List of China Beach episodes
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China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to a beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam that was nicknamed China Beach by unknown foreigners. The ABC TV drama aired for four seasons over three years, from 1988 to 1991.
The show's two-part pilot episode, "China Beach," aired on April 26, 1988. The final season was put on hiatus in fall 1990 and did not air its finale until summer 1991. The series ran for 62 episodes, concluding with a two-part series finale on July 22, 1991.
China Beach was released on DVD in early 2013; its release was delayed due to expensive music rights.[1]
Contents
List of seasons
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||
| 1 | 6 | April 26, 1988 | June 8, 1988 | |
| 2 | 17 | November 30, 1988 | May 3, 1989 | |
| 3 | 22 | September 20, 1989 | April 30, 1990 | |
| 4 | 17 | September 29, 1990 | July 22, 1991 | |
Episodes
Season 1 (1988)
| # | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | "China Beach, Part 1" | Rod Holcomb | John Sacret Young | April 26, 1988 | TBA |
| McMurphy faces the last week of her tour of duty with Natch making sexual advances toward her. Georgia and Laurette arrive. Cherry also arrives, looking for her brother. First of a two-part episode and pilot. | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | "China Beach, Part 2" | Rod Holcomb | John Sacret Young | April 26, 1988 | TBA |
| McMurphy decides to stay at China Beach. Georgia cannot cope with the war so Laurette takes her place. Second of a two-part episode and pilot. | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | "Home" | Rod Holcomb | William Broyles, Jr. | April 27, 1988 | 186371 |
| McMurphy struggles to overcome her feelings, when a pregnant Viet Cong nurse who threw a grenade into a crowded local bar and killed her friend is brought to the hospital for treatment. Laurette auditions local entertainers to fill in the act. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Hot Spell" | Beth Hillshafer | Susan Rhinehart | May 4, 1988 | 186372 |
| KC agrees to help Cherry look for her brother, while KC attempts to buy a priceless vase on the black market. Laurette prepares for a performance before visiting brass. A mortar attack brings some of the women closer. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Somewhere over the Radio" | Rod Holcomb | Ann Donahue | May 11, 1988 | 186373 |
| Lila, Cherry, and Laurette survive a helicopter crash in the jungle and encounter a jungle-crazed Special Forces unit, while KC and Boonie mount a rescue attempt. Dr. Dick Richard, on the eve of his R&R leave, performs a touch-and-go surgical battle to remove a live mortar lodged inside a wounded soldier. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Waiting for Beckett" | Kevin Hooks | Terry McDonell | May 18, 1988 | 186375 |
| A stressed Beckett tries to get some sleep. A deserter pursued by a determined CID officer tells Cherry he knows her brother and traps her into aiding his escape. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Brothers" | John Sacret Young | Susan Rhinehart & Carol Flint | June 1, 1988 | 186376 |
| Dodger locates Cherry's brother. Laurette gets laryngitis on the eve of a big audition. and Dr. Richard returns from R&R convinced his wife has changed. Beckett finds himself party to a smuggling scam. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Chao Ong" | Christopher Leitch | William Broyles, Jr. (teleplay) John Sacret Young & William Broyles, Jr. (story) |
June 8, 1988 | 186374 |
| McMurphy and Natch get together. Laurette gets a chance for a bigger USO tour. McMurphy gets blamed for a body that disappears on her shift. Nancy Sinatra guest stars as herself. | ||||||
Season 2 (1988–1989)
| # | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Lost and Found, Part 1" | John Sacret Young | John Sacret Young & William Broyles, Jr. | November 30, 1988 | 186501 |
| Lila takes over China Beach and throws K.C. off the base. Bad news about Natch makes McMurphy admit her feelings. Documentarian Wayloo Marie Holmes, former Saigon weather girl, arrives at China Beach to handle her first journalism assignment, extolling the recreational facilities at the base. | ||||||
| 8 | 2 | "Lost and Found, Part 2" | John Sacret Young | John Sacret Young & William Broyles, Jr. | December 7, 1988 | 186502 |
