Parents' Guide to

The A-Team

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

'80s action adventures with Mr. T and the gang.

TV Spike, Syndicated, TV Land Drama 1983
The A-Team Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Tez B.
Tez B. Parent of 8 and 10-year-old
June 17, 2020
age 15+

DONT show to young boys

I have 10 yo and 8 yo boys. I've been very careful up until now in what they watch as I recognise the importance of not desensitising children to violence. This one slipped the net and I let my guard down (husbands recommendation). Now I am witnessing the effects of how my 8yo is punching his older brother every day to some degree. We are having lots of conversations about how this has only happened since we watched series 1 of The A Team. We are trying to restore order and calm in this household. I would strongly recommend anyone with young children, esp when it's two boys, to not watch this until they are much older. I'm gutted that I let this one through.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Mike Weston
Mike Weston Parent of 8, 9 and 11-year-old
August 18, 2009
age 7+

A great show for all family over 7 years old

I will admit that there is a lot of staged violence in the show, and Hannibal doesn't go more than a few minutes without sticking a cigar in his mouth, but there are lots of good messages in the show (e.g. sticking together, seeking police help, making good choices, it's never too late to turn your life around). The fighting might be hard for younger viewers to figure out (i.e. why it's okay for some people to fight but not others). In an age where sex is used freely to promote shows for tweens (and sometimes, even younger), this is a classic in our house. I can let the kids watch this show unattended or watch it with them, and not be embarrassed by the content. I highly recommend it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Accused of a crime they didn't commit, THE A-TEAM members are former U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers who escaped from a military prison. They use their considerable skills to accomplish missions for hire while avoiding capture by the military police who are always on their tail. Most episodes involve the group being hired for a dangerous-but-sympathetic mission during which they become trapped and use their ingenuity and firepower to escape, finally completing the mission with great success. The core cast includes group leader and disguise expert John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), con artist and handsome ladies' man Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Dirk Benedict), expert mechanic "B.A." Baracus (Mr. T), and mentally unstable pilot H.M. Murdock (Dwight Schultz). Throughout the show's five seasons, different female characters joined or helped the A-Team, most significantly, reporter Amy Amanda "Triple A" Allen (Melinda Culea).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (16):

While each episode features massive explosions and tons of shooting, no one's ever killed or even seriously injured (with one or two exceptions). This element, along with the over-the-top characters and constant humorous chatter, makes the show a lighthearted adventure, rather than a graphic crime drama.

That said, while the characters all ultimately mean well -- often giving back their fees to needy clients and only taking on missions for good guys -- some questionable messages do emerge. For example, group members bicker frequently: The relationship between B.A. and Murdock is particularly sour, with insults flying back and forth, many of which are directed at Murdock's apparent mental instability. Faceman, meanwhile, uses a variety of cons and deceptions in his job, frequently flirting shamelessly with gullible women to get her to trust him while he lures her into his plan. It's all got a good gloss of '80s nostalgia on it now -- and compared to the a lot of modern primetime TV offerings, the whole series is really pretty tame.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about TV violence. When a show has lots of violence but no injuries or death, what message does that send? Does it make the show easier to watch? Does it bother you that the show gives the impression that firepower and explosions might be fun to use and not have serious consequences? Can you think of other violent shows that skip the blood and injuries but keep the guns and weapons? What about vice versa? How has typical TV violence changed since the '80s?

TV Details

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