“The A-Workforce” was a top-ten Nielsen rankings present over its first three seasons. It was as in style as “Monday Evening Soccer,” and owned the Tuesday night time 8 p.m. slot. That was household hour on primetime tv, which meant “The A-Workforce” needed to primarily operate as a live-action cartoon. Cannell and his writers may make use of all of the high-tech weaponry they needed, and blow up all method of autos, however they could not kill anybody.
It is most likely not a coincidence that the collection’ sudden rankings decline in 1985 (when it plummeted from sixth to thirtieth) got here after the huge field workplace success of Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo: First Blood Half II.” That film’s large physique depend and wanton gore heightened America’s bloodlust. The gunplay wasn’t sufficient; they needed to see the unhealthy guys get shredded by Uzis and M60s.
Broadcast requirements prohibited “The A-Workforce” from offering such vicious spectacle, so viewers abruptly checked out. When the collection moved to Friday at 8 p.m. and nosedived to 61st within the Nielsen rankings, NBC shortly pulled the plug two episodes earlier than it reached the magic 100 threshold (which ensures syndication). In consequence, the present vanished from in style tradition, turning into a nostalgia merchandise as a substitute of a permanent TV traditional.
Even when “The A-Workforce” had handed the 100-episode mark, it was too foolish and dated to be a timelessly entertaining rerun machine like “The Rockford Information” or the unique “Star Trek.” However it served its goal, and stays a cherished Gen X relic to this present day.