Customer Reviews

The A-Team - Season Two

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I'll admit the first season of The A-Team (that's Alpha Team for the uninitiated) was a bit dodgy and had a rough quality to it. But season 2 is where the show really found it's groove and began to develop the characters and plots more. And you just gotta love all those silly inventions. But hey, it gets the job done. Season 2 also sees more guest appearances from more well-known actors such as Dennis Franz, Michael Ironside, Ken Foree, John Amos and the supercool Lance Henrickson.

People often complain about the same things when moaning about The A-Team. They say that every show had the same plot. Well, this can be said about a lot of TV shows if you go into technicalities. But the A-Team diversified enough for this statement to be simply not true (a 2-hour episode is included in this season, for example). They also complain that no one ever got shot or died. Also not true. People do die. People are shot. Just not very often and certainly not by one of the team. I mean if they are on the run for a crime they didn't commit then it would be stupid of them to shoot people. And Amy just doesn't disappear without a reason halfway through this season as so many people complain. Her character is made a foreign correspondent in Jakarta and is frequently referenced in her abesence. People just love to hate this show because it's easy to pick apart but I doubt something like Lost will be so fondly remembered in 20 years time. However I was kinda let down when the last episode turned out to be cheap clip-show.

With rumors of an A-Team movie abound I have to express my disapproval, at the moment at least. Currently there are FAR TOO MANY old shows being made into heartless movies. Some of them were already worth nothing (Charlie's Angels, Honeymooners) but the A-Team was something special and there is NO WAY you can replace the original cast with Hollywood actors.

The late, great George Peppard is the only Hannibal. I miss him. It's sad that he passed away at the too young age of 66 but you can really see what caused his illness when watching this show. He is always chomping on a cigar. George Peppard was a heavy smoker (and drinker) and although he quit both of them soon after the show it had already taken it's toll on him. It's a real shame and no one can replace him. And despite this coming in over 20 years after Breakfast at Tiffany's, there is still enough youthful handsomeness in him to prove the drink didn't really cripple his career.

Dirk Benedict is the only Templeton 'Face' Peck. A man who lies and cons like there was no tomorrow. A man who wouldn't tell you the truth even if you held a gun to his grandmother's head. Only Dirk pulled this off perfectly and the role will always be his.

Dwight Schultz often displays Jim Carrey-esque levels of zany humor as Murdock and there's no doubt the man is a terrific actor. Carrey could pull this off I guess but he's much older than Schultz was at the time and he did make Murdock into the wild, 'is he crazy or just faking it' character we all know and love.

And finally there's Mr T. If I absolutely HAD to choose my fave Team member, if you really made me. I would be him. He's the one that gave the A-Team something special. And although his acting is a little amateur (he gradually got better) he's just hilarious.

Of course you could bring back the original cast but Benedict, Schultz and T are all 60, 57 and 53 now and can you really imagine them taking orders from a new Hannibal? I don't think so!

And then there's the A-Team theme music. THE best TV theme ever. There are, as of yet, undiscovered tribes in the heart of the amazon jungle that know and love the A-Team theme. Immediatly starting on a high and not letting up for 60 seconds of one of the most heroic fanfares ever...could there be a better theme tune than this? Never!

The DVD presentation is just a little bit better than last time. The picture is still in desperate need of a digital remastering. Sometimes it can come across as very clear and colorful but too often the colors are washed out, bland and have a 'sun-bleached' look.

The sound is okay. Nothing to write home about. But certainly no complaints.

Extras this time consist of a bonus Knight Rider episode and trailers of A-Team Season 1, Miami Vice, Airwolf and Knight Rider.

I agree with the English dude ~~~Hurry up and bring series 3, 4 and 5 out, we want them now!!! This DVD comes packed with a Knight Rider Bonus Episode which makes it even better value. Additionally in my view this package comes with some of A-teams finest humor and wit. Howling Mad Murdock takes on the persona which he feels will best handle the horse rustling situation as the Range Rider. In part this requires cutting masks out of the back of cereal and his has the horse Thunder, his invisible trusty steed, whom he has to leave behind because B.A. doesn't like invisible animals in his van~~GREAT. I'm especially looking forward for session four with Cowboy George [Boy George], Insane Wayne & Uncle Buckle-Up.

So, if you have a problem and there's no one else who can help, and if you think you can find them, maybe you can hire "The A-Team." I say to all the A-team fans out there they should write to Stephen J. Cannell and Universal Home Studio to bring these episodes out so the public can enjoy. We love when a plan comes together....

