title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: Hellraiser is a 2022 supernatural horror film directed by David Bruckner, with a screenplay by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, from a screen story they co-wrote with David S. Goyer. It is a reboot of the "Hellraiser" franchise, the eleventh installment overall, and a second adaptation of the 1986 novella "The Hellbound Heart" by Clive Barker, which was adapted into the 1987 film "Hellraiser". The film stars Odessa A'zion, Jamie Clayton, Adam Faison, Drew Starkey, Brandon Flynn, Aoife Hinds, Jason Liles, Yinka Olorunnife, Selina Lo, Zachary Hing, Kit Clarke, Goran Višnjić, and Hiam Abbass. It follows a young woman recovering from addiction who ends up with a mechanical puzzle box that can summon the Cenobites, humanoid beings who thrive on pain and pleasure.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: Plans for a "Hellraiser" remake were publicized in October 2007, when Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury were reported to be directing, with Barker producing and Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton writing the script. After Maury and Bustillo left the project, Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier were attached, with production slated for an early 2012 release. However, following the release of "" (2011) to secure continuing rights, Farmer and Lussier were no longer involved. By 2018, after the critical and commercial success of "Halloween", Miramax Films had confirmed plans for new "Hellraiser" installments, including a prequel and a new chapter of the series. The film was green-lit in early 2019, with Bruckner directing from a script written by Collins and Piotrowski, while the project moved to Hulu with Spyglass Media Group and Phantom Four Films. Filming took place from September to October 2021.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: "Hellraiser" had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 28, 2022, and was later released on October 7 by Hulu. The film received lukewarm reviews from critics, with some deeming it an improvement over its predecessors and the best since the original 1987 film; it was praised for its new take on the series, faithfulness to the tone of the source material and Clayton's performance, while being criticized for its rushed characters and runtime.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: During a party at hedonistic millionaire Roland Voight's mansion, sex worker Joey comes across a mechanical puzzle box, which Voight insists he solve. Joey solves the configuration and is stabbed by a blade that springs from the box. A portal opens, from which chains fly out and rip Joey apart.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: Six years later, recovering addict Riley is living with her brother Matt, his boyfriend Colin, and their roommate Nora. Riley's boyfriend, Trevor, convinces her to help break into an abandoned storage warehouse, where they discover and take the puzzle box. Returning home late, Riley gets into an argument with Matt and leaves. At an empty park, she solves the box and avoids being cut by the blade. The Cenobites, a group of mutilated humanoids, appear and demand she choose another sacrifice. Matt finds Riley blacked out and, as he tries to wake her up, inadvertently cuts himself on the box. He goes to a nearby restroom to clean his wound. Riley hears him scream and discovers that he has vanished.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: Believing the box caused Matt's disappearance, Riley and Trevor track down Serena Menaker, Voight's former lawyer, who had hidden it in the warehouse. Menaker tries to take the box from Riley but is inadvertently cut by the blade and later taken by the Cenobites. Riley visits Voight's abandoned mansion, finding his journals and learning that the box has multiple configurations, each of which requires a victim to be "marked" by the box's blade for the Cenobites to take. On completion, the box allows its holder to receive a "gift" from Leviathan, the entity that rules over Hell. Riley sees an apparition of Matt and is horrified to discover he has been flayed.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: Trevor, Colin, and Nora arrive to take Riley home. While Riley explains her findings to Colin, the still-living but mutilated Voight, who is hiding inside the walls, stabs Nora with the box. The group escapes the mansion in a van, but Nora is taken by the Cenobites. Their leader, Pinhead, taunts Nora, then flays her. The group crashes the van and walks back toward the mansion. Riley is confronted by Pinhead, who offers to resurrect Matt if Riley chooses two more sacrifices. Riley refuses, and is cut by the blade. Now marked, Pinhead commands Riley to choose two more sacrifices or become a victim herself. After Trevor is injured by one of the Cenobites, the Chatterer, Riley solves the next configuration and stabs it. The Cenobite gets torn to pieces as the next sacrifice.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: The group makes it back to the mansion, realizing that there are steel doors designed to lock the Cenobites out. Riley and Colin leave Trevor to rest, and it is revealed that Trevor has been working for Voight to find people to sacrifice to the puzzle box. Riley and Colin trap a Cenobite, the Asphyx, to become the last sacrifice, but Voight appears and stabs Colin with the box. Voight reveals that he sought new pleasurable sensations after completing all of his sacrifices, but his "reward" was a contraption attached to him that twists his nerve endings, leaving him in constant pain. He completes the final configuration and traps the Cenobites, demanding they ask Leviathan to free him from his "gift". While Leviathan appears in the sky above the mansion, Riley retrieves the box and unlocks the steel doors, letting in the Cenobites. Riley saves Colin from torture by stabbing Trevor, choosing him as a new final sacrifice. Trevor is mutilated and dragged to Hell. Meanwhile, Pinhead tells Voight that his reward cannot be revoked, but can be traded for a different reward. She offers him "power", which he accepts. Voight is released from his contraption and healed, but then Leviathan impales him with a large chain and lifts him away.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: With the sacrifices completed, the Cenobites tell Riley they can resurrect Matt as a gift. Riley refuses to have any gift because she knows they are always twisted, and tells them that she will accept Matt's death. The Cenobites tell her that by choosing to live with her guilt and loss, she has effectively chosen the gift of "lament". The box reverts to its cube configuration and the Cenobites disappear. As Riley and Colin leave the mansion, he asks her if she made the right choice; Riley remains silent. Inside Leviathan, Voight undergoes a brutal transformation into a new Cenobite.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: In October 2006, Clive Barker announced through his official website that he would be writing the script to a forthcoming remake of the original "Hellraiser" film, to be produced by Dimension Films. In October 2007, Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo were eyed to direct. By January 2008, the project, then titled "Clive Barker Presents: Hellraiser", was delayed to an unspecified date in 2009 following the studio's dissatisfaction with Maury and Bustillo's script. In February 2008, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton were tapped for a page-one rewrite, and production was gearing up to begin that spring. By June 2008, the directing pair had dropped the project to work on "Halloween II". That October, French director Pascal Laugier was set to direct. Laugier told "Dread Central" in March 2009 that work on the film had begun with a co-writer he could not publicly name. However, Laugier wanted a very serious take whereas the producers wanted a more commercial film that would appeal to a teen audience, and he left the project in June 2009.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: Throughout 2010, further pitches were given by Christian E. Christiansen, Cory Goodman, and from writing duo Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. In October 2010, Christiansen was reported to be in the running for director while Amber Heard was considered for the lead role. Mere days later, it was officially announced that Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer were to direct and write, respectively, a reboot of the "Hellraiser" franchise. The story would have differed from the original film, as Lussier and Farmer did not want to retell the original story out of respect for Barker's work, instead focusing on the world and function of the puzzle box. However, in 2011, Farmer confirmed that both he and Lussier were dropped from the project.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: In October 2013, Barker announced that he would be directing and writing the film, and Doug Bradley was to return in his role as Pinhead. A year later, Barker stated that a second draft of the script was completed and described the film as a "very loose" remake of the original film, but said that he may not direct the film. In March 2017, Barker said that the film's "script was written and delivered to Dimension years ago. That was the last anyone heard until news of a sequel surfaced". After the successful release of the 2018 horror sequel "Halloween", Miramax Films confirmed that it was considering beginning production on new installments to the "Hellraiser" franchise. Lussier and Farmer had worked out numerous ideas whilst working on the project; one being a prequel starring William Fichtner as Pinhead, while another pitch had Pinhead portrayed by a woman.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: In May 2019, Gary Barber announced that Spyglass Media Group would be developing a new remake of "Hellraiser" to be written and co-produced by David S. Goyer. In April 2020, David Bruckner was reported to direct the remake, with Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski writing the script after having previously collaborated with Bruckner on "The Night House" (2020), which Goyer also produced. In December 2020, following a legal dispute, Barker officially regained the rights to the property in the United States.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: In June 2021, it was reported that Odessa A'zion was cast in the lead role. In a July 2021 interview with "Entertainment Weekly", it was revealed that the film's producers auditioned drag performer Gottmik for the role of Pinhead, after Gottmik showed off a Pinhead-inspired look for a runway, on "RuPaul's Drag Race".


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: In September 2021, Goyer announced that the production crew was "in the midst of" filming, confirming that principal photography had commenced in Belgrade, Serbia. In October 2021, after filming wrapped, Jamie Clayton was revealed to have portrayed Pinhead, while Brandon Flynn, Goran Višnjić, Drew Starkey, Adam Faison, Aoife Hinds, Selina Lo and Hiam Abbass were unveiled as supporting cast. Bruckner and the crew reached out to Bradley to make a cameo appearance in the film, but Bradley declined for two reasons: first, potential complications with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and secondly, his desire to leave his Pinhead performance's legacy intact, a decision Bruckner and his crew accepted.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: "Hellraiser" had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, on September 28, 2022. It screened at Beyond Fest in Santa Monica, California, on October 4, 2022. The film was released in the United States by Hulu via streaming exclusively on their service on October 7, 2022, as a Hulu Original.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: On October 5, 2022, director David Bruckner announced on Twitter that Spyglass and Paramount Pictures are handling international distribution for the film. The film was released in the United Kingdom via various platforms (by purchase) on 31st October 2022.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: According to Whip Media, "Hellraiser" was the 3rd most streamed film in the United States, during the week of October 9. According to the streaming aggregator "Reelgood", "Hellraiser" was the 8th most watched program across all platforms, during the week of October 14. "Hellraiser" was the 9th most watched program across all platforms, during the week of October 19. According to the streaming aggregator "JustWatch", "Hellraiser" was the most watched movie across all platforms in the United States, during the week of October 3 and the week of October 10.


title: Hellraiser (2022 film)

text: Katie Rife of "Polygon" criticized the characters and the length, but praised the set design and Clayton's performance, and felt overall the film "might even be the second best in the series after """. Dave White of "TheWrap" wrote, "Embodying Clive Barker's original intention of 'repulsive glamour', these Cenobites silently glide on hell's runway. The assignment was 'red flesh and raw meat, but make it fashion', and their work is an elegant slam dunk." Mark Hanson of "Slant Magazine" called it "a toothlessly retrograde enterprise".


title: Frances Fisher

text: Frances Louise Fisher (born May 11, 1952) is a British-born American actress. She began her career in theatre and later starred as record executive Suzette 'Red' Saxon in the CBS daytime soap opera "The Guiding Light" (1985). In film, she is known for her roles in "Unforgiven" (1992), "Titanic" (1997), "True Crime" (1999), "House of Sand and Fog" (2003), "Laws of Attraction" (2004), "The Kingdom" (2007), "In the Valley of Elah" (2007), "Jolene" (2008), "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011) and "The Host" (2013). From 2014 to 2015, Fisher starred in the ABC drama series "Resurrection". In 2019, she starred in the HBO television series "Watchmen", an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name.


