M*A*S*H (TV series)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''M*A*S*H'' (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American war
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
that aired on CBS from September 17, 1972 to February 28, 1983. It was developed by Larry Gelbart as the first original spin-off series adapted from the 1970 feature film ''
M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. T ...
'', which, in turn, was based on
Richard Hooker Richard Hooker (25 March 1554 – 2 November 1600) was an English priest in the Church of England and an influential theologian.The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church by F. L. Cross (Editor), E. A. Livingstone (Editor) Oxford University ...
's 1968 novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors''. The series, which was produced with
20th Century Fox Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Co ...
for CBS, follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals were U.S. Army field hospital units conceptualized in 1946 as replacements for the World War II-era Auxiliary Surgical Group hospital units, which had become obsolete. MASH Units were in operation from the Korean ...
" in
Uijeongbu Uijeongbu () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Overview Uijeongbu is located north of the Korean capital Seoul; it lies inside a defile, with mountains on two sides, and commands a natural choke point across the main traditional in ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, during the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
(1950–53). The
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...
originally featured
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
and Wayne Rogers as surgeons Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Trapper" John McIntyre, the protagonists of the show, joined by Larry Linville as surgeon Frank Burns, Loretta Swit as head nurse Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, McLean Stevenson as company commander Henry Blake, Gary Burghoff as company clerk Walter "Radar" O'Reilly, Jamie Farr as orderly Maxwell Klinger, and William Christopher as the chaplain, Father John Mulcahy. Over the run of the show, several members of the main cast were replaced: Wayne Rogers was replaced by Mike Farrell as B. J. Hunnicutt, McLean Stevenson was replaced by Harry Morgan as Sherman Potter, Larry Linville was replaced by
David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...
as Charles Emerson Winchester III, and when Gary Burghoff left the show, the Maxwell Klinger character moved into the company clerk role. Longtime supporting cast members included Kellye Nakahara, Jeff Maxwell,
Allan Arbus Allan Franklin Arbus (February 15, 1918 – April 19, 2013) was an American actor and photographer. He was the former husband of photographer Diane Arbus. He is known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on the CBS television series ...
, and Edward Winter. The series varied in style and tone – including broad comedy and tragic drama – which can be attributed to fluctuating writing staff over the life of the show, and the variety of sources contributing to the stories, such as actor Alan Alda and surgeons who served in the Korean War. The show's
title sequence A title sequence (also called an opening sequence or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often a opening theme song with vi ...
features an instrumental version of "
Suicide Is Painless "Suicide Is Painless" (or "Song from M*A*S*H") is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Michael Altman (lyrics) for the 1970 film ''M*A*S*H''. In addition to being performed by characters in the film, it plays during the title sequence as ...
," the original film's theme song. The show was created after an attempt to film the original book's sequel, '' M*A*S*H Goes to Maine'', failed. The television series is the best-known of the ''
M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. T ...
'' works, and one of the highest-rated shows in U.S. television history. Its final episode, " Goodbye, Farewell and Amen", was the most-watched television broadcast in American history from 1983 until 2010, and remains both the most-watched finale of any television series and the most-watched episode of a scripted series.


Premise

''M*A*S*H'' aired weekly on CBS, with most episodes being a half-hour in length. The series is usually categorized as a
situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new ...
, though it has also been described as a " dark comedy" or a " dramedy" because of the often dramatic subject matter. The show is an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
''
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals were U.S. Army field hospital units conceptualized in 1946 as replacements for the World War II-era Auxiliary Surgical Group hospital units, which had become obsolete. MASH Units were in operation from the Korean ...
'' (MASH) in the Korean War (1950–53). The "4077th MASH" was one of several surgical units in Korea. The
asterisk The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
s in the name are not part of military nomenclature and were creatively introduced in the novel and used in only the posters for the movie version, not the actual movie. Early seasons aired on network prime time while the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
was still ongoing; the show was forced to walk the fine line of commenting on that war while at the same time not seeming to protest against it. The show's discourse, under the cover of comedy, often questioned, mocked, and grappled with America's role in the Cold War. Episodes were both plot- and character-driven, with several narrated by one of the show's characters as the contents of a letter home. The show's tone could move from silly to sobering from one episode to the next, with dramatic tension often occurring between the unwilling civilian draftees of 4077th – Hawkeye, Trapper John, and B.J. Hunnicutt, for example – and the "regular Army" characters, such as Margaret Houlihan and Colonel Potter, who enlisted voluntarily. Other characters, such as Lt. Col. Blake, Maj. Winchester, and Cpl. Klinger, help demonstrate various American civilian attitudes toward Army life, while guest characters played by such actors as Eldon Quick, Herb Voland,
Mary Wickes Mary Wickes (born Mary Isabella Wickenhauser; June 13, 1910 – October 22, 1995) was an American actress. She often played supporting roles as prim, professional women, secretaries, nurses, nuns, therapists, teachers and housekeepers, who made ...
, and Tim O'Connor also help further the show's discussion of America's place as Cold War participant and peace maker.


