The A-Team

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Name: The A-Team
Abbreviation(s): AT, TAT
Creator: Stephen J. Cannell (TV)
Joe Carnahan (Film)
Date(s): January 23, 1983 – March 8, 1987 (series)
June 11, 2010 (films)
Medium: Television Series & Film
Country of Origin: USA
External Links: at IMDb (series)
at Wikipedia (series)
at IMDb (film)
at Wikipedia (film)
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.
artist is Ruth Kurz, from Adult Situations #1 (1986)

The A-Team is an American television show that ran for five seasons from 1983 to 1987.

In it, four Viet Nam War[note 1] veterans are framed for a crime they didn't commit. They go on the run in the Los Angeles underground, being heroes for hire.

Each episode begins with innocent people being threatened by people who want to take something from them, often their house, business, land, or reputation. The victim then visits a mysterious man, usually team leader Hannibal Smith in disguise, to ask for help. After Hannibal determines their problem is legit, the A-Team swings into action.

Nominated for three prime-time Emmys, the show left a definite mark on '80s culture with its signature explosions and cartoon violence that rarely killed anyone. The character B.A. Baracus, portrayed by actor Mr. T., became a cult icon for his tough-guy persona and gold jewelry.

In 2010, the fandom got a boost from the release of a full-length feature film, which altered the canon of the show by resetting the character's backgrounds, modernizing and updating them to be Iraq War veterans with a different backstory than the original series.

A 2006 description from crack_van:

For five seasons, 1983-1987, The A-Team stormed into living rooms, featuring four Vietnam veterans driving around the United States in a recognizable black/red van that seemed to be the equivalent of Snoopy's dog house (they even had a printing press in the back one time). The team defended ordinary citizens against evil, corruption, and not-very-nice people.

The show was formulaic and there were occasionally plot holes big enough to drive the van through, but the characters and their interaction were enough to keep fans entertained and to leave curious fan girls and boys wondering: what do four guys living in a van get up to when they're not on a mission?[8]

Characters

Fan Comments: Original Series

1984

I think that the closest that anyone has ever come to the kind of identification you can get from ST if, oddly enough, the A-Team. I think that a lot of people have a ton of fun trying to identify with the characters from the A-Team. I mean, if you don't think that you can tear doors of cars like Mr. T, you can at least identify with Murdock who walks around acting crazy. That's a rather far out comparison, but you understand. [9]

One thing that does puzzle me is the criticism I've read recently stating that The Professionals is too violent. Ye gods and little fishes! Are we to be doomed to a perpetual diet of 'Watch with Mother'? This is a programme intended for adults, concerning men in a dangerous profession; of course there will be must be a certain amount of violence unless we are to descend to the comic-book level of programmes like 'The A-Team'. Compared with such programmes as 'The Sweeney', or 'ZCars', ‘The Professionals' seems to strike a reasonable balance between realism and make believe.

Frankly, programmes like 'The A Team' worry me far more, as I consider that its treatment of violence is far more dangerous. Spray the surrounding countryside with machine gun fire, blow up cars... but don't worry, the victims pick themselves up and walk away. Nonsense! [10]

1987

I never watch the A-TEAM, too much cartoon violence. But the stories are always good in zines. [11]

2004

The A-Team was one of those shows I tried not to like when I was a teenager. Because I was one of those dorks with principles. It was too violent, it was goofy, blah blah blah. But underneath it all, I had a deep and abiding (platonic) love for Murdock, and a deep and abiding (not-so- platonic) love for Hannibal. Hey, what can I say? I was a precocious little tyke.

When I finally got back into A-Team many years later, I became hooked on the show for its tongue-in-cheek humour, its exploration (however spotty) of the experiences of the Special Forces in Vietnam, and, of course, because Hannibal was still just as hot to me now as he was then. So I wrote a Hannibal/Maggie story, and figured that was it.

