I loved when Melinda’s character was paired with Murdoch. When the other three members of the team were in deep trouble Amy and Murdoch were able to get them out. I was sad when Amy left. She was a great part of the show, and it wasn’t the same when she was gone.
And that's what George Peppard didn't appear to grasp. Melinda was not only a beautiful gal. She was warm, funny, and approachable. She could be vulnerable, but also step up for the team when they really needed her. The A-Team was pure testosterone.But it lost something without a woman's touch.A lot of us 80's teens and younger boys needed a good example of a woman complimenting a group of men,as much as we needed positive,strong,brave,loyal, male examples.
I once read how the cast of Dynasty was relieved that Peppard was fired and replaced with John Forsythe at the last minute while filming the pilot because he was difficult to work with. John James has said in interviews about how dismissive George was to him when he tried to introduce himself for the first time. Can you Imagine George Peppard getting along with Joan Collins and dealing with her success on that show if he stayed?
For those in the UK, with access to Sky or cable TV, they're bringing on the A-Team episodes on the Legend channel this Thursday, 7pm. Would watch it as a kid on Saturdays, 5pm. Liked the film version too, with Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper. Wish they would make a sequel, such a superb idea, 4 innocent SF soldiers escape jail to go underground to form a unit and help those in need.
I remember at the time reading about George Peppard's not wanting a regular female character. Later on I saw an interview in which he called Mr. T "an embarrassment". I was a kid at the time and it was an eye-opener about how the industry I wanted to go into worked. P.S., she gave an AMAZING performance in ST:TNG. One of the most memorable episodes, IMHO.
I've seen in a few places that when Dwight Schultz first introduced himself to George Peppard, Peppard responded "I'm George Peppard and, I'm not a nice man."
Melinda was my favorite character. A no nonsense strong woman holding her own with the other guys trying to out do each other. She had a refreshing honesty to her.
@@censorshipsucks9493 Speaking of Family Ties Skippy Handelman nearly got his own spinoff with a new love interest introduced to him by Mallory in season 5 but producers decided to go with The Art Of Being Nick instead which lasted only one episode! 🤓🧐📺🙋
Dave, I can't say enough how much I enjoy those throw back commercials you put in your videos. They bring back such wonderful memories of a simpler time, even the Whopper I won. Thanks Dave!
As a devoted follower of Knots Landing, I can confirm that Melinda was very good in her role as Paula, an environmentalist who was sort of a foil (and later almost romantic interest) for William Devane's character. They did have good chemistry together, but for whatever reason, she only lasted for about one season. I really never followed the A-Team, that was in the four year period I didn't watch as much weeknight network TV due to college (and usually being behind on everything!). Glad she's doing well and is happy now!
Good Friday morning and a great video post. Reply: I am shocked that Ms. Melinda Culea would respond in this forum. I had no idea she was on UA-cam either. As for her time on the A Team, it was definitely missed and there was a noticable difference about the show when she left. As for Marla Heasley who took her place. She was good, but couldn't take Melinda's place. You did miss something big in her many roles after she left the A Team. She did all the shows you mentioned, and one you forgot. She also guessed starred on Family Ties as a subordinate to Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) during a convention trip. That episode was a two part. Family Ties Season 5 "A Tale Of Two Cities" Parts 1 & 2 (1987). I recently watched those episodes on my Family Ties DVD Complete Series collection.
Dave, Thanks for sharing this memory of The A-Team! Also, kudos for including Rat Patrol behind your image at the start. I would appreciate a review of Rat Patrol when you get the chance… and sorry if I missed it if you already released an episode for them.
As a little girl, I liked her character mostly, but often wondered why she didn’t get any really meaty story lines. Not I know why. I was also so sad when she left the show. I watched it, but could take it or leave it after she left.
Wow A Team been a while. Woaw I remember watching the Joey Lawrence show but forgot she was in it. I won a prize stuffed inside a magic straw, but it was from another burger franchise.
Huge A-Team fan! I remember when Melinda left the show. It was different for sure. As much as a fan I am of George Peppard, she was correct in the way he treated her. There were SEVERAL TV-Guide articles about the A-Team during that time. As a collector, I clipped them out and still have them. In those interviews, George pretty much said all those things about Melinda. Basically that he didn't want or need her on the show. As for the writers not knowing how to write women characters, well she was wrong about that. Those writers had cut their teeth on shows like The Rockford Files for one. They knew what the audience wanted. They were right too. Otherwise we wouldn't have great memories of her Amy Allen character.
As I was growing up, all my favorite tv characters were female, action-oriented heroes, from Sheba on Battlestar Galactica to Amy Allen. Very few of these kickass ladies lived up to their narrative potential, but they certainly influenced me! I became a journalist and writer because of Amy. I'm glad to hear Melinda's voice in all this at last. I've always wondered what the truth was.
Thank you for this. Strictly speaking Reg Barclay wasn’t vital to the success of ST:TNG. And he certainly didn’t fit the StarTrek hero mold. But he bought a fresh perspective and ended up being one of my favorite characters. As a girl in my early teens I was so happy to see a woman in an action series (it got pretty boring just seening women huddle up against a wall and scream when anything was going on in some of those other shows). I was really disappointed that Melinda got so little to do, and sorry when she left. I heard the rumors but I didn’t believe therm. And I read that Tia Carrere and @ least one other actresses had unpleasant experiences with Peppard on set. Different characters, experiences, and personalities are what make things interesting. If she just wanted a paycheck, Melinda could have just been window dressing as Peppard wanted. Good on her for speaking up, even if it meant the end of her role. I really admire her for that. 😊
I am a die-hard Tia Carrere fan, and I like to think that she delivered the ultimate refutation of George Peppard. If Peppard had anything to do with her never getting a bigger role, I can only say that simply freed her up later to star on the show Relic Hunter (yes, an open riff on Tomb Raider). Relic Hunter was a lot of fun and Tia was consistently engaging and enchanting. She was her very own A-Team -- A for archaeology. Thanks, Dave.
@@philfitnesspt6139 Thank you for that, I did not know. I assume we're talking about General Hospital -- for a second, I wondered if she was a medical student.
I was 11 when The A-Team first aired here in the UK, and it is still my favourite all time TV show. I had a huge crush on Melinda, and was sorry to see her leave. At that time, without the internet, almost nothing was known about the behind the scenes drama, to the point where I assumed the George and Mr T were probably good friends!! But I really could have done with some more AAA!
