M*A*S*H (TV series)
Encyclopedia
M*A*S*H is an American television series developed by Larry Gelbart
, adapted from the 1970
feature film MASH
(which was itself based on the 1968
novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors
, by Richard Hooker). The series is a medical drama
/black comedy
that was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television
for CBS
. It follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
" in Uijeongbu
, South Korea
, during the Korean War
. M*A*S*Hs title sequence
featured an instrumental version of the song "Suicide Is Painless
", which also appears in the original film. The show was created after an attempt to film the original book's sequel, M*A*S*H Goes to Maine, failed. It is the most well known version of the M*A*S*H works.
The series premiered in the US on September 17, 1972, and ended February 28, 1983, with the finale becoming the most watched television episode in U.S. television history at the time, with a record breaking 125 million viewers, according to the New York Times. Despite the high turnout for the final episode of M*A*S*H, it struggled in its first season and was at risk of being canceled. However, season two of M*A*S*H placed it in a better time slot (airing after the popular All in the Family
) and the show became one of the top ten programs of the year and stayed in the top twenty programs for the rest of its eleven-season run. The show is still broadcast in syndication on various television stations. The series, which covered a three-year military conflict, spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons.
Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Like the movie, the series was as much an allegory
about the Vietnam War
(still in progress when the show began) as it was about the Korean War
. It took a number of minor creative liberties with the facts of the Korean War.
In 1997, the episodes "Abyssinia, Henry" and "The Interview" were respectively ranked #20 and #80 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, M*A*S*H was ranked #25 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
.
, though it is sometimes also described as a "dark comedy" or a "dramedy" because of the dramatic subject material often presented. The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH; the asterisk
s in the name are meaningless, a contrivance introduced in the novel) in the Korean War (1950–1953). The "4077th MASH" was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. Richard Hooker, who wrote the book on which the television and film versions were based, noted that Hawkeye's character was far more liberal in the show than on the page (in one of the MASH books, Hawkeye makes reference to "kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape"). While the show is traditionally viewed as a comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone. Airing on network primetime while the Vietnam War 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 it. For this reason, 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 episodes being 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 civilian draftees of 4077th--Hawkeye, Trapper John, B.J. Hunnicutt, for example--who are forced to leave their homes to tend to the wounded and dying of the war, and the "regular Army" characters, like Margaret Houlihan and Colonel Potter, who tend to represent ideas of patriotism and duty. Other characters like Col. Blake, Maj. Winchester, and Corp. Klinger, help demonstrate various American civilian attitudes towards army life, while guest characters such as Eldon Quick
, Herb Voland
, Mary Wickes
, and Tim O'Connor
also help further the show's discussion of America's place as Cold War war-maker and peace-maker.
and Gene Reynolds wanted M*A*S*H broadcast without a laugh track
("Just like the actual Korean War
", Gelbart remarked dryly), but CBS
rejected the idea. By Season Two, a compromise had been reached, whereby the producers were allowed to omit the laugh track during operating room scenes if they wished. As a result, few scenes in the operating room contain canned laughter. Certain episodes omitted the laugh track completely ("O.R.", "The Bus", "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?", "The Interview", "Dreams", "Point of View") as did some international and syndicated airings of the show. The first five seasons of the series contained a rather intrusive laugh track, similar to other laugh-tracked sitcoms of the period, but by Season Six, newer, significantly quieter, laughs were recorded and employed. In the United Kingdom
, where the show was broadcast by the BBC
(and therefore also without advertising breaks), the laugh track was removed entirely from all episodes.
On all released DVDs, both in Region 2 (Europe, including the UK) and Region 1 (including the U.S.), there is an option to watch the show with or without the laugh track.
Syndicated broadcasts in the U.S. and UK today retain the original U.S. laugh track.
, with four characters—Hawkeye, Father Mulcahy, Margaret Houlihan, and Maxwell Q. Klinger—on the show for all eleven seasons. Several other main characters left or joined the show midway through its run. There were also numerous guest
and recurring character
s. 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
.
. (Brown appeared in the film version as a corporal, while neurosurgeon Dr. Oliver Harmon "Spearchucker" Jones was played by former NFL player Fred Williamson
.) The character disappeared after the episode "Germ Warfare" because there is no record of black doctors serving in Korea during the Korean War.
According to the Memoirs of Harold Secor, a doctor working at the 8055th MASH unit, which M*A*S*H is based off of, at least one black doctor serve in the Korean War. A more likely explanation for Spearchucker Jones disappearance is the lack of story lines that could be created for him.
plays Mulcahy, replacing actor George Morgan, who played Father Mulcahy in the pilot episode.
began chafing at what he considered to be a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers that he wanted to leave M*A*S*H. With ample time to prepare a "Goodbye, Henry" show, it was decided that Henry Blake would be discharged and sent home for the Season 3 finale, which aired on Tuesday, March 18, 1975. In the final scene of his last episode ("Abyssinia, Henry"), Radar tearfully reports that Henry's plane has been shot down over the Sea of Japan
, and no survivors were found among the wreckage.
(Trapper John McIntyre) was planning to return for Season 4 but abruptly withdrew over a disagreement about his contract. Rogers had a dislike for his supporting role to Alda, and had been threatening to leave since season one. His departure was unexpected and unlike that of McLean Stevenson
, there was no onscreen farewell. Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda's character, Hawkeye Pierce.
Rogers's replacement Mike Farrell
was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. In the season's first episode, "Welcome to Korea
", Hawkeye is informed by Radar that Trapper has been discharged, off screen, while Hawkeye was on leave, while B.J. Hunnicutt came in as Trapper's replacement. Trapper was described by Radar as being so jubilant over his release that "he got drunk for two days, took off all his clothes, and ran naked through the mess tent with no clothes on," and left with a message: a kiss on the cheek for Hawkeye. Actor Pernell Roberts
later played a middle-aged Trapper in the seven-year run of Trapper John, M.D.
.
The Colonel is a regular Army man, having served in both World War I
and World War II
, first in the cavalry and later as a doctor. He is passionate about horses, and keeps an old saddle in his office, which is later put to use when he acquires a horse. It is interesting to note that this horse, which remained with Col. Potter until the end of the series, was referred to as a colt (Potter remarks, "He can't be more than four years old") in its first appearance, after which it is named "Sophie" and referred to as a mare. In his spare time, Potter also enjoys painting. The paintings seen in Potter's office were actually painted by Harry Morgan, the actor who portrayed Col. Potter.
wanted to leave the series in the eighth season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on Cagney & Lacey
), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie that served as that series' pilot.
noted that his "Frank Burns" character was easier to dump on after head comedy writer Larry Gelbart departed after Season 4 and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season 5, Linville realized he had taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he had signed a five-year contract and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season 6, "Fade Out, Fade In", Frank Burns (off camera) suffers a nervous breakdown due to Margaret's marriage and is held for psychiatric evaluation. Hawkeye would offer a toast to Frank's departure, pausing only a moment, then stating "goodbye, Ferret Face." In an unexpected twist, Burns is transferred to an Indiana Veterans Administration hospital, near his home, and is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel — in a sense, Frank's parting shot at Hawkeye. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying, "I felt I had done everything possible with the character." Linville was not alone when he left; Executive Producer Gene Reynolds left after the production of Season 5, and Burt Metcalfe and star Alan Alda took over the producing responsibilities. During Season 6, Alda and Metcalfe even consulted Reynolds once a week, mainly to obtain help with their jobs as Executive Producers. These two men would remain as Executive Producers for the remaining five seasons.
) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious, although he was a more able foil. Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage
debt owed to him by his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent, technically superior surgeon, although his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid "meatball surgery" was called for.
Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a Boston
blue blood
, he was also snobbish, as when he stated in surgery "I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on," which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show's writers would occasionally allow Winchester's humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand; the protection of a stuttering
soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that Winchester's sister stutters); his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye's father went into surgery back in the States; his willingness to be officer of the day for Hawkeye when Hawkeye was offered three days in Seoul; or his continuing a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be among the most moving in the series, as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that "it is sadly inappropriate to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal." Isolating himself, he is saved by Klinger's own gift of understanding. Klinger scrapes together a Christmas dinner for Charles, with the provison that the source of the gift remain anonymous (Klinger had overheard Winchester's argument with the manager of the orphanage). For the final moment of the episode, the two are simply friends as Charles says, "Thank you, Max," and Klinger replies, "Merry Christmas, Charles."
of the 4077th's instigated by Margaret, which Hawkeye says is a symbol of those who "came as boys and went home as men."
dress, and tried to develop the character more fully. In the role of company clerk, Klinger's personality turned more to the "wheeler-dealer" aspects of his personality developed in the streets of Toledo, using those skills to aid the 4077th. Farr stayed throughout the rest of the series. Klinger was later promoted from corporal to sergeant (he and Father Mulcahy were the only two characters to be promoted on screen in the entire series, Frank Burns received his promotion off-screen after having left the series). In the final episode, he is, ironically, the only character who announces that he is staying in Korea. He wants to help his wife, Soon Lee, find her parents (he and Soon Lee marry at the end of the episode). When Klinger announces he is staying in Korea, Hawkeye says, "You don't have to act crazy now. We're all getting out!" However, in the short-lived spin-off, AfterMASH
, it becomes clear that soon after the end of the war, Klinger returned to the United States.
left at the end of the fifth season in 1977. This, coupled with head writer Larry Gelbart
's departure the previous season, stripped the show of its comedic foundation. Likewise, with the departure of Larry Linville
after five seasons, the series lost its "straight man" (comic foil). As such, the comedic years were the show's first five seasons (1972–1977).
Beginning with the sixth season (1977–1978), Alan Alda
and new Executive Producer Burt Metcalfe
became the "voice" of M*A*S*H, and continued in those roles for the remaining six seasons (though Alda and Gene Reynolds became Executive Consultants). By the eighth season in 1979, the writing staff had been completely overhauled, and M*A*S*H displayed a different feel—consciously moving between comedy and drama, unlike the seamless integration of years gone by. In addition, the episodes became more political. At the same time, many episodes from the later era were praised for their experimentation with the half-hour sitcom format, including "Point of View" (an episode shown from the point of view of a wounded soldier), "Dreams" (which show the lyrical and eventually disturbing dreams of the 4077 personnel), "A War For All Seasons" (which takes place over the course of 1951), and "Life Time" (which takes place in real time).
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
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. The producers received phone calls from actual Korean War doctors, telling them experiences they had and wanted to include those into upcoming episodes. According to Burt Metcalfe, they had to refuse some (if not all) storylines from the doctors, saying they had used them up in previous episodes. Harry Morgan, who played Col. Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by Season 9 (1980–1981), and the cast had agreed to make Season 10 their last. CBS decided otherwise, saying that their hit show was not going to go away so easily. Ultimately, CBS persuaded the cast and crew to produce half a regular season of episodes for the final year (making an official run of eleven seasons) and end the series with a big finale, which ultimately became one of the most watched episodes in television history.
shows: the short-lived AfterMASH
, which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, W*A*L*T*E*R, in which Walter "Radar" O’Reilly joins a police force back in the US. For legal reasons, the more successful Trapper John, M.D.
is considered a spinoff of the original theatrical film, rather than the series. If one watches carefully in the pilot, a photograph of Hawkeye and Trapper John from the television series can be seen.
A documentary
special titled Making M*A*S*H, narrated by Mary Tyler Moore
and taking viewers behind the production of the Season 8 episodes "Old Soldiers" and "Lend a Hand", was produced for PBS in 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch.
Two retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th and 30th anniversaries. Memories of M*A*S*H, hosted by Shelley Long
and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, was aired by CBS
on November 25, 1991. A 30th Anniversary Reunion special, in which the surviving cast members and producers gathered to reminisce, aired on the Fox
network 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
, both of whom had died by that time, were featured as well. The two specials 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 the A&E
cable channel's Biography
program that detailed the history of the show.
In the late 1980s, the cast had a partial reunion in a series of commercials
for IBM
personal computers. All of the front-billed regulars (with the two exceptions of Mike Farrell
and McLean Stevenson
) appeared in the spots over time.
Around 1990, Gary Burghoff appeared in some locally aired BP
television advertisements in the United States. In them he is playing no particular character, but shows much of Radar's quiet temperament. He announces that certain local filling stations, such as Sohio, are now or will soon become BP
filling stations.
In the mid-2000s, Harry Morgan
, Jamie Farr
, and Gary Burghoff reunited for a public service announcement
promoting information about diabetes (a disease which all three actors have in its Type 1 form). It took place on the company clerk's office set and featured Klinger eating large amounts of chocolate pudding in an attempt to get diabetes in order to be discharged. The commercial is outside of continuity, as it had Klinger wearing his Toledo Mud Hens
jersey, which he did primarily after Radar left the series.
The 4077th actually consisted of two separate sets. An outdoor set in the mountains near Malibu, California (Calabasas, Los Angeles County, California) was used for most exterior and tent scenes for every season. This is the same set used to shoot the movie. The indoor set, on a sound stage at Fox Studios in Century City, 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 chopper pad required using the ranch).
Just as the series was wrapping production, a major brush fire destroyed most of the outdoor set on October 9, 1982. The fire was written into the final episode as a forest fire caused by enemy incendiary bombs.
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 and an ambulance used in the show. Through the 1990s, the area was occasionally used for television commercial production; for example, a Miller Beer ad with a "Mexican" setting was filmed there.
On February 23, 2008, series stars Mike Farrell
, Loretta Swit
and William Christopher
(along with producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe and prolific M*A*S*H director Charles S. Dubin) reunited at the set to celebrate its partial restoration. The rebuilt iconic 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
(1941) and the Planet of the Apes
television series (1974) were filmed, among other productions.
