Guilty pleasures don't come more guilty than The A-Team, television's only tongue-in-cheek drama about the exploits of renegade Vietnam vets. The primetime series' 1983 debut season, gathered here on The A-Team: Season One, was intentionally ludicrous, encouraging viewers to enjoy sundry talents of a colorful cast and laugh off storylines perhaps sillier than those on Charlie's Angels. Co-created by Stephen J. Cannell (Wiseguy) and Frank Lupo (Hunter), The A-Team introduced Lt. Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), the cocksure leader of a band of fugitive American soldiers framed for a crime in Vietnam and now thriving in Los Angeles. Hiring themselves out as soldiers of fortune, Hannibal's crew--including Lt. Templeton "Face" Peck (baby-faced Tim Dunigan in the pilot, Dirk Benedict thereafter), Sgt. Bosco Albert "B.A. (for 'Bad Attitude')" Baracus (Mr. T, outfitted with his trademark gold), and, most comically, Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (Dwight Schultz)--assist (mostly) ordinary people having a problem with bad guys. The A-Team ostensibly charges large fees, but much of the time the guys seem to be doing pro bono work for the helpless.
Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith
As we are so often reminded, the A-Team leader, John "Hannibal" Smith, just loves the jazz. Cool and dangerous as a charmed cobra, Hannibal would rather play baseball with a live hand grenade than find out the secrets of life inside a coffin. Crazy enough to try and sell striped paint to a zebra, Hannibal's act is so tight that in Vietnam he was a well-respected Colonel right up to the moment - four days after the war - that he wandered out of the DMZ with 100 million yen belonging to the Bank of Hanoi. When Hannibal learnt that his only alibi was dead, he and his men chose running rather than staying to beat the rap. They're running still....
The following extract on Hannibal Smith is taken from TVLand's website:
Col. John "Hannibal" Smith
Cigar chomping Col. John Smith is the Patton-esque, soldier-for-life mastermind behind of the A-Team. His nickname is Hannibal, after the great Carthaginian general, who in 218 BC whupped the Romans after launching a surprise attack by traveling to Italy over the Alps. Like his namesake, Hannibal is a crafty tactician and a student of war. He is forever "on the jazz" (ready for action) and he delights in his weekly victorious campaigns, hence his trademark slogan, "I love it when a plan comes together."
Hannibal Qoute:
""I Love It When A Plan Comes Together"
""Now B.A."
""Well I Don't Work Alone, And I Can't Speak For The Others"
""Seem A Little Edgy To You?"
""Okay It's Been Fun, Give Me A Number And I'll Call You"
Sergeant B.A. Baracus
Bosco Baracus is the name his mother gave him, but to the rest of us and the A-Team themselves he's plain B.A. In South Asia, where he earned his reputation for having a Bad Attitude, B.A. was recognised as the finest field infantry mechanic in the military. But times change. Big and bad, and with jewels hanging off him like lights on a christmas tree, B.A. is now known as an electronics wizard who could build a racing car from a sackful of bottle tops and a rubber band. Like Achilles, B.A. has a weakness: fear of flying. He knows it's irrational, but like he says: "If it's safer to fly than drive - how come they don't put parachutes in cars?"
The following extract on B.A. Baracus is taken from TV Land's website:
Sgt. Bosco B.A. Barracus
The B.A. stands for Bad Attitude, and pity the fool who gets in his way! B.A. earned his reputation in Vietnam, where he had trouble controlling his temper and had a tendency to settle his frustrations with his fists. B.A. is the mechanic of the A-Team with a special skill for creating combat vehicles and makeshift weapons. Despite his gruff demeanor and fearsome appearance, B.A. possesses an abiding sensitivity and hides a big ol' heart in his massive chest. He's also deathly afraid of heights. This is frequently a problem when getting on a plane piloted by A-Team member "Howling Mad" Murdock, whom B.A. is routinely on the verge of throttling anyway.
B.A. Qoute:
""I Ain't Afraid To Fly, And I Ain't Afraid Of No Monkey's Either"
""He's On The Jazz, Man."
""Shut Up, Fool."
""I Don't Think So Sucker"
Templeton "Face Man" Peck
You want it? Face can get it. From a peashooter to a Pershing II, from a catapult to a cruise missile - the Face Man can provide. Tarred and feathered, this Scholar of the Dollar could sell air-conditioning to eskimos while juggling snow. And that famous visage? Coupled with a tongue so fast and slippery it could wrestle a snake, it has seen the A-Team through enough difficult moments to have turned it into something resembling an extremely sad prune. But, like a toothpaste ad-man on the make, the Face keeps on smiling.
The following was taken from TVLand about the character Face Man:
Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck
Known as Faceman to his team members, Lieutenant Templeton Peck earned his moniker from his penchant for creating disguises and slipping behind enemy lines. Peck is a smooth talker who can wile his way out of just about any jam He's also a ladies' man, and he's especially adept at using his "skills of persuasion" on members of the fairer sex. Faceman is the supply officer to the A-Team, and he ranks second in command to Hannibal.
Face Quote:
"He's On The Jazz"
""A Real Confidence Builder"
""Well They've Gotta Let The Caterers Into The Kitchen"
""So Eh...You Doing Anything Saturday Night"
Captain H.M. Murdock
He howls. He's mad. He plays unplugged videos. He's a mental aerobics master, flicking through his characters faster than a thief through a bankroll. He's even got a silly smirk - he tried a serious one once, but it just didn't hang right. But fly? He could land a Jumbo Jet upside down with a roller skate on his head. And if for a moment anyone thought he was the slightest bit sane, he'd be back in Fort Bragg faster than a fly under a swatter. Murdock's crazy o.k. - like a fox.
The following extract on H.M. Murdock was taken from TVLand's website:
Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock
A seasoned pilot, Captain Murdock flew for the A-Team in Vietnam. During his final tour of duty, the pressures of war left Murdock, well, howling mad, as his nickname implies. Though he is institutionalised at the Veteran's Hospital, the Team breaks him out frequently for special covert assignments (much to the consternation of B.A., who finds Murdock's zany antics intolerable). Although Murdock hears imaginary voices and has delusional visions, he is an excellent pilot and a valued member of the A-Team.
Murdock Quote:
""Say Are We A Groovy, Happening Bunch Of Guys Or...What?"
""You Know I Think That Big Angry Guy Is Getting Worse"
""Be Careful With That, It Took Me Hours To Bake It!"