| McMurphy struggles to hide her grief when Natch is reported MIA. Dodger is badly wounded. Journalist Wayloo Marie becomes a minor casualty as she pursues an assignment. Frankie Bunsen arrives on temporary duty. K.C. decides to stay at the base despite Lila's effort to get rid of her. | ||||||
| 9 | 3 | "Limbo" | Dan Lerner | Carol Flint | December 14, 1988 | 186503 |
| McMurphy struggles to save Dodger's life. K.C. and Boonie strike a deal: he helps her build a beauty salon if she gets him black market penicillin. | ||||||
| 10 | 4 | "X-Mas Chn. Bch. VN, '67" | Mimi Leder | John Wells | December 21, 1988 | 186504 |
| As Christmas preparations are underway, McMurphy and Dr. Richard spend 24 hours in triage and Boonie surprises everyone with snow. | ||||||
| 11 | 5 | "Women in White" | Sharron Miller | Patricia Green | January 4, 1989 | 186506 |
| A confident American doctor rattles McMurphy by taking over both Dr. Richard and Dodger's cases. Frankie becomes a DJ, and Wayloo Marie does a report of the war from a woman's point of view. | ||||||
| 12 | 6 | "All About E.E.V." | Peter Medak | Lydia Woodward | January 11, 1989 | 186505 |
| A dashing lieutenant colonel named Edward E. Vincent (guest star Dennis Farina) parachutes into China Beach for some R&R and disrupts the lives of Lila, KC and Wayloo Marie. Dr. Richard and McMurphy play a game of sexual brinksmanship. Frankie falls for a soldier who thinks he's Chuck Berry. | ||||||
| 13 | 7 | "Tet '68" | Steven Dubin | Susan Rhinehart & John Wells (teleplay) Susan Rhinehart (story) |
January 25, 1989 | 186507 |
|
Dr. Richard and Dodger defend the hospital during the Tet Offensive while Cherry comforts a fellow "doughnut dolly" at a firebase. McMurphy finds out that K.C. has been skin-popping heroin and tries to help her through withdrawal. Beckett visits Mai and is attacked by her Viet Cong brother. Wayloo Marie tries to capture the Tet offensive on film. Note- In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode number 87 on its '100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list.[2] |
||||||
| 14 | 8 | "Cherry" | Mimi Leder | Susan Rhinehart | February 1, 1989 | 186508 |
| Cherry's death sobers Wayloo Marie and forces K.C. to fight her heroin addiction long enough to locate the volunteer's brother and accompany her body back to the States. McMurphy fights red tape to keep Dodger from seeking further medical treatment. | ||||||
| 15 | 9 | "Crossing the Great Water" | Mimi Leder | Carol Flint | February 8, 1989 | 186509 |
| McMurphy tries to come to terms with Dodger's uncertain future after his trip to Japan. Dr. Richard deals with his limitations when he throws himself into work for a Vietnamese orphanage, when he's served with divorce papers. | ||||||
| 16 | 10 | "Psywars" | Fred Gerber | Glen Merzer | March 1, 1989 | 186510 |
| An Army psychiatrist, who is measuring stress levels in noncombatants, clashes with McMurphy. Dr. Richard is concerned about McMurphy, who has been unable to sleep for days. Frankie falls for a handsome African-American soldier. Wayloo Marie learns about Boonie's past in Vietnam. | ||||||
| 17 | 11 | "Where the Boys Are" | Michael Rhodes | Alan Brennert | March 8, 1989 | 186512 |
| McMurphy enjoys R&R with a 19-year-old soldier, combat medic Jeff Hyers. Boonie hosts prom night for all the soldiers who missed their proms. K.C. warns Boonie that Wayloo Marie has learned something of his past. | ||||||
| 18 | 12 | "Vets" | John Sacret Young | John Wells & John Sacret Young | March 15, 1989 | 186511 |
| Actual Vietnam War veterans give accounts of their experiences, intercut with scenes from previous episodes to show the realism of the show. | ||||||
| 19 | 13 | "Twilight" | Michael Fresco | Lydia Woodward | March 22, 1989 | 186513 |
| Wayloo Marie's interest in Boonie's background results in a medal and an investigation into his lost patrol. Wayloo's congressman father (guest star Kevin McCarthy) arrives at the base for the medal ceremony, and the two clash. Dodger prepares to go back into action, and Frankie befriends a failed deserter. | ||||||
| 20 | 14 | "Afterburner" | Christopher Leitch | Carol Flint | April 5, 1989 | 186514 |
