The A-Team
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.
The series was developed as a cross between Seven Samurai (and
its western remake The Magnificent Seven) and The Dirty Dozen,
with "Mr. T driving the car", at the behest of Brandon Tartikoff, NBC's
Entertainment president. It also had vague elements of Mad Max.
Despite being thought of
as mercenaries by the other characters in the show, the A-Team always
acted on the side of the good guys 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), with a total of 98 episodes.
It remains known in
popular culture for its cartoon-like use of over-the-top violence,
supposedly formulaic episodes, featuring the ability to form weaponry
and vehicles out of old parts, and its distinctive opening theme. It has
been parodied on numerous websites such as Newgrounds and also on
television shows such as Robot Chicken, Family Guy and Spaced. The show
also served as the springboard for the career of Mr. T, who portrayed
the character of B. A. Baracus, around which the show was initially
conceived. Some of the show's catchphrases such as "I love it when a
plan comes together" and "I ain't gettin' on no
plane!" have also made their way onto T-shirts and other merchandise.