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher was born on May 11, 1952, in Milford on Sea, the daughter of American parents Olga Rosine (née Moen), a housewife, and William Irving "Bill" Fisher, Sr, an oil refinery construction superintendent. Her father was of Russian-Jewish and Hungarian-Jewish descent, whereas her mother was of Norwegian ancestry. Before she reached the age of fifteen, she had moved nine times and travelled because of her father's job, going to places including Italy, Turkey, Colombia, France, Canada, and Brazil.


title: Frances Fisher

text: When she was 15, her mother died and she took on the responsibility of raising her younger brother. She completed her high school at Lutcher Stark High School in Orange, Texas, where she performed in theatre productions, and later worked as a secretary.


title: Frances Fisher

text: Deciding to follow her interest in theatre, she moved to New York City, where she subsequently enjoyed a 14-year stage career in regional and off-Broadway productions. She became involved with the Actors Studio, where she studied with Lee Strasberg. Fisher moved to Abingdon, Virginia, where she began her acting career at the Barter Theatre, a year-round repertory theatre.


title: Frances Fisher

text: During the next 10 years, she concentrated on theatre in New York City and in regional theaters around the East Coast. She has also returned to theatre; she appeared in Arthur Miller's last play, "Finishing the Picture," produced at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and in a 2006 production of "The Cherry Orchard" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.


title: Frances Fisher

text: In 2019, she starred in the Laguna Playhouse production of "The Lion in Winter" with Gregory Harrison.


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher gained recognition playing Detective Deborah Saxon on the ABC daytime soap opera "The Edge of Night" from 1976 to 1981. She later joined the cast of CBS's "Guiding Light" as Suzette Saxon in 1985. After leaving daytime television, Fisher guest starred as a bartender, Savannah, at "The Lobo" in the first season of ABC comedy series "Roseanne". She also appeared on "Newhart", "Matlock" and "In the Heat of the Night".


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher was originally cast to play Jill Taylor on the ABC sitcom "Home Improvement", but was replaced after initial filming because producers felt that her pilot episode performance did not test well with the audience. She was cast in the unaired pilot to the short-lived 1992 ABC summer series "Human Target" (originally filmed in 1990, her role was recast by the time the series was picked up in October 1991, replaced by actress Signy Coleman).


title: Frances Fisher

text: In 1991, Fisher was cast as Lucille Ball in the television film "", which aired to strong ratings and good reviews. From 1994 to 1995 she starred in the Fox drama series "Strange Luck". In 2000, Fisher portrayed Audrey Hepburn's mother, Ella Hepburn, in the biographical film of the actress. In the same year she played the role of Janet Lee Bouvier in "Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis".


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher had recurring roles in the CBS sitcom "Becker" as Dr. Elizabeth 'Liz' Carson from 1999 to 2000, and on Fox's "Titus" as Juanita Titus (2000–2001). In 2002 she starred in the short-lived The WB series "Glory Days", and in 2003 starred in another drama cancelled after a single season, "The Lyon's Den" on NBC. In 2005, she appeared on the "ER" episode "Just As I Am," as Helen Kingsley, the long-lost birth mother of Dr. Kerry Weaver, played by Laura Innes, even though Fisher is only five years older. She also starred in a pilot for NBC/USA entitled "To Love and Die". In 2008, she appeared in a recurring role on the Sci-Fi Channel television series "Eureka", portraying the character Eva Thorne. Fisher also guest-starred on "Grey's Anatomy", "The Shield", "Two and a Half Men", "Private Practice", "Sons of Anarchy", "Torchwood", "", "Cold Case", and "Castle".


title: Frances Fisher

text: In 2014, Fisher was starring in the ABC drama series "Resurrection" about the residents of Arcadia, Missouri, whose lives are upended when their loved ones return from the dead, unaged since their deaths. She played the role of Lucille Langston.


title: Frances Fisher

text: In 2017, she and her daughter Francesca Eastwood both starred in the acclaimed "Fargo" episode "The Law of Non-Contradiction" as the older and younger versions of the same character.


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher made her film debut in "Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?" (1983) and later appeared in "Patty Hearst" directed by Paul Schrader. In 1989 she appeared in "Pink Cadillac" opposite Clint Eastwood, and the pair began a six-year offscreen relationship. The following year she appeared in "Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael".


title: Frances Fisher

text: In 1992, Fisher had her break-out role in "Unforgiven", an Academy Award-winning film directed by Clint Eastwood, who also starred. In later years she began acting regularly in major and independent films. Her most famous role in film was as the society matron Ruth DeWitt Bukater, the mother of the character played by Kate Winslet, in the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic". She appeared in "True Crime" (1999) with Eastwood as D.A.


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher had a role in "House of Sand and Fog" (2003), another Academy Award-nominated film. In 2004, she appeared in "Laws of Attraction" as Julianne Moore's mother, even though she is only 8 years older. Fisher worked on four films in 2006, including Peter Berg's "The Kingdom", and Paul Haggis' "In the Valley of Elah". The same year, she appeared in the film "Jolene" with Jessica Chastain as her lover. She served as an official festival judge for the 2011 Noor Iranian Film Festival in Los Angeles. In 2011, she appeared in "The Lincoln Lawyer" and "The Roommate".


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher appeared as Maggie Stryder in the 2013 film "The Host" with Saoirse Ronan and William Hurt. She also appeared in the films "The Potters" and "You're Not You", both released in 2014.


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher appeared in the film "Woman in Gold" (2015), playing the mother of Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds).


title: Frances Fisher

text: In 1970, when Fisher was 18, she married her high school sweetheart Billy Mack Hamilton. They divorced two years later.


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher was in a relationship with "Unforgiven" co-star Clint Eastwood in the early to mid-1990s. During that time, the couple had a daughter, Francesca Eastwood (born 1993).


title: Frances Fisher

text: Fisher has explained that finding a boyfriend was difficult while raising a child on her own. She stated in 2010 that "as a single mom, you know, it's been a different thing. No gentleman callers."


title: The A-Team

text: The A-Team is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court martial for a crime they had not committed. They were convicted and sentenced to serve terms in a military prison, but later escaped to Los Angeles and began working as soldiers of fortune, while trying to clear their names and avoid capture by law enforcement and military authorities. The series was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo. A feature film based on the series was released by 20th Century Fox in 2010.


title: The A-Team

text: "The A-Team" was created by writers and producers Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo at the behest of Brandon Tartikoff, NBC's Entertainment president. Cannell was fired from ABC in the early 1980s, after failing to produce a hit show for the network, and was hired by NBC; his first project was "The A-Team". Brandon Tartikoff pitched the series to Cannell as a combination of "The Dirty Dozen", "", "The Magnificent Seven", "Mad Max", and "Hill Street Blues", with "Mr. T driving the car".


title: The A-Team

text: "The A-Team" was not generally expected to become a hit, although Cannell has said that George Peppard suggested it would be a huge hit "before we ever turned on a camera". The show became very popular; the first regular episode, which aired after Super Bowl XVII on January 30, 1983, reached 26.4% of the television audience, placing fourth in the top 10 Nielsen-rated shows.


title: The A-Team

text: The show remains prominent in popular culture for its cartoonish violence (in which people were seldom seriously hurt, despite the frequent use of automatic weapons), formulaic episodes, its characters' ability to form weaponry and vehicles out of old parts, and its distinctive theme tune. The show boosted the career of Mr. T, who portrayed the character of B. A. Baracus, around whom the show was initially conceived. Some of the show's catchphrases, such as "I love it when a plan comes together", "Hannibal's on the jazz", and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have appeared on T-shirts and other merchandise.


title: The A-Team

text: The term "A-Team" is a nickname coined for U.S. Special Forces' Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) during the Vietnam War.


title: The A-Team

text: In a Yahoo! survey of 1,000 television viewers published in October 2003, "The A-Team" was voted the "oldie" television show viewers would most like to see revived, beating such popular television series from the 1980s as "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Knight Rider".


title: The A-Team

text: "The A-Team" is an episodic show, with few overarching stories, except the characters' continuing motivation to clear their names, with few references to events in past episodes and a recognizable and steady episode structure. In describing the ratings drop that occurred during the show's fourth season, reviewer Gold Burt points to this structure as being a leading cause for the decreased popularity "because the same basic plot had been used over and over again for the past four seasons with the same predictable outcome". Similarly, reporter Adrian Lee called the plots "stunningly simple" in a 2006 article for "The Express" (UK newspaper), citing such recurring elements "as BA's fear of flying, and outlandish finales when the team fashioned weapons from household items". The show became emblematic of this kind of "fit-for-TV warfare" due to its depiction of high-octane combat scenes, with lethal weapons, wherein the participants (with the notable exception of General Fulbright) are never killed and rarely seriously injured ("see also" On-screen violence section).


