Editing Major Dad (section)

==Synopsis==
The first season is set at the fictional Camp Singleton (meant to represent [[Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton|Camp Pendleton]]),{{citation needed|date=November 2016}} where hard-charging [[United States Marine Corps]] Major John D. "Mac" MacGillis is commander of the infantry training school's acquisition division. MacGillis's life is changed when he falls in love with a liberal journalist, Polly Cooper. The show follows Mac in his work life, where he deals with Lt. Eugene Holowachuk (Matt Mulhern), Sgt. Byron James (Marlon Archey), and Merilee Gunderson ([[Whitney Kershaw]]), as well as his home life, as he learns to live with Polly's three daughters, Elizabeth, Robin, and Casey.

At the beginning of the second season, the MacGillis family moves to Camp Hollister (based on [[Marine Corps Base Quantico]]), where Mac must adapt to the role of staff secretary (or "staff weenie") and the crazy antics of Commanding (Brigadier) General Marcus C. Craig, Aide-de-Camp 1st Lt. Eugene Holowachuk (who transferred with Major MacGillis from Camp Singleton), and Gunnery Sgt. Alva "Gunny" Bricker, the General's secretary, a no-nonsense Marine, who despite her brusque nature and unprepossessing physical appearance, is the target of many enthusiastic (and [[Unseen Character|unseen]]) suitors. Character development increased during the second season, such as the revelation that MacGillis is a former member of the [[United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon]].

''Major Dad'' incorporated the 1991 [[Persian Gulf War]] into storylines, depicting Mac staying stateside instead of going to Saudi Arabia as he wanted. Scenes with Polly writing in her diary were shot as late as possible to incorporate breaking news.<ref name="tucker19910222">{{Cite magazine |last=Tucker |first=Ken |date=1991-02-22 |title=The War and 'Major Dad' |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/02/22/war-and-major-dad/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}}</ref> After rewriting the last six episodes of the 1990-1991 season because of the war, the show had to again modify episodes because the war ended sooner than expected.<ref name="herbert19910311">{{Cite news |last=Herbert |first=Steven |date=1991-03-11 |title='Major Dad' Gets a Change of Orders : Television: The end of the Gulf War forces the CBS military sitcom to revise episodes that were altered when war began. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-11-ca-161-story.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>