document_title: The A-Team

question_text: when did the a team first air in uk

question_tokens: when did the a team first air in uk

text: The A-Team

text: History[edit]

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, Mission Impossible, The Magnificent Seven, Mad Max and Hill Street Blues, with "Mr. T driving the car".[1][2][3][4]

text: The A-Team was not generally expected to become a hit, although Stephen J. Cannell has said that George Peppard suggested it would be a huge hit "before we ever turned on a camera".[5] 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.[6]  The A-Team was portrayed as acting on the side of good and helping the oppressed.

text: The show remains prominent in popular culture for its cartoonish violence (in which people were seldom seriously hurt), 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.[7][8] Some of the show's catchphrases, such as "I love it when a plan comes together",[9] "Hannibal's on the jazz", and "I ain't gettin' on no plane!" have also made their way onto T-shirts and other merchandise.[citation needed]

text: The show's name comes from the "A-Teams", the nickname coined for U.S. Special Forces' Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) during the Vietnam War,[10] although this connection was never mentioned on-screen.

text: In a 2003 Yahoo! survey of 1,000 television viewers, The A-Team was voted the "oldie" television show viewers would most like to see revived, beating out such popular television series from the 1980s as The Dukes of Hazzard and Knight Rider.[11]

text: Plot[edit]

text:
"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... the A-Team."(Narration originally stated "10 years ago" instead of "In 1972".)
- John Ashley's opening narration.

tag: div

text: The A-Team is a naturally 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".[12] 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".[13]  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).

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, a mysterious CIA operative played by Robert Vaughn, propositions them to work for him, whereupon he will arrange for their pardons upon successful completion of several suicide missions. In order to do so, the A-Team must first escape from their captivity. With the help of a new character, Frankie "Dishpan Man" Santana, 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 Mission: Impossible, 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), 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".

text: Connections to the Vietnam War[edit]

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, portrayed by 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 standing trial.

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.

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.[14]

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).[15] 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.

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,[16] 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.

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.

text: Episodes[edit]

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.

text: Characters[edit]

text: The A-Team revolves around the four members of a former commando outfit, now mercenaries. Their leader is Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), whose plans tend to be unorthodox but effective. Lieutenant Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict; 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' Administration 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).

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 the episode "A Nice Place To Visit" 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 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.

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,[17] 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.

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.

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).

text: Character traits[edit]

text: John "Hannibal" Smith is a master of disguise. His most used disguise (onscreen only on the pilot episode) is Mr. Lee, the dry cleaner. This is one of the final parts of the client screening process, as he tells the client where to go in order to make full contact with the A-Team. He dresses most often in a white 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" although he uses a holster when on missions. His catchphrase is "I love it when a plan comes together". Often said, usually by B.A., to be "on the jazz" when in the fury of completing a mission.

text: Templeton "Faceman" Peck is a master of the persuasive arts. The team's scrounger, he can get virtually anything he sets his mind to, usually exploiting women with sympathy-appeal and flirtation. However, he 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. Faceman carries a Colt Lawman Mk III revolver for protection, and drives a custom white 1984 Corvette with red trim.

text: 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. 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 fear of flying, and the others usually have to trick and/or knock him out in order 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, then later wears a green jumpsuit in the later seasons. He is almost always seen with about 50 pounds of gold necklaces, rings on every finger, and also wears a weightlifting belt. Baracus' hair is always styled in a mohawk-like cut. He drives a customized black GMC van that acts as the team's usual mode of transport.

text: H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock is the A-Team's 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 pet, imaginary friend, or persona in each episode. Whenever one of his pets or imaginary friends is killed by an enemy, Murdock snaps and takes revenge (but never kills). Many times, when Baracus is mad at Murdock for being crazy, Hannibal will side with Murdock in a sympathetic way. Once he is discharged from the hospital in Season 5, Murdock has a different job each episode.  Murdock usually wears a leather flight jacket, a baseball cap, and basketball sneakers.

text: Casting[edit]

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, instead.  Therefore, in the pilot, Face was portrayed by Tim Dunigan, who was later replaced by Dirk Benedict, with the comment that Dunigan was "too tall and too young".[18] 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."[19]

text: Carrere was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season after appearing in the season four finale,[17] 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.

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 Stephen J. Cannell's own account of the initial concept proposed by Tartikoff.[1]

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.[16] Robert Vaughn, of course, actually appeared in the film.

text: According to Dirk Benedict, Robert Vaughn was actually added to the cast in season 5 because of his friendship with the notoriously prickly George Peppard. It was hoped that Vaughn would help ease worsening tensions between Peppard and Mr. T. In a later interview, Vaughn recounted how T's verbosity and loud personality would get on everyone's nerves, including his, even though he had been hired specifically because of his easy going and calming personality.[citation needed]

text: Notable guest appearances[edit]

text: Notable guest stars included:

text:
Dean Stockwell as Officer Collins in "A Small & Deadly War".
Wendy Fulton as Kelly Stevens in "Bounty". Fulton and Dwight Schultz had married a few years before the episode, and the episode plays on the theme of Kelly and Murdock falling in love.
Boy George as himself in "Cowboy George".
Isaac Hayes as C.J. Mack in "The Heart of Rock n' Roll".
Hulk Hogan as himself in "Body Slam" and "The Trouble With Harry". In "Body Slam", other WWF wrestlers such as The British Bulldogs and "Mr Wonderful" Paul Orndorff also made a cameo appearance.
Rick James as himself in "The Heart of Rock n' Roll".
David McCallum as Ivan Trigorin in "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair". McCallum guest stars as a former associate of Robert Vaughn's character General Stockwell. Vaughn and McCallum had co-starred together as friendly American and Russian secret agents in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. This The A-Team episode sent up many aspects of the classic series, such as Stockwell saying "Open Channel D" (an U.N.C.L.E. catchphrase).
Joe Namath as T. J. Bryant in "Quarterback Sneak", season 5, episode 4.
William "The Refrigerator" Perry as himself in "The Trouble With Harry".
Markie Post as Rina Turian in "Hot Styles" and Sister Teresa/Leslie Becktall in "The Only Church in Town".
Pat Sajak as himself in "Wheel of Fortune".
Vanna White as herself in "Wheel of Fortune".
Yaphet Kotto as Charles F. Struthers in "The Out of Towners".
Shecky Greene as himself roasting Gen. Harlan "Bull" Fulbright, in "Members Only".
Della Reese as Mrs. Baracus in "A Lease with an Option to Die".
Steven Keats in the episode "Harder than it Looks" before co-starring in All My Children.
Professor Tanaka in episode "The Spy Who Mugged Me"

text: Reception[edit]

text: During the show's first three seasons, The A-Team managed to pull in 17% to 20% of the American households on average. 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.[6]  By March, The A-Team, now on its regular Tuesday timeslot, dropped to the eight spot, but rated a 20.5%.[20]  During the sweeps week in May of that year, The A-Team dropped again but remained steady at 18.5%,[21] and rose to 18.8% during the second week of May sweeps.[22]  These were the highest ratings NBC had achieved in five years.[23]  During the second season, the ratings continued to soar, reaching third place in the twenty-highest rated programs, behind Dallas and Simon & Simon, in January (mid-season),[24] while during the third season, it was beaten out only by four other NBC shows, including The Cosby Show.

