What if Alda had left and Rogers stayed?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — MASH*
airborne3502 — 9 years ago(February 02, 2017 04:33 PM)
Could Trapper John have carried the show?
Assuming they still cast Mike Farrell, would Trapper and BJ have had chemistry?
Would McLean Stevenson, or Larry Linville have hung around?
That would have meant no Potter or Winchester.
The show definitely would have had a different vibe to it.
Not knowing history is like being a leaf that doesn't know it's part of a tree. -
BiffGG — 9 years ago(February 02, 2017 05:56 PM)
It would have made it better but I don't know that the zinger comedy and pun fests would have gone away. Norman Lear ruled the sitcom world back then and many felt compelled to bow down via following his lead.
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crypticanomaly73 — 9 years ago(February 02, 2017 10:35 PM)
It might have become more of an ensemble rather than just focusing on one star all the time. The problem is that Hawkeye leaving would have left a huge gap by that point as he was already established as the star. Even though Hawkeye/Alda annoyed me I don't think the rest of the cast could have held the show for as long as the show ended up lasting.
McLean and Linville might have stayed though and perhaps without Hawkeye's influence Frank might have been able to expand as a character instead of just being used a punching bag.
I could have survived without Potter, Winchester I liked.
Definitely would have become a different show.
Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it. -
indy_go_blue44 — 9 years ago(February 03, 2017 07:30 PM)
If Hawkeye hadn't developed as the main character and hadn't been so hugely popular, who knows.
McLean might still have left; it's the question whether he still felt he could be a bigger star outside of MASH.
Trapper would've had to be a lot more developed than he was to have carried the show, but I'm doubtful it would have outlasted the 70s. Very few of the really popular 70s shows made it into the 80s.
I think it would've stayed pretty much the same as S1-3 and lasted maybe 6, possibly 7 seasons that way. -
Deluded Juice — 4 years ago(July 06, 2021 12:48 AM)
Hawk brought in more seriousness and drama to it which I cannot see Trap doing.
I think it would have stayed as outrageous and crazy and screwball had Hawk left and Trap stayed.
BJ would not have been the serious family man or if he was then he and Trap would not have been as good friends as he and Hawk were. -
WarrenPeace — 4 years ago(December 09, 2021 12:12 AM)
I cannot see Beej and Trap getting along or with chemistry the way Beeg was the way he was.
Even with the changes of Trap and Blake gone, Frank did stick around for a bit.
I guess the OP didn't realize or forgot that detail.
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