When the producers ofMASHfound out about CBS' spinoffTrapper John, MD, they decided to play a mean practical joke on the network. Followingthe shock death of Henry Blake inMASH’sseason 3 finale, the show was dealt a blow when Wayne Rogers decided to leave immediately afterward. When the series began, the “Trapper” actor had been assured his character would be the co-lead, but after Trapper’s role gradually diminished, Rogers decided to exit. That’s whyTrapper left without saying goodbye to supposed best pal Hawkeye(Alan Alda) when season 4 began.
Rogers was later offered the chance to front CBS' spinoffTrapper John, MD. The actor passed - not wanting to be typecast in doctor roles - and veteran actor Pernell Roberts (Bonanza) took on the role instead. What setsthisMASHspinoffapar is that it’s a straight drama instead of a comedy.Bizarrely, the series never made use of itsMASHconnection, rarely referencing Trapper’s wartime experienceswhile no other characters from the show reappeared.
MASH’s Disowned Spinoff Could Have Resolved Hawkeye And Trapper’s Broken Friendship
A MASH spinoff that was later disavowed had the unique opportunity to resolve the broken friendship between Hawkeye and Trapper on the show.
None of the creatives onMASHwere involved withTrapper John, MD, with the show truly being its own distinct entity. Writer Ken Levine worked onMASHfor a period, and on his blogBy Ken Levinerecalled a gag one of the producers pulled on CBS. When submitting loglines for an upcoming batch of episodes,producer John Rappaport submitted the fake synopsis “Hawkeye is devastated to learn that his buddy Trapper John has died back in the States.”Naturally, this caused a major panic at the network.
John gets a frantic call from the network. “You can’t do that!” they pleaded. “We have a show starring Trapper John.” Rappaport shrugged and said, “That’s not our problem.” The network insisted they drop the story. John said, “It’s too late. We already filmed it.”
The pilot episode ofTrapper John, MDfeatured both archive footage fromMASHand a photo of Rogers and Alda as Trapper and Hawkeye. While the links between the two shows were kept vague, it appears CBS' original plan involved a certain amount of crossover between them.Rappaport’sMASHgag would have meant that Trapper John died decadesbeforehis spinoff began, which would have created all sorts of issues.
That’s why Levine recalls the network rep being “apoplectic” at the news until Rappaport’s admitted it was a prank.Trapper John, MDwent on to debut in September 1979 and proved to be a surprise hit. The medical drama ran for seven seasons in all, wrapping up in 1986. To date, it’s the final entry in theMASHfranchise.
Trapper John, MD Later Distanced Itself From MASH
CBS later insisted the show was based on the MASH movie
However tenuous the connections already were,Trapper John, MDall but severed every link it had toMASHlater down the road. This was due to a dispute with producer Ingo Preminger, who produced the 1970 Robert AltmanMASHmovie. Preminger claimed that since he had optioned the original novel by Richard Hooker, he was entitled to the first right of refusal to any spinoff,Trapper John, MDincluded (viaEntertainment Law Reporter). This lawsuit eventually determined that Preminger was owed 25% of the offshoot’s profits, but that he wasn’t entitled to the right to produce it.
1970
1972-1983
1979-1986
1983-1985
WALTE*R
1984
This case also determined thatTrapper John, MDfollowed Altman’sMASHfilm, not the television seriesstarring Alan Alda. Again, it feels likeTrapper John, MDleft a lot of interesting material on the table by ignoring its parent series. Older versions of characters like Radar, Margaret or even Hawkeye could have appeared, and a flashback or two to Trapper’s time in Korea wouldn’t have hurt. Instead, with a few name changes, the show could have been any number of hospital melodramas produced during this time.
Despite being a success,Trapper John, MDhas never been released on home media and is currently unavailable on streaming platforms.
MASH’s Fake Trapper John Pitch Would Have Actually Worked For The Show
The Trapper/Hawkeye friendship could have resolved itself in a tragic way
It may have been a twisted gag byMASH’sproducers, but the notion of Trapper dying offscreen and Hawkeye having to resolve his complicated feelings could have made for a powerful episode. Hawkeye was left wounded by Trapper leaving Korea without so much as a farewell note.The fact he didn’t pen a letter to Hawkeye in the aftermath suggested Trapper viewed their friendship as one of convenienceand once his time in Korea was done, he wanted to move on.
Producers may have been hesitant to kill Trapper offscreen for a few reasons though, including the backlash to Henry Blake’s demise and the fact Trapper John, MD was also running…
HadMASHrevealed Trapper died back in America, both audiences and Hawkeye would have had to examine their feelingstowards him. Still, this could have offered Alda’s surgeon a degree of resolution, which he never achieved on the series. Producers may have been hesitant to do this for a few reasons though, including the backlash to Blake’s demise and the factTrapper John, MDwas also running.
After Rogers exitedMASH, the show rarely referenced Trapper either, as they wanted the spotlight on his replacement B.J. (Mike Farrell) instead. It may have only been a joke, but there would have been an innate tragedy about Trapper dying after he went home - and Hawkeye being left with a sense of unfinished business.
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.
