| abstract
| - One of the other characters in the show was Doctor George Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates, who was played by Gregory Harrison. Gonzo was a man who had just returned to the states after serving in a Vietnam-era MASH unit, and who was much like what Trapper had been earlier. In this series, Trapper had mellowed somewhat, and had become more a part of establishment than what he had been in his younger days. Eventually his son J.T., played by Timothy Busfield, joins him at the hospital. While the show had a comedy element, it also dealt with serious subjects, such as AIDS - which had appeared in the developed world during the series run. Legally, the show is considered a spinoff of the original movie MASH, rather than the M*A*S*H television show. This is due to a court case in which the producers of the series had sought royalty payments on the grounds that Trapper John, M.D. was a spinoff of their television series. However, the court found that the series was a spinoff of the original movie. As a result, the series producers did not receive any royalties from Trapper John, M.D.
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