I've been reading about China Beach and watched some clips on YouTube. How good was this series? I only watched a few episodes when it originally aired, but it seems like a series I would like to watch beginning to end like I did with The West Wing. In fact John Wells was involved in both series. At this point I don't think the entire series is available on DVD yet. I'm also a big Dana Delany fan (mainly her looks).

Any fans of the show?

As discussed on another thread this series had a great opening credit sequence...
China Beach Intro



Here is a good episode list with descriptions...
[url]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094433/episodes[/url]











[This message has been edited by Old Main (edited 4/30/2010 1:29a).]

I was very young when it aired, but it was a staple in my house. I remember liking it a lot. It is still the only drama that my dad has watched every week live.

Young Dana Delany and Marg Helgenberger = WIN

Similar experience with Bonfire. I was way too young to have an opinion of the show, but do remember watching every week with Dad. He loved it and still talks about it.

I still get "Reflections" stuck in my head every now and then.

My favorite episodes are the ones with Vinny (Tom Sizemore). He did it before he got big and bloated and all coked up.

Excellent. Way before it's time.

I watched some YouTube clips yesterday and it seems like Marg (KC) steals the show as the cynical prostitute.

I will buy this series on DVD if and when it ever becomes available.

Are there any particular episodes that capture the essence of the series?

[This message has been edited by Old Main (edited 4/23/2010 8:42p).]

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I still get "Reflections" stuck in my head every now and then.

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Every time I hear that song, I see the opening credits

What was the late '80s series about Vietnam that used Paint It Black as the theme? I'd like to give that another chance.

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Tour of Duty

meantime, thank you. Did that ever make it to DVD?

Excellent series!!

The show focused on the medical side of the Vietnam War much like MASH but without the black humor. I enjoyed the cast for its diverse mix of people who served in non-combat roles all in support of the troops. I recall the cast included USO entertainers, Red Cross volunteers and a number of medical support roles outside the usual doctor/nurse mix.

Great series!!

My family always watched that show, but I was too young to remember anything but Reflections. I still love that song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z6fcd--354&feature=related

Here is the Tour of Duty (Paint it Black) intro that was referred to earlier.

It is too bad they can't figure out the music rights to the shows that predate contracts that included DVD collection rights. Maybe the owners of the show need to realize that they have to pay something for the music rights and the music publishers need to realize that maybe they can't charge top dollar for the rights on these older shows. In any case each side should be able to make "some money". It isn't like they are going to lose money putting out DVD collections for shows like China Beach and The Wonder Years. Why do these people have to be so damn greedy? I guess the only way to watch China Beach is to watch YouTube clips or find someone that happened to tape every episode as it aired and get a low quality copy.

Was there any controversy between the actors when the show originally aired? Dana Delany was supposed to be the main star, but as I stated earlier it seems to me that Marg Helgenberger steals the show as the cynical prostitute who finds herself in very complicated situations. She really is a superb actress and still looks great on CSI.

On China Beach K.C. drives a red 1967 Camaro convertible. I read somewhere that there was a famous American prostitute in Viet Nam (a real business woman like K.C.) who drove around a 1967 convertible Corvette Sting Ray. That must have been quite a scene to see a working woman arrive at your base in a new car like that.















[This message has been edited by Old Main (edited 4/25/2010 10:48p).]

China Beach had good intentions, but it was never a great series that you had to watch or talk about. Good scripts, good acting, storyline. But nothing phenomenal.

It also seemed to take itself a little too seriously.

One of my favorite series. Although there was a bit of humor thrown in, it was definitely a drama first. And I can't recall that ANYONE in the series wasn't without their demons that they were having to deal with.

Colleen McMurphy (Dana Delany) was the hottest thing going while that show was on television. As I read through some of the episode plots, I recall moments here and there that were a bit hokey, lame or both. But I didn't care as long as she was on the screen!

Unlike MASH, they actually moved the show to the states in the last season to show how the characters responded to the end of the war. I think the show went downhill a bit once that happened only because it got so dang depressing at times and Delany's character just started whining to much.

As far as Old Main's question regarding 'key' episodes that reflect the series? I'm partial to 'Brothers' & "Chao Ong" from Season 1, "Tet '68" from season 2, "China Men" in Season 3, and "Juice" and "Hello Goodbye" from Season 4. The best episode of all is probably 'Tet '68'!!!

I loved it!

Wasn't the big knock against ToD that the new guy always was killed and it became too predictable?

I can't remember but didn't this show have the creepy, quiet guy who would go out in the bush by himself?

I loved Tour of Duty as a kid.

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Wasn't the big knock against ToD that the new guy always was killed and it became too predictable?

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What I remember was that they would randomly kill characters, which meant that there wasn't a core of regular characters to follow and get to know better.

i loved tour of duty also. first thing i thought of when i read china beach

i loved watching tour of duty. would buy the DVD if it ever came out.

didnt it come on like on saturday nights or something? i think i remember having to stay up late to watch it or something, and being TICKED if i missed it.

youngest daughter just learning to read, used to read me the credits at the beginning and end of the show.

the episode where mcmurphy's dad dies, she jumped off the couch crying and telling me she loved me. guess the episode got to her. one of the last times she said she loved me, until she finished college and got her masters's. the best thing about 8 yr old daughters, they become 28 yr old daughters/women.

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the best thing about 8 yr old daughters, they become 28 yr old daughters/women.

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As the father of a 2 year-old daughter, that sounds terrible and great at the same time.

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the best thing about 8 yr old daughters, they become 28 yr old daughters/women.

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Unfortunately, they become teenagers in between those two ages!

i always tell people she was a parenting challenge, still is sometimes. but i love her to death and would do anything to help her. teenage yrs were unpleasant.

she is a nurse practionar in hot springs, ak, married to a plumbing contractor. all's well that ends well.

It was very good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to bump such an old thread, but this show has recently been released on DVD - the catch is that you can only buy the complete series and it's $200. I hear wonderful things but that's A LOT of coin for a show I've never seen. Anyone recommend some YouTube clips so I can get an idea?

A few of my older relatives are Vietnam veterans. One of them watched that show every week when it aired and said that they really did a good job recreating some of the bases and encampments, that they looked exactly like he had seen them.

One of the few shows that I enjoyed enough to tape and hold on to. Assuming that one of my old VCRs is still working, might be worth hooking up and watching a few episodes.

I'm a huge fan of the series but at $200, the DVDs will have to wait a while.

Don't remember much about the show other than that 10-11 year old me had a pretty solid crush on Dana Delaney. Seeing her in underwear one time pretty much made my week.

And...I would definitely still jump either Dana or Marg like a rabid tiger.

I was too little at the time to get into it, other than know about it as a child of the 80s.


I did laugh to learn that Robert Picardo was in it.

Holy crap, and Megan Mullally had a scene in it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvyJEU-cALw

It was a good show. I thought it dealt with Vietnam in a much more real way than a lot of other portrayals.