text:
A Walk to Remember (novel)
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A Walk to Remember
The cover of the first hardback edition of the novel
Author
Nicholas Sparks
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
Drama, romance
Publisher
Warner Books
Publication date
October 1999
Media type
Print (hardcover, paperback)
Pages
240
ISBN
0-446-60895-5
OCLC
44913996
A Walk to Remember is a novel by American writer Nicholas Sparks, released in October 1999. The novel, set in 1958–1959 in Beaufort, North Carolina, is a story of two teenagers who fall in love with each other despite the disparity of their personalities. A Walk to Remember is adapted in the film of the same name.
Contents
[hide]
1 Writing
2 Plot summary
3 Characters
4 Reception
5 Adaptation
6 See also
7 Bibliography
8 References
9 External links
Writing[edit]
Sparks wrote the manuscripts for A Walk to Remember, his third novel, in the summer of 1999. He wrote it in North Carolina, which is the setting of the novel.[1] Like his first published novel The Notebook, the prologue to A Walk to Remember was written last.[2] The title A Walk to Remember was taken from one of the tail end pages of the novel: "In every way, a walk to remember."[3][4] The novel is written in first-person, and its narrator is a seventeen-year-old boy, living in the 1950s.[1]
The novel was inspired by Sparks' sister,[1][5] Danielle Sparks Lewis, who later died of cancer in June 2000. Although the story is largely fictional, certain parts were based on real experiences.[4] For example, his sister, just like Jamie, was never popular at school and always wore an ugly sweater. And just like Jamie, she always carried the Bible around with her every where she went. And just like Landon and Jamie, never in a thousand years did anyone think someone would ever deeply fall head-over-heels for her. His sister's husband proposed marriage to her despite her sickness. After her death, Sparks said in the eulogy: "...I suppose I wrote this novel not only so that you could get to know my sister, but so that you would know what a wonderful thing it was that her husband once did for her."[5]
Plot summary[edit]
The story starts with a prologue from Landon Carter at age 57.[6] The remainder of the story takes place when Landon is a 17-year-old high school senior.[7] Landon lives in the small, religious town of Beaufort, North Carolina.[8] His father is a genial, charismatic congressman.
His father is not around very much, as he lives in Washington, D.C.[9] Landon is more reclusive, which causes some tension in their relationship. Landon's father pressures him into running for class president.[10] His best friend, Eric Hunter, who is the most popular boy in school, helps him and, to his surprise, Landon wins the election.[11] As student body president, Landon is required to attend the school dance with a date.[11] He asks many girls, but none are available. That night, he looks through his yearbook, trying to find an acceptable date.[12] Since nobody else seems to be available, Landon reluctantly asks Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of Hegbert Sullivan, the Beaufort church minister,[13] who accepts his invitation.[14] While Jamie is very religious and carries a Bible with her wherever she goes, Landon (one of the popular students) is reluctant to go to the dance with someone like her. When Landon is threatened by Lew,[15] Jamie comes to Landon's aid, to his appreciation. At the end of the night, he admits she was the best date possible.[16]
A few days later, Jamie asks Landon to participate in the school's production of The Christmas Angel.[17] While Landon is not very enthusiastic about participating, he agrees to it anyway.[18] Jamie, on the other hand, could not be happier about her new castmate. Landon knows that if his friends learn about his role in the play, he will be teased relentlessly.[19] One day at rehearsal, Jamie asks if Landon will walk her home, after which it becomes routine.[20] A couple of days later, Eric mocks the couple during their walk home and Landon becomes truly embarrassed to be with Jamie.[21] Meanwhile, Landon continues to learn about all the people and organizations Jamie spends her time helping, including an orphanage. Landon and Jamie visit the orphanage one day to discuss a possible showing of The Christmas Angel,[22] but their proposal is quickly rejected by Mr. Jenkins.[23] When Jamie and Landon were waiting to meet Mr. Jenkins, she tells Landon that all she wants in the future is to get married in a church full of people and to have her father walk her down the aisle.[24] While Landon thinks this is a strange wish, he accepts it. In truth, he is beginning to enjoy his time with her.
One day, while they are walking home, Landon yells at Jamie and he tells her that he is not friends with her.[25] The next day at the first show of The Christmas Angel, Jamie enters the stage dressed as the angel,[26] making Landon simply utter his line, "You're beautiful",[27] meaning it for the first time. Following that, Jamie asks Landon if he would go around town and retrieve the jars containing money collected for the orphans' Christmas presents.[28] When Landon collects the jars, there is only $55.73, but when he gives the money to Jamie, there is $247.[29] Jamie buys gifts for the orphanage, and Landon and Jamie spend Christmas Eve there.[30] Jamie's Christmas gift to Landon is her deceased mother's Bible.[31] As they get in the car to go home, Landon realizes his true feelings for her. "All I could do is wonder how I'd ever fallen in love with a girl like Jamie Sullivan".[32] He invites her to his house for Christmas dinner. The next day Landon visits Jamie at her house, where they share their first kiss on her porch.[33] Afterward, Landon asks Hegbert if they can go to Flavin's, a local restaurant, on New Year's Eve. While Hegbert initially refuses, after Landon declares his love for Jamie,[34] Hegbert allows it.[35]
On New Year's Jamie and Landon go to dinner, where they share their first dance.[36] A couple of weeks later, Landon tells Jamie that he is in love with her.[37] To his surprise, Jamie replies by insisting that he cannot be. In response, Landon demands an explanation,[38] and Jamie reveals that she is dying of leukemia.[39]
The following Sunday, Hegbert announces to his congregation that his daughter is dying.[40] Jamie does not return to school the following Monday and that it is eventually learned that she is too ill and will never return to school.[41] While they are having dinner at Landon's house, Jamie tells Landon, "I love you, too", for the first time.[42] A couple weeks later, Eric and Margaret visit Jamie's house, where they apologize for ever being rude to her.[43] Eric gives Jamie the $400 that he collected for the orphanage.[44] Jamie refuses to stay at the hospital, because she wants to die at home. In turn, Landon's father helps to provide Jamie the best equipment and doctors so she can spend the rest of her life at home.[45] This gesture helps to mend the gap between father and son. One day, while sitting next to Jamie while she sleeps, Landon comes up with an idea.[46] He runs to the church to find Hegbert[47] and asks him for permission to marry Jamie. While Hegbert is reluctant,[48] his refusal to deny Landon's request is seen by Landon as approval.[49] Landon runs back to Jamie's side and asks, "Will you marry me?"[50]
Landon and Jamie are married in a church full of people. Although she was weak and was in a wheelchair, she insisted on walking down the aisle so that her father could give her away which was part of her dream.[51] Landon remembers thinking "It was...the most difficult walk anyone ever had to make. In every way, a walk to remember".[52] When they reach the front of the church, Hegbert says, "I can no more give Jamie away than I can give away my heart. But what I can do is let another share in the joy that she has always given me".[53] Hegbert has had to experience so much pain in his life, first losing his wife, now knowing his only child will soon be gone, too. The book ends with Landon 40 years later at age 57. He still loves Jamie and wears her ring.[54] He finishes the story by saying, "I now believe, by the way, that miracles can happen".
Characters[edit]
Landon Carter is a son of a rich family, the narrator of the novel.
Jamie Sullivan is the daughter of the Beaufort church minister Hegbert Sullivan. She is very religious, sweet, and kind.
Mr. Carter is the father of Landon Carter. He is a congressman in North Carolina and is gone nine months out of the year because he lives in Washington D.C.[55][56]
Mrs. Carter is the mother of Landon Carter. "She [is] a nice lady, sweet and gentle."[57]
Hegbert Sullivan is Jamie's father. He is the Beaufort church minister.[58] His wife died shortly after giving birth to Jamie. He is very old with "translucent skin";[59] he is often crabby but his daughter describes him as having "a good sense of humor".[60] He wrote the local play, The Christmas Angel but he maintains a strong dislike for Mr. Carter due to his father's choices.[59][61]
Angela Clark is the first girlfriend of Landon and then begins dating Lew.[62]
Carey Denison is the treasurer at Landon's high school as well as a tuba player. He is unproportional, with short arms, a large stomach, and a squeaky voice.[63]
Lew is Angela Clark's boyfriend, who "[is] twenty years old and [works] as a mechanic" and "always [wears] a white T-shirt with a pack of Camels folded into the sleeve".[11]
Miss Garber is the drama teacher at Landon's high-school. "She [is] big, at least 6'2", with flaming red hair and pale skin that [shows] her freckles well into her forties." Her favorite word is marvelous.[64]
Eric Hunter is Landon's best friend, who does more making fun, than being an actual friend.[10] The popular jock at school, he starts out very crude, but when tragedy strikes his longtime friend, he shows that he is sympathetic.[10][65][66]
Eddie Jones is not well liked by the drama department. He was scheduled to play the main character in the play, but is demoted to the "bum" when Landon steps in.[67] He is extremely apathetic.
