Steven Helmer Publications

Prequels are an effective way to continue a popular television series because it doesn't have the constraints of keeping one or more cast members from the original, allowing for fresh (and cheaper) faces while also giving a bit more insight into how certain characters became who they are.  They are, like most spin-offs, hit-or-miss as far as fans go. Some, like The Big Bang Theory prequel, Young Sheldon, were popular enough to last several seasons and inspire their own spinoff series. Others, like the Supernatural prequel, The Winchesters , were cancelled after just one season. Meanwhile, there are some series that might have done surprisingly well with a prequel based on one or more of their characters but were never given the opportunity. Here are five characters I think would have been perfect for that. Phoebe Buffay ( Friends ) -  Of the six friends on Friends , Phoebe ( Lisa Kudrow ) has the most interesting past. Her mother, who wasn't her real mother, committed suicid...

As I continue my chronological re-watch of the series M*A*S*H , I find myself asking questions about the series I never thought to ask before. This includes "where did Frank Burns ( Larry Linville ) go when he lost command to Colonel Potter ( Harry Morgan )?" and "if Henry Blake ( McLean Stevenson ) was so loved, why wasn't his widow invited to the 4077th family party?" However, one unsolved mystery from the series really has stood out for me in particular - who was the thief? I am, of course, not referring to Ho-Jon ( Patrick Adiarte ), who was caught stealing in the season 1 episode I Hate a Mystery . Instead, I am referring to the thief (or gang of thieves) that strikes at various other times throughout the series, with the thefts including a camera, a bag of money, and even a wounded soldier's personal effects. While some of the items were eventually recovered, the thief was never caught. At first, it would be easy to assume the thief was an outsider. Af...

I've been spending a chunk of my free time re-watching episodes of the television series M*A*S*H in order. As I have done this and have been reminded of the various characters on the show (both starring and supporting), I've noticed several that had the potential to keep the series going in spin-off form. Yes, I am aware the show already had spin-off attempts, including AfterMASH and W*A*L*T*E*R (both failures). However, if used correctly, some of the characters mentioned below might have been successful. Nurse Meg Cratty - Even though she only appeared in two episodes and was played by two different actresses ( Hope Summers and Ann Doran ), the civilian nurse, who cared for pregnant Korean women and ran an orphanage, could have been a great subject for a spin-off series. The show, in addition to giving us a little more backstory about how she ended up in Korea doing what she did, could have focused on some of the challenges she faced - trying to find medical supplies and...

Synopsis: An AWOL private ( Cyril O'Reilly ) is granted asylum by Father Mulcahy ( William Christopher ), tying up the 4077th's mess tent/church on the same day the camp was promised a fresh-egg brunch. Review: My youngest daughter had dance class last night and, since I had some time before I needed to start dinner, I ended up watching this episode of M*A*S*H while balancing the checkbook.  And, even though I had seen it a few times before, I still found I enjoyed watching it again. As I've said in the past, Major Houlihan ( Loretta Swit ) is my favorite character from this series, mostly because of the way she changed throughout the course of the show. Father Mulcahy, however, is definitely a very close second and a character that probably didn't get as much screen time as he deserved. This episode is a good example of that. The thing that really stood out for me when watching this episode was his willingness to stick up for his convictions even when everyo...

Synopsis: When an Army retention officer ( Barry Corbin ) visits the 4077th in an effort to get people to re-enlist, he is predictably given the cold shoulder by the majority of the camp. However, a drunk Klinger ( Jamie Farr ), distraught over a letter he received from his ex-wife, is persuaded to re-up and seems determined to follow through despite Hawkeye's ( Alan Alda ) objections. Review: I ended up watching this re-run from 1981 a couple days ago, while taking a break after mowing the lawn. It's an episode I had seen a couple times before but didn't remember much about it. After seeing it again, I ended up having some mixed feelings about it. The premise of the episode is actually a good one. Of all the main characters on the show, Klinger would be the last one you would expect to want to re-enlist so the fact the retention officer was able to take advantage of his depressed state of mind was an interesting twist. This is doubly true when Klinger sobers up an...

Synopsis: Dismayed over his camp's lack of physical fitness, Col. Potter ( Harry Morgan ) decides to hold a camp-wide "Olympics." Meanwhile, Hawkeye ( Alan Alda ) and B. J. ( Mike Farrell ) help an overweight soldier ( Michael McManus ) lose 20 pounds before he is discharged. Review: I got to come home early today and, as a result of that, managed to get my chores done earlier than usual. So, while waiting until it is time to make dinner, I'm watching re-runs of the show M*A*S*H. This includes this particular episode. I've seen this episode on multiple occasions and, while I still ended up watching it again, I always had a bit of a mixed opinion about it. The overall concept of this episode isn't terrible. The M*A*S*H crew is out of shape but is less than enthused about doing morning exercises so Potter tries to be creative with getting his crew fit. Unfortunately, the 30-minute runtime of the episode prevents it from giving the "Olympics" ...