The a-Team: Series 2 [DVD]

I'll admit the first season of The A-Team (that's Alpha Team for the uninitiated) was a bit dodgy and had a rough quality to it. But season 2 is where the show really found it's groove and began to develop the characters and plots more. And you just gotta love all those silly inventions. But hey, it gets the job done.

People often complain about the same things when moaning about The A-Team. They say that every show had the same plot. Well, this can be said about a lot of TV shows if you go into technicalities. But the A-Team diversified enough for this statement to be simply not true (a 2-hour episode is included in this season, for example). They also complain that no one ever got shot or died. Also not true. People do die. People are shot. Just not very often and certainly not by one of the team. I mean if they are on the run for a crime they didn't commit then it would be stupid of them to shoot people. And Amy just doesn't disappear without a reason halfway through this season as so many people complain. Her character is made a foreign correspondent in Jakarta and is frequently referenced in her abesence. People just love to hate this show because it's easy to pick apart but I doubt something like Lost will be so fondly remembered in 20 years time.

With rumors of an A-Team movie abound I have to express my disapproval, at the moment at least. Currently there are FAR TOO MANY old shows being made into heartless movies. Some of them were already worth nothing (Charlie's Angels, Honeymooners) but the A-Team was something special and there is NO WAY you can replace the original cast with Hollywood actors.

The late, great George Peppard is the only Hannibal. I miss him. It's sad that he passed away at the too young age of 66 but you can really see what caused his illness when watching this show. He is always chomping on a cigar. George Peppard was a heavy smoker (and drinker) and although he quit both of them soon after the show it had already taken it's toll on him. It's a real shame and no one can replace him.

Dirk Benedict is the only Templeton 'Face' Peck. A man who lies and cons like there was no tomorrow. A man who wouldn't tell you the truth even if you held a gun to his grandmother's head. Only Dirk pulled this off perfectly and the role will always be his.

Dwight Schultz often displays Jim Carrey-esque levels of zany humor as Murdock and there's no doubt the man is a terrific actor. Carrey could pull this off I guess but he's much older than Schultz was at the time and he did make Murdock into the wild, 'is he crazy or just faking it' character we all know and love.

And finally there's Mr T. If I absolutely HAD to choose my fave Team member, if you really made me. I would be him. He's the one that gave the A-Team something special. And although his acting is a little amateur (he gradually got better) he's just hilarious.

Of course you could bring back the original cast but Benedict, Schultz and T are all 60, 57 and 53 now and can you really imagine them taking orders from a new Hannibal? I don't think so!

And then there's the A-Team theme music. THE best TV theme ever. There are, as of yet, undiscovered tribes in the heart of the amazon jungle that know and love the A-Team theme. Immediatly starting on a high and not letting up for 60 seconds of one of the most heroic fanfares ever...could there be a better theme tune than this? Never!

The DVD presentation is just a little bit better than last time. The picture is still in desperate need of a digital remastering. Something it can come across as very clear and colorful but too often the colors are washed out, bland and have a 'sun-bleached' look.

The sound is okay. Nothing to write home about. But certainly no complaints.

Extras this time consist of a bonus Knight Rider episode and trailers of A-Team Season 1, Miami Vice, Airwolf and Knight Rider.

The A-Team is one of those programmes that you watch where you think, yep, that wouldn't happen, or, if they were in the army, why didn't they ever shoot anybody? My answer, maybe not all television series need to have seriously over complicated plots, and dead bodies lying left, right and centre.
And yet, even if you are thinking little things like this, The A-Team is still one of the most enjoyable programmes you will ever find.
I have watched this ever since my Gran saw a picture of, as she called him "a man with lots of jewellery" (BA!) when I was about five. Im now 20 and I still love it. Im also female, which means that people who watch it, dont just watch it because of the explosions, cars and gun fights. There was a lot more to this programme than just that. For a start, its four cast members. George Peppard, Mr T, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz were a joy to watch, week in, week out. They were a dynamic bunch, and it worked so well on screen. Peppard (One of my all time favourites) was born for the role as the cigar munching leader, the man with the plan. His disguises were always funny, but I think we as the audience only recognized him, because we saw him, week in, week out. Mr T, was mean and big, but turned into a big cuddly teddy bear whenever a kid was on the screen. He was also normally the butt of Murdock's jokes, so it was even funnier. And speaking of Murdock, he was hilarious, especially when he was off on one, like I said, normally at the expense of BA, and rather than giving him a telling off, Hannibal would agree with him, and make the situation for BA even worse. Dirk Benedict was not just a pretty boy, though he was terribly handsome and always well dressed, but he also had a lot of wit and charisma, like for example, he cannot do a simple job like hammering a couple of nails, yet he can con two bear hunters out of their cabin, and steal a first aid kit, whilst in the same room as the ever on their tail Colonel Decker!
This series, season two, was one of, if not, the best of the five series, featuring some of the top episodes such as When You Comin' Back Range Rider parts 1 & 2, which gave viewers a chance to see the team as cowboys, which they suited extremely well. Hannibal and Face especially suited the clothing if I may say so, buts that from a female's point of view.
So, if you are thinking of buying this box set, dont think, BUY IT NOW, and buy anything else that has got the A Team written on it.
I will cherish this series and its characters forever, as not only does it remind me of my childhood, but it lets me kick back, relax and watch something that is purely meant to entertain me. :o)