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,[25] but after ratings quickly declined.  In October, The A-Team had fallen to the 19th and by Super Bowl Night had fallen still to 29th the night on which the show had originally scored its first hit three years before.[26] For the remainder of its fourth season The A-Team managed to hang around the 20th spot, far from original top 10 position it had enjoyed during its first three seasons.

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 with a 13.3 Nielsen Rating.[27] In November 1986, NBC cancelled the series, declining to order the last nine episodes of what would have been a 22-episode season.

text: Ratings[edit]

text:
Season
Time slot (ET)
Rank
Rating[28]

1982–83
Sunday at 9:00 pm (Episode 1)Sunday at 10:00 pm (Episodes 2-3)Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 4-14)
10
20.1 (Tied with Monday Night Football)

1983–84
Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1-5, 7-23)Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 6)
4
24.0

1984–85
Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1-2, 4-25)Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 3)
6
21.9

1985–86
Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1, 3-23)Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 2)
30
16.9

1986–87
Friday at 8:00 pm (Episodes 1-8, 10-11)Tuesday at 9:00 pm (Episode 9)Tuesday at 8:00 pm (Episode 12)Sunday at 8:00 pm (Episode 13)
Not in the Top 30

text: In syndication[edit]

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, where the show has been on-air almost continuously in some form 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.[29]  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 currently available through Starz, ELREY, and COZY TV.

text: International[edit]

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. George 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.[30] 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 Dwight Schultz apologized and thanked everyone that had attended.[31]

text: In Australia The A-Team was broadcast on Channel Ten. From 2010 7mate has been showing reruns of 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. Although ratings soared during its early seasons, many 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.

text:
They are all Vietnam veterans. The gradual assimilation of Vietnam into acceptable popular mythology, which began solemnly with The Deer Hunter, has reached its culmination with The A-Team: No longer a memory to be hurriedly brushed aside, but heroes of a network adventure show. Their enemy is a comic army officer, Col. Lynch, see Sgt. Bilko, see Beetle Bailey, see M*A*S*H*, whose pursuit of our heroes is doomed to slapstick failure. This is classic right-wing American populism; patriotic, macho, anti-authority, and is unlikely to be understood in Britain, where to be right-wing implies an obsequiousness towards officers and the status quo. But right-wing this series certainly is. The bandits, it turns out, are in league with a group of sinister guerrillas who are trying to destabilise the country. Thanks to the A-Team's hearts and minds policy, the villagers rise up and put them to rout, in a 20-minute series of comic-book battle scenes, over-turning cars and airplane stunt-tricks, in which not a single person is hurt.
Mary Harron, New Statesman[32]

text: Criticisms[edit]

text: On-screen violence[edit]

text: The violence presented in The A-Team is highly sanitized. People do not bleed or 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, this part of the show did become a running joke for the writing staff and they would at times test the limits of realism on purpose.[33]

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."[34] Television reviewer Ric Meyers joked that the A-Team used "antineutron bullets—they destroy property for miles around, but never harm a human being".[35]  According to certain estimates, an episode of the A-Team held up to 46 violent acts. Stephen J. Cannell, co-creator of the show responds: "They were determined to make a point, and we were too big a target to resist. Cartoon violence is a scapegoat issue."[2] 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.[2]  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".[36]

text: Sexism[edit]

text: During its tenure, the show was occasionally criticized for being sexist.[16] These critiques were based on the notion that most female roles on the show were either a lead-in to the episode's plot, the recipient of Face's affections, or both. The only two regular female members of the cast, Melinda Culea (season 1 and the first half of season 2) and Marla Heasley (the latter half of season 2) did not have long tenures with the show. Both Culea and Heasley had been brought in by the network and producers to stem these critiques, hoping that a female character would properly balance the otherwise all-male cast.[37] Culea was fired during the second season because of creative differences between her and the show's writers; she wanted more lines and more action scenes.[38] Culea's character of Amy Allen suddenly disappeared between two episodes, and was only briefly referred to once in the episode "In Plane Sight", and a couple of times in "The Battle of Bel Air" in which she was cited to have taken a correspondence job overseas (in Jakarta, Indonesia). The latter episode also introduced Heasley's character, Tawnia Baker. The new character was also an assisting reporter character, but with a more fragile and seductive quality to her. Ultimately, she was written out of the show at the start of the third season when the network determined that a female cast member was not necessary. Tawnia left the team on-screen, choosing to marry and move out of Los Angeles.

text: As Marla Heasley recounts in Bring Back... The A-Team (May 18, 2006), although sexism was not prevalent on the set per se, there was a sense that a female character was not necessary on the show. On her first day on set George Peppard took her aside and told her "We don't want you on the show. None of the guys want you here. The only reason you're here is because the network and the producers want you. For some reason they think they need a girl."  The interview continues with Heasley noting that on her last day of work Peppard took her aside again, saying: "I'm sorry that this is your last day, but remember what I said the very first day, that we didn't want a girl, has nothing to do with you. You were very professional, but no reason to have a girl."  In Bring Back... the A-Team, Dirk Benedict also remarked that: "It was a guy's show. It was male driven. It was written by guys. It was directed by guys. It was acted by guys. It's about what guys do. We talked the way guys talked. We were the boss. We were the God. We smoked when we wanted. We shot guns when we wanted. We kissed the girls and made them cry... when we wanted. It was the last truly masculine show."

text: GMC van[edit]

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,[39] 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.[40]

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.

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.

text: The van was commonly said to be all-black,[citation needed] but 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 (and including the one displayed in the aforementioned Cars of the Stars Motor Museum) 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 (his double) jumps from a building onto the roof of the van with no sunroof. Moments later, in an interior studio shot, Face climbs in through the sunroof. Also, in many stunts where the van would surely be totaled, other makes have been used, such as a black Ford Econoline with red hubcaps painted to simulate the original red turbine mag wheels.

text: Many GMC/Chevrolet Vandura vans, and many of the very similar Bedford CF vans, were styled after the A-Team's van by fans of the show.

text: Merchandise[edit]

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 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 seasonA-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.
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 will unlock additional A-Team themed content in the video game Lego Dimensions, including all four team members as playable characters.[41]

text: Comics[edit]

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.

text: Books[edit]

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.

text:
The A-Team (adapted from the pilot written by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell)
Small But Deadly Wars (adapted from the episodes "A Small and Deadly War" written by Frank Lupo and "Black Day at Bad Rock" written by Patrick Hasburgh)
When You Comin' Back, Range Rider? (adapted from the episode of the same name written by Frank Lupo)
Old Scores to Settle (adapted from the episodes "The Only Church in Town" written by Babs Greyhosky and "Recipe for Heavy Bread" written by Stephen J. Cannell, although the novel features the latter episode first)
Ten Percent of Trouble (adapted from the episodes "Steel" written by Frank Lupo and "The Maltese Cow" written by Thomas Szollosi and Richard Christian Matheson)
Operation Desert Sun: The Untold Story, credited on the cover to Charles Heath but on the title page to Louis Chunovic. (This is an original story that tells of the events of the mission that got the team sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit.)
Bullets, Bikinis and Bells by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Bullets and Bikinis" written by Mark Jones and "The Bells of St. Mary's" written by Stephen J. Cannell)
Backwoods Menace by Ron Renauld (adapted from the episodes "Timber!" written by Jeff Ray and "Children of Jamestown" written by Stephen J. Cannell)
The Bend in the River by David George Deutsch (adapted from the episode of the same name written by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo)
Death Vows by Max Hart (adapted from the episode "Till Death Us Do Part" written by Babs Greyhosky - this is the only book in the series to be based on one standard-length episode)
Two "Choose Your Own Adventure|Plot-your-own-adventure" books, where the reader would read a section of text and choose from several options of what to do next, were also released as part of the same range, again only available in Britain.