I knew George Peppard was a jerk, I remember reading somewhere that he even said he wasn't a fan of himself. I'm still a fan of George Peppard regardless of his personality and personal life he was a talented actor. I understand Melinda's frustration, and those writers probably didn't know how to write for reoccurring female characters. They should have had her take karate lessons that would have been funny. From other videos, I've watched a series about The A-Team from Jim Conlan's Chat UA-cam channel because he had interviewed quite a few people including Marla Heasly who worked on the show and who either had good or bad things to say about George. I loved watching the episodes with Amy in them she knew how to handle them including Hannibal lol and she held her own. It is too bad she couldn't have continued and wondered what would have happened if Melinda's character had made an appearance during the Trial by Fire episode. I think that would have been very interesting. Thanks for the video Dave, it was great to get her side of the story and yes I agree the guys should have put those rumors about her being difficult to rest. I'm going to have to look for her book would love to read it.
Thanks for the comment, Angela! I'm a fan of George's work...but, not so much the man himself. I've got to get that book as well and give it a read. I truly appreciate all your support!
Loved The A-Team! Still watch it today! Yes I liked Amy, but I'm still and always will be a George Peppard AKA John Hannibal Smith! And what really ruined the A-Team was when Robert Vaughan! And the other dude joined the A-Team! Can't remember their names on the show!
@@Rob_1776 Robert Vaughn played General Hunt Stockwell and Eddie Velez played Frankie “Dishpan” Santana. I liked only a couple of episodes from season five “Quarterback Sneak” was one,.
You're so right. Robert Vaughn and Eddie Velez ruined the show. Every Wednesday on H & I channel they have repeats of A-Team from noon to 5. I change the channel when I see it's an episode with those two.
I'm glad she got back to you, Dave. At least she helped make the show more memorable, even if George was a jerk to her. I remember eating M. T Cereal. It was a good even cereal, although it was just another version of Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch.
Sorry but your just hearing her side and poor Geroge is dead so can't defend himself. I saw interview with dirk benedict who confirmed they had nothing to do with Amy being fired she did it to herself she was complaining a lot and wanted to be in the fights dirk said him and dwight pleaded with her to be a girl but she wanted be something else which wasn't what she was hired for.
Great work Dave, The A-Team was a great show and one of my all-time favorites, but Melinda Culea as Triple A made it that much better. The show slowly started deteriorating in quality after she left. She was the missing piece in my opinion to that miraculous cast. It was a shame she didn't on longer because I would've liked to had seen Amy get involved with the boys in more fight scenes and take on a bigger role as the show progressed. She had a badass aura about her that needed to be tapped into. She had that April O'Neal from Ninja Turtles vibe about her, but she could get rough and tough like a Charlie's Angel, or Laura Holt from Remington Steele. It's a shame that she had to put up with George Peppard who I heard was difficult to work with. I'm glad Melinda gave us the truth and her side of the story in your past video about her, based on other accounts that I heard it was Peppard who was the real problem, not her. Mr. T always had great things to say about her, so I knew she was not a problem like that and she doesn't seem like it either, so I wasn't buying it for one second. Peppard was a sexist and there's no other way to be blunt about it. It's a shame she had to deal with a fictional bad reputation about herself for a while, but I'm glad she got work when she did. Honestly, if she was around a few years earlier, she could've been a Charlie's Angel, she had the beauty and looks and aura to pass for one. I just watched The A-Team this past Wednesday on H&I because they're playing her episodes again from the beginning of the first season and she is just drop dead gorgeous, I still have a crush on her to this day. I'll do a story on Melinda Culea in the future on my channel.
I'm glad Melinda took the time to respond to your query. I remember reading about her dismissal from the show in the National Enquirer back then, and the story highlighted her concerns but also had George Peppard saying that Melinda kept complaining all the time about different aspects of the show. Marla Heasley didn't really seem to fit in, and you could clearly tell it was not a show geared towards women. In modern times given the silly agenda Hollywood seems to have now, they may very well remake the A-Team with Hannibal as a woman leading a group of other women. Hope this doesn't give them any ideas!
They could have told some great stories with Amy. Both George & Dirk didn't care for Amy being on the show. They could have developed a romance with with Face, a father figure with Hanible, and a sisterly relationship with B.A. and Murdoch. Each of them could have taught her stuff, and she could have been a "Jill of all trades". She'd have been a great assets to the team with her media connection and being female she could probably get into places they mighg not be able to.
@@jdsundstrom I really liked Triple A better then Tawnia Baker. Both played by good actresses but Baker was had too much of a glamour girl look where Amy looked like she might have been a Tomboy at some point in her youth.
I loved Melinda on The A-Team. And I loved her on Knot’s Landing as Kevin Dobson’s character’s mistress. I think if Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo took a little time, Melinda’s character could have been the daughter of a combat nurse who Hannibal knew in the Vietnam War. When The A-Team had the episode when Hannibal and the team were caught and were brought before a military court, they were exonerated and were recruited by a government agency to work for them. I remember losing interest.
3:48 54 years old nowadays a big fan of the A Team And Yes I also liked Amy Allen but she was not Really needed or integral to the show , neither was her Replacement , just my opinion. The two womens roles were I think only To be representing Us the viewers being on the Outside looking in On The Actual A Team.
Had a major teenage crush on Melinda back in the day! Definitely lost interest in "The A Team" after she left! But seeing her performances in "St Elsewhere" and on the "TNG" episode she was in proved what a good actor she is!
Melinda's side is a full 180 from the story I heard, which did include being temperamental, uncooperative, unprepared, late, antisocial, but when sociable, she was bickering with the cast and tried to be a "girl boss". When she didn't get her way, she resorted to tears and storming off of the set, and it all had to do with a substance that shares the name of a popular soda. Probably planted stories to make the studio not look so sexist for firing the female lead. That said . . . I agree that Melinda could've had a a greater impact on the team if the writers knew what they were doing. It was drama, yes, but it was also satire because no bad guys ever got killed or horribly, seriously injured during car chases/explosions/fights. I mean, Hannibal could sucker punch a bad guy with brass knuckles and all that happens is a slightly winded guy shaking it off as he is walked to a police car. So, it could've been worked out for Amy to have a sort of Larry/Curly approach that when one of the guys is in dire straits, she assists in some unique way that could give her a funny purpose. Also, I thought I was the only one who noticed the chemistry between Melinda and Dirk. In fact, I wrote my very first fanfiction about those two in September 1983. It was not very good, as I was only 14, but it really fueled my desire to be a writer.