The A-Team is a programme that would be a complete and utter waste of even just thinking of remaking, no matter how talented a person was or how hard they tried it would never and I mean never match this, because everything about it feels as though it is how it was meant to be, that and the fact that it is one of the best pieces of television ever that successfully mixes action with comedy and does it so brilliantly. Now I have got that out of the way I will briefly, if you have never seen it that is, tell you a little of what all the fuss is about. To explain it as simply as possible it is about a group of soldiers who are on the run from the military for a crime that they did not commit. That in itself is rather tricky. But at the same time as all this, they help people (any people, it could be you, me or somebody you know, although you have to find them first) with problems for example whether it be somebody has been kidnapped or somebody's taxi business is being unlawfully ruined by a rival taxi business etc. or just generally being bullied. Whatever the problem is they have all got one thing in common, and that is in the end The A-Team will defeat the bad guys (usually deadly serious and smug, which make it all the more satisfying and amusing that they get what they deserve in the end) responsible, but in the process hurt them as little as possible. So by the end of each episode, the innocent victims involved can get on with their tedious lives and The A-Team can get on with helping another poor soul, although sometimes they have to escape from the military before they can move on. Below is a little information on the members of The A-Team.

Hannibal (my personal favourite) - In charge of the team (and rightly so given is age and experience) and loves it when plans come together, adores his cigars, looks for acting roles in between missions and is very witty, especially love it when he's on the jazz and uses his acting talents to disguise himself as various made up characters. George Peppard played this role with such coolness.

Face - Ladies man and likes to do as little manual work as possible, tries to fight as little as possible (although he can fight) and uses his conman skills to get various things, for example if they ever need a helicopter Face is your man, if the team need to get Murdock out of the nuthouse Face is your man, in general if The A-Team need anything for a mission, then it is no problem for the Faceman. I particularly find it funny the way he comes across as a bit of a snob and secretly looks down at the others.

Murdock - Completely mad but extremely funny (overall the funniest character), winds B.A. up all the time and his pilot skills are essential to the team. Hides out in a nuthouse and I'm still not 100% sure if he really is or really isn't.

B.A. - The gold chain wearing hardman of the team, loves his van and if some kind of weapon needs to be made, then he can make them unbelievably(still entertaining) out of almost anything. Arguably the most caring team member, hates flying. Love the way he fools the team into thinking he's about to do something really bad to them after they put him to sleep to get him on a plane.

In my opinion this season is as good as any. It is also the introduction of the legendary Col.Decker (the best character outside of The A-Team by far). He definitely wasn't stupid, it's just that The A-Team made him look stupid, especially when Hannibal gets as close as possible to him before they escape, just so he can rub it in with a big cheesy smile, these are classic A-Team moments. I sometimes kind of feel a little bit sorry for Col.Decker, he is so desperate to catch them, but at same time as nothing but respect for them and I always wonder if he secretly wants to be part of them.

One last comment, there is an episode in this season called taxicab wars and I am sure that this is another influence(one of many 1980's films and programmes from that time period) on the videogame Grand Theft Auto:Vice City (one of my favourite games ever) which includes a mission involving loads of taxi's, just thought I would mention it.

Anyway I hope this helps anybody that is interested to know what kind of programme this is, like I said, it is possibly the greatest mix of action with comedy ever.