Characters


Main cast

File:MASH TV cast 1974.JPG, Publicity photo of the cast of ''M*A*S*H'' shot just prior to the production of Season 2, 1974 (clockwise from left): Loretta Swit, Larry Linville, Wayne Rogers, Gary Burghoff, McLean Stevenson, and
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
File:MASH Cast 1977.JPG, The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from Season 6, 1977 (clockwise from left): William Christopher, Gary Burghoff,
David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...
, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell,
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
, Harry Morgan, Loretta Swit. File:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg, The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onward (clockwise from left): Mike Farrell, William Christopher, Jamie Farr,
David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...
, Loretta Swit,
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
, and Harry Morgan
Through changes of personnel ''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...
, with four characters – Hawkeye,
Father Mulcahy This is a list of characters from the '' M*A*S*H'' franchise, covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel '' MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors'' and its sequels, the 1970 film adaptation of the novel, and the televisi ...
, Margaret Houlihan, and Maxwell Klinger – on the show for all 11 seasons. Several other main characters departed or joined the program during its run, and numerous guest actors and recurring characters were used. The writers found creating so many names difficult, and used names from elsewhere; for example, characters on the seventh season were named after the 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers.


Main character timeline

For the first three seasons, the show's
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...
included
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
as surgeon Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, Wayne Rogers as surgeon Captain Trapper John McIntyre, McLean Stevenson as company commander Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, Loretta Swit as head nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, Larry Linville as surgeon Major Frank Burns, Gary Burghoff as company clerk Corporal Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly, Jamie Farr as combat medic Corporal Maxwell Klinger, and William Christopher as chaplain 1st Lieutenant Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy. At the end of the third season, Rogers and Stevenson left the show, with their characters written out, and they were replaced by Mike Farrell as surgeon Captain B. J. Hunnicutt and Harry Morgan as surgeon Colonel Sherman T. Potter as the new commanding officer. After season five, Linville left to be replaced by
David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...
as surgeon Major Charles Emerson Winchester III. Early in season eight, Burghoff left the show; Klinger (Farr) was moved to company clerk to replace Radar, while
G. W. Bailey George William Bailey (born August 27, 1944) is an American actor. Although he appeared in many dramatic roles, he may be best remembered for his "crusty" comedic characters such as Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo in ''M*A*S*H'' (TV series 1979–19 ...
joined the cast to play Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo, the unit's motor pool sergeant. Other long-serving actors on the show include Kellye Nakahara as Nurse Kellye, Jeff Maxwell as Private Igor Straminsky,
Johnny Haymer Haymer Lionel Flieg (January 19, 1920 – November 18, 1989), known professionally as Johnny Haymer, was an American actor known for his role as Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale, a recurring character in the television series ''M*A*S*H''. He appeared i ...
as Sergeant Zelmo Zale, the supply sergeant,
Allan Arbus Allan Franklin Arbus (February 15, 1918 – April 19, 2013) was an American actor and photographer. He was the former husband of photographer Diane Arbus. He is known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on the CBS television series ...
as psychiatrist Major Sidney Freedman, and Edward Winter as intelligence officer Colonel Sam Flagg. ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:220 bottom:80 top:10 right:10 Alignbars = justify Period = from:1 till:11 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:y Colors = id:regular value:blue legend:Regular id:recurring value:green legend:Recurring id:background value:red legend:Background id:lines value:black id:bars value:gray(0.95) Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 BackgroundColors = bars:bars ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:1 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1 BarData= bar:Pierce text:"Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce" bar:Houlihan text:"Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan" bar:Klinger text:"Maxwell Q. Klinger" bar:Mulcahy text:"John Patrick Francis Mulcahy" bar:McIntyre text:"John Francis Xavier 'Trapper John' McIntyre" bar:Blake text:"Henry Braymore Blake" bar:Burns text:"Franklin Marion 'Frank' Burns" bar:Radar text:"Walter Eugene 'Radar' O’Reilly" bar:Jones text:"Oliver Harmon 'Spearchucker' Jones" bar:Hunnicutt text:"B. J. Hunnicutt" bar:Potter text:"Sherman Tecumseh Potter" bar:Winchester text:"Charles Emerson Winchester III" bar:Kellye text:"Nurse Kellye" bar:Straminsky text:"Igor Straminsky" bar:Rizzo text:"Luther Rizzo" PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Pierce from:1 till:end color:regular bar:Houlihan from:1 till:end color:regular bar:Klinger from:1 till:4 color:recurring bar:Klinger from:4 till:end color:regular bar:Mulcahy from:1 till:5 color:recurring bar:Mulcahy from:5 till:end color:regular bar:McIntyre from:1 till:4 color:regular bar:Blake from:1 till:4 color:regular bar:Burns from:1 till:6 color:regular bar:Radar from:1 till:8.2 color:regular bar:Jones from:1 till:1.45 color:recurring bar:Hunnicutt from:4 till:end color:regular bar:Potter from:4.08 till:end color:regular bar:Winchester from:6 till:end color:regular bar:Kellye from:1 till:3.5 color:background bar:Kellye from:3.5 till:end color:recurring bar:Straminsky from:2 till:end color:recurring bar:Rizzo from:8.45 till:end color:recurring


