Mister T (1983–1985) User Reviews

Might Be A Silly Cartoon To Some, But Mr T Is Very Educational

[wchngliu · 7/10 · 19 June 2008]

Back in the 80s, The A-Team was one of the biggest TV hits to grace Western television, both in the US and UK respectively. Its combination of live-action sequences, odd humour and end-to-end action won the hearts of millions of people and garnered new fans in the process. Following on from The A-Team's phenomenon, animation company Ruby Spears wanted that success to continue through transition by creating and releasing a cartoon series based on the exploits of one of the A-team cast members, MR. T who played BA Baracus in the original show.

In Mister T: The Animated Series, the 'Gold-chained one', was a coach to a group of kids, who ply their trade as gymnasts and together, they solved mysteries and caught the bad guys. The show would open with a opening title sequence and the appearances of the main characters and then afterwards, there would be a live- action type of segment where Mr T basically explains, what I refer to as, the synopsis of the episode. The episode is then shown and the initial problem is then resolved, in the end. The show is concluded when Mr T, in live action mode, then explains the moral of the story and teaching kids not to talk to strangers and things like trust, respect and the importance of friendship, for example. He also pointed his finger at the camera, in a 'don't mess with me' style and uttering: 'Take it from me Mr T!'.

It can be a tad cheesy and to some they may see this as embarrassing or stupid-which it's not, but Mister T's brief success did span other TV/film based crossovers/adaptations/spin-offs for the cartoon market back in the 80s. These included, The Gary Coleman Show, Rambo, It's Punky Brewster, Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos and Police Academy- all created by Ruby Spears Production. The only thing I Wished Mr T had done more often, was that he would frequently utter his famous lines from The A-Team, such as: 'I Pity The Fool', 'Shut up fool' and 'I ain't getting on no plane, fool!'. Something on the lines of that.

Whilst Mister T came across as a 'hard man' as BA,who took no crap from no one in the A-Team, in the cartoon series, he is more laid back and not as angry and aggressive as he was in the A-Team. But then again, this was a kids cartoon and so, Mister T was a hero to many kids back then, who looked up to him and saw that despite his mean streak, in the show, he demonstrated he had a lot of heart and that he cared so much for the kids, who show a lot of faith and respect to him.

Overall, despite the cheesy overtones this show might give off, this is quite an entertaining cartoon that has an educational theme to it. So take it from THE Mister T, watch this show and you will see, what this show might mean to you and me!

An Honest Review

[generationofswine · 7/10 · 2 April 2017]

Reviewing this, or at least summarizing this as an adult of today: Mr. T is a Jesse White sort of thug with gold chains that has a group of tumblers with him who are all minors and Mr. T routinely places them in harms way while teaching them that violence solves problems.

Reviewing this as a kid that grew up in the '80s: MR. T!!!!!!!!!!!! Wait, there are other characters in it? Who cares.

MR. T!!!!!!!!! It's a shame he's not really famous any more...kids like me, kids all over the world LOVED him and, unlike MOST child celebrities, Mr. T has no dark secrets that destroyed his career.

He was awesome and we want him back...

And you know, he's from Chicago too so hometown loyalty and all.

"Take it from ME.......Mr T!"

[panzerphil · 10 July 2003]

One of the many milestone cartoons of the 1980's. Involved Mr T. touring around with a team of gymnasts, a kid (Mr T wannabe with the sleeveless denim shirt) and a dog with a mo-hawk. The gang would encounter crimes taking place along the tour...and make the badguys PAY!

Most episodes followed the pattern some crime occurring and the kid finding out about it and getting into trouble. Then Mr.T and the gang would catch up and take care of business. The dog was there for comic relief...

At the end we would always the real live Mr T. would appear and tell us the moral of the story, how the kid could have avoided trouble, and what you can do in your own neighborhood. At the end, T would punctuate his advice by pointing his finger to the camera (a subconscious threat to the bad guys),saying, "Take it from ME...MR T!"

Role model cartoons like this were the standard in 80's, with Mr T blazing the trail for Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos, and Rambo: The Force of Freedom. But none of those other guys ever grabbed a crocodile by its tail, swung it around, and threw it off the screen during the opening sequence.