Jamie's dead mother is a minor role. Described as "a wispy little thing", she died while giving birth to Jamie, and is greatly missed by Hegbert and Jamie.[13]
Margaret, a cheerleader, is Eric's girlfriend.
Reception[edit]
The novel was published in the fall of October 1999 in hardcover print, and later in paperback edition. It spent nearly six months in the best-seller list on hardcover, and an additional four months on paperback.[1]
The novel received mixed reviews from critics. The Sunday New York Post holds that it "never fails to be interesting, touching, at times riveting ... a book you won't soon forget".[68] African Sun Times echoes the former's comments, saying, "A remarkable love story that, like its predecessors, will touch the hearts of readers everywhere."[68] New York Daily News compliments Sparks, commenting that he "has written a sweet tale of young but everlasting love, and though he's told us to expect both joy and sadness, the tears will still come".[68] Clarissa Cruz of Entertainment Weekly, however, panned the novel, saying, "With its cliche-riddled prose and plot twists that can be predicted after skimming the prologue, Nicholas Sparks' latest, A Walk To Remember, reads more like the script for a bad after-school special than anything approaching literature."[69] Although the novel is number 12 on their list of 1999 Bestsellers Fiction,[70] Publishers Weekly described it as "a forced coming of age story" and "the author's most simple, formulaic, and blatantly melodramatic package to date".[71] Theresea Parks from Publishers Weekly goes on to say how many will be disappointed stating, "Readers may be frusturated with the invariable formula that Sparks seems to regurgitate with regularity".[72] She also writes that it is especially similar to The Notebook in its "corny flashback device that mimics The Notebook".[72] Overall, Publishers Weekly expressed its disappointment.
Adaptation[edit]
A Walk to Remember was adapted in the film of the same name, becoming Sparks' second novel adapted to the big screen after Message in a Bottle in 1999. Sparks sold the film rights to Warner Bros. in December 1998, months before the publication of the novel.[1] The movie was directed by Adam Shankman and produced by Denise DiNovi and Hunt Lowry for Warner Bros.; the film premiered on January 25, 2002.[73]
The film, starring singer and actress Mandy Moore (Jamie) and Shane West (Landon), is set in the late 1990s. Sparks and the producer thought that because the film was suitable for teenagers "because of the message it provided", they had to make the adaptation more contemporary.[73]
See also[edit]
Books portal
1990s portal
United States portal
Novels portal
Love Story (novel)
Bibliography[edit]
Sparks, Nicholas. A Walk to Remember. Warner Books: New York, 1999. ISBN 0-446-52553-7.
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e "General Information on A Walk to Remember". Nicholassparks.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
Jump up ^ "Notes on the Writing of A Walk to Remember". Nicholassparks.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
Jump up ^ Sparks, Nicholas (1999). Jamie Raab, ed. A Walk to Remember. United States: Warner Books. p. 237. ISBN 0-446-60895-5.
^ Jump up to: a b "Frequently Asked Questions About A Walk to Remember". Nicholassparks.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
^ Jump up to: a b "Notes on the Writing of A Walk to Remember". Nicholassparks.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. x
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. xi
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 1
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 9
^ Jump up to: a b c Sparks, p. 28
^ Jump up to: a b c Sparks, p. 32
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 33
^ Jump up to: a b Sparks, p. 16
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 44
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 56
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 61
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 73
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 77
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 83
Jump up ^ sparks, p. 108
Jump up ^ sparks, p. 120
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 88
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 102
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 99
Jump up ^ Sparks, pp. 124–125
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 134
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 135
Jump up ^ Sparks, pp. 140–142
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 145
Jump up ^ Sparks, pp. 147–148
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 153
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 154
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 171
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 180
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 181
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 183
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 188
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 190
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 191
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 193
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 197
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 209
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 211
Jump up ^ Sparks, pp. 212–213
Jump up ^ Sparks, pp. 219–220
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 222
Jump up ^ Sparks, pp. 227–228
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 228
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 229
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 232
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 236
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 237
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 239
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 240
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 9
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 12
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 13
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 16
^ Jump up to: a b Sparks, p. 3
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 116
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 10
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 32
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 34
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 18
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 19
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 114
Jump up ^ Sparks, p. 78
^ Jump up to: a b c "Reviews of A Walk to Remember". Nicholassparks.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
Jump up ^ Cruz, Clarissa (1999-10-15). "A WALK TO REMEMBER (1999)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
Jump up ^ Howell, Kevin (2008-03-24). "Bestselling Books of the Year, 1996-2006". Publishers Weekly. Reed Business Information, Inc. Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
Jump up ^ "Editorial Reviews". Publishers Weekly. Reed Business Information, Inc. 1999. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
^ Jump up to: a b "A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks". Barnes and Nobles.
^ Jump up to: a b "Movie Adaptation". Nicholassparks.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
External links[edit]
Official Nicholas Sparks website
[hide]
v
t
e
Nicholas Sparks
Novels
The Notebook (1996)
Message in a Bottle (1998)
A Walk to Remember (1999)
The Rescue (2000)
A Bend in the Road (2001)
Nights in Rodanthe (2002)
The Guardian (2003)
The Wedding (2003)
True Believer (2005)
At First Sight (2006)
Dear John (2006)
The Choice (2007)
The Lucky One (2008)
The Last Song (2009)
Safe Haven (2010)
The Best of Me (2011)
The Longest Ride (2013)
See Me (2015)
Two by Two (2016)
Non-fiction
Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding (1990)
Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)
Film adaptations
Message in a Bottle (1999)
A Walk to Remember (2002)
The Notebook (2004)
Nights in Rodanthe (2008)
Dear John (2010)
The Last Song (2010)
The Lucky One (2012)
Safe Haven (2013)
The Best of Me (2014)
The Longest Ride (2015)
The Choice (2016)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Walk_to_Remember_(novel)&oldid=826993300"
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text:
The A-Team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the film based on this TV series, see The A-Team (film).
For other uses, see The A-Team (disambiguation).
The A-Team
The A-Team title screen (seasons 1–4)
Genre
Action-adventure
Created by
Frank Lupo
Stephen J. Cannell
Starring
George Peppard
Dirk Benedict
Dwight Schultz
Mr. T
Melinda Culea (Season 1–2)
Marla Heasley (Season 2–3)
Tia Carrere (Season 4)
Eddie Velez (Season 5)
Robert Vaughn (Season 5)
Narrated by
John Ashley
Theme music composer
Mike Post
Pete Carpenter
Composer(s)
Mike Post
Pete Carpenter
Garry Schyman (uncredited)
Country of origin
United States
Original language(s)
English
No. of seasons
5 (1983–87)
No. of episodes
98 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Frank Lupo
Stephen J. Cannell
Producer(s)
John Ashley (seasons 1-4)
Patrick Hasburgh (season 1)
Tom Blomquist (season 5)
Camera setup
Film (1982–86)
Film (principal photography)/Videotape (post-production) (1986)
Single-camera setup
Running time
48 minutes
Production company(s)
Universal Television
Stephen J. Cannell Productions
Distributor
NBCUniversal Television Distribution
Release
Original network
NBC
Original release
January 23, 1983 (1983-01-23) – March 8, 1987 (1987-03-08)
The A-Team is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from 1983 to 1987 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. A feature film based on the series was released by 20th Century Fox in 2010.
Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Plot
2.1 Connections to the Vietnam War
3 Episodes
4 Characters
4.1 Character traits
4.2 Casting
4.3 Notable guest appearances
5 Reception
5.1 Ratings
5.2 In syndication
5.3 International
6 Criticisms
6.1 On-screen violence
6.2 Sexism
7 GMC van
8 Merchandise
8.1 Comics
8.2 Books
8.3 Soundtrack
9 Production notes
9.1 Awards
9.2 Professional wrestlers
9.3 Theme song
9.4 Weapons
10 Home media
11 Bring Back... The A-Team (2006)
12 Feature film
13 Reboot series
14 See also
15 References
15.1 General
15.2 Specific
16 External links
History[edit]
The A-Team was created by writers and producers Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo at the behest of Brandon Tartikoff, NBC's Entertainment president. 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".[1][2][3][4]
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".[5] The show became very popular; the first regular episode, which aired after Super Bowl XVII on January 30, 1983, reached 26.4% of the television audience, placing fourth in the top 10 Nielsen-rated shows.[6] The A-Team was portrayed as acting on the side of good and helping the oppressed.
The show remains prominent in popular culture for its cartoonish, over-the-top violence (in which people were seldom seriously hurt), formulaic episodes, its characters' ability to form weaponry and vehicles out of old parts, and its distinctive theme tune. The show boosted the career of Mr. T, who portrayed the character of B. A. Baracus, around whom the show was initially conceived.[7][8] Some of the show's catchphrases, such as "I love it when a plan comes together",[9] "Hannibal's on the jazz", and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have also made their way onto T-shirts and other merchandise.[citation needed]
The show's name comes from the "A-Teams", the nickname coined for U.S. Special Forces' Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) during the Vietnam War,[10] although this connection was never mentioned on-screen.
In a 2003 Yahoo! survey of 1,000 television viewers, The A-Team was voted the one "oldie" television show viewers would most like to see revived, beating out such popular television series from the 1980s as The Dukes of Hazzard and Knight Rider.[11]
Plot[edit]
"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."
(Narration originally stated "10 years ago" instead of "In 1972".)
- John Ashley's opening narration.
The A-Team is a naturally episodic show, with few overarching stories, except the characters' continuing motivation to clear their names, with few references to events in past episodes and a recognizable and steady episode structure. In describing the ratings drop that occurred during the show's fourth season, reviewer Gold Burt points to this structure as being a leading cause for the decreased popularity "because the same basic plot had been used over and over again for the past four seasons with the same predictable outcome".[12] Similarly, reporter Adrian Lee called the plots "stunningly simple" in a 2006 article for The Express (UK newspaper), citing such recurring elements "as BA's fear of flying, and outlandish finales when the team fashioned weapons from household items".[13] The show became emblematic of this kind of "fit-for-TV warfare" due to its depiction of high-octane combat scenes, with lethal weapons, wherein the participants (with the notable exception of General Fulbright) are never killed and rarely seriously injured (see also On-screen violence section).
As the television ratings of The A-Team fell dramatically during the fourth season, the format was changed for the show's final season in 1986–87 in a bid to win back viewers. After years on the run from the authorities, the A-Team is finally apprehended by the military. General Hunt Stockwell, a mysterious CIA operative played by Robert Vaughn, propositions them to work for him, whereupon he will arrange for their pardons upon successful completion of several suicide missions. In order to do so, the A-Team must first escape from their captivity. With the help of a new character, Frankie "Dishpan Man" Santana, Stockwell fakes their deaths before a military firing squad. The new status of the A-Team, no longer working for themselves, remained for the duration of the fifth season while Eddie Velez and Robert Vaughn received star billing along with the principal cast. The missions that the team had to perform in season five were somewhat reminiscent of Mission: Impossible, and based more around political espionage than beating local thugs, also usually taking place in foreign countries, including successfully overthrowing an island dictator, the rescue of a scientist from East Germany, and recovering top secret Star Wars defense information from Soviet hands. These changes proved unsuccessful with viewers, however, and ratings continued to decline. Only 13 episodes aired in the fifth season. In what was supposed to be the final episode, "The Grey Team" (although "Without Reservations" was broadcast on NBC as the last first-run episode in March 1987), Hannibal, after being misled by Stockwell one time too many, tells him that the team will no longer work for him. At the end, the team discusses what they were going to do if they get their pardon, and it is implied that they would continue doing what they were doing as the A-Team. The character of Howling Mad Murdock can be seen in the final scene wearing a T-shirt that says, "fini".
Connections to the Vietnam War[edit]
During the Vietnam War, the A-Team were members of the 5th Special Forces Group (see episode "West Coast Turnaround"). In episode "Bad Time on the Border", Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, portrayed by George Peppard, indicated that the A-Team were "ex-Green Berets". During the Vietnam War, the A-Team's commanding officer, Colonel Morrison, gave them orders to rob the Bank of Hanoi to help bring the war to an end. They succeeded in their mission, but on their return to base four days after the end of the war, they discovered that Morrison had been killed by the Viet Cong, and that his headquarters had been burned to the ground. This meant that the proof that the A-Team members were acting under orders had been destroyed. They were arrested, and imprisoned at Fort Bragg, from which they quickly escaped before standing trial.
The origin of the A-Team is directly linked to the Vietnam War, during which the team formed. The show's introduction in the first four seasons mentions this, accompanied by images of soldiers coming out of a helicopter in an area resembling a forest or jungle. Besides this, The A-Team would occasionally feature an episode in which the team came across an old ally or enemy from those war days. For example, the first season's final episode "A Nice Place To Visit" revolved around the team traveling to a small town to honor a fallen comrade and end up avenging his death, and in season two's "Recipe For Heavy Bread", a chance encounter leads the team to meet both the POW cook who helped them during the war, and the American officer who sold his unit out.
An article in the New Statesman (UK) published shortly after the premiere of The A-Team in the United Kingdom, also pointed out The A-Team's connection to the Vietnam War, characterizing it as the representation of the idealization of the Vietnam War, and an example of the war slowly becoming accepted and assimilated into American culture.[14]
One of the team's primary antagonists, Col. Roderick Decker (Lance LeGault), had his past linked back to the Vietnam War, in which he and Hannibal had come to fisticuffs in "the DOOM Club" (Da Nang Open Officers' Mess).[15] At other times, members of the team would refer back to a certain tactic used during the War, which would be relevant to the team's present predicament. Often, Hannibal would refer to such a tactic, after which the other members of the team would complain about its failure during the War. This was also used to refer to some of Face's past accomplishments in scamming items for the team, such as in the first-season episode "Holiday In The Hills", in which Murdock fondly remembers Face being able to secure a '53 Cadillac while in the Vietnam jungle.
The team's ties to the Vietnam War were referred to again in the fourth-season finale, "The Sound of Thunder", in which the team is introduced to Tia (Tia Carrere), a war orphan and daughter of fourth season antagonist General Fulbright. Returning to Vietnam, Fulbright is shot in the back and gives his last words as he dies. The 2006 documentary Bring Back The A-Team joked that the scene lasted seven and a half minutes,[16] but his death actually took a little over a minute. His murderer, a Vietnamese colonel, is killed in retaliation. Tia then returns with the team to the United States (see also: casting). This episode is notable for having one of the show's few truly serious dramatic moments, with each team member privately reminiscing on their war experiences, intercut with news footage from the war with Barry McGuire's Eve of Destruction playing in the background.
The show's ties to the Vietnam War are fully dealt with in the opening arc of the fifth season, dubbed "The Court-Martial (Part 1–3)", in which the team is finally court-martialed for the robbery of the bank of Hanoi. The character of Roderick Decker makes a return on the witness stand, and various newly introduced characters from the A-Team's past also make appearances. The team, after a string of setbacks, decides to plead guilty to the crime and they are sentenced to be executed. They escape this fate and come to work for a General Hunt Stockwell, leading into the remainder of the fifth season.
Episodes[edit]
See also: List of The A-Team episodes
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), for a total of 98 episodes.
Characters[edit]
The main cast of The A-Team. Clockwise from top: H.M. "Howlin' Mad" Murdock, B. A. Baracus, John "Hannibal" Smith and Templeton "Faceman" Peck.
