AfterMASH is an American sitcom television series produced as a spin-off and continuation of M*A*S*H that aired on CBS from September 26, 1983, to May 31, 1985. It was developed as the sequel series as it takes place immediately following the end of the Korean War and chronicles the postwar adventures of three main characters from the original series: Colonel Sherman T. Potter (Harry Morgan), Sergeant Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr) and Father John Mulcahy (William Christopher). M*A*S*H supporting cast-member Kellye Nakahara joined them, albeit off-camera, as the voice of the hospital's public address system. Rosalind Chao rounded out the starring cast as Soon-Lee Klinger, a Korean refugee whom Klinger met, fell in love with, and married in the prior series finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen".
Synopsis
Season one
In the one-hour pilot episode "September of '53"/"Together Again", Colonel Potter returns home from South Korea to his wife Mildred (Barbara Townsend) in Hannibal, Missouri. He soon finds enforced retirement stifling, and Mildred suggests he return to work. Potter is soon hired by the bombastic and bureaucratic hospital administrator Mike D'Angelo (John Chappell) as the chief of staff at General Pershing Veterans' Hospital ("General General"), located in a fictional version of River Bend, Missouri.
After a delayed return from Korea to help his bride, Soon Lee, find her family, Max Klinger finds himself ostracized from his family (who did not approve of his marrying a Korean woman), and in trouble with the law in Toledo, Ohio. Potter writes to him, and offers him a job as his administrative assistant. Klinger's nemesis at General General is D'Angelo's executive secretary Alma Cox (Brandis Kemp), a mean-spirited woman who is forever trying to "get the goods" on him, from rifling through his desk to giving him just one day to prepare for a civil service exam, the latter of which, despite her underhanded efforts, he still manages to pass.
Father Mulcahy, whose hearing was damaged in the final episode of M*A*S*H, is suffering from depression and drinking heavily. Potter arranges for him to receive an operation at another VA Hospital in St. Louis. After his hearing is surgically corrected, he stops drinking and joins Potter and Klinger at "General General" as its Catholic chaplain.
Also on hand is the idealistic, talented, and often hungry young resident surgeon Gene Pfeiffer (Jay O. Sanders), attractive secretary Bonnie Hornbeck (Wendy Schaal), who has her eye on Klinger, and old-timer Bob Scannell (Patrick Cranshaw), who served under then-Sergeant Potter in World War I and was now a hospital resident of 35 years (thanks to his exposure to mustard gas). Unlike the other patients and staff who address Potter by his retired rank of colonel, Scannell calls him "Sarge" at Potter's request.
Halfway through the first season, Dr. Mark Boyer (David Ackroyd) was introduced as a hardened veteran who lost a leg in Korea and had a hard time adjusting to civilian life. Despite only having signed on for two episodes,[1] his character began appearing more often toward the end of the season, so often that Dr. Pfeiffer was suddenly pulled from the cast after Dr. Boyer's debut episode.
The only other main character from the original series to appear on AfterMASH was Radar (played by Gary Burghoff), who appeared in a first-season two-part episode. As Potter, Klinger, and Mulcahy prepare to head to Iowa for Radar's wedding, Radar shows up in a panic at Potter's house in Missouri, believing his fiancée has cheated on him in "It Had to Be You". The Radar character later appeared in a pilot called W*A*L*T*E*R, in which Radar moves from Ottumwa, Iowa to St. Louis, after losing his farm, and his wife leaves him on his wedding night, and he becomes a police officer. (The series was never picked up, and the pilot was aired in July 1984 as a TV special on CBS exclusively in the Eastern and Central time zones; the show was pre-empted in Pacific and Mountain time zones by the 1984 Democratic National Convention. The pilot/special was broadcast by CBS only once.)
The season included home scenes with the Potters, most notably when they are deluged with guests in "Thanksgiving of '53", and Potter tries to keep the phone occupied so Klinger cannot call his relatives, who are on the way over to surprise him; this episode also marked the only onscreen appearance of Potter's oft-mentioned daughter, Evvy Ennis, and Potter's grandson, Corey. One of the season's standout episodes was the Emmy-nominated "Fall Out", where Potter and Pfeiffer consider leaving General General, but reconsider when they link the leukemia seen in a patient with exposure to atomic testing; writer-director Larry Gelbart received a Peabody Award for this episode. The season closed in March, with Klinger being arrested for assaulting a real estate agent as the pregnant Soon-Lee goes into labor. In May, CBS announced the show was renewed for a second season.
