XVII on January 30, 1983, reached 26.4% of the television audience, placing fourth in the top 10 Nielsen-rated shows.[6]

The show is prominent in popular culture for its cartoonish violence (with few injuries even with heavy weapons), formulaic episodes, its ingenuity of quickly constructing ad-hoc weaponry and vehicles out of seemingly random parts, and its distinctive theme song. The show boosted the career of Mr. T, who portrayed the character of B. A. Baracus, around whom the show was initially conceived.[7][8] Some of the show's catchphrases, such as "I love it when a plan comes together",[9] "Hannibal's on the jazz", and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have appeared on T-shirts and other merchandise.[citation needed]

The term "A-Team" is a nickname coined for the Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) of the U.S. Special Forces during the Vietnam War. The U.S. Army Special Forces still uses the term ODA for its 12-man direct operations teams.[10]

In a Yahoo! survey of 1,000 US television viewers published in October 2003, The A-Team was voted the "oldie" television show viewers would most like to see revived, beating such popular television series from the 1980s as The Dukes of Hazzard and Knight Rider.[11]

Plot

[edit]

In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men 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.

John Ashley's opening narration.

The A-Team is an episodic show, with few overarching stories, except the characters' continuing motivation to clear their names, with few references to events in past episodes and a recognizable and steady episode structure. In describing the ratings drop that occurred during the show's fourth season, reviewer Gold Burt points to this structure as being a leading cause for the decreased popularity "because the same basic plot had been used over and over again for the past four seasons with the same predictable outcome".[12] Similarly, reporter Adrian Lee called the plots "stunningly simple" in a 2006 article for The Express (UK newspaper), citing such recurring elements "as BA's fear of flying, and outlandish finales when the team fashioned weapons from household items".[13] The show became emblematic of this kind of "fit-for-TV warfare" due to its depiction of high-octane combat scenes, with lethal weapons, wherein the participants (with the notable exception of General Fulbright) are never killed and rarely seriously injured (see also On-screen violence section).

As the television ratings of The A-Team fell dramatically during the fourth season, the format was changed for the show's final season in 1986–87 to increase viewership. After years on the run from the authorities, the A-Team is finally apprehended by the military. General Hunt Stockwell, a mysterious CIA operative, propositions them to work for him. In exchange, he will arrange for their pardons upon successful completion of several suicide missions.

Connections to the Vietnam War

[edit]

During the Vietnam War, the members of what became the A-Team were originally members of the 5th Special Forces Group. In the episode "Bad Time on the Border", Lieutenant Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, indicated that the A-Team were "ex-Green Berets". During the Vietnam War, the A-Team's commanding officer, Colonel Morrison, gave them orders to rob the Bank of Hanoi to help bring the war to an end. They succeeded in their mission, but on their return to base four days after the end of the war, they discovered that Morrison had been killed by the Viet Cong, and that his headquarters had been burned to the ground. This meant that the proof that the A-Team members were acting under orders had been destroyed. They were arrested, and imprisoned at Fort Bragg, from which they quickly escaped before they were to go to trial.

An article in the New Statesman (UK) published shortly after the premiere of The A-Team in the United Kingdom, characterized it as the representation of the idealization of the Vietnam War, and an example of the war slowly becoming accepted and assimilated into American culture.[14]

Episodes

[edit]

The show ran for five seasons on the NBC television network, from January 23, 1983, to December 30, 1986 (with one additional, previously unbroadcast episode shown on March 8, 1987), for a total of 98 episodes.

Characters

[edit]
The main cast of The A-Team is Templeton "Faceman" Peck, John "Hannibal" Smith, H.M. "Howlin' Mad" Murdock, and B. A. Baracus.

The A-Team revolves around the four members of a former commando outfit, now mercenaries. Their leader is Lieutenant Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), whose plans tend to be unorthodox but effective. Lieutenant Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict in the TV series, Tim Dunigan appeared as Templeton Peck in the pilot), usually called "Face" or "Faceman", is a smooth-talking con man who is second-in-command, and the appropriator of vehicles and other useful items. The team's pilot is Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who has been declared insane and lives in a Veterans' Affairs mental institution for the first four seasons. The team's strong man and mechanic is Sergeant First Class Bosco "B.A.", or "Bad Attitude", Baracus (Mr. T).

