From: boyajian@ruby.enet.dec.com (Two days and a wake-up...)
Subject: CHINA BEACH Episode Guide, Part 1 of 7 (Introduction)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 02:03:45 GMT

CHINA BEACH


     Episode Guide compiled and copyright 1992 by Jerry Boyajian.

     Expanded from an episode guide started by Christopher Kribs and
     Jerry Boyajian.


     Revision history:

     V1.0: Included episode numbers, broadcast dates, and titles.

     V2.0: (August 1992)
           Reformatted to my current standard episode guide format.
           Added detailed cast and production credits.


     Introduction


     The main body of this episode guide is broken into four sections,
     one for each season. Each section contains a broadcast schedule
     for that season, a list of the regular cast, recurring supporting
     cast, and production credits for the season, and then a page for
     each episode listing the episode number, title, writer(s), director,
     a brief synopsis, and the guest cast and some specific production
     credits for the episode. Following the main body of the guide are
     two appendices: the first an alphabetical list of the actors in
     the series, regular and guest, and what parts they played in which
     episodes, and the second an alphabetical list of the production
     crew, and what episodes they worked on.

     In the Broadcast Schedule, the episode numbers appear as both
     "x.y" and "z". "X" is the season number, "y" the episode number
     within the season, and "z" the whole episode number. I've tried
     to note repeat broadcasts and scheduled or unscheduled pre-emptions.
     These are incomplete, but I've listed as many as I know about.
     Air dates for the first three seasons were primarily determined
     via an electronic conference archive, in which many of the episodes
     were discussed in dated notes as they were broadcast on ABC, and
     secondarily taken from issues of TV GUIDE. Most of the fourth
     season dates were noted by me as the episodes were broadcast or
     were taken from TV GUIDE or from Frank Lovece's THE TELEVISION
     YEARBOOK. Other sources include Alex McNeil's TOTAL TELEVISION,
     and Tim Brooks & Earle Marsh's THE COMPLETE DIRECTORY TO PRIME
     TIME NETWORK TV SHOWS, 1946-PRESENT. When all other sources
     failed, I used the dates in the CHINA BEACH episode guide in
     EPI-LOG #14 (January 1992). As I don't put much stock in EPI-
     LOG's reliability, I've flagged these dates as "not confirmed".

     Most of the synopses were written by me, with some written by
     Christopher Kribs, and some a mixture of both.

     The cast and production credit listings are presented in the order
     in which the names appear on the screen, with the credit being
     listed as it appears on the screen. Character names or partial
     names that don't appear in the on-screen credits are enclosed in
     brackets. A blank line that appears within a "Guest Starring"
     listing for an episode or in the "Regular Production Credits"
     listing for a season indicate the split between those listed in
     the opening credits and those in the closing credits. The numbers
     in brackets towards the right for the season listings indicate
     which episodes the person in question appeared in or worked on.
     If no bracketed numbers appear, then the person in question appeared
     in or worked on all episodes for that season.

     The "Principal Cast" includes those and only those who are listed
     in the opening credits for the show. The "Recurring Supporting
     Cast" listing includes those recurring cast members not in the
     Principal Cast. It does not attempt to include all those characters
     who appear more than once, but those who appear three or more times
     and have a fairly significant or visible role.

     When a name has been misspelled in the credits, I've listed it as
     it appears in the credits and added "[sic]". In cases where a name
     is spelled two different ways, and I don't know which is correct,
     I've put "[sic]" after each one.

     CHINA BEACH


     Created by John Sacret Young and William Broyles, Jr.
     Produced by Sacret, Inc., in association with Warner Brothers
       Television

     Aired on the ABC network, Spring 1988 to Summer 1991.
     Currently airing in reruns on the Lifetime cable network.


