CHINA BEACH: THE UNQUIET EARTH {THIRD SEASON PREMIERE} (TV)

Summary

The third-season premiere in this drama series set during the Vietnam War, which focuses on the women stationed at China Beach, a combined U.S. Armed Forces hospital and USO recreational facility located near the South China Sea. In this episode, the doctors and nurses attempt to rebuild a recently-bombed church, and K.C. demands that repairs be completed by midnight that night. elsewhere, Colleen helps with a surgery, but the patient soon dies. Despite Colleen's weariness, K.C. convinces her to attend an event at the Air Force base, but their Jeep breaks down on the way there and when Colleen and K.C. step into the jungle, they are both kidnapped and taken to an underground compound. Colleen protests that they are "non-combatants" and refuses to be separated from K.C., but the kidnapper, Tran, orders her to operate on their badly-injured leader under pain of death. Colleen tries to explain that she does not have sufficient supplies, but they command her to try, and she states that she will only help if K.C.'s safety is guaranteed.

As Colleen begins to repair the man's wounds, she is surprised to hear him reciting Catholic prayers. As she attempts to work under grim conditions, relying only on the V.C.s' candles for light as bombs fall around them, K.C. attempts to escape. The leader survives the surgery, though Colleen cautions them that he is not out of the woods yet, and they inform her that K.C. has been recaptured trying to flee by herself. Colleen and K.C. talk, discussing their thoughts of death and religion, and Colleen describes her memories of her father's death and remarks upon the Vietcong's loyalty to their leader. When she realizes that the man needs a blood transfusion, she asks K.C., who is type O, to help, and she grudgingly agrees. As he receives the blood, the leader explains to Colleen about his values and how his country's leader, Ho Chi Minh, borrowed ideas from Thomas Jefferson in his quest for independence, and adds that he is grateful for her help. After the surgery, however, Tran states that he must shoot them both anyway, and they both attempt to prepare for death. But Tran changes his mind at the last moment, firing two shots into the air, and the women take advantage of a sudden explosion to escape the bunker, climbing through tunnels and eventually swimming underwater to freedom. Includes commercials and promos.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: September 20, 1989 10:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:15307
• GENRE: Drama, medical
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, medical; Vietnam War; African-American Collection - Drama; Women's Collection - Drama
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1988-1991
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - AT&T telephone services
  • TV - Commercials - Advil painkillers
  • TV - Commercials - Aquafresh toothpaste
  • TV - Commercials - Children's NyQuil cold medication
  • TV - Commercials - Clairol Ultress hair dye
  • TV - Commercials - Clorox laundry detergent
  • TV - Commercials - Head & Shoulders dandruff shampoo
  • TV - Commercials - Helene Curtis Salon Selectives hair care products
  • TV - Commercials - Keebler Ripplin's potato chips
  • TV - Commercials - L'eggs pantyhose
  • TV - Commercials - Little Caesars restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Luvs diapers
  • TV - Commercials - Tampax tampons
  • TV - PSA - American Foundation for AIDS Research
  • TV - Promos - "20/20"
  • TV - Promos - "Anything But Love"
  • TV - Promos - "Black Rain" motion picture
  • TV - Promos - "China Beach" upcoming episode
  • TV - Promos - "Family Matters"
  • TV - Promos - "Free Spirit"
  • TV - Promos - "Full House"
  • TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
  • TV - Promos - "Life Goes On"
  • TV - Promos - "Mission: Impossible"
  • TV - Promos - "Monday Night Football"
  • TV - Promos - "Perfect Strangers"
  • TV - Promos - "Primetime Live"
  • TV - Promos - "Sea of Love" motion picture
  • TV - Promos - "The Preppie Murder"
  • TV - Promos - "Young Riders"

CREDITS

• John Sacret Young … Executive Producer, Created by
• Georgia Jeffries … Supervising Producer
• John Wells … Supervising Producer
• Mimi Leder … Producer
• Fred Gerber … Co-Producer
• Geno Escarrega … Co-Producer
• Michael Rhodes … Director
• William Broyles Jr. … Created by
• Alan Brennert … Writer
• Paul Chihara … Music by
• John Rubinstein … Theme Music by
• Dana Delany … Cast, Nurse Colleen McMurphy
• Michael Boatman … Cast, Pvt. Samuel Beckett
• Nancy Giles … Cast, Pvt. Frankie Bunsen
• Jeff Kober … Cast, Sgt. Evan 'Dodger' Winslow
• Robert Picardo … Cast, Dr. Dick Richard
• Concetta Tomei … Cast, Maj. Lila Garreau
• Ned Vaughn … Cast, Jeff Hyers
• Brian Wimmer … Cast, Cpl. Boonie Lanier
• Marg Helgenberger … Cast, K.C. Kolowski
• Derek de Lint … Cast, Dr. Gerard Bernard
• Liem Whatley … Cast, Tran
• Catherine Ai … Cast, V.C. Woman
• Jim Jarrett … Cast, Lt. Lackey
• Tai Thai … Cast, V.C. Guard
• Arsenio "Sonny" Trinidad … Cast, Cadre Leader
• Vince Vaughn … Cast, Driver