Production


Writing

As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from being primarily a comedy with dramatic undertones to a drama with comedic overtones. This was a result of changes in writing and production staff. Series co-creator and comedy writer Larry Gelbart departed after Season 4. Executive Producer Gene Reynolds departed at the conclusion of Season 5 in 1977, resulting in ''M*A*S*H'' being fully stripped of its original comedic foundation by the beginning of Season 6. Whereas Gelbart and Reynolds were the comedic voice of ''M*A*S*H'' for the show's first five seasons (1972–1977),
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
and newly promoted Executive Producer
Burt Metcalfe Burton Denis Metcalfe (March 19, 1935 – July 27, 2022) was a Canadian-American film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Burton Denis Metcalfe was born in Saskatoon, but grew up in Montreal and latterly in L ...
became the new dramatic voice of ''M*A*S*H'' for Seasons 6–11. By the start of Season 8 (1979–1980), the writing staff had been completely overhauled, and with the departure of cast members McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, Wayne Rogers and Gary Burghoff, ''M*A*S*H'' displayed a distinctively different feel, consciously moving between comedy and drama. The end of the Vietnam War in 1975 was a significant factor as to why storylines become less political in nature and more character driven. Several episodes experimented by going outside the sitcom format: * "Point of View" – shown from the perspective of a soldier with a throat wound * "Dreams" – an idea of Alda's, where during a deluge of casualties, members of the 4077 take naps on a rotation basis, allowing the viewer to see the simultaneously lyrical and disturbing dreams * "A War For All Seasons" – features a story line that takes place over the course of 1951 * "Life Time" – a precursor to the American television series '' 24,'' it utilizes the real time method of narration Another change was the infusion of story lines based on actual events and medical developments that materialized during the Korean War. Considerable research was done by the producers, including interviews with actual MASH surgeons and personnel to develop story lines rooted in the war itself. Such early 1950s events as the McCarthy era, various sporting events, and the stardom of
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
were all incorporated into various episodes, a trend that continued until the end of the series. While the series remained popular through these changes, it eventually began to run out of creative steam. Korean War doctors regularly contacted producers with experiences that they thought might make for a good storyline, only to learn the idea had previously been used. Harry Morgan admitted that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season 9 (1980–1981). Alda wished to make season 10 (1981–1982) ''M*A*S*H''s last, but was persuaded by CBS to produce a slightly shortened 11th season, coupled with a farewell movie finale, at CBS' request. In the end, season 11 had 15 episodes (although six had been filmed during season 10 and held over) and a -hour movie, which was treated as five episodes and was filmed before the nine remaining episodes. The final episode produced was the penultimately aired episode "As Time Goes By". The series finale movie, titled "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen", became the most watched U.S. television broadcast in history at that time, with 106 million viewers.