title: The A-Team

text: As the television ratings of "The A-Team" fell dramatically during the fourth season, the format was changed for the show's final season in 1986–87 in a bid to win back viewers. After years on the run from the authorities, the A-Team is finally apprehended by the military. General Hunt Stockwell (Robert Vaughn), a mysterious CIA operative, propositions them to work for him. In exchange, he will arrange for their pardons upon successful completion of several suicide missions. To do so, the A-Team must first escape from their captivity. With the help of a new character named Frankie "Dishpan Man" Santana who helped the group in Vietnam and who, like Murdock, was not arrested, Stockwell fakes their deaths before a military firing squad. The new status of the A-Team, no longer working for themselves, remained for the duration of the fifth season while Eddie Velez and Robert Vaughn received star billing along with the principal cast. The missions that the team had to perform in season five were somewhat reminiscent of "", and based more around political espionage than beating local thugs, also usually taking place in foreign countries, including successfully overthrowing an island dictator, the rescue of a scientist from East Germany, and recovering top secret Star Wars defense information from Soviet hands. These changes proved unsuccessful with viewers, however, and ratings continued to decline. Only 13 episodes aired in the fifth season. In what was supposed to be the final episode, "The Grey Team" (although "Without Reservations" was broadcast on NBC as the last first-run episode in March 1987 for some unknown reason), Hannibal, after being misled by Stockwell one time too many, tells him that the team will no longer work for him. At the end, the team discusses what they were going to do if they get their pardon, and it is implied that they would continue doing what they were doing as the A-Team. The character of Howling Mad Murdock can be seen in the final scene wearing a T-shirt that says, "Fini".


title: The A-Team

text: During the Vietnam War, the A-Team were members of the 5th Special Forces Group (see the episode "West Coast Turnaround"). In the episode "Bad Time on the Border", Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), indicated that the A-Team were "ex-Green Berets". During the Vietnam War, the A-Team's commanding officer, Colonel Morrison, gave them orders to rob the Bank of Hanoi to help bring the war to an end. They succeeded in their mission, but on their return to base four days after the end of the war, they discovered that Morrison had been killed by the Viet Cong, and that his headquarters had been burned to the ground. This meant that the proof that the A-Team members were acting under orders had been destroyed. They were arrested, and imprisoned at Fort Bragg, from which they quickly escaped before they were to go to trial.


title: The A-Team

text: The origin of the A-Team is directly linked to the Vietnam War, during which the team formed. The show's introduction in the first four seasons mentions this, accompanied by images of soldiers coming out of a helicopter in an area resembling a forest or jungle. Besides this, "The A-Team" would occasionally feature an episode in which the team came across an old ally or enemy from those war days. For example, the first season's final episode "A Nice Place To Visit" revolved around the team traveling to a small town to honor a fallen comrade and end up avenging his death, and in season two's "Recipe For Heavy Bread", a chance encounter leads the team to meet both the POW cook who helped them during the war, and the American officer who sold his unit out. Though he was affiliated with them during the war, the group's pilot "Howling Mad" Murdock was neither tried or involved in the bank robbery and is rather the group's secret member.


title: The A-Team

text: An article in the "New Statesman" (UK) published shortly after the premiere of "The A-Team" in the United Kingdom, also pointed out "The A-Team's" connection to the Vietnam War, characterizing it as the representation of the idealization of the Vietnam War, and an example of the war slowly becoming accepted and assimilated into American culture.


title: The A-Team

text: One of the team's primary antagonists, Col. Roderick Decker (Lance LeGault), had his past linked back to the Vietnam War in which he and Hannibal had come to fisticuffs in "the DOOM Club" (Da Nang Open Officers' Mess). At other times, members of the team would refer back to a certain tactic used during the War, which would be relevant to the team's present predicament. Often, Hannibal would refer to such a tactic, after which the other members of the team would complain about its failure during the War. This was also used to refer to some of Face's past accomplishments in scamming items for the team, such as in the first-season episode "Holiday In The Hills", in which Murdock fondly remembers Face being able to secure a '53 Cadillac while in the Vietnam jungle.


title: The A-Team

text: The team's ties to the Vietnam War were referred to again in the fourth-season finale, "The Sound of Thunder", in which the team is introduced to Tia (Tia Carrere), a war orphan and daughter of fourth season antagonist General Fulbright. Returning to Vietnam, Fulbright is shot in the back and gives his last words as he dies. The 2006 documentary "Bring Back The A-Team" joked that the scene lasted seven and a half minutes, but his death actually took a little over a minute. His murderer, a Vietnamese colonel, is killed in retaliation. Tia then returns with the team to the United States ("see also: casting"). This episode is notable for having one of the show's few truly serious dramatic moments, with each team member privately reminiscing on their war experiences, intercut with news footage from the war with Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" playing in the background.


title: The A-Team

text: The show's ties to the Vietnam War are fully dealt with in the opening arc of the fifth season, dubbed "The Court-Martial (Part 1–3)", in which the team is finally court-martialed for the robbery of the bank of Hanoi. The character of Roderick Decker makes a return on the witness stand, and various newly introduced characters from the A-Team's past also make appearances. The team, after a string of setbacks, decides to plead guilty to the crime and they are sentenced to be executed. They escape this fate and come to work for a General Hunt Stockwell, leading into the remainder of the fifth season.


title: The A-Team

text: The show ran for five seasons on the NBC television network, from January 23, 1983, to December 30, 1986 (with one additional, previously unbroadcast episode shown on March 8, 1987), for a total of 98 episodes.


title: The A-Team

text: "The A-Team" revolves around the four members of a former commando outfit, now mercenaries. Their leader is Lieutenant Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), whose plans tend to be unorthodox, but effective. Lieutenant Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict in the TV series, Tim Dunigan appeared as Templeton Peck in the pilot), usually called "Face" or "Faceman", is a smooth-talking con man who serves as the team's appropriator of vehicles and other useful items, as well as the team's second-in-command. The team's pilot is Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who has been declared insane and lives in a Veterans' Affairs mental institution for the show's first four seasons. Finally, there is the team's strong man, mechanic and Sergeant First Class Bosco "B.A.", or "Bad Attitude", Baracus (Mr. T).


title: The A-Team

text: The team belonged to the 5th Special Forces as seen in the left side shoulder patch on Hannibal's uniform in the episode "A Nice Place To Visit". A patch on Hannibal's uniform on the right shoulder in that episode indicates he belonged to the 101st Airborne during a prior combat assignment, but that patch was replaced by the 1st Air Cavalry Division patch in the episode "Trial by Fire". The patch worn on the left sleeve according to uniform wear in the Army is the current assignment of the person wearing it and in the episode "A Nice Place to Visit" shows that the team was assigned to the Special Forces with a tab Airborne over the shoulder patch. Also their berets in that episode are green and have the tab of the 5th Special Forces in Vietnam on them. In the episode "West Coast Turnaround", Hannibal stated they were with the 5th Special Forces Group. Then, in the episode "Bad Time on the Border", Hannibal refers to his friends as "ex-Green Berets". Though the name they have adopted comes from the "A-Teams", the nickname coined for Special Forces Operational Detachments Alpha, these detachments usually consisted of "twelve" members; whether the four were considered a "detachment" of their own or had once had eight compatriots who were killed in action was never revealed. In the episode "A Nice Place to Visit" Ray Brenner is stated to have been a Major and part of Hannibal's team in Vietnam.


title: The A-Team

text: For its first season and the first half of the second season, the team was assisted by reporter Amy Amanda Allen (Melinda Culea). In the second half of the second season, Allen was replaced by fellow reporter Tawnia Baker (Marla Heasley). The character of Tia (Tia Carrere), a Vietnam war orphan now living in the United States, was meant to join the Team in the fifth season, but she was replaced by Frankie Santana (Eddie Velez), who served as the team's special effects expert. Velez was added to the opening credits of the fifth season after its second episode.


title: The A-Team

text: During their adventures, the A-Team was constantly met by opposition from the Military Police. In the show's first season, the MPs were led by Colonel Francis Lynch (William Lucking), but he was replaced for the second, third, and earlier fourth season by Colonel Roderick Decker (Lance LeGault) and his aide Captain Crane (Carl Franklin). Lynch returned for one episode in the show's third season ("Showdown!") but was not seen after. Decker was also briefly replaced by a Colonel Briggs (Charles Napier) in the third season for one episode ("Fire") when LeGault was unavailable but returned shortly after. For the latter portion of the show's fourth season, the team was hunted by General Harlan "Bull" Fulbright (Jack Ging), who would later hire the A-Team to find Tia in the season four finale, during which Fulbright was killed.


title: The A-Team

text: The fifth season introduced General Hunt Stockwell (Robert Vaughn) who, while serving as the team's primary antagonist, was also the team's boss and joined them on several missions. He was often assisted by Carla (Judith Ledford, sometimes credited as Judy Ledford).


title: The A-Team

text: "Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith" is "The Brains" for the A-Team, the tactician and leader of the team, and a cunning master of disguise. His most used disguise (onscreen only on the pilot episode) is Mr. Lee, the dry cleaner, who performs one of the final parts of the client screening process, concluding by telling clients where to go to make direct contact with the A-Team. Smith dresses most often in a tan safari jacket and black leather gloves. He also is constantly seen smoking a cigar. Hannibal carries either a Browning Hi-Power, Colt M1911A1 or a Smith & Wesson Model 39 as a sidearm, most often "Mexican carried" (i.e. inside the waistband without a holster) although he uses a holster when on missions. His catchphrase is "I love it when a plan comes together." He is often said , usually by B.A., to be "on the jazz" when in the thrall of completing a mission.


title: The A-Team

text: "Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck" is "The Face" for the A-Team, and a master of the persuasive arts. The team's scrounger and con artist, he can get virtually anything he sets his mind to, usually exploiting women with sympathy-appeal and flirtation. He grew up an orphan, and is not without integrity, as stated by Murdock in the episode "Family Reunion": "He would rip the shirt off his back for you, and then scam one for himself." Faceman is also the A-Team's accountant. He dresses suavely, often appearing in suits, and can blend in well with the upper class, sometimes scamming luxury apartments for long terms, as well as regular visits to exclusive restaurants and invitations to opulent banquets, all on the basis of false identities he invents. Faceman carries a Colt Lawman Mk III revolver for protection, and drives a custom white 1984 Corvette with red trim, which he buys several episodes into the second season.


