Cult 1980s TV show The A-Team is set to be brought to the big screen in a movie remake and Mr T, who played muscleman BA Baracus, may return for a cameo in the film. The original series featured the action-packed adventures of Hannibal Smith, BA Baracus, Faceman Peck and Howling Mad Murdock.

Mr T has said he will not star as BA in the new movie, but has expressed an interest in making an appearance.

The original, which ran from 1983 to 1987, featured four Vietnam vets on the run after escaping from a US military prison.

Unjustly framed for robbing the Bank of Hanoi, the team went about helping the innocent while evading the clutches of the law themselves.

Stephen J Cannell, who created the original show, is co-producing the new movie for Fox. The movie will be placed in a contemporary setting.

He said: "Mr T and I had lunch last week, and I''d really like to have him in the movie, although we haven''t begun casting.

"I always think it''s nice to see the stars of the old show in cameo roles in the movie."

He said the new movie would be more serious and "less cartoony" than the TV series, more in the vein of action movies like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.

Mr Cannell said: "Not to denigrate the TV show, but nobody ever died. We drove cars off cliffs and people got out and walked away. We''re not going to do that in the movie.

"In this the tone is more dangerous, you can really die. It''s very tense and exciting."

Vietnam could be replaced by the Gulf, although no details have been announced.

The A-Team was recently voted the favourite show of yesteryear, which viewers want to see return to TV, over the likes of Knight Rider and Monkey.

George Peppard, who in the part of "Hannibal" was leader of The A-Team, died in Los Angeles in 1994.