Until the first half of the second season, the team was assisted by reporter Amy Amanda Allen (Melinda Culea). In the second half of the second season, Allen was replaced by fellow reporter Tawnia Baker (Marla Heasley). The character of Tia Fulbright (Tia Carrere), a Vietnam war orphan now living in the United States, was meant to join the team in the fifth season,[15] but she was replaced by Frankie Santana (Eddie Velez), who served as the team's special effects expert. Velez was added to the opening credits of the fifth season after its second episode.

Casting

[edit]

Although the part of Face was written by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell with Dirk Benedict in mind, NBC insisted that the part should be played by another actor. Therefore, in the pilot, Face was portrayed by Tim Dunigan, who was later replaced by Benedict, with the comment that Dunigan was "too tall and too young".[16] According to Dunigan: "I look even younger on camera than I am. So it was difficult to accept me as a veteran of the Vietnam War, which ended when I was a sophomore in high school."[17]

Tia Carrere was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season after appearing in the season four finale,[15] providing a tie to the team's inception during the war. Unfortunately for this plan, Carrere was under contract to General Hospital, which prevented her from joining The A-Team. Her character was abruptly dropped as a result.

According to Mr. T in Bring Back... The A-Team in 2006, the role of B. A. Baracus was written specifically for him. This is corroborated by Cannell's own account of the initial concept proposed by Tartikoff.[1]

James Coburn, who co-starred in The Magnificent Seven, was considered for the role of Hannibal in The A-Team, and George Peppard (Hannibal) was the original consideration for the role of Vin (played by Steve McQueen instead) in The Magnificent Seven.[18] Robert Vaughn played one of the main characters (Lee) in the film.

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 scores 53% (19 reviews),[19] and season 5 scores 60% (5 reviews).[20]

Awards

[edit]

The A-Team was nominated for three Emmy Awards: in 1983 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the pilot episode, in 1984 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the episode "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?", and in 1987 (Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series) for the episode "Firing Line".

Ratings

[edit]

During the show's first three seasons, The A-Team viewership included an average of 20% to 24% of all American television households. The first regular episode ("Children of Jamestown"), reached 26.4% of the television watching audience, placing fourth in the top 10 rated shows, according to the Nielsen ratings.[6] By March, The A-Team, now on its regular Tuesday timeslot, dropped to the eighth spot, but rated a 20.5%.[21] During the sweeps week in May of that year, The A-Team dropped again but remained steady at 18.5%,[22] and rose to 18.8% during the second week of May sweeps.[23] These were the highest ratings NBC had achieved in five years.[24] During the second season, the ratings continued to soar, reaching fourth place in the twenty-highest rated programs, behind Dallas and Simon & Simon, in January (mid-season),[25] while during the third season, it was beaten out only by two other NBC shows, including The Cosby Show.

In the fourth season, The A-Team experienced a dramatic fall in ratings, as it started to lose its position while television viewership increased. As such, the ratings, while stable, were relatively lower. The season premiere ranked a 17.4% (a 26% audience share on that timeslot) on the Nielsen Rating scale,[26] but ratings quickly declined after that. In October, The A-Team had fallen to 19th and by Super Bowl Night had fallen further, to 29th on the night where the show had originally scored its first hit three years earlier.[27] For the remainder of its fourth season The A-Team managed to hang around the 20th spot, far from the top 10 position it had enjoyed during its first three seasons.

