Wayne Rogers and McLean Stevenson left the show after three years. Mike Farrell came in to replace Rogers, and the show took a more serious route. If, instead, Alda had left and Rogers stayed, there was still same core of an ensemble military* sitcom. I think that Harry Morgan would have done just fine as the replacement for Stevenson, but could anyone who was around at that time step into the role of Trapper's partner-in-crime? Or could they carry on by just promoting lesser characters like Mulcahey and Klinger?

I don't think the show would have lasted long in this circumstance. I know Trapper has his fans (many of them) but if he'd have stayed my guess is that the show would have continued to be less serious and more "Animal House" like, which I don't think would have been able to sustain itself long.

My biggest problem with Trapper was that he wasn't distinguishable enough from Hawkeye. Both were boozing, womanizing, acerbic iconoclasts that were also fortunately very good surgeons. Having them both stay seemed kind of redundant.

My biggest problem with Trapper was that he wasn't distinguishable enough from Hawkeye. Both were boozing, womanizing, acerbic iconoclasts that were also fortunately very good surgeons. Having them both stay seemed kind of redundant.


It wasn't fortunate that they were good surgeons. This is fiction. It was no accident that the likeable liberals were good doctors and the hateable conservative Frank Burns was portrayed as inferior. Even the cast commented how unrealistic it was that the doctors magically never seemed to be drunk when the wounded came in.