I've written quite a few fan fiction on The A-Team but added my original female character. Some of them are not very good but I wrote them mostly for me. Now I'm working on an original novel of my own.
Not gender neutral, but androgynous. Having the characteristics of both sexes to the extent that neither is predominant. It's a slight difference, but definitely different.
@@OneWildTurkey Actually, her race was androgynous, but the character identified as female. It was actually forbidden to identify as either male or female. Anyone doing so was "re-programmed".
I decided to look at Nielsen ratings for the show for perhaps a more "objective" view of whether or not the show was better with the women in it. The A-Team was #10 and #4 in the first two seasons (with the first season being not a full season) with both Melinda and Maria in them. Maria's last episode was the third episode of season 3 and A-Team still ranked #6. However, it dropped to #30 the following season and then #61 in its final season (time shift to Friday - not quite the death slot it is today as this was pre-TGIF but still not good). So the ratings to tend to favor the women. I feel bad for Melinda that she earned such a bad reputation as a result, but glad she has made the best of things. As for George Peppard, I would probably say he's a brilliant actor, but not as nice of a human. I've read too many not good things about him from several other shows about the A-Team. I did love him as Hannibal.
Melinda agrees with all of George's ex wives. In all fairness, I do like these great Peppard quotes: "Getting married and having a bad divorce is just like breaking your leg. The same leg, in the same place. I'm lucky I don't walk with a cane." "If you look at my movie list, you'll see some really good movies and then the start of ones that were not so good. But I was making enough money to send my children to good schools, have a house for them and give them a center in their lives."
@@jdsundstromOne of Tia Carrere's first movie jobs was Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man. A complete "futuristic" (it was filmed in 1990 and set in 1997)take on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is actually Butch and Sundance almost scene for scene.
dont forget-fun fact- the faceman was played by a different actor in the pilot. and what was george going on about? her intro episode was key to the plot and she did great. as for melinda, her episode in star trek tng is one of my favorites. ahhhh... the still chauvenistic 70s-80s....
In Peppard's defense, we've all seen shows and movies where there's some character added to a cast strictly to appeal to women, or to children, or whatever, and it always comes across like a bad idea, and usually one cooked up by someone with a corporate mandate rather than creative necessity. It just wasn't true here because not only was Culea a wonderful actress, but had absolutely amazing chemistry with the team (especially with Benedict), and the A-Team was definitely not the same after she left.
I did enjoy Melinda in The A-Team, and was definitely an asset, but feel her character arc could not continue as a main character throughout the show (how would the writers continue to work her into storylines). Culea would probably be relegated to being a guest star by season three if she had remained on the show that long.
Remember the way Hanibal treated her in that first episode? I think he didn't have to act much lol. Bad form, George. It might have lasted longer with her in it. I liked her attitude.
Peppard only got the A-Team gig because he got his arse fired from Dynasty, when he was pencilled for the Blake Carrington role. In fact, he wasn't even first choice for Hannibal. Creator Steven J Cannell had James Coburn in mind. But, even then, he was too expensive and still a big name. Couldn't hack being upstaged by a non-actor like Mr T, who Cannell created the show for in the first place!
Dave is there a way I can purchase a full year subscription by paying in advance ? In other words I want to pay a complete year in advance (while I have the cash on hand). Then I can kick back geek out like the pop culture geek that I am!!!
Having worked in the industry and left it (I still dabble), I thoroughly understand what she is saying. I've worked with people who are the polar opposites of their characters or public persona and not too nice in IRL. Sometimes it's just the roles they play and they are amazing actors, some can be real Jeckyl & Hyde types. Peppard always seemed to have a real chip on his shoulder you could see coming miles away. I think he also came up during a time where do TV after movies was seen as a lesser thing and people could be prickly and territorial about things. It takes guts to stand up to these types and honestly, sometimes standing up to them earns you some grudging respect from them. Melinda and her husband, Peter Markle, have done very well for themselves in a tough business. I may not have really watched the A-Team but I know the ST TNG episode clearly. It's one of their better social commentary/reverse psychology episodes of the series.
@@TempeSoldier123 1989 to 94 solidly in film production/studio lot work and a little bit of development, after that mostly in broadcast tv operations and videography. I've worn a lot of hats. Nicest celebrity? Hmm.. It would be easier saying the ones I didn't like. I did like Bill Irwin and Edward James Olmos. Some nice character actors were Frank Adonis, Julie Michaels, Virginia Capers, and Brent Jennings. I didn't really work with him but I kept running into him the first month I was in LA was Mel Brooks. The only work related thing, sort of, was I attended a test screening for industry people on a movie he was having trouble with at the time. He was just great and a great pleasure to meet. As I said it would be easer to rattle off some names of some not so nice people, weird people, and ones that largely just kept to themselves.
@@TempeSoldier123 I used to like Bette Midler until I worked on a movie of hers. Her husband is a real jerk too. Lorraine Bracco was not a pleasant person. I worked with Dabney Coleman who kept to himself but in an odd way. Rae Dawn Chong, Elizabeth Berridge, Fisher Stevens. Sandra Bullock, Woody Allen, Paul Mazursky, Danny Glover, Neve Campbell, Terry Kinney, Mike Hagerty. I think I crossed paths with David Duchovny. I didn't really get his name at the time. This was around the time of The Red Shoes Diaries but he wasn't a name yet.
Her character was useless..."she finds the A-Team their jobs"... Then she disappears for the entirety of the episode. That's your only job is to find the A-Team their jobs.
George believed women were meant to be eye candy, she wanted too much from her role. many women who worked George called him insensitive and annoying when asked to come back to a show he worked, they declined. Dirk Said that when George was in character, he was great to work with, but he was a pig otherwise. Belinda was let go via told she wasn't needed anymore. George simply tolerated the women, he didn't want them on set.
Not surprised about Peppard, some people you get a feel for. Back then he would have earned the descriptor "male chauvinist pig". Also, did the A-Team ever get exonerated by the series end?
Yeah, I don't think Mr T was helped by doing that bouncer competition and being in Rocky and on Wrestlemania with Hulk Hogan. Sorry to hear that about Peppard, as I like his acting in many things. I think Melinda's character could have been a great asset to the show, but as she says, she was often relegated to being in the background or looking lost. Melinda, glad you came out of it well and let us really see more of your talent since they didn't give you that opportunity.