Season two
Season two opened with Klinger escaping from the River Bend County Jail to attend the birth of his child and remaining a fugitive until a judge sends him to the psychiatric unit at General General, where Klinger feigns insanity to avoid prison, and the Potters take in Soon-Lee and the (as yet unnamed) baby. Mike D'Angelo is transferred to Montana and is replaced by smarmy new administrator Wally Wainwright (Peter Michael Goetz). Anne Pitoniak was brought in to replace Barbara Townsend as Mildred Potter. David Ackroyd was promoted to a regular cast member after multiple guest appearances in the second half of the first season. An attractive new psychiatrist, Dr. Lenore Dudziak (Wendy Girard), arrives to begin the daunting task of evaluating Klinger, while Potter is horrified that Wainwright has assigned Alma Cox as his new secretary.
Relationship with M*A*S*H
Only a few of the characters both main and recurring from the original series were ever mentioned in the sequel series. Hawkeye was mentioned in a voice-over narration by Father John Mulcahy in the one-hour pilot episode. Major Frank Burns was mentioned two times by Colonel Sherman T. Potter, once in the first season episode "Chief of Staff" and another time in a second season episode. In a season 1 episode, "Chief of Staff", Colonel Sherman T. Potter's office was redecorated with all of the items from the 4077th MASH unit including a portrait from Season 10, Episode 21 of M*A*S*H, "Picture This", and it would remain that way throughout the sequel series. The theme song from the original series was also played. In a season 2 episode, "Madness to His Method", Potter writes to Major Sidney Freedman, who had accepted a post at the University of Chicago after leaving Korea and the army, talking about the episode's situation to an unseen character. Edward Winter, who played Colonel Samuel Flagg in the original series, reprised his role in a season 2 episode, "Trials".
While AfterMASH was being produced and renewed for a second season, plans were made for Alan Alda and other actors from the original series to appear in the show as guest stars but it was canceled before the plans were finalized.[2]
Characters
Note: Similar to the list on the M*A*S*H page, this table counts double episodes as two episodes, and therefore there are 22 episodes in the first season (with the first episode being double-length), and 9 episodes in the second season, the total being 31.
AfterMASH made frequent references to M*A*S*H, and likewise featured storylines that highlighted the horrors and suffering of war, from the non-combat perspective of a veterans' hospital. The series was canceled after twenty-nine broadcast episodes. "Wet Feet", the thirtieth episode, was never aired.
Broadcast
AfterMASH premiered in late 1983 in the same Monday at 9 p.m. time slot as its predecessor, M*A*S*H. It finished at No. 15 out of 101 network shows for the 1983–1984 season according to Nielsen Media Research television ratings. For its second season, CBS moved the show to Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m., opposite NBC's Top 10 hit The A-Team, and launched a marketing campaign featuring illustrations by Sanford Kossin of Max Klinger in a female nurse's uniform shaving off Mr. T's signature mohawk, theorizing that AfterMASH would take a large portion of the A-Team audience.[4] The opposite occurred, as AfterMASH's ratings plummeted to near the bottom of the television rankings, leading to its cancellation just nine episodes into its second season, finishing at only No. 72 out of 77 shows for the 1984–1985 season. Meanwhile, The A-Team continued until 1987, with 97 episodes.
A fresh-from-Korea and bored Potter takes a job as Chief of Staff at the General Pershing VA Hospital. He writes a letter to a struggling Klinger, offering him the job of secretary, and Klinger accepts.
2
2
"Together Again"
Nick Havinga
Larry Gelbart
September 26, 1983 (1983-09-26)
2E02
Potter arranges for a depressed, alcoholic Father Mulcahy to come to St. Louis for ear surgery and he eventually decides to take a job as the hospital chaplain.
Klinger and Soon-Lee argue about Soon-Lee wanting to get a job, Potter and Pfeiffer operate on a patient without proper identification, and Mulcahy rushes to write his monthly report.
4
4
"Snap, Crackle, Plop"
Nick Havinga
Dennis Koenig
October 10, 1983 (1983-10-10)
2E04
Klinger takes his civil service exam on less than 12 hours' notice, Potter tries to get D'Angelo, who'd rather buy a new canopy, to get a new autoclave, and Mulcahy deals with a patient who thinks God is trying to kill him.
