The A-Team - General Discussion

[David T. Cole]

Discuss Here!

[Monty]

According to Wikipedia, Tia Carrere was added to the team in the fourth season finale, but she was never mentioned again. Tia Carrere!

[Kromm]

According to Wikipedia, Tia Carrere was added to the team in the fourth season finale, but she was never mentioned again. Tia Carrere!

I don't think the character was a reporter though.  I vaguely remember the episode and she was some kind of war orphan.

EDIT - Found a reference:  http://a-team.wikia.com/wiki/Tia_Fulbright

Tia is the daughter of General Harlan Fulbright and was primed to become member of the A-Team in Season 4 of the series. She was the half-Vietnamese daughter of latter 4th season antagonist General Fulbright. She was inducted into the team in "The Sound of Thunder", the finale to season 4, after the death of her father and her own wanted status in Vietnam and illegal status in the US.

In "The Sound of Thunder" episode in Season four, Tia becomes part of the A-Team, but is never seen again due to Tia Carrere's prior comitment to the popular ABC-TV daytime soap opera "General Hospital", due to her not being able to get out of her contract with the soap-opera, the idea of adding the "Tia" character to the cast of characters was nixed by the producers of the show.

It's always odd to me (and seeming to ask for trouble) when a character is named the SAME thing as an actor!  

Edited April 15, 2014 by Kromm

[Monty]

Not a reporter, but basically filling the interchangeable girl position. Or she would have if she'd stuck around.

[rujasu]

From what I understand, the four guys didn't like having what they perceived as a token female in the group, and basically wanted to get rid of Melinda Culea (Amy Allen) from day one.  Amy actually had a fairly significant role in the pilot, but the show quickly moved Amy (and her replacements) to the background after the first season.  Amy wasn't a particularly deep character to begin with, it really did come off like, "Oh, we need a girl in this show, uh, she can be a reporter or something..."

[callie lee 29]

I absolutely loved Amy!!! I think I read somewhere that Peppard din't think a woman should be a part of the main cast and over time got the rest of the guys to turn against. Loving Hannibal, that just makes me sad. Face and Amy are ny favorite characters!!

[rujasu]

I recall reading that Dirk Benedict felt the whole show was meant to be all about guys being guys (and he felt the movie reboot was too politically correct), so I doubt Peppard had to do much to convince him.

[FormerMod-a1]

The "girl" characters always seemed just tacked on to me.  Even as a kid I thought they were just for political correctness.  It never made sense for their characters to be there.  Now, as an adult, I can see that if they wrote the women characters better it would have worked out better.  I feel for the actresses being in those roles if any of the cast were obviously against them being there.  Not that I think they'd be saying nasty things to them, of course, but even in subconscious ways you can give off a vibe.

[Kromm]

The "girl" characters always seemed just tacked on to me.  Even as a kid I thought they were just for political correctness.  It never made sense for their characters to be there.  Now, as an adult, I can see that if they wrote the women characters better it would have worked out better.  I feel for the actresses being in those roles if any of the cast were obviously against them being there.  Not that I think they'd be saying nasty things to them, of course, but even in subconscious ways you can give off a vibe.

Well the problem is that they couldn't think of a way that a "girl" could possibly be there other than Lois Laneing it.  Not that there's anything wrong with Lois Lane, but it DID seem tacked on.  

It's incredible to think these days that they were supposed to be Vietnam Vets, because that's so damn far off from our current realities, but its why a female soldier was so unworkable (she'd have to be like... a nurse... and so even more cliched).  But they probably had other options.  Making these guys left over from Nam encounter a current female soldier (in other words one serving in the 1980s) on the run for a current problem (maybe someone who worked for some corrupt general and found out something dangerously incriminating).  Or a female cop on the run from some big crime conspiracy.  Or something.

[formerlyfreedom]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from The A-Team's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[Starscream]

As much as I unexpectedly enjoyed the movie, they did go the rather predictable route of making the female role a love interest for Face.  You know that's exactly the way it would go if the series were created in this day and age.

 

I liked Triple A a lot in the pilot but she was soon rendered pointless.  Tawnia was a complete non-entity.

