Search - The A-Team: Season One on DVD

Danielle D. (JayneCasey) from DECATUR, IL
Reviewed on 7/2/2010...

Absolutely amazing! The cast is wonderful and all of Hannibal's plans are well played.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

An iffy start

Inspector Gadget | On the trail of Doctor Claw | 12/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The A-Team is one of the most fondly remembered TV shows in history. For a long, long time we've been asking for it to be released on DVD and this year Universal finally acknowledged or requests. Is it worth the wait and money? Kinda.

First of all an introduction to the A-Team is needed.

First we have the leader, John 'Hannibal' Smith (the late, great George Peppard on top form) a Colonel in the US army so called because of his expert war tactics being likened to that of the legendary Hannibal Barca.

Then there is Templeton 'The Face' Peck (Dirk Benedict) the smooth con-man who is relied upon to get whatever supplies are needed.

Bosco 'BA' Baracus (the very funny Mr. T) is the muscle. No one argues or torments when BA is around.

And finally, Captain HM Murdock (Dwight Schultz) a crazy pilot who only pretends to be insane for the fun (and shelter) but can be serious when needed.

Season One also featured Amanda Amy Allen (Melinda Culea), a newspaper reporter who follows the A-Team around and covers their antics. She never did much else but she has a beautiful smile and gorgeous legs that go all the way up.

As you know the A-Team are on the lam for a crime they didn't commit (allegedly they robbed the Bank of Hanoi during the Vietnam war) and help folks out whenever injustice brings misery or despair.

The episodes in season one are as follows...

1 and 2. Mexican Slayride parts 1 and 2-The pilot episode in which the team go to Mexico to rescue a reporter held hostage by guerillas. It's okay, nothing special. Ron Palilo guest stars.

3. Children Of Jamestown-The team are hired to rescue a girl kidnapped by mad christian fundementalists. Gerrit Graham guest stars.

4. Pros And Cons-The A-Team go undercover in a prison to expose a corrupt warden and his brutal gladatorial prison death matches.

5. A Small And Deadly War-A SWAT team moonlighting as hitmen get their comuppance. Dean Stockwell guest stars.

6. Black Day At Bad Rock-When BA is injured and taken to a doctor she gets suspicious and calls the fuzz. Bikers later lay siege to the town and the cops need to release them. Sid Haig guest stars.

7. The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas-A college professor with a foolproof gambling system disappears in Las Vegas. The A-Team are hired to get him back.

8. The Out-Of-Towners-The A-Team take on a street-hustler harrassing the innocent citizens of a scared neighborhood. A rather poor episode set in New York. Phony cardboard sets on the Universal backlot do not convince and the budget was certainly not spent on squibs, giving the impression that they are firing blanks. Yaphet Kotto guest stars.

9. Holiday In The Hills-When their plane crash lands in hillbilly land the A-Team stop a man from being burnt at the stake (reasons unknown) by hicks. A small war breaks out.

10. West Coast Turnaround-The A-Team are hired to take on a corrupt sheriff and help out a man being threatened off his melon farm.

11. One More Time-Off they go to Borneo to rescue a VIP and his daughter. Not a good episode. Some random field outside LA makes for a very, very poor 'double' of Borneo (puh-lease), which distracts for most of the show. Amy Steel guest stars.

12. Till Death Do Us Part-A recently widowed-woman being forced into marriage by a money hungry businesman hires the A-Team to find out the truth of her late husbands suspicous death. Surely the cops would have discovered it.

13. The Beast From The Belly Of A Boeing-Idiot terrorists take over a plane with ludicrous demands. The A-Team sneak aboard and sort it out. Xander Berkely and Andrew Robinson guest star.

14. A Nice Place to Visit-A hick family terrorizes a small town but the A-Team (attending the funeral of a Vietnam buddy) sort them out in their own unique way.

The quality of the shows ranges from being genuinely well written to rather stupid. But hardly any of them feature inventing! Come on! This was the A-Team trademark. What's going on? Obviously, as the budget increased in later seasons the episodes got more sophisticated. Season One is all hokey and novice in comparison.

Oh and all that rubbish you've heard about no one ever dying in The A-Team is nonsense. This season alone features two deaths in episodes 4 and 7.

The episodes are very badly presented in this set. The 1.33:1 full frame picture is dirty and damaged with weak, washed-out colors and tinny Dolby Mono sound. I know this is how the show was originally recorded but even a Stereo remix would have been worth it. Though the very abundant ADR is extremely obvious nonetheless. There is not one tiny little extra at all.

Universal, I want Season 2 right away. But I will gladly wait longer to get a remastered picture and better sound. This is a great show but the presentation quality on this set is terrible. I know these episodes are over 20 years old but I've seen older stuff look better. And the packaging is rather flimsy too.

Pick up for no more than half-price."