Ehhhhh.

[Quag7 · 2/10 · 27 June 2006]

Well meaning but ultimately poor quality cartoon from the early 80s, typical of that time period. Corny with stilted voice performances and painfully trite dialogue, its value today is mainly kitsch, which explains its extremely late night/early morning showing now on Adult Swim.

Like GI Joe and other cartoons of the period, the cheap, unimaginative animation is accompanied by a morality lesson. Unlike those shows, however, the plots are generally oriented in some form around the central moral lesson rather than merely tacked-on as a didactic lecture by the cartoon lead at the end (though there is a non-animated "wrap up" of the lesson by Mr. T at the end).

I give it credit for trying hard to teach basic values, but I was 11 years old when this came out and I would have found it cheesy (had I seen it during its original airing - frankly, I don't remember it).

Personally I do not understand, beyond basic nostalgia for Saturday Mornings and so on, why so many people consider the 80s some kind of golden age for animation; it wasn't. Animation was cheap, much of it looked the same, and the artwork was poor, generic - workmanlike, even.

Nickelodeon in many ways set the standard for at very least making cartoons look distinctive. This cartoon, like most others of the period, pale in comparison with more recent offerings like Spongebob Squarepants, Dexter's Laboratory, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and so on. These cartoons may not have the Reagan-era moralizing, but they do have style (and surrealism, and imagination) and considerably more talented voice actors and far, far less stilted dialogue. (Not that every modern cartoon has something unique to offer but there are far better choices now.) Speaking of voice actors, I notice that Phil LaMarr did some of his first voice work on this cartoon. He would become a considerable talent (voice-wise) in years to come.

In some sense Mr. T is a good example of a time when animation was not taken seriously as an art form; rather, it was sold as "product" to kids, and like many sugar cereals advertised during showings of these kinds of cartoons, there's not much substance here, artistically.

IMDb 5.8 rating? How?

[willandcharlenebrown · 10/10 · 2 April 2022]

All the reviews are nice and above 7 except for one. This is an awesome cartoon with morals which no cartoons have anymore. We are losing our way. Such a cool story! The kids are allowed to fight though haha but who cares. Not me! This is a 9!!!!!!

Bounce

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 8 December 2020]

MRT in cartoon form. With a gymnastics team. How delightful

It may be moralistic but it was one of the better animated shows of the 80's

[rcj5365 · 24 August 2007]

If you were on top of your game,and had a hit television series in prime-time during the 1980's,all you had to do was basically come up with a great catch phrase and be a outstanding role model for kids,then you can be just like Mister T. This is how he got his own Saturday Morning cartoon show.

Ruby-Spears Productions(another animation studio founded by former Hanna-Barbera producers Joesph Ruby and Kenneth Spears during the late 1970's and continued into the early 1990's),the creators of such Saturday Morning shows as "Fangface","The Adventures of Plasticman", "Goldie Gold and Action Jack","Heathcliff and Marmaduke",and the greatest Saturday Morning action adventure cartoon ever made "Thundarr The Barbarian" came up again with another winner as well which became one of the milestone cartoons of the 1980's,"The Adventures of Mister T",or aka "Mister T",that premiered on NBC's Saturday Morning schedule in 1983. At the time this show came on,Mister T was one of the most celebrated stars on television,playing the tough as nails B.A. Baracus opposite George Peppard in prime-time on one of the network's most highly rated show,"The A-Team". In the cartoon which was devised by legendary comic artist Jack Kirby and scripted by cult comic writer Steve Gerber(who also wrote the pilot episode). In the cartoon,Mister T plays basically himself as a coach and mentor not to mention protected guardian to a group of gymnasts who travelled the world while becoming involved in and solving various mysteries. At the beginning of each episode(and this was the live-action introduction)features Mister T himself to explain what is going on. And at the end of each lesson,Mister T narrates a moral lesson for the audience.