What Peppard said to Culea is just one of the many nasty things he did on set. I saw an Q & A with Dwight Schultz (Murdoch) and we was asked about George Peppard. He didn't hold back.. Schultz said that the first day he met Peppard, George introduced himself by saying "I am George Peppard, and I am not a very nice man". Schultz said that he found that an unusual introduction but George proceeded to live up to not being a nice man. As well as how Peppard treated Melinda Culea and Marla Hensley, Peppard hated Mr T. As in, he HATED Mr T. Peppard saw himself as a big movie star who co-starred with Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast At Tiffany's", yet Mr T, who had barely had many acting roles before "A-Team" (most famously "Rocky 3"), got more fan mail and got asked for more autographs. Also T was a cultural icon, had his own merchandise as well as "A-Team" merchandise, and even that T was doing wrestling which got him even more publicity. George was insanely jealous of T. Dirk Benedict played mediator and if Peppard wanted to talk to T, who he called "the man with the gold", he told Benedict who had to pass the message to Mr T. Robert Vaughan was introduced in Season 5 as he was a friend of Peppard and brought in to calm him down but it didn't work. Also, there didn't have many scenes between Peppard and T, without the others, in later seasons, because a fight would break out. Peppard also loved playing pranks on others, but hated being the target of pranks. Also, Peppard would go home at 5pm each day, so they had to film his scenes first and then scenes without him after 5pm. Peppard once said to Schultz "I have been accused of hitting my wife. I didn't do it, because if I had, I would have killed her" Peppard hated doing the show and thought that it was beneath him, but no one else would hire him, so it was that, or his career was over. He had burnt too many bridges. . When Peppard died, none of the other cast were told and when they did find out, Peppard's family banned anyone who worked on the show from attending the funeral.
Sorry but that's just not true george didn't hate being on the show he was actually very proud of it and how well it did yes he didn't get on with mr.t towards the end but you don't always get on with your work colleagues he did get on with the rest though. Also dirk benedict said he was getting tired at the end as older hence why he probably went home early. Dwight stated geroge actually improved the show as he knew a good script and would argue for rewrites to improve an epsoide
💁💕I loved 'The A Team'! Every week they had to breakout Mad Murdock from a Mental Institution.Drug BA before boarding a plane because he had a fear of flying.🛩️ Face was suave. Hannibal/George Peppard/ was a handsome talented man.. Unfortunately he wasn't a nice person Dave! 😏
Melinda Culea was obviously attractive but also athletic enough that she could have had a bigger role, besides being the reporter chasing the A-team -- like the reporter chasing the Hulk. Losimg AMy and the A-team working for the government were two changes that didn't help the show. Still fun to watch, though.
At 5'9" & with her athletic tomboyish aura, I was very upset that Melinda was never allowed to participate in at least fight scenes, something that would now simply be standard for actresses to be involved in the action!
I loved when Melinda’s character was paired with Murdoch. When the other three members of the team were in deep trouble Amy and Murdoch were able to get them out.
I was sad when Amy left. She was a great part of the show, and it wasn’t the same when she was gone.
Murdock was the comic relief to all the drama in each episode. Melinda was a knockout! Congrats on 150K subs!
Melinda was eye candy on that show, pure and simple. I watched, I liked her - what teenage boy wouldn't?
And that's what George Peppard didn't appear to grasp. Melinda was not only a beautiful gal. She was warm, funny, and approachable. She could be vulnerable, but also step up for the team when they really
needed her. The A-Team was pure testosterone.But it lost something without a woman's touch.A lot of us 80's teens and younger boys needed a good example of a woman complimenting a group of men,as
much as we needed positive,strong,brave,loyal, male examples.
She was great in A Team. She brought that special touch of magic and personality that the show needed. Huge error letting her go.
Thanks for informing us about Melinda! Oh yeah, the commercials featuring her were an extra treat!
You are very welcome!
I once read how the cast of Dynasty was relieved that Peppard was fired and replaced with John Forsythe at the last minute while filming the pilot because he was difficult to work with. John James has said in interviews about how dismissive George was to him when he tried to introduce himself for the first time. Can you Imagine George Peppard getting along with Joan Collins and dealing with her success on that show if he stayed?
Which is funny because apparently old John Forsyth was a complete prick to Joan Collins.
I loved the A-Team. I had the van, the corvette the big figures, the little ones. Brilliant fun times.
It was appointment tv. Loved the show. One of the free apps had the A-Team on it so I had the opportunity to watch it again.
Didn’t Amy have an action figure too? I seem to remember seeing an AAA figure selling along with the others when the show came out
@@juniorjangles7655 Hello I did reply already but it seems something went wrong. Yes, you're correct. 🙂
There's only one original a team and there's everybody else, period.and therefore some awsome teams out there folks.
For those in the UK, with access to Sky or cable TV, they're bringing on the A-Team episodes on the Legend channel this Thursday, 7pm. Would watch it as a kid on Saturdays, 5pm. Liked the film version too, with Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper. Wish they would make a sequel, such a superb idea, 4 innocent SF soldiers escape jail to go underground to form a unit and help those in need.
Melinda was a Stunner and one of my first crushes ❤️
I remember at the time reading about George Peppard's not wanting a regular female character. Later on I saw an interview in which he called Mr. T "an embarrassment".
I was a kid at the time and it was an eye-opener about how the industry I wanted to go into worked.
P.S., she gave an AMAZING performance in ST:TNG. One of the most memorable episodes, IMHO.
Thanks for sharing!
Melinda was gorgeous 😍
Yeah...she could of been a model for a box of Milk Bones.
I've seen in a few places that when Dwight Schultz first introduced himself to George Peppard, Peppard responded "I'm George Peppard and, I'm not a nice man."
Melinda was my favorite character. A no nonsense strong woman holding her own with the other guys trying to out do each other. She had a refreshing honesty to her.
She was also on Family Ties, playing a bank manager and Alex's boss.
She nailed the role, and i don't have to remind you how beautiful she is.❤
Yep. No need to remind me. 🙂
@@jdsundstrom Also Dirk Benedict looks like Treat Williams. 🤗🤔🕵🔍
And Alex probably wanted to nail her!
I remember that. It was just a handful of episodes, but the fact that I remember it over 40 years later means she stood out.
