Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986)

This series brought the character of "Trapper John" from M*A*S*H in as the Chief of Surgery at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Joining him on the surgical staff was a brilliant young ... See full summary »

Stars:

Pernell Roberts, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Charles Siebert

Nominated for 6 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Pernell Roberts	...	Dr. John Francis Xavier 'Trapper' McIntyre (151 episodes, 1979-1986)
Brian Stokes Mitchell	...	Dr. Justin 'Jackpot' Jackson (151 episodes, 1979-1986)
Charles Siebert	...	Dr. Stanley Riverside II (151 episodes, 1979-1986)
Gregory Harrison	...	Dr. George Alonzo 'Gonzo' Gates (142 episodes, 1979-1986)
Christopher Norris	...	Gloria Brancusi R. N. (132 episodes, 1979-1985)
Madge Sinclair	...	Ernestine Shoop, R. N. (129 episodes, 1980-1986)
Chris Hutson	...	Nurse (102 episodes, 1981-1986)
Simon Scott	...	Arnold Slocum (83 episodes, 1979-1985)

Storyline

This series brought the character of "Trapper John" from M*A*S*H in as the Chief of Surgery at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Joining him on the surgical staff was a brilliant young surgeon, G. Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates, who had also served in a MASH unit - in Vietnam. The show covered standard medical stories, but it also took chances with such subjects as AIDS, the Epstein-Barr Virus, and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | doctor | medical | based on film | comma in title | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Centre mécical

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (150 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Wayne Rogers, who played Trapper John in M*A*S*H, turned down the role because he did not want to play a doctor again on television. (He later played a doctor on the television show House Calls, itself a spinoff of a movie, House Calls.)

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Quotes

[As a very attractive, young female nurse walks past.]
Doctor "Trapper John" McIntyre: That's the kind of thing that makes me wish I was 20 years younger.
Doctor. George Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates: Me, too.
[Trapper gives Gonzo an odd look.]
Doctor. George Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates: I'd be 7 years old and these things wouldn't bother me.

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Connections

Referenced in Phoenix the Warrior (1988)

User Reviews

The Best Medical Show of the Late 1970's

This show pretty much was the opposite of the show it spun off from. While it was primarily a drama, it still had some very humorous moments. As with most medical shows at the time, the conflict of the old doctor and the young doctor was the axis on which this show rotated. Also, it was interesting to see the character of Trapper John, who definitely was a maverick, acting as a member of the establishment while working with the not only with the younger Gonzo, but with the even younger Jackpot. The show really took off when Madge Sinclair joined the cast and also when they didn't concentrate on the obvious assets of Gloria (a.k.a. Ripples). This show is definitely worth watching again.