Set and filming

The 4077th consisted of two separate sets. An outdoor set in the mountains near Malibu ( Calabasas, Los Angeles County, California) () was used for most exterior and tent scenes for every season. This was the same location used to shoot the movie, although the number of tents was reduced and there were changes made to the positions of several tents for the TV show. The indoor set, on Stage 09 at Fox Studios in
Century City Century City is a 176-acre (71.2 ha) neighborhood and business district in Los Angeles, California. Located on the Westside to the south of Santa Monica Boulevard around 10 miles (16 km) west of Downtown Los Angeles, Century City is one of ...
, was used for the indoor scenes for the run of the series. Later, after the indoor set was renovated to permit many of the "outdoor" scenes to be filmed there, both sets were used for exterior shooting as script requirements dictated (e.g., night scenes were far easier to film on the sound stage, but scenes at the helicopter pad required using the ranch). Just as the series was wrapping production, a brush fire destroyed most of the outdoor set on October 9, 1982. The fire was written into the final episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" as a forest fire caused by enemy
incendiary bomb Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, t ...
s that forced the 4077th to move out. The Malibu location is today known as Malibu Creek State Park. Formerly called the Century Ranch and owned by 20th Century Fox Studios until the 1980s, the site today is returning to a natural state, and is marked by a rusted
Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Motors ...
and a
Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
ambulance used in the show. Through the 1990s, the area was occasionally used for television commercial production. On February 23, 2008, series stars Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit and William Christopher (along with producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe and ''M*A*S*H'' director Charles S. Dubin) reunited at the set to celebrate its partial restoration. The rebuilt signpost is now displayed on weekends, along with tent markers and maps and photos of the set. The state park is open to the public. It was also the location where the film ''
How Green Was My Valley ''How Green Was My Valley'' is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, narrated by Huw Morgan, the main character, about his Welsh family and the mining community in which they live. The author had claimed that he based the book on his own persona ...
'' (1941) and the ''
Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...
'' television series (1974) were filmed, among many other productions. Much of this location, including the signpost and markers, was thought to have been destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey Fire but subsequently was determined to have survived the fire. The exhibit ''M*A*S*H: Binding Up the Wounds'' was at the
National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...
from July 30, 1983, through February 3, 1985. The exhibit was extremely popular, drawing more than 17,000 in a single week, a record for any Smithsonian display. On exhibit were The Swamp and Operating Room sets, one of the show's 14 Emmy Awards, early drafts of the pilot script, costumes from the show and other memorabilia. Sets were decorated with props from the show including the iconic signpost, Hawkeye's still and Major Winchester's
Webcor The Webster Chicago Corporation was a maker of electronic equipment in Chicago, Illinois. Many products were sold under the brand name Webcor. The product line included record changers, wire recorders and reel to reel tape recorders. They also ...
tape recorder and phonograph. The exhibit also encouraged visitors to compare the show to real Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals of the Korean and the Vietnam Wars.


