Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Serious Spin Offs: Trapper John MD


Although producers argued this was a spin off from the movie and not the subsequent TV Series, who's kidding who? It was meant to cash in on the popularity of the TV series which was super popular in 1979.

So Wayne Rogers is going to age to look a great deal like Adam Cartwright I guess. Trapper was a serious medical show in the hollywood fashion, with Gregory Harrison in tow(fresh from Logan's Run) as the young good looking Viet Nam vet Doctor "Gonzo" Gates.

The series ran from 1979-1986 when it started to look dated next to shows like "St. Elsewhere". You occasional heard mention of Hawkeye and the 4077 but nobody ever stopped by sadly...

Just wanted to add: Wee67 pointed out that the above video has scenes from the pilot. Look at Trapper's office adorned with pictures from M*A*S*H, has nothing else happened to the guy in the past 27 years?

2 comments:

wee67 said...

Wow, that open with him on the couch, waking up and calling out for Hawkeye and Radar felt REALLY forced. And then make sure you zoom in on the sign in case the viewer is mentally disabled and has yet to tie the two series together.

I had no idea this show ran that long. I knew of it, but I was too young to be that serious.

BTW, the opening credits felt pretty darn 70's being that close to the 80's.

rob! said...

Oh my God, is that opening bit a riot in its ham-handed clumsiness. HEY EVERYONE!! THIS IS TRAPPER JOHN FROM THE TV SHOW!!

Plus--didn't in they say in the lawsuit that allowed this show to go forward that they were spinning off the movie Trapper, not the TV show one? And isn't that clearly ALAN ALDA and WAYNE ROGERS in that first photo? What the hell??