When M*A*S*H was filming its last episode, the producers were contacted by the Smithsonian Institution
, which asked to be given a part of the set. The producers quickly agreed and sent the tent, signposts, and contents of the "swamp", which was home to Hawkeye, BJ, Trapper, Charles, and Frank during the course of the show. The Smithsonian has the "swamp" on display to this day. Originally found on the Ranch, Radar's teddy bear, once housed at the Smithsonian, was sold at auction on July 29, 2005 for $11,800.
, as the network did. They compromised with a "chuckle track", played only occasionally. (DVD releases of the series allow viewers a no-laugh-track option.)
In his blog, writer Ken Levine revealed that on one occasion, when the cast offered too many nitpicking "notes" on a script, he and his writing partner 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 100 degrees. Levine says, "This happened maybe twice, and we never got a ticky-tack note again."
Jackie Cooper wrote that Alan Alda, whom Cooper directed in M*A*S*H, is concealing a lot of hostility beneath the surface, and that the two of them barely spoke to each other by the time Cooper’s directing of M*A*S*H ended.
By the time the series ended, three of the regulars had been promoted. Klinger (Jamie Farr) went from Corporal to Sergeant, and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) went from Lieutenant to Captain. Frank Burns (Larry Linville) was promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel when he was shipped back to the U.S. following Margaret's marriage. (Farr and Christopher also saw their names move from the closing credits of the show to the opening credits.) Radar O'Reilly was fraudulently "promoted" for a short time (through a machination of Hawkeye and B.J.) to Second Lieutenant, but discovered he disliked officer's duties and asked them to "bust" him back to Corporal.
It was Mike Farrell who asked that his character's daughter's name be Erin, after his real-life daughter (the character's name was originally going to be Melissa). When B.J. spoke on the telephone on-camera, Erin or his then-wife Judy were on the other end.
Colonel Sherman Potter converts
during the series. When he first arrives at the 4077 he asks Father Mulcahy if he does a "Methodist" service and are there other Methodists on the camp, as he hates to sing alone. In a later episode, when he is having trouble with Klinger's efforts as company clerk, Father Mulcahy relates the story of when Radar first arrive at the camp. Potter replies "you wouldn't lie to an old Presbyterian would you?"
Among those wounded were Hawkeye Pierce ("Hawkeye"; "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"; "Comrades in Arms [Part I]"; "Good-Bye, Radar [Part I]"; and "Lend a Hand"), Radar O'Reilly ("Fallen Idol"), B.J. Hunnicutt ("The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan" and "Operation Friendship"), Max Klinger ("It Happened One Night"; "Baby, It's Cold Outside"; and "Operation Friendship"), Father Mulcahy ("Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"), and Sherman Potter ("Dear Ma"). Henry Blake was injured four times: once by a disgruntled chopper pilot ("Cowboy"); once by friendly fire ("The Army-Navy Game"); and in season 3, episode 15 ("Bombed"), Henry is injured when the latrine he is in is blown up. (The gag of Blake's being caught in a exploding latrine is also in the episode "Cowboy".) Henry is also injured when the latrine catches fire. Frank Burns is twice awarded Purple Hearts for spurious injuries: throwing his back out after he gave Margaret a dip and could not move - which was later covered for with a story that he slipped on the way to the showers ("Sometimes You Hear the Bullet", 1.17), and getting an egg-shell fragment in the eye ("The Kids", 4.8). Burns' Purple Heart medals were then given to more deserving people: a GI who was admitted with appendicitis, and a Korean newborn infant who was hit by a bullet in utero.
At least two personnel suffered emotional breakdowns: Hawkeye Pierce ("Goodbye, Farewell and Amen") and Frank Burns ("Fade Out, Fade In [Part 1]" and "Fade Out, Fade In [Part 2]").
(military designation and nickname of the Bell 47
civilian model). As in the film, some care seems to have been taken to use the correct model of the long-lived Bell 47 series. In the opening credits and many of the episodes, Korean War vintage H-13Ds and Es (Bell 47D-1s) were used complete with period-correct external litters
. However, a later (1954–73) 47G would occasionally make an appearance. The helicopters are remarkably similar in appearance (with the later "G" models having larger two-piece fuel tanks, a slightly revised cabin as well as other changes) with differences noticeable only to a serious helicopter fan. In the pilot episode, a later Bell 47J (production began in 1957) was shown flying Henry Blake to Seoul, en-route to a meeting with General Hammond in Tokyo. A Sud Aviation Allouette II helicopter was also shown transporting Henry Blake to the 4077th in the episode Henry, Please Come Home.
The Jeep
s used were 1953 military M38 or civil CJ2A Willys
Jeeps and also World War II Ford GPWs and Willys Mbs. Two of the ambulances were WC-54 Dodges and one was a WC-27
. A WC-54 ambulance remains at the site and was burned in the Malibu fires on October 9, 1982. while a second WC-27 survives at an El Monte, CA museum without any markings. The bus used to transport the wounded was an early-1950s Ford model. In the last season an M43 ambulance from the Korean War era also was used in conjunction with the WC-54s and WC-27.
When the M*A*S*H finale aired in 1983, there were 83.3 million television homes, compared to almost 115 million in February 2010.
According to articles from the Associated Press from March, 1983, "CBS parlayed the final episode of MASH - which got the highest rating and attracted the largest audience ever for a single TV program - into a big ratings victory for the week..."
The record "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" did break was 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, at the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported that the plumbing systems had broken down in some parts of the city. Said to be the largest use of water ever around the city because so many New Yorkers waited until the episode ended to go to the toilet. Articles copied into Arlene Alda's "The Last Days of MASH" include interviews with New York City Sanitation workers citing the definite spike in water usage on that night.
released a cover version of "Suicide Is Painless
" as a charity single to help The Spastics Society (now Scope) in 1992. It was their first UK top-ten hit. Marilyn Manson
also released a cover version that was featured on the Blair Witch Project 2
soundtrack album.
Author Paulette Bourgeois
credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series Franklin. Glen Charles
and Les Charles
, the creators of Cheers
, started their careers in television by writing "The Late Captain Pierce".
There have been numerous references to M*A*S*H in other series, including several episodes of Family Guy
, the Futurama
"War is the H-Word
", The Simpsons
episode "Half-Decent Proposal
", and the Scrubs
episode "My Super Ego". On Sesame Street
, in homage to Radar O'Reilly and his teddy bear, Big Bird
's teddy bear's name is Radar. Jamie Farr
appeared as himself on a 1995 episode of Women of the House
titled "Guess Who's Sleeping in Lincoln's Bed?" (the series was written and created by former M*A*S*H writer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
), and he ultimately got into drag. He also appeared in an episode of That '70s Show
as himself, in which he directly mentions his work on M*A*S*H.
