A-Team on DVD

[Maxwell - F.B.I.]

Hey, I see 2 seasons of The A-Team are available on DVD. Does anyone own these and do we know if Cannell has gone a song changin' on these like he's done to the G.A.H. DVDs? I know there were a couple of songs used in this show that were originally written for G.A.H. I wonder if he pulled them out the same way he pulled "Don't Let Me Down" out of the Hunter pilot.

Anyone know?

[The J-Man]

I've been meaning to ask about the "A-Team" box sets, too. I have the Columbia House DVDs (2 - 3 episode on a disc), GAH songs that they used on "The A-Team" are still there": "Opposites" and "Desperado". "Jumpin' Jack Flash" replaced in the Pilot Episode with some crappy music, (though not on the Spanish language soundtrack; and not on the slightly older CH video tapes of the late 1990s). CH does not include "The Beast From the Belly of a Boeing", "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?", and after mid-second season about half the episodes are randomly excluded. CH ends it's collection with the two hour fourth season premeir.

Now, since A-Team was produced in association with universal, things may be different on the official release. I don't know, I haven't bought it. Knowing some of the changes that were made to the GAH DVDs, I would ask the following of anyone who has The A-Team DVDs:

Do the opening credits reflect the changes that were made mid-season in both season one and two? IE: In the first seven episodes the title just appeared on screen, they didn't start shooting it on to the screen until episode eight "The Out-of-Towners". In season two, when original cast member Melinda Culea was fired, she was removed from the opening credits and extra footage of the cast inserted to fill up the time, starting with episode 11. Still the same?

Changes to the episodes themselves?
*"Jumping Jack Flash" in the Pilot Episode?
*Footage from "Airplane" in episode 12 "The Beast From the Belly of a Boeing"? btw, highest rated episode of the first season; number two in the weekly Neilsons. Written by Patrick Hasburgh, guest starring Jessie D. Goins (and in those traumatic first few month without GAH, it did me a world of good to see him on an SJC series so soon. But I digress)
*"My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" from "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?"
*"Roxanne" from "Steel"? (guest starring Johhny Sonnova from "Dreams" as Tommy "Crazy Tommy T**" Tillis)***
*"Opposites" from "Curtain Call"?


**"'Crazy Tommy T' hits a wall head-on: there's nothin' left but a pile'a bricks."
-Faceman

***Not to be confused with his third season A-Team appearence as mobster Tommy Largo. I tell ya', a broad range this actor did not have.

[Ms_Lilacs]

I noticed that the A-Team was on DVD,
but I decided to get all of my GAH before anything else.
Mr. T is awesome! My bro and I used to watch that show back then.
Very cool.

[The J-Man]

A-Team is Kick-ass. Brilliant, brilliant work by SJC and company. Fourth season is ridiculously brilliant: "Where's the Monster When You Need Him?"; "Road to Hope?"; "Mind Games". Jack Ging as General Harlan "Bull" Fullbrite.

Many famous people guest starred as themselves, bolstering my theory: If Pat Sajak, Shecky Green, Rick James, Boy George, and William 'The Refrigerator' Perry are all real people, and The A-Team met them, that means The A-Team are real people too! I had the chance to present my theory right to Cannell's face when he was doing a book signing here in Jersey a few years ago. You know what his exact words to me were? "You need to get some help."


What I love about "The A-Team" is the core message of the show. When you boil away all the window dressing: the stunts, Mike Post's music, guest stars, everything, you're left with the core message of the series:
There's no situation so hopeless that it can't be turned to your advantage, and, in a pinch, you can always make-do with the resources at hand.

[scenario]

^When I met Cannell at a book signing last year, I asked him if GAH and the character of Ralph was like an autobiography. You know, a young guy suddenly gets an extraordinary amount of power, and doesn't really know what he's doing all the time....i.e. Ralph and the suit, Cannell's quick rise in the TV industry when he was still in his 20s. Do you know what he did? He didn't say anything and just looked at me like I was a total crazy motherf*cker, all the while with this little mischievious grin.

I felt like such a moron, because my question wasn't an attempt at humour or anything, I didn't ask him about the suits powers or how come if something happened in episode 12 did it not happen again in episode 23 or if Katt could really fly or something like that. If I asked a question like that, I would be asking for it and get what I deserved. I honestly thought it was a bonafide question because aspects of GAH do seem autobiographical in respect to Stephen J. Cannell. I don't remember exactly what he said when he finally broke the silence, but it was something to the effect of what William Shatner said years ago, like it's only a TV program I did. He was a really nice man, very nice and warm from that encounter, but man I felt like a major dork for that moment, in an otherwise great experience. I didn't think that was a nerd question, and I rehearsed myself before to make sure I didn't come on too strong and ask any geeky stuff.


