The A Team

Kid Harmon is a fine young man and talented car racer, but when his competitor Kyle Ludwig, who gets almost unlimited funds from his uncle, Chicago gangster Carl Ludwig, hears his goons can't discourage the kid and his dad, Jack Harmon, he orders them to stop both physically. Once Kid is in hospital, his young wife Dana calls his uncle John, i.e. Hannibal Smith, who brings in the A-team. Face presents himself as the smart Western Hemisphere representative of an Italian first rate formula 1 sponsor, offering Kyle to buy himself in- the $1,000,000 is actually to replace Kids car trashed car. Then they make his goons blow up his own best car, and bring in Murdock as the Italian family's philandering heir Carlo, who only utters absurd Italian phrases. However uncle Jack, a wino who nearly lost his bride to Hannibal, and is fed up with his son admiring the Colonel, has called Decker and owes up a minute too late, so it's up to Murdock alone to save the day... Sat, Jun 6, 1987

The Pentagon publicly announces a full pardon for Lieutenant Templeton Peck, on the false grounds he would only have been a passenger, but Face cannot resist his chance to try his charms on a world ripe for the picking; despite positive legal advice, Hannibal is convinced it must be a trap, while Murdock is eager to try his hands as the new -inferior- scam-artist 'Hunkman'. A certain Mrs. E.G. is waiting for him to sell his biography while the publicity is hot, but her firm -or is it the Firm, i.e. the CIA?- seems connected to the goons who try to kidnap the others. When they meet, some Vietnamese attack all four of them in a helicopter... Tue, Nov 26, 1985

The A-team is just in time, asked to protect rock singer Stevi Faith, to prevent an attack in her manager Woodie Stone's office by terrorists from North Terrania who want to prevent her donating any proceeds of an Africa benefit to the rival Central African South Terrania. They decide to hide her in a safer place incognito, so Face buys a nice suburban house, hoping to sell with a profit after some renovation. All neighbors are decent people, even the wacky, fat, macho but useless block captain Joe, except the Hells Angels types in the house across, who soon turn out to be hoods planted by drug baron Juarez. Their firm efficiency against those criminals makes Hannibal elected -without standing- new block captain, so Joe will eagerly rat on them to Stone, and then other problems also resurface... Tue, Dec 3, 1985

The team goes to see a wrestling win by world champion Hulk Hogan, a colleague of BA's in Vietnam, and accepts his plea to help keep open a center for street kids in Venice, CA., which the Carter crime family wants and already has the bank ready to foreclose and sell to them if the next loan payment fails. Face figures out patriarch Victor Carter's past under his original name, Kotero, and the criminal connection with the father of the center's devoted manager Dicki Gordon: a gold transport robbery, the loot of which is probably buried under the center. The Carters may send in a bunch of goons, Hulks friends are a few sizes bigger. Hannibal pretends to be a crooked FBI agent after the gold, but MP Col. Decker is also on to the team... Tue, Nov 12, 1985

Rick James (playing himself) asks the Team to help C.J. Mack, a prison inmate due to be released soon. Mack is in trouble, as he has recording of illegal activity among some of the prisoners, and he may not leave the prison alive. Sat, Jun 13, 1987

Face was already enjoying the possibilities of spending the profits from a no-sweat $300,000 job offered by a foxy millionaire when Hannibal guesses correctly that it must be a trap by Decker. Hannibal goes to collect the money dressed as a bum, but a real bum gets the briefcase and is arrested by the MPs. He is then erroneously sprung by the other team-members, while Smith checks out a restaurant where the bum told him to ask for a certain Wiiliam to get free food. Hannibal finds himself in the hands of a dodgy group of mission-running criminals who give him a full medical exam, then orders him to dig his own grave. He escapes and tells the team they must be after homeless mens' identities, which they sell for a small fortune to criminals. The team sets up their own 'mission' run by "Reverend" Face and "Evangelist" Murdock to in an effort to draw potential victims away from danger and attract the goons. This sets more in motion more than the team bargained for. References to the series of "Road Pictures" featuring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are sprinkled throughout. Sat, Jul 4, 1987

B.A.'s mom calls him to come to Chicago to help her and her neighbors, who are being victimized by a gang. Upon arriving (B.A. willingly flies for this one) they discover some real estate magnate is desperate to drive the tenants out. Tue, Oct 22, 1985

Hannibal is playing a new aquatic monster, alligator-mutation Gatorella, so Face, who schmoozes up to the dumb blond starlet Jennifer 'Jenny' O'Hannorhan, scammed a plane even Murdock doubts airworthy, just seconds before Deckers MPs try to shoot it down, but they get to a tiny Mexican village- where the welcome is exactly the grim, armed opposite of Face's first visit. After the star Charles Lake walks off, leaving Face to fill in after finding a contract loophole, it turns out even the sheriff is in the power of major Ramon DeJarro, an Argentinian junta butcher... Tue, Oct 1, 1985