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.

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 stick into an accompanying book, with text under each inserted sticker to narrate the story.

text: Video games[edit]

text:
In 1983 the series was adapted into a video game for the Atari 2600.
The A-Team in 1985 on Commodore 64.
The A-Team in 1989 on Amstrad CPC, DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum.
The A-Team in 2010 on J2ME.

text: Theme song and soundtrack[edit]

text: The original main theme composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter[42] (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" single of the song credited to Post was released on RCA in 1984.[43]

text: The French version of the song had lyrics, which mirrored the spoken description of the show in the English opening credits.[44] 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.[42]

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).

text:
Theme From The A-Team (3:13)
Young Hannibal (2:57)
B. A.'s Ride (2:34)
The A-Team In New York City (2:43)
Bandits (2:08)
Taxi Chase (2:13)
The A-Team Escape (1:16)
The A-Team Prepare For War (2:08)
Showtime (3:22)
Move, Sucker (1:04)
Let's Get Busted (1:06)
Murdock's "Face" (3:01)
Helicopters (2:36)
More Bandits (1:22)
Theme From The A-Team (3:27)

text: Production notes[edit]

text: Awards[edit]

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".

text: Professional wrestlers[edit]

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.

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.

text: Weapons[edit]

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. Faceman's usual sidearm is a Colt Lawman III, thou 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. And the best part had to be that regardless of the number of explosions or rounds fired, nobody ever got seriously hurt except for the occasional flesh wound of a team member."[45] As a result, the American Rifleman declared The A-Team the Number One Show on Television to regularly feature firearms.[45]

text: Home media [edit]

text: Universal Studios Home Entertainment 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.[46] A complete series set was released in Region 1 on June 8, 2010.[47] 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.

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 on October 17, 2016.[48]

text:
DVD name

Ep#

Release dates

Region 1

Region 2

Region 3

Season One

14

June 8, 2004

September 13, 2004

December 3, 2004

Season Two

22

April 12, 2005

July 4, 2005

July 13, 2005

Season Three

25

January 31, 2006

May 22, 2006 (R2 has different cover art)

July 20, 2006

Season Four

24

April 4, 2006

September 18, 2006

September 19, 2006

Season Five: The Final Season

13

October 10, 2006

February 12, 2007 (R2 has different cover art)

February 21, 2007

The Complete Series

98

June 8, 2010

DVD: October 8, 2007 Blu Ray: October 17, 2016

November 3, 2010

text: Bring Back... The A-Team (2006)[edit]

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".[49] 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.

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.

text: Feature film[edit]

text: A feature film based on The A-Team was released on June 11, 2010, and was produced by 20th Century Fox.[50] Both Dirk Benedict (Face) 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.

text: Reboot series[edit]

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.[51]


document_title: The Lovely Bones (film)

question_text: who is the killer in the lovely bones

question_tokens: who is the killer in the lovely bones

root

text: The Lovely Bones (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon dreams about becoming a photographer. One day, Ray, a boy she has a crush on, approaches her at school and asks her out. As Susie walks home through a cornfield, she runs into her neighbor, George Harvey, who coaxes her into his underground den. Inside, Susie becomes uncomfortable and attempts to leave; when he grabs her, the scene fades until she is seen rushing past classmate Ruth Connors, apparently fleeing Harvey's den.

tag: p

text: The Salmons become worried when Susie fails to return home from school. Her father, Jack, searches for her, while her mother, Abigail, waits for the police. In town, Susie sees Jack, but he does not respond to her when she calls. Susie runs home to find Harvey soaking in a bathtub. After seeing her bracelet hanging on the sink faucet near a bloody shaving razor, Susie realizes she never escaped the den and was murdered by Harvey. Screaming, she is pulled into the "In-Between", that is neither Heaven nor Earth. From there, Susie watches over her loved ones, unable to let go despite the urging of her new afterlife friend, Holly.

text: Investigating Susie's disappearance with Detective Fenerman, Jack thinks Susie was murdered by someone she knew. He researches neighbors and comes to think Harvey is the killer. Fenerman is unable to find any evidence pinpointing Harvey as a suspect, as Harvey cleaned up. Susie's sister, Lindsey, agrees with Jack's suspicions, but their casework takes a toll on Abigail, and Jack invites Abigail's alcoholic mother, Lynn, to move in with them. Feeling alienated from her husband, Abigail leaves for California. Susie, in her afterlife, learns that Harvey, who has now targeted Lindsey as his next victim, has murdered six other girls, including Holly, and that he stuffed Susie's body into a safe in his basement.

text: One night, Jack, carrying a bat, trails Harvey into the cornfield. However, Jack accidentally stumbles across Susie's friend, Clarissa. Her boyfriend, who mistakenly thinks his girlfriend is being assaulted, nearly bludgeons Jack to death as Harvey watches from a hiding spot. As Jack recuperates, Lindsey breaks into Harvey's house looking for evidence that he killed Susie. Upstairs, she finds a notebook containing a sketch of the den, a lock of Susie's hair, and news articles about Susie's disappearance. Harvey returns home and almost catches Lindsey in his house, but she escapes and rushes home to discover that her mother has returned. Not wishing to spoil her parents' reunion, she gives the book to her grandmother, who contacts the police. Harvey has already fled, having seen Lindsey running from his home – he takes the safe containing Susie's remains with him.

text: Susie's afterlife begins expanding into a larger heaven, and she is greeted by Harvey's other victims—now showing nine, including Susie. She resists Holly's urging to enter Heaven along with the others, claiming she has one final thing to do. Meanwhile, Susie's classmates Ruth and Ray are present when Harvey drives up to dispose of the safe at a sinkhole dump site. Susie returns to Earth and enters Ruth's body, causing Ruth to faint. Ray rushes to Ruth's aid only to realize she has become Susie. They kiss, completing Susie's last wish, and she returns to Heaven. Meanwhile Harvey dumps the safe in a sinkhole, leaving it to disappear in the muddy water as he drives away.

text: Sometime later, Harvey meets a young woman outside a diner and offers her a ride, but she rejects him and leaves. A large icicle falls from an overhead branch, hitting Harvey on the shoulder. He loses his balance on the ice and falls backward over a cliff to his death. Time passes, and Susie sees that her family is healing, which Susie refers to as "the lovely bones" that grew around her absence. As the film concludes, Susie finally enters Heaven, telling the audience: "My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was 14 years old when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. I was here for a moment and then I was gone. I wish you all a long and happy life."