@@censorshipsucks9493 Speaking of Family Ties Skippy Handelman nearly got his own spinoff with a new love interest introduced to him by Mallory in season 5 but producers decided to go with The Art Of Being Nick instead which lasted only one episode! 🤓🧐📺🙋
Dave, I can't say enough how much I enjoy those throw back commercials you put in your videos. They bring back such wonderful memories of a simpler time, even the Whopper I won. Thanks Dave!
Thanks for the feedback! I will definitely continue to include them.
As a devoted follower of Knots Landing, I can confirm that Melinda was very good in her role as Paula, an environmentalist who was sort of a foil (and later almost romantic interest) for William Devane's character. They did have good chemistry together, but for whatever reason, she only lasted for about one season. I really never followed the A-Team, that was in the four year period I didn't watch as much weeknight network TV due to college (and usually being behind on everything!). Glad she's doing well and is happy now!
Loved William Devane
She portrayed the character Paula fine, but she had no chemistry with William Devine.
She had a little chemistry with Mack.
I never knew that she played Soren on ST:TNG! That's awesome!
Thank You for the Video (and the memories) 😀
You bet!
I thought Melinda was great and had a beauty smile. I miss those days. ❤
Melinda was and is a class act
Great video! I loved the A Team but don't remember her. It's been too long. But I do remember that episode of next Gen. Very moving story.
It''s very cool. Melinda Culea tells her side of the A-Team Exit.
Good Friday morning and a great video post. Reply: I am shocked that Ms. Melinda Culea would respond in this forum. I had no idea she was on UA-cam either. As for her time on the A Team, it was definitely missed and there was a noticable difference about the show when she left. As for Marla Heasley who took her place. She was good, but couldn't take Melinda's place. You did miss something big in her many roles after she left the A Team. She did all the shows you mentioned, and one you forgot. She also guessed starred on Family Ties as a subordinate to Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) during a convention trip. That episode was a two part. Family Ties Season 5 "A Tale Of Two Cities" Parts 1 & 2 (1987). I recently watched those episodes on my Family Ties DVD Complete Series collection.
Dave,
Thanks for sharing this memory of The A-Team! Also, kudos for including Rat Patrol behind your image at the start. I would appreciate a review of Rat Patrol when you get the chance… and sorry if I missed it if you already released an episode for them.
Glad you enjoyed it! I've got to watch a few episodes before I do anything on that show. 🙂
As a little girl, I liked her character mostly, but often wondered why she didn’t get any really meaty story lines. Not I know why. I was also so sad when she left the show. I watched it, but could take it or leave it after she left.
Wow A Team been a while. Woaw I remember watching the Joey Lawrence show but forgot she was in it. I won a prize stuffed inside a magic straw, but it was from another burger franchise.
I pity the fool who doesn’t sub this channel. That’s awesome that she posted her side. Thanks for the upload.
Thanks for all your support!
Huge A-Team fan! I remember when Melinda left the show. It was different for sure. As much as a fan I am of George Peppard, she was correct in the way he treated her. There were SEVERAL TV-Guide articles about the A-Team during that time. As a collector, I clipped them out and still have them. In those interviews, George pretty much said all those things about Melinda. Basically that he didn't want or need her on the show. As for the writers not knowing how to write women characters, well she was wrong about that. Those writers had cut their teeth on shows like The Rockford Files for one. They knew what the audience wanted. They were right too. Otherwise we wouldn't have great memories of her Amy Allen character.
Solid assessment. Thanks for sharing!
@@jdsundstrom Forgot to mention one FACT: STILL a great channel!
I liked Amy they didnt want a woman on the show fired her and replaced her with Tanya who had even less to do
I loved this show growing up with or without melinda!
Nice loved the A team
You showed the picture with Melinda and her Brotherly Love castmates. Liz Vassey, who played Louise, was the only other female lead.
I had a huge crush on Melinda back then. I didn’t care for the show much after she left.
Yeah. The four man A-Team felt like something was missing.
Better than tawnia
What are you blind or gay?
The show should have kept Amy on and gave her more to do (just like Melinda quite rightly requested/suggested)
As I was growing up, all my favorite tv characters were female, action-oriented heroes, from Sheba on Battlestar Galactica to Amy Allen. Very few of these kickass ladies lived up to their narrative potential, but they certainly influenced me! I became a journalist and writer because of Amy. I'm glad to hear Melinda's voice in all this at last. I've always wondered what the truth was.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Thank you for this. Strictly speaking Reg Barclay wasn’t vital to the success of ST:TNG. And he certainly didn’t fit the StarTrek hero mold. But he bought a fresh perspective and ended up being one of my favorite characters.
As a girl in my early teens I was so happy to see a woman in an action series (it got pretty boring just seening women huddle up against a wall and scream when anything was going on in some of those other shows).
I was really disappointed that Melinda got so little to do, and sorry when she left. I heard the rumors but I didn’t believe therm. And I read that Tia Carrere and @ least one other actresses had unpleasant experiences with Peppard on set.
Different characters, experiences, and personalities are what make things interesting. If she just wanted a paycheck, Melinda could have just been window dressing as Peppard wanted. Good on her for speaking up, even if it meant the end of her role. I really admire her for that. 😊
She was great in the a-team. I wish she could had been In it longer
Me too.
I am a die-hard Tia Carrere fan, and I like to think that she delivered the ultimate refutation of George Peppard. If Peppard had anything to do with her never getting a bigger role, I can only say that simply freed her up later to star on the show Relic Hunter (yes, an open riff on Tomb Raider). Relic Hunter was a lot of fun and Tia was consistently engaging and enchanting. She was her very own A-Team -- A for archaeology. Thanks, Dave.
Didn’t she play a kid in the last season?
George had nothing to do with Tia not joining the show she couldn't get out of her contract with the hospital program she was on.
@@philfitnesspt6139 Thank you for that, I did not know. I assume we're talking about General Hospital -- for a second, I wondered if she was a medical student.
@@philfitnesspt6139 Well said, I am glad someone else knows the truth.
❤❤ She was awesome on the 18.Th it's a pity that they wrote her out of the show
Watched it in the UK on itv Saturday dinner time. Now showing on Legend Channel 7pm Monday to Friday started showing Thursday last week the pilot.
