M*A*S*H of the franchise and was ranked #25 in "TV Guide"'s "TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time." Its final episode in 1983 was the most-watched in television history. "Trapper John, M.D." featured the character of Trapper John McIntyre, played by Pernell Roberts, twenty-eight years after the events of the "M*A*S*H" film and television series. It was the first spin-off to feature a character from the series in civilian life after the war. Legally, "Trapper John, M.D." is a direct spin-off of the "MASH" film rather than the television series due to licensing issues. The pilot episode briefly shows
M*A*S*H (TV series) way. They were paying for dinner." "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" was the final episode of "M*A*S*H". Special television sets were placed in PX parking lots, auditoriums, and dayrooms of the US Army in Korea so that military personnel could watch that episode, in spite of 14 hours' time-zone difference with the East Coast of the US. The episode aired on February 28, 1983, and was 2½ hours long. The episode got a Nielsen rating of 60.2 and 77 share and according to a "New York Times" article from 1983, the final episode of "M*A*S*H" had 125 million viewers. When the