MAS*H
Summary
MASH’sTrapper John fronted his very own CBS show , but is this series really connected to the fabled sitcom ? Several keyMASHcast members leave alone the showduring its first five season . Most famed among the departees was McLean Stevenson , whose characterHenry Blake was killed inMASH’sseason 3 finis . This mark the first expiry of a major character in an American TV show serial publication , and saw the sitcom ’s tonus switch into more dramatic terrority in future seasons . The third season coda also marked the final instalment of Wayne Rogers , who played surgeon Trapper Johnon the series .
Just like the 1970 movie by Robert Altman , theMASHTV series was designed as a two - hander between Rogers and conscientious objector - star Alan Alda as Hawkeye . However , it soon became clear Alda was the on-key headliner , which leave in his role increase while Rogers was given less to do . By the end of the third season , a defeated Rogers determine to leave . He was threatened with legal action over his release , only to realize he had never signed his original contract anyway . This mean the actor was free to leave without any legal rebound .
Not only did the last ever episode of the MASH enfranchisement fail to air out in America , but it became almost impossible to view for over 30 years .
Trapper John, MD Is A Spinoff Of The MASH Movie, NOT The TV Show
Trapper John, MD is technically a sequel to Robert Altman’s MASH
Trapper John , M.D. is a television series that follows the life of Dr. Trapper John McIntyre , a veteran soldier surgeon , as he navigates his career and personal relationships at San Francisco Memorial Hospital .
EveryMASHMovie & TV Series
Release Year
Custom image from Simone Ashmoore
MASH(Movie )
1970
MASH(TV Series )
Trapper John, M.D. is a television series that follows the life of Dr. Trapper John McIntyre, a veteran surgeon, as he navigates his career and personal relationships at San Francisco Memorial Hospital.
1972 - 1983
Trapper John , M.D.
1979 - 1986
AfterMASH
1983 - 1985
WALTE*R
1984
In 1979,CBS debutedTrapper John , MD , a aesculapian drama that picked up with the statute title character 30 years after the Korean War . Trapper ( Pernell Roberts , Bonanza ) has since become the Chief of Surgery at a San Francisco hospital , and act as mentor to his faculty . Of all theMASHTV spinoffsin existence , Trapper John , MDwas easy the most successful too .
Reportedly , Wayne Rogers was approached to reprise the title of respect purpose inTrapper John , MD , only to turn it down for the aesculapian sitcomHouse call .
Despite airing on CBS and using one ofMASH’smain characters , a causa later on made it clearTrapper John , MDwas a spinoff of the Robert Altman movie only . This legal legal action was filed by the pic ’s manufacturer Ingo Preminger against 20th Century Fox over the right to be involve with the spinoff . The solvent of this lawsuit declaredTrapper John , MDwasn’t a true spinoff of CBS’MASH , but of the original filminstead ( viaEntertainment Law Reporter ) . It was also decided that while Preminger was n’t entitled to produce the Trapper series , he was awarded some of its net .
Trapper John, MD’s Pilot Still Referenced The MASH Series
The confusion surrounding Trapper’s MASH connection is understandable
looker confused over whetherTrapper John , MDwas a spinoff of the film or show would n’t get much help from watch out the drama itself . In the opening scenes of the first episode , Robert ’s Trapper is view log Z’s in his office and dreaming of archive footage postulate from theMASHTV show . More damningly , there is a photo frame featuring Wayne Rogers ' Trapper and Alan Alda ’s Hawkeye . give that CBS produced both appearance , it was probably easier to get the clearance to use the show ’s cast alternatively of Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland from the film .
This indicates that producers consideredTrapper John , MDto be set in the same Earth as the show when it debut . The spinoff made few references to Trapper ’s time in a MASH unit anyway , so it did n’t really weigh . It was n’t until the lawsuit that its want of connection to the show was underlined . Roberts does n’t really face or act like Gould ’s Trapper , but then again , there ’s no real resemblance to Wayne Roger ’s version either . Given that the spinoff is fix three decade after the war , it ’s intelligible Trapper has mellow and mature a caboodle in the intervening years too .
Trapper John, MD Was Far More Successful Than MASH’s Actual Spinoffs
AfterMASH wishes it had Trapper John, MD’s success
MASHran for 11 seasons , and CBS was more than happy to keep it run away . It was a cast ballot that led to the decision to call clock time on the situation comedy before it took a major plunge in timbre , which head CBS to greenlight spinoffAfterMASH . debut six month on fromMASH’sfinale , AfterMASHdid well during its first season , only to tank disastrously during season 2 . This was due to CBS deciding to pit their show againstThe A - Team , with the latter well crushing the comedy .
In 1984 , they also airedWALTE*R , a pilot for a proposed Radar ( Gary Burghoff ) show . This followed Radar ’s journeying to becoming a police force officer , but after the pilot was poorly received , plans for a serial were dispute . Trapper John , MDran for a rich seven season , so in contrast to the other spinoffs , it was a major successfor the meshing . The show ’s 7th season also marked the end of anyMASH - concern medium . Given how iconic the original show is , the decision not to reboot or sequelize since is a wise one .
Trapper John , MDis presently unavailable to stream online .
Source : Entertainment Law newsperson
