A remake ofTrapper John, MDcould be the best way to reviveMASHfor a new generation.MASH’sfinale is the most watched scripted TV episodeof all time - a record that is unlikely to ever get beaten. While CBS attempted someMASHspinoff showsfollowing its demise, none of them came close to recapturing what made it work. In the decades since, there have been no serious attempts to reboot it either.
From the shock death of Henry Blake in the third season to becoming one of the first real dramedies, there’s no way to match its impact. While its sequel series,AfterMASHor spinoffWALTE*R,were largely reviled, it did earn one successful spinoff inTrapper John, MD. This cast Pernell Roberts as an older, wiser version of the title surgeon, picking up his story decades on from the end of the Korean War. While the pilot featured someMASHcallbacks, legal issues saw the spinoff later distance itself from the show.
This Forgotten MASH Spinoff Dropped What Made The Original Show Famous & Became A Major Hit
The largely forgotten spinoff Trapper John, MD dropped a key element of the original MASH, which underlines why other spinoffs failed so poorly.
A Trapper John, MD Remake Is The Best Way To Revive MASH
A straight MASH reboot would be a terrible idea
Trapper John, MDmanaged to run for an impressive seven seasons, though its abrupt cancelation meant it never received a proper finale. The series is a straightforward medical drama, but one of the most frustrating elements is its lack of connection with its parent show. It might feature one ofMASH’skey characters, but Trapper’s time in Korea is rarely brought up and there are no appearances from the likes of Hawkeye or Margaret.Trapper John, MDis a show loaded with missed potential - making it the best candidate to revisit the world ofMASH.
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WALTE*R(Pilot)
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A revival of this spinoff could lean on itsMASHconnections, acting as a proper sequel. WhenTrapper John, MDfirst aired, the original show was still going strong, and it quickly became clear there would be no meaningful crossover between them. A reboot could be its own series while still pulling from Trapper’s past. For example,Trapper and Hawkeye’s friendship never got any resolution when the latter was suddenly discharged, so a newTrapper John, MDcould finally reunite the pairdecades later.
Wayne Rogers became one of the firstMASHactors to leave, with his abrupt departure resulting in Trapper’s offscreen exit.
Part of the issue with anyMASHremake would involve recasting actors like Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff or Loretta Swit, and it’s hard to imagine another cast doing those roles better.A new take onTrapper John, MDcould massage that issue since the show is set 30 years later and would necessitate an older cast in familiar rolesfromMASH. It could also be a darker series than the original spinoff was allowed to be and lean into the messier, more destructive parts of Trapper as a character.
Trapper John, MD Proved A Non-Comedy MASH Could Work
Trapper John, MD stands alone among MASH’s other shows
From Robert Altman’sMASHmovie toAfterMASH, most of the franchise skews towards comedy. That’s not the case withTrapper John, MD, which was the only non-comedy outing in theMASHfranchise. Compared to the likes ofSt Elsewhere,Trapper John, MDdidn’t do much to break ground. Still,it was a successful show both critically and in terms of ratings and proved a non-comedic take onMASHwas possible.
Trapper John, MD being a drama makes it the black sheep of MASH, but it’s also what made it interesting.
The series saw Roberts' Trapper acting as a mentor to his younger staff, and while it had humor, the lack of a laugh track was noticeable.Trapper John, MDbeing a drama makes it the black sheep ofMASH, but it’s also what made it compelling; after all, it’s the only spinoff that was a true success. The timeline would also mean a new version would need to take place during the 1980s, which would set it apart from the sea of other medical procedurals currently on the air.
Why Hasn’t MASH Been Revived?
It’s rare for such an iconic series to be left untouched
In an era where seemingly every sacred show or movie has received some kind of revival,MASHhas been left alone. Of course, time and tastes change, and making a sitcom set during the Korean War probably doesn’t sound like a recipe for ratings to big networks now. The real answer probably lies in the outsized impact of the original.MASHdid things other shows were too afraid to do, like dropping the laugh trackor killing off a major character.
It’s hard to overstate its influence, and that would be too big a shadow for anyMASHrevival to emerge from under. Just like reboots ofCheersorFriendswould have near-impossible recasting challenges to overcome,MASHshouldn’t be touched. A newTrapper John, MDcould explore those characters from a new lens, but ultimately, it’s a property that might be best left untouched.
MAS*H
Cast
MAS*H is a drama-comedy series set during the Korean War, centering on the lives of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they navigate the challenges of wartime medical service with humor and resilience.
Trapper John, M.D.
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.