The 1975-1976 children's series Uncle Croc's Block
included a recurring animated segment called "M-U-S-H", about a group of police dogs stationed at an Arctic Circle outpost. The segment's premise, title (an acronym for Mangy Unwanted Shabby Heroes), and characters (Bullseye, Trooper Yoe, Cold Lips, Major Hank Sideburns, Colonel Flake, Sonar) all parodied M*A*S*H.
After McLean Stevenson left the show, being 'McLean'd' became a reference to a character that is killed off after its actor departs a given series.
Joey Lawrence
's character on Melissa & Joey
, Joey Longo, was born in a U.S. Army hospital in Uijeongbu
.
As a Top 20 series, M*A*S*H has an average rating of 24.6.
s during its eleven-year run:
The show was also honored with a Peabody Award
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."
has released all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H on DVD in Region 1 and Region 2
.
Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
, adapted from the 1970
1970 in film
The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career....
feature film MASH
MASH (film)
MASH is a 1970 American satirical dark comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner, Jr., based on Richard Hooker's novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. It is the only feature film in the M*A*S*H franchise...
(which was itself based on the 1968
1968 in literature
The year 1968 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Dean R. Koontz's first novel, Star Quest is published....
novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors
MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors
MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, the original novel that inspired the film MASH and TV series M*A*S*H, was written by Richard Hooker, himself a former military surgeon, and was about a fictional U.S. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea during the Korean War. It was originally published in...
, by Richard Hooker). The series is a medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
/black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
that was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. It follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
The Mobile Army Surgical Hospital refers to a United States Army medical unit serving as a fully functional hospital in a combat area of operations. The units were first established in August 1945, and were deployed during the Korean War and later conflicts. The U.S...
" in Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city is located just north of Seoul with many U.S. and Korean military bases for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established its headquarters in the city with main troops deployed in Dongducheon...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. M*A*S*Hs title sequence
Title sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
featured an instrumental version of the song "Suicide Is Painless
Suicide Is Painless
"Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman , which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H" ". Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14...
", which also appears in the original film. The show was created after an attempt to film the original book's sequel, M*A*S*H Goes to Maine, failed. It is the most well known version of the M*A*S*H works.
The series premiered in the US on September 17, 1972, and ended February 28, 1983, with the finale becoming the most watched television episode in U.S. television history at the time, with a record breaking 125 million viewers, according to the New York Times. Despite the high turnout for the final episode of M*A*S*H, it struggled in its first season and was at risk of being canceled. However, season two of M*A*S*H placed it in a better time slot (airing after the popular All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
) and the show became one of the top ten programs of the year and stayed in the top twenty programs for the rest of its eleven-season run. The show is still broadcast in syndication on various television stations. The series, which covered a three-year military conflict, spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons.
Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Like the movie, the series was as much an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
about the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
(still in progress when the show began) as it was about the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. It took a number of minor creative liberties with the facts of the Korean War.
In 1997, the episodes "Abyssinia, Henry" and "The Interview" were respectively ranked #20 and #80 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, M*A*S*H was ranked #25 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
TV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is TV Guides list of the 50 most entertaining and influential television series in American pop culture...
.
Synopsis
M*A*S*H aired weekly in its original CBS run, with most episodes being a half-hour in length. The series is usually categorized as a situation comedySituation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, though it is sometimes also described as a "dark comedy" or a "dramedy" because of the dramatic subject material often presented. The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH; the asterisk
Asterisk
An asterisk is a typographical symbol or glyph. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often pronounce it as star...
s in the name are meaningless, a contrivance introduced in the novel) in the Korean War (1950–1953). The "4077th MASH" was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. Richard Hooker, who wrote the book on which the television and film versions were based, noted that Hawkeye's character was far more liberal in the show than on the page (in one of the MASH books, Hawkeye makes reference to "kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape"). While the show is traditionally viewed as a comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone. Airing on network primetime while the Vietnam War 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 it. For this reason, 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 episodes being 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 civilian draftees of 4077th--Hawkeye, Trapper John, B.J. Hunnicutt, for example--who are forced to leave their homes to tend to the wounded and dying of the war, and the "regular Army" characters, like Margaret Houlihan and Colonel Potter, who tend to represent ideas of patriotism and duty. Other characters like Col. Blake, Maj. Winchester, and Corp. Klinger, help demonstrate various American civilian attitudes towards army life, while guest characters such as Eldon Quick
Eldon Quick
Eldon Quick is an American character actor. He is an alumnus of the American Shakespeare Festival and has numerous stage, screen, and television roles to his credit....
, Herb Voland
Herb Voland
Herb Voland , who also performed under his full name Herbert Voland, was an American actor, best known for his role as General Brandon Clayton on the hit CBS-TV show M*A*S*H from 1972 to 1973.-Career:...
, Mary Wickes
Mary Wickes
Mary Wickes was an American film and television actress.-Career:Wickes was born as Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser in St. Louis, Missouri, of German Irish Protestant extraction. She graduated at the age of eighteen with a degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis, where she...
, and Tim O'Connor
Tim O'Connor (actor)
Tim O'Connor is an American character actor known for his prolific work in television, although he has made only a few appearances since the early 1990s. Before moving to California, he lived on an island in the middle of Glen Wild Lake, near Bloomingdale, New Jersey.O'Connor specialized in...
also help further the show's discussion of America's place as Cold War war-maker and peace-maker.
Laugh track
Series creators Larry GelbartLarry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
and Gene Reynolds wanted M*A*S*H broadcast without a laugh track
Laugh track
A laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
("Just like the actual Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
", Gelbart remarked dryly), but CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
rejected the idea. By Season Two, a compromise had been reached, whereby the producers were allowed to omit the laugh track during operating room scenes if they wished. As a result, few scenes in the operating room contain canned laughter. Certain episodes omitted the laugh track completely ("O.R.", "The Bus", "Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?", "The Interview", "Dreams", "Point of View") as did some international and syndicated airings of the show. The first five seasons of the series contained a rather intrusive laugh track, similar to other laugh-tracked sitcoms of the period, but by Season Six, newer, significantly quieter, laughs were recorded and employed. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where the show was broadcast by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
(and therefore also without advertising breaks), the laugh track was removed entirely from all episodes.
On all released DVDs, both in Region 2 (Europe, including the UK) and Region 1 (including the U.S.), there is an option to watch the show with or without the laugh track.
Syndicated broadcasts in the U.S. and UK today retain the original U.S. laugh track.
Characters
M*A*S*H maintained a relatively constant ensemble castEnsemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
, with four characters—Hawkeye, Father Mulcahy, Margaret Houlihan, and Maxwell Q. Klinger—on the show for all eleven seasons. Several other main characters left or joined the show midway through its run. There were also numerous guest
Guest appearance
In show business , a guest appearance is a participation of an outsider performer , usually called guest artist , in an event , i.e., the participation of a performer which does not belong to the regular crew In performance...
and recurring character
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
s. 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
1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1978 season ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning their second straight National League pennant and losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series again...