title: The A-Team

text: "Sergeant Bosco "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus" is "The Muscle" for the A-Team, able to perform exceptional feats of strength. He is also the team's mechanic, master at arms, demolition and weapons specialist. Baracus affects a dislike for Murdock, calling him a "crazy fool", but his true feelings of friendship are revealed when he prevents Murdock from drowning in his desire to live like a fish. Baracus also has a deep aviophobia, and the others usually have to trick him and/or knock him out to get him on an aircraft. It is very rare that Baracus is awake while flying, and even rarer for him actually to consent to it. When he does, however, he then goes into a catatonic state. Baracus generally wears overalls and leopard or tiger print shirts in the early seasons, and wears a green jumpsuit in the later seasons. He is almost always seen with many gold chains and rings on every finger, and also wears a weightlifting belt. Baracus' hairstyle is always in a mohawk-like cut. He drives a customized black GMC van (actually black and metallic dark gray, with an angled red stripe between) that serves as the team's usual mode of transport.


title: The A-Team

text: "Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock" is the A-Team's resident pilot and can fly any kind of aircraft with considerable skill. However, due to a helicopter crash in Vietnam, Murdock apparently went insane. He lives in a Veterans' Hospital in the mental wing. Whenever the rest of the team requires a pilot, they have to break him out of the hospital, generally using Faceman to do so. In Seasons 1–4, Murdock has a different imaginary pet, imaginary friend, or alter-ego in each episode. When one of his imaginary pets or imaginary friends is killed by an enemy, Murdock usually snaps and takes revenge (but never kills). Baracus is annoyed and aggravated by Murdock's delusions and usually yells that his imagined pet, friend, or identity is not real, often making violent threats against Murdock if he persist; these threats are never carried out, but do have the effect of limiting Murdock's expression of his fantasies, perhaps just enough to keep them in check so that Murdock can do his job on the team. Many times, when Baracus is mad at Murdock for being crazy, Hannibal will side with Murdock in a sympathetic way. Murdock usually wears a leather flight jacket, a baseball cap, and basketball sneakers. Once he is discharged from the hospital in Season 5, Murdock has a different job each episode.


title: The A-Team

text: Although the part of Face was written by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell with Dirk Benedict in mind, NBC insisted that the part should be played by another actor. Therefore, in the pilot, Face was portrayed by Tim Dunigan, who was later replaced by Benedict, with the comment that Dunigan was "too tall and too young". According to Dunigan: "I look even younger on camera than I am. So it was difficult to accept me as a veteran of the Vietnam War, which ended when I was a sophomore in high school."


title: The A-Team

text: Tia Carrere was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season after appearing in the season four finale, providing a tie to the team's inception during the war. Unfortunately for this plan, Carrere was under contract to "General Hospital", which prevented her from joining "The A-Team". Her character was abruptly dropped as a result.


title: The A-Team

text: According to Mr. T's account in "Bring Back... The A-Team" in 2006, the role of B. A. Baracus was written specifically for him. This is corroborated by Cannell's own account of the initial concept proposed by Tartikoff.


title: The A-Team

text: James Coburn, who co-starred in "The Magnificent Seven", was considered for the role of Hannibal in "The A-Team", while George Peppard (Hannibal) was the original consideration for the role of Vin (played by Steve McQueen instead) in "The Magnificent Seven". Robert Vaughn played one of main characters in the film.


title: The A-Team

text: During the show's first three seasons, "The A-Team" managed to pull in an average of 20% to 24% of all American television households. The first regular episode ("Children of Jamestown"), reached 26.4% of the television watching audience, placing fourth in the top 10 rated shows, according to the Nielsen ratings. By March, "The A-Team", now on its regular Tuesday timeslot, dropped to the eighth spot, but rated a 20.5%. During the sweeps week in May of that year, "The A-Team" dropped again but remained steady at 18.5%, and rose to 18.8% during the second week of May sweeps. These were the highest ratings NBC had achieved in five years. During the second season, the ratings continued to soar, reaching fourth place in the twenty-highest rated programs, behind "Dallas" and "Simon & Simon", in January (mid-season), while during the third season, it was beaten out only by two other NBC shows, including "The Cosby Show".


title: The A-Team

text: The fourth season saw "The A-Team" experience a dramatic fall in ratings, as it started to lose its position while television viewership increased. As such, the ratings, while stable, were relatively less. The season premiere ranked a 17.4% (a 26% audience share on that timeslot) on the Nielsen Rating scale, but ratings quickly declined after that. In October, "The A-Team" had fallen to 19th and by Super Bowl Night had fallen further, to 29th on the night where the show had originally scored its first hit three years earlier. For the remainder of its fourth season "The A-Team" managed to hang around the 20th spot, far from the top 10 position it had enjoyed during its first three seasons.


title: The A-Team

text: After four years on Tuesday, NBC decided to move "The A-Team" to a new timeslot on Friday for what would be its final season. Ratings continued to drop, and after seven episodes, "The A-Team" fell out of the top 50 altogether. In November 1986, NBC canceled the series, declining to order the last nine episodes of what would have been a 22-episode season. The final season ranked 61st with a 12.8 average rating.


title: The A-Team

text: The series has achieved cult status through heavy syndication in the U.S. and internationally. It has also remained popular overseas, such as in the United Kingdom, since it was first shown in July 1983. It is airing on satellite and cable channel Esquire Network. The series was to begin airing over NBC-TV's OTA digital subchannel network, Cozi TV, in January 2016. Forces TV started showing the series every weekday since October 17, 2016. The series has been airing in Spanish on Telemundo-TV's OTA digital subchannel network, TeleXitos since December 2014. The series is available through Starz, ELREY, Tubi, COZI TV, and Peacock as of December 2021. Peacock discontinued the availability of "The A-Team" at the end of February 2022. On May 29, 2022, "The A-Team" was added to the MeTV lineup with a special five-hour marathon before settling into the 6pm weeknight time slot on May 30, 2022. The series is available on the streaming service Tubi as of July 2022.


title: The A-Team

text: "The A-Team" has been broadcast all over the world; international response has been varied. In 1984, the main cast members of "The A-Team", George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz were invited to the Netherlands. Peppard was the first to receive the invitation and thus thought the invitation applied only to him. When the other cast members were also invited, Peppard declined, leaving only Mr. T, Benedict and Schultz to visit the Netherlands. The immense turn-out for the stars was unforeseen, and they were forced to leave early as a security measure. A video was released with the present actors in which Schultz apologized and thanked everyone who had attended.


title: The A-Team

text: In Australia "The A-Team" was broadcast on Channel Ten. From 2010 7mate has been showing reruns of the show. The show was broadcast in New Zealand on TV2. In Brazil, the series was broadcast on SBT from 1984 to 1989, later moving to Rede Globo in the early 1990s. In the UK, the program was shown on ITV, starting on Friday, July 22, 1983; when it returned for its second run (resuming mid-second season) it moved to Saturday evenings. The series continued to be repeated on ITV until 1994. The series was later repeated on UK Gold from 1997 through 2007 at various times. It was also repeated on Bravo from 1997 to 1999. It returned to the channel in 2008 until the channel's closure in 2011. In 2017 the digital channel Spike began showing the series from the beginning. Channel 5 also repeated it in 2017. It is now shown in the UK on comedy channel Comedy Central.


title: The A-Team

text: Although ratings soared during its early seasons, many US television critics described the show largely as cartoonish and thereby wrote the series off. Most reviews focused on acting and the formulaic nature of the episodes, most prominently the absence of actual killing in a show about Vietnam War veterans.


title: The A-Team

text: The show was a huge hit in Italy in the mid-1980s to the 1990s. In Indonesia, "The A-Team" also gained success as a big hit since the television network RCTI aired the show in December 1989 until 1994.


title: The A-Team

text: The violence presented in "The A-Team" is highly sanitized. People do not bleed or (usually) bruise when hit (though they might develop a limp or require a sling), nor do the members of the A-Team kill people. The results of violence were only ever presented when it was required for the script. In almost every car crash there is a short take showing the occupants of the vehicle climbing out of the mangled or burning wreck, even in helicopter crashes. However, more of these types of takes were dropped near the end of the fourth season. According to Stephen J. Cannell, co-creator of the show, this part of the show did become a running joke for the writing staff and they would at times test the limits of believability on purpose.


title: The A-Team

text: The show has been described as cartoonish and likened to "Tom and Jerry". Dean P. of the "Courier-Mail" described the violence in the show as "hypocritical" and that "the morality of giving the impression that a hail of bullets does no-one any harm is ignored. After all, Tom and Jerry survived all sorts of mayhem for years with no ill-effects." Television reviewer Ric Meyers joked that the A-Team used "antineutron bullets—they destroy property for miles around, but never harm a human being". According to certain estimates, an episode of "The A-Team" held up to 46 violent acts. Cannell responds: "They were determined to make a point, and we were too big a target to resist. Cartoon violence is a scapegoat issue." Originally, "The A-Team's" status as a hit show remained strong, but it ultimately lost out to more family-oriented shows such as "The Cosby Show", "Who's the Boss?" and "Growing Pains". John J. O'Connor of "The New York Times" wrote in a 1986 article that "...a substantial number of viewers, if the ratings in recent months are to be believed, are clearly fed up with mindless violence of the car-chasing, fist-slugging variety".


title: The A-Team

text: The 1983 GMC Vandura van used by the A-Team, with its characteristic red stripe, black and red turbine mag wheels, and rooftop spoiler, has become an enduring pop culture icon. The customized 1994 Chevrolet G20 used on "The A-Team" movie was also on display at the 2010 New York International Auto Show.


