The A-Team

                                                                   

 

                                          Play theme tune...

 

"(Ten years ago / 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."

The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who work as soldiers of fortune while being on the run from the military for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by writers and producers Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell . Despite being thought of as mercenaries by the other characters in the show, the A-Team always acted on the side of good and helped the oppressed. 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 A-Team revolves around the four members of a former commando outfit and current group of mercenaries. Their leader is Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), whose plans tend to be unorthodox but effective. Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Dirk Benedict - Tim Dunigan appeared as Templeton Peck in the pilot) - usually referred to simply as "Face" - is a smooth-talking con-man who serves as the team's appropriator of vehicles and other useful items. The team's pilot is Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who has been declared insane and resides in a mental institution for the show's first four seasons. Finally, there is the team's strong man and mechanic, Sgt. B.A. "Bad Attitude" Baracus (Mr. T).

For its first season and the first half of the second season, the team was assisted by reporter Amy Amanda Allen (Melinda Culea). She was ultimately replaced by fellow reporter Tawnia Baker (Marla Heasley) for the rest of the second season. 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, but she was replaced by Frankie Santana (Eddie Velez), who served as the team's special effects expert. Eddie Velez was added to the opening credits of the fifth season after that season's second episode.

During their adventures, the A-Team was constantly met by opposition from the military police. In the show's first season they were led by Colonel Lynch (William Lucking), but he was replaced for the second, third and earlier fourth season by Colonel Decker (Lance LeGault) and his aide Captain Crane (Carl Franklin). Lynch returned for one episode in the show's third season ("Showdown!") but was not seen after. Decker was also shortly replaced by a Colonel Briggs (Charles Napier) in the third season for one episode ("Fire!") due to Lance LeGault being unavailable for the episode, but returned shortly after. For the latter portion of the show's fourth season, the team was hunted by General Harlan "Bull" Fullbright (Jack Ging), who would later hire the A-Team to find Tia in the season four finale, during which Fullbright 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).

 

Hannibal

In the pilot episode ("Mexican Slayride: Part 1"), Hannibal is described as follows by a reporter colleague of Amy Allen: "The leader [of the A-Team] is a Lieutenant Colonel named John Smith. But everybody calls him Hannibal. The guy has a very unorthodox style." Smith takes his name from the famous military commander, and strategist, as alluded to by B.A. Baracus in the same episode. He is distinguished by his constant cigar-smoking, his black leather gloves, and his many comic disguises. He is a master tactician (although his plans rarely turn out as they are supposed to) and seems to have a plan for getting the team out of any situation they get into. His favorite catch phrase is, "I love it when a plan comes together".

He fought in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel - keeping with US Military Tradition, he is most often referred to simply as "Colonel". Thriving on adventure and the adrenaline rush of life-threatening situations (or being "on the jazz", as the rest of the team refers to it), he seems to genuinely enjoy every challenge they encounter. He is renowned by both allies and enemies for being cool-headed and extremely clever. There is rarely a situation where he is not able to smile in the face of adversity. He will usually light up a cigar when he needs to do some thinking — often when coming up with a plan, and in the heat of a dangerous or exciting moment. He is also often seen putting on his gloves when he senses the action is about to pick up (such as a fist fight breaking out). When captured by their enemies, he will deliver flippant or sarcastic remarks. He regularly dispenses aphorisms, especially to their foes, upon defeating them. He also has some medical skills which he picked up when in Vietnam.

He styles himself a "master of disguise", though his skill lay not so much in how convincing his disguise was, but in his ability to assume any role and convince others that his role is genuine. Most episodes begin with the prospective clients coming to meet the A-Team, and instead, being introduced to one of Hannibal's comic aliases. Hannibal uses his various disguises to screen all the A-Team's potential clients to assure they were not fronts for the military—sometimes playing more than one at a time. Clients often make reference to a "Mr. Lee", the owner of a Chinese laundromat who tells them where to meet the team.