.
- Note: Character appearances include double-length episodes as two appearances, making 260 in total.
| Character | Actor/Actress | Rank | Role | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Seasons 1–11) |
Alan Alda Alan Alda Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H... |
Captain | Chief Surgeon Surgery Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical... |
260 |
| Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Seasons 1–11) |
Loretta Swit Loretta Swit Loretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:... |
Major Major (United States) In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel... |
Head Nurse, Temporary Executive Officer |
243 |
| Maxwell Q. Klinger (Seasons 1–11) |
Jamie Farr Jamie Farr Jamie Farr is an American television, film, and theater actor. He is best known for having played the role of cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the television sitcom M*A*S*H.-Early life:... |
Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... , later Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
Corpsman, later Company Clerk |
219 |
| John Patrick Francis Mulcahy (Seasons 1–11) |
George Morgan (Pilot Episode), replaced by William Christopher William Christopher William Christopher is an American actor who is best known for playing Father Mulcahy on the television series M*A*S*H and Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.-Early life:... |
First Lieutenant First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank... , later Captain |
Chaplain Chaplain Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel... |
218 |
| John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre (Seasons 1–3) |
Wayne Rogers Wayne Rogers William Wayne McMillan Rogers III is an American film and television actor, best known for playing the role of 'Trapper John' McIntyre in the U.S... |
Captain | Surgeon | 74 |
| Henry Braymore Blake (Seasons 1–3) |
McLean Stevenson McLean Stevenson Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H... |
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel (United States) In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay... |
Commanding Officer Commanding officer The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law... , Surgeon |
70 |
| Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns (Seasons 1–5) |
Larry Linville Larry Linville Lawrence Lavon "Larry" Linville was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of obnoxious, pious, self-important and inept surgeon Major Frank Burns in the television series M*A*S*H.-M*A*S*H:... |
Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen) |
Surgeon, Executive Officer Executive officer An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:... Temporary Commanding Officer (following the discharge of Henry Blake) |
118 |
| Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly (Seasons 1–8) |
Gary Burghoff | Corporal (one episode as Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal... ) |
Company Clerk, Bugler |
156 |
| B. J. Hunnicutt (replaced Trapper; Seasons 4–11) |
Mike Farrell Mike Farrell Michael Joseph "Mike" Farrell is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series M*A*S*H . He is an activist for politically liberal causes.... |
Captain | Surgeon | 187 |
| Sherman Tecumseh Potter (replaced Henry Blake; Seasons 4–11) |
Harry Morgan Harry Morgan Harry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey... |
Colonel Colonel (United States) In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general... |
Commanding Officer (after Lt. Col. Blake), Surgeon |
188 |
| Charles Emerson Winchester III (replaced Frank Burns; Seasons 6–11) |
David Ogden Stiers David Ogden Stiers David Ogden Stiers is an American actor, director, vocal actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney movies, as well as his performances in the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy... |
Major | Surgeon, Executive Officer (after Major Burns) |
137 |
Recurring characters
- Nurse Kealani Kellye, a recurring character in the 4077th (appearing in 164 episodes), played by Kellye NakaharaKellye NakaharaKellye Nakahara is an American actress, best known for playing Nurse Kellye in 165 episodes of the television comedy M*A*S*H.-Biography:...
. A warm character, she had more to say than the other nurses. She is often seen dancing with Radar, and later, Charles. The first name "Kealani" was never used in the series. On one occasion, David Ogden Stiers and Loretta Swit have inadvertently referred to her as "Nurse Nakahara" and "Lieutenant Nakahara", respectively. - Jeff MaxwellJeff MaxwellJeff Maxwell played Pvt. Igor Straminsky, a recurring character in the television series M*A*S*H.Maxwell's screen debut was in the film Young Frankenstein, where he played one of the title character's medical students...
appeared as the bumbling Pvt. Igor Straminsky in 75 episodes. In his earlier appearances, he was the camp cook's aide, complaining that despite not actually cooking the food, he still had to listen to everyone's gripes about it. He was often the target of Hawkeye's wrath because of the terrible food, and the recipient of his "river of liver and ocean of fish" rant in "Adam's Ribs". His bumbling even gained the ire of Father Mulcahy when he creamed the fresh corn Mulcahy grew in "A War for All Seasons". In at least two episodes, he was called a sergeant by Major Burns because of his hatred of enlisted staff. In another episode, Burns asks his name and he replies "Maxwell", the actor's actual surname, Burns then replies with that name. - Roy Goldman appeared in 35 episodes as Corpsman Roy Goldman.
- Odessa ClevelandOdessa ClevelandOdessa Cleveland is an American film and television actress.-Career:Odessa Cleveland is best known for her role as Lieutenant Ginger Bayliss, a recurring character on the television series M*A*S*H, on which she appeared for 20 episodes from 1972 to 1974; and 2 episodes in 1977.Cleveland also had a...
appeared in 29 episodes as Lt. Ginger Bayliss, one of the nurses. - Johnny HaymerJohnny HaymerJohnny Haymer was an American actor who played Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale, a recurring character in the television series M*A*S*H. Another high-profile role was that of the painfully unfunny stand-up comedian in the Woody Allen film Annie Hall...
played Staff Sgt. Zelmo Zale, supply sergeant for the 4077th, in 20 episodes. He made his first appearance in the Season 2 episode "For Want of a Boot", and his final appearance in the Season 8 episode "Good-Bye, Radar". Zale's name is mentioned for the final time in "Yessir, That's Our Baby". - G. W. BaileyG. W. BaileyGeorge William "G.W." Bailey is an American stage, television and film 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 ; Lieutenant—and later, Captain—Thaddeus Harris in Police Academy...
played the perpetually lazy Staff Sgt. Luther Rizzo, who headed the camp motor pool, in 14 episodes. - Dr. Sidney Freedman, Major, a psychiatrist, was played by Allan ArbusAllan ArbusAllan Arbus is an American actor notable for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on the television series M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
, who appeared twelve times (once as Dr. "Milton" Freedman). - Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Flagg (Sam) Flagg, a paranoid and jingoistic counterintelligence officer prone to using aliases, was played by Edward Winter. He appeared six times (and the actor appeared once as a very similar Intelligence officer named Halloran).
- Marcia StrassmanMarcia StrassmanMarcia A. Strassman is an American actress best known for her roles as Julie Kotter in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter and Diane Szalinski in the 1989 feature film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, its first sequel Honey, I Blew Up the Kid and the 3-D film spin-off Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! which...
played nurse Margie Cutler six times, during the show's first season. She disappeared after the episode "Ceasefire". - Herb VolandHerb VolandHerb Voland , who also performed under his full name Herbert Voland, was an American actor, best known for his role as General Brandon Clayton on the hit CBS-TV show M*A*S*H from 1972 to 1973.-Career:...
appeared seven times as Henry Blake's commander, Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Crandall Clayton. - G. WoodG. WoodGeorge Wood was an American film and television actor, usually billed as G. Wood.Wood was born in Forrest City, Arkansas...
appeared three times as Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Hammond, the same role he played in the movie. - Robert Gooden appeared three times as Private Lorenzo Boone.
