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
Alan Alda play "QED", which had only one other character. Although Peter Parnell wrote the play, Alda both produced and inspired it. Alda has also appeared frequently in the films of Woody Allen, and was a guest star five times on "ER", playing Dr. Kerry Weaver's mentor, Gabriel Lawrence. During the later episodes, Dr. Lawrence was revealed to be suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Alda also had a co-starring role as Dr. Robert Gallo in the 1993 TV movie "And the Band Played On". During "M*A*S*H"'s run and continuing through the 1980s, Alda embarked on a successful career as