Main article: List of The A-Team characters
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 team belonged to the 5th Special Forces as seen in the left side shoulder patch on Hannibal's uniform in the episode A Nice Place to Visit. A patch on Hannibal's uniform on the right shoulder in the episode "A Nice Place To Visit" indicates abelonged to the 101st Airborne during a prior combat assignment, but that patch was replaced by the 1st Air Cavalry Division patch in the episode "Trial by Fire". The patch worn on the left sleeve according to uniform wear in the Army is the current assignment of the person wearing it and in the episode A Nice Place to Visit shows that the team was assigned to the Special Forces with a tab Airborne over the shoulder patch. Also their berets in that episode are green and have the tab of the 5th Special Forces in Vietnam on them. In the episode "West Coast Turnaround", Hannibal stated they were with the 5th Special Forces Group. Then, in episode "Bad Time on the Border", Hannibal refers to his friends as "ex-Green Berets". Though the name they have adopted comes from the "A-Teams", the nickname coined for Special Forces Operational Detachments Alpha, these detachments usually consisted of twelve members; whether the four were considered a "detachment" of their own or had once had eight compatriots who were killed in action was never revealed. In the episode A Nice Place to Visit Ray Brenner is stated to have been a Major and part of Hannibal's team in Vietnam.
For its first season and the first half of the second season, the team was assisted by reporter Amy Amanda Allen (Melinda Culea). In the second half of the second season, Allen was replaced by fellow reporter Tawnia Baker (Marla Heasley). The character of Tia (Tia Carrere), a Vietnam war orphan now living in the United States, was meant to join the Team in the fifth season,[17] but she was replaced by Frankie Santana (Eddie Velez), who served as the team's special effects expert. Velez was added to the opening credits of the fifth season after its second episode.
During their adventures, the A-Team was constantly met by opposition from the Military Police. In the show's first season, the MPs were led by Colonel Francis Lynch (William Lucking), but he was replaced for the second, third, and earlier fourth season by Colonel Roderick Decker (Lance LeGault) and his aide Captain Crane (Carl Franklin). Lynch returned for one episode in the show's third season ("Showdown!") but was not seen after. Decker was also briefly replaced by a Colonel Briggs (Charles Napier) in the third season for one episode ("Fire") when LeGault was unavailable, but returned shortly after. For the latter portion of the show's fourth season, the team was hunted by General Harlan "Bull" Fulbright (Jack Ging), who would later hire the A-Team to find Tia in the season four finale, during which Fulbright was killed.
The fifth season introduced General Hunt Stockwell (Robert Vaughn) who, while serving as the team's primary antagonist, was also the team's boss and joined them on several missions. He was often assisted by Carla (Judith Ledford, sometimes credited as Judy Ledford).
Character traits[edit]
John "Hannibal" Smith is a master of disguise. His most used disguise (although not onscreen) is Mr. Lee, the dry cleaner. This is one of the final parts of the client screening process, as he tells the client where to go in order to make full contact with the A-Team. He dresses most often in a white safari jacket and black leather gloves. He also is constantly seen smoking a cigar. Hannibal carries either a Browning Hi-Power, Colt M1911A1 or a Smith & Wesson Model 39 as a sidearm, most often "Mexican carried" although he uses a holster when on missions. His catchphrase is "I love it when a plan comes together". Often said, usually by B.A., to be "on the jazz" when in the fury of completing a mission.
Templeton "Faceman" Peck is a master of the persuasive arts. The team's scrounger, he can get virtually anything he sets his mind to, usually exploiting women with sympathy-appeal and flirtation. However, he is not without integrity, as stated by Murdock in the episode "Family Reunion": "He would rip the shirt off his back for you, and then scam one for himself." Faceman is also the A-Team's accountant. He dresses suavely, often appearing in suits. Faceman carries a Colt Lawman Mk III revolver for protection, and drives a custom white 1984 Corvette with orange trim.
Bosco "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus is the muscle for the A-Team, able to perform amazing feats of strength. He is also the team's mechanic. B.A. affects a dislike for Murdock, calling him a "crazy fool", but his true feelings of friendship are revealed when he prevents Murdock from drowning in his desire to live like a fish. B.A. also has a deep fear of flying, and the others usually have to trick and/or knock him out in order to get him on a plane. It is very rare that B.A. is awake while flying, and even rarer for him actually to consent to it. However, he then goes into a catatonic state. B.A. generally wears overalls and leopard or tiger print shirts in the early seasons, then later wears a green jumpsuit in the later seasons. He is almost always seen with about 50 pounds of gold necklaces and rings on every finger, and also wears a weightlifting belt. Baracus's hair is always styled in a mohawk-like cut. He drives a customized black GMC van, which is the team's usual mode of transport.
H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock is the A-Team's pilot, and can fly any kind of aircraft with extreme precision. However, due to a helicopter crash in Vietnam, Murdock apparently went insane. He lives in a Veterans' Hospital in the mental wing. Whenever the rest of the team requires a pilot, they have to break him out of the hospital, generally using Faceman to do so. In Seasons 1–4, Murdock has a different pet, imaginary friend, or persona in each episode. Whenever one of his pets or imaginary friends is killed by an enemy, Murdock snaps and takes revenge (but never kills). Many times, when B.A is mad at Murdock for being crazy, Hannibal will side with Murdock in a sympathetic way. Once he is discharged from the hospital in Season 5, Murdock has a different job each episode. Murdock usually wears a leather flight jacket, a baseball cap, and basketball sneakers.
Casting[edit]
Although the part of Face was written by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell with Dirk Benedict in mind, NBC insisted that the part should be played by another actor, instead. Therefore, in the pilot, Face was portrayed by Tim Dunigan, who was later replaced by Dirk Benedict, with the comment that Dunigan was "too tall and too young".[18] According to Dunigan: "I look even younger on camera than I am. So it was difficult to accept me as a veteran of the Vietnam War, which ended when I was a sophomore in high school."[19]
Carrere was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season after appearing in the season four finale,[17] providing a tie to the team's inception during the war. Unfortunately for this plan, Carrere was under contract to General Hospital, which prevented her from joining The A-Team. Her character was abruptly dropped as a result.
According to Mr. T's account in Bring Back... The A-Team in 2006, the role of B. A. Baracus was written specifically for him. This is corroborated by Stephen J. Cannell's own account of the initial concept proposed by Tartikoff.[1]
James Coburn, who co-starred in The Magnificent Seven, was considered for the role of Hannibal in The A-Team, while George Peppard (Hannibal) was the original consideration for the role of Vin (played by Steve McQueen instead) in The Magnificent Seven.[16] Robert Vaughn, of course, actually appeared in the film.
According to Dirk Benedict, Robert Vaughn was actually added to the cast in season 5 because of his friendship with the notoriously prickly George Peppard. It was hoped that Vaughn would help ease worsening tensions between Peppard and Mr. T. In a later interview, Vaughn recounted how T's verbosity and loud personality would get on everyone's nerves, including his, even though he had been hired specifically because of his easy going and calming personality.
Notable guest appearances[edit]
Main article: List of guest stars on The A-Team
Notable guest stars included:
Dean Stockwell as Officer Collins in "A Small & Deadly War".
Wendy Fulton as Kelly Stevens in "Bounty". Fulton and Dwight Schultz had married a few years before the episode, and the episode plays on the theme of Kelly and Murdock falling in love.
Boy George as himself in "Cowboy George".
Isaac Hayes as C.J. Mack in "The Heart of Rock n' Roll".
Hulk Hogan as himself in "Body Slam" and "The Trouble With Harry". In "Body Slam", other WWF wrestlers such as The British Bulldogs and "Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff also made a cameo appearance.
Rick James as himself in "The Heart of Rock n' Roll".
David McCallum as Ivan Trigorin in "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair". McCallum guest stars as a former associate of Robert Vaughn's character General Stockwell. Vaughn and McCallum had co-starred together as friendly American and Russian secret agents in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. This The A-Team episode sent up many aspects of the classic series, such as Stockwell saying "Open Channel D" (an U.N.C.L.E. catchphrase).
Joe Namath as T. J. Bryant in "Quarterback Sneak", season 5, episode 4.
William "The Refrigerator" Perry as himself in "The Trouble With Harry".
Markie Post as Rina Turian in "Hot Styles" and Sister Teresa/Leslie Becktall in "The Only Church in Town".
Pat Sajak as himself in "Wheel of Fortune".
Vanna White as herself in "Wheel of Fortune".
