The M*A*S*H Spin-Off That Completely Ruined Radar

Larry Gelbart's TV adaptation of the 1970 Robert Altman movie "M*A*S*H" was, it should be remembered, one of the biggest hits of all time. The series debuted in 1972 and ran a chonky 256 episodes over the course of its 11 seasons. The show's finale episode, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," remains the highest-watched TV event in American history, excluding live broadcasts and Super Bowls. It was such a massive event, in fact, that there has been no attempt to cash in on, re-up, reboot, or make any follow-up shows to "M*A*S*H." Why mess with perfection? The show was an eloquent mix of slapstick gallows humor and wartime melancholy. It was so popular that it lasted longer than the actual Korean War (during which it was set).

Oh, wait. That's not accurate. The show "Trapper John, M.D.," itself a spinoff of Altman's film, aired for seven seasons from 1979-1986. It wasn't the only "M*A*S*H" spinoff, either.

Indeed, it seems there was also some debate among the cast as to whether or not the "M*A*S*H" TV series should continue beyond 11 seasons. Actors Jamie Farr (who played Klinger), Harry Morgan (who played Colonel Potter), and William Christopher (who played Father Mulcahy) wanted the show to continue, so they agreed to star in "AfterMASH," a post-war series that caught up with the characters upon returning home to their respective hometowns. "AfterMASH" was about the dramas and pains that are often visited upon veterans, although it played more like a daytime soap than "The Best Years of Our Lives."

Gary Burghoff, who played Walter "Radar" O'Reilly on "M*A*S*H," appeared in an episode of "AfterMASH," announcing to his friends that he was worried that his bride-to-be might be having an affair. This storyline, curiously, was itself spun off into a series called "W*A*L*T*E*R," which followed Radar after his wife leaves him during their honeymoon. Radar then moved to St. Louis and become a cop. But where "AfterMASH" managed to hang on for two seasons, "W*A*L*T*E*R" never made it past its pilot.

"M*A*S*H" fans will be able to tell you that the character of Walter "Radar" O'Reilly was an innocent, boyish individual marked by his gentleness and naïveté. This was a change from the way Radar was depicted in the original "M*A*S*H" movie, wherein he was more of a scheming black marketeer. Radar appeared on eight seasons of "M*A*S*H," serving as the company's clerk and bugler. He was often seen with a teddy bear as well, something he finally forswore in the final episode.

This is why it was so weird to see Radar as a big-city cop in "W*A*L*T*E*R." The 30-minute pilot aired only once, on July 17, 1984, and no one seemed to notice. It depicted Radar as having become despondent after losing his wife. Also, because he was so bad at maintaining it, Radar was forced to sell his farm and move to the big city. This left him suicidal, as the pilot even showed him purchasing the drugs he intended to use to take his own life. Fortunately, he is saved by a friendly pharmacist named Victoria (Victoria Jackson), who was meant to be a regular on the show. A cop named Wendell (Ray Buktenica) subsequently got Radar a job on the local police force.

These events were seen in a flashback, as "W*A*L*T*E*R" had a bookend structure. Part of the pilot focused on Radar being interviewed by a local news show as it caught up with Korean War veterans. The bulk of it, however, was composed of cutaways to his everyday life.

This was a strange way to continue the Radar character's story, frankly. He was always sweet and kind on "M*A*S*H," so it's heartbreaking to think that Radar's life turned sour to the point of suicidal depression. And then, once he'd been offered a friendly hand, Radar became ... a cop? Like, with a gun and a nightstick?

The connections between "M*A*S*H" and "AfterMASH" were few and far between. Sometimes Radar talked about his old friends from the show, but, for the most part, "AfterMASH" was an all-new series with a version of the Radar character that was only somewhat recognizable. It's also weird that "W*A*L*T*E*R" had a much stronger connection to "AfterMASH" than to "M*A*S*H," spinning off from the former show's plot. 

One advantage "W*A*L*T*E*R" had over other series? It featured a cameo from prolific B-movie character actor Dick Miller. But everything else felt wrong. The whimsical music and continued laugh track gave the show an off-putting tone. It felt artificial in a 1980s kind of way, itself far from the moody, dark drama of "M*A*S*H" at its most serious. Also, who wants to watch a "M*A*S*H" spinoff that doesn't involve the army and a hospital?

The "W*A*L*T*E*R" pilot was not picked up, as mentioned earlier, though it did air just once ... but only in three of the United States' four time zones. On the west coast, the pilot, presented as a "very special presentation," was pre-empted by the 1984 Democratic National Convention. That was the year Walter Mondale was running against Ronald Reagan (and we all know the unfortunate results of that election). After that, "W*A*L*T*E*R" vanished and it's now difficult to track down on any kind of official home media (though resourceful media hunters can find it online).

"W*A*L*T*E*R" was misguided, but not nearly as misguided as the 1983 "M*A*S*H" video game for the Atari 2600. Yes, that was real.