title: The A-Team

text: A number of devices were seen in the back of the van in different episodes, including a mini printing press ("Pros and Cons"), an audio surveillance recording device ("A Small and Deadly War"), Hannibal's disguise kits in various episodes, and a gun storage locker.


title: The A-Team

text: Early examples of the van had a red GMC logo on the front grille, and an additional GMC logo on the rear left door. Early in the second season, these logos were blacked out, although GMC continued to supply vans and receive a credit on the closing credits of each episode.


title: The A-Team

text: The van was almost all-black, as the section above the red stripe was metallic gray. The angle of the rear spoiler can also be seen to vary on different examples of the van within the series. Additionally, some versions of the van have a sunroof, whereas others, typically those used for stunts do not. This led to continuity errors in some episodes, such as in the third season's "The Bells of St. Mary's", in a scene where Face jumps from a building onto the roof of the van with no sunroof but moments later, in an interior studio shot, climbs in through the sunroof.


title: The A-Team

text: The huge success of the series saw a vast array of merchandise, including toys and snacks released both in America and internationally. There were several sets of trading cards and stickers, action figures of the characters were produced by Galoob as well as vehicles, including B.A.'s van and Face's Corvette (available in several different sizes), as well as items such as helicopters, trucks and jeeps to fit in with the line, from model car manufacturer Ertl. Some of the other array of items available included jigsaw puzzles, View-Master reels containing 21 3-D pictures (over three reels) of the second season "A-Team" story "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?", was produced by View-Master International (available both as a pack of reels, and also as a "gift set" with 3-D viewer), an electric race car track with "A-Team" vehicle covers instead of normal cars, and a TYCO produced train set with various accessories and pieces themed for the "A-Team" look. The set includes a Baldwin shark nose engine painted up like the Van and a matching Caboose.


title: The A-Team

text: Following the original cancellation of the series, further merchandise has appeared as the series has achieved cult status, including an "A-Team" van by "Hot Wheels". In 2016 Lego released a pack that includes a B.A. Baracus minifigure and constructible van; the pack unlocks additional "A-Team" themed content in the video game "Lego Dimensions", including all four team members as playable characters.


title: The A-Team

text: Marvel Comics produced a three-issue "A-Team" comic book series, which was later reprinted as a trade paperback. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, an "A-Team" comic strip appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and comic "Look-In," to tie in with the British run of the series. It was preceded, though, by a short run in the final year (1984) of "TV Comic," drawn by Jim Eldridge.


title: The A-Team

text: Several novels were based on the series, the first six published in America by Dell and in Britain by Target Books; the last four were only published in Britain. The first six are credited to Charles Heath. The books are generally found in paperback form, although hardback copies (with different cover artwork) were also released.


title: The A-Team

text: In the United Kingdom from 1985 to 1988, four Annuals were produced, each consisting of text and comic strip stories, puzzles, and photos of the show's stars, with a further one produced by Marvel Comics consisting of several reprinted comic strips, released in 1989/1990.


title: The A-Team

text: A Panini set of stickers, which adapted six TV episodes (from the first and earlier second season) using shots from the episodes, could be stuck into an accompanying book, with text under each inserted sticker to narrate the story.


title: The A-Team

text: The original main theme composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter (in a performance credited to Post) was released on the vinyl LP "Mike Post – Television Theme Songs" (Elektra Records E1-60028Y, 1982) and again on the "Mike Post – Mike Post" LP (RCA Records AFL1-5183, 1984), both long out-of-print; however, this was not the same version of the theme as heard on-screen. The theme, as heard on seasons two through four (including the opening narration and sound effects), was also released on TVT's "Television's Greatest Hits: 70s and 80s". A 7-inch single of the song credited to Post was released on RCA in 1984.


title: The A-Team

text: The French version of the song had lyrics, which mirrored the spoken description of the show in the English opening credits. The theme has been ranked among the best TV themes ever written, with TV weatherman Al Roker sharing that opinion, and using the song to "get jazzed up" in the morning.


title: The A-Team

text: Though no original music other than the theme has been released, in 1984 EMI issued an album of re-recorded material from the series conducted by Daniel Caine (reissued by Silva Screen on compact disc in 1999, SILVAD 3509).


title: The A-Team

text: The series was co produced by former actor John Ashley who also provided the opening narration to the movie.


title: The A-Team

text: During its time, "The A-Team" was nominated for three Emmy Awards: In 1983 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the pilot episode, in 1984 (Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series) for the episode "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?" and in 1987 (Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series) for the episode "Firing Line".


title: The A-Team

text: The show featured professional wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, Professor Toru Tanaka, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, The Dynamite Kid, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Davey Boy Smith (The British Bulldog), Big John Studd and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, in most cases playing themselves. In the episode "Body Slam" (which featured Hogan) wrestling interviewer and announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund also appeared.


title: The A-Team

text: In addition, the music video for John Cena's "Bad, Bad Man" (on Cena's "You Can't See Me" album) featured the Chain Gang as a three-man A-Team—Cena as Hannibal, plus Cena's cousin Tha Trademarc as Howling Mad and Bumpy Knuckles as B.A.


title: The A-Team

text: In early episodes the team used Colt AR-15 SP1 semi-automatic rifles (with automatic sound effects, simulating the M16), while in later seasons they used the Ruger Mini-14, and on rare occasions, the selective fire AC-556K variant of the Mini-14. Hannibal is also seen using an M60 machine gun (which Hannibal called "Baby") in some episodes as well as a Micro-Uzi. MAC-11s with parts added to simulate the Uzi appear in at least two early episodes. Hannibal's sidearms are either a nickel-plated Smith & Wesson Model 59, or a stainless steel Smith & Wesson Model 639. Unusually in the episode "Black Day at Bad Rock" he is seen carrying a Browning Hi-Power. Face's usual sidearm is a Colt Lawman Mk III, though he does use Smith & Wesson revolvers in latter seasons. Many antagonists and members of the team are seen using 1911s as well. Starting from Season 4, the then-exotic Steyr AUG bullpup rifle also became prominent in the series. "So many different firearms were used in the 1980s hit 'The A-Team' that it's impossible to list them all. For five seasons, the wrongly accused foursome used rifles, handguns, submachine guns and shotguns to bring justice for the little guy while trying to stay out of jail. Regardless of the number of explosions or rounds fired, nobody ever got seriously hurt except for the occasional flesh wound of a team member." As a result, the "American Rifleman" declared "The A-Team" the Number One Show on Television to regularly feature firearms.


title: The A-Team

text: Universal Studios has released all five seasons of "The A-Team" on DVD in Region 1, 2, and 4. In "Region 2, a complete series set entitled "The A-Team--The Ultimate Collection" was released on October 8, 2007. A complete series set was released in Region 1 on June 8, 2010. The set includes 25 discs packaged in a replica of the A-Team's signature black van from the show. The complete series set was released in Region 4 on November 3, 2010.


title: The A-Team

text: All 5 seasons were re-released in Region 2 with new packaging on June 21, 2010. The series has been remastered and was released on Blu-ray disc in the United Kingdom by Fabulous Films on October 17, 2016.


title: The A-Team

text: On September 28, 2021, Universal Studios worked with the French Company, Elephant Films to release the complete Blu-ray set in France. The Blu-ray discs are Region Free (Region A/B/C) and will play on any Blu-ray player in the world. The set has the original English versions and the French dubbed versions. The box set comes with a big booklet & episode guide which is mostly in French but does have some English printing in the episode guide, and has many color pictures from the series. While the set is from France, there is a USA link from Amazon.com for USA residents to buy the set.


title: The A-Team

text: On May 18, 2006, Channel 4 in the UK attempted to reunite the surviving cast members of "The A-Team" for the show "Bring Back..." in an episode titled "Bring Back...The A-Team". Justin Lee Collins presented the challenge, securing interviews and appearances from Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Marla Heasley, Jack Ging, series co-creator Stephen Cannell, and Mr. T.


title: The A-Team

text: Collins eventually managed to bring together Benedict, Schultz, Heasley, Ging and Cannell, along with William Lucking, Lance LeGault, and George Peppard's son, Christian. Mr. T was unable to make the meeting, which took place in the Friar's Club in Beverly Hills, but he did manage to appear on the show for a brief talk with Collins.


title: The A-Team

text: A feature film based on "The A-Team" was released on June 11, 2010, and was produced by 20th Century Fox. The film stars Liam Neeson as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper as Faceman, Quinton Jackson as B.A. and Sharlto Copley as Murdock with Jessica Biel as the team's ally and Patrick Wilson as the film's villain, Agent Lynch while both Dirk Benedict (Faceman) and Dwight Schultz (Murdock) made brief cameo appearances in the film (as a prisoner using a sunbed and a psychiatrist overseeing Murdock's shock therapy, respectively); because of timing issues, these scenes were moved to the end of the credits. They were later reinserted for the extended-cut of the film.


title: The A-Team

text: In September 2015, Fox announced that they were developing a reboot "A-Team" series with Chris Morgan as executive producer with Cannell's daughter, Tawnia McKiernan, and Albert Kim writing. The team is to be made up of both male and female characters.


title: The Strokes

text: The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. They were a leading group of the early-2000s indie rock revival.


title: The Strokes

text: The release of their EP "The Modern Age" in early 2001 sparked a bidding war among major labels, with the band eventually signing to RCA Records. That summer, they released their debut album, "Is This It", to critical acclaim and strong sales. It has since appeared on numerous "best album" lists. It was followed by "Room on Fire" (2003) and "First Impressions of Earth" (2005), both of which sold well but failed to match "Is This It" in critical success.


title: The Strokes

text: Following a five-year hiatus, they released "Angles" (2011) to a generally positive reception, and "Comedown Machine" (2013) to lukewarm critical reception, both with dwindling sales. Following the end of their initial contract with RCA, they released the "Future Present Past" EP (2016) through Casablancas' label Cult. The band were relatively inactive throughout the decade, making infrequent live appearances and directing most media attention to individual projects.


