Product Details

• Actors: Dana Delany, Nan Woods, Michael Boatman, Marg Helgenberger, Robert Picardo
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: TV series
• VHS Release Date: July 31, 1998
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630176627X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,804 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If all televison drama was like "China Beach"..., June 28, 2003

By 

CWC (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: China Beach / Premiere Episode [VHS] (VHS Tape)

... there would be no declining Neilson ratings. The late '80's produced several great quality drama shows, and "China Beach" was certainly among the top three. A show that respected both the viewer and men and women in uniform, it was a show that became better and better with each season. There are very few actors or actresses who have created characters as enduring and memorable in impact as Dana Delany did with Colleen McMurphy. An exceptional cast that had a lot of chemistry together that made the show all the more powerful.... Great casting, great writing, great acting, great production.

I used to tape the shows and watch them. Sorry the only one I have kept was the 2-hour finale that was shown in July 1991. "China Beach" had an incredible beginning as seen in this VHS tape and an incredible ending. The finale finds all the members of the five and dime unit coming back together for a reunion years after the war is over and they have returned to the States. The final scene with Colleen McMurphy at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. with her daughter brought tears and emotions to my eyes like no other television show I had seen.

I would definitely be a candidate to buy the complete episode boxed set of this show in DVD format if it is ever released.

90 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot time at the Five and Dime, November 19, 2002

By 

Steven Cain (Temporal Quantum Pocket) - See all my reviews

This review is from: China Beach / Premiere Episode [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Superb. The entire series should be made available, but as yet, even this little gem is not available on DVD.

While I am also a big Dana fan, I was blown away by the level of realism and the sheer quality of the acting throughout this flawlessly executed epic series. A pre-Star Trek: Voyager Robert Picardo was one of the mainstays in a show that almost made MASH seem trivial by comparison - even given that MASH was a comedy.

This really is intense drama at its best, and the character depth and quality performances from Dana, Robert and an outrageously talented cast made this a classic series by any definition.

On following China Beach (the real location is now a leading Vietnamese tourist resort), you simply cannot help but be appalled that the Army nurses who risked and even gave their lives to save countless teenage soldiers, had to fight for Vet status for many years.

In a God-forsaken country in which every square inch was the front line, the courageous men and women at the Five and Dime showed how the human spirit can triumph in even the most overwhelming circumstances.

For me, Delaney and Picardo never topped these stunning performances, although I would watch literally anything that they appear in. This all-too-brief tape serves as a reminder of just how good television can be.

Haunting.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent drama about soldiers and nurses serving in Vietnam, September 27, 1998

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: China Beach / Premiere Episode [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the 1-1/2 hour pilot episode that launched the popular and much acclaimed "China Beach" TV series. Dana Delany has the role of her life playing Colleen McMurphy, a dedicated triage nurse in Vietnam. This is not a war action movie, but rather a drama about the lives of Vietnam soldiers and the nurses, Red Cross "Donut Dollies", and USO entertainers who are there for them. Dana Delaney is stunning in the role of McMurphy -- this alone would make this a classic. In addition, the deep respect and understanding shown for the Vietnam GI's sets this apart from most of the other Vietnam movies. This is a movie that people who wern't in Vietnam should watch to get a better appreciation for the men and women who served there. For those who were there, this movie is a token of respect and appreciation for your service. END