     Theme Song: "Reflections" as originally performed by The Supremes


     Premise & Characters:

     CHINA BEACH follows the lives of the personnel of the 510th Evac
     Medical and R&R facility at China Beach, near Da Nang in the
     Republic of South Vietnam, primarily from 1967 to 1969. During
     the fourth season, the format of the show changed, focusing on
     how the various characters were in later years affected by their
     experiences in the Vietnam War. These episodes jumped around in
     time, but were mostly centered around the mid-80's and flashbacks
     to the War, but with occasional glimpses at other times in between.
     The main characters were as follows:

     Lieutenant (later Captain) Colleen McMurphy is, as the series opens,
     the Head Nurse at China Beach, and the principal focus of the series.
     She was an idealistic young nurse from Kansas who enlisted in the
     Army and volunteered for duty in Vietnam...and lived to regret it.

     Dr. Dick Richard (Captain, Army) was a gynecologist drafted for
     service as a combat surgeon. He maintained a stormy relationship
     with McMurphy throughout the series, both in the operating room
     and out.

     Karen Charlene Koloski, or "K.C.", is the stereotypical "hooker
     with a heart of gold", though in K.C.'s case, the gold is rather
     tarnished. K.C. has numerous contacts among the upper ranks of
     the services and the C.I.A., as well as the Black Market. By 1969,
     she'd quit her life of prostitution and moved to Bangkok where
     she opened up a nightclub.

     Corporal (USMC) Boonwell "Boonie" Lanier's official duties included
     being lifeguard at the beach and running the "Jet Set", China
     Beach's off-duty club. His unofficial duties included procuring
     whatever need to be procured. It was hinted in early episodes
     that he was an exceptional soldier who saved his squad during
     an especially hairy mission, and that after coming back from that
     mission, he couldn't bring himself to go back out into the bush.

     Sergeant (USMC) Evan "Dodger" Winslow is a super-competent soldier
     who chose to spend most of his time in the bush, not for glory,
     but to help keep as many other soldiers alive as he possibly could.
     A quiet sort, he generally kept to himself, befriending only a
     handful of people -- Boonie, McMurphy, and Cherry.

     Major (Army) Lila Garreu was a career Army woman, whose service
     stretched back to World War II, where she'd been stationed in
     London. She was, by default, Administrator at China Beach, a job
     she took very (almost too) seriously.

     Private (Army) Samuel Beckett was head of the Graves Registration
     Unit. He was a quiet, friendly man who got along well with the
     others at China Beach, though his position made him unpopular with
     most of the soldiers that passed through.

     Cherry White was a Red Cross volunteer, who was so innocent as to
     be unbelievable. But opposites attract, and among her best friends
     at China Beach were hooker K.C. and ace soldier Dodger, though she
     was well-liked by everyone. Cherry volunteered for Red Cross duty
     in Vietnam in an effort to find her older brother who disappeared
     while on tour there. She was killed during the 1968 Tet Offensive.

     Captain (USAF) Bartholomew "Natch" Austen was a "zoomie", a fighter
     pilot who carried on an affair with McMurphy for a while.

     Laurette Barber was a singer with the USO, who spent a brief time
     at China Beach before hitting the big time with a major USO show.

     Private (Army) Frances "Frankie" Bunsen was a young black woman
     who did mostly odd jobs during her tour at China Beach. For the
     bulk of her time there, she worked as a DJ for the Armed Services
     Network and in the Motor Pool.

     Airman (USAF) Wayloo Marie Holmes came to China Beach as a reporter 
     for the Armed Services Network to make a promotional documentary
     about the facility. She eventually left for a broadcast news job
     with ABC.

     Sergeant (Army) Bartholomew "Bub" Pepper, a.k.a. "Sarge", was the
     stereotypical career sergeant with experience coming out his ears,
     and a rather abrasive, and bigoted, personality (though in looks,
     he resembled a large teddy bear).

     Private (Army) Jeff Hyers was a young field medic who always seemed
     insufferably cheerful. He was shot and killed while on patrol in
     the bush.

     Holly Pellegrino, another insufferably cheerful person, was another
     Red Cross "donut dolly", whose duties mostly consisted of arranging
     various entertainment activities.

-- 

	"She's my radiation baby.
	 She's my teenage fallout girl."

--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, "The Mill", Maynard, MA)

    boyajian@ruby.enet.dec.com