title: The Strokes

text: In 2020, they released their first studio album in seven years, "The New Abnormal", produced by Rick Rubin and released through Cult and RCA. Critics considered the album a return to form. It went on to win Best Rock Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. As of 2020, the band has sold 5 million albums worldwide.


title: The Strokes

text: Lead singer-songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarist Nick Valensi, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti started playing together as teenagers while attending Dwight School in Manhattan, and formed an informal band in 1997. They later added bassist Nikolai Fraiture to their ranks, a close childhood friend of Casablancas who had attended the Lycée Français de New York with him. At the end of 1998, the group invited guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. to play with them. He had just moved to New York City and reconnected with Casablancas, whom he knew from their brief stints at the private boarding school Institut Le Rosey, near Nyon, Switzerland. The two soon became roommates.


title: The Strokes

text: In the following two years, the band practiced and performed tirelessly in New York City. Many of their contemporaries have credited the band's earliest successes to their dedication and hustle, as well as their engaging personalities. They practiced most nights, with many rehearsals taking place in The Music Building in Midtown Manhattan. They played their first show as The Strokes on September 14, 1999, at The Spiral. They soon frequented Manhattan's rock clubs including HiFi Bar and the Luna Lounge on the Lower East Side of New York, and later Manhattan's popular Mercury Lounge. Mercury Lounge's young booker Ryan Gentles eventually quit his job to become the band's manager.


title: The Strokes

text: The band began rehearsing a fourteen-song set (an early blueprint of the Strokes' 2001 debut, "Is This It")—including, "Alone, Together", "Barely Legal", "Last Nite", "The Modern Age", "New York City Cops", "Soma", "Someday," "Take It or Leave It", and "This Life" (an early version of "Trying Your Luck"). Most of these songs now feature different lyrics. The band connected with producer Gordon Raphael in 2000 following a show at Luna Lounge and made a demo, "The Modern Age" EP, with him. The band sent the demo to the newly reformed Rough Trade Records in the UK, sparking interest there, and leading to their first release (via the website of the UK magazine, "NME," who gave away a free MP3 download of "Last Nite" a week prior to the physical release as part of "The Modern Age" EP in 2001). The EP sparked a bidding war among record labels, the largest for a rock band in years. In August 2001, the Strokes made their first appearance on the cover of the publication "The Fader" in its ninth issue.


title: The Strokes

text: The Strokes released their debut album, "Is This It," in the US in October 2001. The album was produced by Gordon Raphael, as was their follow-up album "Room On Fire". RCA delayed the North American (US) release over concerns with the album's cover and lyrics. The UK-released cover features a black-and-white photo of a gloved hand on a woman's naked backside, shown in semi-profile (photographer Colin Lane's then-girlfriend) while the North American version replaced it with a photo of particle collisions in the Big European Bubble Chamber. RCA replaced the track "New York City Cops" with "When It Started", as the former featured potentially inflammatory lyrics in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The track "New York City Cops"—featuring the refrain, "New York City Cops, they ain't too smart"—was listed as No. 12 on "New York" magazine's "Ultimate New York Playlist" on March 1, 2010. Despite its delayed release (and the potential controversy), "Is This It" received critical acclaim—among other accolades, four stars from "Rolling Stone", and a 9.1 from Pitchfork Media. The album made many critics' top-ten lists, was named the best album of the year by "Entertainment Weekly" and "Time", and (in an article previewing summer concerts) "NME" urged readers to attend the Strokes' shows—as they were touring some of the "best pop songs ever". While critics noted the influence of CBGB stalwarts Television, Casablancas and bandmates said they had never heard the band, instead citing the Velvet Underground as a reference point.


title: The Strokes

text: After the release of "Is This It", the band toured around the world—including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America (the band opened for the Rolling Stones on numerous occasions during the North American leg of their tour). The self-made mini-documentary "In Transit" was filmed during the summer tour of Europe. In August 2002, the band headlined the UK's Carling Weekend festivals for the second time, subsequently playing at New York's Radio City Music Hall on a bill with the White Stripes. Jack White joined the Strokes on stage to perform the guitar solo on "New York City Cops". During that period, the band also appeared as musical guests on numerous late-night talk shows. "Is This It" yielded several singles and music videos, all of which were directed by Roman Coppola.


title: The Strokes

text: "Is This It" has had an enduring impact on fans and critics alike. In 2009, "NME" named "Is This It" as the Greatest Album of the Decade (2000s). The album placed second on a similar list compiled by "Rolling Stone" (the same issue featured a list of the '100 Best Songs of the 00s', featuring "Hard to Explain" and "Last Nite" at Nos. 59 and 16, respectively). In January 2011, Rolling Stone conducted a survey among their Facebook fans to determine the top ten debut albums of all time. "Is This It" came in at number ten and was also the most recent behind Pearl Jam's 1991 debut. As of 2010, "Is This It" had sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide.


title: The Strokes

text: The group began recording their follow-up in 2002 with producer Nigel Godrich (best known for his work with Radiohead), but later split with him in favor of Gordon Raphael, the producer of "Is This It". Recordings with Godrich were never revealed. In August 2003, the band toured Japan, playing a couple of the upcoming songs: "Reptilia", "Meet Me in the Bathroom", "The Way It Is", "Between Love & Hate" (formerly known as "Ze Newie") and "" (formerly known as "Supernova"). The band also played Paul Anka's "My Way" with Japanese lyrics. The Strokes released their second album "Room on Fire" in October 2003. It received praise from critics but was less commercially successful, although it still went gold. The album's sound maintained the Strokes' familiar reference points, while also evoking groups such as the Cars, Bob Marley, and Blondie. In the process, they made the cover of "Spin Magazine" for the second time, with each member receiving his own cover. They also made the cover of "Rolling Stone" for the first time. Additional media coverage of the band came from the relationship between Moretti and actress Drew Barrymore, which ended in January 2007. The first single taken from "Room on Fire" was the song "", which used distinct keyboard-like sounds produced by Valensi's guitar. The video was also directed by Roman Coppola, and was inspired by the futuristic look of the 1980s film "Tron". This consisted of a mainly black scene, with instances of glowing picton blue and riptide.


title: The Strokes

text: In November 2003, the Strokes played on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", performing "Reptilia", "What Ever Happened", "Under Control" and "I Can't Win". During the 2003-2004 ""Room on Fire" Tour", the band played with Kings of Leon as support act and Regina Spektor. While on tour, Spektor and the Strokes recorded the song "Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men", released as a B-side on the "Reptilia" single. Also during the tour, the band included the Clash's "Clampdown" as a cover, which was released as the B-side for "The End Has No End".


title: The Strokes

text: In late 2004, the Strokes revealed plans to release a live album. The "Live in London" LP was planned for release in October 2004, but was abandoned, reportedly due to recording quality problems. The chosen gig was one held at the legendary Alexandra Palace in North London.


title: The Strokes

text: In late September 2005, "Juicebox", the first single from the Strokes' then unreleased third album, was leaked online, forcing the single's release date to be advanced. The single was then released as an exclusive on online download services. "Juicebox" became the Strokes' second UK Top 10 hit, as well as their second US Modern Rock Top 10 success. During November and December 2005 the Strokes did a promotional tour for the still unreleased album, which involved doing one-off shows in major cities around the world. Their third album, "First Impressions of Earth", was released on December 30, 2005, in Germany and January 3, 2006, elsewhere. It received mixed reviews and debuted at number four in the U.S. and number one in the UK, the latter being a first for the band. In Japan, it went gold within the first week of release. It was also the most downloaded album for two weeks on iTunes. Fraiture claimed that the album was "like a scientific breakthrough". In January 2006, the band then made their second appearance on "Saturday Night Live" playing "Juicebox" and "You Only Live Once". The album was somewhat a departure from the band's two previous albums. One reason for this was a switch of producers from Gordon Raphael to David Kahne. Despite its initial strong sales, "First Impressions of Earth" received the worst reception, both commercially and critically, of all their albums.


title: The Strokes

text: In 2006, the band played 18 sold-out shows during their UK tour. In February 2006, the Strokes won "Best International Band" at the NME Awards. In March, the band returned to the U.S. with their longest tour yet. The second single off "First Impressions of Earth", "Heart in a Cage", was released in March 2006. During the summer of 2006, the Strokes played several festival dates in Europe, including the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, the Oxegen Festival in Ireland, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the FIB (Festival Internacional de Benicàssim), Fuji Rock Festival and headlined the Pentaport Rock Festival in South Korea. They then toured Australia and Mexico in late August and early September, followed by the second leg of the United States tour. While in the U.S., the Strokes opened for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers for five shows during their Highway Companion tour. The Strokes went on to complete another US tour. During this final tour Casablancas stated to fans that the band would be taking an extensive break after it finished. An e-mail was sent out soon afterwards by Strokes manager Ryan Gentles, confirming that "much needed break". A new band website went online in May 2007 along with the release of an alternate video to their single "You Only Live Once" directed by Warren Fu. The video also featured a brief interlude with "Ize of the World", also from "First Impressions of Earth". The song "You Talk Way Too Much" was used in a commercial for the Ford Sync. Aleksandra Cisneros became the Strokes' assistant manager in late 2007.


title: The Strokes

text: The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and guitarist Nick Valensi started writing material for the album in January 2009, intent on entering the studio that February. Julian commented in "Rolling Stone" that they had completed about three songs that sounded like a mixture of 1970s rock and "music from the future". On March 31, 2009, from their MySpace account, the band announced the end of their "much needed hibernation period" and the commencement of new writing and rehearsing for a fourth full-length album, entitled "Angles". This album would be different from the first three in that it would feature music written by the other four Strokes, rather than Casablancas writing ninety-five percent of the material again: "It's supercollaborative, and it sounds different," said Valensi, "but it has a Strokes vibe to it." In an "NME" article, Pharrell Williams expressed interest in producing this upcoming album. This followed the news that Casablancas had collaborated with Williams and Santigold on "My Drive Thru", a track commemorating the 100th anniversary of Converse's Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoe. The song was available as a free download from the official Converse site. The album was due to be released in late 2009, but disagreements about the songs' readiness forced the Strokes to scale back this date. On February 1, 2010, the Strokes announced on their website that the recording of the fourth album was being helmed by award-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli. According to Chiccarelli in an interview with HitQuarters, the two camps first met in 2009 and, after finding they shared a similar mind space and similar thoughts on the potential direction of the new record, tried out some tracking. Not long after recording began, however, the band became frustrated with Chiccarelli's reserved production style. Only one song from these recording sessions, "Life Is Simple in the Moonlight", remained on the album's track listing. Inspired, in part, by bands like MGMT, Arctic Monkeys, and Crystal Castles, the Strokes decided to experiment with various production techniques, and recorded the rest of the album's material at Albert Hammond, Jr.'s home studio in upstate New York with award-winning engineer Gus Oberg.


