| "The "A" Team" | |
| Season/Series: | 9 |
|---|---|
| Number in season: | 8A |
| Original Airdate: |  April 6, 2005[1] May 26, 2005[2] January 8, 2008[3] |
| 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 are 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 her and Brain playing soccer, and that they should try something more advanced. She then offers them 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 criticizes them for everything that they do. In fact, even if they do something right, they are told that they could have done it better. But Francine and Brain keep reminding each other that they are not quitters. However, they 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 against Lakewood Soccer Team, which makes the whole team except for Francine and Brain laugh. Francine and Brain are worried about how they are going to cream their old soccer team.
Before the game, the coach tells the team that Lakewood is short two players, and needs to borrow two 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[]
Major[]
- Francine Frensky
- Brain
- Coach Raggett
- Rae (debut)
Minor[]
- Buster Baxter
- Muffy Crosswire
- Arthur Read
- Mr. Ratburn
- Ed Crosswire
- Helga
- Sam
- Toby
- Jordan
- George Lundgren
- Fern Walters
- Oliver Frensky
Cameo[]
- D.W. Read (title card)
- Jenna Morgan
- Alex Davidson
- Kenny
- 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 3)
- Sue Ellen Armstrong
Trivia[]
- Alex is the only player on Lakewood who wears a headband.
- D.W. appears in the title card, but is otherwise absent from the episode.
- Coach Raggett's nickname for Francine is "Barrettes", the American term for hair clips.
- On the PBS Kids Video app, the Chuck E. Cheese sponsor and the Season 9 funding is left intact
Cultural references[]
- The title of this episode is a reference to the TV series 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.
- 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. It is possible that the coach would only cancel practice for visible lightning.
Production notes[]
- This is Paul-Stuart Brown's first episode as Brain.
Gallery[]
- Main article: The "A" Team/Gallery
Home Media[]
DVD[]
References[]