China Beach

Dateline: November 1967. Within klicks of Danang, Vietnam, sits a U.S. Army base, bar and hospital on China Beach filled with wounded soldiers and one very lovely but damaged Army Nurse Colleen McMurphy. Many heroes, dead and alive, try to make sense of life and death in between bourbon, bullets and battles.

China Beach (1988-1991) is an American war drama series created by John Wells and John Sacret Young for ABC. Set in 1960s Vietnam near Danang, it follows Army nurse Colleen McMurphy (Dana Delany), a lovely but damaged woman who anchors the cast alongside KC Koloski (Marg Helgenberger), Samuel Beckett (Michael Boatman) and Dodger Winslow (Jeff Kober). The engine of the series is the struggle to make sense of life and death in a place where wounded soldiers, bourbon and gunfire converge at a U.S. Army base, bar and hospital on the coast. Each episode moves between the hospital wards, the bar and the surrounding battlefield, following characters who try to hold onto their humanity while the war grinds on. Running for four seasons and sixty-four episodes, it is a serialized ensemble drama with a steady emotional throughline rather than a case-of-the-week format. The tone is wistful, raw and reflective, with bittersweet moments of humor and friendship sitting beside real grief. Fans of M*A*S*H, Tour of Duty and Band of Brothers will find resonance in its portrait of wartime camaraderie and its unsentimental look at the human cost of conflict.

• M*A*S*Hshared wartime Vietnam setting, ensemble military drama, bittersweet human moments amid war
• Tour of Dutyshared Vietnam war hospital and bar setting, emotionally raw character drama about war trauma
• Band of Brothersshared ensemble drama of wartime tenderness and damaged characters, melancholic register

Created by

John Wells, John Sacret Young

Release Date

1988-04-26

Episode runtime

42 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (36)

What is China Beach about?

A 1967 U.S. Army base, bar and hospital near Danang becomes a refuge for wounded soldiers and the damaged people who tend them.

What is China Beach like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of China Beach as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is China Beach violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in China Beach as moderate.

Which shows are like China Beach?

Shows with a similar feel include M*A*S*H, Tour of Duty, and Band of Brothers.

How long is China Beach?

China Beach: 4 seasons, 64 episodes.

Is China Beach still running?

No, China Beach has ended.

Where can I watch China Beach?

In United States, China Beach streams on The Roku Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.