Yaphet Kotto as Charles F. Struthers in "The Out of Towners".
Shecky Greene as himself roasting Gen. Harlan "Bull" Fulbright, in "Members Only".
Della Reese as Mrs. Baracus in "A Lease with an Option to Die".
Steven Keats in the episode "Harder than it Looks" before co-starring in All My Children.
Harold Sakata in episode "The Spy Who Mugged Me"
Reception[edit]
During the show's first three seasons, The A-Team managed to pull in 17% to 20% of the American households on average. The first regular episode ("Children of Jamestown"), reached 26.4% of the television watching audience, placing fourth in the top 10 rated shows, according to the Nielsen ratings.[6] By March, The A-Team, now on its regular Tuesday timeslot, dropped to the eight spot, but rated a 20.5%.[20] During the sweeps week in May of that year, The A-Team dropped again but remained steady at 18.5%,[21] and rose to 18.8% during the second week of May sweeps.[22] These were the highest ratings NBC had achieved in five years.[23] During the second season, the ratings continued to soar, reaching third place in the twenty-highest rated programs, behind Dallas and Simon & Simon, in January (mid-season),[24] while during the third season, it was beaten out only by four other NBC shows, including The Cosby Show.
The fourth season saw The A-Team experience a dramatic fall, as it started to lose its position while television viewership increased. As such, the ratings, while stable, were relatively less. The season premiere ranked a 17.4% (a 26% audience share on that timeslot) on the Nielsen Rating scale,[25] but after ratings quickly declined. In October, The A-Team had fallen to the 19th and by Super Bowl Night had fallen still to 29th the night on which the show had originally scored its first hit three years before.[26] For the remainder of its fourth season The A-Team managed to hang around the 20th spot, far from original top 10 position it had enjoyed during its first three seasons.
After four years on Tuesday, NBC decided to move The A-Team to a new timeslot on Friday for what would be its final season. Ratings continued to drop, and after seven episodes, The A-Team fell out of the top 50 altogether with a 13.3 Nielsen Rating.[27] In November 1986, NBC cancelled the series, declining to order the last nine episodes of what would have been a 22-episode season.
Ratings[edit]
Season
Time slot (ET)
Rank
Rating[28]
1982–83 Sunday at 9:00 pm (Episode 1)
Sunday at 10:00 pm (Episodes 2-3)
Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 4-14) 10 20.1 (Tied with Monday Night Football)
1983–84 Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1-5, 7-23)
Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 6) 4 24.0
1984–85 Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1-2, 4-25)
Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 3) 6 21.9
1985–86 Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1, 3-23)
Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 2) 30 16.9
1986–87 Friday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1-8, 10-11)
Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 9)
Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episode 12)
Sunday at 8:00 pm (Episode 13) Not in the Top 30
In syndication[edit]
The series has achieved cult status through heavy syndication in the U.S. and internationally. It has also remained popular overseas, such as in the United Kingdom, where the show has been on-air almost continuously in some form since it was first shown in July 1983. It is airing on satellite and cable channel Esquire Network. The series was to begin airing over NBC-TV's OTA digital subchannel network, Cozi TV, in January 2016.[29] Forces TV started showing the series every weekday since October 17, 2016. The series has been airing in Spanish on Telemundo-TV's OTA digital subchannel network, TeleXitos since December 2014. The series is currently available through Starz.
International[edit]
The A-Team has been broadcast all over the world; international response has been varied. In 1984, the main cast members of The A-Team, George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz were invited to the Netherlands. George Peppard was the first to receive the invitation and thus thought the invite pertained only to him. When the other cast members were also invited, Peppard declined, leaving only Mr. T, Benedict and Schultz to visit the Netherlands.[30] The immense turn-out for the stars was unpredicted, and they were forced to leave early as a security measure. A video was released with the present actors in which Dwight Schultz apologized and thanked everyone that had attended.[31]
In Australia The A-Team was broadcast on Channel Ten. From 2010 7mate has been showing reruns of show. The show was broadcast in New Zealand on TV2. In Brazil, the series was broadcast on SBT from 1984 to 1989, later moving to Rede Globo in the early 1990s. In the UK, the program was shown on ITV, starting on Friday, July 29, 1983, before switching to Saturdays for Series 2-5. The series continued to be repeated on ITV until 1992 before moving to satellite channels, including Sky One from 1993 to 1994. The series was later repeated on UK Gold from 1997 through 2007 at various times. Then in 2002 it took a break from the channel before returning 2005 to 2006. It was also repeated on Bravo from 1997 to 1999. It returned to the channel in 2009. In 2017 the digital channel Spike began showing the series from the beginning. Although ratings soared during its early seasons, many television critics described the show largely as cartoonish and thereby wrote the series off. Most reviews focused on acting and the formulaic nature of the episodes, most prominently the absence of actual killing in a show about Vietnam War veterans.
They are all Vietnam veterans. The gradual assimilation of Vietnam into acceptable popular mythology, which began solemnly with The Deer Hunter, has reached its culmination with The A-Team: No longer a memory to be hurriedly brushed aside, but heroes of a network adventure show. Their enemy is a comic army officer, Col. Lynch, see Sgt. Bilko, see Beetle Bailey, see M*A*S*H*, whose pursuit of our heroes is doomed to slapstick failure. This is classic right-wing American populism; patriotic, macho, anti-authority, and is unlikely to be understood in Britain, where to be right-wing implies an obsequiousness towards officers and the status quo. But right-wing this series certainly is. The bandits, it turns out, are in league with a group of sinister guerrillas who are trying to destabilise the country. Thanks to the A-Team's hearts and minds policy, the villagers rise up and put them to rout, in a 20-minute series of comic-book battle scenes, over-turning cars and airplane stunt-tricks, in which not a single person is hurt.
Mary Harron, New Statesman[32]
Criticisms[edit]
On-screen violence[edit]
The violence presented in The A-Team is highly sanitized. People do not bleed or bruise when hit (though they might develop a limp or require a sling), nor do the members of the A-Team kill people. The results of violence were only ever presented when it was required for the script. In almost every car crash there is a short take showing the occupants of the vehicle climbing out of the mangled or burning wreck, even in helicopter crashes. However, more of these types of takes were dropped near the end of the fourth season. According to Stephen J. Cannell, this part of the show did become a running joke for the writing staff and they would at times test the limits of realism on purpose.[33]
The show has been described as cartoonish and likened to Tom and Jerry. Dean P. of the Courier-Mail described the violence in the show as "hypocritical" and that "the morality of giving the impression that a hail of bullets does no-one any harm is ignored. After all, Tom and Jerry survived all sorts of mayhem for years with no ill-effects."[34] Television reviewer Ric Meyers joked that the A-Team used "antineutron bullets—they destroy property for miles around, but never harm a human being".[35] According to certain estimates, an episode of the A-Team held up to 46 violent acts. Stephen J. Cannell, co-creator of the show responds: "They were determined to make a point, and we were too big a target to resist. Cartoon violence is a scapegoat issue."[2] Originally, The A-Team's status as a hit show remained strong, but it ultimately lost out to more family-oriented shows such as The Cosby Show, Who's the Boss? and Growing Pains.[2] John J. O'Connor of The New York Times wrote in a 1986 article that "...a substantial number of viewers, if the ratings in recent months are to be believed, are clearly fed up with mindless violence of the car-chasing, fist-slugging variety".[36]
Sexism[edit]
During its tenure, the show was occasionally criticized for being sexist.[16] These critiques were based on the notion that most female roles on the show were either a lead-in to the episode's plot, the recipient of Face's affections, or both. The only two regular female members of the cast, Melinda Culea (season 1 and the first half of season 2) and Marla Heasley (the latter half of season 2) did not have long tenures with the show. Both Culea and Heasley had been brought in by the network and producers to stem these critiques, hoping that a female character would properly balance the otherwise all-male cast.[37] Culea was fired during the second season because of creative differences between her and the show's writers; she wanted more lines and more action scenes.[38] Culea's character of Amy Allen suddenly disappeared between two episodes, and was only briefly referred to once in the episode "In Plane Sight", and a couple of times in "The Battle of Bel Air" in which she was cited to have taken a correspondence job overseas (in Jakarta, Indonesia). The latter episode also introduced Heasley's character, Tawnia Baker. The new character was also an assisting reporter character, but with a more fragile and seductive quality to her. Ultimately, she was written out of the show at the start of the third season when the network determined that a female cast member was not necessary. Tawnia left the team on-screen, choosing to marry and move out of Los Angeles.