 

Templeton 'Faceman' Peck

In the pilot episode ("Mexican Slayride: Part 1"), Face is described as follows by a reporter colleague of Amy Allen: "Templeton Peck, known as the Faceman. In and out of trouble. An orphan from L.A. This guy is Mr Ricky-Ticky. A con man. A real operator." Suave, smooth-talking, and hugely successful with women, Peck is dubbed "Face" because of his handsome looks, which are essential to the team's survival and operations as Murdock explains in the episode "Family Reunion" (season 5) to Face's father. In season 2 episode 4 "The Only Church In Town", Face is shown to be a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

As the team's con-man and scrounger, Face seems to be able to get his hands on just about anything they need. Effectively second in command behind Hannibal (although technically Murdock has a higher rank), he is the one who arranges for supplies, equipment, and sensitive information using numerous scams and hustles. He has an uncanny ability to talk anybody (especially women) out of (or into) just about anything. In the first season episode 9 "Holiday in the Hills", an example of Face's skills are displayed: first, Face is capable of arranging a car and safe passage into a South American country; later stuck in a forest with a dying man, the team refers to him getting a Cadillac '53 during a mission in the jungles of Vietnam, and he then proceeds to take the silk from a plane's parachute to use for a makeshift ultralight aeroplane to transport the wounded man and then in the guise of a priest, scams a woman out of a motor and a set of wheels from a seeding machine.

Because of his talent as a con artist, Face generally lives the high life, staying in ritzy apartments and wearing expensive suits. In the season 2 episode 7 "The Taxicab Wars" he first appears with what he declares as his 'brand new' custom white Corvette sports car with a red stripe, which is equipped with a CB radio and a car phone, a rarity at the time. He is also an expert at picking locks and cracking safes. In season 2 episode 8 "Labor Pains" B.A. says to Face that if Hannibal hadn't put him on the team, he would probably be in jail, which Face confirmed.

Not much for hand-to-hand combat, Face is forever complaining about the inevitable fighting that ensues. This seems to be a matter of personal distaste rather than lack of fighting ability, since in some episodes Face shows considerable fighting prowess, handling numerous opponents on his own. In the majority of episodes, he calls in the help of B.A. Face will often leap at his enemies in an effort to take them down to the ground. In numerous episodes, he teams with Murdock to take down enemies.

Face also handles the team's money. As mentioned in several episodes, Peck is an orphan. He was abandoned by his parents at an early age, and was raised in different orphanages. In the episode "The Bells of St. Mary", it is revealed that Peck played football in a parochial school run by a nun. He employs this knowledge to coach orphans in that same episode, and again in the episode "Quarterback Sneak" (season 5) with former football players.

In the season 4 episode "Mind Games", it is revealed that Templeton Peck is not his real name. In season five ("Family Reunion"), Face learns that his father was a man named A.J. Bancroft and that his birth name is Richard, and he has a half-sister named Ellen. His assumed names in order are Richard Bancroft, Alvin Brennar, Al Brennan, Al Peck, Holmes Morrison, Morrison Holmes, and finally Templeton Arthur Peck.

 

B.A. Baracus

In the pilot episode ("Mexican Slayride: Part 1"), B.A. is described as follows by a reporter colleague of Amy Allen: "Bosco Baracus. Known as B.A. for 'bad attitude.' The man is a mechanical genius. He also has one of the worst conduct records in the army. He likes to slug officers." A rough-and-tough fighter, the character of B.A. Baracus is basically that of the public persona of Mr. T himself. He is known for his trademark mohawk hairstyle (which according to the show, is not Mohawk but rather an African symbol), and his gold jewellery.

While the other members of the team regularly resort to disguises, scams and subterfuge to achieve their goals, B.A.'s distinctive appearance and confrontational attitude usually lead to a more direct approach to problems, which often involve either his skills at hand to hand combat, or his mechanical talents.