| McMurphy is stunned when Natch reappears with another POW, having survived and escaped a jungle prison camp. Boonie is assigned a new boss who brings danger to K.C. by involving himself with her former employer, a ruthless black marketeer. Lila cares for a soldier's pet leopard cub. | ||||||
| 21 | 15 | "Promised Land" | Michael Rhodes | Patricia Green | April 12, 1989 | 186515 |
| When Martin Luther King, Jr. is murdered, racial tension breaks out between black soldiers and some white racist soldiers. Dr. Richard agrees to a date with Wayloo Marie to get rid of reminders of his wife. Beckett is set to be shipped home after his tour of duty ends but decides to re-enlist to be with Mai. | ||||||
| 22 | 16 | "The World, Part 1" | John Sacret Young | John Wells | April 26, 1989 | 186516 |
| Wayloo Marie prepares to return home to a job at the BBC and gets an unexpected traveling companion when McMurphy goes home to Lawrence, Kansas to visit her large family after her estranged father suffers a heart attack. | ||||||
| 23 | 17 | "The World, Part 2" | John Sacret Young | John Wells | May 3, 1989 | 186517 |
| McMurphy's father dies. After the funeral, she can't bring herself to get on the plane back to Vietnam. Instead, she risks going AWOL and visits a girlfriend (guest star Kathy Bates) who was stationed with her and who is now a nurse in a VA hospital in San Francisco. | ||||||
Season 3 (1989–1990)
| # | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 1 | "The Unquiet Earth" | Michael Rhodes | Alan Brennert | September 20, 1989 | 186803 |
| McMurphy and K.C. take off in a jeep for a party at Da Nang AFB. Captured by Viet Cong guerrillas en route, they're taken to an eerie underground village where McMurphy is forced to operate on the VC's wounded leader. | ||||||
| 25 | 2 | "Skin Deep" | Mimi Leder | Carol Flint | September 27, 1989 | 186801 |
| McMurphy and K.C. try to prevent a soldier, disfigured by his wounds, from killing himself. When a visit by Miss America falls through, new Red Cross volunteer Holly challenges the nurses to compete in their own beauty pageant. | ||||||
| 26 | 3 | "Dear China Beach" | Michael Rhodes | John Wells | October 4, 1989 | 186802 |
| Holly pesters the base to answer a batch of letters sent by American children. McMurphy contracts acute parasitic dysentery after eating on some of the local delicacies, and Dodger tries to cope with an abandoned Amerasian baby who might be his son. | ||||||
| 27 | 4 | "Who's Happy Now?" | Fred Gerber | Lydia Woodward | October 11, 1989 | 186804 |
| Dr. Richard worries about a craniotomy patient, Lila faces a vital inspection, and K.C. is put in a difficult position when a visiting colonel (guest star R. Lee Ermey) dies in her bed, prompting her to ask Boonie and Hyers to help her find a way to dispose of the corpse. | ||||||
| 28 | 5 | "Independence Day" | Mimi Leder | Susan Rhinehart | October 25, 1989 | 186806 |
| Boonie and Holly try to cheer up the base on a wet 4th of July. McMurphy struggles with her feelings for Dr. Bernard and an infatuated soldier. | ||||||
| 29 | 6 | "Ghosts" | Michael Fresco | Toni Graphia | November 8, 1989 | 186807 |
| The men and women of China Beach are burdened with their own private ghosts: Dr. Richard's broken marriage, McMurphy's love affairs, Dodger's orphaned child, K.C.'s shattered childhood, and Beckett's loss of his Vietnamese love. | ||||||
| 30 | 7 | "With a Little Help From My Friends" | Michael Uno | Joseph Anderson & Carol Flint | November 15, 1989 | 186808 |
| Holly is upset when she thinks Hang's been using their friendship to get information for the Viet Cong. McMurphy and Bernard work at a civilian clinic. | ||||||
| 31 | 8 | "China Men" | David Burton Morris | Josef Anderson | November 22, 1989 | 186805 |
| McMurphy is uncomfortable with Dr. Bernard's sophisticated friends, while a sexy Asian singer springs a surprise on Boonie. A battlefield incident puts Dodger and Hyers at each others' throats. | ||||||
| 32 | 9 | "How to Stay Alive in Vietnam, Part 1" | Fred Gerber | Georgia Jeffries | November 29, 1989 | 186809 |
| Beckett and a brash female civilian photographer, named Cat Von Seeger, accompany Dodger's patrol. | ||||||
| 33 | 10 | "How to Stay Alive in Vietnam, Part 2" | Steven Dubin | Georgia Jeffries | December 6, 1989 | 186811 |
| Hyers dies from his injuries. McMurphy befriends a wounded prisoner of war, but when her new friend is taken away for interrogation, the photographer Cat Von Seeger chases the story of his defection. Meanwhile, Lila and K.C. are uneasy when a new commander, named Major Otis, takes control of the base. | ||||||
