TV Show of the Week #8: The A-Team

Mr E

Continuing the retro theme....

"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."

It was mentioned in last weeks Quantum Leap thread about how great that show's theme tune was. There are lots of TV shows from the 80s that had great music (don't get me started on the crap we have to put up with these days). Knightrider, Magnum PI, MacGyver, Airwolf etc. The A-Team has to be up there as one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable.

The show itself was great at the time, but it had dated really really badly. As a kid, you don't care how formulaic it was. You just want to see BA kick a bloody door down, and see what cool vehicle they'll build at the end of the show.

Typical formula? Someone in trouble, they hire the A-Team, the A-Team has a run in with them and sends them running, bad guys do something bad like kidnapping someone, A-Team build some kind of armoured vehicle, cue lots of explosions and slow motion cars off ramps, and the A-Team wins the day. Add in some recurring elements (Dekker, BA's fear of flying, Murdoch being mad, Face wooing women etc.) and you have a formula that worked (for a few years anyway).

It definitely went off the rails for Season 5 (where they worked for the government), but at that stage, the writing was on the wall.

With a movie due next year, maybe its time for a renaissance?

Check out the A-Team Wiki Page for lots of interesting info about the show.

icdg

Mr E wrote: »

Continuing the retro theme....

It was mentioned in last weeks Quantum Leap thread about how great that show's theme tune was. There are lots of TV shows from the 80s that had great music (don't get me started on the crap we have to put up with these days). Knightrider, Magnum PI, MacGyver, Airwolf etc. The A-Team has to be up there as one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable.

So many of those themes written by Mr 80s Theme Tune composer himself, Mike Post. Great music and catchy, the A-Teame theme (the A-Theme even????) is still recognised today.

Like Quantum Leap's theme however, it also suffered a murderous re-arrangement in the final season...

mike65

Pfffffffft. Cmon it was junk we all knew it even as we tuned in every week to see the Willes jeep flip over in slow motion. I tell ya this, central America/latin Americans sure got a bad rap back then!

Would "A-Team 2010" feature a parade of Islamic troublemakers?

Mike.

Pigman II

icdg wrote: »

it also suffered a murderous re-arrangement in the final season...

Seems fitting considering the show itself seemed to suffer a murderous re-arrangement in the final season!

Biggest retooling / shark-jump in TV history outside of Adam West Batman Season 3 I reckon?

elurhs

There were two basic locations with the A-Team, a town out in the sticks (filmed at the same location every week) or the jungle.

As long as the film is a cheesy as the original, I'll be happy. The worst thing they could do is make it a "serious" film about terrorism, etc.

citytillidie

Its been on bravo and so cheesy now, like having running gun fights in LA and not one single police car chasing them.

JP Liz

Loved this show Murdoch was my fav

blindpilot

Legendary show I wouldn't get on no plane either!!!