And then I discovered Face/Murdock slash. Which at first shocked me. I mean, jeez, they're Green Berets, people. It's just...not... possible. Is it?

... I convinced myself that it was possible, and that I could write it. Hence began my descent down the slippery slope of slash (say that ten times fast). And I haven't looked back since.[12]

I remember not being allowed to watch The A-Team when it was first on because it was "too violent." When I got back into it, I gently pointed out to my parents that it's extremely rare that anyone ever dies in the A-Team (even when they fly into the side of a mountain in a helicopter), and that, wow, for a crack commando unit, these guys couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. But still, yes, my defense of the A-Team is that it's funny, doesn't take itself too seriously, and that the backgrounds of these characters are seriously interesting, and something that begs be expanded upon in fiction. They give you just enough canon on the show to leave it free to the fic writers to give the background some context. [13]

I was first re-introduced to TAT in 2002, when a local cable station ran an A-Team marathon. As a teenager I’d watched the show off and on, semi-ashamed of the fact I enjoyed the show even though it was goofy, chauvinistic and way too violent (yeah, I was one of those annoyingly principled teenagers). Of course, it had the attractions of “Howlin’ Mad” Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who I suspect was Jim Carrey’s early inspiration and who I loved in a purely platonic way, and the dangerously nummy Hannibal Smith (George Peppard), who I loved in a rather less platonic way—hey, puberty is a mofo.

This time around, I found The A-Team to be goofy, chauvinistic and way too violent—but I also found that it was a show aware it was all these things. On one level, TAT is a spoof of the action genre, and a much more subtle one than people give it credit for. Sure, there’s the painful Mr. T factor, but even that can be used to generate some (intentioned) laughs. Look at it this way: any show in which George Peppard dresses up like the Queen Mother and fusses about “exposed” wiring has got to have its tongue firmly planted in cheek. What intrigued me, though, were the times when you were reminded these men were ex-Special Forces and Vietnam veterans, with all the demons and regrets that entails. And while they didn’t always get it right or delve into it as deeply as I might have liked, the concept of these men as fucked-up adrenaline junkies was right on target. And I was hooked. [14]

2012

[In the story, Sex, Lies and U.N.C.L.E. [15]]... I found The A-Team’s blatant lack of homophobia unrealistic. I’m sure they’re great guys and everything, but let’s face it, these are men’s men during the 80s. And the 1980s is pretty homophobic (particularly in that age group), especially considering it was during the rise of AIDs. I just find it hard to believe that everyone in The A-Team would be okay with a couple of openly gay men without any sort of drama, especially after you take the time period into consideration.[16]

Fan Comments: 2010 Movie

2010

The A-Team” is an incomprehensible mess with the 1980s TV show embedded inside. The characters have the same names, they play the same types, they have the same traits, and they’re easily as shallow. That was OK for a TV sitcom, which is what the show really was, but at over two hours of Queasy-Cam anarchy, it’s punishment.

[...]

To give it credit, the movie knows it is childish. The PG-13 is appropriate. There’s little actual gore, no sex beyond a chaste kiss, no R-rated language, but ohmigod, there’s smoking! Alert to pre-teens: Try one of those fat cigars Hannibal smokes, and you won’t feel like eating dinner. [17]

2012

I was a big fan of the original “A-Team” TV show so naturally I was interested in seeing this group of guys move to the big screen. The TV show was a pretty fun mix of over-the-top action and good-natured humor and it found a pretty strong following. Sadly the movie adaptation is a loud, obnoxious, and rather pointless modernization. There’s no doubting the cool factor in seeing Hannibal, Face, B.A., and Murdoch on the big screen for the first time. But the material is so bad and the novelty only carries the film so far before it quickly wears off.

