The Eighties truly were the golden age of pop culture, it saw Autobots battle Deceptions’, Bill Murray tackle marshmallow men, it saw our first trip to Springfield, and a band of military fugitives who could make a tank out of a rabbit and a toaster.
The A-Team became a cultural phenomenon, lunchboxes, action figures, and a list of guest stars including Hulk Hogan, Cyndi Lauper, Isaac Hayes, and Boy George followed.
But it was the big names in the early episodes that helped cement The A-Team as one of the best programmes the Eighties had to offer…
S1 E2 Children of Jamestown
The team are tasked with rescuing a young women from a gun totting religious cult run by Rev Martin James, played by John Saxon. Saxon had appeared reoccurring roles in hit shows like Dynasty and Fantasy Island, as well starring alongside Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon.
S1 E3 Pros and Cons
The team find out about a prison forcing inmates to fight to the death, and promptly get themselves arrested hoping the warden will pick B.A. for the next fight. Not only did Pros and Cons feature an ingenious prison escape involving a pair of single-manned hot air balloons made from lawn chairs, bin bags and hairdryers, it also featured Clifton James as the crooked warden. James appeared in Cool Hand Luke, Superman II, and Bond movies Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun.
S1 E8 The Out-of-Towners
A group of New York business owners find themselves hounded by local gangster East-side Charlie for protection money, and hire The A-Team to put an end to their torment. Charlie was portrayed by Yaphet Kotto who at this point had major roles in Blue Collar & Alien, the lead in Othello, and the villain in Live and Let Die.
S2 E2 Recipe for Heavy Bread
While in a Vietnamese prison camp a cook snuck food to the team and other detainees, which is why Face is happy to tell the team Lin Duk Coo’s working as a pastry in a high-class restaurant. But it appears Lin is being forced to participate in a heroin operation perpetrated by prison camp boss General Chow and Thomas Angel, the former prison who betrayed them all.
Lin was played by Japanese actor Mako. Mako’s career had started way back in 1959 appearing in classic shows like Ironside, M.A.S.H, Wonder Woman, and The Incredible Hulk among countless others. The previous year he also starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian.
…and an honourable mention goes to…
S2 E7 The Taxicab Wars
The team are hired by a cab company being run out of business by a rival firm using dirty tactics, not to mention the drug distribution. It’s the cab company bosses that are worth the mention. The Lone Star Cab Company is headed by Ernie Hudson who would get his breakout role in Ghostbusters the following year, while the other company was led by Michael Ironside who would later appear in Top Gun, Total Recall, Highlander II, and Starship Troopers.
Who was your favourite team member? Who was your favourite guest star? and What was your favourite episode?
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