title: The Strokes

text: The Strokes confirmed that they would be headlining the Isle of Wight Festival, Lollapalooza, Roskilde Festival, Hurricane Festival, Splendour in the Grass, Rockness, Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, On The Bright Side, and Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2010. Additionally, the Strokes were announced as the 2011 headliner for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May, Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, Oxegen, Paléo, Peace & Love and Super Bock Super Rock in July, and Reading Festival and Summer Sonic in August. They were also sub-headliners to Pulp at Leeds Festival during the bank holiday weekend in August. On June 9, 2010, at Dingwalls London, England, the band played a secret show under the name 'Venison' to a crowd of just 487. This was their first live gig since October 2006. The band did not play any new material.


title: The Strokes

text: The lead single from the new album, "Under Cover of Darkness", was released on February 9, 2011. The 7" was officially released on March 1, 2011, and contained another track from "Angles", "You're So Right", as the B-side, followed by the album on March 18, 2011.


title: The Strokes

text: "Taken for a Fool" was confirmed as the second single, which was sent to U.S. radio on May 24, 2011. On June 9, the Strokes announced that a music video for "Taken For a Fool" was in the works, and that it is directed by Laurent Briet. They revealed that the music video should be finished by the end of the month. The Strokes put out the music video for "Taken For a Fool" on July 8, 2011. In mid-March 2011, an interview with "ShortList" magazine revealed that the Strokes had already begun working on their fifth studio album. However, sessions were delayed due to the mixing process of "Angles". Julian Casablancas and Nick Valensi both confirmed that there was material in the works as well as plenty of leftover material. Frontman Julian Casablancas claimed that the band was eager to begin working on new material and were already supposed to, but it took longer than expected to master "Angles".


title: The Strokes

text: In April 2012, bassist Nikolai Fraiture posted a tweet announcing that the band was heading into the studio to work on some new ideas. The Strokes later revealed that they were planning to record a new album as soon as possible. Fraiture added that the band would record their fifth album in the same manner as they put together "Angles", with each member bringing in his own ideas and putting them together in the studio. On January 17, 2013, Seattle alternative radio station 107.7 The End posted on their Facebook page that they were previewing a new song by the Strokes entitled "All the Time". It was later confirmed that "All the Time" would be the lead single from the untitled fifth album. On January 25, 2013, the song "One Way Trigger" was published on their official website, and made available for free download. The song was initially met with a mixed reaction from fans of the band. On January 28, a Reddit user discovered what he correctly assumed to be the new album cover within the subpages of the band's official website, which led to a widespread rumor that the new album would be titled "Comedown Machine". On January 30, the title for the fifth album was revealed to be "Comedown Machine", set to be released on March 26 in the U.S. and March 25 in the UK. On February 13, 2013, the first single from the band's fifth album premiered on the radio, named "All the Time". The single was released for download on February 19, and was described as a return to the classic Strokes sound of first albums "Is This It" and "Room on Fire". The album was released on March 25, 2013, in the UK and March 26 in the United States. The band decided to pull a media blackout with the album: no promotion in the form of TV appearances, interviews, photos, shows, or tours. On October 15, 2013, the band revealed that they were looking to "return to the scene" in 2014.


title: The Strokes

text: In May 2014, the Strokes performed their first U.S. show in three years at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, performing songs from "Comedown Machine" for the first time. The band played at three other shows in 2014, including two headlining slots at Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City and FYF Fest in Los Angeles. On November 12, 2014, it was announced the band would headline Primavera Sound in 2015 for the festival's 15th anniversary. On March 2, 2015, the band announced their second 2015 European festival headline appearance would be at London's annual British Summer Time: Hyde Park festival on June 18, 2015, the band's first London show in five years. The announcement takes the band's number of appearances slated for 2015 up to six, with them also playing Big Guava Music Festival in Tampa, Florida, Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, Landmark Festival in Washington, D.C., and Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas, as well as the previously announced Primavera Sound 15th Anniversary. During their performance at Landmark Music Festival lead singer Julian Casablancas stated that the band was back in the studio working on a follow up to their 2013 album "Comedown Machine". In late 2015, the Strokes announced another date; at Monterrey, Mexico, during the festivities of the newborn festival Live Out.


title: The Strokes

text: On May 24, 2016, the Strokes announced another New York show on May 31 at the Capitol Theatre. On May 26, 2016, Julian Casablancas premiered "OBLIVIUS" on the debut of his monthly radio show "Culture Void" on Sirius XMU. Cult Records announced the release of "Future Present Past", a four-song EP by the Strokes, in addition to the exclusive signing of the band to its roster. The EP includes three original songs ("Drag Queen", "OBLIVIUS", and “Threat of Joy”), along with an additional remix of "OBLIVIUS" by drummer, Fab Moretti. The EP was released on June 3, in both digital and physical formats to coincide with the band's headlining performance at Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City. "Future Present Past" was recorded over the past year in Austin and New York with the help of producer, Gus Oberg.


title: The Strokes

text: The band played at the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia on July 22, 2016. They followed this performance with the inaugural City of Angels Benefit concert in Los Angeles to support charities such as Waste Not Want Not Now, the Center in Hollywood, and the Downtown's Women's Center on July 25, 2016.


title: The Strokes

text: The band performed a series of festival dates taking place throughout early 2017. Festival dates include performances in Estéreo Picnic Festival as well as Lollapalooza Brasil, Lollapalooza Chile, and Lollapalooza Argentina. The band's first live performance of the year took place headlining the Estéreo Picnic Festival. The crowd in attendance of their Argentina show was reportedly 90,000 people. After the Lollapalooza Argentina show, it was revealed that their headlining slot at the festival was, to this day, their "biggest show ever" by Fraiture on social media.


title: The Strokes

text: In October 2016, guitarist Valensi indicated that the band were "slowly but surely working on an album, we’re kind of just in writing sessions". In July 2017 Albert Hammond Sr. said the Strokes are working with Rick Rubin. Albert Hammond Jr. took to Twitter to clarify that "we met and played a few music ideas for Rick to feel out a vibe but even a theoretical album plan would be years away, if at all". He also tweeted, "Sorry everyone we are not in the studio recording" and that there were "a lot of unknowns and nothing worth speaking about at this time."


title: The Strokes

text: In May 2019, the band performed for the first time in over two years at a benefit show in Los Angeles. At this venue, the band debuted a new song entitled "The Adults Are Talking". The show kicked off the band's "global comeback" tour. However, this tour was met with many obstacles early on, from sound issues to rained-out shows to entire festivals being cancelled. In September 2019, Valensi, in an interview on C104.3 Out of the Box, hinted at the production of a sixth studio album, stating "When, I don’t know. If – I would say, it’s a strong likelihood." During the band's 2019 New Year's Eve show in Brooklyn, Casablancas announced that the band's sixth studio album would be released sometime in 2020. At the show, they also debuted a new song, titled "Ode to the Mets".


title: The Strokes

text: On February 10, 2020, the band performed at a rally for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at the University of New Hampshire. At this performance, Casablancas formally announced the band's sixth studio album and that the title would be "The New Abnormal". He confirmed the release date of the album to be April 10 of that year. The band reportedly played two new songs at this show. On February 11, the band released a new song, "At the Door", the first single off of their sixth studio album. Two more singles followed, "Bad Decisions", and "Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus". Their sixth studio album, "The New Abnormal", was released worldwide on April 10, 2020. On October 24, the band was confirmed for their fourth appearance as the musical guest for the October 31 episode of Saturday Night Live with John Mulaney hosting, where they performed "The Adults are Talking" and "Bad Decisions" from "The New Abnormal".


title: The Strokes

text: On June 21, 2021, the band shared a video in support of New York City mayoral candidate Maya Wiley featuring a clip of a new song "Starting Again" co-written with Gregg Alexander.Throughout 2022, the band were as present as ever in touring, including headlining at Lollapalooza dates in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, as well as other high profile music festivals in Europe. On June 17, 2022, the band performed a benefit concert in support of Chicago-based congressional candidate Kina Collins. That summer, they toured as an opening act on the Red Hot Chili Peppers 2022 Global Stadium Tour.


title: The Strokes

text: The band's sound has been described as indie rock, garage rock revival, and post-punk revival by media outlets. Casablancas has cited Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground as a major influence on his lyrics and singing style. "The way Lou Reed wrote and sang about drugs and sex, about the people around him – it was so matter-of-fact," Casablancas stated in a "Rolling Stone" interview. "Reed could be romantic in the way he portrayed these crazy situations, but he was also intensely real. It was poetry and journalism." Additionally, he has stated that Bob Marley, Nirvana and Pearl Jam are major influences on his work, the latter being the reason that he started making music after hearing the song "Yellow Ledbetter".


title: The Strokes

text: The Strokes' debut album "Is This It" was named number one album of the year by NME and number two by "Rolling Stone," "Is This It" earned The Strokes tremendous respect across various artists in the alternative music scene"." The lead singer of LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy, has said, ""Is This It" was my record of the decade." The album won Best International Album in 2002, nominated by NME, and ASCAP College Vanguard Award. Brandon Flowers of the Killers told "NME" that he felt "depressed" after hearing the Strokes' album "Is This It". "That record just sounded so perfect", he said. "We threw away everything [we were working on] and the only song that made the cut and remained was "Mr. Brightside"'.