As Marla Heasley recounts in Bring Back... The A-Team (May 18, 2006), although sexism was not prevalent on the set per se, there was a sense that a female character was not necessary on the show. On her first day on set George Peppard took her aside and told her "We don't want you on the show. None of the guys want you here. The only reason you're here is because the network and the producers want you. For some reason they think they need a girl." The interview continues with Heasley noting that on her last day of work Peppard took her aside again, saying: "I'm sorry that this is your last day, but remember what I said the very first day, that we didn't want a girl, has nothing to do with you. You were very professional, but no reason to have a girl." In Bring Back... the A-Team, Dirk Benedict also remarked that: "It was a guy's show. It was male driven. It was written by guys. It was directed by guys. It was acted by guys. It's about what guys do. We talked the way guys talked. We were the boss. We were the God. We smoked when we wanted. We shot guns when we wanted. We kissed the girls and made them cry... when we wanted. It was the last truly masculine show."
GMC van[edit]
The 1983 GMC Vandura van used by the A-Team, with its characteristic red stripe, black and red turbine mag wheels, and rooftop spoiler,[39] has become an enduring pop culture icon. The customized 1994 Chevrolet G20 used on the A-Team movie was also on display at the 2010 New York International Auto Show.[40]
A number of devices were seen in the back of the van in different episodes, including a mini printing press ("Pros and Cons"), an audio surveillance recording device ("A Small and Deadly War"), Hannibal's disguise kits in various episodes, and a gun storage locker.
Early examples of the van had a red GMC logo on the front grille, and an additional GMC logo on the rear left door. Early in the second season, these logos were blacked out, although GMC continued to supply vans and receive a credit on the closing credits of each episode.
The van was commonly said to be all-black,[citation needed] but the section above the red stripe was metallic gray. The angle of the rear spoiler can also be seen to vary on different examples of the van within the series. Additionally, some versions of the van have a sunroof, whereas others, typically those used for stunts (and including the one displayed in the aforementioned Cars of the Stars Motor Museum) do not. This led to continuity errors in some episodes, such as in the third season's "The Bells of St. Mary's", in a scene where Face (his double) jumps from a building onto the roof of the van with no sunroof. Moments later, in an interior studio shot, Face climbs in through the sunroof. Also, in many stunts where the van would surely be totaled, other makes have been used, such as a black Ford Econoline with red hubcaps painted to simulate the original red turbine mag wheels.
Many GMC/Chevrolet Vandura vans, and many of the very similar Bedford CF vans, were styled after the A-Team's van by fans of the show.
Merchandise[edit]
Merchandise based upon the show has included toys and snacks. Action figures of the characters were produced as well as vehicles, including an A-Team van by "Hot Wheels". A View-Master A-Team gift set, with 3-D viewer and 3 reels containing 21 3-D pictures of the A-Team episode "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?", was produced by View-Master International. There is an electric race car track with A-Team vehicle covers instead of normal cars. TYCO produced a train set with various accessories and pieces themed for the A-Team look. The set includes a Baldwin shark nose engine painted up like the Van and a matching Caboose. 2016 Lego released a pack that includes a B.A. Baracus minifigure and constructible van; the pack will unlock additional A-Team themed content in the video game Lego Dimensions, including all four team members as playable characters.[41]
Comics[edit]
Main article: The A-Team (comics)
Marvel Comics produced a three-issue A-Team comic book series, which was later reprinted as a trade paperback. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, an A-Team comic strip appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and comic Look-In, to tie in with the British run of the series. It was preceded, though, by a short run in the final year (1984) of TV Comic, drawn by Jim Eldridge.
Books[edit]
Several novels were based on the series, the first six published in America by Dell and in Britain by Target Books; the last four were only published in Britain. The first six are credited to Charles Heath.
The A-Team (adapted from the pilot written by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell)
Small But Deadly Wars (adapted from the episodes "A Small and Deadly War" written by Frank Lupo and "Black Day at Bad Rock" written by Patrick Hasburgh)
When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? (adapted from the episode of the same name written by Frank Lupo)
Old Scores to Settle (adapted from the episodes "The Only Church in Town" written by Babs Greyhosky and "Recipe for Heavy Bread" written by Stephen J. Cannell, although the novel features the latter episode first)
Ten Percent of Trouble (adapted from the episodes "Steel" written by Frank Lupo and "The Maltese Cow" written by Thomas Szollosi and Richard Christian Matheson)
Operation Desert Sun: The Untold Story, credited on the cover to Charles Heath but on the title page to Louis Chunovic.
Bullets, Bikinis and Bells by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Bullets and Bikinis" written by Mark Jones and "The Bells of St. Mary's" written by Stephen J. Cannell)
Backwoods Menace by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Timber!" written by Jeff Ray and "Children of Jamestown" written by Stephen J. Cannell)
The Bend in the River by David George Deutsch (adapted from the episode of the same name written by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo)
Death Vows by Max Hart (adapted from the episode "Till Death Us Do Part" written by Babs Greyhosky - this is the only book in the series to be based on one standard-length episode)
Soundtrack[edit]
The original main theme by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter was released on the vinyl LP Mike Post – Television Theme Songs (Elektra Records E1-60028Y, 1982) and again on the Mike Post – Mike Post LP (RCA Records AFL1-5183, 1984), both long out-of-print. The theme, as heard on seasons two through four (including the opening narration and sound effects), was also released on TVT's Television's Greatest Hits: 70s and 80s.
Though no original music other than the theme has been released, in 1984 Silva Screen issued an album of re-recorded material from the series conducted by Daniel Caine (reissued on compact disc in 1999, SILVAD 3509).
Theme From The A-Team (3:13)
Young Hannibal (2:57)
B. A.'s Ride (2:34)
The A-Team In New York City (2:43)
Bandits (2:08)
Taxi Chase (2:13)
The A-Team Escape (1:16)
The A-Team Prepare For War (2:08)
Showtime (3:22)
Move, Sucker (1:04)
Let's Get Busted (1:06)
Murdock's "Face" (3:01)
Helicopters (2:36)
More Bandits (1:22)
Theme From The A-Team (3:27)
Production notes[edit]
Awards[edit]
During its time, The A-Team was nominated for 3 Emmy Awards: In 1983 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the pilot episode, in 1984 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the episode "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?" and in 1987 (Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series) for the episode "Firing Line".
Professional wrestlers[edit]
The show featured professional wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, Professor Toru Tanaka, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, The Dynamite Kid, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Davey Boy Smith (The British Bulldog), Big John Studd and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, in most cases playing themselves. In the episode "Body Slam", which featured Hogan, wrestling interviewer and announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund also appeared.
In addition, the music video for John Cena's "Bad, Bad Man" (on Cena's You Can't See Me album) featured the Chain Gang as a three-man A-Team—Cena as Hannibal, plus Cena's cousin Tha Trademarc as Howling Mad and Bumpy Knuckles as B.A.
Theme song[edit]
The opening theme tune was composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter.
Weapons[edit]
In early episodes the team used Colt AR-15 SP1 semi-automatic rifles (with automatic sound effects, simulating the M16), while in later seasons they used the Ruger Mini-14, and on rare occasions, the selective fire AC-556K variant of the Mini-14. Hannibal is also seen using an M60 machine gun (which Hannibal called "Baby") in some episodes as well as a Micro-Uzi. MAC-11s with parts added to simulate the Uzi appear in at least two early episodes. Hannibal's sidearms are either a nickel-plated Smith & Wesson Model 59, or a stainless steel Smith & Wesson Model 639. Unusually in the episode "Black Day At Bad Rock" he is seen carrying a Browning Hi-Power. Many antagonists and members of the team are seen using 1911s as well. Starting from Season 4, the then-exotic Steyr AUG bullpup rifle also became prominent in the series. "So many different firearms were used in the 1980s hit 'The A-Team' that it’s impossible to list them all. For five seasons, the wrongly accused foursome used rifles, handguns, submachine guns and shotguns to bring justice for the little guy while trying to stay out of jail. And the best part had to be that regardless of the number of explosions or rounds fired, nobody ever got seriously hurt except for the occasional flesh wound of a team member."[42] As a result, the American Rifleman declared The A-Team the Number One Show on Television to regularly feature firearms.[42]
Home media [edit]
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released all five seasons of The A-Team on DVD in Region 1, 2, and 4. In Region 2, a complete series set entitled "The A-Team--The Ultimate Collection" was released on October 8, 2007.[43] A complete series set was released in Region 1 on June 8, 2010.[44] The set includes 25 discs packaged in a replica of the A-Team's signature black van from the show. The complete series set was released in Region 4 on November 3, 2010.