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, the main character and narrator.[5] She is a 14-year-old girl who is killed by her neighbor. Ronan was 13 years old at the time of her casting and filming. Ronan and her family were originally reluctant for Ronan to accept the role because of the film's subject matter, but agreed after meeting with Jackson.[6]

Evelyn Lennon as Susie (Age 3)

Mark Wahlberg as Jack Salmon, Susie's father, who becomes obsessed with his daughter's murder case.[7][8] Wahlberg stated that his role in the film encouraged him to be a more cautious parent with his three children and to talk to them more about "not talking to strangers."[9] Before Wahlberg's casting, Ryan Gosling was set to play the role but dropped out of the film in October 2007, one month before filming.[10] Gosling had gained weight and grown a beard for the role, but said, "The age of the character versus my real age [of twenty-six] was always a concern of mine. Peter [Jackson] and I tried to make it work and ultimately it just didn't. I think the film is much better off with Mark Wahlberg in that role."[7][11] Gosling later admitted that the real reason for his firing was that he had arrived for filming 60 lbs. overweight and sporting a beard, without having discussed the physical change with Jackson.[12]
Rachel Weisz as Abigail Salmon, Susie's mother. After Susie's murder, her mother despairs and abandons the family.[8][9] Weisz stated that playing the character and the film and novel's "uplifting theme" made her look at life as a "treasure" and the film gave her a "positive feeling" rather than a "depressed" one.[9]
Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn, Susie's grandmother.[13][14] Sarandon stated that her character is like a "comic relief" and that her character deals with the pain of Susie's death by drinking, smoking and shooting guns.[13][14][15]
Stanley Tucci as George Harvey, a serial killer who murders Susie.[16][17] Tucci stated that he had researched his role by watching documentaries and reading books by criminal profiler John E. Douglas about catching serial killers.[18] Tucci stated that his wife, Kate, had strongly urged him not to accept his role in the film because she felt, after reading the novel, that the subject matter was "too harrowing."[16]
Michael Imperioli as Detective Len Fenerman, the detective in charge of investigating Susie's death.[19]
Rose McIver as Lindsey Salmon, Susie's younger sister. She is the first to suspect that Harvey was involved in Susie's death.[9][20] Jackson cast McIver particularly because she was an unknown actress.[20] Mclver stated that she had read and been a fan of the novel before having been cast in the film.[9]
Christian Thomas Ashdale as Buckley Salmon, Susie's younger brother.[8]
Reece Ritchie as Ray Singh, Susie's love interest and friend who is strongly affected by Susie's death.[21]
Charlie Saxton as Ronald Drake, one of the murder suspects.[22]
Amanda Michalka as Clarissa,[23] Susie's best friend. Michalka was better known as a musician prior to her casting.[23]
Carolyn Dando as Ruth Connors, a classmate of Susie's.[20][24] Jackson stated that, after he had searched all over the world for the role, he ultimately chose to cast Dando, a relatively unknown actress, who was working as a waitress before her casting.[20]
Nikki SooHoo as Denise "Holly" Le Ang, Susie's best friend in Heaven and another of Harvey's victims.
Jake Abel as Brian Nelson
Thomas McCarthy as Principal Caden
Andrew James Allen as Samuel Heckler

tag: ul

text: Production[edit]

text: In May 2000, Film4 Productions acquired feature film rights to Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones,[25] when it was a half-written manuscript. Producer Aimee Peyronnet had sought to attract studio interest to the manuscript, and an insider informed Film4's deputy head of production, Jim Wilson, of the project.[26] The company attached Luc Besson and Peyronnet's production company Seaside to the project, two years before the novel's release.[25] By February 2001, Lynne Ramsay was hired to direct and write the film adaptation of the novel.[27] In July 2002, Channel 4 shut down Film4, causing Hollywood studios and producers to pursue acquisition of feature film rights to The Lovely Bones, which had spent multiple weeks at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list. The film adaptation, which had been estimated at a budget of $15 million, remained with Channel 4 under its newly developed inhouse film unit, with Ramsay still contracted to write and direct. By October 2002, Ramsay was writing the script with fellow screenwriter Liana Dognini, with filming planned for summer 2003.[26] Author Sebold was invited by the producers to provide input on the project.[28]

text: Ramsay, who had read the novel in manuscript prior to publication, said in 2012 that her adaptation departed from it significantly. The scenes with Susie in heaven would have been depicted purely as her father's imagination. He would have become friends with Mr. Harvey, never suspecting him of having killed his daughter. "I really didn't like the My Little Pony, she's-in-heaven, everything's-O.K. aspect", she told The New York Times in 2012.[29]

text: In July 2003, the studio DreamWorks negotiated a first look deal with producer Peyronnet,[30] after DreamWorks co-founder Steven Spielberg expressed interest in the project.[31] DreamWorks did not acquire the rights to the novel, and Ramsay was eventually detached from the project as, she says, FilmFour wanted a version more faithful to the novel.[29] In April 2004, producers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens entered negotiations to develop the project.[32] Jackson described the book as "a wonderfully emotional and powerful story. Like all the best fantasy, it has a solid grounding in the real world."[33] By January 2005, Jackson and Walsh planned to independently purchase film rights and to seek studio financing after a script had been developed. The producers sought to begin adapting a spec script for The Lovely Bones in January 2006, with the goal of script completion and budget estimation by the following May.[34]

text: Jackson explained he enjoyed the novel because he found it "curiously optimistic" and uplifting because of the narrator's sense of humor, adding there was a difference between its tone and subject matter. He felt very few films dealt with the loss of a loved one.[35] Jackson foresaw the most challenging element in the novel to adapt was the portrayal of Susie, the protagonist, in her heaven, and making it "ethereal and emotional but not hokey."[33] Saoirse Ronan explained Jackson chose to depict the afterlife as depending on Susie's emotions. "Whenever Susie feels happy, Heaven is sunny and there's birds and everything. Whenever it’s not so great, it's raining or she’s in the middle of an ocean."[36] Jackson described the book's description of "heaven" as being an "In-Between" rather than a true heaven and said he was not trying to paint a definitive picture of Heaven itself.[35] "[W]hen Jackson created Susie's heaven, in a 1973 world, he went through the Partridge Family television show archives as a reference."[37]

text:
"[I] basically [added] more violence and suffering, [the audience] wanted far more violence [...] They just weren't satisfied [...] We got a lot of people telling us that they were disappointed with this death scene, as they wanted to see [the character] in agony and suffer a lot more, we had to create a whole suffering death scene just to give people the satisfaction they needed."

—Jackson to Reuters on re-shooting Harvey's death scene, November 2009[38]

text: A 120-page draft of the script was written by September 2006.[39] In April 2007, the script was completed by Jackson, Walsh and Boyens; Jackson intended to direct. The three producers began seeking a studio partner to finance the film adaptation. Besides the major studios, smaller companies including United Artists were also contacted. New Line Cinema was excluded from negotiations because of Jackson's legal dispute with the studio over royalties from his The Lord of the Rings trilogy.[40] Jackson sought a beginning $65 million budget for The Lovely Bones, also requesting from studios what kind of promotional commitments and suggestions they would make for the film adaptation.[41]

text: By May, four studios remained interested in the project: DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Sony, and Universal.[42] The Lovely Bones was sold to DreamWorks for $70 million.[43] Paramount Pictures received the rights to distribute the film worldwide. Production began in October 2007 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and New Zealand.[5][44] Shooting in parts of Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties, including Hatfield,[45] Ridley Township, Phoenixville, Royersford, Malvern and East Fallowfield,[46] lasted a few weeks, and most of the studio shooting was done in New Zealand.[39]

text: In December 2008, Brian Eno signed on to compose the film's score. Fran Walsh, a big fan of his work, suggested him to Jackson.[47] Jackson had called Eno to request use of two of his early tracks to evoke atmosphere for the 1970s scenes in the film. When Eno asked if he could compose the whole score, Jackson was surprised, since he had heard Eno did not like working on films. For the film's ending, Eno uncovered a demo he had done in 1973 and reunited with the vocalist to create a proper version for the film, commenting: "That song from 1973 was finally finished in 2008!"[48] In November 2009, Jackson stated that he re-shot new footage of Harvey's death scene after test audiences said it was not violent enough and wanted to "see more of Harvey in pain."[10][38] Jackson said it was important to him that the movie receive a PG-13 rating so that the film could appeal to the widest possible audience, despite the necessarily violent nature of some scenes.[10]

text: Release[edit]

text: Strategy[edit]

text: The Lovely Bones was originally scheduled for release on March 13, 2009, but it was delayed to December 11, 2009, as the studio became interested in releasing the film for "awards season," which gave Jackson an opportunity to make some effects shots larger in scope.[49] The film then received a limited theater release on December 11, 2009, in the United States.[50] The film was originally set to have a wider United States theater release on December 25, 2009 (Christmas Day),[51] as part of a campaign to build its momentum into January 2010.[52] In early December it was confirmed that the United States release date had been pushed back by three weeks to January 15, 2010.[51][53] Paramount and DreamWorks did not give a reason for the change of the release date.[51] The film premiered in New Zealand on December 26, 2009, and was released in the United Kingdom on January 29 and in other countries in January 2010.

