The A ( ish ) team (A-Team, The)

Member Name: blissman70

Product:	A-Team, The
Date:	14/10/08 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great entertainment with many hilarious stunts

Disadvantages: not for your serious blood lust viewer??

Creators: Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell
Producers: John Ashley, Stephen J. Cannell, Frank Lupo and Tom Bloquist.
Stars: George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Mr T., Melinda Culsa and Marla Heasley


Released in January 1983, running until 1987, creating 98 episodes split into 5 series, this action/adventure/comedy revolves around the lives of four military personnel who lives change in the blink of an eye...



* MAIN CHARACTERS...

Colonel John Smith- aka Hannibal, (played by George Peppard) is the leader of the team, having some very unique ways of dealing with situation, but always " loves it when a plan comes together"

Sergeant Bosco Baracus- aka B. A. or Bad Attitude, (played by Mr T) is the mechanic of the team with muscle the size of a house, he is the hardman with only one weakness.

Lieutenant Templeton Peck- aka Faceman, (played by Dirk Benedict (although played by Tim Dunigan in the pilot)), was the charmer of the team, a bit of a conman, with the ability to get anything that is needed, including some rather beautiful ladies.

Captain H.M. Murdock- aka Howling mad, (played by Dwight Schultz) is the pilot and all round lunatic of the team, being declared insane by the military. He does have to be broken out of the asylum where he lives each time the team need him, much to the annoyance of B A.

Also...
The team were helped by Amy Amanda Allen, (played by Melinda Culsa), a reporter looking for the story of her career, then she was replaced during the second series by another reporter, Tawnia Baker, (played by Marla Heasley).

And Guest starring...

Wendy Fulton, (Knight rider, Matlock and Different strokes, also married to Dwight)
*Boy George, (The badly dressed bloke (?) from culture club who brought us that annoying song Karma Chameleon)
*William Perry, (American footballer better known as 'The Fridge')
*Isaac Hayes, ( singer songwriter best known for the soundtrack from the movie Shaft)
*Pat Sajek, ( American television icon, game-show host and weather man)
*Hulk Hogan, ( The American wrestler)
*Rick James, ( Motown musician)
*David McCallum, ( actor best known from the man from U.N.C.L.E.)




** BRIEF IDEA **

When a crack team of US special forces are imprisoned for a crime they did not commit they promptly escape from the maximum security prison and become soldiers of fortune...( so far so good)... and this team of ex-crack commando's now working as vigilantes is what this entire show is about...

At first it did seem like any other army style show which would have many killings and many wanna-be heroes, all flexing their muscles trying to impress each other, ...something akin to the weights room at your local gymnasium... but this show was slightly different, appealing more to the younger generation of the eighties without upsetting the parents...

And it did just that to perfection... as the main characteristic of this programme being the way no one ever gets killed, or even seriously injured, no matter what is thrown at them.
The stunts are so over the top they will be remembered forever, mainly with some form of vehicle catching a wheel on a badly disguised ramp, (hidden under a handful of soil or behind a wooden shack), then the vehicle spinning through the air like a missile, only in slow motion, landing on its roof, crushing it into a mangled mess... only for the occupants to climb out, brush the dust from their trousers and walk away, escaping just in time before the vehicle explodes, sending the fleeing occupants tumbling through the air, (again in slow motion) and landing on what looks like a floor of pillows covered in dusty dirt... amazing stuff???

As for the gun fights... of which there are many... not one person is killed, not even by a stray bullet, ( and more amazingly, not even under friendly fire... which considering which country this show originated is amazing).
But this sort of "non violent violence" is what made the first couple of series so popular with the youngsters, (and especially the parents who allowed the youngsters to watch it), there was no real gore, no legs being ripped off, no bullets splattering brains all over the walls, no torture... nothing... except what can only be described as slapstick violence... a little like "Tom and Jerry meets Rambo working at the local garage"...

It became so popular because of it's unique way of showing violence without anyone getting hurt... therefore upsetting no one whilst entertaining all...



During the entire first four series the A team were constantly being pursued by the military police... led by Colonel Lynch, (played by William Lucking) in the first series, then led by Colonel Decker, (played by Lance LeGault) in the next three series... although neither men could capture the elusive team...

And in more or less every episode the A team amazingly manage to construct some form of unstoppable attack vehicle out of scrap iron found in an outside toilet and welded to little girls pram...? Brilliantly comical indeed...


The first four series were simple stories of a small team of ex soldiers helping bring justice to people who were being victimised... every episode being a totally different story to the last but each one having just as much comical action and very 'iffy' stunt work.
As for the final series, well, it then became more of many military scenarios as the A team were finally captured, then being forced to complete military mission in return for a pardon for the crime they didn't commit.

In all a rather surprisingly entertaining show with some rather good story lines.
The acting can be a little wooden in parts but doesn't really spoil anything as the brilliantly over the top stunts and special effects take the viewers attention from that negative aspect...
I personally loved watching this as a 'younger person', I thought it was one of the best things ever with so much action, thrills and plenty of war like entertainment... totally brilliant in it's day... and still fun to watch now. (although they should have stopped after series 4... As the last series, once the team were captured, went down hill slightly with the vigilantly aspect being thrown out of the window for a more military show).


You can get the entire series from amazon for less than £90.00, which for 27 discs containing over 70 hours of entertainment, (albeit sometimes tacky and far fetched) it is well worth the money.


Series 1- 14 episodes, January 1983
Series 2- 23 episodes, September 1983
Series 3- 25 Episodes, September 1984
Series 4- 23 Episodes, September 1985
Series 5- 13 Episodes, September 1986


There are just too many episodes with too much action information to pen here so a have simplified it by placing a link for anyone that is interested in viewing each episode, so for a complete run down on each episode go to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084967/episodes

Summary: How to win a battle without hurting a sole...!!