SECTION III. THE DETAILS

      

        

      1. 
WHAT DOES THE "A" IN THE "A-TEAM" STAND FOR, ANYWAY?
OK, this is the best description I have received so far, from Bobby
(minotaur@earthlink.net):

     The A-team (or Alpha Team) is the official designation of the smallest
     basic element of U.S. Army Special Forces.  An A-Team (such as A-262 --
     that is -- A-Team number 262) consists of usually 12 men -- two officers
     and 10 NCOs.  Usually, these are the Captain, Lieutennant, and 10
     Sergeants of varying class.  On accasion, A-Teams can be smaller but are
     rarely less that 8 men (in SpecWar terms -- called operators).
     These men are specially trained in guerilla warfare, commando tactics,
     counterinsurgency -- and today -- counterterrorism.  They also have
     other skills, but these are the basics.
     
     The only other equivalent to these men are the U.S. Navy SEALS, yet
     they too differ slightly.  Also, while since 1982 or so one had to be in
     the service for four years, prior to trying out
     for SF duty; prior to this they would take people "off-the-street" into
     the military and let them try out for SF training.  If they made it,
     they were awarded the Green Beret.  So in the A-Team "universe" of NBC,
     Face could just as easily gone into the Army and end up in SF the same
     year and then went to Vietnam.

     Also, the character of Murdock was not real member of SF of the A-Team
     proper.  He was their chopper pilot in Vietnam.  Usually, pilots
     come and go, but occasionally, the A-teams of Vietnam would see the same
     faces behind the choppers who ferried them into various "hot zones" from
     the various SF camps and provinces in which they were based.

            

      2. 
WHAT ARE THE MAKES AND MODELS OF THE A-TEAM VAN AND FACE'S CORVETTE?
From Christopher Bender:

"The A-Team van, as mentioned in the credits, is made by GMC truck.  That
model is simply called a "G-Series" van.  They come in G-15 (half ton), G-25
(3/4 ton), and G-35 (one ton) configurations.  Typically for a passenger use
van, such as B.A.'s, a G-15 is used.  Since that body style was introduced
around 1974, and is still available today, it is difficult to judge the year
of the vehicle.  I would suspect that the first van (Keep in mind that they
destroyed many vans during all of the stunts) was a new van when the show
first came on, so that would make it a 1983."

"Face's 'Vette is clearly a 1984.  This is evidenced by it's color and wheel
style, and by the time at which it showed up in the series [first in the
episode "The Taxicab Wars," which aired on 11/01/83.  Remember that car models
are dated a year ahead of when they are released - NP].  1984 was the first
year for the current 'Vette body style.  There was no 'Vette in 1983, and the
1982's and earlier were much different in appearance."
     
Also, Michele Lellouche informs us: "Face's vette was always rented from an
LA agency that had a sideline in movie cars (it was a regular rental agency--I
can't find the article where I had the name of it).  The vette was white and
Cannell Productions applied the stripe every time it was used, so the red
stripe was not a permanent paint job."
     
License plates on BA's van: 2L83000  2E14859
License plate on Face's vette: IHJG851

(Note: These are just the licence plate numbers I've identified so far.  There
were no doubt other numbers, and sometimes I think I spotted different #'s on
front and back plates of the van in the same episode!)

        

      3. 
WHAT TYPE OF GUNS DID THE A-TEAM USE?

From Justin T. Huang, we get the following very in-depth report!

THE A-TEAM

The primary weapon of the A-Team was the Ruger AC556.
This was the automatic rifle with the folding stock that every
member of the Team carried.  The AC556 is manufactured by Sturm,
Ruger & Company (http://www.ruger-firearms.com).  "AC556" stands
for Automatic Carbine, 5.56mm.

The AC556 is a fully automatic rifle, with folding stock
and flash hider chambered in .223 Remington (5.56x45mm NATO).
Today, because of various legislation passed in 1986, 1990 and
1994, manufacture of the AC556 for civilian ownership is prohibited.
However, in states that allow them, any AC556 manufactured before
1986 is legal for civilian ownership--and at a very high price.

For A-Team fans who want a more reasonably priced facsimile of the
original A-Team Weapon, Ruger's semi-automatic version of the AC556 is the
Ruger Mini-14.  The Mini-14 manufactured and sold to civilians after 1994
differs from the AC556 in that the Mini-14 utilizes a semi-automatic
action and that it lacks the folding stock, pistol grip, and flash hider.