He is a highly-skilled mechanic and has an amazing talent for making impressive machinery out of just about any ordinary parts. Hannibal once said to B.A., "With a pair of pliers and a little time, you could fix anything but dinner." He is also an excellent fighter and is invaluable in hand-to-hand combat. Because of his massive size and strength, he has a unique fighting tactic, which involves grabbing his opponents, lifting them over his head, and hurling them in the air. He is easily angered to the point of rage, and often greets people with a growl or a snarl. He is most often upset by Murdock and frequently addresses him with the phrase "You crazy fool!" Despite his reputed attitude, he is a nice guy at heart. He has a special fondness for children, occasionally working at a youth center teaching sports to the kids. It is divulged in a season 2 episode that he is from Chicago, another parallel with the real life Mr. T.

A teetotaler, B.A. never touches alcohol, preferring milk instead. He suffers an intense fear of flying ("I ain't gittin' on no plane!"), especially when the plane in question is flown by Murdock. This difficulty is often overcome by other members of the team drugging him, knocking him unconscious, or, as in one episode, hypnotizing him, so he can be transported without objection. However, in the Season 1 episode "The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing", he is on a plane pretending to be a maintenance technician with Murdock when the plane suddenly takes off. He immediately falls into a catatonic state while Murdock tries to revive him. Furthermore, in two episodes "The Sound of Thunder" and "Quarterback Sneak" B.A. hops onto a helicopter which is piloted by Murdock (although he is said to have gone catatonic during the plane ride in "The Sound of Thunder").

In the Season 4 episode "Lease with an Option to Die" he temporarily gives up his fear of flying when he learns his mother (Della Reese) is hurt. In that episode his mother and friends in Chicago are under the impression that he is the leader of The A-Team, which Hannibal and the others go along with for the time being. He becomes a pussycat when his mother is around and accepts her authority. The team is highly amused when his mother calls him by his childhood nickname — Scooter. We learn from his mother that his name is Elliot Bosco Baracus.

As revealed in a few episodes, B.A. and Murdock share the same blood type, AB negative, the rarest type. This was a plot device for finding one of them urgently when a transfusion was needed for the other.

B.A. drives a customized 1983 GMC van, painted black and grey with a red stripe, black and red rims, and a rooftop spoiler. B.A. is extremely protective of his van, and becomes furious if it gets any damage. He prefers to drive the van himself and is almost exclusively the driver whilst he is in the van, although other members of the team would drive the van for a variety of reasons, generally when B.A. was otherwise indisposed. He frequently says, "Nobody drives my van, but me!"

 

HM Murdock

Considered the best chopper pilot of the Vietnam War, Murdock is officially declared mentally unstable, but is in fact exceptionally good at pretending he is. He is stated as having paranoid delusions and intermittent memory loss. Although he was alleged to be the A-Team's pilot on the mission to rob the Bank of Hanoi (the crime for which they were convicted), he was never tried by the military.

Murdock is interned at a Veterans Administration (VA) Psychiatric Hospital, although he routinely escapes (generally with the help of Face) to accompany the A-Team on their missions. The symptoms of his "insanity" vary from episode to episode, but include self-identification with fictional characters, hallucinations, and belief in the "intelligence" of inanimate objects, among others. He is the most childish of the A-Team and likes watching cartoons like Woody Woodpecker or Looney Tunes and sometimes even say a Looney Tunes's characters' catchphrase like Porky Pig's "th-th-th-that's all folks". He often "channels" a certain character for the duration of a mission (much to the chagrin of B.A.) or becomes fixated on a particular subject to the point of obsession. He also frequently refers to his invisible dog, "Billy". B.A., uneasy with Murdock's unusual behavior, is easily angered by Murdock and regularly refers to him as a "crazy fool".

