Trapper John, M.D.  Trapper John, M.D. is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film "M*A*S*H" (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS for seven seasons, from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986. Roberts played the character more than twice as long as had Wayne Rogers (1972–75) on the TV series "M*A*S*H". The role of Trapper John was played by Elliott Gould in the film. "Trapper John, M.D." focuses on Dr. "Trapper" John McIntyre (Pernell Roberts) 28 years after his discharge from the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) in the Korean War. During that time after the war, the character had mellowed considerably. He did not merely learn how to stop fighting the system but became a part of it, in a sense, as the Chief of Surgery at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Trapper shows tremendous compassion toward his patients, often violating "established hospital procedures." Working with Trapper is an aspiring young professional named Dr. George Alonzo Gates (Gregory Harrison), usually referred to as Gonzo, who has a lot in common with Trapper, having also served in a MASH unit (albeit during the later Vietnam War). His sense of humor and love of life also reflect elements of Trapper's younger days. Gonzo resides in his motor home (dubbed "The Titanic") in the hospital parking lot. The show also involves several other characters that serve as hospital staff. The show underwent a number of changes during "Trapper John"'s seventh and final season. Only nine further irregularly-scheduled episodes of "Trapper John" were produced after Harrison's departure. After Harrison's last episode, the show was off the air for three weeks, then brought back on a different night before being pre-empted three times in the next four weeks. A top 30 hit for most of its run, "Trapper John, M.D." fell out of the top 30 during season seven, and was cancelled by season's end. The final four episodes were aired late in the summer of 1986, well after the show's cancellation had already been announced. Recurring:  Cast notes:  It has sometimes been reported that after "Trapper John, M.D." premiered, the producers of the television series "M*A*S*H" filed suit claiming they were entitled to royalties from the new show because their series had also featured Trapper John McIntyre as a character, portrayed by actor Wayne Rogers.