text: According to the Los Angeles Times, Paramount invested $70 million in production and an additional $85 million in worldwide marketing and distribution.[53] In December 2009, the Los Angeles Times described the marketing and promotion of The Lovely Bones as having been a "heavy advertising campaign."[52] In late July 2009, as part of the promotion, Jackson talked about the film and screened a 41⁄2 minute clip at the San Diego Comic-Con International film festival.[37]

text: As part of marketing for the film, in August 2009, people were allowed to enter a contest to win a trip to Wellington, for the film's New Zealand premiere on December 14, 2009.[54] The offer included, if the winner lived outside of Wellington, one night’s accommodation and a voucher for flight or petrol to Wellington.[54] A teaser trailer was released in August 2009, days before the film's official trailer.[55] The official trailer debuted on the television series Entertainment Tonight and was released online shortly afterwards.[37][56] In August 2009, Jackson offered a "behind-the-scenes look" at the film and discussed elements (mainly violence) in the film's plot line.[57]

text: The Los Angeles Times reported that Paramount had originally expected the film to appeal to a "sophisticated, adult audience," but after poor revenue and average reviews, the studio decided to redirect the film to an audience in another age group.[52] Surveys showed that the film was favored more by females aged 13–20 than by any other demographic. Paramount began to screen the movie "aggressively for high school- and college-age girls" during its three-screen limited release.[52]

text: Box office[edit]

text: On December 11, 2009, the film was released on three screens in Los Angeles and New York. As of January 4, 2010, the film had grossed over $389,000 in the US.[3] Claudia Eller and Ben Fritz of the Los Angeles Times felt that it did poorly at the box office in the first few weeks of its release because of average reviews and negative word-of-mouth.[52] During its opening-weekend release on three screens, it earned over $116,616, an average of estimated $38,872 per-theater revenue.[3] The film's revenue placed it at thirtieth place on the box office chart.[3] In the film's second and third weeks of release, the film saw a decrease; in the fourth week, it had a 54.3-percent increase.[58]

text: When put into wide release on January 15, 2010,[15] it grossed $17,005,133 that weekend, ranking number three at the domestic box office. By the end of its run, The Lovely Bones had made $44,114,232 domestically, and $49,507,108 overseas, for a worldwide total of $93,621,340.

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released in the US on DVD and two-disc Blu-ray April 20, 2010 and in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2010.[59]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The Lovely Bones received mixed reviews from critics, although Ronan and Tucci were praised for their performances.[60] On review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 31%, based on 233 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It's stuffed full of Peter Jackson's typically dazzling imagery, but The Lovely Bones suffers from abrupt shifts between horrific violence and cloying sentimentality."[61] Metacritic gave the film a score of 42 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[62]

text: Ian Freer of Empire gave the film 4/5 stars.[63] Freer emphasized the "bold, daring original filmmaking, with arguably more emotional and intellectual meat to chew on than either the Rings trilogy or Kong."[63] Freer noted that, like The Lord of the Rings, the film "does a fantastic job with revered, complex source material" and that, since it is "as terrific on terra firma as it is audacious in its astral plane", it is "doubtful" that there would be a "more imaginative" and "courageous film" in 2010.[63]

text: Richard Corliss of Time wrote that "through [Peter] Jackson's art" and Ronan's "magic" the "obscenity of child murder has been invested with immense gravity and grace" and "like the story of Susie's life after death, that's a miracle."[64] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone felt that the film was "conveyed" in a "remarkable performance" by Ronan and described Tucci as being "magnificent as a man of uncontrollable impulses" to "help Jackson cut a path to a humanity that supersedes life and death."[65] Travers praised Jackson for building "jolting suspense." Despite praising the film, however, Travers noted that while the book "never flinched," the film does, and while the "business is being transacted" by Jackson with a "Lord of the Rings fantasy" the film "attunes himself to a family tragedy."[65]

text: Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film 2/4 stars, remarking that while "[Peter] Jackson gets the thriller scenes right", the "conceit of Susie trapped in a DayGlo world between the one she left and her final resting place, imparting lessons on coping with death, feels preachy."[66] Puig also described the film as having 'strike' "clashing tones" that veer from "lightheartedness to heavy-handedness."[66] Puig also criticized the film's computer-generated imagery, describing it as being "cheesy" and felt that it broke "no ground."[66] Kirt Honeycutt, of the Hollywood Reporter, described the film as telling "a fundamentally different story" which is "one that is not without its tension, humor and compelling details", but that "it's also a simpler, more button-pushing tale that misses the joy and heartbreak of the original."[67] Honeycutt also described Jackson as having transformed Sebold's "startling, unique novel about the aftermath of a terrible murder" into a story that's more "focused on crime and punishment."[67]

text:
"[Alice] Sebold's book would've had a tough leap to the multiplex no matter who guided it. But [Peter] Jackson is too enamored with the idea of mixing heaven and the heebie-jeebies, so he's made the skeevy equivalent of a Mitch Albom book with some pulp fiction pressed between its covers."

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News[68]

text: Stephanie Zacharek, of Salon.com, viewed the film as being "an expensive-looking mess that fails to capture the mood, and the poetry, of its source material" because "good actors fighting a poorly conceived script, under the guidance of a director who can no longer make the distinction between imaginativeness and computer-generated effects."[69] Todd McCarthy, of Variety, felt that Jackson had undermined the "solid work from a good cast" with "show-offy celestial evocations" that "severely disrupt the emotional connections with the characters."[70] McCarthy stated that he felt that the film, overall, was a "significant artistic disappointment."[70] Joe Neumaier, of New York Daily News, described Jackson as having "siphoned out all the soulfulness" that made the author's "combination thriller/afterlife fantasy a best-seller" and that the film was "a gumball-colored potboiler that's more squalid than truly mournful."[68] Neumaier also wrote that the film and Jackson "wasted" a "good cast."[68] Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 1.5 stars out of 4, calling it "deplorable", and criticizing the apparent message that Susie's murder eventually made her happier. He was also critical of the film's portrayal of Heaven, which he compared to "happy gathering of new Facebook friends". However, he praised the acting, stating that "this whole film is Jackson's fault".[71]

text: According to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), the rating given to The Lovely Bones received 24 objections, more than any other movie in 2010. The BBFC report states, "Many found the film to be a shocking and upsetting experience. The scene in which young Susie is entrapped by the killer, and the subsequent sequence in which the killer soaks in a bath after the murder, were compared by some complainants to scenes in ‘18’ rated horror films." The BBFC rated the movie a 12A, and many complained that the movie was upsetting for a younger audience. Nevertheless, the BBFC defended its rating: "The Lovely Bones lacked any explicit detail of the murder and any sexual elements were downplayed. The audience’s sympathies remain entirely with the family and the film had many positive messages about life."[72][73][74][75][76]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award
Category
Nominee
Result

