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The A-Team

The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who work as soldiers of fortune while being on the run from the military for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by writers and producers Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell (who also collaborated together on Wiseguy and Hunter) at the behest of Brandon Tartikoff, NBC's Entertainment president.

Despite being thought of as mercenaries by the other characters in the show, the A-Team always acted on the side of the good guys and helped the oppressed. The show ran for five seasons on the NBC television network, from January 23, 1983 to December 30, 1986 (with one additional, previously unbroadcast episode shown on March 8, 1987), with a total of 98 episodes.

It remains known in popular culture for its cartoon-like use of over-the-top violence (in which people were seldom seriously hurt), supposedly formulaic episodes, featuring the ability to form weaponry and vehicles out of old parts, and its distinctive theme tune. The show also served as the springboard for the career of Mr. T, who portrayed the character of B. A. Baracus, around whom the show was initially conceived.[1][2] Some of the show's catchphrases such as "I love it when a plan comes together",[3], "Hannibal's on the jazz" and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have also made their way onto T-shirts and other merchandise.

Although not directly referenced in the series, the name of the show comes from "A-teams", the nickname for Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA). The US Army Special Forces uses the term ODA for their 12-man direct operations teams.

Tartikoff pitched the series to Cannell as a cross between The Dirty Dozen, Mission Impossible, Seven Samurai (and its western remake The Magnificent Seven), Mad Max and Hill Street Blues, with "Mr. T driving the car."[4][5][6][7]

Initially, The A-Team was not expected to become a hit, although Stephen J. Cannell purports that "[George Peppard] said it would be a huge hit before we ever turned on a camera."[8] In fact, the show became a huge hit and the first regular episode, which aired after the 1983 Super Bowl (XVII) on January 30, 1983, reached 26.4% of the television watching audience, placing fourth in the top 10 rated shows, according to the Nielsen Ratings.[9]