"Milk is good for you, Billy."
"OK, B.A., you got it!"
A good portion of A-Team academia focuses on the question of what preceded the slide in ratings that caused the series to be cancelled after only 5 seasons. Some say that the audience simply grew tired of its formulaic nature. Other say that it strayed too far from the formula that made it a hit. So, did it stay formulaic or didn't it? Not only is there disagreement about the reaction, we can't even agree on the show itself.
Having just finished watching the entire series, I'm firmly in the "it strayed" camp. The first three seasons are the "golden years" where the hired by a person in trouble/car flip/B.A. doesn't like planes/machine building montage/Hannibal's on the jazz formula never changes. Starting in the fourth series, the episodes start to branch out and play around with the possibilities. Episode 2 takes place entirely on a cruise ship. Episode 13 begins with Murdoch being kidnapped. Episode 21 starts with a flashback to a boxing match in the 50's. Most extreme of all, in Episode 23 a man gets shot and killed - A MAN IS SHOT AND KILLED on "The A-Team"! This is also the season where the A-Team helps out famous guest-stars Rick James, Isaac Hayes, Hulk Hogan and Boy George (I kid you not). The Boy George episode may be the worst of the entire series.
I have no problem with "branching out" and changing (some) things and playing with the format but the bottom line is that this season - Season 4 - is also the time when the ratings started to slide. And then in Season 5, the whole script gets flipped upside down - they're working for the government (not the common man) and the show becomes a "Mission: Impossible" ripoff. Again, that wouldn't be the worst thing in theory but it is pretty bad in practice. And they even re-made the theme song. That's sacrilege, pure and simple.
This is one of my favorite shows of all-time. The "golden years" are as formulaic as any show ever created but I absolutely love the formula. I love the use of guns and explosions as a **non-violent** means of control. I love the car chases. I love when they build machines. I love the van - one of the greatest TV vehicles. I love Mr. T - one of my favorite tough guys of all-time. I love Hannibal's plans. I love it when a plan comes together.
When I was a kid, "The A-Team" aired Sunday night from 8-9 P.M. and my bedtime was set firm at 9. There are still times when I can hear the theme song and go back to that moment in my childhood. It was so exciting that I was about to get an hour of awesome television... and it was so sad that I knew the countdown had begun - when the final credits rolled I had to go to bed. The weekend is almost over... almost... but it's not over yet.
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