Today I reflect on two of my favorite '80s TV shows: A-team and MacGyver.
A-team
"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire . . . the A-team." So begins The A-Team, an action series that ran for five season (1983-87). It follows the adventures of Hannibal, Face, Murdock, and B.A. as they help those in need against greedy and dangerous adversaries.
Hannibal always had a plan (and loved when it came together), Face used his looks to help whenever necessary, Murdock was howling mad (and used that insanity to deliver great lines), and B.A. provided sheer muscle, attitude, and intimidation. It was a great combination, and I loved this show as a kid. Bullets flew (but nobody ever got hit), cars went airborne (and often into buildings), and there was plenty of general mayhem. One favorite episode is "Pure-Dee Poison," where the team takes on a bootleg distiller whose poisonous concoctions is hurting a small town. The boys get captured, but thankfully their prison is a barn with a working construction vehicle, scrap metal, and welding tools, enabling them to build a customized tank and effect a spectacular escape with a flair typical for the series.
My favorite character was Murdock, whose insanity was always enjoyed (pleas to name my baby sister after him were mercifully rejected by my parents), though I also appreciated B.A.'s ability to shake things up. That said, the A-Team has not aged well. Poor acting, cheesy dialogue, and ridiculous characters are hard to stomach in today's entertainment-saturated world. But an occasional episode is an enjoyable jaunt down memory lane, and brings to mind the expectations and limitations of media in that era.
MacGyver
Angus MacGyver was a jack-of-all-trades who used his wits and scientific understanding to improvise on the fly, building ingenious devices to get him out of a tight spot and improve the world, be it to save the forests or help someone out of a scrape. He worked for the Phoenix Foundation, lived on a house boat, rocked a mullet, hated guns, and loved hockey (he's the reason I'm a Calgary fan). His boss, Pete, was frequently used to introduce the stories (and fret the entire time). His friend, Jack, was a lovable mischief-maker who always shook things up. His show ran for seven seasons (1985-92).
Like the A-Team, MacGyver was full of cheesy acting, plots, and dialogue. That said, it was more polished and suspenseful than the former. I recall many childhood afternoons watching the episodes, fascinated watching MacGyver use everyday items to build amazing things. One episode that sticks out is "Trumbo's World," where a horde of killer ants is approaching, and Mac must find a way to stave them off.
Reflecting
I watched episodes of both series recently, and was reminded that the '80s were a very different world, and television of the era reflects it. Simple characters, moralistic societies, horribly cheesy sequences . . . I both miss and mock the time. Current technologies and cultural sensibilities have greatly altered what's considered acceptable on television, and I don't think the trend is in a positive direction. And yet . . . perhaps childhood fancies are best left in the past, where naivete and immaturity blinds us to their flaws. Invariably, any venture into my childhood whims leaves me cycling between amazement ("why did I think this was good?"), amusement ("this is so bad it's funny!"), and enjoyment ("ahh, the good old days."). The last is good, but the first two diminish it. I'll have to chew on this more.
A-team
"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire . . . the A-team." So begins The A-Team, an action series that ran for five season (1983-87). It follows the adventures of Hannibal, Face, Murdock, and B.A. as they help those in need against greedy and dangerous adversaries.
Hannibal always had a plan (and loved when it came together), Face used his looks to help whenever necessary, Murdock was howling mad (and used that insanity to deliver great lines), and B.A. provided sheer muscle, attitude, and intimidation. It was a great combination, and I loved this show as a kid. Bullets flew (but nobody ever got hit), cars went airborne (and often into buildings), and there was plenty of general mayhem. One favorite episode is "Pure-Dee Poison," where the team takes on a bootleg distiller whose poisonous concoctions is hurting a small town. The boys get captured, but thankfully their prison is a barn with a working construction vehicle, scrap metal, and welding tools, enabling them to build a customized tank and effect a spectacular escape with a flair typical for the series.
My favorite character was Murdock, whose insanity was always enjoyed (pleas to name my baby sister after him were mercifully rejected by my parents), though I also appreciated B.A.'s ability to shake things up. That said, the A-Team has not aged well. Poor acting, cheesy dialogue, and ridiculous characters are hard to stomach in today's entertainment-saturated world. But an occasional episode is an enjoyable jaunt down memory lane, and brings to mind the expectations and limitations of media in that era.
MacGyver
Angus MacGyver was a jack-of-all-trades who used his wits and scientific understanding to improvise on the fly, building ingenious devices to get him out of a tight spot and improve the world, be it to save the forests or help someone out of a scrape. He worked for the Phoenix Foundation, lived on a house boat, rocked a mullet, hated guns, and loved hockey (he's the reason I'm a Calgary fan). His boss, Pete, was frequently used to introduce the stories (and fret the entire time). His friend, Jack, was a lovable mischief-maker who always shook things up. His show ran for seven seasons (1985-92).
Like the A-Team, MacGyver was full of cheesy acting, plots, and dialogue. That said, it was more polished and suspenseful than the former. I recall many childhood afternoons watching the episodes, fascinated watching MacGyver use everyday items to build amazing things. One episode that sticks out is "Trumbo's World," where a horde of killer ants is approaching, and Mac must find a way to stave them off.
Reflecting
I watched episodes of both series recently, and was reminded that the '80s were a very different world, and television of the era reflects it. Simple characters, moralistic societies, horribly cheesy sequences . . . I both miss and mock the time. Current technologies and cultural sensibilities have greatly altered what's considered acceptable on television, and I don't think the trend is in a positive direction. And yet . . . perhaps childhood fancies are best left in the past, where naivete and immaturity blinds us to their flaws. Invariably, any venture into my childhood whims leaves me cycling between amazement ("why did I think this was good?"), amusement ("this is so bad it's funny!"), and enjoyment ("ahh, the good old days."). The last is good, but the first two diminish it. I'll have to chew on this more.
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