The show came up in the mid to late '80's when Hollywood was fascinated with Vietnam after Oliver Stone's movie Platoon was so successful. Tour of Duty was meant to be a Prime Time , Platoonesque TV series but it was only moderately successful. The main problem was that you cant do justice to this sort of show on regular TV. This was a show that should have been made on Cable, grittier and more raw and more graphic and complex. I watched it anyway, but I knew it jumped the shark when they introduced a female reporter into the regular cast. That was a sign they were grasping for whatever could keep this show afloat.