These rifles generally sell for around $450-500 today.  If one
purchases a "pre-89" Mini-14, which is the semi-automatic version of the
Mini-14 with the factory folding stock, pistol grip and flash hider,
expect to pay close to $800.

Of the rest of the Team, it seems that only John "Hannibal"
Smith and Templeton "Faceman" Peck used special sidearms.  H. M.
"Howling Mad" Murdock and Bosco "B. A." Barracus generally used
whatever handguns were available.

In one episode, Hannibal tells a bad guy that Hannibal has a
"seven shot 9mm pistol" pointed at the bad guy under the table.  This
pistol is most likely a Smith and Wesson (http://www.smith-wesson.com)
Model 637. The 637 is a conventional double action pistol chambered in 9mm
Parabellum, with a slide mounted safety lever and constructed of stainless
steel.

The 637 was part of Smith & Wesson's "Second Generation" of
semi-automatic pistols, which was prevalent in the mid 1980's. The 637,
with only a seven round capacity, is evidence of the firearms market at
that time.  The "high capacity" craze, which would hit later in the 1980's
with the widespread proliferation of the Glock 17 handgun, had not yet
quite hit the American market, bringing many semi-automatic handguns with
capacities of over ten rounds.

Today, in 1997, Smith & Wesson has moved on to the "Third
Generation" automatics, many of which are high capacity models.  Thus, I
believe that manufacture of the 637 has been discontinued and if the
aspiring A-Team fan wants one, he or she will have to purchase a used gun.

Face's weapon of choice was a mid to large framed revolver
of indeterminate make and caliber.  Unlike Hannibal, he did not use
the same revolver in each episode, as he used revolvers constructed of
both blue carbon and in stainless steel.

Face always carried his revolver in a leather shoulder holster,
which may have been a product of the Galco (http://www.usgalco.com) Miami
Classic shoulder holster made popular by the characters on Miami Vice.  I
am not sure if Face's holster *is* the Miami Classic, but it sure does
look like one.  For an example, see Face's rig in "The Bend in the River".

THE MILITARY

The military police soldiers chasing after the A-Team used
the M16A1 assault rifle as their primary weapon.  Many companies
produced the M16A1 for the United States government, from Colt
Manufacturing to Mattel (!).  The M16A1 is a fully automatic rifle
chambered in .223 Remington (or 5.56x45mm NATO).

A-Team fans wishing to own their own M16 will have to jump
through the same federal and state gun laws that stand in the way
of owning a Ruger AC556.  A civilian-legal, pre-1986 M16A1 will
probably cost around $2000 or so today in 1997.

Fans may wish to look into the semi-automatic version of the M16,
which is the AR-15.  An AR-15, which is a semi-automatic version
of the M16 sans bayonet lug and flash hider, will run around $700
today.  The same rifle with bayonet lug and flash hider will
run around $1000.

Among Fullbright, Lynch, Decker and Briggs, only Colonel Decker
used a distinctive sidearm.  The rest of them used the standard M1911A1
pistol as sidearms; the famous "Colt .45 Automatic". The M1911A1 is a
single-action handgun chambered in .45 ACP with an original capacity of 7
rounds and was designed by the famous Mormon gun designer John Moses
Browning.

This handgun was the standard sidearm of the United States
military from 1911 until 1984.  In 1984, the M9, or the Beretta 92
pistol, replaced the M1911A1 and continues to this day as the
standard sidearm of the military.  The Beretta 92 is a conventional
double-action handgun chambered in 9mm Parabellum with a 15 round
capacity.

Colonel Decker used a large framed revolver in a leather
cross-draw holster instead of the M1911A1.  It is unclear as to the make
or model of the revolver.


        

      4. 
 WHAT DID THE BACK OF MURDOCK'S JACKET SAY?
Da Nang 1970.

        

      5. 
DID ANYONE EVER GET KILLED ON "THE A-TEAM"?
As far as actual, on-screen deaths, there was only one, in "The Sound of
Thunder," when General Fulbright was shot and killed (in the same episode the
bunker where the Cong general who shot Fulbright was in was blown up, so we
can assume he bit the dust as well).  Several episodes referred to deaths of
characters off-screen either during or usually before the start of the episode
(such as, for instance, Ray Brenner's death in "A Nice Place to Visit.")
Also, one of the Mafia bad guys in the episode "The Rabbit That Ate Las Vegas"
was seen to fall from a high rise window, presumably to his death, although it
wasn't clear if he had been killed before the fall of as a result of it.

