8.0/1058 votes#1 - China Beach (1)
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 4/26/1988
It's November 1967 and nurse Colleen McMurphy faces the last week of her tour of duty in Vietnam, dealing as usual with the dying boys, primitive conditions, and the sexual pressure from pilot Natch Austin. USO singers Georgia Lee and Laurette Barber arrive to entertain the troops in the base's new R&R center. Brand new Red Cross volunteer Cherry White also arrives, determined to find her brother, a marine no one can locate.
Director: Rod Holcomb
Writer: William Broyles Jr., John Sacret Young
7.7/1048 votes#2 - China Beach (2)
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 4/26/1988
McMurphy decides that she can't leave China Beach even though she is eligible to go home. Cherry and Laurette arrive- Cherry to look for her brother whom her family lost contact with and Laurette as a USO back up singer who gets promoted to lead when the lead singer can't cope with the war.
Director: Rod Holcomb
Writer: William Broyles Jr., John Sacret Young
7.8/1044 votes#3 - Home
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 4/27/1988
Laurette auditions local entertainers to fill in the act and McMurphy struggles to overcome her feelings when a Viet Cong woman who was responsible for blowing up a friend is brought into the hospital for treatment.
Director: Rod Holcomb
Writer: William Broyles Jr.
7.6/1041 votes#4 - Hot Spell
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 5/4/1988
KC agrees to ask about Cherry's brother as she sets up a deal to buy an antique vase. Laurette prepares to perform for visiting brass. Lila, KC, Laurette, McMurphy and Cherry share confidences as they wait out a mortar attack together.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.9/1040 votes#5 - Somewhere Over the Radio
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 5/11/1988
Lila, Cherry and Laurette find themselves pinned down with a combat squad whose leader is not dealing with reality. Back at China Beach, KC and a frightened Boonie prepare to mount a rescue mission. Dr. Richard is injured just before he's scheduled to leave for R&R in Hawaii with Beth Ann.
Director: Rod Holcomb
Writer: Ann Donahue
8.2/1049 votes#6 - Waiting for Beckett
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 5/18/1988
Cherry is taken in by a deserter who claims to know her brother, and who is pursued by a determined office from the CID. Laurette and Boonie try to help a stressed out Beckett get some sleep.
Director: Kevin Hooks
Writer: N/A
NaN/100 votes#7 - Brothers
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 6/1/1988
Laurette faces an important audition with laryngitis. Beckett battles the pressure of racial prejudice and financial coercion when he discovers someone has been using the body bags in his GRU. Dr. Richard returns from R&R in Hawaii disillusioned by the perceived changes in his wife. Dodger finally finds Rick, Cherry's long-lost brother.
Director: John Sacret Young
Writer: Carol Flint
NaN/100 votes#8 - Chao Ong
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 6/8/1988
Despite distractions, McMurphy and Natch finally get together. Laurette gets a chance to join another, bigger USO tour. McMurphy gets blamed for a body that disappears on her shift.
Director: John Sacret Young
Writer: William Broyles Jr.
The Best Episodes of China Beach Season 1
Every episode of China Beach Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of China Beach Season 1!
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...
Genres:DramaWar & Politics
Network:ABC
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"China Beach (1)" is the best rated episode of "China Beach" season 1. It scored 8/10 based on 58 votes. Directed by Rod Holcomb and written by William Broyles Jr., John Sacret Young, it aired on 4/26/1988. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "China Beach (2)".