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  • Thursday, February 4th, 2010

    Identify M*A*S*H Photograph from Trapper John, M.D.

    My post about the death of Pernell Roberts earlier this week led to an interesting conversation in the comments. During the first episode of Trapper John, M.D. there is a scene in which a series of black and white photographs are shown on the office wall of Dr. John McIntyre, M.D. One of these photographs appears to depict Wayne Rogers and Alan Alda in front of the Swamp from M*A*S*H. Here’s the photograph in question, taken from a YouTube video (you can find it easily enough):

    Photograph Depicting Wayne Rogers and Alan Alda?
    Photograph Depicting Wayne Rogers and Alan Alda?

    PinkPagoda had this to say about the photograph:

    The scene with the picture is on you tube – and it is obvious that the two people in the picture are supposed to be the Hawk and the Trap that we all know and love from the television show (check out the hair) – however I don’t see the symbol on the SWAMP door, the sign post seems to be relocated, and the Trapper figure is MUCH taller than the Hawkeye figure. I don’t think Wayne Rogers is notably taller than Alan Alda, is he? It must have been made for the television show – and not an actual shot. Check it out for yourself on you tube, search for “Trapper John MD first episode” and the picture comes up after the guy on the stretcher is loaded into a helicopter at the hospital. What do YOU think?

    In my opinion, the man on the left is obviously Wayne Rogers. But is the man on the right Alan Alda or someone else? I don’t know. The image is blurry, due to the fact that it comes from a YouTube video likely taken from a VHS tape that may or may not be a decade old. It sort of looks like the man has a beard. Or maybe just a shadow near his chin. As for the difference in height, the man on the right could be leaning his head against the door. I’m guessing the photograph was taken on the Stage 9 set at the 20th Century Fox Studios in Hollywood rather than the Fox Ranch (now the Malibu Creek State Park). I also don’t see the symbol on the door to the Swamp but it very well could be there.

    So is this an actual promotional photograph for M*A*S*H? If so, someone out there might recognize it. There are an awful lot of photographs in The Complete Book of M*A*S*H if anyone has a copy handy. Here’s an actual promotional photograph for comparison:

    Promotional Photograph
    Promotional Photograph

    Notice that Alan Alda is quite a few inches shorter than Wayne Rogers. Hit the comments with your thoughts on this mysterious Trapper John, M.D. photograph.

    Name That Episode 80

    The Name That Episode game is played Tuesdays and Thursdays. Players can participate as often as they like. An archive of past rounds can be found here. Today’s image can be found below. Can you name the episode it’s from? Feel free to post guesses in the comments section. As always, the winner gets bragging rights.

    And the Winner Is: 5 o’clock Charlie, who correctly identified “Chief Surgeon Who?.”

    Name That Episode
    Name That Episode

    Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

    Hallmark Channel Pulls M*A*S*H Again

    Shawn sent me an e-mail to let me know that Hallmark Channel has once again removed M*A*S*H from its lineup. According to Shawn, this is the third time in five months that the cable channel has pulled the series. According to the Sitcoms Online Blog, a two-hour weekday block of M*A*S*H from 5-7PM has been replaced by Seventh Heaven. Shawn also found this January 18th MediaPost article that suggests the move might be permanent:

    “Certainly, we keep an eye on all demographics,” says Abbott. “But we don’t program to attract 18-49, and we certainly don’t sell our advertising inventory to deliver 18-49.” Abbott says the new programming efforts, starting in the summer, are intended to shift Hallmark to more 25-54 viewers, from 65-plus viewers.

    “It takes a while to build some momentum,” he says. “But we really hit our stride in the fourth quarter in December.” Through it all, Hallmark has remained in the top 10 of all cable networks in household and key women 25-54 ratings.

    [...]

    He says the network is looking to shift away from older off-network fare, like “Touched by an Angel,” “Golden Girls,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “MASH” and other shows the network airs.

    Recall that broadcast network ION dropped M*A*S*H in October of 2009. Cable channel TV Land also airs the series; if Hallmark Channel does decide to remove M*A*S*H for good, TV Land will be the only place to see the series on television unless you’re lucky enough to have a local broadcast station that airs the series.

    Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

    Name That Episode 79

    The Name That Episode game is played Tuesdays and Thursdays. Players can participate as often as they like. An archive of past rounds can be found here. Today’s image can be found below. Can you name the episode it’s from? Feel free to post guesses in the comments section. As always, the winner gets bragging rights.

    And the Winner Is: Big Daddy O’Reilly, who correctly identified “A Smattering of Intelligence.”

    Name That Episode
    Name That Episode

    Monday, February 1st, 2010

    Pernell Roberts Passes Away

    Pernell Roberts, who starred in Trapper John, M.D. on CBS from 1979 to 1986, passed away last week at the age of 81. I’m sure many people, myself included, know him better as Adam Cartwright from NBC’s Bonanza, which he left in 1965 after six seasons. Back when cable channel FX had the rights to M*A*S*H it also had the rights to Trapper John, M.D., at least for a while, and I recall two episodes airing back-to-back early on Sunday mornings during the late 1990s.

    Pernell Roberts in Trapper John, M.D.
    Cast of Trapper John, M.D. – Pernell Roberts At Center

    Technically, according to a court ruling, Trapper John, M.D. is a spin-off of the movie MASH and a “sister show” to M*A*S*H. Although never as popular as M*A*S*H, Trapper John, M.D. was a solid performer for CBS and gave Pernell Roberts a career resurgence. An obituary can be found at The New York Times.

    Monday, January 25th, 2010

    No Updates This Week

    Due to a personal matter I won’t be updating the site this week. I hope to resume updates on Monday, February 1st. Thank you for your understanding. While I’m away, why not take the time to read some articles or features you might not have gotten around to yet? Here are a few suggestions:

    MASHback

    MASHback was a proposed television special that would delve into the behind-the-scenes story of M*A*S*H during its first three seasons. Announced in December of 2003, the special never materialized.

    M*A*S*H in Syndication

    An in-depth look at how M*A*S*H has been syndicated over the decades, starting with late night and daytime runs on CBS in the late 1970s and later off-network/local and cable airings.

    Music of M*A*S*H

    An analysis of the music used in individual episodes using original cue sheets from the series.

    Promoting the Premiere

    A collection of rare promotional material used to publicize the premiere of M*A*S*H way back in September of 1972.

    Watching M*A*S*H in the 1970s

    A look at the way M*A*S*H was originally broadcast in the 1970s, with rare footage of sponsorship promos and more.

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