- Robert F. SimonRobert F. SimonRobert F. Simon was an American character actor, often portraying military or authority figure roles. Though his face was recognized by audiences, he was mostly unknown by name...
appeared three times as Major General Mitchell. - Loudon Wainwright IIILoudon Wainwright IIILoudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
appeared three times as Captain Calvin Spaulding, who was usually seen playing his guitar and singing. - Eldon QuickEldon QuickEldon Quick is an American character actor. He is an alumnus of the American Shakespeare Festival and has numerous stage, screen, and television roles to his credit....
appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureaucracyBureaucracyA bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
. - Sergeant (later Pvt) Jack Scully, played by Joshua BryantJoshua Bryant (actor)Joshua Bryant is an actor and author. He has starred, guest-starred and appeared in dozens of television shows and motion pictures. He is most often recognized as Scully from M*A*S*H. He also had a guest performance on the television classic, Little House on the Prairie, playing Ms. Eva Beadle's...
, appeared in three episodes as a love interest of Margaret Houlihan. - Pat MoritaPat MoritaNoriyuki "Pat" Morita was an American actor of Japanese descent who was well-known for playing the roles of Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on Happy Days and Mr. Miyagi in the The Karate Kid movie series, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1984.-Early life:Pat...
appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the Republic of Korea ArmyRepublic of Korea ArmyThe Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
. - Sorrell BookeSorrell BookeSorrell Booke was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard....
appeared twice as Brigadier General Bradley Barker. Booke was an actual Korean War veteran. - Robert SymondsRobert SymondsRobert Symonds was an American actor. He was the associate director of the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center from 1965 through 1972.-Career:...
appeared twice as Col/Lt Col. Horace Baldwin. - Robert AldaRobert AldaRobert Alda was an American actor. He was the father of actors Alan Alda and Antony Alda.-Life and career:...
, Alan Alda's father, appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon. - Catherine Bergstrom, appeared twice as Peg Hunnicutt, B.J.'s wife, back in the US.
- Lt. Col.Lieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Donald Penobscot appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband. In the episode in which he appears as her husband, he takes part in a M*A*S*H Olympics, and is played by Mike Henry. - Staff Sgt. "Sparky" Pryor, a friend of Radar and Klinger, was the telephone operator usually called by the 4077th MASH. He was seen only once, played by Dennis FimpleDennis FimpleDennis Clarke Fimple was an American character actor. Throughout his career, he made guest appearances in a variety of TV shows, including Here Come the Brides, Petticoat Junction, M*A*S*H, Simon & Simon, Sledge Hammer!, Knight Rider, Quantum Leap and ER...
, in Tuttle (Season 1, Episode 15), but was sometimes faintly heard on the phone when he yelled. - Sal ViscusoSal ViscusoSal Viscuso is an American actor.His most notable role was as the uncredited, unseen P.A. system announcer in the long-running TV series M*A*S*H. He also made several one-shot appearances as other characters throughout the series, usually as a patient at the 4077th...
and Todd SusmanTodd SusmanTodd Susman is an American actor. His better-known roles include Officer Shifflett on Newhart and the unseen P.A. system announcer on the television series M*A*S*H, a role he shared with Sal Viscuso...
played the camp's anonymous P.A. systemPublic addressA public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
announcer throughout the series. This unseen characterUnseen characterIn fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
broke the fourth wallFourth wallThe fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
only once, in the episode "Welcome to KoreaWelcome to Korea"Welcome to Korea" was the 73rd episode of the M*A*S*H television series, and first episode of the fourth season of the series. First aired on September 12, 1975, the series' first 60 minute episode was most notable for its off-screen departure of the character of Captain Trapper John McIntyre ,...
" (4.1) when introducing the regular cast members. Normally he just tells the camp about the incoming wounded with a sense of humour. Both Viscuso and Susman appeared onscreen as other characters in at least one episode each. - Eileen SakiEileen SakiEileen Saki was the final and longest-running actress to play Rosie, proprietor of Rosie's Bar in the television series M*A*S*H. She also had a small but memorable role in the season 5 premiere episode as the head 'Madam' of a coquetteish group of prostitutes.The switching of actresses in the role...
appeared in seven episodes as Rosie, the owner and head bartender at Rosie's Bar, which was frequented by the regular characters. Her first appearance on the show, however, was as the "madam" of a brothelBrothelBrothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
which was occupying a much-needed hut in the episode "Bug Out" (the women agreed to vacate the hut in exchange for Klinger's wardrobe of dresses). Rosie had previously been played by Shizuko HoshiShizuko HoshiShizuko Hoshi is an American actress and theatre director living in Southern California. She is a graduate of Tokyo Women's College and University of Southern California...
(in "Mad Dogs and Servicemen") and Frances Fong (in "Bug Out" and "Fallen Idol") before Saki assumed the role. - Timothy BrownTimothy Brown (actor)Thomas Allen Brown is a former professional American football player and actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Knightstown, Indiana...
appeared as Spearchucker Jones in early episodes as a captain who lived with Pierce, Burns, and McIntyre in the "swamp".
Actors with multiple roles
At least 19 guest stars made appearances as multiple characters:- Hamilton CampHamilton CampHamilton Camp was an English-American singer, songwriter, actor and voice actor.-Early life:Camp was born in London, England, and was evacuated during World War II to the United States as a child with his mother and sister. He became a child actor in films and onstage...
appeared twice, first as the insane Cpl. "Boots" Miller in "Major Topper", and again as a film distributor named Frankenheimer in "The Moon is Not Blue". - Dennis DuganDennis DuganDennis Dugan is an American director, comedian, and actor. He is most famous for his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, with whom he directed the films Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups, Just Go With It, and Jack and...
appeared twice; as O.R. orderly Pvt. McShane in 3.20, "Love and Marriage", and again in 11.11, "Strange Bedfellows", as Col. Potter's philandering son-in-law, Robert "Bob" Wilson. - Tim O'ConnorTim O'Connor (actor)Tim O'Connor is an American character actor known for his prolific work in television, although he has made only a few appearances since the early 1990s. Before moving to California, he lived on an island in the middle of Glen Wild Lake, near Bloomingdale, New Jersey.O'Connor specialized in...
appeared as wounded artillery officer Col. Spiker and as visiting surgeon Norm Traeger. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye. - Dick O'NeillDick O'NeillDick O'Neill was an American stage, film and television character actor best known for playing Irish cops, fathers, judges and army generals. He began his acting career as an original company member of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.He served in the Navy then returned to the theater. In the late...