After four years on Tuesday, NBC moved The A-Team to a new timeslot on Friday for what would be its final season. Ratings continued to drop, and The A-Team later fall out of the top 50.[28] In November 1986, NBC canceled the series, declining to order the last nine episodes of what would have been a 22-episode season. The final season ranked 61st with a 12.8 average rating.[29]

Season Time slot (ET) Rank Rating[30]
1982–83 Sunday at 9:00 pm (Episode 1)
Sunday at 10:00 pm (Episodes 2–3)
Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 4–14)
10 20.1 (Tied with Monday Night Football)
1983–84 Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1–5, 7–23)
Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 6)
4 24.0
1984–85 Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1–2, 4–25)
Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 3)
6 21.9
1985–86 Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1, 3–23)
Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 2)
30 16.9
1986–87 Friday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1–8, 10–11)
Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 9)
Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episode 12)
Sunday at 8:00 pm (Episode 13)
61[29] 12.8[29]

International

[edit]

The A-Team has been broadcast worldwide and international response has been varied. In 1984, main cast members George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict, and Dwight Schultz were invited to the Netherlands. Peppard was the first to receive the invitation and thus thought the invitation applied only to him. When the other cast members were also invited, Peppard declined.[31] The immense turn-out for the stars was unforeseen, and they were forced to leave early as a security measure. A video was released in which Schultz apologized and thanked everyone who had attended.[32]

Although ratings soared during its early seasons, many US television critics described the show largely as cartoonish and thereby wrote the series off. Most reviews focused on acting and the formulaic nature of the episodes, most prominently the absence of actual killing in a show about Vietnam War veterans.

The show was a huge hit in Italy in the mid-1980s to the 1990s. In Indonesia, The A-Team also gained success as a big hit since the television network RCTI aired the show in December 1989 until 1994.

They are all Vietnam veterans. The gradual assimilation of Vietnam into acceptable popular mythology, which began solemnly with The Deer Hunter, has reached its culmination with The A-Team: No longer a memory to be hurriedly brushed aside, but heroes of a network adventure show. Their enemy is a comic army officer, Col. Lynch, see Sgt. Bilko, see Beetle Bailey, see M*A*S*H, whose pursuit of our heroes is doomed to slapstick failure. This is classic right-wing American populism; patriotic, macho, anti-authority, and is unlikely to be understood in Britain, where to be right-wing implies an obsequiousness towards officers and the status quo. But right-wing this series certainly is. The bandits, it turns out, are in league with a group of sinister guerrillas who are trying to destabilise the country. Thanks to the A-Team's hearts and minds policy, the villagers rise up and put them to rout, in a 20-minute series of comic-book battle scenes, over-turning cars and airplane stunt-tricks, in which not a single person is hurt.

— Mary Harron, New Statesman[33]

On-screen violence

[edit]

The violence presented in The A-Team is highly sanitized. People do not have visible wounds and blood though they might have a limp and sling, nor does the A-Team kill people. The results of violence are only ever presented when required for the script. After almost every car crash, there is a brief shot showing the occupants of the vehicle climbing out of the mangled or burning wreck, even in helicopter crashes. However, more of these types of takes were dropped near the end of the fourth season. According to co-creator Stephen J. Cannell, this part of the show became a running joke for the writing staff and they would at times test the limits of believability on purpose.[34]

The show has been described as cartoonish and likened to Tom and Jerry. Dean P. of the Courier-Mail described the violence in the show as "hypocritical" and that "the morality of giving the impression that a hail of bullets does no-one any harm is ignored. After all, Tom and Jerry survived all sorts of mayhem for years with no ill-effects."[35] Television reviewer Ric Meyers joked that the A-Team used "antineutron bullets—they destroy property for miles around, but never harm a human being".[36] According to certain estimates, an episode of The A-Team held up to 46 violent acts. Cannell responded: "They were determined to make a point, and we were too big a target to resist. Cartoon violence is a scapegoat issue."[2] Originally, The A-Team's status as a hit show remained strong, but it ultimately lost out to more family-oriented shows such as The Cosby Show, Who's the Boss? and Growing Pains.[2] John J. O'Connor of The New York Times wrote in a 1986 article that "...a substantial number of viewers, if the ratings in recent months are to be believed, are clearly fed up with mindless violence of the car-chasing, fist-slugging variety".[37]

GMC Vandura

[edit]
The A-Team drove a 1983 GMC Vandura van.

