China Beach

China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe^[1] beach in the city of Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, which was nicknamed "China Beach" in English by American and Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War.^[2][3][4][5] The ABC TV drama aired for four seasons, from 1988 to 1991.

Overview

Created by William Broyles, Jr. and John Sacret Young, the series looks at the Vietnam War from unique perspectives: those of the women, military personnel, and civilians, who were present during the conflict. John Wells took over most of the series beginning with the second season—many of the show's cast members appeared later on the Wells-produced series, ER.

Set in a Vietnam locale nicknamed "Bac My An Beach" at the 510th Evacuation Hospital and R&R (the "Five-and-Dime" Rest & Recreation) facility, the series' cast of characters includes US Army doctors and nurses, officers, soldiers, Red Cross volunteers, and civilian personnel (American, French, and Vietnamese). The series also features the experiences of the characters when they return to the U.S., either on leave or at the end of their tours of duty. The show does not shy away from showing the gruesomeness of war; it provides a very gritty view of the experience there.

The show is based on the book Home Before Morning (1983) written by former U.S. Army Nurse Lynda Van Devanter.^[6] The show's character Nurse Colleen McMurphy roughly follows Van Devanter's experiences as a nurse in Vietnam. The book takes the reader from Van Devanter's wish to serve her country, through the adventure she thought her deployment to Vietnam would be, her culture shock upon returning to "the States", and her struggles with PTSD. The TV show was cancelled before it could fully address McMurphy's PTSD issues. Van Devanter died in 2002.^[7]

Cast

Season 3 China Beach cast (left to right): Ned Vaughn (Jeff Hyers), Ricki Lake (Holly Pelegrino), Michael Boatman (Sam Beckett), Dana Delany (Nurse Colleen McMurphy), Brian Wimmer (Boonie Lanier), Marg Helgenberger (K.C.), Jeff Kober (Dodger), Nancy Giles (Frankie Bunsen), Concetta Tomei (Lila Garreau), Robert Picardo (Dr. Richard)

• First Lieutenant (later Captain) Colleen McMurphy, USA; Catholic girl from Lawrence, Kansas and nurse with the 510th Evac Hospital in Vietnam during the late 1960s. She has five brothers, including Brian, Brendan, Conor and Daniel. Daniel was the youngest and a hippie who lived in a commune in 1967. A composite of various real-life Vietnam War nurses, the character illustrates their courage, kindness, and sacrifices during the war, as well as the severe emotional scarring of non-combatant personnel during and following military service; several episodes feature the veterans in their own words, intercut with the storyline. Portrayed by Dana Delany, who won two Emmy awards for the role.
• Cherry White (Seasons 1–2); Naive Red Cross volunteer ("doughnut dolly") from Iowa who comes to China Beach to search for her brother Rick who was reported MIA. Dies midway through the second season during the Tet Offensive. Portrayed by Nan Woods.
• SP4 Samuel Beckett, USA; Draftee and a "preacher's son" from North Carolina who works in the Graves Registration Unit at China Beach. His job makes him unpopular with most of the other servicemen. Portrayed by Michael Boatman.
• Karen Charlene "K.C." Koloski; Cynical part-time prostitute and civilian volunteer who comes to China Beach seeking to make her own wealth and fortune. Nicknamed from the hometown where she grew up; Kansas City, Kansas. Portrayed by Marg Helgenberger.
• Captain Dick Richard, USA; Head surgeon and womanizer dealing with being drafted into Army and away from his family. Worked as an OB-GYN when he was a civilian. Portrayed by Robert Picardo.
• Captain Bartholomew "Natch" Austen, USAF; (Regular in Season 1; recurring in Season 2) Jet fighter pilot and McMurphy's love interest. Portrayed by Tim Ryan.
• Major Lila Garreau, USA; World War II veteran and career-Army commanding officer of China Beach. Portrayed by Concetta Tomei.
• Corporal Boonwell "Boonie" Lanier, USMC; Friendly China Beach lifeguard and manager of the Jet Set Club. Portrayed by Brian Wimmer. Wimmer's character was originally named Lanier Boonwell and was referred to as such during the first season although he was ultimately called "Boonie" throughout the entire run of the show.
• Staff Sergeant Evan "Dodger" Winslow, USMC; Moody Marine who serves and fights in the jungle mainly to keep other servicemen in his platoon alive. Nicknamed for his ability to dodge injury and death. Known as a "quiet sort"; generally keeps to himself. Constantly displays the "thousand yard stare"; a dull blank facial expression common among shell-shocked soldiers who have seen too much death and destruction in battle. Friend of Boonie, McMurphy and Cherry. Portrayed by Jeff Kober.
• Laurette Barber (Season 1); USO singer from Paoli, Pennsylvania determined to make it big. Portrayed by Chloe Webb.
• Airman Wayloo Marie Holmes, USAF (Season 2); Reporter for the Armed Services Network seeking a career as a world-famous reporter. Portrayed by Megan Gallagher.
• Private Franklin "Frankie" Bunsen, USA (Seasons 2–4); Female private assigned to the China Beach motor pool. Portrayed by Nancy Giles.
• Corporal Jeff Hyers, USA (Season 3; guest appearances in Seasons 2 and 4); Good-natured combat medic from Georgia. He is KIA midway through the third season during a routine patrol. Portrayed by Ned Vaughn.
• Master Sergeant Bob Pepper, USA (Seasons 3–4); World War II veteran, driver, mechanic and NCO-in-charge of the motor pool. Becomes romantically-involved with Lila Garreau whom he later marries. Portrayed by Troy Evans.
• Holly Pelegrino (Season 3); Sharp-witted Red Cross volunteer. Portrayed by Ricki Lake.

Nancy Sinatra made a guest appearance in the first season finale, recreating concerts she performed for U.S. troops in 1966 and 1967.

Episode list

Over four seasons from 1988 to 1991, the series aired 62 episodes.

Reception

China Beach was a critically lauded but poorly rated series. ABC stuck with the show for four seasons, but the final season was put on hiatus in fall 1990 and did not air its finale until July 22, 1991. As a result of the scheduling, Dana Delany was eligible for (and ultimately won) a Best Actress Emmy Award in the fall of 1992, a year after the series broadcast its final episode and over a year and a half after many of the scenes were filmed. The title sequence theme song was "Reflections" by Diana Ross & the Supremes (although several episodes instead used "We Gotta Get out of This Place" by Eric Burdon with Katrina & The Waves).^[8]

Tie-in novel

John Sacret Young stated at the Paley Center prior to the show's October 2013 release on DVD that he'd written a follow-up novel titled Reflections where Colleen, now in her sixties and recently widowed, returns to Vietnam and reconnects with a retired Dr. Dick and venture capitalist K.C. Koloski. Young also hopes to adapt it into a TV movie.^[9]

Awards and nominations

Home media release

In December 2012 it was announced that the series, among the most-requested television shows not available through either VHS or DVD following its broadcast run, would be issued on DVD in a box set (including new interviews with cast members and various bonus features) and released on April 15, 2013 through StarVista Entertainment (affiliated with TimeLife). The collection includes 302 songs heard during the series.^[8] To mark the show's 25th anniversary, a 21-disc collector's set was released October 1, 2013.^[10]

Music rights long delayed the release on DVD. More than 250 songs were licensed; seventeen could not be, and were either deleted or replaced.^[11]

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: China Beach

• China Beach at the Internet Movie Database
• China Beach at TV.com
• Encyclopedia of Television
• "The Five and Dime" a fansite
• Episode summaries at Epguides.com
• China Beach official site at Timelife.com