appeared three times (each time in a different U.S. service branch): as Navy Admiral Cox, as Army Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Prescott, and as Marine Colonel Pitts. - Harry MorganHarry MorganHarry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey...
played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O. (Col. Sherman T. Potter) and the mentally unstable Major Gen. Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season, in the episode "The General Flipped at Dawn". This latter character was a reprise of his role as Major Pott in the 1966 Movie, "What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?" - Soon-Tek OhSoon-Tek OhSoon-Tek Oh |M*A*S*H]], Charlie's Angels, Airwolf, Magnum, P. I., Hawaii Five-O, Kung-Fu, Zorro, and Touched By An Angel....
appeared five times: twice as North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n POWsPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
(in 4.6, "The Bus", and 8.10, "The Yalu Brick Road"); once as a North Korean doctor (5.9, "The Korean Surgeon"); once as O.R. orderly Mr. Kwang ("Love and Marriage"); and once as a South Korean interpreter who poses as a North Korean POW (11.3, "Foreign Affairs"). (Soon-Tek Oh was one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other "Korean" characters were played by either Japanese or Chinese actors.) - Robert Karnes appeared twice: once as a Colonel in 4.1 and as a General in 6.4.
- Clyde KusatsuClyde KusatsuClyde Kusatsu is a U.S. actor.Kusatsu was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he attended ʻIolani School. Kusatsu began acting in Honolulu summer stock, and after studying theatre at Northwestern University, started to make his mark on the small screen in the mid-1970s...
appeared four times: twice as a Korean bartender in the Officers' Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American surgeon. - Robert ItoRobert ItoRobert Ito is a Canadian voice, television, and movie actor of Japanese decent.A Canadian actor of Japanese descent, Ito was, for many years, a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada before turning to acting in the mid-1960s...
played a hood who works for the black market in 1.2, "To Market, To Market"; and a North Korean soldier disguised as a South Korean looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon". - Keye LukeKeye LukeKeye Luke was a Chinese-born American actor. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal and, later, MGM and is generally acknowledged as the leading Asian-American actor of this era of American cinema.-Background:...
appeared three times. In “Patent 4077” (season 6), he played Mr. Shin, a local jewelry maker hired by the surgeons to make a new surgical clamp; in “A Night at Rosie’s” (season 7), he played Cho Kim, who ran a crooked craps game in the back room at Rosie’s Bar; and in “Death Takes a Holiday” (season 9), he played the headmaster of a local orphanage. - MakoMako (actor), born , was an Oscar- and Tony-nominated Japanese actor. Many of his acting roles credited him simply as Mako, omitting his surname. -Early life:...
appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier. - Jerry Fujikawa appeared as crooked Korean matchmaker Dr. Pak in "Love and Marriage"; as Trapper John's tailor in 3.3, "Officer of the Day"; as an acupuncturistAcupunctureAcupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
named Wu in 8.24, "Back Pay"; as the UijeongbuUijeongbuUijeongbu is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city is located just north of Seoul with many U.S. and Korean military bases for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established its headquarters in the city with main troops deployed in Dongducheon...
Chief of Police in "Rally Round the Flagg, Boys"; and as "Whiplash Wang" in "Deal Me Out". - John OrchardJohn OrchardJohn Orchard was an English actor. He is probably best remembered for playing anaesthetist "Ugly John" Black in the earlier episodes of M*A*S*H.-Career:...
starred as Australian anesthetist Ugly John in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as disgruntled and drunken Australian MP Muldoon, who has an arrangement with Rosie the barkeeper: he takes bribes (in the form of liquor in his "coffee" mug) to "look the other way." - Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff; he once sold a backwards-running watch to Major Burns and he also tried to help cost Corporal Klinger his money in a game of craps in A Night at Rosie's.
- Jack SooJack SooJack Soo was a Japanese American actor. He is best known for his role as Detective Nick Yemana on the television sitcom Barney Miller.-Early life:...
appeared twice; once as black market boss Charlie Lee, with whom Hawkeye and Trapper made a trade for supplies in "To Market, To Market"; and in "Payday" as a peddler who sold Frank two sets of pearls: one real, the other fake. - Ted Gehring appeared twice: in 2.12, as moronic Supply Officer Major Morris, who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed incubator, and in 7.6, as corrupt supply NCO Sgt. Rhoden.
- Eldon QuickEldon QuickEldon Quick is an American character actor. He is an alumnus of the American Shakespeare Festival and has numerous stage, screen, and television roles to his credit....
appeared three times, once as a finance officer and twice as Captain Sloan. - Edward Winter appeared as an Intelligence Officer named "Halloran" in 2.13, and in six episodes as Colonel Flagg (although Halloran may have been one of Flagg's numerous and often mid-episode-changing aliases).
- Shizuko Hoshi appeared at least twice: once as "Rosie" of "Rosie's Bar" in episode 3.13, "Mad Dogs and Servicemen"; and once in 4.18, "Hawkeye", as the mother in a Korean family.
- John Fujioka, who played the uncredited role of a Japanese Golf Pro in the movie, appeared three times in the series. The first time was in "Dear Ma" (1975) as Colonel Kim; the second time was in "The Tooth Shall Set You Free" (1982) as Duc Phon Jong; and the last time, he played a peasant in "Picture This" (1982).
- Stuart MargolinStuart MargolinStuart Margolin is an American film and television actor and director.-Television:Margolin is best known for his role on the television show The Rockford Files, playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin, the shifty friend and former cellmate of Jim Rockford...
appeared twice, first as psychiatrist Capt. Phillip Sherman in Season 1's "Bananas, Crackers and Nuts" (1.07), and again as plastic surgeon Major Stanley "Stosh" Robbins in Season 2's "Operation Noselift" (2.18). - Oliver ClarkOliver ClarkOliver Clark is an American character actor.Clark was born Richard Mardirosian in Buffalo, New York, the son of Afro and Matthew Mardirosian. He is of Armenian heritage. His brother, Tom Mardirosian, is also an actor. Clark made numerous appearances in film and television, particularly in the...
appeared twice. In "38 Across" he played the part of Hawkeye's crossword loving friend Lt. Tippy Brooks. In "Mail Call Three" he played the part of 'the other' Captain Ben Pierce. - Jeanne Schulherr appeared in season 3's "There Is Nothing Like a Nurse" as Frank Burns's wife, Louise (in a home movie), and in two other season 3 episodes as an unnamed nurse.
- Charles Frank appeared in Season 5 as Capt. Hathaway in "Dear Sigmund" a pilot who admitted to not knowing the victims of his bombings from his plane, and appeared in Season 6 as Lieutenant Martinson in "What's Up, Doc?" a troubled Yale graduate who finds himself in the infantry and holds Maj. Winchester Hostage at gunpoint.
- Kevin Hagen appeared twice. In "Some 38th Parallels" (1976) he played the part of Colonel Coner, on whom Hawkeye drops garbage from an airborne helicopter. In "Peace On Us" (1978) he played the part of red-haired Major Goss, sent to warn Hawkeye to stay away from the peace talks.