I love ❤️ Melinda 🎉😍
I've been watching the Donna reed show lately on roku channel great show Dave
she was also on Star Trek TNG season 5 episode "The Outcast" as Soren
I was 11 when The A-Team first aired here in the UK, and it is still my favourite all time TV show. I had a huge crush on Melinda, and was sorry to see her leave. At that time, without the internet, almost nothing was known about the behind the scenes drama, to the point where I assumed the George and Mr T were probably good friends!! But I really could have done with some more AAA!
Well done 😮
Thanks Danny!
I knew George Peppard was a jerk, I remember reading somewhere that he even said he wasn't a fan of himself. I'm still a fan of George Peppard regardless of his personality and personal life he was a talented actor. I understand Melinda's frustration, and those writers probably didn't know how to write for reoccurring female characters. They should have had her take karate lessons that would have been funny. From other videos, I've watched a series about The A-Team from Jim Conlan's Chat UA-cam channel because he had interviewed quite a few people including Marla Heasly who worked on the show and who either had good or bad things to say about George. I loved watching the episodes with Amy in them she knew how to handle them including Hannibal lol and she held her own. It is too bad she couldn't have continued and wondered what would have happened if Melinda's character had made an appearance during the Trial by Fire episode. I think that would have been very interesting. Thanks for the video Dave, it was great to get her side of the story and yes I agree the guys should have put those rumors about her being difficult to rest. I'm going to have to look for her book would love to read it.
Thanks for the comment, Angela! I'm a fan of George's work...but, not so much the man himself. I've got to get that book as well and give it a read. I truly appreciate all your support!
I didn't watch A-Team. I was a Banacek fan
@@trishc8390 I have the series Banacek on DVD and I love the show just as much as The A-Team, wished he had continued with Banacek.
@@angelamcardle8311 He didn't continue Banacek because his ex wife was going to get a large chunk of his pay, so he sabotaged himself to spite her.
@@amitypredator9385 Yeah I remember reading about that kind of dumb personally but the man had an ego the size of the universe I guess. lol
Loved The A-Team! Still watch it today! Yes I liked Amy, but I'm still and always will be a George Peppard AKA John Hannibal Smith! And what really ruined the A-Team was when Robert Vaughan! And the other dude joined the A-Team! Can't remember their names on the show!
@@Rob_1776 Robert Vaughn played General Hunt Stockwell and Eddie Velez played Frankie “Dishpan” Santana. I liked only a couple of episodes from season five “Quarterback Sneak” was one,.
You're so right. Robert Vaughn and Eddie Velez ruined the show. Every Wednesday on H & I channel they have repeats of A-Team from noon to 5. I change the channel when I see it's an episode with those two.
Tia carrere was also awesome with the guy that played Nigel in relic Hunter.
I'm glad she got back to you, Dave. At least she helped make the show more memorable, even if George was a jerk to her.
I remember eating M. T Cereal. It was a good even cereal, although it was just another version of Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch.
Sorry but your just hearing her side and poor Geroge is dead so can't defend himself. I saw interview with dirk benedict who confirmed they had nothing to do with Amy being fired she did it to herself she was complaining a lot and wanted to be in the fights dirk said him and dwight pleaded with her to be a girl but she wanted be something else which wasn't what she was hired for.
Great work Dave, The A-Team was a great show and one of my all-time favorites, but Melinda Culea as Triple A made it that much better. The show slowly started deteriorating in quality after she left. She was the missing piece in my opinion to that miraculous cast. It was a shame she didn't on longer because I would've liked to had seen Amy get involved with the boys in more fight scenes and take on a bigger role as the show progressed. She had a badass aura about her that needed to be tapped into. She had that April O'Neal from Ninja Turtles vibe about her, but she could get rough and tough like a Charlie's Angel, or Laura Holt from Remington Steele. It's a shame that she had to put up with George Peppard who I heard was difficult to work with. I'm glad Melinda gave us the truth and her side of the story in your past video about her, based on other accounts that I heard it was Peppard who was the real problem, not her. Mr. T always had great things to say about her, so I knew she was not a problem like that and she doesn't seem like it either, so I wasn't buying it for one second. Peppard was a sexist and there's no other way to be blunt about it. It's a shame she had to deal with a fictional bad reputation about herself for a while, but I'm glad she got work when she did. Honestly, if she was around a few years earlier, she could've been a Charlie's Angel, she had the beauty and looks and aura to pass for one. I just watched The A-Team this past Wednesday on H&I because they're playing her episodes again from the beginning of the first season and she is just drop dead gorgeous, I still have a crush on her to this day. I'll do a story on Melinda Culea in the future on my channel.
I'm glad Melinda took the time to respond to your query. I remember reading about her dismissal from the show in the National Enquirer back then, and the story highlighted her concerns but also had George Peppard saying that Melinda kept complaining all the time about different aspects of the show. Marla Heasley didn't really seem to fit in, and you could clearly tell it was not a show geared towards women. In modern times given the silly agenda Hollywood seems to have now, they may very well remake the A-Team with Hannibal as a woman leading a group of other women. Hope this doesn't give them any ideas!
In the Reboot of Magnum, P.I. they'd made Higgins a female character.
They could have told some great stories with Amy. Both George & Dirk didn't care for Amy being on the show. They could have developed a romance with with Face, a father figure with Hanible, and a sisterly relationship with B.A. and Murdoch. Each of them could have taught her stuff, and she could have been a "Jill of all trades". She'd have been a great assets to the team with her media connection and being female she could probably get into places they mighg not be able to.
Thanks for sharing!
@@jdsundstrom I really liked Triple A better then Tawnia Baker. Both played by good actresses but Baker was had too much of a glamour girl look where Amy looked like she might have been a Tomboy at some point in her youth.
I loved Melinda on The A-Team. And I loved her on Knot’s Landing as Kevin Dobson’s character’s mistress.
I think if Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo took a little time, Melinda’s character could have been the daughter of a combat nurse who
Hannibal knew in the Vietnam War.
When The A-Team had the episode when Hannibal and the team were caught and were brought before a military court, they were exonerated and were recruited by a government agency to work for them. I remember losing interest.
3:48 54 years old nowadays a big fan of the A Team And Yes I also liked Amy Allen but she was not Really needed or integral to the show , neither was her Replacement , just my opinion. The two womens roles were I think only To be representing Us the viewers being on the Outside looking in On The Actual A Team.
Dwight Schultz character’s name was Howling Mad Murdock
Had a major teenage crush on Melinda back in the day! Definitely lost interest in "The A Team" after she left!