Mobster Joe Scarlett puts the squeeze on judge Mordente by kidnapping his daughter. Hannibal takes the place of Scarlett's messenger Augie to find out where the kidnappers are hiding the girl. Meanwhile, Colonel Decker has been tapping his phone line and prevents the team from completing their mission. When Scarlett's older brother Gino relocates the judge's daughter to Italy, the A-Team follows. Sat, Dec 6, 1986

Face was falling for a foxy girl in a 'broken down' sports car lure planted by MP Colonel Decker, but fortunately Hannibal spotted her in advance, and decides they need some quiet time- by Crystal Lake. Some thieves who found the union payroll armored car empty because of a strike but still get chased -in it- by the local sheriff. While Murdock concentrates on fishing, with a dummy as partner 'to get the bad luck', Face finds himself a lovely Park Ranger- whose post is taken by the fleeing robbers and tells them the best getaway vehicle is the teams van, actually having recognized them; only the bullet proof vest he wore as fishing gear saves him when shot by the one who came with her; meanwhile she escapes and joins the team. So Hannibal gets deliberately captured to join her father at the Rangers post and the crooks' goose gets cooked according the Hannibals planning recipe, but miss Ranger confesses the MPs are also on their way... Tue, May 14, 1985

When Paris-trained painter Steven "Speed" Miller disappears (actually he's beaten into hospital for refusing to work on command), his painting friend Peggy and her best friend who never used his uncles inheritance to go to an Ivy League college hire the A-Team to find him. By his style Peggy indicates as likely suspect Steffan Shawn's Beverly Hills gallery. It takes Face a jiffy to get a foot in as 'arts magazine critic'; he soon manages to plant a wire and makes the crook believe "H.M. Murdock" is the new talent he looks for- indeed he is soon seized and ordered to make perfect reproduction (Peggy does that for him) so his alarm company can switch them for the priceless real thing, notably in a villa BA of all people is set up in... Tue, Apr 9, 1985

Mr. Corson and his daughter Jenny run a small towing truck company in a New Mexico town. When another company resorts to violence against their trucks and even threaten them physically to force them out of business, the A-team is recruited, to Murdocks delight: a chance to adopt the chivalric code of the 'knights of the road', while Jenny is the first female in ages to seem unresponsive to Face's charm- that can't be waning, or is it? Since the Corson firm even needs the contract for towing US cars over the Mexican border just to stay viable, the thugs must be after something else- wiring their cars proves it's something they smuggle over the border, so Murdock plays live freight to the Mexican villa of a certain Zuniga, but the team looses contact... Wed, Oct 16, 1985

The sisters Cathy and Maryanne Rodgers enlist the A-team to keep their Hi Brite Soda company, which a certain brewer Webb wants to buy by all means, presumably for the mineral water spring. Murdock decides to get the team in shape by natural produce health food. Face whips the company in commercial shape. They also sabotage the unfair competitor, and find out his intentions, which concern the whole valley, with the help of a bank- his fate is sealed... Tue, May 7, 1985

When Kenyan game warden Kim is shot dead by poachers after refusing to take the customary cut for turning a blind eye on 'harvesting' animals hides and elephant tusks, his sister and colleague Kamara Kaboko travels all the way to LA to enlist the A-team. On arrival Murdock makes it his mission to reacquaint BA with his 'roots' (which are probably in West -, not East Africa). They stop a poach raid, plant a wire to find the local smuggle king and order him to hand over all his stock and pay nearly half a million dollars for his past catches; when he tries to evacuate, they ambush his plain with an elephant herd, and call on the next chain in the illegal traffic, cleverly setting them up against each-other... Tue, Jan 29, 1985

Two hillbilly types, Royko and Tanen, visit the VA Hospital to see Murdock. When they go to his room, Royko produces a sawed-off shotgun and blasts open the door. The two hillbillies take Murdock hostage and drive off in a pickup truck with an Indian companion. When Face hears of the kidnapping he learns that the Army has been alerted, and barely escapes when Colonel Decker arrives at the hospital. Royko, Tanen, and the Indian drive over 100 miles upstate and arrive at the house of their pappy, Darrow, a famous bounty hunter who sees Murdock as his ticket to the A-Team, the big score he's sought all his life. Darrow draws the A-Team north, but Murdock escapes and a three-way pursuit ensues between the A-Team, the bounty hunters, and Decker. Murdock finds shelter with a small-town veterinarian, Kelly Stevens, as he tries to contact the A-Team, but as the two wait, Murdock and Kelly begin falling in love, to the point that when Murdock eventually reunites with the A-Team, he has to phone Kelly to reassure her he's all right - and must lead the Team to rescue Kelly when Darrow and his boys take her hostage. Tue, Apr 2, 1985

The A-team is hired to test the security in the royal palace of a North West African country; as they easily break it, they are put in charge of the impending, politically important wedding of the princess, but terrorists who want to continue the strife with a neighboring country are clearly tipped off from the inside. The plane crashes, just when BA was promised a revenge for having to fly again, and the princess is suspiciously uncooperative during the attempted escape on foot... Sat, Nov 16, 1985