[Iguana]

Aw, I loved this show back in the day.  Tons of gunfire and explosions, but no injuries or blood.  The poster child for mindless violence and pure escapism.  I remember my cousins and I pretending to be the A-Team and storming other kid's backyards and tree forts.  I, of course, was Hannibal, and my rallying cry was "A direct frontal assault with a half pincher movement.  It can't miss!" 

 

But now, in hindsight, oi, it was so very cheesy and I wince at the dialogue and formulaic plots.

[Ubiquitous]

I noticed the Esquire Channel (formerly G4?) plays several eps on occasion. I recently caught one with Hulk Hogan and several of his contemporaries and another in which Face accidentally booked Boy George instead of "Cowboy George" at the "world's toughest country-western bar". Naturally, the rednecks all loved Boy George after hearing two bars of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and that lip-synced performance took up a good chunk of the show.

[rujasu]

Oh, the one where the old, down-on-his luck ex-boxer tells his sad story about killing another fighter in a bout, and Hulk Hogan responds with "You killed a guy?!"  Ah, Hulk Hogan, truly an actor's actor.

 

The "Cowboy George" episode was hilariously awful.  I do wonder how the main actors, who enjoyed being on such a macho show, felt about working with Boy George.  I'm guessing the Hulkster was more popular.

[mattie0808]

As a kid, whenever my friends wanted to play A-Team, I had to be "the girl" and I hated it. I wanted in the action! ;) Kids get things like this really easily. I also feel for the actresses, because I know how I felt in my friends' yards or at school recess. (Let me be Teela or She-Ra any day!)

 

Still loved the show and enjoyed the movie...

[theredhead77]

As much as I unexpectedly enjoyed the movie, they did go the rather predictable route of making the female role a love interest for Face.  You know that's exactly the way it would go if the series were created in this day and age.

I liked how they handled it. Sosa wasn't falling all over herself to be with Face or falling under his charm. There seemed to be a very adult once had a relationship still have a spark but not gonna happen vibe to it which may have been the actors instead of the actual intent. The position Sosa was in wasn't a stereotypical female position or one that she could have slept her way to. It never felt like she was the token woman.

I have no doubt if the show was launched today we'd see Face with a new flavor of the week to chase and seeing that promiscuity celebrated instead of shamed (while you know, the woman would be shamed for jumping in to bed with Face because double standards or something). I don't think they could get away with sticking a token woman in as something like a reporter; she'd have to be in on the action (though she'd probably be be a butch lesbian stereotype) . I'd love to see a woman be the next Lynch. Since Lynch seems to be the new Dread Pirate Roberts.

[ML89]

Next Friday's Amazing Race ends at the lighthouse from "Harder Than It Looks."

[radishcake]

Awesome!

[ML89]

and it is Point Vincente Lighthouse in Rancho Palos Verdes

[kathyk24]

The A-Team is now on CozI starting on Friday.

[radishcake]

Awesome!!!

[Morlock]

On 4/24/2014 at 2:49 AM, aquarian1 said:

The "girl" characters always seemed just tacked on to me.  Even as a kid I thought they were just for political correctness.  It never made sense for their characters to be there.  Now, as an adult, I can see that if they wrote the women characters better it would have worked out better.  I feel for the actresses being in those roles if any of the cast were obviously against them being there.  Not that I think they'd be saying nasty things to them, of course, but even in subconscious ways you can give off a vibe.

Back then it was probably more for eye candy. Every show had at least one hottie, even cop shows like TJ Hooker would have a hot female cop. 

It was probably some kind of nod to feminism or whatever as well but in the 80's and before that it wasn't like it is now where you feel you are being hit over the head with politics in every show and movie. 

[Joe Hellandback]

On ‎3‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 9:35 PM, Morlock said:

Back then it was probably more for eye candy. Every show had at least one hottie, even cop shows like TJ Hooker would have a hot female cop. 

It was probably some kind of nod to feminism or whatever as well but in the 80's and before that it wasn't like it is now where you feel you are being hit over the head with politics in every show and movie. 

Heather Locklear, Heather Thomas, mmmmmmmmm! But much as I liked Tawnia I don't think The A-Team really needed a girl, much as Magnum didn't either. 

[Was-MArsenault]

The Della Reese episode of the show is going to be airing next Sunday at 3 PM on Cozi TV. It looks like she’s heavily featured in it as well, and also guest starring is Ray Wise who currently plays Marvin on Fresh Off The Boat.