All 5 seasons were re-released in Region 2 with new packaging on June 21, 2010. The series has been remastered and was released on Blu-ray disc in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2016.[45]
DVD name
Ep#
Release dates
Region 1
Region 2
Region 3
Season One 14 June 8, 2004 September 13, 2004 December 3, 2004
Season Two 22 April 12, 2005 July 4, 2005 July 13, 2005
Season Three 25 January 31, 2006 May 22, 2006
(R2 has different cover art) July 20, 2006
Season Four 24 April 4, 2006 September 18, 2006 September 19, 2006
Season Five:
The Final Season 13 October 10, 2006 February 12, 2007
(R2 has different cover art) February 21, 2007
The Complete Series 98 June 8, 2010 DVD: October 8, 2007
Blu Ray: October 17, 2016 November 3, 2010
Bring Back... The A-Team (2006)[edit]
On May 18, 2006, Channel 4 in the UK attempted to reunite the surviving cast members of The A-Team for the show Bring Back... in an episode titled "Bring Back...The A-Team".[46] Justin Lee Collins presented the challenge, securing interviews and appearances from Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Marla Heasley, Jack Ging, series co-creator Stephen Cannell, and Mr. T.
Collins eventually managed to bring together Benedict, Schultz, Heasley, Ging and Cannell, along with William Lucking, Lance LeGault, and George Peppard's son, Christian. Mr. T was unable to make the meeting, which took place in the Friar's Club in Beverly Hills, but he did manage to appear on the show for a brief talk with Collins.
Feature film[edit]
Main article: The A-Team (film)
A feature film based on The A-Team was released on June 11, 2010, and was produced by 20th Century Fox.[47] Both Dirk Benedict (Face) and Dwight Schultz (Murdock) made brief cameo appearances in the film (as a prisoner using a sunbed and a psychiatrist overseeing Murdock's shock therapy, respectively); because of timing issues, these scenes were moved to the end of the credits. They were later reinserted for the extended-cut of the film. It is commonly noted that the scenes were actually removed due to the surviving original cast talking badly about the film not remaining true to the TV series. A director vs actor spat in short.[citation needed]
Reboot series[edit]
In September 2015, Fox announced that they were developing a reboot A-Team series with Chris Morgan as executive producer with Cannell's daughter, Tawnia McKiernan, and Albert Kim writing. The team is to be made up of both male and female characters.[48]
See also[edit]
1983 in American television
Mercenaries in popular culture
United States Army Special Forces in popular culture
References[edit]
General[edit]
Cannell, Stephen J; Lupo, Frank (1983–87), The A-Team (broadcast and DVD) .
"The A-Team". 1983. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
"The A-Team" (TV show). TV.com. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
Specific[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Robert Edelstein (2007-01-05). "Stephen J. Cannell: A Novel Approach to Life and Television". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
^ Jump up to: a b c Joe Neumaier (2001-01-21). "Encore: A Real Kick In the 'A'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
Jump up ^ Sally Bedell (1983-04-28). "How TV Hit 'The , ' Was Born". The New York Times.
Jump up ^ Stephen J. Cannell on The A-Team Season Five DVD boxset.
Jump up ^ Debra Pickett (2006-09-16). "'I'm not into acclaim. I tune it out.'". The Chicago Sun-Times.
^ Jump up to: a b "NBC Scores In Ratings With Super Bowl Broadcast". Associated Press. 1983-02-01.
Jump up ^ Bring Back... The A-Team (UK), Mr. T. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.
Jump up ^ Burns, Margaret E (2002), "The A-Team", St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, Gale Group, archived from the original on July 8, 2012, retrieved August 17, 2007 .
Jump up ^ Ranked #96 in TV Land's list of The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases Archived 2008-03-13 at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved on August 17, 2007
Jump up ^ The US Army Special Forces still uses the term ODA for their 12-man direct operations teams. Special Forces – Shooters and thinkers, United States: Army, Oct 26, 2009, retrieved January 5, 2010 .
Jump up ^ "'A-Team' is viewers' most-wanted oldie for prime-time revival" by Matthew Beard in Independent, The (London), published on October 23, 2003.
Jump up ^ Burt, Gold (October 30, 2006), "Late changes couldn't rescue The A-Team", The Leader-Post, Canada .
Jump up ^ Adrian Lee (2006-03-04). "The Final Mission". The Express.
Jump up ^ "Television: All Our Fantasies". Retrieved August 17, 2007.
Jump up ^ "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? (Part 1)", broadcast on October 25, 1983.
^ Jump up to: a b c Bring Back... The A-Team (2006). Broadcast on May 18, 2006.
^ Jump up to: a b "For NBC, Trouble At 'A-Team,'" The New York Times, May 18, 1986, written by Aljean Harmetz.
Jump up ^ Jenny Cullen (1988-12-11). "Sex and politics as coonskin hero returns from the Alamo". Sunday Mail (AUS).
Jump up ^ Buck, Jerry (January 5, 1989). "Tim Dunigan Plays a Different 'Davy Crockett'". Indiana Gazette. Associated Press – via Newspapers.com.
Jump up ^ "N/A". United Press International. 1983-03-30.
Jump up ^ "ABC Special On Slips Tops Ratings, But CBS Wins Week". Associated Press. 1983-05-03.
Jump up ^ "ABC Wins Its Second Week in the May Sweeps". Associated Press. 1983-05-24.
Jump up ^ "NBC Hits Highest Mark in May Ratings Sweeps in Five Years". Associated Press. 1983-05-27.
Jump up ^ Jerry Buck (1984-01-10). "CBS Wins Ratings But NBC Out of Cellar First Time This Season". Associated Press.
Jump up ^ John Carmody (1985-09-26). "The TV Column". Washington Post.
Jump up ^ "List of Nielsen Ratings". Associated Press. 1986-01-28.
Jump up ^ John Carmody (1986-12-13). "The TV Column". Washington Post.
Jump up ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. pp. 1690–1691. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
Jump up ^ "Home". COZITV.com. NBCUniversal Broadcasting Group. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
Jump up ^ As told by Dirk Benedict in Jensen!, a Dutch talk show, broadcast on May 11, 2007.
Jump up ^ Repeated showing on Jensen!, a Dutch talk show, broadcast on May 11, 2007.
Jump up ^ Mary Harron (July 29, 1983). "volume 106, p. 133". New Statesman (UK). Retrieved 2011-11-25.
Jump up ^ Bring Back... The A-Team (UK), Stephen J. Cannell. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.
Jump up ^ Dean, P (January 8, 1985), "No Mercy To Villains: But Do We Want More?", The Courier-Mail/The Sunday Mail, AUS .
Jump up ^ DeAndrea, William L. (editor). Encyclopedia Mysteriosa, p. 1. MacMillan, 1994, ISBN 0-02-861678-2.
Jump up ^ O'Connor, John J (1986-02-16). "TV View; It's Fun And It's Not Violent". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
Jump up ^ Bring Back... The A-Team (UK), Marla Heasley. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.
Jump up ^ Bring Back... The A-Team (UK), Dirk Benedict. Broadcast on May 18, 2006.
Jump up ^ "A-Team 1983 GMC Van".
Jump up ^ Frank Filipponio (2010-04-01). "New York 2010: Hero cars invade Gotham". Autoblog.com. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
Jump up ^ http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/06/new_lego_dimensions_packs_confirmed_beetlejuice_and_the_a-team_make_the_cut
^ Jump up to: a b http://www.americanrifleman.org/GalleryItem.aspx?cid=22&gid=107&id=949 |American Rifleman. Guns on TV...No. 1...The A-Team [1]
Jump up ^ "The A-Team — The Ultimate Collection" (DVD). UK: Amazon. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
Jump up ^ "The A-Team DVD news: Announcement for The A-Team — The Complete Series" (retailer’s product page). TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
Jump up ^ "The A-Team". Fabulous Films. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
Jump up ^ Bring Back... The A-Team on IMDb. Retrieved on August 17, 2007.