Former military helicopter pilot A.J. runs a delivery service, Speedy Express, with his blind sister Lisa Perry. Garbage collection company manager Ike Hagen wants them to sell to him, and pulls all the stops to force them, including threats and violence against both vehicles and staff, so they hire the A-Team. When Face springs Murdock from the asylum, he believes his hand 'Lefty' has a vicious will of its own. Hannibal pretends to be the new owner, is swiftly abducted, hears they mainly want the building so he pretends to plan a six-store on the spot, and plants a wire. When he's sprung free, they hear Hagen is in illegal toxic waste disposal for Oxem Chemicals, underground into the city sewer system, and switch the drums with water. They get a written confession from the Oxem manager, but Hagen finds the wire and kidnaps A.J. and Lisa... Tue, Mar 5, 1985

Face decides to invest some of the teams funds in 60% of a boxer, Billy Marquette, but looking him up the team finds his sister Tina bend over his miserable body after Sonny Monroe's ruffians beat him up to force him to lose the fight of his life against a certain Dixie Joe so the gangster can earn enough money to finance a lucrative drug deal with a Columbian. Hannibal enjoys concocting one of his more elaborate plans. First Gabriel is taken out of the equation because of a 'hand wound' fighting BA, who thus becomes his obvious successor, managed by Hannibal, who supposedly owes gambling debts to a bookie; buying those off makes the villains pay back Face's investment with a nice profit. Then BA is trained by Murdock, supposedly now in gangster Monroe's pocket, so the stage is all set for a finale with punch... Sat, Mar 2, 1985

Just when Templeton 'Face' Peck was getting cozy with Hollywood model Rina, she's snatched before his nose by Chicago crook Johnny Turian, but does not exactly appreciate being rescued. Sneeking aboard his yacht during a party she attends, Templeton gets her to confess being Johnny's brother Tony's widow and he blackmails her to spy on fashion designer Jason Burnett so gangster Dubrio's company Revell fashions can produce pirate copies, but not what his hold over her is, so the team fakes designs by- Murdock... Tue, Dec 11, 1984

The girl group 'The Bells' is being harassed by record company owner Dave Luna. The A-Team finds out by accident because Face and B.A. are coaching the lead singer's kid brother. Hannibal poses as record producer Danny Diamond and soon finds out Luna is getting orders from a bigger fish. Face has to constrain himself not to hit on any of the girls in the group while Murdock takes to hero worshiping B.A. Sat, Dec 15, 1984

While BA drives to Hollywood, where Face is having a ball, Murdock's rabbits foot doesn't stop him and the black van from getting hijacked by bank-robber Logan and his mate Malcolm; just chasing them gets both A-team members arrested, and the sheriff believes they initiated the ride, so they're packed off to a work farm too, while BA's fingerprints can't fail to alert Decker. Hannibal impersonates the colonel, but is too late - inside, they see an accomplice free the crooks but handcuff both of them, forced to bring a shot guard to the hospital but they escape there. Meanwhile Hannibal rushes to the widow and small son of another Logan's accomplice who supposedly had the loot stashed away... Tue, Dec 18, 1984

An American company involved in the building of a huge dam to produce electricity in the Southern American republic of San Marcos pays the A-team to act as new sheriffs in Rivertown, where the construction site is but several workers and even the previous sheriffs disappeared mysteriously. Once arrived there they swear each-other in (thus freezing BA's wrath for another drugging and flight) and find the obvious subject Boyle, a poker player, who is also the suspect of missing engineer Craig Monroe's sister. Tue, Nov 27, 1984

When Cactus Jack Slater, who already owns a chain with three nearby diners, adds violence putting Joe in hospital to his offers for his small town family business, his wife, daughter and friend Skeeter, a truck-driver, hire the A-team; Murdock immediately decides to rise to the occasion as- chef. When Face poses as insurances claims-adjuster for the truckload of restaurant supplies the team stole from his headquarters, Slater is awfully suspicious, especially about the plans for his new shopping center- just on Joe's spot. Fortunately he also plants a wire, which proves Hannibal is right suspecting there's a reason it must be that spot... Sat, Feb 23, 1985

Plant Foreman Rudy Garcia, who was found out about to tell the police, and his honest hard-working colleagues are tired being terrorized in their small car factory, so they hire the A-Team, and the thugs are good - barely has Face set them up as a new car part supplier, or 'thief' Hannibal is abducted and recruited, but a wire allows the team to localize the contraband warehouse, so they can check out their adversaries and mount a 'reverse frontal attack', although this involves Murdock catching BA on the wrong foot even worse then usual. Sat, Dec 8, 1984

Dr. Fallone once saved BA's life as medic in Vietnam but left the US Army to retire on a small fishery island. When it is invaded by a small army of thugs who want to abuse its sovereign status as cover for their criminal activities and treat the inhabitants as their slaves, he sends a young boy to LA where a simple ad gets him in contact with the A-team, which quickly shakes off Decker and rushes to the rescue. Without any help from Murdock's new friend, baby crocodile Wally Gator, they infiltrate and take on the better equipped, more numerous enemy, even after Hannibal seemingly blows the element of surprise. Tue, Nov 13, 1984