| 34 | 11 | "Magic" | Mimi Leder | John Wells | January 3, 1990 | 186810 |
| Lila struggles with the disappointment of losing command of China Beach. McMurphy is stuck in a triangle with Dr. Bernard and Vinnie, and Holly confesses her feelings to Boonie. | ||||||
| 35 | 12 | "Nightfall" | Christopher Leitch | Lydia Woodward | January 10, 1990 | 186812 |
| Major Otis refuses to investigate the death of a Vietnamese prostitute, so a guilt-stricken K.C. sets out to discover the truth for herself. | ||||||
| 36 | 13 | "Souvenirs" | John Sacret Young | John Sacret Young | January 17, 1990 | 186813 |
| The memories of real-life Vietnam veterans match perfectly with Dodger's dramatic efforts to conclude his tour of duty in Vietnam and return home with the Vietnamese-American baby he is determined to raise. | ||||||
| 37 | 14 | "Holly's Choice" | Christopher Leitch | Carol Flint | January 31, 1990 | 186814 |
| This entire episode runs backwards in time as Holly's friends try to understand Holly's abortion and the circumstances leading up to it. | ||||||
| 38 | 15 | "A Rumor of Peace" | Neema Barnette | Josef Anderson | February 7, 1990 | 186815 |
| Beckett and Frankie repeat peace rumors on their pirate radio broadcast, setting the base to speculating. | ||||||
| 39 | 16 | "Warriors" | David Soul | Martin M. Goldstein & Neal Baer (teleplay) Dottie Dartland & Georgia Jeffries (story) |
February 14, 1990 | 186816 |
| McMurphy saves Vinnie's buddy only to see him lapse into a terminal coma. Meanwhile, Frankie finds herself commanding a squad of battleworn grunts. | ||||||
| 40 | 17 | "The Thanks of a Grateful Nation" | Mimi Leder | John Wells | February 28, 1990 | 186817 |
| When Dodger returns home to the States with his son, he must confront his feelings about Vietnam, especially when his high school buddy who gets his draft notice decides to run. | ||||||
| 41 | 18 | "Skylark" | Fred Gerber | Lydia Woodward | March 14, 1990 | 186819 |
| A pair of ballroom dancers helps soothe McMurphy's relationship with Dr. Richard while furthering a mysterious mission of their own. | ||||||
| 42 | 19 | "Phoenix" | Mimi Leder | Toni Graphia | March 21, 1990 | 186820 |
| K.C.'s involvement with a military intelligence mission lands her in jail with only McMurphy as her alibi. | ||||||
| 43 | 20 | "F.N.G." | John Sacret Young | Carol Flint | April 16, 1990 | 186821 |
| A step back in November 1966 to take a look at Lieutenant Colleen McMurphy as a fresh-scrubbed and idealistic "F.N.G. - Fairly New Guy" at China Beach and her initiation into the hellish world of Army nursing in Vietnam. | ||||||
| 44 | 21 | "The Gift" | Michael Katleman | Josef Anderson | April 23, 1990 | 186822 |
| McMurphy comes under investigation when she's named beneficiary by two deceased soldiers. An old friend of Lila's comes to China Beach to make a recruitment film about Army nurses. | ||||||
| 45 | 22 | "Strange Brew" | Michael Fresco | Georgia Jeffries | April 30, 1990 | 186818 |
| K.C. and McMurphy have a lost weekend when everyone else is away at a USO show and enter a dreamscape with a Native American guide, who helps them heal psychic wounds. | ||||||
Season 4 (1990–1991)
| # | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 1 | "History, Part 1" | John Sacret Young | John Wells (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
September 29, 1990 | 187041 |
| A 1985 reunion between Boonie and Dr. Richard stirs up memories of their first meeting as well as questions for Boonie's 18-year-old adopted daughter, Karen. First of a two-part episode with "History, She Sells More Than Sea Shells" as the second part. | ||||||
| 47 | 2 | "History, Part 2" | Mimi Leder | Carol Flint (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
October 6, 1990 | 187042 |
| In 1985, Boonie's adopted daughter, Karen, learns how her biological mother K.C. turned to Boonie when she was pregnant. Second of a two-part episode with "History, The Big Bang" as the first part. | ||||||
| 48 | 3 | "You, Babe" | Mimi Leder | Susan Rhinehart & Cathryn Michon (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
October 13, 1990 | 187045 |
| Pregnant K.C. gives birth in 1967 Saigon with McMurphy's help and surrenders the baby to a foster mother. | ||||||