The 1983 GMC Vandura van used by the A-Team, with its characteristic red stripe, black and red turbine mag wheels, and rooftop spoiler,[38] is an enduring pop culture icon. The customized 1994 GMC van in The A-Team movie was displayed at the 2010 New York International Auto Show.[39]

Merchandise

[edit]

The huge success of the series yielded a vast array of merchandise, including toys, video games, and snacks released worldwide. This includes several sets of trading cards and stickers, action figures from Galoob, B.A.'s van, Face's Corvette, helicopters, trucks, and jeeps from model car manufacturer Ertl. It includes jigsaw puzzles, View-Master reels, an electric race car track, and a TYCO produced train set. Following the original cancellation of the series, further merchandise has appeared as the series has achieved cult status, including an A-Team van by Hot Wheels. In 2016, Lego released a pack that includes a B.A. Baracus minifigure and constructible van, which unlocks additional A-Team themed content in the video game Lego Dimensions, including all four team members as playable characters.[40]

Comics

[edit]

Marvel Comics produced a three-issue A-Team comic book series, which was later reprinted as a trade paperback. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, an A-Team comic strip appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and comic Look-In, to tie in with the British run of the series. It was preceded by a short run in the final year (1984) of TV Comic.

Books

[edit]

Several novels are based on the series, the first six published in America by Dell and in Britain by Target Books, and the last four only published in Britain. The first six are credited to Charles Heath. The books are generally found in paperback form, although hardback copies (with different cover artwork) were also released.

  • The A-Team (adapted from the pilot written by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell)
  • Small But Deadly Wars (adapted from the episodes "A Small and Deadly War" written by Lupo and "Black Day at Bad Rock" written by Patrick Hasburgh)
  • When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? (adapted from the episode of the same name written by Lupo)
  • Old Scores to Settle (adapted from the episodes "The Only Church in Town" written by Babs Greyhosky and "Recipe for Heavy Bread" written by Cannell, although the novel features the latter episode first)
  • Ten Percent of Trouble (adapted from the episodes "Steel" written by Lupo and "The Maltese Cow" written by Thomas Szollosi and Richard Christian Matheson)
  • Operation Desert Sun: The Untold Story, credited on the cover to Charles Heath but on the title page to Louis Chunovic. (This is an original story that tells of the events of the mission that got the team sent to prison for a crime they did not commit.)
  • Bullets, Bikinis and Bells by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Bullets and Bikinis" written by Mark Jones and "The Bells of St. Mary's" written by Cannell)
  • Backwoods Menace by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Timber!" written by Jeff Ray, and "Children of Jamestown" written by Cannell)
  • The Bend in the River by David George Deutsch (adapted from the episode of the same name written by Cannell and Lupo)
  • Death Vows by Max Hart (adapted from the episode "Till Death Us Do Part" written by Greyhosky) – This is the only book in the series to be based on one standard-length episode.
  • Two plot-your-own-adventure books, with a section of text and several options of what to do next, were released as part of the same range, again only available in Britain.

In the United Kingdom from 1985 to 1988, four Annuals were produced, each consisting of text and comic strip stories, puzzles, and photos of the show's stars, with a further one produced by Marvel Comics consisting of several reprinted comic strips, released in 1989 and 1990.

A Panini set of stickers, which adapt six TV episodes (from the first and earlier second season) using shots from the episodes, can be stuck into an accompanying book, with text under each inserted sticker to narrate the story.

Theme song and soundtrack

[edit]

The original main theme composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter[41] (in a performance credited to Post) was released on the vinyl LP Mike Post – Television Theme Songs (Elektra Records E1-60028Y, 1982) and again on the Mike Post – Mike Post LP (RCA Records AFL1-5183, 1984), both long out-of-print; however, this was not the same version of the theme as on-screen. The theme from seasons two through four (including the opening narration and sound effects), was also released on TVT's Television's Greatest Hits: 70s and 80s. A 7-inch single of the song credited to Post was released on RCA in 1984.[42]

The French version of the song has lyrics, which mirror the spoken description of the show in the English opening credits.[43] The theme has been ranked among the best TV themes ever, with TV weatherman Al Roker sharing that opinion, and using the song to "get jazzed up" in the morning.[41]

Though no original music other than the theme has been released, in 1984 EMI issued an album of re-recorded material from the series conducted by Daniel Caine, reissued by Silva Screen on compact disc in 1999, SILVAD 3509.

