What was it about?: "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 compund 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." The crime Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock, Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck and Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus were supposed to have committed was robbing the Bank of Hanoi; they were acting under orders from their superior officers, but they couldn't prove it. As a result, when the three escaped felons (and one escaped mental patient - between missions, Murdock resided in a VA hospital) took to Mission:Impossible-style derring-do, Hannibal (George Peppard, RIP), Murdock (Dwight Schultz), Faceman (Dirk Benedict) and B.A. (Mr. T) also had to keep an eye out for the military pursuers, led first by Lynch (William Lucking) and then the more menacing Decker (Lance LeGault). The third time proved to be the charm... see below.
Why was it good?: Admittedly it wasn't good in the Hill Street Blues sense of the word, but it was undemanding action-packed entertainment then and it's undemanding action-packed entertainment now; the good guys always won, the bad guys always lost, and it was reliable if formulaic viewing (hardly a week went by without the obligatory how-to-build-a-secret-weapon-out-of-ordinary-household-appliances segment, for instance). Reportedly the cast were far from comradely off-screen, but the on-screen chemistry took; and I pity the fool who actually took the violence any more seriously than the average Road Runner cartoon. (Though contrary to popular belief, people did get seriously hurt occasionally e.g. Murdock in the clip show "Curtain Call"; sometimes people actually died, as in "Pros & Cons" and "Skins.")
Who liked it?: Hero-worshipping kids and adults. Fantasists. The audiences who later lined up for Rambo: First Blood Part II. Mr. T's agent - he went on to get his own cartoon and breakfast cereal (Mr. T, not his agent).
Who didn't?: Strenuous pro-military activists. Peaceniks. Numerous TV critics. Melinda Culea - the first of the show's token females wanted her role (reporter Amy Allen) expanded; instead it was reduced to nothing (she was replaced by Marla Heasley, and then the producer dispensed with the notion).
Notes: In the final season the A-Team was captured by General Hunt Stockwell - played by Robert Vaughn, who'd previously worked with Peppard in Battle Beyond The Stars as two of several mercenaries recruited by Richard Thomas to save his planet; the twist was that in the end all the mercenaries died and it was John-Boy who saved the day - but he made them work for him as agents, guaranteeing their freedom after a set number of missions had been accomplished (unfortunately the series was cancelled before that day arrived); this kickstarted Stephen J. Cannell's successful career as an independent producer; Cyndi Lauper was supposed to have appeared in the episode "There Goes The Neighborhood" as a rock star in peril but never did do the show, unlike Rick James ("The Heart Of Rock'N'Roll") and Boy George ("Cowboy George").
Oh, please...
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Taking Care Of The A-Team
The A-Team On The Web
The A-Team Headquarters
Kristy's A-Team Site