But seeing her performances in "St Elsewhere" and on the "TNG" episode she was in proved what a good actor she is!
I wonder if Dwight's reoccurring roll on STNG as Lt. Barkley had some pull to get her on an episode, or just a casting call happenstance? 🤔
Melinda's side is a full 180 from the story I heard, which did include being temperamental, uncooperative, unprepared, late, antisocial, but when sociable, she was bickering with the cast and tried to be a "girl boss". When she didn't get her way, she resorted to tears and storming off of the set, and it all had to do with a substance that shares the name of a popular soda. Probably planted stories to make the studio not look so sexist for firing the female lead. That said . . .
I agree that Melinda could've had a a greater impact on the team if the writers knew what they were doing. It was drama, yes, but it was also satire because no bad guys ever got killed or horribly, seriously injured during car chases/explosions/fights. I mean, Hannibal could sucker punch a bad guy with brass knuckles and all that happens is a slightly winded guy shaking it off as he is walked to a police car. So, it could've been worked out for Amy to have a sort of Larry/Curly approach that when one of the guys is in dire straits, she assists in some unique way that could give her a funny purpose.
Also, I thought I was the only one who noticed the chemistry between Melinda and Dirk. In fact, I wrote my very first fanfiction about those two in September 1983. It was not very good, as I was only 14, but it really fueled my desire to be a writer.
I've written quite a few fan fiction on The A-Team but added my original female character. Some of them are not very good but I wrote them mostly for me. Now I'm working on an original novel of my own.
I remember Melinda guest starring on Star Trek: The Next Generation as a gender neutral character.
Not gender neutral, but androgynous. Having the characteristics of both sexes to the extent that neither is predominant. It's a slight difference, but definitely different.
@@OneWildTurkey Actually, her race was androgynous, but the character identified as female. It was actually forbidden to identify as either male or female. Anyone doing so was "re-programmed".
I have a co-worker who looks and acts like Melinda
I decided to look at Nielsen ratings for the show for perhaps a more "objective" view of whether or not the show was better with the women in it. The A-Team was #10 and #4 in the first two seasons (with the first season being not a full season) with both Melinda and Maria in them. Maria's last episode was the third episode of season 3 and A-Team still ranked #6. However, it dropped to #30 the following season and then #61 in its final season (time shift to Friday - not quite the death slot it is today as this was pre-TGIF but still not good). So the ratings to tend to favor the women.
I feel bad for Melinda that she earned such a bad reputation as a result, but glad she has made the best of things.
As for George Peppard, I would probably say he's a brilliant actor, but not as nice of a human. I've read too many not good things about him from several other shows about the A-Team. I did love him as Hannibal.
Thanks for doing the research! Your results are very very interesting. 🙂
Melinda agrees with all of George's ex wives.
In all fairness, I do like these great Peppard quotes:
"Getting married and having a bad divorce is just like breaking your leg. The same leg, in the same place. I'm lucky I don't walk with a cane."
"If you look at my movie list, you'll see some really good movies and then the start of ones that were not so good. But I was making enough money to send my children to good schools, have a house for them and give them a center in their lives."
Didn't Miss Carrere have her own Show years later where she played a mercenary???
She sure did, Bob. It was called “Relic Hunter” and you can watch it for free on Tubi.
@@jdsundstromOne of Tia Carrere's first movie jobs was Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man. A complete "futuristic" (it was filmed in 1990 and set in 1997)take on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is actually Butch and Sundance almost scene for scene.
dont forget-fun fact- the faceman was played by a different actor in the pilot. and what was george going on about? her intro episode was key to the plot and she did great. as for melinda, her episode in star trek tng is one of my favorites. ahhhh... the still chauvenistic 70s-80s....
Dave Awesome ❤❤❤😮😮😮😊😊😊
In Peppard's defense, we've all seen shows and movies where there's some character added to a cast strictly to appeal to women, or to children, or whatever, and it always comes across like a bad idea, and usually one cooked up by someone with a corporate mandate rather than creative necessity. It just wasn't true here because not only was Culea a wonderful actress, but had absolutely amazing chemistry with the team (especially with Benedict), and the A-Team was definitely not the same after she left.
I remember sn episode where the A Team got outwitted and beat up by a gang of South Americans in a barfight scene.
I did enjoy Melinda in The A-Team, and was definitely an asset, but feel her character arc could not continue as a main character throughout the show (how would the writers continue to work her into storylines). Culea would probably be relegated to being a guest star by season three if she had remained on the show that long.
great
Remember the way Hanibal treated her in that first episode? I think he didn't have to act much lol. Bad form, George.
It might have lasted longer with her in it. I liked her attitude.
You can catch the A team and the original series of Macgyver on the freeview c channel Legend this week from Tuesday great retro tv . Good luck.
wasn't there a contemparary clone of the show as well?
There was a movie starring Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper a while back.
@@jdsundstrom no this was around while Ateam aired
Peppard only got the A-Team gig because he got his arse fired from Dynasty, when he was pencilled for the Blake Carrington role. In fact, he wasn't even first choice for Hannibal. Creator Steven J Cannell had James Coburn in mind. But, even then, he was too expensive and still a big name. Couldn't hack being upstaged by a non-actor like Mr T, who Cannell created the show for in the first place!
Dave is there a way I can purchase a full year subscription by paying in advance ? In other words I want to pay a complete year in advance (while I have the cash on hand). Then I can kick back geek out like the pop culture geek that I am!!!
Having worked in the industry and left it (I still dabble), I thoroughly understand what she is saying. I've worked with people who are the polar opposites of their characters or public persona and not too nice in IRL. Sometimes it's just the roles they play and they are amazing actors, some can be real Jeckyl & Hyde types. Peppard always seemed to have a real chip on his shoulder you could see coming miles away. I think he also came up during a time where do TV after movies was seen as a lesser thing and people could be prickly and territorial about things. It takes guts to stand up to these types and honestly, sometimes standing up to them earns you some grudging respect from them.
Melinda and her husband, Peter Markle, have done very well for themselves in a tough business. I may not have really watched the A-Team but I know the ST TNG episode clearly. It's one of their better social commentary/reverse psychology episodes of the series.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Sean. Truly appreciated!
What years did you work in the industry? Who was the nicest celebrity you worked with?