  • Theme from The A-Team (3:13)
  • Young Hannibal (2:57)
  • B. A.'s Ride (2:34)
  • The A-Team in New York City (2:43)
  • Bandits (2:08)
  • Taxi Chase (2:13)
  • The A-Team Escape (1:16)
  • The A-Team Prepare For War (2:08)
  • Showtime (3:22)
  • Move, Sucker (1:04)
  • Let's Get Busted (1:06)
  • Murdock's "Face" (3:01)
  • Helicopters (2:36)
  • More Bandits (1:22)
  • Theme From The A-Team (3:27)

Video games

[edit]

Video games were released for numerous platforms, mostly as shooter games.

In 1985, The A-Team was published and released on the Commodore 64 by Courbois Software. It is an action game, in the form of a top-down shooter, in which players assume the role of an unnamed soldier charged with doing battle against the A-Team in the form large floating heads. Players are positioned on the bottm portion of the screen allow being able to move left and right shooting upwards at the A-team as they scroll left to right each with their own attack pattern based on the personalities of each character. The player eliminates each member by shooting them enough times, defeating each one to end a round with the process repeated with each round being harder than the last. Players have three lives and are killed on one hit. The game is endless meaning there is no way to complete it. The only achievement during prolonged play is getting the highest score. A strange notable trait this game has the digitized version of the main theme for Star Wars that plays on the title screen instead of The A-Team's theme.[44]

In 1989, El Equipo A (Spanish for The A-Team) was developed and published by Zafiro Software Division as a side scrolling shooter for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, MS-DOS, and MSX. Gameplay consists of levels scrolling to the left or right depending on the level as players shoot various enemies such as soldiers, tanks, and jeeps while avoiding shooting innocent civilians and the A-Team as they appear on screen. The game is only in Spanish and from most of the gameplay, low quality, and different graphics, it is believed that the game is likely a bootleg version of Operation Wolf each based the original's respective platforms that manages to reuse many of their same overall mechanics as a whole.[45]

On June 15, 2010, The A-Team was released by GameHouse and RealNetworks under Fox Digital Entertainment and is based on the 2010 film for the iPhone as an overhead scrolling, third person, action shooter with cover based mechanics for the purpose of marketing the film. Players control the A-team as they battle enemies with melee hand-to-hand or ranged weapon combat and can switch between each member during levels. Some levels allowed players to control an attack helicopter the shoot enemies and destroy objects. Voice-overs from B.A. Baracus are portrayed by Quinton Jackson from the film.[46]

Production

[edit]

Filming

[edit]

The series was co-produced by former actor John Ashley who narrated the movie.[47]

Weapons

[edit]

In early episodes, the team used Colt AR-15 SP1 semi-automatic rifles (with automatic sound effects, simulating the M16), while in later seasons they used the Ruger Mini-14, and on rare occasions, the selective fire AC-556K variant of the Mini-14. Hannibal is also seen using an M60 machine gun (which Hannibal called "Baby") in some episodes as well as a Micro-uzi. MAC-11s with parts added to simulate the Uzi appear in at least two early episodes. Hannibal's sidearms are either a nickel-plated Smith & Wesson Model 59, or a stainless steel Smith & Wesson Model 639. Unusually in the episode "Black Day at Bad Rock" he is seen carrying a Browning Hi-Power. Face's usual sidearm is a Colt Lawman Mk III, though he does use Smith & Wesson revolvers in latter seasons. Many antagonists and members of the team use 1911s as well. Starting from Season 4, the then-exotic Steyr AUG bullpup rifle also became prominent in the series. "So many different firearms were used in the 1980s hit The A-Team that it's impossible to list them all. For five seasons, the wrongly accused foursome used rifles, handguns, submachine guns and shotguns to bring justice for the little guy while trying to stay out of jail. Regardless of the number of explosions or rounds fired, nobody ever got seriously hurt except for the occasional flesh wound of a team member." The American Rifleman declared The A-Team the Number One Show on Television to regularly feature firearms.[48]

