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) and Amen". The laugh track is also omitted from some international and syndicated airings of the show; on one occasion during an airing on BBC2, the laugh track was accidentally left on, and viewers expressed their displeasure, an apology from the network for the "technical difficulty" was later released, as during its original run on BBC2 in the UK, it was shown without the laugh track. UK DVD critics speak poorly of the laugh track, stating "canned laughter is intrusive at the best of times, but with a programme like "M*A*S*H", it's downright unbearable." On all released DVDs, both in