5
5
"Staph Inspection"
Burt Metcalfe
Ken Levine, David Isaacs
October 17, 1983 (1983-10-17)
2E07
Potter deals with a dying World War I friend and patient, Klinger tries to get organized, and Mulcahy tries to control a flasher, all while a staph infection grips the hospital and an inspection is on its way.
During the night shift at the hospital, Pfeiffer deals with fatigue and overwork, Mulcahy helps a patient see his son, and Klinger searches for missing mattresses, while Potter tries to get back home to a fancy dinner with his wife.
7
7
"Shall We Dance"
Will Mackenzie
Ken Levine, David Isaacs
October 31, 1983 (1983-10-31)
2E05
Alma tries to get From Here to Eternity banned from General Pershing, while Pfeiffer tries to win the affections of Alma's secretary Bonnie, who only has eyes for Klinger.
8
8
"Little Broadcast of '53"
Burt Metcalfe
Dennis Koenig
November 7, 1983 (1983-11-07)
2E08
During an October week at General General, a new nurse adjusts to hospital work and hijinks, Klinger begins to do lunchtime P.A. broadcasts, and Mulcahy deals with a clingy patient.
9
9
"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday"
Nick Havinga
Dennis Koenig
November 14, 1983 (1983-11-14)
2E09
On Visitor's Day at General Pershing, D'Angelo flirts with Mildred Potter's niece, much to Alma's chagrin, a freelance preacher gives false hope to patients, and a healthy man tries to get admitted.
10
10
"Thanksgiving of '53"
Burt Metcalfe
Ken Levine, David Isaacs
November 21, 1983 (1983-11-21)
2E10
It's the first Thanksgiving at home since Korea, and the Potters are deluged with guests, including a camera-bug Mulcahy, all the Klingers from Toledo, a mooching Pfeiffer, and a lonely D'Angelo. Notably, Potter's daughter and grandchildren, who were often mentioned in the original series, appear in this episode.
11
11
"Fallout"
Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart
December 5, 1983 (1983-12-05)
2E12
Potter and Pfeiffer consider leaving the bureaucratic VA hospital, but a patient who contracted leukemia from government atomic testing bring them back. Larry Gelbart was nominated for the Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Emmy after directing this episode.
12
12
"The Bladder Day Saints"
Nick Havinga
Everett Greenbaum, Elliott Reid
December 12, 1983 (1983-12-12)
2E11
During the annual bladder inspection for local vets, Pfeiffer deals with his first death, a patient tries to fake back pain to stay in the hospital, and Klinger begins to feel uncomfortable when he meets a friend from Korea who didn't come back whole.
13
13
"All About Christmas Eve"
Burt Metcalfe
Dennis Koenig
December 19, 1983 (1983-12-19)
2E13
On Christmas Eve, the Klingers announce they are having a baby and a depressed Alma consoles herself by trying to fire Klinger.
As Klinger plans a special surprise for Col. Potter's birthday, Mr. D' Angelo finds out he needs prostate surgery, and a Southern African–American nurse finds it hard to adjust to an integrated hospital.
Father Mulcahy fights bureaucracy to get the V.A. to pay for his ear surgery and another patient's transportation, Klinger helps out a paralyzed patient, and the hospital scrambles to find a missing patient.
16
16
"Yours Truly, Max Klinger"
Burt Metcalfe
Ken Levine, David Isaacs
January 16, 1984 (1984-01-16)
2E16
Klinger writes Radar a letter about recent events in his life, including Soon-Lee being pregnant with his child, his struggle to sell frozen beef to make a little extra money, and a troublesome new surgeon, Dr. Boyer. This episode is the last appearance of Jay O. Sanders as Dr. Gene Pfeiffer, the first appearance of David Ackroyd as Dr. Boyer, and features a guest appearance by Gary Burghoff reprising his role as Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly.
17
17
"It Had to Be You"
Larry Gelbart
Dennis Koenig, Ken Levine, David Isaacs
January 23, 1984 (1984-01-23)
2E17
Radar takes refuge at the Potters' after he discovers his fiancée was unfaithful. Meanwhile, Doctor Boyer finds it hard to approach women at a local bar.