Home media

[edit]

Universal Studios has released all five seasons of The A-Team on DVD in Region 1, 2, and 4. In Region 2, a complete series set titled The A-Team—The Ultimate Collection was released on October 8, 2007. A complete series set was released in Region 1 on June 8, 2010 including 25 discs packaged in a replica of the black van. The complete series set was released in Region 4 on November 3, 2010. All 5 seasons were re-released in Region 2 with new packaging on June 21, 2010. The series was remastered and released on Blu-ray disc in the United Kingdom by Fabulous Films on October 17, 2016.

Legacy

[edit]

Bring Back... The A-Team (2006)

[edit]

On May 18, 2006, Channel 4 in the UK attempted to reunite the surviving cast members of The A-Team for the show Bring Back... in an episode titled "Bring Back...The A-Team".[citation needed] Justin Lee Collins presented the challenge, securing interviews and appearances from Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Marla Heasley, Jack Ging, series co-creator Stephen Cannell, and Mr. T.

Collins eventually united Benedict, Schultz, Heasley, Ging and Cannell, along with William Lucking, Lance LeGault, and George Peppard's son, Christian. Mr. T was unable to make the meeting, which took place in the Friar's Club in Beverly Hills, but he appeared on the show for a brief talk with Collins.

Feature film

[edit]

A feature film based on The A-Team was released on June 11, 2010, and was produced by 20th Century Fox.[49] The film stars Liam Neeson as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper as Faceman, Quinton Jackson as B.A. and Sharlto Copley as Murdock with Jessica Biel as the team's ally and Patrick Wilson as the film's villain, Agent Lynch while both Dirk Benedict (Faceman) and Dwight Schultz (Murdock) made brief cameo appearances in the film (as a prisoner using a sunbed and a psychiatrist overseeing Murdock's shock therapy, respectively); because of timing issues, these scenes were moved to the end of the credits. They were later reinserted for the extended-cut of the film.

Reboot series

[edit]

