M*A*S*H was a landmark show, and its success spawned a few spin-offs - though some lasted much longer than others. Robert Altman's M*A*S*H movie debuted in 1970 and was based on the novel of the same name by Richard Hooker. The story was based on the author's experiences as a combat surgeon during the Korean War, and the film's success - in turn - led to the TV series. M*A*S*H debuted on CBS in 1972 and evolved from being a mostly irreverent sitcom to more of a dramedy.
While some of the show's humor and stereotypes have aged poorly, it could often be incredibly moving and touched on topics like PTSD and homosexuality in the military long before most other shows, and inspired the likes of Scrubs (which was canceled after nine seasons). The show concluded in 1983 after 11 seasons, and here's every M*A*S*H spin-off explained.
Trapper John, M.D.
Both the movie and the first few seasons of M*A*S*H revolved around the buddy dynamic between "Hawkeye" Pierce and Trapper John. Trapper actor Wayne Rogers started to feel the character became less of a co-lead and more of a sidekick to Alan Alda's Hawkeye and decided to leave the show. Rogers exited was handled bluntly, with the fact Hawkeye didn't even get to say goodbye being a plot point. The series Trapper John, M.D then arrived in 1979, which was set 28 years after the title character's time in the Korean War.
Pernell Roberts replaced Rogers, with the series following Trapper as the Chief of Surgery at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Trapper John, M.D was a Grey's Anatomy-style (which also has many spin-offs) medical drama and not a sitcom and was a big success in its own right. It ran for seven seasons in total, though it rarely touched on its connections to M*A*S*H. In fact, despite featuring photos of Alda and Rogers in its pilot episode, producers later claimed it was a spin-off of the movie and novel itself. This was in response to a lawsuit from the M*A*S*H show's producers.
AfterMASH
Given the success of M*A*S*H, it's no surprise CBS wished to stretch out its success when the show ended in 1983. AfterMASH was a direct sequel to the show, with the sitcom following the post-war experiences of three of the show supporting players: Sherman T. Potter (Harry Morgan), Klinger (Jamie Farr, co-star of The Cannonball Run 2) and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher). The three friends were reunited in the pilot, where they all worked at a Veterans' Hospital, and while it was also a dramedy that explores the effects of PTSD, it lacked the spark that made M*A*S*H a hit; it wasn't nearly as funny either. Had the show focused on Hawkeye or "Hot Lips" Houlihan, perhaps it could have worked, but despite a successful first season, AfterMASH's ratings quickly dived and it was canceled during season 2.
W*A*L*T*E*R
If M*A*S*H is one of the most successful sitcoms in TV history - with its 1983 finale being the most watched scripted episode of all time - then W*A*L*T*E*R is one of the least successful spin-offs. In fact, it only lasted for one episode and followed the continuing adventure of Gary Burghoff's "Radar O'Reilly. This pilot saw Walter becoming a police officer, with the pilot - which was directed by The Incredible Hulk TV show star Bill Bixby - airing once in 1984. Since Radar was an audience favorite on M*A*S*H - who exited during season 8 - it made sense to build a spin-off around the character. Sadly, W*A*L*T*E*R was poorly received and wasn't picked up for series.'