@@TempeSoldier123 1989 to 94 solidly in film production/studio lot work and a little bit of development, after that mostly in broadcast tv operations and videography. I've worn a lot of hats. Nicest celebrity? Hmm.. It would be easier saying the ones I didn't like. I did like Bill Irwin and Edward James Olmos. Some nice character actors were Frank Adonis, Julie Michaels, Virginia Capers, and Brent Jennings. I didn't really work with him but I kept running into him the first month I was in LA was Mel Brooks. The only work related thing, sort of, was I attended a test screening for industry people on a movie he was having trouble with at the time. He was just great and a great pleasure to meet. As I said it would be easer to rattle off some names of some not so nice people, weird people, and ones that largely just kept to themselves.
@@seaninness334 wow, you’ve had an interesting career. Who are some of those that weren’t so nice or who kept to themselves based on your encounters?
@@TempeSoldier123 I used to like Bette Midler until I worked on a movie of hers. Her husband is a real jerk too. Lorraine Bracco was not a pleasant person. I worked with Dabney Coleman who kept to himself but in an odd way. Rae Dawn Chong, Elizabeth Berridge, Fisher Stevens. Sandra Bullock, Woody Allen, Paul Mazursky, Danny Glover, Neve Campbell, Terry Kinney, Mike Hagerty. I think I crossed paths with David Duchovny. I didn't really get his name at the time. This was around the time of The Red Shoes Diaries but he wasn't a name yet.
I remember being 8 or 9 years old and thinking who needs a broad to get in the way and whining cause she didn't fit in
Her character was useless..."she finds the A-Team their jobs"... Then she disappears for the entirety of the episode. That's your only job is to find the A-Team their jobs.
George was the best great actor
George believed women were meant to be eye candy, she wanted too much from her role. many women who worked George called him insensitive and annoying when asked to come back to a show he worked, they declined. Dirk Said that when George was in character, he was great to work with, but he was a pig otherwise. Belinda was let go via told she wasn't needed anymore. George simply tolerated the women, he didn't want them on set.
Melinda says her departure was mutually agreed upon. Knowing how dissatisfied that she was, I tend to believe her.
It's Howling Mad Murdock, not Mad Dog Murdock.
❤
They brought in another 5th guy near the end
To this very day I still blame George Peppard For her sudden exit. The man must really hated women.
I just took his words as true. He didn't think she was important to the success of the show. It doesn't mean he hates women imho.
Not surprised about Peppard, some people you get a feel for. Back then he would have earned the descriptor "male chauvinist pig". Also, did the A-Team ever get exonerated by the series end?
It’s too bad Soren never met Reginald Barclay.
Yeah, I don't think Mr T was helped by doing that bouncer competition and being in Rocky and on Wrestlemania with Hulk Hogan. Sorry to hear that about Peppard, as I like his acting in many things. I think Melinda's character could have been a great asset to the show, but as she says, she was often relegated to being in the background or looking lost.
Melinda, glad you came out of it well and let us really see more of your talent since they didn't give you that opportunity.
Damn Melinda was cute 😍
To me they destroyed it when they added Frankie and Stockwell in last season
What Peppard said to Culea is just one of the many nasty things he did on set.
I saw an Q & A with Dwight Schultz (Murdoch) and we was asked about George Peppard. He didn't hold back..
Schultz said that the first day he met Peppard, George introduced himself by saying "I am George Peppard, and I am not a very nice man".
Schultz said that he found that an unusual introduction but George proceeded to live up to not being a nice man.
As well as how Peppard treated Melinda Culea and Marla Hensley, Peppard hated Mr T. As in, he HATED Mr T.
Peppard saw himself as a big movie star who co-starred with Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast At Tiffany's", yet Mr T, who had barely had many acting roles before "A-Team" (most famously "Rocky 3"), got more fan mail and got asked for more autographs. Also T was a cultural icon, had his own merchandise as well as "A-Team" merchandise, and even that T was doing wrestling which got him even more publicity. George was insanely jealous of T.
Dirk Benedict played mediator and if Peppard wanted to talk to T, who he called "the man with the gold", he told Benedict who had to pass the message to Mr T.
Robert Vaughan was introduced in Season 5 as he was a friend of Peppard and brought in to calm him down but it didn't work.
Also, there didn't have many scenes between Peppard and T, without the others, in later seasons, because a fight would break out.
Peppard also loved playing pranks on others, but hated being the target of pranks.
Also, Peppard would go home at 5pm each day, so they had to film his scenes first and then scenes without him after 5pm.
Peppard once said to Schultz "I have been accused of hitting my wife. I didn't do it, because if I had, I would have killed her"
Peppard hated doing the show and thought that it was beneath him, but no one else would hire him, so it was that, or his career was over. He had burnt too many bridges. .
When Peppard died, none of the other cast were told and when they did find out, Peppard's family banned anyone who worked on the show from attending the funeral.
Sorry but that's just not true george didn't hate being on the show he was actually very proud of it and how well it did yes he didn't get on with mr.t towards the end but you don't always get on with your work colleagues he did get on with the rest though. Also dirk benedict said he was getting tired at the end as older hence why he probably went home early. Dwight stated geroge actually improved the show as he knew a good script and would argue for rewrites to improve an epsoide
interesting. good looking woman. I remember Mr. T!
Seems like George was a jibby jabbering, Fool ! A little eye candy (and Melinda definitely was) Never hurts
I thought it would be her telling us the story
Peppard also had beef with Mr. T. I love Hannible Smith and Banacek but George Peppard sounds like a real asshole.
Never as good without her.
I think those 24 first episodes are the best. Triple A really added a lot and was missed for throughout the rest of the series.
💁💕I loved 'The A Team'! Every week they had to breakout Mad Murdock from a Mental Institution.Drug BA before boarding a plane because he had a fear of flying.🛩️ Face was suave. Hannibal/George Peppard/ was a handsome talented man.. Unfortunately he wasn't a nice person Dave! 😏
👍👍👍📺
Melinda Culea was obviously attractive but also athletic enough that she could have had a bigger role, besides being the reporter chasing the A-team -- like the reporter chasing the Hulk. Losimg AMy and the A-team working for the government were two changes that didn't help the show. Still fun to watch, though.
At 5'9" & with her athletic tomboyish aura, I was very upset that Melinda was never allowed to participate in at least fight scenes, something that would now simply be standard for actresses to be involved in the action!
Yep. The times have changed.