This could get ugly. Keep it clean. This means you, Ferret Face!

You know what? Charles is the best replacement character of them all- better than Potter and BJ and better than Klinger pretending to be Radar.

Frank and his ninniness (a word?) has a special place in my heart, but Charles was a good nemesis since he was clever and cultured and a pompous ass.

So call it a tie.

I voted for poor Frank.

but Charles was a good nemesis since he was clever and cultured and a pompous ass.

Charles was a worthy opponent; he wasn't stupid. I enjoyed the fact that he could be arrogant and stuck-up one moment, then drunk the next. He liked a joke about as well as Hawkeye and B.J., and brought something unique to the show. I think his "Winchesterness" was probably the one main difference, but it didn't keep him from fitting in just fine. Charles could be both pro- and antagonist at once.
Frank was great when the jokes were played on him, and when he said things like "Any idiot.......including me." When that started slowing down, He was no fun, just annoying.;)

One thing Charles could do that Frank couldn't was joke around with people.

I was watching "Trick Or Treatment" this afternoon, and there's this great scene where Chrles has a bit of fun with a Marine (Played by future Cheers barfly George Wendt) who has a billiard ball lodged in his mouth. Charles tries to examine the soldier, asking him all kinds of questions, while ignoring the fact that the guy can't speak and has a large pool ball wedged in his mouth.

Charles loosened up considerably in the last few seasons, and at times could show a great sense of humor.
Frank would never do something like that.

I still like Frank a little better though.

;)

If Frank ever seen Freedman, he'd send him home on a section eight. I hate Frank Marion Burns. I voted for Charles.

While I think Frank is one of the funniest characters on the show, after purchasing season 6, I like Winchester more. He seemed more human than Frank. Which I think is one of the reasons Larry Linville left the show.

Here's my view on all the replacements:

Blake vs. Potter = Henry Blake Wins

Trapper vs. BJ = BJ Hunnicutt Wins

Frank vs. Winchester = Charles Winchester Wins

So I guess the perfect season would have had:
Alan Alda
Mike Farrell
McLean Stevenson
Loretta Swit
David Ogden Stiers
Gary Burgoff
Jamie Farr
William Christopher

If only ... :)

I voted for Charles. He was a much deeper character than Frank. I liked Frank the first 2 seasons, but he became extremely annoying later on. Charles gets too maudlin in the later seasons (after Radar left), but I love him in season 6!! ("You cannot break the spirit of a Winchester!" :rofl: )


Lolac

Frank Burns eats worms.

I still perfer good old Frank!!

While I do love both, I prefer Charles to Frank. Frank was just too one-dimensional and plain nasty. Charles, as snobby as he was, showed that he could still be a decent human being at times. I also like how Charles would fight back against the practical jokes and insults that Hawkeye and BJ slung at him and he even became their ally at times. Frank could never do those things.

One think I love better about Frank that Charles could never do: No one could do crazy and paranoid as good as ol' Ferret Face! :lol:

I also like how Charles would fight back against the practical jokes and insults that Hawkeye and BJ slung at him and he even became their ally at times. Frank could never do those things.


I agree. Charles gave as good as he got. When Charles first joined the cast, (season six) they often made him the jerk who got his comuppance in the end (Change Day, The Merchant Of Korea) much like Frank, but as things went on, they moved away from making him the bad guy all the time.

Frank Burns eats worms.

You leave that no-neck, ferret face alone!!:D

NO contest, Frank Burns was much better, he was a lot funnier and I thought much more sympathetic....I know what its like to be the oddball in a group, that line about how no one liked him and that he had one friend who only pretended to like him " The way Dad used to " really broke my heart. FB ( TV version ) was actually a very complex character ( more so than in the movie version ) and for that reason, i always knew he wasnt really mean spirited, he wanted to be loved, but simply didnt know how. Charles has his moments...in particular the chocolates to the orphans Xmas story , but, for the most part, he was just annoying.

NO contest, Frank Burns was much better, he was a lot funnier and I thought much more sympathetic....I know what its like to be the oddball in a group, that line about how no one liked him and that he had one friend who only pretended to like him " The way Dad used to " really broke my heart. FB ( TV version ) was actually a very complex character ( more so than in the movie version ) and for that reason, i always knew he wasnt really mean spirited, he wanted to be loved, but simply didnt know how. Charles has his moments...in particular the chocolates to the orphans Xmas story , but, for the most part, he was just annoying.

That's an interesting perspective. One I never would have thought of. I've never viewed Frank as sympathetic myself. But you have to admit that psychologically speaking, Frank should have gotten the psycho discharge. His behavior did grow increasingly disturbing, especially when Hot Lips got engaged and married.

To me, the fact that he was an unloved person, wanting love and finding it only in places where he shouldnt have been always made him a sympathtic and fascinating character. The few times the other doctors treated him with any kind of respect, hed respond in kind...a sign that he really wasnt the horrid person the other drs made him out to be. Behind that cold facade was a sad and lonely, depressed man, who couldnt warm up to others ; yet, wanted to very badly.Charles just couldnt compete with that , in my book.