Murdock is almost always seen in a ball cap, a customized A-2 leather flight jacket with a picture of a tiger and the words "Da Nang 1970" on the back, and a pair of Converse All-Star shoes. He also often wears a t-shirt with a comical caption or a picture of a cartoon character like The Jetsons on it. Although he was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, he is easily capable of flying anything with rotors or wings, including passenger planes, fighter jets, and even autogyros. Interestingly, unlike B.A., the initials H.M. were never explained in terms of what Murdock's actual first and middle name were, and the nickname "Howlin' Mad" were simply attributed to them (although it is rumored that his name comes from World War II Marine Corps General Holland M. Smith, aka "Howlin' Mad", a nickname given by his troops).

It was revealed in the first season that Murdock and B.A. share the same blood type—AB negative, the rarest type. In the episode "Black Day at Bad Rock", B.A. receives a transfusion from Murdock, who was sprung from the hospital for just that, despite B.A.'s protests (fearing that Murdock's blood will make him "crazy"). This was again referenced in the second season finale "Curtain Call" when, in an unusually touching moment between the two, B.A. voluntarily offers to donate his own blood to save Murdock.

Due to his nature, many of the details of Murdock's life are unknown, or possibly embellished. According to Amy in the pilot episode, Murdock's mother died when he was five (although they "still keep in touch"). If he is to be believed, he was raised (or at least influenced) by his grandmother (who is supposedly named "H. Emma Murdock") and his grandfather. In one episode in the third season, B.A. says that Murdock went insane after his plane crashed. The exact state of his insanity is never made clear, though he occasionally implies that his insanity is his ticket to his "room and board". Despite his purported mental status, Murdock is a thoroughly competent member of the team, when needed to be. Indeed, because he is not actually wanted by the military, Murdock is often the only team member to evade capture by a given episode's antagonists (or the military police), and he has single-handedly rescued the other team members several times.

Murdock actually has extensive knowledge of various subjects and keeps up on current events, showing a genius level aptitude. He speaks several languages including Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian (not too well though) and Mandarin Chinese. In the second season episode "The Maltese Cow", Murdock says, "What can I say? One day I had a gonzo headache and before it went away I could read and speak Chinese. And it was a bad afternoon, too, lemme tell you." He also seems capable of a photographic memory. He is also a talented actor and often accompanies Face on his scams. He is capable of impersonating the voices of famous individuals and mimicking many different foreign accents. It is also revealed in the Season 4 episode "Wheel of Fortune", that Murdock has worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on at least two occasions, once in 1969 and once in 1972. The exact extent of Murdock's missions with the CIA are not revealed.

One particular insight into Murdock's unique world view comes during the season five episode "Trial By Fire". Murdock is asked to take the stand at the A-Team's murder trial and give testimony about his helicopter flight following the Hanoi bank mission. The testimony takes the form of a surreal flashback from Murdock's perspective in which Murdock himself (wearing a grey wig and Biggles-style flight jacket) and his female co-pilot come under attack from The Spanish Armada, a sea serpent, and a tribe of Native Americans mounted on horseback, while Murdock spouts melodramatic dialogue. His mental acumen, however had generally improved by the fifth season to the point that he agonized whether to tell team member Face that their current client A.J. Bancroft was in fact Face's real father, and that Bancrofts daughter was his half-sister.

Murdock was permanently discharged from the mental institution in the fifth season, supposedly having regained his sanity, which is consistent with the fact he possibly pretended to be insane as a cover. Following this event, instead of a different mental fixation every episode, Murdock took a different menial job each week, including stints working as a Dog walker and a Waiter.

 

 

Season 1: 1983

Ep#

Title

Original airdate

101

"Mexican Slayride, Part 1"

January 23, 1983 (1983-01-23)

102

"Mexican Slayride, Part 2"

January 23, 1983 (1983-01-23)

103

"Children of Jamestown"

January 30, 1983 (1983-01-30)

104

"Pros and Cons"

February 8, 1983 (1983-02-08)

105

"A Small and Deadly War"

February 15, 1983 (1983-02-15)

106

"Black Day at Bad Rock"

February 22, 1983 (1983-02-22)

107

"The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas"

March 1, 1983 (1983-03-01)

