The A-Team
The Big Squeeze
TV Flash files “The Big Squeeze” as hour 52 of 98 in the TV Flash guide — The A-Team (1983–1987) on NBC, season 3, episode 15, aired 1985-01-15, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S03E15: listed hour 52 of 98 in the The A-Team guide, hour 15 of 25 in season 3. It aired 1985-01-15 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Cup A' Joe” (S03E14). Next is “Champ!” (S03E16).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
When loan shark Jack 'the Ripper' Lane, who is too violent even for his mob extortion boss Nathan Vincent's taste, breaks Italian restaurant owner Gino Giani's fingers, he and his daughter Theresa hire the A-team, but get cold feet after threats to their entire family. So Hannibal, alias Sean O'Shea, deliberately takes a loan from Lane to start an Irish pub cum restaurant, The Naked Lady (where busboy Murdock's new vocation is that of union representative), and then doesn't even give him a seat, thus provoke him to a sniper assault, and then takes on Vincent's by own (hard-hand enforced) juke-box business
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Big Squeeze sit in the The A-Team guide?
S03E15 is listed hour 52 of 98 — hour 15 of 25 in season 3, season 3 episode 15.
When did The A-Team S03E15 air?
The Big Squeeze aired 1985-01-15 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Is the violence actually violent?
Mostly cartoon. Scrap-built vehicles, explosions, and bad guys who go down without much blood — action as toy commercial, which is the Cannell joke and the appeal.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Peak 1980s action cheese with immortal casting — Mr. T alone is a cultural weather event. Peppard's Hannibal, Benedict's Faceman, Schultz's Murdock: wrongfully accused commandos, scrap-built tanks, bloodless mayhem. I love it when a plan comes together. Formulaic in the best popcorn way; pity the fool who missed the theme.
I love it when a plan comes together — still managerial cosplay language, still a group-chat greeting. (I said spoiler-free. The plan is the formula; the formula is the point.) NBC's The A-Team (1983–1987) sent a crack commando unit into Friday-night cheese: George Peppard's Hannibal, Mr. T's B.A. Baracus, Dirk Benedict's Faceman, Dwight Schultz's Howling Mad Murdock. Wrongfully accused, on the run, building tanks out of scrap, never quite killing the bad guys on camera. Lana can keep the gown. This carpet is…
Filed against
- George Peppard as John "Hannibal" Smith
George Peppard's John "Hannibal" Smith made The A-Team's plan come together — 1980s action cheese with immortal casting, wrongfully accused commandos, scrap-built tanks, bloodless mayhem. Mr. T as a weather event; Peppard as the cigar…
- Mr. T as B.A. Baracus
Mr. T’s B.A. Baracus made The A-Team a cultural weather event in gold chains — peak 1980s action cheese, Peppard’s Hannibal, Benedict’s Faceman, Schultz’s Murdock, wrongfully accused commandos, scrap-built tanks, bloodless mayhem. I love…
- Dirk Benedict as Templeton "Faceman" Peck
Dirk Benedict’s Lt. Starbuck put a gambler’s grin on Battlestar Galactica, then The A-Team recast the charm as Faceman — 1980s action cheese with a con man’s polish. Two decades of handsome problem-solving, cigars optional. TV Flash files…
- Dwight Schultz as H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock
Dwight Schultz made H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock the wild card on The A-Team — scrap-built tanks, bloodless mayhem, and 1980s action cheese with immortal casting. Hannibal loved it when a plan came together; Schultz made the plan sound…