The A-Team - Series 1 (Box Set) (DVD)

Welcome to one of the best 1980s shows.

Is it me or is TV not as good as it was in the 80s?, the A team was memorable for its introduction and theme tune and everybody remembers Mr T (one of the great characters of all time)

As we are told at the beginning of each show:

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 ...
...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 are a gang of Vietnam veterans who carry out jobs as guns for hire who are also on the run from the authorities. Wrongfully accused of robbing the Bank of Hanoi they are forced to live life on the run.

Travelling around America in their black ... more

Welcome to one of the best 1980s shows.

Is it me or is TV not as good as it was in the 80s?, the A team was memorable for its introduction and theme tune and everybody remembers Mr T (one of the great characters of all time)

As we are told at the beginning of each show:

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 are a gang of Vietnam veterans who carry out jobs as guns for hire who are also on the run from the authorities. Wrongfully accused of robbing the Bank of Hanoi they are forced to live life on the run.

Travelling around America in their black van, with a red stripe (nothing too obvious when you are on the run!) the A team help people who are in need of help (but were they really an elite unit....thousands of guns fired and they never hit anyone!). Whilst carryout there tasks they have to keep a watchful eye on Col Lynch, who is determined to capture them.

Each of the characters were totally different to each other, led by John "Hannibal" Smith the cigar chomping man who "loved it when a plan comes together". Hannibal was also a part time actor in cheap horror films, he often used cunning disguises in order to assess potential customers (However you could always tell it was Hannibal!, and I am sure you could not get away with someone pretending to be a Chinese laundry man anymore!)

We also met BA Baracus, the tough exterior but soft hearted mohican haired man, who also happenned to wear half a tonne of necklaces and rings (I always thought that it was amazing he remained undetected by the authorities), BA wa the main who could seemingly build and design everything (who else could make a armoured tank from items found in a scrap yard!)

Templeton "Face" Peck, the ladies man who also happenned to be a superb conman. Face was the man who could always get everything they needed to carry out their jobs (his disguises were slightly better than Hannibal's)

and finally "Howling Mad" Murdock, a expert pilot who could fly everything. Unfortunately he spent most of the time in the asylum.

The basic plot never really changed much throughout the whole season. Local town bully intimidates people, people hire the A Team, the A Team beat the bullies. However the plot might be simple, but it works and thats what makes this so enjoyable.

The A team has surprisingly not dated as much as some other programmes from this time, and I think this is partly due to fact that it never took it self seriously. Sceptics criticised the programme for being silly and the plots unrealistic, but I think they are missing the plot this, is entertainment not a docu drama.

The acting is good and the cast make the best of what they have, after all this was just entertainment. George Peppard (Hannibal) revived his career and Mr T, became on of the big icons of the 1980's

The 14 episodes in the first season include "Mexican Slayride" (2 part pilot), where the A Team are hired to find a journalist in Mexico. One of the best episodes is " The Rabbit who ate Las Vegas", where the A Team get entangled with the mafia.

The A Team is good entertainment, when the programme was originally shown there was concern that it was too violent. However the basic plot is all about good overcoming bad and the importance of comradeship any violence is comic book style as no one was ever hurt.

Some of the scenes around Murdock and BA's love/hate relationship are really entertaining, especially when BA was afraid to fly!.

If you are looking for gritty realistic drama this is not for you, however if you want entertaining TV which has a good plot and a mixture of action and humour then watch the A Team.

 

...less