Starring:
George Peppard as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith
Mr. T as Sgt. Bosco Albert “B.A.” Baracus
Dirk Benedict as Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck
Dwight Schultz as Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock
Melinda Culea as Amy Amanda Allen
William Lucking as Col. Lynch
Lance LeGault as Col. Roderick Decker
Special Features:
Brother’s Keeper Knight Rider Episode
Other Info:
Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Dolby Digital 2.0 Sound
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 18 Hours 28 Minutes
Synopsis:
The second season of the A-Team aired in 1984. The following is from the DVD cover:
“Everyone’s favorite soldiers of fortune return as Season Two of television’s greatest adventure series, The A-Team.
Pile into that famous black van for another season of adrenaline-pumping adventure with Hannibal, Face, Murdock and B.A. as they fight for justice against dangerous criminals, while staying one step ahead of their archenemy, Colonel Decker.
Featuring all 22 thrilling Second Season episodes. If you crave action, adventure and fun, and no one else can help – you must rehire The A-Team!”
The A-Team Season Two is not rated.
The Series:
I missed out on reviewing the first season DVD of The A-Team, so it was quite a treat to be able to revisit it in this Second Season set. Being a child of the 80’s, I religiously viewed The A-Team whenever it was on. I wasn’t as big a fan as some of my friends, but I could quote Mr. T, I knew who Dwight Schultz was, and I remembered Dirk Benedict from Battlestar Galactica. The A-Team worked because it had all the key elements of a hit 80’s TV series. It had a cool car, tough guys, beautiful women, and lots of car crashes and stunts. It was no wonder it appealed to me and other pre-teen boys back then.
The show also worked because of the excellent casting and the colorful roster of characters. Mr. T alone was a spectacle even before he opened his mouth. With the Mohawk and multitude of chains, he was the epitome of tough back then. You could always count on him as the muscle and attitude of the group. He was a perfect contrast to Dwight Schultz as Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock. Their fighting provided much of the comic relief for the show. Murdock’s insane antics took the Klinger type character to the next level of craziness and was a favorite for kids. Then you had George Peppard as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, the brains of the outfit. His disguises and impersonations always made a great start for the show and also provided a significant amount of humor. Finally, there was Dirk Benedict as Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck who added the style and good looks to the band of mercenaries.
Almost as much fun as the cast were the big stunts from the show. Every week you could count on some spectacular car crash or explosion to liven things up. One of the gimmicks of the show was to have the team assemble some makeshift war machine out of scrap metal and some vehicle. It was always the climax of the show and another inspiration for kids to learn welding.
Another trademark of the show was the classic theme song. Who doesn’t have the military march stuck in their head after hearing it?
All these old series feature cameos from well known actors and this one is no exception. Look for bit parts by Lance Henriksen, Dennis Franz, Markie Post, Michael Ironside, and Ernie Hudson in various episodes.
I think this DVD is primarily for children of the 80’s who grew up watching the show. It’s a nice piece of nostalgia for them, but I’m not sure anyone else will get it. Children today might like the monster machines and antics of Murdock, but it’s a lot of money to spend on something they might not like. You might want to rent it before deciding to buy it for kids today.
The Extras:
There are no bonus features on this DVD other than a Knight Rider episode. I would have preferred more A-Team related bonus features, though.
The Bottom Line:
The A-Team Season Two is for anyone that bought the first season DVD and anyone that wants a piece of nostalgia from the 80’s.