Jump up ^ "Plan Coming Together for The A-Team", Variety, March 19, 2008
Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 24, 2015). "'A-Team' TV Series Remake In Works With Chris Morgan Producing". Deadline.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: The A-Team
A-Team co-creator Stephen J. Cannell (official website)
A-Team Resource Page —contains information on episodes, cast, etc.
The A-Team at TV.com
The A-Team on IMDb
The A-Team at AllMovie

Preceded by
60 Minutes
1982 Super Bowl lead-out program
The A-Team
1983 Succeeded by
Airwolf
1984
[show]
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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_A-Team&oldid=801343748"
Categories:
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text:
Does He Love You
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"Does He Love You"
Single by Reba McEntire with Linda Davis
from the album Greatest Hits Volume Two
B-side
"Straight From You"
Released
August 28, 1993
Format
7" single
Genre
Country
Length
4:19
Label
MCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Sandy Knox
Billy Stritch
Producer(s)
Tony Brown
Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire singles chronology
"It's Your Call"
(1993) "Does He Love You"
(1993) "They Asked About You"
(1994)
"It's Your Call"
(1993) "Does He Love You"
(1993) "They Asked About You"
(1994)
Linda Davis singles chronology
"He Isn't My Affair Anymore"
(1992) He Isn't My Affair Anymore1992 "Does He Love You"
(1993) Does He Love You1993 "Love Didn't Do It"
(1994) Love Didn't Do It1994
"Does He Love You" is a song written by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch, and recorded as a duet by American country music artists Reba McEntire and Linda Davis. It was released in August 1993 as the first single from Reba's album Greatest Hits Volume Two. It is one of country music's several songs about a love triangle.
Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Content
3 Music Video
4 Track list
5 Chart performance
5.1 Year-end charts
6 References
History[edit]
"Does He Love You" was written in 1982 by Billy Stritch. He recorded it with a trio in which he performed at the time, because he wanted a song that could be sung by the other two members of the trio, both of whom were women. It had been pitched to Barbara Mandrell, Frank Sinatra, and Liza Minnelli, but McEntire ended up recording it. She had wanted to include Linda Davis, then a vocalist in her road band, as a duet partner. McEntire's husband and manager, Narvel Blackstock, told her that MCA Records "would rather [she] record this with somebody more established", such as Wynonna Judd or Trisha Yearwood, both of whom were on the same label at the time. McEntire called Tony Brown, then working as a record producer for both her and Judd. Brown told her that Judd might record the song if McEntire asked her personally, but added that Judd did not want to record songs about "marital problems". McEntire submitted a demo to Judd and, after not hearing back from her, recorded the song with Davis in June 1993.[1]
The single went on to win the Grammy award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration,[2] a Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year, and a TNN/Music City News award for Best Vocal Collaboration.
In 1996, Minnelli released the song as a duet with Donna Summer, from Minnelli's album, "Gently". In 1997, it appeared on Patti LaBelle's album, "Flame".
Content[edit]
The song features a vocal battle between two female narrators who are in love with the same man. Both women know that the man is being unfaithful to them and are wondering who he truly loves.
Music Video[edit]
The big-budget, Jon Small-directed video was filmed over 3 days in mid-1993. It begins with Reba in her dressing room wearing a lilac feather gown, where she sees a picture of her lover, which she glances at. It then shows Linda as a professional actress at a movie premiere, then cuts back to Reba smashing the picture with a metal object. Reba shows up in a limo with the same man. The two women are seen then in a photo shoot with Linda holding an award and the man in the background. The picture is taken, but it shows Reba losing focus for some reason.
The next scene shows Linda and the man flirting in a hotel bar. Reba appears wearing a white shower cloak, standing behind a glass and wood wall, as if not to be noticed by Linda. She sees what is really going on, and Linda notices her, only to come over to her and begin singing the second chorus. Reba stays behind the wall the whole time, while Linda is in front of her.
It then briefly goes back to the dressing room, where Reba continues to smash her lover's picture. The next scene shows Reba approaching Linda's house in the pouring rain at night, while Linda stands on her porch as they sing the bridge.
The scene then shifts to the next day, where Reba watches from afar as Linda and the man are seen on a speedboat, where he hugs her, implying that Linda is who he truly loves. Reba finally smiles at Linda as the boat leaves the dock.
After the song is complete, the boat collapses and goes up in flames as the director (portrayed by actor Rob Reiner) yells "cut" and shows Reba and the crew the footage as the screen pans up to show the set and sky.
The last day of shooting coincided with the last day of filming for the 1993 movie North (in which Reba stars and Reiner directed), and because of this, Reba's final outfit seen in the video was the same one she wore in the movie.
Track list[edit]
United Kingdom Maxi single CD1
"Does He Love You" (Album Version)
"Does He Love You" (Live)
"I'll Be" (Live)
United Kingdom Maxi single CD2
"Does He Love You" (Album Version)
"The Greatest Man I Never Knew" (Live)
"What If"
Chart performance[edit]
Chart (1993)
Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[3] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] 1
Chart (1999)
Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 62
Australian Singles Chart 59
Sweden Singles Chart 72
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (1993)
Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5] 52
US Country Songs (Billboard)[6] 40
References[edit]
Jump up ^ McEntire, Reba; Carver, Tom (1994). Reba: My Story. Bantam Books. pp. 272–273.
Jump up ^ "And the Winners Are . ." The New York Times. The New York Times Company. 1994-03-02. pp. C 22. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
Jump up ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2296." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. November 13, 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
Jump up ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1993". RPM. December 18, 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Best of 1993: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
Preceded by
"Easy Come, Easy Go"
by George Strait Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks
number-one single
November 6, 1993 Succeeded by
"She Used to Be Mine"
by Brooks & Dunn
RPM Country Tracks
number-one single
November 13, 1993
[show]
v
t
e
Reba McEntire 1990s singles
Sweet Sixteen
"Walk On"
Rumor Has It
"You Lie"
"Rumor Has It"
"Fancy"
"Fallin' Out of Love"
For My Broken Heart
"For My Broken Heart"
"Is There Life Out There"
"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"
"The Greatest Man I Never Knew"
It's Your Call
"Take It Back"
"The Heart Won't Lie" (with Vince Gill)
"It's Your Call"
Greatest Hits Volume Two
"Does He Love You" (with Linda Davis)
"They Asked About You"
Read My Mind
"Why Haven't I Heard from You"
"She Thinks His Name Was John"
"Till You Love Me"
"The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter"
"And Still"
Starting Over
"On My Own"
"Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands"
"Starting Over Again"
"You Keep Me Hangin' On"
What If It's You
"The Fear of Being Alone"
"How Was I to Know"
"I'd Rather Ride Around with You"
"What If It's You"
If You See Him
"If You See Him/If You See Her" (with Brooks & Dunn)
"Forever Love"
"Wrong Night"
"One Honest Heart"
So Good Together
"What Do You Say"
Other songs
"What If"
Guest singles
"Oklahoma Swing" (with Vince Gill)
[show]
v
t
e
Linda Davis
Studio albums
In a Different Light
Linda Davis
Shoot for the Moon
Some Things Are Meant to Be
I'm Yours
Love Remains (w/ the Scott family)
Notable singles
"Some Things Are Meant to Be"
"A Love Story in the Making"
"I Wanna Remember This"
"I'm Yours"
Guest singles
"Does He Love You" (with Reba McEntire)
Related articles
Hillary Scott (daughter)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Does_He_Love_You&oldid=822585165"
Categories:
1993 singles
1993 songs
Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles
Reba McEntire songs
Linda Davis songs
Liza Minnelli songs
Donna Summer songs
Patti LaBelle songs
Vocal duets
RPM Country Tracks number-one singles
Song recordings produced by Tony Brown (record producer)
MCA Records singles
Hidden categories:
Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters
Articles with hAudio microformats
Singlechart usages for Canadacountry
Singlechart called without artist
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Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs
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