In September 2015, Fox announced the development of a reboot A-Team series with Chris Morgan as executive producer with Cannell's daughter, Tawnia McKiernan, and Albert Kim writing. The team has male and female characters.[50]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Edelstein, Robert (January 5, 2007). "Stephen J. Cannell: A Novel Approach to Life and Television". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c Neumaier, Joe (January 21, 2001). "Encore: A Real Kick In the 'A'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  3. ^ Bedell, Sally (April 28, 1983). "How TV Hit 'The A-Team,' Was Born". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Stephen J. Cannell on The A-Team Season Five DVD boxset.
  5. ^ Pickett, Debra (September 16, 2006). "'I'm not into acclaim. I tune it out.'". The Chicago Sun-Times.
  6. ^ a b "NBC Scores In Ratings With Super Bowl Broadcast". Associated Press. February 1, 1983.
  7. ^ Bring Back... The A-Team (UK), Mr. T. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.
  8. ^ Burns, Margaret E (2002), "The A-Team", St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, Gale Group, archived from the original on July 8, 2012, retrieved August 17, 2007
  9. ^ Ranked No. 96 in TV Land's list of The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases Archived March 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on August 17, 2007
  10. ^ "Special Forces – Shooters and thinkers". United States: Army. October 26, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  11. ^ Matthew Beard (October 23, 2003). "'A-Team' is viewers' most-wanted oldie for prime-time revival". Independent. Retrieved August 15, 2007.
  12. ^ Burt, Gold (October 30, 2006), "Late changes couldn't rescue The A-Team", The Leader-Post, Canada
  13. ^ Lee, Adrian (March 4, 2006). "The Final Mission". The Express.
  14. ^ "Television: All Our Fantasies". Archived from the original on August 11, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  15. ^ a b "For NBC, Trouble At 'A-Team'". The New York Times, May 18, 1986, written by Aljean Harmetz.
  16. ^ Cullen, Jenny (December 11, 1988). "Sex and politics as coonskin hero returns from the Alamo". Sunday Mail (AUS).
  17. ^ Buck, Jerry (January 5, 1989). "Tim Dunigan Plays a Different 'Davy Crockett'". Indiana Gazette. Associated Press – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Bring Back... The A-Team (2006). Broadcast on May 18, 2006.
  19. ^ "The A-Team – Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  20. ^ "The A-Team – Season 5". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  21. ^ "N/A". United Press International. March 30, 1983.
  22. ^ "ABC Special On Slips Tops Ratings, But CBS Wins Week". Associated Press. May 3, 1983.
  23. ^ "ABC Wins Its Second Week in the May Sweeps". Associated Press. May 24, 1983.
  24. ^ "NBC Hits Highest Mark in May Ratings Sweeps in Five Years". Associated Press. May 27, 1983.
  25. ^ Buck, Jerry (January 10, 1984). "CBS Wins Ratings But NBC Out of Cellar First Time This Season". Associated Press.
  26. ^ Carmody, John (September 26, 1985). "The TV Column". Washington Post.
  27. ^ "List of Nielsen Ratings". Associated Press. January 28, 1986.
  28. ^ Carmody, John (December 13, 1986). "The TV Column". Washington Post.
  29. ^ a b c "The TV Ratings Guide: 1986–87 Ratings History".
  30. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. pp. 1690–1691. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  31. ^ As told by Dirk Benedict in Jensen!, a Dutch talk show, broadcast on May 11, 2007.
  32. ^ Repeated showing on Jensen!, a Dutch talk show, broadcast on May 11, 2007.
  33. ^ Harron, Mary (July 29, 1983). "volume 106, p. 133". New Statesman. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  34. ^ Bring Back... The A-Team (UK), Stephen J. Cannell. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.
  35. ^ Dean, P (January 8, 1985), "No Mercy To Villains: But Do We Want More?", The Courier-Mail/The Sunday Mail, AUS
  36. ^ DeAndrea, William L. (editor). Encyclopedia Mysteriosa, p. 1. MacMillan, 1994, ISBN 0-02-861678-2.
  37. ^ O'Connor, John J (February 16, 1986). "TV View; It's Fun And It's Not Violent". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  38. ^ "A-Team 1983 GMC Van".
  39. ^ Filipponio, Frank (April 1, 2010). "New York 2010: Hero cars invade Gotham". Autoblog.com. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
  40. ^ "New Lego Dimensions Packs Confirmed, Beetlejuice And The A-Team Make The Cut". Nintendo Life. June 9, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  41. ^ a b Berman, Nat (May 17, 2018). "The Top 20 Theme Songs of 80s Television Shows". TV Overmind.
  42. ^ "Mike Post – The A Team" at Discogs.com. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  43. ^ "WTF, The A-Team theme had LYRICS all this time?". Digital Spy. July 13, 2017.
  44. ^ "The A-Team Review". lemon64. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  45. ^ "The A-Team". Giantbomb.Retrieved on March 21, 2023
  46. ^ "The A-Team(TM) Explodes Onto Mobile Devices With the Official Game From GameHouse and Fox Digital Entertainment". Cision PR Newswire (Press release).Retrieved on March 21, 2023
  47. ^ Vagg, Stephen (December 2019). "A Hell of a Life: The Nine Lives of John Ashley". Diabolique Magazine.[permanent dead link]
  48. ^ http://www.americanrifleman.org/GalleryItem.aspx?cid=22&gid=107&id=949 |American Rifleman. Guns on TV...No. 1...The A-Team [1]
  49. ^ "Plan Coming Together for The A-Team", Variety, March 19, 2008
  50. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 24, 2015). "'A-Team' TV Series Remake In Works With Chris Morgan Producing". Deadline.

Sources

[edit]
  • Cannell, Stephen J; Lupo, Frank (1983–1987), The A-Team (broadcast and DVD).
  • "The A-Team". TV.com. Archived from the original (TV show) on August 14, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
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