Trapper John, M.D.
| Trapper John, M.D. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by | Richard Hooker |
| Developed by |
Don Brinkley Frank Glicksman |
| Starring |
Pernell Roberts Gregory Harrison Charles Siebert Mary McCarty Madge Sinclair Brian Mitchell Christopher Norris Timothy Busfield Lorna Luft |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 151 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Frank Glicksman Productions Don Brinkley Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
| Distributor | 20th Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 23, 1979 – September 4, 1986 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | MASH (1970 film) |
| Related shows |
M*A*S*H AfterMASH |
Trapper John, M.D. is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film MASH. Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986. Roberts played the character more than twice as long as had Wayne Rogers (1972–75) in the series M*A*S*H.
Trapper John, M.D. focuses on Dr. "Trapper" John McIntyre (Pernell Roberts) 28 years after his discharge from the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) in the Korean War. During that time after the war, the character had mellowed considerably. He did not just learn how to stop fighting the system but became a part of it, in a sense, as the Chief of Surgery at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Trapper showed tremendous compassion toward his patients, often violating "established hospital procedures." Working with Trapper was an aspiring young professional named Dr. George Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates (Gregory Harrison). Gates had a lot in common with Trapper, as he too had served in a MASH (albeit during the later Vietnam War). His sense of humor and love of life also reflected elements of Trapper's younger days. In the show, Gonzo resided in a motor home (dubbed "The Titanic") in the hospital parking lot.
The show also involves many supporting characters that served as hospital staff. One was Clara "Starch" Willoughby (Mary McCarty), a nurse who had served in the Korean War with Trapper (McCarty died after the first season). She was replaced by Ernestine Shoop (Madge Sinclair). Other characters included young nurse Gloria "Ripples" Brancusi (Christopher Norris) who later adopted a sickly, homeless girl, Andrea; Stanley Riverside II (Charles Siebert), a pompous, but nonetheless capable doctor (whose father was the head of the hospital board of directors) who later married a dentist named E.J. (Marcia Rodd); and Justin "Jackpot" Jackson (Brian Stokes Mitchell), a young doctor always interested in wagers. Character actress Lurene Tuttle guest starred six times in different roles.
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