Laugh track

Series creators Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds wanted ''M*A*S*H'' broadcast without a laugh track. Though CBS initially rejected the idea, a compromise was reached that allowed for omitting the laughter during operating room scenes if desired. "We told the network that under no circumstances would we ever can laughter during an OR scene when the doctors were working," said Gelbart in 1998. "It's hard to imagine that 300 people were in there laughing at somebody's guts being sewn up." Seasons 1–5 utilized a more invasive laugh track; a more subdued audience was employed for Seasons 6–11 when the series shifted from sitcom to comedy drama with the departure of Gelbart and Reynolds. Several episodes ("O.R.", "The Bus", "
Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler? "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?" was the 82nd episode of the '' M*A*S*H'' television series, and the tenth of season four. The episode aired on November 7, 1975. " Quo Vadis" is Latin for "Where are you going?" and is a reference to a conversation ...
", "
The Interview ''The Interview'' is a 2014 satirical alternate history action-comedy film co-produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their second directorial work, following ''This Is the End'' (2013). The screenplay was written by Dan Ster ...
", "Point of View", and " Dreams" among them) omitted the laugh track altogether; as did almost all of Season 11, including the 135-minute series finale, " Goodbye, Farewell and Amen". The laugh track is also omitted from some international and syndicated airings of the show; on one occasion during an airing on
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
, the laugh track was accidentally left on, and viewers expressed their displeasure, an apology from the network for the "technical difficulty" was later released, as during its original run on BBC2 in the UK, it was shown without the laugh track. UK DVD critics speak poorly of the laugh track, stating "canned laughter is intrusive at the best of times, but with a programme like ''M*A*S*H'', it's downright unbearable." On all released DVDs, both in Region 1 (including the US and Canada) and Region 2 (Europe, including the UK), an option is given to watch the show with or without the laugh track. "They're a lie," said Gelbart in a 1992 interview. "You're telling an engineer when to push a button to produce a laugh from people who don't exist. It's just so dishonest. The biggest shows when we were on the air were ''
All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...
'' and ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moo ...
'' both of which were taped before a live studio audience where laughter made sense," continued Gelbart. "But our show was a film show – supposedly shot in the middle of
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
. So the question I always asked the network was, 'Who are these laughing people? Where did they come from?'" Gelbart persuaded CBS to test the show in private screenings with and without the laugh track. The results showed no measurable difference in the audience's enjoyment. "So you know what they said?" Gelbart said. Since there's no difference, let's leave it alone!' The people who defend laugh tracks have no sense of humor." Gelbart summed up the situation by saying, "I always thought it cheapened the show. The network got their way. They were paying for dinner."


Content

''M*A*S*H'' was one of the first network series to feature brief partial nudity (notably Gary Burghoff's buttocks in "The Sniper", Hawkeye in "Dear Dad Again" and "An Eye for a Tooth"). In his blog, writer Ken Levine revealed that on one occasion, when the cast offered too many nitpicking "notes" on a script, his writing partner and he changed the script to a "cold show" – one set during the frigid Korean winter. The cast then had to stand around barrel fires in parkas at the Malibu ranch when the temperatures neared . Levine says, "This happened maybe twice, and we never got a ticky-tack note again."
Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...
wrote that Alan Aldawhom Cooper directed in several episodes during the first two seasonsconcealed what Cooper felt was a lot of hostility toward him, and the two barely spoke to each other by the time Cooper's tenure on the show ended.


Episodes


Episode list


Final episode: "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"

"Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H.'' Special television sets were placed in PX parking lots, auditoriums and day rooms of the U.S. Army in Korea so that military personnel could watch that episode, in spite of 14 hours' time-zone difference with the East Coast of the US. The episode aired on February 28, 1983, and was 2 hours long. The episode got a Nielsen rating of 60.2 and 77 share and according to a ''New York Times'' article from 1983, the final episode of ''M*A*S*H'' had 125 million viewers. When the ''M*A*S*H'' finale aired in 1983, more than 83.3 million homes in the United States had televisions, compared to almost 115 million in February 2010. "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" broke the record for the highest percentage of homes with television sets to watch a television series. Stories persist that the episode was seen by so many people that the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the plumbing systems broke down in some parts of the city from so many New Yorkers waiting until the end to use the toilet. Articles copied into Alan Alda's book ''The Last Days of M*A*S*H'' include interviews with New York City Sanitation workers citing the spike in water use on that night. According to the interviews at 11:03 pm, EST New York City public works noted the highest water usage at one given time in the city's history. They attributed this to the fact that in the three minutes after the finale ended, around 77 percent of the people of New York City flushed their toilets. These stories have all since been identified as part of an
urban legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
dating back to the days of the''
Amos and Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio show ...
'' radio program in the 1930s.


