"Trapper John, M.D." brought the character of "Trapper John" from M*A*S*H in as the Chief of Surgery at San Franscico Memorial Hospital. Joining him on the surgical staff was a brilliant young surgeon, G. Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates, who had also served in a MASH unit --- in Vietnam. The show covered standard medical stories, but it also took chances with such subjects as AIDS, the Epstein-Barr Virus, and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.