Story by : Dennie Koenig Teleplay by : Ken Levine, David Isaacs
February 6, 1984 (1984-02-06)
2E19
With the Mrs. out of town for the night, Dr. Potter heads for the local bar for a meal and someone to talk to. Meanwhile, on Potter's advice, D'Angelo begins to socialize with the hospital patients, but causes more harm than help, and Klinger tries to keep up with Soon-Lee's cravings.
20
20
"Fever Pitch"
Burt Metcalfe
Dennis Koenig
February 27, 1984 (1984-02-27)
2E21
A hot day brings a patient who needs his fever cooled. Dr. Boyer wants to use a cooling blanket, but it is not V.A. approved, so he turns to Klinger to get one. Meanwhile, Father Mulcahy is in search of a new place to stay, after life in the rectory turns substandard.
Mulcahy must stop a man who thinks he is Superman from endangering other patients.
22
22
"Up and Down Payments"
Burt Metcalfe
Ken Levine, David Isaacs
March 12, 1984 (1984-03-12)
2E22
Klinger gets arrested for punching a crooked real estate agent. Soon-Lee goes into labor. This episode is the last appearance of John Chappell as Mark D'Angelo and Barbara Townsend as Mildred Potter.
While Soon-Lee is being rushed to the delivery room, Klinger stands in a jail cell worried about his wife, and later conspires with another inmate in order to make his escape. Meanwhile, V.A. Administrator Burt Philbrick (Max Wright) tours the hospital, later informing Dr. Potter that Mr. D'Angelo has been replaced. Soon-Lee gives birth to her son, with Max at her side, after he tells everyone he is going to hide out at the hospital.
Wally Wainwright arrives and immediately runs into Klinger, who is still on the run from the law. After introducing himself as Dr. Habibi, Klinger is asked to show Mr. Wainwright around. Meanwhile, Alma is demoted to Potter's clerk and Boyer tries to prove himself to Wainwright, despite his prosthetic leg.
25
3
"Strangers and Other Lovers"
Burt Metcalfe
Dennis Koenig
October 2, 1984 (1984-10-02)
2W03
Potter tries to deal with the overbearing Alma Cox, Boyer beds the wife of a patient, and Klinger is finally arrested.
Max Klinger's trial finally takes place, with the result of Klinger being found not guilty by reason of insanity. Klinger is also ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Mr. Wainwright forces Dr. Boyer into performing a difficult operation. Edward Winter reprises his M*A*S*H role of Colonel Flagg to testify against Klinger.
27
5
"Madness to His Method"
Burt Metcalfe
Tom Straw
October 16, 1984 (1984-10-16)
2W05
Dr. Potter writes to Dr. Sidney Freedman about recent events at the hospital, including news of the hospital's brand new psychiatrist, Dr. Lenore Dudziak (Wendy Girard), who has arrived to perform Klinger's psychological evaluation. Meanwhile, Boyer flirts with Dudziak, Potter tries to connect with a silent patient, and Wainwright decides to serve deluxe meals in the cafeteria to prevent malcontent from the patients.
28
6
"The Recovery Room"
Charles S. Dubin
Jay Folb
October 30, 1984 (1984-10-30)
2W06
The Klinger baby causes friction between Mr. and Mrs. Potter, while Klinger tries to get mental disability from the VA and Dudziak tries to convince Boyer to attend group therapy. Meanwhile, Dr. Andy Caldwell arrives at the hospital for an internship.
29
7
"Ward Is Hell"
Burt Metcalfe
Ken Levine, David Isaacs, Dennis Koenig
December 4, 1984 (1984-12-04)
2W09
Klinger runs a hospital lottery, but trouble ensues when Soon-Lee has the winning ticket. Meanwhile, Dr. Boyer is laid up with a staph infection, bringing his anger and bad attitude to the post-op ward.
Attempts at weekend romances are interrupted when the Potters' car breaks down and Wainwright revokes passes for the psychiatric ward. Elsewhere, the Klinger baby is christened and named.
Not aired in the U.S.[n 4] (Not aired in the U.S.[n 4])
2W08
A Missouri thunderstorm leads Alma to practice her role as the hospital Civil Defense officer, the doctors to take refuge at a supply room poker game, and a mental patient to lock himself in the hospital fallout shelter after mistaking the storm for a nuclear attack.[5]
Critics were mostly negative about the program. In 1999, Time magazine listed the show as one of the 100 worst ideas of the century, and in 2002, TV Guide listed it as the seventh-worst TV series ever.[6][7]