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

Brian C. Booth | West Greenwich, Rhode Island United States | 03/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Finally, one of the greatest shows of all time is coming to DVD! The A-Team, which focuses on "...a crack commando who were sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit, and promptly escaped into the LA 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." This show is very fun to watch. The on-screen chemistry the characters have with each other is amazing. You can tell they really enjoy working with each other; Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, the brains of the operation, Lt. Templeton "Face" Peck, the swift, charming con artist, Captain H.M. Murdock, a talented and incredibly goofy pilot, and Sgt. B.A. Baracus, the muscle. With every episode you can always count on plenty of action (the most violent show during it's 5 year run, yet no one was ever killed or even shot), comedy, and simply good times. Watching it, you'll be amazed as to the improbable ways the team gets through improbable situations. A great pick for anyone who justs wants to kick back, and watch a fun show. I can't wait to have all 5 seasons as part of my DVD collection, as well as what I hope to be the up-coming movie."

On The Jazz!

Sparky | Marquette, MI United States | 05/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love it when a DVD comes together!The hit 80s TV series that helped save the NBC network finally makes it way to DVD. The A-Team is the story of a Vietnam crack commando unit made up of four men: Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, Lieutenant Templeton Peck (a.k.a. Face), Captain H.M. (Howlin' Mad) Murdock, and Sergeant B.A. Baracus (Mr. T).They were committed of a crime they didn't commit and escaped from a maximum security stockcade to the Los Angeles underground and survived as soldiers of fortune, helping out those in need.The first season of The A-Team is probably my favorite. Everything was just original and raw, where they didn't have a care but for themselves and their attitudes were more rough and comedy came as a result of their actions and insults, rather than trying to intentionally be funny. In later seasons it's the opposite, where the guys seem to become more soft and sensitive to the situations and feelings and comedy seemed to be more of the intent rather than their rough image, and the shows tended to follow the same formula every week.There are 14 episodes in Season 1:Episodes 1 and 2 - Mexican Slayride Part 1 and Part 2 - The two hour pilot. When a newspaper reporter from the L.A. Courier gets kidnapped by outlaws in Mexico, fellow reporter Amy Allen seeks out The A-Team to rescue him. Features the only time Faceman is played by Tim Dunigan instead of Dirk Benedict.3. Children of Jamestown - The A-Team is hired to save a girl from a cult led by the Rev. Martin James. Upon freeing the girl, The A-Team is captured and looks to escape and return the favor to James. The lesson is, nobody takes Hannibal's boots.4. Pros and Cons - A friend of B.A. escapes prison and gets caught, but not before telling B.A. of the illegal fight-to-the-death matches the prison warden makes them take part in where the winner goes "free," only to become hunted.5. A Small and Deadly War - A straight cop discovers a SWAT team gone bad and hires The A-Team to expose them.6. Black Day at Bad Rock - B.A. is wounded from a previous job that went slightly wrong. The Team takes him to a doctor in Bad Rock, who helps B.A. but also calls the sheriff and has them arrested thinking they're a part of a biker gang. Hannibal and Face escape jail, but refuse to let out the jailed gang leader. When he informs them the rest of the gang is coming to set him free, The A-Team strikes a deal with the sheriffs to protect the town and in turn they aren't arrested.7. The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas - A professor who has discovered the perfect formula for gambling is kidnapped by a casino owner. The A-Team pose as federal agents to rescue him, but when the casino owner is killed they become the prime suspects and must find the real killer to prove their innocence.8. Holiday In The Hills - On their way back from a mission, The A-Team's plane crashes in the Carolina hills, where they stumble across a mob of hillbillies getting ready to burn a man at the stake. The A-Team saves the man and Murdock takes him for medical attention, while the rest of the guys defend their position while waiting for Murdock to return with help.9. The Out-of-Towners - The A-Team heads to New York City, where a group of local shopkeepers are being bullied into paying money for "protection" they don't want.10. West Coast Turnaround - The A-Team is hired by a 'Nam vet to transport his crop of watermelons before they spoil, but they are met with resistance from another local rancher who controls much of the valley and is trying to put him out of business.11. One More Time - The A-Team is finally captured by Col. Lynch, but his authority is quickly taken away by the U.S. gov't, who strike a deal with the Team to send them to Borneo to rescue a general (who B.A. punched in Vietnam) and his daughter, who are being held captive by guerrilas.12. Til Death Do Us Part - The A-Team is hired to save Jackie Taylor from marrying Calvin Cutter against her will. Jackie and Calvin had been dating, but once Jackie's father died and she inherited his company (which Cutter works for), Calvin's real intentions became clear. But since Calvin owns most of Wilson County, Jackie really had no way to escape him. Features classic moments such as Murdock almost marrying the groom, and Faceman getting married?! Definitely one of the best episodes!13. The Beast From The Belly Of A Boeing - Hijackers take over an airplane and make demands for money and that the FBI and police not be involved if they want the passengers to survive. Hannibal and Face pose as the president and vice president of Beller Air to infiltrate the plane, while Murdock and B.A. sneak onboard while fueling up the plane. The only problem is the plane takes off when it's not suppose to and B.A., who is afraid of flying, goes into a state of comatose, and it's up to Murdock to save the Team.Definitely a must own DVD set for all A-Team fans and those of classic 80s TV series!"