10 thoughts on “TBT: China Beach (1988-91)

  1. The theme song popped into my head as soon as I saw that first picture of Dana. I loved that show (and her) and I had to have only been like 12 or 13 when it was on? Haven’t re-watched it since, but I bet there was a LOT that went over my head. Didn’t remember Robert Picardo being on the show, to me he will always be the PE teacher from the Wonder Years.

    1. Yes, gotta echo HollyNicole, though I think I was probably 11 or 12 when it came out. It was a “grown up” show that got my attention. To me, Dana Delaney will always be the nurse from this show. I just remember it being well done and interesting, though, as Holly said, I’m sure so much of it went over my head. Would love to re-watch this as an adult.

      Millenial YouTuber Jenny Nicholson did a very long video essay called “THE Vampire Diaries Video.” In her essay she mentions that whatever platform she watched it on kept playing promo ads for China Beach at nearly every commercial break. This was outrageous because, of course, she’d never heard of China Beach before and because the audience for The Vampire Diaries is definitely NOT the audience for China Beach! She then used the China Beach ads to hilarious effect throughout her own video essays. It made me smile. You can check it out here: https://youtu.be/p4AdFD3E2ok

  2. Yes, although we got a bit fed up with Delaney’s character later on; she got too much time feeling sorry for herself.

  3. I will NEVER forget the scene where Laurette was pressed into service to comfort a horrifically wounded dying soldier and she was trying to ease him as much as she can by discussing a singer he saw at a USO show and how she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and he directed her to a snapshot her took of this fantasy woman and she looked and it was a picture of HER. NEVER FORGET IT. Chloe Webb was haunting.

  4. I have a vague memory of this show being on but … didn’t watch it? Maybe it was opposite something I liked better, or maybe I was just busy being a new mom during those years. But Brian Wimmer! I loved him in Late for Dinner. I might have to watch this just to see more of his work.

  5. I watched this show the first year it was on and then kind of fell away from it. But it was a good show. It was a very raw show in the beginning. There was one episode in which McMurphy (in the first of many episodes of feeling sorry for herself), got drunk and danced in the rec hall in front of a lot of (very depressed) soldiers. It was really awful of her and it impressed me that they would toss in a lot of anti-heroine scenes for her.

    I never got the romantic vibe between the Dr. and McMurphy. So when I watched some of the later episodes that whole development surprised me.

  6. We watched it in the early 90’s in Ireland and were completely obsessed with it at the time. I was about 11 or 12? Just seeing the name China Beach gets Reflections playing in my head – perfect choice of theme song and a testament to the strong links between music and memory. I don’t remember much about the actual show except for Dodger and the war setting, but I remember the excitement of waiting for it to air every week.

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