In the animated segment of the show Mister T gets to tour around the world with a group of kids who were members of the U.S. Gymnastics team (which consists of an diversity of kids from different countries and cultures)along with their well-mannered team bus driver Ms. Bisby. Not to mention a dog with a mohawk and one of the kids' little brother too who is a Mr. T wannabe with the sleeveless denim shirt and jewelry...and get this as far as the comic relief was concern in some of the episodes,it wasn't the dog with the mohawk,but that stupid little annoying brat who was the most infantile of characters! As far as the episodes were concern,yeah it was a blantant rip-off of the Scooby Doo formula,but still the action never lets up with the gang encountering crimes that take place along the tour,and basically making the badguys PAY! Some of the episodes followed the same pattern by having some crime occurring and one of the kids finding out about it and telling Mister T what they saw. Then Mister T and the gang would catch up and take care of business. During some of the action,the young gymnastics would learn some valuable lesson and doing things the right way...Whilst Mister T steps in to do some damage to the baddies and would often used violence as a last resort(the violence in this show was very mild but always under the radar from the advocate of censors that were consistingly watching the show!!!)

During some of the segments,Mister T often gave out great advice to kids as well as some of the morals lessons in just about every episode like He-Man and G.I. Joe. These lessons involved safety tips for kids like for example telling kids not to talk to strangers and develop a special code or bond with their friend using "the buddy system". Also more interesting enough was him telling kids in case a stranger was picking them up who was NOT a member of the family(inpersonation of a family member)or NOT to except gifts or other stuff from strangers. Geez imagine how many less missing or exploited children there would be if someone told them this? He also mention to kids what can you do in your neighborhood. At the end ,T would punctuate his advice by pointing his finger to the camera to the baddies by saying,"Take it for me MR.T!" Mister T would also blazed the trail for other animated shows featuring Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos,and Rambo:The Force Of Freedom that would set the standard during the 80's.

Mr. T and his cartoon show well memorable

[voicemaster71 · 8/10 · 25 February 2008]

If you ask me what are some of the things I remember about the 80's one of them is Mr. T. I knew who the guy was, but was not yet watching the A Team. It wasn't until this cartoon of Mr. T came on in 1983 that I finally began watching the A Team on Tuesday nights. Plus in 83, I missed the SuperFriends on Saturday mornings and needed something action oriented to watch that year.

In live action, he was B.A. Baracus on the A Team, but in animation, Mr. T played himself and he was a coach and protector of a group of teenage gymnastics who were on tour all over the US. And like the Scooby Doo characters, they solved mysteries and cracked cases.

It's been 20+ years since I've seen this and I can't believe I still remember most of the characters. Alongside Mr. T, you had a lady named Ms. Bisby, who was a pretty mild mannered lady who helped drive the bus and assisted in many ways. As for the teen gymnasts, you had

Robin, The red headed girl with the freckles who was obviously the leadership figure of the teens.

Kim, the Asian girl who was the brains and had the photographic memory.

Jeff, the handsome and apparently rich whitebread guy with a massive ego. Sometimes you just wanted to strangle him.

And Woody, the young well educated black guy with intelligence and a good head on his shoulder. Woody was introduced as the new guy in the first episode. And I was amazed to discover that he was voiced over by MAD TV's Phil Lamarr, who later voiced over Green Lantern on the Justice League (Unlimited) series. There were other teen gymnasts like Garcia, Vince, and Courtney, but their roles were not as big as the four I've mentioned.

Last but not least, for comic relief, you had a dog with a mohawk named Dozer, and Robin's little bratty kid brother named Spike who was a Mr. T wannabe. This little snot would mostly speak in a voice imitating Mr. T. To me, Spike was to Mr. T what Marvin and Wonder Dog were to Superman on the SuperFriends. Annoying nuisances.

But aside from that, Mr. T was a great cartoon and it was something to watch in 83 until the SuperFriends were back on Saturdays the following year. And I enjoyed that notion that a tough guy like Mr. T could be a good role model and teach lessons. TAKE IT FROM ME!! MR T!! Two thumbs Up!!!