One of the first things to turn me off was the pervasive profanity found in the film. How this movie was able to keep a PG-13 rating is stunning. You name the curse word and it’s there and many are used throughout the movie from start to finish. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a fun action movie you can take your kids to (much like the TV show). I suppose the filmmakers feel that a movie must be “modernized” in order to attract newer audiences. So they throw in things such as the profanity and changing Face from just a ladies man into someone who sleeps with every woman he encounters (including an adulterous relationship). “Losing it’s innocence” is probably a silly term to use here but I really hated the direction they chose for the film.

[...]

The story is certainly nothing to brag about. In fact, there’s nothing that you’ll remember about it once the end credits roll. It’s utterly forgettable. It’s basically three small missions woven together by a few thin threads of plot. So that leaves it up to the action sequences (and there is alot of them) to hold up the film. There is some wild action and when it isn’t hindered by the editing it can be pretty entertaining. But while it’s full of slick explosions and tons of CGI, some of the scenes are so over-the-top that they come across as just silly. Fans of the TV show will remember that some of the team’s exploits were beyond belief. But it’s nothing like in this movie. You can’t help but to shake your head at some of the stuff you’re seeing.

“The A-Team” does have a decent cast and Neeson and Cooper are particularly good even when the writing lets them down. Perhaps the movie’s strongest points are the exchanges between these two. There is a lot of botched potential here. What could have been a fun, action popcorn escape turns out to be a mess. Some good acting and wild action is overshadowed by pitiful editing, shoddy camera work, and a mediocre story. “The A-Team” is a disappointing film in almost every regard. [18]

2024

Cast was tremendous and it was just stupid, mindless fun. If you’re still taking it seriously by the time they’re in the tank scene, then give up. It’s so much fun. [19]

Pairings

The main slash pairing is Face/Murdock, although other pairings exist. A second, popular pairing is Face/Hannibal.

In some stories, both gen and slash, Hannibal is seen as a father figure for the other men.

The Original Series

In the winter of 2002, I was feeling nostalgic for things past, and was Googling around for information on television shows I'd grown up with. Imagine my surprise when I found entire archives of stories about The A-Team. Imagine my horror when I discovered that many writers had very particular ideas about what the members of the team got up to when they weren't saving the day. I was initially traumatized by the idea of Face and Murdock getting together, but also somewhat curious, and as I ran out of gen fiction to read, I wandered into the realm of slash. Uncomfortable at first, I read the work of Emma Stark, who made me believe the pairing could happen, and my love of slash was born.

The most popular pairing in the fandom is undoubtedly, Face/Murdock because a) they're young and good-looking, b) they have great on-screen chemistry, c) Murdock is extremely physical and tends to get into Face's personal space, d) they spend a lot of on-screen time together.

Other common pairings include: Face/Hannibal, Murdock/B.A. (although B.A. is a tough character to write well). Basically, you'll find fic featuring every combination of the four characters in twos, threesomes, and foursomes.

Rare, but interesting pairings: Decker/team member, Frankie/Murdock, Stockwell/Hannibal, Stockwell/Murdock. [20]

The 2010 Movie

In fanworks based on the 2010 movie, Face/Hannibal appears to have eclipsed Face/Murdock in popularity.[21] The Hannibal/BA/Murdock/Face polyship, also called H-BAMF, also gained popularity.

Tropes

  • origin stories (how and when did they meet?)
  • their Viet Nam War memories and experiences used as a backstory
  • hurt/comfort, with Face especially used as a woobie
  • PTSD and mental health issues
  • Murdock's chaotic actions and statements; was he really insane or just pretending?
  • B.A. Baracus' fear of flying
  • Face's many disguises and cons; he never showed signs of wanting to reform

Fanmixes

Letterzines and Newsletters: Off-Line Communication

Like other pre-internet fandoms, fans depended on other ways to communicate, squee, complain, and share information.

This included chatting one-to-one with letters in the mail, the phone, in-person at cons, and, of course, letterzines and newsletters.

This fandom's letterzine was The Cannell Files.

