ON THE A-TEAM WAS THAT GIRL WHO PLAYED AS TANIA

[studd911]

Hey i wanted to as anybody the girl who played as tania who was she an why didn't she stay longer on the show amy was ok but i loved tania's eyes

[BuddyHinton]

She couldn't act.

[DarkDante]

^ That was certainly and obviously a factor but the main reason both Melina Culea and Marla Heasley were cut from the show was because of internal politics between the network and S. J. Cannell productions. Cannell never wanted women to figure into his vision for the show.

In his mind "The A-Team" was about four Vietnam Vets who were on the run for alleged warcrimes and the various cases they took while running from the law.

The network to my understand kept trying to insert a female lead into the events until Cannell finally put his foot down and said he didn't want to take his show in that direction or to have his vision compromised.

I believe George Peppard while he had personality conflicts with Melinda Culea, got along quite well with Marla Heasley to the point of mentioning to her shortly after she recieved the news that she had been canned that "If there was ever going to be a female lead on the show it would've been her but it was just not the direction that Cannell wanted to go" or something to that effect.

[BuddyHinton]

I just don't get Peppard on this one. Hannibal is far and away my fave but Melinda worked so well with the show and felt totally natural in every way to me.

Having a fragile beauty like Melinda (and she was CUTE) only made the A Team seem like bigger badasses IMO. She totally clicked for me and Tania is the total opposite. I cringe when she speaks. I wonder what Dirk, T, and Howlin' say about AA?

Oddly enough I just saw the pilot for the first time yesterday and I think it is FANTASTIC! Wow, it seems grittier and even though I'm sure more time went into it than "regular" eps it makes me think how much better this show could have been with reduced camp?

Love you Amy! Always!

[Dynomite]

To tell you the truth, I liked Amy more than Tania. Amy was experienced at getting involved when the team needed her the most, although she wouldn't be involved in the fistfights, well, unless there was a villainess involved. I'm not sure if any of you will agree with this, but in Hannibal Smith's absence, Amy would assume the leadership role. It's a real shame Melinda Culea didn't stay on the A-Team past the end of 1983-even though she was primarily a newspaper reporter as Amy Allen, she made being the female warrior on the team look good, especially in battle against the undesirable bad guys who sought to deprave and oppress the peace-loving people of America and the world.

[waichingliu81]

i preferred amy over tania because she was the original and first female member of the A-team. it was stupid to get rid of her, but then again it was stupid of the writers, producers and creators to axe both melinda and marla. i must admit though although i loved this show when i was young, in regards to the treatment of the female actresses it was rather sexist and somewhat controversial.

besides, i didn't see what was so wrong having a female in the A-team because there it isn't and wasn't wrong back then and the writers seem to forget it wasn't just guys who watched this show, as women were just as much into it as well

[Mr. Television]

I think the ladies were just window dressing. They never really added anything to the show. The 4 men were the real stars.

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by Walking Tall

I think the ladies were just window dressing. They never really added anything to the show. The 4 men were the real stars.

i don't think you can blame the actresses for that- i think it was all part of the creators and writers to have amy and tania as male eye candy. they could've and should've gave them more to work with, in terms of potential plots and storylines. if i was a writer on the A-team, then i would've made sure that they have had as much involvement by working alongside the men. the A-team was a male testostorone based show

[Mr. Television]

Originally Posted by waichingliu81

i don't think you can blame the actresses for that- i think it was all part of the creators and writers to have amy and tania as male eye candy. they could've and should've gavw them more to work with, in terms of potential plots and storylines. if i was a writer on the A-team, then i would've made sure that they have had as much involvement by working alongside the men. the A-team was a male testostorone based show

It might have worked better if it was established that Amy was already a member of the team before the show came on. I think that might have helped and had her have some special quality to add to the gang. As it was written all she really had was the paper.

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by Walking Tall

It might have worked better if it was established that Amy was already a member of the team before the show came on. I think that might have helped and had her have some special quality to add to the gang. As it was written all she really had was the paper.

yeah, that's a good point. if amy hadn't been a reporter but say, an actual member of the A-team and had the ammo and been able to kick ass, then perhaps that character would've had more credability and considering the different types of personalities in hannibal (smart arse), the face (ladies man and so called good looking one), BA baracus (strong, mean, powerful) and murdock (the joker in the pack), she would've been a useful and interesting addition to the clan