31 years ago today, the pilot for The A-Team, one of the most iconic television shows of the ’80s, aired on NBC. The episode – “Mexican Slayride” introduced us to of Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, Lt. Templeton “The Faceman” Peck (“Face”), Sgt. Bosco “B.A.” Baracus, and Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock. 
Most of us remember Face being played by Dirk Benedict. But, in the pilot the role was played by Tim Dunigan.
The first regular episode aired the following week, January 30, 1983, after Super Bowl XVII (where the Washington Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-17).
The A-Team would go on to air 98 episodes. The last episode was aired on March 8, 1987. Here is the theme song we all know and love:
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I remember seeing the first regular episode, but not the pilot. I thought the one after the Super Bowl was the pilot! Thanks for setting me straight.
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Yeah, I thought the episode after the Super Bowl was the pilot too. I have a “On This Day in Pop Culture” desk calendar, and it said that The A-Team premiered on January 23, 1983. I looked up the Super Bowl, and saw that it was on the 30th. I thought the calendar was wrong. Then I researched it, and found that the pilot actually aired the week before. I didn’t know that somebody else played Face either. It was quite an educational day for me the other day! 🙂
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