One of the many hit TV shows inextricably linked to the 1980's is The A-Team, an action series with plenty of bombs, machine guns, and bazookas - where miraculously no one ever seems to die! Short for "Alpha Team," The A-Team is a Vietnam-era crack commando unit wrongfully accused of robbing the Bank of Hanoi. Having escaped from a maximum security prison, the four man team survives in the anonymity of the Los Angeles underground. And with the government still hot on their trail, they're forced to work as soldiers of fortune, providing aid and assistance to the helpless victims of various injustices...

The A-Team is led by cigar aficionado Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), a wise-cracking officer who always has a plan in the works. Hannibal is flanked by Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Dirk Benedict), the consummate ladies' man; Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus (Mr. T), a gold-drenched muscleman afraid of flying; and Captain H.M "Howling Mad" Murdock, a lanky mental case who nevertheless carries out his missions with flawless precision. Together, they travel the country in B.A.'s trademark black van, fighting for justice and attempting to elude the clutches of the nefarious Colonel Decker (Lance LeGault) who wants nothing more in life than to capture The A-Team...

The A-Team (Season 2) DVD features a number of action-packed episodes including the season premiere "Diamonds 'N' Dust" in which The A-Team is hired to transport explosives to a diamond mine in Zimbabwe after the owner of the mine is murdered in his attempt to deliver them himself... Other notable episodes from Season 2 include "The Taxicab Wars" in which a small, family-run taxicab company hires The A-Team to help them ward off the strong-arm tactics of a ruthless competitor, and "The White Ballot" in which Face's attempt to run against a corrupt sheriff tips off the government in regard to the whereabouts of The A-Team...

Below is a list of episodes included on The A-Team (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 15 (Diamonds 'N' Dust)
Episode 16 (Recipe for Heavy Bread)
Episode 17 (The Only Church in Town)
Episode 18 (Bad Time on the Border)
Episode 19 (When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? Part 1)
Episode 20 (When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? Part 2)
Episode 21 (The Taxicab Wars)
Episode 22 (Labor Pains)
Episode 23 (There's Always a Catch)
Episode 24 (Water, Water Everywhere)
Episode 25 (Steel)
Episode 26 (The White Ballot)
Episode 27 (The Maltese Cow)
Episode 28 (In Plane Sight)
Episode 29 (The Battle of Bel-Air)
Episode 30 (Say It With Bullets)
Episode 31 (Pure-Dee Poison)
Episode 32 (It's a Desert Out There)
Episode 33 (Chopping Spree)
Episode 34 (Harder Than It Looks)
Episode 35 (Deadly Maneuvers)
Episode 36 (Semi-Friendly Persuasion)
Episode 37 (Curtain Call)

The DVD Report

With season one behind them, this team made up of diverse backgrounds and talents shines in their sophomore season. The action is more intense, the plot lines more twisted, and the emotions more heartfelt. The writers of the series really knew how to attract the male audience through action and gun battles while drawing in the female audience through heart wrenching tales of heroism and heraldry. This is a must buy for any person wanting an experience of a lifetime. Hannibal is more cunning, Face is more of a philanderer, Murdoch is crazier, and Mr. T. is tougher. It's all around an Emmy winning performance from the entire cast.

I was wondering how many more times I would have to watch the Season 1 dvd before they got the hint to release another season. This is my favorite TV show of all time and the only question I have is what about seasons 3,4, & 5 come on with them already?????

This is a fantastic show. Now I am for entertainment that can provoke genuine thought but, there are times where you just want to kick back and get lost in pure fun. That's what the A-Team is for!

It's what I would consider to be tasteful low-brow; no fart jokes, no excessive language, no suggestive situations, just good old fashioned senseless violence where the action itself is actually the joke as opposed to anything really serious with characters guaranteed to make you like them for the way they will put a smile on your face, and that's if the running gag of virtually anyone who goes through a horrific car crash only to get out of it almost completely unscathed doesn't do it first.

Now, why am I just rating this two stars when my praise suggests I'd give it five? Two words: DEFECTIVE DISCS!

The main problem stems from the fact that the discs in seasons 2, 3, and 4 are all DVD-18, which are double-sided with each side being dual layer. DVD-18 is the most complex type of DVD you can make with the most layers constructed on a single disc to keep them together.

The inherent complexity and the greater difficulty in assuring quality as a result are the reasons why there aren't too many titles released using the DVD-18 configuration, yet Universal did it as a way to cut costs in manufacturing. Otherwise seasons 2, 3, and 4 would have been like seasons 1 and 5: produced on single-sided dual layer discs with six per set instead of three.