7th Irish Film and Television Awards
Best Leading Actress
Saoirse Ronan
Won

63rd British Academy Film Awards[77]
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Saoirse Ronan
Nominated

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Stanley Tucci
Nominated

82nd Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actor

67th Golden Globe Awards[78]
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

16th Screen Actors Guild Awards[79]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

36th Saturn Awards

Best Supporting Actress
Susan Sarandon
Nominated

Best Supporting Actor
Stanley Tucci
Nominated

Best Performance by a Younger Actor
Saoirse Ronan
Won

2009 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards[80]
Best Supporting Actor
Stanley Tucci
Nominated

Best Art Direction
The Lovely Bones
Nominated

2009 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards[80]
Best Actress
Saoirse Ronan
Nominated

Best Young Actor/Actress
Won

Best Supporting Actor
Stanley Tucci
Nominated

Best Art Direction
The Lovely Bones

Best Cinematography

Best Visual Effects

tag: table


document_title: House of Cards (season 5)

question_text: when was last season of house of cards filmed

text: House of Cards (season 5)

text: Production[edit]

text: Casting began for the season on June 17, 2016.[1] Filming had begun by July 20, 2016,[2] and finished by February 14, 2017.[3]

text: On January 28, 2016, Netflix renewed House of Cards for a fifth season. It was also announced that series creator Beau Willimon would step down as showrunner following the fourth season.[4] It was announced in February 2016 that Melissa James Gibson and Frank Pugliese, who both joined the show in the third season, would serve as co-showrunners for the fifth season,[5] which was released on May 30, 2017.[6] In October 2016, it was announced that Patricia Clarkson and Campbell Scott had been cast for the fifth season.[7] The first trailer for the season was released on May 1, 2017.[8]

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Kevin Spacey as Francis "Frank" J. Underwood, the President of the United States[9]
Robin Wright as Claire Underwood, First Lady of the United States, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee, Vice President of the United States and the President of the United States[9]
Michael Kelly as Douglas "Doug" Stamper, the White House Chief of Staff[9]
Campbell Scott as Mark Usher,[10] top-level Republican campaign adviser and strategist
Patricia Clarkson as Jane Davis,[10] Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
Paul Sparks as Thomas Yates,[9] speechwriter and Claire Underwood's lover
Derek Cecil as Seth Grayson,[11] the White House Press Secretary
Neve Campbell as LeAnn Harvey,[9] a Texas-based political consultant, the Underwood campaign manager
Joel Kinnaman as Will Conway, the Republican nominee for president and Governor of New York[9]
Dominique McElligott as Hannah Conway,[9] wife of New York Governor and Republican presidential nominee Will Conway
Boris McGiver as Tom Hammerschmidt, an editor at The Washington Herald and Lucas Goodwin's former boss
Korey Jackson as Sean Jeffries, a young reporter at The Washington Herald working under Hammerschmidt
Jayne Atkinson as Catherine Durant, Secretary of State[11]
Colm Feore as General Ted Brockhart, Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee
Damian Young as Aidan Macallan, a data scientist and NSA contractor who is friends with LeAnn Harvey
James Martinez as Alex Romero, a Democratic congressman from Arizona
Michel Gill as Garrett Walker, the former President of the United States and Frank's predecessor
Gerald McRaney as Raymond Tusk, former associate of President Walker's and Frank's adversary
Larry Pine as Bob Birch, the House Minority Leader and a Democratic U.S. Representative from Michigan
Curtiss Cook as Terry Womack, the House Minority Whip
Lars Mikkelsen as Viktor Petrov, the President of the Russian Federation
Wendy Moniz as Laura Moretti, widow of a liver transplant candidate
Reed Birney as Donald Blythe, the Vice President of the United States
Malcolm Madera as Eric Rawlings, a Civil War reenactor and personal trainer
Kate Lyn Sheil as Lisa Williams, a girlfriend of Rachel Posner's before Rachel's death
Jeremy Holm as Agent Nathan Green, the Deputy Director of the FBI
Kim Dickens as Kate Baldwin, a journalist and former White House Correspondent for the Wall Street Telegraph
Dan Ziskie as Jim Matthews, former Vice President of the United States and Governor of Pennsylvania.

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original release date
Prod.
code

53
1
"Chapter 53"
Daniel Minahan
Frank Pugliese
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-501

Chaos erupts when Frank steals the floor of the House and demands that Congress formally declare war on ICO. When the Speaker insists that Frank yield the floor, he insists that he "will not yield." Later, Frank and Claire attend Jim Miller's funeral, which is also attended by Will Conway and his wife. During the service, Jim's daughter Melissa blames Frank for the death of her father, before whispering something in his ear. Claire appears on Charlie Rose to debate Hammerschmidt, who claims that Frank's war on ICO is a diversion. Meanwhile, Conway goes into damage control when his wife claims that the mother of Josh Masterson is a victim, too. Claire speaks with Ms. Masterson and asks that she tell her son to surrender. The manhunt for Masterson heats up as the FBI closes in on a location on the Virginia border. However, Frank has been holding Masterson captive in an unknown location and has him summarily executed, informing the press that he "wishes" Masterson had been taken alive. Frank calls to speak with the Millers, but Jim's widow hangs up on him. Afterwards, Frank and Claire greet people outside the White House, telling them they have nothing to be afraid of.

54
2
"Chapter 54"
Daniel Minahan
Melissa James Gibson
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-502

At an event in New York City, Claire is informed that one of Frank's old friends has gone missing and is presumed dead. Meanwhile, Frank hosts a luncheon of the nation's governors, seeking to gain the support of the governors from five critical swing states. Catherine Durant states her opposition to Frank's "war" on terror, while Donald Blythe believes it has helped his poll numbers. Meanwhile, Aidan Macallan attempts to hack into a telecom switching center and delete everything that may implicate him and the Underwoods. As Aidan nervously awaits the file deletion, electronic devices around the Washington, D.C. area are affected in what Frank claims is an ICO cyber attack. He uses the incident to pressure Congress to accept his declaration of war. Meanwhile, Conway takes his kids trick-or-treating, but as the military mobilizes in response to the cyber attack, he has an outburst on live TV which Frank and Claire drink to.

55
3
"Chapter 55"
Alik Sakharov
John Mankiewicz
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-503

The day before the 2016 election, Conway holds a 24-hour live-stream call-in with voters and is asked a question by someone who knows about his time in the military; Hannah insists that Will is too humble to discuss the topic. While Claire and Frank campaign together in Pennsylvania, Doug confronts Governor Matthews for not following through with establishing voting centers or bringing in the National Guard. Back in D.C., Cathy alerts Frank to a Syrian national with strong ICO connections named Mohammad Kalabi. With Conway getting all the publicity, Frank calls into the 24-hour live stream and tells Conway that he can ask him any question he wants. Will responds by asking why he was never given a chance to complete the mission and save Mr. Miller after successfully negotiating the release of Miller's wife and daughter. Frank says the terrorists could tell Conway was weak, meaning Frank had to step in and take control. Frank's last-minute call grabs the morning headlines. However, the Underwoods are given worrying news: voter turnout is unsettlingly low across the country. Frank, however, insists that they are not going anywhere.