108

"The Out-of-Towners"

March 15, 1983 (1983-03-15)

109

"Holiday in the Hills"

March 22, 1983 (1983-03-22)

110

"West Coast Turnaround"

April 5, 1983 (1983-04-05)

111

"One More Time"

April 12, 1983 (1983-04-12)

112

"Till Death Do Us Part"

April 19, 1983 (1983-04-19)

113

"The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing"

May 3, 1983 (1983-05-03)

114

"A Nice Place to Visit"

May 10, 1983 (1983-05-10)

Season 2: 1983-1984

Ep#

Title

Original airdate

201

"Diamonds 'n' Dust"

September 20, 1983 (1983-09-20)

202

"Recipe for Heavy Bread"

September 23, 1983 (1983-09-23)

203

"The Only Church in Town"

October 11, 1983 (1983-10-11)

204

"Bad Time on the Border"

October 18, 1983 (1983-10-18)

205

"When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? (1)"

October 25, 1983 (1983-10-25)

206

"When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? (2)"

October 25, 1983 (1983-10-25)

207

"The Taxicab Wars"

November 1, 1983 (1983-11-01)

208

"Labor Pains"

November 8, 1983 (1983-11-08)

209

"There's Always a Catch"

November 22, 1983 (1983-11-22)

210

"Water, Water Everywhere"

November 29, 1983 (1983-11-29)

211

"Steel"

December 6, 1983 (1983-12-06)

212

"The White Ballot"

December 13, 1983 (1983-12-13)

213

"The Maltese Cow"

January 3, 1984 (1984-01-03)

214

"In Plane Sight"

January 10, 1984 (1984-01-10)

215

"The Battle of Bel Air"

January 17, 1984 (1984-01-17)

216

"Say It With Bullets"

January 31, 1984 (1984-01-31)

217

"Pure-Dee Poison"

February 7, 1984 (1984-02-07)

218

"It's a Desert Out There"

February 14, 1984 (1984-02-14)

219

"Chopping Spree"

February 21, 1984 (1984-02-21)

220

"Harder Than It Looks"

February 21, 1984 (1984-02-21)

221

"Deadly Maneuvers"

February 28, 1984 (1984-02-28)

222

"Semi-Friendly Persuasion"

May 8, 1984 (1984-05-08)

223

"Curtain Call"

May 15, 1984 (1984-05-15)

Season 3: 1984-1985

Ep#

Title

Original airdate

301

"Bullets and Bikinis"

September 18, 1984 (1984-09-18)

302

"The Bend in the River: Part 1"

September 25, 1984 (1984-09-25)

303

"The Bend in the River: Part 2"

September 25, 1984 (1984-09-25)

304

"Fire"

October 2, 1984 (1984-10-02)

305

"Timber!"

October 16, 1984 (1984-10-16)

306

"Double Heat"

October 23, 1984 (1984-10-23)

307

"Trouble on Wheels"

October 30, 1984 (1984-10-30)

308

"The Island"

November 13, 1984 (1984-11-13)

309

"Showdown!"

November 20, 1984 (1984-11-20)

310

"Sheriffs of Rivertown"

November 27, 1984 (1984-11-27)

311

"The Bells of St. Mary's"

December 4, 1984 (1984-12-04)

312

"Hot Styles"

December 11, 1984 (1984-12-11)

313

"Breakout!"

December 18, 1984 (1984-12-18)

314

"Cup A' Joe"

January 8, 1985 (1985-01-08)

315

"The Big Squeeze"

January 15, 1985 (1985-01-15)

316

"Champ!"

January 22, 1985 (1985-01-22)

317

"Skins"

January 29, 1985 (1985-01-29)

318

"Road Games"

February 5, 1985 (1985-02-05)

319

"Moving Targets"

February 12, 1985 (1985-02-12)

320

"Knights of the Road"

February 26, 1985 (1985-02-26)

321

"Waste 'Em!"