| 49 | 4 | "Escape" | Christopher Leitch | Paris Qualles (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
October 27, 1990 | 187043 |
| At his father's funeral in 1985, Beckett reflects on his childhood and his time with the Graves Registration Unit in Vietnam back in 1967. | ||||||
| 50 | 5 | "Fever" | Diane Keaton | Lydia Woodward (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
November 3, 1990 | 187044 |
| McMurphy returns to her Kansas home in 1970 but finds she can't adjust to civilian life or make peace with her difficult mother. | ||||||
| 51 | 6 | "Juice" | Mimi Leder | John Sacret Young (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
November 10, 1990 | 187046 |
| In 1972, Dr. Richard and his fiancee take a romantic trip to Florida only to run into McMurphy, now living rough and working in a factory. | ||||||
| 52 | 7 | "One Giant Leap" | Michael Katleman | Josef Anderson (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
November 17, 1990 | 187047 |
| China Beach watches the first moon landing in July 1969, but a jealous McMurphy is more interested in Dr. Richard's interest in a new nurse. Beckett entertains USO singers and Boonie meets with a tragic accident. | ||||||
| 53 | 8 | "One Small Step" | Steven Dubin | John Wells | December 1, 1990 | 187048 |
| Back home, amputee Boonie begins a long and painful re-entry into civilian life, finding comfort in a loving nurse. | ||||||
| 54 | 9 | "The Call" | Robert Ginty | Paris Qualles & Cathryn Michon | December 8, 1990 | 187049 |
| McMurphy and Dodger try to convince some Montagnard tribespeople to evacuate. Back in the States, Frankie tries her hand at stand-up comedy but runs into the tragicomic 1969 trial of the Chicago Seven. | ||||||
| 55 | 10 | "I Could Have Danced All Night...But Didn't" | Michael Fresco | Cathryn Michon (teleplay) Carol Flint (story) |
June 4, 1991 | 187050 |
| At a 1983 wedding, McMurphy recalls Lila and Sarge Pepper's 1969 nuptials and the end of her relationship with Dr. Richard. | ||||||
| 56 | 11 | "100 Klicks Out" | Mimi Leder | Susan Rhinehart | June 11, 1991 | 187051 |
| In April 1975, K.C. struggles to get her daughter, Karen, out of Vietnam before the fall of Saigon. Meanwhile, McMurphy fights child abuse in New Mexico involving a fellow veteran. Dodger finds himself alone at the deserted China Beach facility. Guest star Randolph Mantooth. | ||||||
| 57 | 12 | "The Always Goodbye" | Gary Sinise | Lydia Woodward | June 18, 1991 | 187052 |
| K.C. isn't pleased when a hard-drinking McMurphy arrives in 1969 Bangkok and disrupts her new life. | ||||||
| 58 | 13 | "Quest" | John Sacret Young | John Sacret Young & Angela Ventresca (teleplay) John Sacret Young (story) |
June 25, 1991 | 187054 |
| In 1976, McMurphy helps K.C. re-enter America and helps her find her daughter, then heads to Montana for a visit with Dodger. | ||||||
| 59 | 14 | "Rewind" | Mimi Leder | John Wells & Carol Flint | July 9, 1991 | 187053 |
| In 1985, Karen begins a video project interviewing China Beach vets about their Vietnam experiences and memories of her biological mother. | ||||||
| 60 | 15 | "Through and Through" | Mimi Leder | Carol Flint | July 16, 1991 | 187055 |
| In 1985, an angry Colleen McMurphy realizes she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from her final weeks in Vietnam. | ||||||
| 61 | 16 | "Hello Goodbye, Part 1" | John Sacret Young | John Wells (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
July 22, 1991 | 187056 |
| In 1988, McMurphy attends the China Beach reunion thrown by Boonie and recalls her last day in Vietnam. The survivors travel to Washington, D.C. to visit the Vietnam Memorial, and Karen makes peace with the ghost of her absent mother. First of a two-part episode and series finale. | ||||||
| 62 | 17 | "Hello Goodbye, Part 2" | John Sacret Young | John Wells (teleplay) John Sacret Young & John Wells & Lydia Woodward & Carol Flint (story) |
July 22, 1991 | 187056 |
| In 1988, McMurphy attends the China Beach reunion thrown by Boonie and recalls her last day in Vietnam. The survivors travel to Washington, D.C. to visit the Vietnam Memorial, and Karen makes peace with the ghost of her absent mother. Second of a two-part episode and series finale. | ||||||
References
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