56
4
"Chapter 56"
Alik Sakharov
Kenneth Lin
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-504

On Election Day, voter turnout for Frank and Claire is low, and the polls are working in Conway's favor, yet he remains cautious. Frank calls the governor of Tennessee and tells him that the home of a suspected terrorist has been raided and a plot to bomb the state's polling stations has been uncovered, urging him to shut them down. A riot caused by a bomb-sniffing dog occurs at one Tennessee polling station and injures several people. Frank is able to convince the governor to halt voting and declare a state of emergency. A curfew is enacted, much to Conway's dismay. Amid terrorist threats, the governor of Ohio calls Frank and says he is considering closing down polling stations, while Frank adamantly tells him not to, pretending that he doesn’t want that to happen. After Conway wins the state of Pennsylvania, Frank calls him to concede the election, but slyly says to the camera audience, "What, do you think I learned nothing from Al Gore?" In the wake of the call, Conway, his wife Hannah, and some of his advisers are elated, but his campaign manager Mark Usher remains skeptical. Several hours pass and Frank has yet to publicly announce his concession, frustrating Conway. At that moment, the governor of Ohio makes a national TV broadcast to announce he felt he had no choice to close the Ohio polls due to the potential terror threat and that the results are not certifiable as a result. Several more states hold their election results as well, thereby leaving the election contested. In the Oval Office, Frank and Claire discuss remaining in power for decades to come.

57
5
"Chapter 57"
Michael Morris
Laura Eason
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-505

Nine weeks have passed since the unresolved election, which will now be decided by a contingent election in the House. A frustrated Conway believes he was fairly elected, and begins to show signs of a potential breakdown. Despite Frank's approval rating falling to 19%, Claire says they are done winning the American people and must now win over Congress. Hammerschmidt meets with Lisa Williams to discuss information regarding Doug, but he is hesitant to believe her. Frank talks to convince Alex Romero, a Democratic congressman, to sway other House Democrats to vote for him. Aidan, who had previously gone missing, calls LeAnn to tell her that he will leak incriminating information on the Underwoods if she doesn't get the authorities off his back. While LeAnn is able to flip a vote from Maine, Doug fails to win New Hampshire. On the day of the vote, Claire asks Donald to prevent a filibuster and keep Republicans off the floor. When he refuses, Claire begins insulting him and his late wife. Neither Conway nor Frank receive the 26 votes in the House needed to win, meaning that the Senate's vice presidential selection between Claire and General Ted Brockhart will assume the duties of the Presidency until the House votes again. Claire, alone in the White House residence, walks toward the camera and briefly looks directly at the camera audience as the episode ends.

58
6
"Chapter 58"
Michael Morris
Bill Kennedy
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-506

Claire becomes Acting President of the United States until the House votes again. Frank congratulates her on the position, even if it's just for a few weeks. Durant informs the Underwoods that a research facility in Antarctica has been taken over by an unidentified military group, suspecting the Russians. Meanwhile, it appears that Aidan has been kidnapped and may be forced to reveal secrets. Conway's campaign manager Mark Usher is able to secure a meeting for Conway with the Congressional Black Caucus, in the hopes they will consider supporting him instead of Frank, but the meeting goes very poorly. On a private plane back to New York, an exasperated Conway finally cracks under the pressure and curses out Usher, threatening to leave him on the tarmac upon arrival, then berates the pilots for not allowing him to fly the plane and declares maniacally that he will be President. Sean visits Lisa then tells Hammerschmidt, who fires him after discovering that Sean looked through his notes. He later investigates the death of Zoe Barnes. To avoid a mixed-ticket White House, Frank and Claire are able to convince Usher to support new elections in Ohio and Tennessee, so long as the Speaker approves. Claire, Frank, and Cathy learn it is the Russians who have kidnapped Aidan.

59
7
"Chapter 59"
Alik Sakharov
Tian Jun Gu
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-507

Claire and Frank argue over Mark Usher and are briefed in the Situation Room about the potential location of Ahmed Al Ahmadi, the leader of ICO. The generals believe Ahmed is in Damascus, but they’re divided on how to approach the situation. Hammerschmidt continues his investigation into Rachel Posner and her possible connection to Doug. Claire holds a meeting with Cathy and Jane Davis, but the three are moved to a bunker underground when a truck carrying radioactive material is missing. Doug calls LeAnn and Seth from the bunker, telling them to keep calm. Frank and Claire question Jane's security clearance. Doug informs Frank of a hot-mic recording where Brockhart says he’d actively tell his troops to disobey orders if Frank put them on the borders of Syria. Frank leaves the bunker and accuses Brockhart of orchestrating a fake terrorist threat in order to make them evacuate D.C. and effectively stage a coup d'etat to sabotage his election; after Brockhart names the general behind the plot, the truck is "found." The general is forced to resign, but not before telling Claire that neither she nor her husband deserve to be in the White House. The next day, the Underwoods accuse Usher of being involved in the incident, playing the Brockhart audio tape. When Usher insists he stop, Frank says "it gets so much better".

60
8
"Chapter 60"
Roxann Dawson
John Mankiewicz
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-508

Frank attends an elite weekend retreat to firm up support for the upcoming elections in Ohio and Tennessee. Among the attendees are Usher, Brockhart, Raymond Tusk, and Benjamin Grant, the head of Pollyhop. Claire is awakened in the middle of the night and hurried into the Situation Room, informed that a Russian research vessel carrying 100 people is sinking in the Antarctic. The next morning, Frank and Brockhart chat about the Al Ahmadi situation. After negotiating trade deals with China, Jane reveals to Claire that they are willing to aid the rescue, as there’s an American aboard the Russian ship. Claire asks for proof of the American's presence before moving forward. In the woods, Frank contacts Doug and tells him that Brockhart is making a deal with Tusk, and orders Doug to stop it. Frank remembers something that Tusk mentioned ("A little restraint would be unexpected") and tells Doug not to act on it. Claire plays hard ball with China on the rescue operation and a trade deal. Though China is hesitant at first, the rescue mission goes through and China gets credit, but the lost American is not found. On his way out, Grant gives Frank a recording of Conway's tirade on the plane. The next day, Frank and Claire meet with Usher in the Oval Office and inform him of the recording. With that leverage, the Underwoods are able to recruit Usher, who advises them how to release the recording.

61
9
"Chapter 61"
Roxann Dawson
Bill Kennedy
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-509

After winning the Ohio election, Frank becomes President-elect of the United States. Frank offers Conway a menial position when he calls to concede, prompting Conway to curse him. Frank and Claire celebrate with champagne in the Oval Office. Doug believes it is unwise to allow LeAnn and Usher into the administration; Frank agrees that LeAnn's connection to Aidan is worrisome, but Usher should stay. Meanwhile, LeAnn has lunch with Kate Baldwin, revealing she is being kicked out because Aidan stole NSA files and might leak classified material in Russia. Tom informs Claire that he is finished being her speechwriter. Romero threatens the Underwoods, saying he will convince Congress to reopen the Declaration of War Committee to investigate them. He demands two seats on the dais at Frank's inauguration and a line in the inaugural address about Medicare. Frank is sworn in, but his address does not address Romero or his concerns. Aidan unwillingly agrees to do an interview in Russia with Kate. However, he calls LeAnn, who tells him policemen have come to arrest him. During the inaugural ball, Frank and Eric Rawlings, the civil war re-enactor and personal trainer, share a darkly intimate moment. In the halls of the West Wing, Frank tells Claire that Congress is reopening its investigation into Frank. As the party breaks up, Frank blackmails Tom and tells him not to cheat on Claire again. Meanwhile, Hammerschmidt contacts Zoe's father, who reluctantly meets with him and says he had no idea that Zoe was in trouble. LeAnn, under the impression that giving up Aidan would save her job, is shocked when Doug fires her. In the Oval Office, Claire and Frank meet with Jane. Frank says he wants Aidan back on American soil.