Reception


Ratings and recognition

The series premiered in the US on September 17, 1972, and ended on February 28, 1983, with the finale, showcased as a
television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
, titled " Goodbye, Farewell and Amen", becoming the most-watched and highest-rated single television episode in US television history at the time, with a record-breaking 125 million viewers (60.2 rating and 77 share), according to the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
.'' It had struggled in its first season and was at risk of being cancelled. In season two, ''M*A*S*H'' was placed in a better time slot by CBS (airing after the popular ''
All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...
''); the show then became one of the top 10 programs of the year and stayed in the top 20 programs for the rest of its run. It is still broadcast in
syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...
on various television stations. The series, which depicted events occurring during a three-year war, spanned 256 episodes and lasted 11 seasons. The Korean War lasted 1,128 days, meaning each episode of the series would have averaged almost four and a half days of real time. Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Like the movie, the series was as much an
allegory As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory t ...
about the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
(still in progress when the show began) as it was about the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
. The episodes " Abyssinia, Henry" and "
The Interview ''The Interview'' is a 2014 satirical alternate history action-comedy film co-produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their second directorial work, following ''This Is the End'' (2013). The screenplay was written by Dan Ster ...
" were ranked number 20 and number 80, respectively, on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time in 1997. In 2002, ''M*A*S*H'' was ranked number 25 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. In February 2008, the series was named the number-one smartest TV show of all time by Jim Werdell, chairman of
Mensa International Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organisation open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. Mensa formally com ...
, who said that it "had smart repartee and was so much more than a comedy". In 2013, the
Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Gu ...
ranked it as the fifth-best written TV series ever and ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
'' ranked it as the eighth-greatest show of all time. In 2016, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' ranked it as the 16th-greatest TV show.


Season ratings


Awards

''M*A*S*H'' was nominated for over 100
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
s during its 11-year run, winning 14: * 1974 – Outstanding Comedy Series – ''M*A*S*H''; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers) * 1974 – Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda * 1974 – Best Directing in Comedy –
Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...
: " Carry On, Hawkeye" * 1974 – Actor of the Year, Series – Alan Alda * 1975 – Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Gene Reynolds: "O.R." * 1976 – Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming – Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler: " Welcome to Korea" * 1976 – Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Gene Reynolds: "Welcome to Korea" * 1977 – Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda: "
Dear Sigmund "Dear Sigmund" is the 7th episode of the fifth season of the television series ''M*A*S*H''. It first aired on CBS on September 18, 1976. The episode was conceived, written and directed by cast member Alan Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce on the sho ...
" * 1977 – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Gary Burghoff * 1979 – Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series – Alan Alda: "Inga" * 1980 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series – Loretta Swit * 1980 – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series – Harry Morgan * 1982 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda * 1982 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series – Loretta Swit The show won the
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
for Best Television Series (Musical or Comedy) in 1981. Alan Alda won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) six times: in 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. McLean Stevenson won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series in 1974. The series earned the
Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film director, film and television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dire ...
Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series seven times: 1973 (Gene Reynolds), 1974 (Reynolds), 1975 (Hy Averback), 1976 (Averback), 1977 (Alan Alda), 1982 (Alda), 1983 (Alda). The show was honored with a
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
in 1975 "for the depth of its humor and the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and, as well, to offer a profound statement on the nature of war." ''M*A*S*H'' was cited as "an example of television of high purpose that reveals in universal terms a time and place with such affecting clarity." Writers for the show received several
Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing, and is given to writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful way. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser—also the founder of Paulist P ...
nominations, with Larry Gelbart winning in 1976, Alan Alda winning in 1980, and the team of David Pollock and Elias Davis winning twice in 1982 and 1983. The series received 28
Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility ...
nominations – 26 for Episodic Comedy and two for Episodic Drama. Seven episodes won for Episodic Comedy in 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, and 1981.


Other media

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has released all 11 seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 and Region 2. In January 2015, it was announced that the first five seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' would be available on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
's instant streaming service beginning February 1, 2015. This marked the first time the series was made available on an internet platform. As of July 1, 2015, all 11 seasons were available; syndicated versions of hour-long episodes were utilized for streaming, splitting these shows into two parts. In contrast to the DVD sets, the Netflix streams did not have an option for disabling the laugh track on the soundtrack. On April 1, 2016, Netflix' contract to stream the series expired and ''M*A*S*H'' was removed from the platform. In July 2017, it was announced that
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
had acquired online streaming rights for the entire run of ''M*A*S*H,'' along with several other 20th Century Fox-owned TV programs. All 256 episodes were added to Hulu beginning June 29, 2018. All episodes were scanned in 1080 HD from the original 35mm negatives and are presented in 16:9 widescreen by cropping the top and bottom off the original 4:3 aspect ratio. All the episodes are also available on
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
.


