Dwight Schultz and Mr. T in The A-Team (1983-1987)
Dutch postcard by Gebr. Spanjersberg, Rotterdam / Antwerpen. Photo: Stephen J. Cannell Productions, 1984. Dwight Schultz as Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock and Mr. T as Sergeant First Class Bosco Baracus in The A-Team (1983-1987).
The A-Team (1983-1987) is an American action-adventure television series about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The members, after being court-martialed "for a crime they didn't commit", escaped from military prison and, while still on the run, worked as soldiers of fortune. The series was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo. In 2010, a feature film was based on the series.
The A-Team was created by writers and producers Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo at the behest of Brandon Tartikoff, Entertainment president of NBC. Cannell was fired from ABC in the early 1980s, after failing to produce a hit show for the network, and was hired by NBC. His first project was The A-Team. Brandon Tartikoff pitched the series to Cannell as a combination of The Dirty Dozen, Mission Impossible, The Magnificent Seven, Mad Max, and Hill Street Blues, with "Mr. T driving the car". The A-Team revolves around the four members of a former commando outfit, now mercenaries. Their leader is Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), whose plans tend to be unorthodox, but effective. Lieutenant Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict; Tim Dunigan appeared as Templeton Peck in the pilot), usually called "Face" or "Faceman", is a smooth-talking con man who serves as the team's appropriator of vehicles and other useful items, as well as the team's second-in-command. The team's pilot is Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who has been declared insane and lives in a Veterans Administration mental institution for the show's first four seasons. Finally, there is the team's strong man, mechanic and Sergeant First Class Bosco "B.A.", or "Bad Attitude", Baracus (Mr. T).
The A-Team was not generally expected to become a hit, although Stephen J. Cannell has said that George Peppard suggested it would be a huge hit "before we ever turned on a camera". The show became very popular; the first regular episode, which aired after Super Bowl XVII on 30 January 1983, reached 26.4% of the American television audience, placing fourth in the top 10 Nielsen-rated shows. The show boosted the career of Mr. T, who portrayed the character of B. A. Baracus, around whom the show was initially conceived. Some of the show's catchphrases, such as "I love it when a plan comes together", "Hannibal's on the jazz", and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have also made their way onto T-shirts and other merchandise. The A-Team remains prominent in popular culture for its cartoonish violence in which people were seldom seriously hurt, despite the frequent use of automatic weapons, formulaic episodes, its characters' ability to form weaponry and vehicles out of old parts, and its distinctive theme tune.
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our albums Dutch TV History and Vintage TV Heroes, and our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Dwight Schultz and Mr. T in The A-Team (1983-1987)
Dutch postcard by Gebr. Spanjersberg, Rotterdam / Antwerpen. Photo: Stephen J. Cannell Productions, 1984. Dwight Schultz as Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock and Mr. T as Sergeant First Class Bosco Baracus in The A-Team (1983-1987).
The A-Team (1983-1987) is an American action-adventure television series about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The members, after being court-martialed "for a crime they didn't commit", escaped from military prison and, while still on the run, worked as soldiers of fortune. The series was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo. In 2010, a feature film was based on the series.
The A-Team was created by writers and producers Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo at the behest of Brandon Tartikoff, Entertainment president of NBC. Cannell was fired from ABC in the early 1980s, after failing to produce a hit show for the network, and was hired by NBC. His first project was The A-Team. Brandon Tartikoff pitched the series to Cannell as a combination of The Dirty Dozen, Mission Impossible, The Magnificent Seven, Mad Max, and Hill Street Blues, with "Mr. T driving the car". The A-Team revolves around the four members of a former commando outfit, now mercenaries. Their leader is Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), whose plans tend to be unorthodox, but effective. Lieutenant Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict; Tim Dunigan appeared as Templeton Peck in the pilot), usually called "Face" or "Faceman", is a smooth-talking con man who serves as the team's appropriator of vehicles and other useful items, as well as the team's second-in-command. The team's pilot is Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who has been declared insane and lives in a Veterans Administration mental institution for the show's first four seasons. Finally, there is the team's strong man, mechanic and Sergeant First Class Bosco "B.A.", or "Bad Attitude", Baracus (Mr. T).
The A-Team was not generally expected to become a hit, although Stephen J. Cannell has said that George Peppard suggested it would be a huge hit "before we ever turned on a camera". The show became very popular; the first regular episode, which aired after Super Bowl XVII on 30 January 1983, reached 26.4% of the American television audience, placing fourth in the top 10 Nielsen-rated shows. The show boosted the career of Mr. T, who portrayed the character of B. A. Baracus, around whom the show was initially conceived. Some of the show's catchphrases, such as "I love it when a plan comes together", "Hannibal's on the jazz", and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have also made their way onto T-shirts and other merchandise. The A-Team remains prominent in popular culture for its cartoonish violence in which people were seldom seriously hurt, despite the frequent use of automatic weapons, formulaic episodes, its characters' ability to form weaponry and vehicles out of old parts, and its distinctive theme tune.
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our albums Dutch TV History and Vintage TV Heroes, and our blog European Film Star Postcards.