The "A" Team

"The "A" Team"
Season/Series:	9
Number in season:	8A
Original Airdate:	April 6, 2005 May 26, 2005
Credits
Written by:	Daisy Scott
Storyboard by:	Jeremy O'Neill Robert Yap
Episodes
Previous "A is for Angry"	Next "Emily Swallows a Horse"
Read transcript

"The "A" Team" is the first half of the eighth episode in the ninth season of Arthur.

Summary

Francine and Brain have sometimes wished that their soccer teammates would take the game more seriously, so they're thrilled to make the Elwood City All-Stars Traveling Team. But are their new teammates really more compatible?

Plot

Francine and Brain are upset at how none of the other players on their soccer team are taking the game seriously. After the game, a girl tells Francine that she saw Francine and Brain playing soccer, and should try something more advanced. She then offers then to join an advanced traveling soccer team called the Elwood City All-stars. Francine and Brain accept, and they both try out for the team, and make it. However, the coach, of the team is very tough, and makes them work very hard. He makes them play in the rain, and yells at Francine when she falls into the mud. He criticized them for everything that they do. In fact, even if they do something right, they are criticized that they could have done it better. But Francine and Brain keep reminding each other that they are not quitters. However, Francine and Brain have to give up things they enjoy doing, like the computer club, so that they can play for the All-Star league.

The coach announces to the team that their first game will be again the Lakewood Elementary School, which makes the whole team except for Francine and Brain laugh. Francine and Brain are worried about how they are gonna cream their old soccer team.

Oliver dropping Francine off at the game

Before the game, the coach tells the team that the Lakewood Elementary School is short two players, and needs to borrow to players. He tells Francine and Brain to join their old team for the game. During the game, Francine and Brain remember how much fun they used to have on their team. They realize that the team has much better sportsmanship, and play better. Even though at the end they lose the game, Francine and Brain plan to go back to their old team, because it was much more fun.

Characters

• Francine Frensky
• The Brain
• Coach Raggett
• Rae
• Buster Baxter
• Muffy Crosswire
• Arthur Read
• Nigel Ratburn
• Ed Crosswire
• Helga
• Sam
• Toby
• Jordan
• George Lundgren
• Fern Walters
• D.W. Read (title card)
• Jenna Morgan(Cameo)
• Alex(cameo)
• Kenny(cameo)
• 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 3)(Cameo)

Trivia

• On the PBS Kids Video app, the Chuck E. Cheese sponsor and the Season 9 funding is left intact
• This is Paul-Stuart Brown's first episode as Brain.
• Alex is the only player on Lakewood who wears a headband.
• Coach Raggett's nickname for Francine is “Barrettes”, the American term for hair clips.
• This episode and it's sister episode has the letter "A".
• Moral: Take soocer very seriously.

Cultural references

• The title of this episode is a reference to The A-Team.

Errors

• Alex's sweater is yellow for a few moments.
• Francine's jersey number is #11 in her dream, but #18 in real life.
• The video description refers to The Sugar Bowl as "the pizza parlor", possibly because of a pizza sign on the wall. Aside from this, the Sugar Bowl has never been known to serve pizza.
• The Sugar Bowl's interior is slightly different in this episode: there is an empty space with a coat rack between the front wall that is normally filled with an additional booth. Also, the window on the left side of the door (most noticeable in Arthur and the Square Dance) is covered up.
• Possible: When Oliver drives Francine to practice in heavy rain, Francine says that practices do not get cancelled unless there is lightning. During the practice, thunder can be heard in the background; thunder is caused by lightning, even if the lightning is too far away to be seen.

Gallery

:Main article: The "A" Team/Gallery