-scenario-

[greenguy]

scenario said:

^When I met Cannell at a book signing last year, I asked him if GAH and the character of Ralph was like an autobiography. You know, a young guy suddenly gets an extraordinary amount of power, and doesn't really know what he's doing all the time....i.e. Ralph and the suit, Cannell's quick rise in the TV industry when he was still in his 20s. Do you know what he did? He didn't say anything and just looked at me like I was a total crazy motherf*cker, all the while with this little mischievious grin.
-scenario-

Based on a interview I read from a couple of years back, I can only guess he looked at you like that knowing exactly where that idea came from: Robert J. Thompsons hack book. Thompson has some great research about the programs, and the various interviews Cannell has given over the years. But this guy is so far off the mark when it comes to Cannell. Actually while I was reading it, the first thing I thought was "This Thompson guy is so full of s***."I guess my thoughts of Thompson's writing turned out to be correct, because in an interview Cannell had this to say:

Stephen: One guy wrote his doctorate thesis on me but it was so wrong. I'm willing to cop to shortcomings but this guy had two theories. And one theory was that everything I was writing was chronicling my personal life and career at the major studios."

Luke: "That's interesting."

Stephen: "But it's stupid. He was so fascinated by life at the studios that if I wrote Baretta as a wild man, it was because I was angry at Universal. But I was never angry at Universal. Those guys were all my friends. I'm still friends with all of them. Then he had a theory of recombinance - that the same themes reoccurred over and over again in my life and writing. And there's some truth to that. But then he'd pick on episodes of some series, the scripts of which I didn't even write, that was similar to something I'd done in 1980. It was a doctorate thesis written by some kid. I interviewed with him because I wanted to help him but then I'd really disagreed with his conclusions.

"I know what my motor is. I know how I write. I know what intrigues me. I know how I get my ideas. And I'm certainly not writing my own biography every time I sit down at the typewriter. There is one theme that reoccurs throughout my work - underdogs. I prefer underdogs. If that's recombinance, then I cop to that. As a dramatist, I'd rather write about David than Goliath.

"There have been some nice puff pieces, which have made me look much better than I am."

One can only assume he's talking about Thompson. Funny thing is I ran into a clip of Thompson at work, back when friends was ending it's run on NBC. He was spouting some kind of B.S. in the soundbite about Friends, that just so totally reminding me about some of things written in his book about Cannell. Thompson = hack.

[The J-Man]

Sounds to me like Thompson must have really hit a nerve to get such a reaction from Cannell; it must be true. I still remember running out to buy that book, "Adventures in Prime Time" the week it was released in 1990. I still have it and flip through it from time to time.

We learned one important lesson here, though: if you ever meet Cannell, you might as well ask him a really looney question, 'cause he's gonna look at you like you're a nut no matter what you say.

[scenario]

Yeah I think the idea must have been planted in my head from Robert Thompson's book. I have never bought the book, because it's so expensive and just plain hard to find, but I remember coming across the book and reading it way back in 1994. Since then I've never been able to locate a copy, except on Amazon for like 60 or 70 dollars. From what I remember, Thompson did go over the top with assessing every minute bit of Cannell's life, but GAH being a lukewarm autobiography of SJC seemed to not be all that far off to me. But then again, a writer likes to inject their own experiences into what they write. So if he gave GAH a special ed class, it does come from his own experiences of being a special ed student.

Though J-Man, I don't know which was the worse question. The one you asked him about, "Is the A-Team real?" Or mine about "Was GAH autobiographical?". Looks like we both screwed up with the big guy at one point. Luckily I asked Cannell that question while I had a moment alone with him after most people had left the book signing. I didn't ask any GAH questions while he was infront of an audience, the GAH stuff I saved for when I had him a bit more to myself. There were people around when I asked him, but I would have been utterly humilated if I asked that question while he was up infront of a whole bunch of people and he gave me that "you're a crazy motherf*cker" look with everyone looking. It was the same kind of look that on the series people would give Ralph when they caught him in the suit. J, you didn't ask him about The A-Team being real while he was up infront of a bunch of people did you? My God I can't imagine how that would go.

I think I may have analyzed the show too much and unwittingly thrown out a geek question, (when I specifically prepared myself to NOT ask any stupid nerd Star Treky questions) but when I asked him if he named Katt "Ralph" after his writing teacher Ralph Salisbury he graciously fielded that question and took that one seriously. So he didn't think I was a nutball for asking that one, he actually seemed to ponder that question. But the GAH being an autobiography one, he just stared at me with that mischeious grin....like you are just one Hamburger Heaven nutburger pal.