Newsletters were The A-Team Appreciation Society Newsletter | Baracus News | The D.B. News | Dwight Schultz Fanclub Newsletter | On the Jazz | Ruckus in Madoc County | SCAM | Starnet | On the Jazz (electronic) | On the Jazz (print).

Fanfiction

The A-Team's first fiction was, of course, print based. Like all older fandoms, some of this content can be found online, but much of it remains hard to find.

The ATeam Lending Library‎‎ operated to enable net-based fans to access offline material.

Sample Fics

Original Series

2010 Movie

  • Touch-a Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me by the_wanlorn ("In which Murdock is jumpy, BA is an idiot, Face is unhelpful, Hannibal is a troll, and there's an inevitable happy ending.") (2010)
  • Logic and Proportion by sharkgloves ("Their new client doesn't like Murdock.") (2011)

Fanzines

Print fanzines with an A-Team focus are at Category:The A-Team Zines.

There are also A-Team fics in a number of multi-fandom zines, usually gen.

Example Fanzines

  • Wild Jazz, a slash zine from 1988
  • Tee Off, a gen zine produced by Golfball Liberation Front Headquarters

Fanart

Mailing Lists

Meta

Archives, Websites, Communities & Resources

Notes

  1. ^ "Various names have been applied and shifted over time, though 'Vietnam War' is the most commonly used in English. It has been called the 'Second Indochina War' since it spread to Laos and Cambodia,[1] the Vietnam Conflict,[2][3] and colloquially ''Nam'. In Viet Nam it is known as Kháng chiến chống Mỹ, literally 'Resistance War against America'.[4][5] The Government of Viet Nam officially refers to it as the 'Resistance War against America to Save the Nation.'"[6] —Wikipedia[7]

References

  1. ^ Factasy. "The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War". PRLog. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  2. ^ "The National Archives – Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File". 15 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  3. ^ Marlatt, Greta E. "Research Guides: Vietnam Conflict: Maps". Libguides.nps.edu. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  4. ^ Meaker, Scott S.F. (2015). Unforgettable Vietnam War: The American War in Vietnam – War in the Jungle. ISBN 978-1-312-93158-9.
  5. ^ Burns, Robert (January 27, 2018). "Grim reminders of a war in Vietnam, a generation later". Concord Monitor. Archived from the original on 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2019-02-28. It's been more than for 40-plus years, the war that Americans simply call Vietnam but the Vietnamese refer to as their Resistance War Against America.
  6. ^ Miller, Edward. "Vietnam War perspective: the unreconciled conflict". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  7. ^ Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, s.v. "Vietnam War," (accessed 2025), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vietnam_War&oldid=1302584407
  8. ^ from The A-Team Overview, Archived version by Lacey McBain at crack_van (2006)
  9. ^ from An Interview with Bjo Trimble (1984)
  10. ^ from Mixed Doubles #1 (1984)
  11. ^ from a letter of comment in Southern Comfort #3
  12. ^ from when the world is puddle-wonderful (aka lamardeuse's site or lamardeuse's fiction), possibly 2004
  13. ^ from brooklinegirl at Shipper's Manifesto (2004)
  14. ^ from The Shipper's Manifesto by lamardeuse (2004)
  15. ^ Note: there are several versions of this story.
  16. ^ from Original Slash Fiction that Claims to Tie Smut and Plot Together, 2012
  17. ^ by Roger Ebert More like the B-Team, fool! (June 9, 2010)
  18. ^ from REVIEW: “The A-Team” (2010) by Keith Garlington (July 2012)
  19. ^ from The A-Team (2010) is sorely underrated
  20. ^ from The A-Team Overview, Archived version by Lacey McBain at crack_van (2006)
  21. ^ As of June 2025, there are 427 works of 680 total works in The A-Team (2010) tagged Templeton "Faceman" Peck/John "Hannibal" Smith, versus 127 tagged H. M. "Howling Mad" Murdock/Templeton "Faceman" Peck.
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