62
10
"Chapter 62"
Agnieszka Holland
Kenneth Lin
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-510

As Frank discovers Jackie Sharp will be testifying before the Declaration of War Committee, Claire is informed that the American from the Antarctic expedition froze to death. Claire wants the body to get lost in transit. With Romero heading the committee, Frank tries to get in his good graces again by offering him the position of party whip. Romero, however, is not looking to negotiate. Jackie pleads the Fifth during her testimony. LeAnn becomes concerned about Aidan, who isn't willing to reveal what he told the Russians. Jane makes it clear that what is important is learning what Aidan divulged. She also informs the Underwoods that a gas attack is imminent in Homs, Syria, advising that they send in 30,000 troops after the attack and divert the committee's attention. When Frank and Claire tell Durant, she begins questioning the operation and later voices her protest to Jane. Doug confronts a frightened Lisa, who then calls Hammerschmidt and tells him about the encounter. LeAnn is confronted in a parking garage by Aidan, who is alive. The two share a close moment before he leaves. Frank is informed that Garrett Walker will be testifying. Though he is expected to plead the Fifth, tension arises when he and Frank meet before the hearing. Walker breaks his silence, revealing that it was Frank who got him involved in the Chinese money dealings. That night, LeAnn is given a voice recording revealing that Aidan has been murdered in his hotel room. Meanwhile, Jane shreds files regarding the dead Antarctic worker and Aidan.

63
11
"Chapter 63"
Agnieszka Holland
Laura Eason
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-511

On MSNBC, Seth and Hammerschmidt debate Walker's credibility in the wake of his testimony. Frank, Claire, Doug, and Usher discuss impeachment and the idea of censure, which Frank and Doug oppose. The next day, Hammerschmidt discovers leaked information that the White House staged the terrorist threat on Election Day. Seth panics in his office, while Frank discusses spying on all White House personnel to identify the leaker. While alone one night in the White House residence, Claire truly breaks the fourth wall for the first time in the series, and speaks directly to the camera audience, telling them that she has always known they have been there, but she is suspicious of them and their intentions, and that she is "ambivalent about attention." The FBI tells LeAnn that Aidan's death looked like a suicide, but the gun is missing. Meanwhile, Claire tells Tom she wants him to leave. Frank is confronted by Bob Birch and Terry Womack, who want Frank to consider resignation. Frank is speechless, partially because Womack himself is under investigation. Doug spies on West Wing staffers and is intrigued when LeAnn receives something unknown from Aidan. After confessing to Laura Moretti that he is the reason her husband died, Doug goes to LeAnn's apartment and the two have sex. An article drops the next day reporting that a source within the White House confirmed that Frank used questionable intelligence to close polling stations during the election. Frank confronts Cathy about this; she is cooperating with Romero. Frank later states that he believes Cathy is the leak, and that he has held on to her resignation. News breaks that Cathy will testify before the committee. An unknown source gives Hammerschimdt a "birthday card" containing a USB flash drive.

64
12
"Chapter 64"
Robin Wright
Frank Pugliese & Melissa James Gibson
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-512

In the Executive Residence, Frank tries to dissuade Cathy Durant from testifying before the committee, but she adamantly refuses his request. On her way out, Frank then pushes her down a flight of stairs, knocking her unconscious, and calls for help, claiming she's fallen. Cathy is hospitalized and thus prevented from testifying. Frank holds a press conference in the Oval Office regarding the Syrian gas bombings. However, reporters ask him about the growing possibility of impeachment. Frank is informed that Hammerschmidt is investigating Zoe's death and believes that it was not an accident. Needing to focus attention away from them, Frank and Claire agree that someone must take the fall for this alleged investigation. The next night, Claire and Frank hold a dinner for Doug, where they try to convince him to take the blame for Zoe's murder. Though initially off-put, Doug goes to LeAnn and "confesses" to the murder, though she doesn't believe him. It is revealed that Doug is in possession of birthday cards similar to those sent to Hammerschmidt. Claire discovers that Tom has been continuing his manuscript, which includes her confessions about the deaths of Zoe and Peter Russo. She goes to visit Tom to convince him not to publish his recent work, but he refuses and threatens to blackmail her. Claire and Tom have sex, but he suddenly dies from poison Claire had put in his whiskey. Mark then comes home the next morning and discovers his body, whereupon he is forced to quietly "dispose" of it. LeAnn and Nathan Green give their testimony. Frank, watching, debates whether he should testify as well. While he is urged not to, Frank goes to the committee, and while he claims to have done nothing wrong, he accuses the committee of trying to sabotage his presidency and that he respects the office too much to allow the investigation to go on. As a result, he announces he will resign the following day.

65
13
"Chapter 65"
Robin Wright
Melissa James Gibson & Frank Pugliese
May 30, 2017 (2017-05-30)
HOC-513

Claire protests Frank's resignation, but he concludes it's the best outcome for everyone. Frank reveals that he has been planning this since the weekend retreat before the Ohio and Tennessee elections, where he concluded that the real power is not in who occupies the White House, but who “owns” it. He reveals he is behind the leaks to Hammerschmidt. Claire then confesses to him that she has killed Tom Yates and that there is no way it will lead back to them. After Frank resigns, Claire is sworn in and assumes the presidency, whereupon she leads an operation to track down Yusef Al-Ahmadhi, the elusive ICO terrorist plaguing the U.S. Doug gets interviewed by Hammerschmidt, who is continuing his investigation into Zoe's death. LeAnn is appointed as Claire’s Chief of Staff with the agreement that she turn over everything she knew about Aidan to Jane. However, shortly after she does so, Claire, Davis and Usher claim that the impending war means a more experienced Chief of Staff is needed, and LeAnn is presumably fired or forced to resign. That night, on her way to meet with Doug, LeAnn’s car is run off the road and she is presumed dead. Seth is also replaced at Claire's behest. Frank asks for a public pardon from Claire for both him and Doug. She agrees to do so in her upcoming TV broadcast, but tells Frank that for their secret arrangement to work, he has to leave the White House and make it appear that they are estranged. Frank reluctantly does so. That night, Claire gives her first televised address as the new President, informing the nation that they have killed Ahmadhi and that the U.S. is going to war with ICO. However, she gives no mention of a pardon to Frank or Doug, despite having agreed to do so. Frank, who has been watching the broadcast from his hotel room, angrily calls her to presumably demand an explanation, but Claire rejects the call, and stares towards the camera audience and coldly declares: "My turn."

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 71% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The consensus reads, "House of Cards enjoys a confident return to form this season, though its outlandish edge is tempered slightly by the current political climate."[12] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 60 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: House of Cards received four major nominations for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Kevin Spacey for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Robin Wright for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and Michael Kelly for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.[14]