To make things worse, the discs are manufactured by Technicolor, which isn't exactly the greatest company making DVDs; that honor belongs to Panasonic Disc Services Corporation (which Universal USED to use) and Sony DADC.

As for my copy of season 2, discs one and two are faulty. Disc one plays well enough, but there is definitely a physical defect as playing side one causes a definite scraping noise whereas this does not happen with side 2 or with any other disc in the set. Disc two freezes up at the same point in the middle of "Water, water everywhere" in most of my DVD players; my Sony DVP-S7700 and the DVD SuperDrive in my MacBook Pro are the only ones able to successfully play through the problem area without freezing up.

Fortunately, I have made arrangements with Universal to have the discs exchanged free of charge. What I did was go to their DVD website [...] and clicked on "IF YOU DAMAGED YOUR DVD." on the bottom right corner of the screen. You will go to a page where you must agree on terms and then you enter your information. Even though this section is for DVDs that were damaged by the user, just type up that a manufacturer defect is the reason in the "How did your DVD(s) become damaged?" field. In about a day or two, you will receive an e-mail from Universal saying that they will be sending you a prepaid mailer to send the defective discs back.

Hope this helps.

I'm very glad to have a chance to watch this show when I was a kid.
I've enjoyed a lot season 1.
A-Team serie is my favourite tv show of all time and I'm very exciting to watch season 2.
Universal should put some extras like A-Team behind the scenes and some interviews with the main actors it would be very nice.
Murdock is a very funny character played by incomparable Dwight Schultz.
So where are those guys nowadays ?!?

Having waited 20 years for these, its about time. First is a great, second series is even better with a bigger budget :-)

Hurry up and bring series 3, 4 and 5 out, I want now

I have been waiting a long time since the first season came out so i would recommend anyone to get this.
This is cool season to get for anyone who is into the A-Team what a great show.

The A Team is what it is: a mindless hour of non-sensical fun. The violence is what I call "Looney-Tunes" chic! Translation: An anvil falls on your head; you get crumpled but walk away alive!
And that sums up the A Team. They blow things up; they fire enough amunition to fight a war; they create make-shift defense vehicles (Hum V's without the paint job :) ) and get the bad guys,--amazingly,--without ever having to kill them. I do not know about you; but if I shot machine guns in the opposite direction of a person, a bullet at least once or twice would ricochet and kill the bad guy. Not so with Hannibal and the gang. They aim directly at them; and they never hit a man. A helicopter flew into the side of a mountain, exploded, fell half a mile; and still every bad guy piled out dazed but unharmed. Ridiculous!
I've always wanted to do: The A Team: The Bloody Cut! :)
Limbs flying everywhere; blood splattered bodies, no men crawling out of any destroyed vehicle. With today's technology, it could be done with a few select episodes; and it would be a hoot. I figure these guys killed about 50 men per episode. If we really wanted to count the bodied "not shown".
Plot: They are an expert tactical team from the Vietnam War, accused of a crime they didn't commit; and they are on the run. They live in the "Underbelly" of L.A. but refuse to leave their country. Why? It's there country; and they still believe in it. They'll solve their "minor differences" with the govt. in time. Oh; and they help the helpless to fight the bad guys. Sometimes for great profit; and others for free. Circumstances pending. But then most know this; and if you do not: you know it now.
One serious flaw after A Team Season 1 DVD Set: Seasons 2, 3, and 4 are double-sided, dual-layered. This spells major trouble, especially coming from Universal. The studio that took DVD and made VHS look good!
I start with Season 2 simply because these are where the flaws begin. So far, on Disc One, there has cropped up a situation where the DVD pauses for more time than it should: I should say it freezes, then jumps a second to the next frame. This has occurred in two episodes: "The Only Church In Town" (once); and "When You Comin Back, Range Rider?" (multiple times. Big problems with this episode). The eps play; but it is a freeze; and not a normal dual-layer pause.
Universal, always on the cheap, should have gone with one-sided dual-layered discs. The normal pause might occur; but I had no problems with Season One with the discs,--which had only one side.
It has beens suggested in a review on this site, these defective discs can be returned to Universal with replacements provided. I shall give it a try; and see if I can get replacement discs free of charge.
But beware! Some players may handle it one time--the freezing; others may read every flaw. But the defects are there, even if one of your players can take the heat of these cheaply made discs.
I like the A Team; but I do not like Universal DVD productions. Most are really just put the film on the DVD, flaws and all. No enhancements; no extras. Then add defects as I have just described, and it makes for lousy viewing--in spots.
A Team? Non-sensical insanity: 4 Stars
Universal: They should locked up in a military prison! :)

Braithwaite