But like I said before, he was a very nice man, very warm and friendly. I was able to change the topic to his novels, and we moved on from there. And Cannell was so excited and surprised over the GAH Ralph Hinkley statue that he moved on. He didn't even seem to know that such a statue was made. Infact when I went back up to him again, he obviously remembered me and graciously signed another picture that I forgot to show him.

Next time, I'll ask him why Reno Raines rode around wearing a big black trenchcoat all the time. (only kidding guys)

-scenario-

[Maxwell - F.B.I.]

Could the next person that sees Cannell at a book signing please ask him what his favorite Barry McGuire song is?

[HoudiniDerek]

I don't think they changed much on the A-Team DVD's. "Opposites" is still on the CURTAIN CALL episode..."Roxanne" is still on one episode. I can't recall right now...but I will check my DVD later about the Range Rider episode, but I am pretty sure it is still there too.

[HoudiniDerek]

Of course...how could it be any better than keeping EVE OF DESTRUCTION in the fourth season finale THE SOUND OF THUNDER written by Frank Lupo?

I wonder if there are any major changes in Season 5...or extras or interviews of that sort. The BRING BACK THE A-TEAM show that came out this year I heard was horrible, but it had a lot of the original cast in it including people like Decker. Maybe it will be an extra...maybe even some insights into the upcoming movie.

[HoudiniDerek]

For all of you curious, the fifth and final season of the A-Team comes out in October. If I were rich, I think I know what I would hand out to all the kids coming to my door on Halloween. A treat for sure.

[The J-Man]

I like the way you think, Derek. Ever since "GAH" came out on DVD it's been my standard, all-purpose gift for all occasions. If I were really rich, I'd give out Sirius satellite radios!

I already told all my friends not to get me anything else but gift certificates from amazon.com for my birthday in October. I need Season Five of "The A-Team" and I wouldn't mind filling out my "NYPD Blue" collection (I only have Season One so far). BTW, I wonder how the A-Team DVD is going to handle "Without Reservations", the episode where viewers determined the ending with a phone-in vote. www.tv.com/ateam/family-reunion/episode/37717/summary.html Is it too much to hope for that we get to pick which ending we want to watch as a special feature on the DVD?

Either way, I'm anxiously looking forward to adding this to my home video library.

[HoudiniDerek]

I imagine it is too much to ask for. I was hoping for cast interviews at the least...even a couple of people that were not part of the team, but I doubt that will happen. Or the show BRING BACK THE A-TEAM where this guy goes around trying to see what the team and such is doing now.

Probably more things that don't feel like Special Features: Like the Fourth Season 80's Flashback and I think the Second Season KNIGHT RIDER episode. They could have done SO much more.

Personally, I prefer BEST BUY because I don't have to wait for shipping and if it is broken, I just take it back in. And J-Man: Great minds think alike.

[The J-Man]

I prefer amazon.com because of the prices. If it's my birthday or the holidays, I can kind of herd everyone there to buy me gift certificates and they can buy them from the convenience of their computers. Then I can buy whatever I want from the convenience of mine (another benefit). I'm not shy about telling people where I want gift certificates from, because I don't want to wind up with a bunch of certificates from different places.

[HoudiniDerek]

I am too young to remember getting to vote for the ending...what were the options?

[The J-Man]

A.J. Bancroft is Face's father
or
A.J. Bancroft isn't Face's father

[HoudiniDerek]

thejman said:

I like the way you think, Derek. Ever since "GAH" came out on DVD it's been my standard, all-purpose gift for all occasions. If I were really rich, I'd give out Sirius satellite radios!

I already told all my friends not to get me anything else but gift certificates from amazon.com for my birthday in October. I need Season Five of "The A-Team" and I wouldn't mind filling out my "NYPD Blue" collection (I only have Season One so far). BTW, I wonder how the A-Team DVD is going to handle "Without Reservations", the episode where viewers determined the ending with a phone-in vote. www.tv.com/ateam/family-reunion/episode/37717/summary.html Is it too much to hope for that we get to pick which ending we want to watch as a special feature on the DVD?

Either way, I'm anxiously looking forward to adding this to my home video library.

Okay. You had me confused. You mentioned WITHOUT RESERVATIONS but that one was not decided by viewer voting I didn't think. Wasn't it the ACTUAL series finale, but not the REAL series finale?

[The J-Man]

Error on my part. I meant to say "Family Reunion".

[HoudiniDerek]

That's what I thought. I remember HOW the episode FAMILY REUNION was aired, but not that we got to vote for it. Neat. That would be a GREAT extra. Unlikely, but I guess you never know.