March 5, 1985 (1985-03-05)

322

"Bounty"

April 2, 1985 (1985-04-02)

323

"Beverly Hills Assault"

April 9, 1985 (1985-04-09)

324

"Trouble Brewing"

May 7, 1985 (1985-05-07)

325

"Incident at Crystal Lake"

May 14, 1985 (1985-05-14)

Season 4: 1985-1986

Ep#

Title

Original airdate

401

"Judgment Day: Part 1"

September 24, 1985 (1985-09-24)

402

"Judgment Day: Part 2"

September 24, 1985 (1985-09-24)

403

"Where Is the Monster When You Need Him?"

October 1, 1985 (1985-10-01)

404

"Lease with an Option to Die"

October 22, 1985 (1985-10-22)

405

"The Road to Hope"

October 29, 1985 (1985-10-29)

406

"The Heart of Rock N' Roll"

November 5, 1985 (1985-11-05)

407

"Body Slam"

November 12, 1985 (1985-11-12)

408

"Blood, Sweat, and Cheers"

November 19, 1985 (1985-11-19)

409

"Mind Games"

November 26, 1985 (1985-11-26)

410

"There Goes the Neighborhood"

December 3, 1985 (1985-12-03)

411

"The Doctor Is Out"

December 10, 1985 (1985-12-10)

412

"Uncle Buckle-Up"

December 17, 1985 (1985-12-17)

413

"Wheel of Fortune"

January 14, 1986 (1986-01-14)

414

"The A-Team Is Coming, the A-Team Is Coming"

January 21, 1986 (1986-01-21)

415

"Members Only"

January 28, 1986 (1986-01-28)

416

"Cowboy George"

February 11, 1986 (1986-02-11)

417

"Waiting for Insane Wayne"

February 18, 1986 (1986-02-18)

418

"The Duke of Whispering Pines"

February 25, 1986 (1986-02-25)

419

"Beneath the Surface"

March 4, 1986 (1986-03-04)

420

"Mission of Peace"

March 11, 1986 (1986-03-11)

421

"The Trouble with Harry"

March 25, 1986 (1986-03-25)

422

"A Little Town with an Accent"

May 6, 1986 (1986-05-06)

423

"The Sound of Thunder"

May 13, 1986 (1986-05-13)

Season 5: 1986-1987

Ep#

Title

Original airdate

501

"Dishpan Man (Part 1 of The Revolution/The Court Martial)"

September 26, 1986 (1986-09-26)

502

"Trial by Fire (Part 2 of The Revolution/The Court Martial)"

October 3, 1986 (1986-10-03)

503

"Firing Line (Part 3 of The Revolution/The Court Martial)"

October 10, 1986 (1986-10-10)

504

"Quarterback Sneak"

October 17, 1986 (1986-10-17)

505

"The Theory of Revolution"

October 24, 1986 (1986-10-24)

50 6

"The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair"

October 31, 1986 (1986-10-31)

507

"Alive at Five"

November 7, 1986 (1986-11-07)

508

"Family Reunion"

November 14, 1986 (1986-11-14)

509

"Point of No Return"

November 18, 1986 (1986-11-18)

510

"The Crystal Skull"

November 28, 1986 (1986-11-28)

511

"The Spy Who Mugged Me"

December 2, 1986 (1986-12-02)

512

"The Grey Team"

December 30, 1986 (1986-12-30)

513

"Without Reservations"

March 8, 1987 (1987-03-08)

 

 

                                                                          Copyright(C) 2007 - 2020. All rights reserved

 

 

Genre Action/Adventure
Created by Frank Lupo
Stephen J. Cannell
Starring George Peppard
Dirk Benedict
Dwight Schultz
Mr. T
Melinda Culea
Marla Heasley
Eddie Velez
Robert Vaughn
Narrated by  
Counrty of origin United States
No. of episodes 98
Running Time) 48 minutes per episode
Original Run January 23, 1983 – March 8, 1987
Language English

 

 

back