Spin-offs and reunion specials

The two-season
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
''
AfterMASH ''AfterMASH'' is an American sitcom television series produced as the first spin-off (second overall) and a continuation of ''M*A*S*H'' that aired on CBS from September 26, 1983 to May 31, 1985. It was developed as the sequel series as it takes ...
'' (1983–1985) inherited the parent show's Monday night time slot and featured several of its main characters reunited in a Midwestern hospital after the war. The more successful ''
Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...
'' (1979–1986) took place nearly three decades after the events of ''M*A*S*H'' and depicted Trapper John McIntyre as chief of surgery at a San Francisco hospital; its producers argued successfully in court that it was based on the earlier movie rather than the TV series. In an unpurchased television pilot, '' W*A*L*T*E*R'' (1984), Walter "Radar" O'Reilly joins the St. Louis police force after his farm fails following his return to the U.S. ''Making M*A*S*H,'' a documentary special narrated by
Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whi ...
that takes viewers behind the production of the season 8 episodes "Old Soldiers" and "Lend a Hand", was produced for PBS airing on January 21, 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch. Three retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th, 30th and 50th anniversaries: * ''Memories of M*A*S*H'', hosted by
Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom ''Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Seri ...
and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, was aired by CBS on November 25, 1991. * ''M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion'', in which the surviving cast members and producers gathered to reminisce, aired on Fox on May 17, 2002. The two-hour broadcast was hosted by Mike Farrell, who also got to interact with the actor he replaced, Wayne Rogers; previously filmed interviews with McLean Stevenson and Larry Linville (who had died in 1996 and 2000, respectively,) were also featured. * ''M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever'', a one-hour retrospective commemorating the show's 50th anniversary, aired on Reelz on September 13, 2022. It featured new exclusive interviews with cast members Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell and Jeff Maxwell, as well as producers and writers, exploring the series’ popularity and creative firsts. ''Memories of M*A*S*H'' and ''M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion'' are included as bonuses on the Collector's Edition DVD of "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen". Also included is "M*A*S*H: Television's Serious Sitcom," a 2002 episode of A&E channel's ''
Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
'' program that detailed the show's history. In the late 1980s, the cast had a partial reunion in a series of
commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
for IBM products, including personal computers and the
AS/400 The IBM AS/400 (Application System/400) is a family of midrange computers from IBM announced in June 1988 and released in August 1988. It was the successor to the System/36 and System/38 platforms, and ran the OS/400 operating system. Lower-co ...
system. All of the front-billed regulars (with the exceptions of Farrell and Stevenson) appeared in the spots over time.


See also

* *


References

Informational notes Citations Further reading * Gelbart, Larry. (1998). ''Laughing Matters: On Writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie, Oh, God! and a Few Other Funny Things.'' New York: Random House. . * Kalter, Suzy. (1985). ''The Complete Book of M*A*S*H.'' New York: Harry N. Abrams. . * Reiss, David S. (1983). ''M*A*S*H: The Exclusive, Inside Story of TV's Most Popular Show'' (2nd ed.). New York: MacMillan. . * Solomonson, Ed, and Mark O'Neill. (2009). ''TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book.'' Albany, GA: BearManor Media. . * Wittebols, James. (1998). ''Watching M*A*S*H, Watching America: A Social History of the 1972–1983 Television Series.'' Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. .


External links

* *
''M*A*S*H'' in the Museum of Broadcast Communications

Google Maps view of the camp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mash (Tv Series) *TV series Korean War television series 1972 American television series debuts 1983 American television series endings 1970s American sitcoms 1980s American sitcoms 1970s American comedy-drama television series 1980s American comedy-drama television series 1970s American medical television series 1980s American medical television series American black comedy television shows Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners CBS original programming Cross-dressing in television English-language television shows Live action television shows based on films Military comedy television series Nielsen ratings winners Peabody Award-winning television programs Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series winners Television shows based on American novels Television series based on adaptations Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series set in the 1950s Television shows filmed in California Television shows set in South Korea M*A*S*H TV series Works about the Korean War Works set in hospitals