        

      6. 
WHAT INJURIES DID THE TEAM MEMBERS SUFFER DURING THE COURSE
OF THE SERIES?
This list was compiled by Irene Schwarting (IRENE@freud.sbs.utah.edu)

Faceman:
     Bullet in stomach: Without Reservations
     Broken nose: Harder than it Looks
     Concussion: Children of Jamestown
     Two broken teeth: Children of Jamestown
     Broken ankle: Till Death Do Us Part
     Black eye: Chopping Spree

Murdock:
     Bullet in shoulder/arm: Sound of Thunder
     Bullet in shoulder: Curtain Call
     Broken ribs: Harder than it Looks
     Crushed by tree: Timber
     Black eye (from Face): In Plane Sight
     Blinded: Beast From the Belly of a Boeing
     Some type of neck injury: Till Death Do Us Part
     Radiation exposure: Point of No Return

BA:
     Bullet in leg: Black Day at Bad Rock
     Bullet in shoulder: Waiting for Insane Wayne
     Poisoned: Deadly Maneuvers
     Knocked unconscious: practically every episode
     Nail in the foot:There's Always a Catch
     Dislocated shoulder: Where is the Monster When You Need Him?

Hannibal:
     Poisoned: Deadly Maneuvers
     Broken leg: Till Death Do Us Part
     Cut on arm: Point of No Return
     Broken ribs: Bullets and Bikinis
     Burned: Dishpan Man

Frankie:
     Radiation exposure: Point of No Return

Amy:
     Broken arm: Till Death Do Us Part
     

        

      7. 
FOR THE FIRST FOUR SEASONS, I THOUGHT THE TEAM WAS A SPECIAL FORCES
UNIT.  WHY WERE THEY WEARING AIR CAVALRY UNIFORMS IN THE TRIAL 
EPISODES?
Put it down to a dumb mistake by the continuity patrol at Cannell Productions.
It wouldn't be a first in the show's history...

        

      8. 
WHAT FAMOUS PEOPLE GUEST-STARRED ON "THE A-TEAM"?
Here is a partial list:
Tia Carrere in "The Sound of Thunder"
Dennis Franz in "Chopping Spree" and "Beverly Hills Assault"
Boy George in "Cowboy George"
Issac Hayes in "The Heart of Rock N' Roll"
Hulk Hogan in "Body Slam" and "The Trouble with Harry"
Bo Hopkins in "Pure-Dee Poison"
Ernie Hudson in "The Taxicab Wars"
Rick James in "The Heart of Rock N' Roll"
Yaphet Kotto in "The Out-of-Towners"
Stephanie Kramer in "Fire"
David McCallum in "The Say Uncle Affair"
Joe Namath in "Quarterback Sneak"
William "The Refrigerator" Perry in "The Trouble with Harry"
Mitch Pileggi in "The Road to Hope"
Markie Post in "The Only Church in Town" and "Hot Styles"
Della Reese in "Lease with an Option to Die"
Andrew Robinson in "The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing" and "The White Ballot"
Dean Stockwell in "A Small and Deadly War"

        

      9. 
DIDN'T A CYLON MAKE AN APPEARANCE ON "THE A-TEAM" ONCE?
Yes, in the episode "Steel."  There was a scene at the Universal Studios movie
lot in Hollywood where a Cylon walks along in front of Face, who looks at him
with a "haven't I seen you before?" expression.  (In case you don't know,
Cylons were the "bad guys" on "Battlestar Galactica," which Dirk Benedict had
been a main character on.)  

        

      10. 
HOW DID "THE A-TEAM" END?
While "Without Reservations" was the last episode that aired, it appears that
"The Gray Team" was probably meant to be the final episode, based on the
closing dialogue (and the fact that Murdock wears a t-shirt saying "Fini" in
"The Gray Team" and one saying "Almost Fini" in "Without Reservations."  The 
Team speculate on the fact that they may be nearing the end of their
"contract" with Stockwell and wonder what they will end up doing if they ever
get their pardons.  They decide they will likely end up doing the same thing
they've been doing for the past fifteen years, helping people and beating up
bad guys.

        

      11. 
IT SOUNDS LIKE THOSE NATIVES ARE CHANTING "WHO WROTE THIS?" AT THE
END OF "THE CRYSTAL SKULL."  AM I HEARING THINGS?
If you are, so are the rest of us.  It does seem that everyone is chanting
"Who wrote this?" as the statue of Murdocka is revealed.  Was this a joke
played by the crew as a result of having to film such an incredibly bad script?
Or Bill Nuss making his own commentary on his writing?  Or is it just a case
of massive delusion on our parts?  I suppose we'll never know for sure...

      

      
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