The 80s

[safenoe · 8/10 · 10 April 2024]

I remember seeing a few episodes of Mister T back in the 1980s, and of course it featured Mr. T as he exploded in popularity big time following his appearance in Rocky III and The A-Team, so of course, there has to be a cartoon featuring the one and only Mr. T. Anyway, in some ways, the Beatles cartoon series from the 1960s may have subconsciously paved the way for Mister T, but who knows. Anyway, also before too long you had celebrities providing their voices in The Simpsons a few years later, so in some ways Mister T was quite a trail blazer and all, and with the inspiration for celebrities.

MORALISTIC

[Big Movie Fan · 26 February 2002]

This was a great cartoon series of the 1980's and just like every cartoon from that period it was very moralistic.

Mr T and his team of gymnasts would travel across the USA putting on shows and fighting the bad guys. During the action, the young gymnasts would learn some valuable lesson and about doing things the right way. Whilst Mr T and his team would often get into a scrap with the bad guys they almost always used violence as a last resort.

Cartoons nowadays are not very good in my opinion (sorry kids). Things such as Pokemon cannot ever compete with shows like this. There are a lot of great cartoon shows from the 1980's and all I'll say is they don't make them like this any more.

Awesome Celebrity-Led Scooby-Doo Clone

[jeremycrimsonfox · 9/10 · 30 January 2024]

Mister T is a cartoon based on Mr. T, a popular actor and tough guy who at the time of this cartoon's premiere, was rising to fame after his first major role in Rocky III as well as his appearance on The A-Team. This cartoon can also be put on the long list of cartoons copying the Scooby-Doo formula, as it feels like one, only without the monsters.

In this cartoon, Mr. T would start each episode in a live action segment to explain the episode's plot. These live action segments are neat because they are actually there to not only introduce the episode, but also reveal there is actually a moral attached to said episode, which is revealed at the end of each episode. Then we cut to the animated segments, where Mr. T is portrayed as the coach for a youth gymnastics team, composed of teenagers Jeff, Woody, Robin, and Kim. Joined by Robin's little brother Spike, bus driver Ms. Bisby, and Bulldozer, a bulldog with a mohawk haircut owned by Mr. T (as the animal is to fill the role of obligatory animal mascot popular in Scooby clones), Mr. T and the teens get involved in various mysteries each episode, which is set in different locations in the world.

Okay, while this cartoon has a mixed reception, I, for one, am one of those people who actually like this cartoon after seeing this rerun on Adult Swim. Basically, the show is your typical Scooby-Doo clone. The main difference is Mr. T is the star and there are only few episodes with supernatural elements, with most of the villains being terrorists, street gangs, spies from other countries, or other troublemakers. The cartoon is set in the world, however, it does have some fantasy moments, one of them being Mr. T is gifted with superhuman strength, allowing him to do things the real Mr. T would never do (like in the intro where he swings an alligator with ease holding onto only its tail, or in one episode where he rips an iron lock off with his bare hands) as well as a running gag where people who deny the team entry are actually afraid to say no to Mr. T, as they are scared by him. This is a neat cartoon worth checking out.

Actually a good show, not a spinoff on anything.

[MovieCriticMarvelfan · 9 December 2002]

First of, this show is not really a spinoff, and no Mr. T was not a guest star!! He was actually in every episode (Duh the name of the cartoon is Mr. T).

This is one the great early cartoon which talked to morals to kids in every episode like He-Man and G.I Joe.

In fact, Mr. T, often gave out advice that is almost stupid and obvious today, but most parents did not tell their kids!!!

T often told his "kids" not to talk to strangers and develop a special code with their kids, in case a stranger was picking them up , impersonation a friend of the family!!!!

Geez imagine how many less missing and exploited childrenm there be if someone told them this? Many

Overall it's a great cartoon and like Mr. T. "I Pity the Fool", who says it isnt.

Give a 9 out of 10

How to get your own cartoon in the 80's

[inspectordark · 21 August 2001]

Yes even u can have a cartoon show in the 80's.All u have to do is have a catch phase and hit tv show.Like Mr T, only thing is this show did not live up to Mr T that much.and the kids took away a lot from the show.Also here is some fact, the show is kind of a spin off from the Chipmucks where he was a guest star.