‘A-Team’ TV Series Remake In Works With Chris Morgan Producing
By Nellie Andreeva
EXCLUSIVE: The A-Team is being reassembled. I’ve learned that 20th Century Fox TV has put together a new contemporary take on Stephen J. Cannell’s classic 1980s action series. Fast & Furious writer-producer Chris Morgan executive produces with Cannell’s daughter, TV director Tawnia McKiernan. Sleepy Hollow executive producer Albert Kim is writing the adaptation.
Like the original NBC show, the new A-Team revolves around a diverse team of American Special Forces operatives. Unlike the original all-male squad, the new team will include both male and female memebrs. The group has been framed for a crime they didn’t commit and set out to clear their names by uncovering the black-ops conspiracy that set them up. Along the way, they are driven to help those in need by using their singular military skills, high-tech expertise and often conflicting individual approaches. It’s described as a fun episodic mission-of-the-week show that mixes big action-adventure sequences with compelling characters, inventive cons and lots of humor.
The original A-Team series was created by Cannell and Frank Lupo from a pitch by NBC Entertainment President Brandon Tartikoff. The show revolved around the four former commandos-turned-mercenaries — John “Hannibal” Smith (George Peppard), Templeton “Faceman” Peck (Dirk Benedict), the team’s pilot H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock (Dwight Schultz) and strongman, B.A. (Bad Attitude) Baracus (Mr. T). Here is the show’s opening sequence, which sets up the premise and introduces the cast:
The A-Team launched after the Super Bowl in 1983 and became a breakout hit and a pop culture staple, running on NBC for five seasons. 20th Century Fox revived the series as a feature starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson and Sharlto Copley as the four characters from the show. Directed by Joe Carnahan, the feature was released in 2010.
20th Century Fox has rights to the catalogue of Stephen J Cannell Prods. 20th TV previously developed a new take of another series Cannell co-created with Lupo, Wiseguy.
This is the latest remake to hit the marketplace this season. Earlier this week, Deadline broke the story of another high-profile reboot that is being shopped at the moment, a Jack Ryan TV series from Carlton Cuse, Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and Paramount TV.
Morgan, who is under an overall deal at 20th TV, previously executive produced the studio’s Fox drama series Gang Related. He and Kim, who also worked on Nikita and Leverage, are repped by ICM Partners.
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