title: The Strokes

text: The Strokes have been said to be, "as influential to their era as the Velvet Underground or the Ramones were to theirs", by Lizzy Goodman in her book on the New York City music scene, claiming that, "almost every artist I interviewed for this book – from all over the world – said it was the Strokes that opened the door for them." The band was named Band of the Year in 2002 by "Spin" and have heavily influenced bands like The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, and Franz Ferdinand. Alex Turner, lead singer of Arctic Monkeys, sang "I just wanted to be one of The Strokes" in their 2018 song 'Star Treatment'.


title: Wagyu

text: Wagyu (, Hepburn: "wagyū", ) is the collective name for the four principal Japanese breeds of beef cattle. All wagyū cattle derive from cross-breeding in the early twentieth century of native Japanese cattle with imported stock, mostly from Europe.


title: Wagyu

text: In several areas of Japan, Wagyu beef is shipped carrying area names. Some examples are Matsusaka beef, Kobe beef, Yonezawa beef, Ōmi beef, and Sanda beef. In recent years, Wagyu beef has increased in fat percentage due to decrease in grazing and an increase in using feed, resulting in larger, fattier cattle.


title: Wagyu

text: Cattle were brought to Japan from China at the same time as the cultivation of rice, in about the second century AD, in the Yayoi period. Until about the time of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, they were used only as draught animals, in agriculture, forestry, mining and for transport, and as a source of fertilizer. Milk consumption was unknown, and – for cultural and religious reasons – meat was not eaten. Cattle were highly prized and valuable, too expensive for a poor farmer to buy.


title: Wagyu

text: Japan was effectively isolated from the rest of the world from 1635 until 1854; there was no possibility of intromission of foreign genes to the cattle population during this time. Between 1868, the year of the Meiji Restoration, and 1887, some 2600 foreign cattle were imported. At first there was little interest in cross-breeding these with native stock, but from about 1900 it became widespread. It ceased abruptly in 1910, when it was realised that, while the cross-breeds might be larger and have better dairy qualities, their working capacity and meat quality was lower. From 1919, the various heterogeneous regional populations that resulted from this brief period of cross-breeding were registered and selected as "Improved Japanese Cattle". Four separate strains were characterised, based mainly on which type of foreign cattle had most influenced the hybrids, and were recognised as individual breeds in 1944. They are collectively known as wagyū, and are:


title: Wagyu

text: The Australian Wagyu Association is the largest breed association outside Japan. Both fullblood and Wagyu-cross cattle are farmed in Australia for domestic and overseas markets, including Taiwan, China, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the U.K., France, Germany, Denmark and the U.S. Australian Wagyu cattle are grain fed for the last 300–500 days of production. Wagyu bred in Western Australia's Margaret River region often have red wine added to their feed as well.


title: Wagyu

text: In the United States, some Japanese Wagyu cattle are cross-bred with American Angus stock. Meat from this cross-breed is marketed as "American-Style Kobe Beef", or "Wangus", although many American retailers simply (inaccurately) refer to it as Wagyu. Wagyu were first competitively exhibited at the National Western Stock Show in 2012. Other U.S. Wagyu breeders have full-blooded animals directly descended from original Japanese bloodlines, that are registered through the American Wagyu Association.


title: Wagyu

text: Wagyu cattle farming in Canada appeared after 1991 when the Canadian Wagyu Association was formed. Wagyu style cattle and farms in Canada are found in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Canadian Wagyu beef products are exported to the US (including Hawaii), Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.


title: Wagyu

text: In 2008, a herd of Wagyu cattle was imported to North Yorkshire, first becoming available for consumption in 2011. Since 2011 there have been Wagyu herds in Scotland.


title: Education in the United States

text: Education in the United States is provided in public and private schools and by individuals through homeschooling. State governments set overall educational standards, often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems and supervise, usually through a board of regents, state colleges, and universities. The bulk of the $1.3 trillion in funding comes from state and local governments, with federal funding accounting for about $260 billion in 2021 compared to around $200 billion in past years.


title: Education in the United States

text: Private schools are free to determine their own curriculum and staffing policies, with voluntary accreditation available through independent regional accreditation authorities, although some state regulation can apply.


title: Education in the United States

text: In 2013, about 87% of school-age children (those below higher education) attended state-funded public schools, about 10% attended tuition and foundation-funded private schools, and roughly 3% were home-schooled.


title: Education in the United States

text: By state law, education is compulsory over an age range starting between five and eight and ending somewhere between ages sixteen and eighteen, depending on the state. This requirement can be satisfied in public or state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. Compulsory education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school.


title: Education in the United States

text: Numerous publicly and privately administered colleges and universities offer a wide variety in post-secondary education. Post-secondary education is divided into college, as the first tertiary degree, and graduate school. Higher education includes public research universities, private liberal arts colleges, historically black colleges and universities, community colleges, for-profit colleges, and many other kinds and combinations of institutions. College enrollment rates in the United States have increased over the long term. At the same time, student loan debt has also risen to $1.5 trillion.


title: Education in the United States

text: According to a 2016 report published by the "U.S. News & World Report", of the top ten colleges and universities in the world, eight are American.


title: Education in the United States

text: The United States spends more per student on education than any other country. In 2014, the Economist Intelligence Unit rated U.S. education as 14th best in the world. The Programme for International Student Assessment coordinated by the OECD currently ranks the overall knowledge and skills of American 15-year-olds as 31st in the world in reading literacy, mathematics, and science with the average American student scoring 487.7, compared with the OECD average of 493. In 2014, the country spent 6.2% of its GDP on all levels of education—1.0 percentage points above the OECD average of 5.2%. In 2017, 46.4% of Americans aged 25 to 64 attained some form of post-secondary education. 48% of Americans aged 25 to 34 attained some form of tertiary education, about 4% above the OECD average of 44%. 35% of Americans aged 25 and over have achieved a bachelor's degree or higher. The United States ranks 3rd from the bottom among OECD nations in terms of its poverty gap and 4th from the bottom in terms of poverty rate.


title: Education in the United States

text: Colonial New England encouraged its towns to support free public schools funded by taxation. In the early 19th century Massachusetts took the lead in education reform and public education with programs designed by Horace Mann that were widely emulated across the North. Teachers were specially trained in normal schools and taught the three Rs (of reading, writing, and arithmetic) and also history and geography. Public education was at the elementary level in most places. After the Civil War (1861–1865), the cities began building high schools. The South was far behind northern standards on every educational measure and gave weak support to its segregated all-black schools. However northern philanthropy and northern churches provided assistance to private black colleges across the South. Religious denominations across the country set up their private colleges. States also opened state universities, but they were quite small until well into the 20th century.


title: Education in the United States

text: In 1823, Samuel Read Hall founded the first normal school, the Columbian School in Concord, Vermont, aimed at improving the quality of the burgeoning common school system by producing more qualified teachers.


title: Education in the United States

text: During Reconstruction, the Office of Education was created in an attempt to standardize educational reform across the country. At the outset, the goals of the Office were to track statistical data on schools and provide insight into the educational outcomes of schools in each state. While supportive of educational improvement, the office lacked the power to enforce policies in any state. Educational aims across the states in the nineteenth century were broad, making it difficult to create shared goals and priorities. States like Massachusetts, with long-established educational institutions, had well-developed priorities in place by the time the Office of Education was established. In the South and the West, however, newly formed common school systems had different needs and priorities. Competing interests among state legislators limited the ability of the Office of Education to enact change.


title: Education in the United States

text: In the mid-20th century, the rapidly increasing Catholic population led to the formation of parochial schools in the largest cities. Theologically oriented Episcopalian, Lutheran, and Jewish bodies on a smaller scale set up their own parochial schools. There were debates over whether tax money could be used to support them, with the answer typically being no. From about 1876, thirty-nine states passed a constitutional amendment to their state constitutions, called Blaine Amendments after James G. Blaine, one of their chief promoters, forbidding the use of public tax money to fund local parochial schools.


title: Education in the United States

text: States passed laws to make schooling compulsory between 1852 (Massachusetts) and 1917 (Mississippi). They also used federal funding designated by the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Acts of 1862 and 1890 to set up land grant colleges specializing in agriculture and engineering. By 1870, every state had free elementary schools, albeit only in urban centers. According to a 2018 study in the "Economic Journal", states were more likely to adopt compulsory education laws during the Age of Mass Migration (1850–1914) if they hosted more European immigrants with lower exposure to civic values.


title: Education in the United States

text: Following Reconstruction the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute was founded in 1881 as a state college, in Tuskegee, Alabama, to train "Colored Teachers," led by Booker T. Washington, (1856–1915), who was himself a freed slave. His movement spread, leading many other Southern states to establish small colleges for "Colored or Negro" students entitled "A. & M." ("Agricultural and Mechanical") or "A. & T." ("Agricultural and Technical"), some of which later developed into state universities. Before the 1940s, there were very few black students at private or state colleges in the North and almost none in the South.


title: Education in the United States

text: Responding to the many competing academic philosophies being promoted at the time, an influential working group of educators, known as the Committee of Ten and established in 1892 by the National Education Association, recommended that children should receive twelve years of instruction, consisting of eight years of elementary education (in what were also known as "grammar schools") followed by four years in high school ("freshmen," "sophomores," "juniors," and "seniors").


title: Education in the United States

text: Gradually by the late 1890s, regional associations of high schools, colleges and universities were being organized to coordinate proper accrediting standards, examinations, and regular surveys of various institutions in order to assure equal treatment in graduation and admissions requirements, as well as course completion and transfer procedures.


title: Education in the United States

text: By 1910, 72% of children were attending school. Between 1910 and 1940 the high school movement resulted in a rapid increase in public high school enrollment and graduations. By 1930, 100% of children were attending school, excluding children with significant disabilities or medical concerns.