Character names
- Throughout the series, Klinger frequently introduces himself by his full name, Maxwell Q. Klinger, but never says what the Q. stands for.
- B.J.'s real name is the subject of an episode's secondary plot line. Hawkeye goes to extreme lengths to learn what "B.J." stands for, but all official paperwork concerning his friend indicates that B.J. really is his first name. Toward the end of the episode, B.J. (in explaining who gave him his name) says, "My mother, Bea Hunnicut, and my father, Jay Hunnicut." A recurring joke in that episode is that upon being asked what B.J. stands for, B.J. merely replies, "Anything you want."
- Frank Burns had four different middle names during his time on the show: W. (on the punching bag in "Requiem for a Lightweight"), D., X., and Marion.
- Radar's first name is stated as Walter, and once (in "Fade In, Fade Out"), he introduces himself by his full name to Charles Emerson Winchester III as "Walter Eugene O'Reilly". The book says his name is J. Robespierre, and his first name is not revealed in the film.
- In the finale ("Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"), Father Mulcahy tells Klinger that his full name is Francis John Patrick Mulcahy, in case Klinger might want to name any children of his after him. Also, in the eighth season episode (Nurse Doctor), he gives his full name as Francis John Patrick Mulcahy. Yet, in all other episodes, his name was John Patrick Francis Mulcahy, and he just wanted others to call him by his confirmation name, Francis.
Notable actors and actor information
- Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode ("Lend a Hand") as Corporal Jarvis alongside both his brother and father (Robert).
- Robert Alda, Alan Alda's father, had guest appearances in two episodes, "The ConsultantThe Consultant"The Consultant" is the 17th episode in the third season of the television series M*A*S*H. It originally aired on January 17, 1975. It was written by Robert Klane, from a story by Larry Gelbart, and was directed by Gene Reynolds.- Plot overview :...
" and "Lend a Hand", the latter written by Alda himself. According to Alda, "Lend a Hand" was his way of reconciling with his father. He was always giving suggestions to Robert for their vaudeville act, and in "Lend a Hand", Robert's character was always giving Hawkeye suggestions. It was Robert's idea for the doctors to cooperate as "Dr. Right" and "Dr. Left" at the end of that episode, signifying both a reconciliation of their characters, and in real life as well. - While most of the characters from the movie carried over to the series, only four actors appeared in both: Gary Burghoff (Radar O'Reilly) and G. Wood (General Hammond) reprised their movie roles in the series, though Wood appeared in only three episodes. Timothy Brown (credited as "Tim Brown") played "Cpl. Judson" in the movie and "Spearchucker Jones" in the series. Corey FischerCorey FischerCorey Fischer , born in 1945 in Los Angeles, received a BA in French and Theatre Arts from UCLA. In the mid-sixties he worked in Los Angeles in improvisational theatre, notably with The Committee, and went on to work in film and television...
played Capt. Bandini in the film and was the guitar-playing dentist "Cardozo" in the episode "Five O'Clock Charlie5 O’Clock Charlie5 O’Clock Charlie was the 26th episode of the M*A*S*H television series, and second of season two. The episode aired on September 22, 1973.-Plot:...
". - Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce), served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dog tags Farr wears on the show are his actual dog tags. Farr served as part of a USO tour with Red SkeltonRed SkeltonRichard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
. Furthermore, Mike Farrell (B.J. Hunnicut) served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a younger man. - Gary Burghoff's left hand is slightly deformed, with three smaller than normal fingers and slight syndactylySyndactylySyndactyly is a condition wherein two or more digits are fused together. It occurs normally in some mammals, such as the siamang and kangaroo, but is an unusual condition in humans.-Classification:...
between the fourth and fifth digits, and he took great pains to hide or de-emphasize it during filming. He did this by always holding something (like a clipboard) or keeping that hand in his pocket. Burghoff later commented that his (Radar's) deformity would have made it impossible for him to be involved in active service. You can, however, clearly see this deformity at the very beginning of the pilot episode, when he is holding the football just before announcing the arrival of choppers. It is also visible at the end of "The Most Unforgettable Characters" (Season 5, Episode 14) when he is trying to lift weights. - Most of the M*A*S*H main cast guest-starred on Murder She Wrote (with the exceptions of Alan Alda, McLean Stevenson, and Gary Burghoff). Wayne Rogers made five appearances as roguish private investigator Charlie Garrat. David Ogden Stiers appeared three times as a Civil War-infused college lecturer and once as a classical music radio host. G.W. Bailey appeared twice as a New York City police officer. Larry Linville made two appearances as a police officer who was sure that Jessica was in the CIA. Harry Morgan appeared once in a cleverly cut episode that mixed with an episode of DragnetDragnet (series)Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
that Morgan had starred in. William Christopher made an appearance as a murderous bird watcher. Jamie Farr appeared in two episodes, once as a hopeful new publisher for Jessica FletcherJessica FletcherJessica Fletcher is a fictional character portrayed by veteran Tony-winning actress Angela Lansbury on the American television series Murder, She Wrote...
, and again with Loretta Swit (she played a modern artist framed for murder). Mike Farrell appeared as a Senate hopeful. - Through the series, several actresses play characters named Nurse Able or Nurse Baker, with widely varying personalities/roles. The characters' names were based on the old military phonetic alphabetSpelling alphabetA spelling alphabet, radio alphabet, or telephone alphabet is a set of words which are used to stand for the letters of an alphabet. Each word in the spelling alphabet typically replaces the name of the letter with which it starts...
. Able and Baker have since been changed to Alpha and Bravo. - Sorrell BookeSorrell BookeSorrell Booke was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard....
guest-starred as General Barker in the episodes "Requiem for a LightweightRequiem for a Lightweight"Requiem for a Lightweight" is an episode from the television series M*A*S*H. It was first aired on October 1, 1972 and was repeated on December 31, 1972, the first episode of M*A*S*H to do so. In Watching M*A*S*H, Watching America, a sociological examination of M*A*S*H as an illustration of...
" and "Chief Surgeon Who?". Booke was a Korean War veteran who achieved greater fame as Boss HoggBoss HoggJefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, better known as "Boss" Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County. A stereotypical villainous glutton, Boss Hogg always wore an all-white suit with a white...
in the Dukes of HazzardDukes of HazzardThe Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
television series. - Ron HowardRon HowardRonald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
guest-starred as Marine Private Walter/Wendell Peterson in the episode "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet". He is discovered to be underage and using his brother Walter's identification, having come to Korea to impress his girlfriend. Hawkeye first gives the young soldier some sage advice about women, and then essentially lets him decide for himself whether he wants to go back to the States or stay in Korea. After losing his best friend Tommy Gillis, Hawkeye immediately reports the young soldier to the MPs, sending him back to America and to safety - with the Purple Heart Frank Burns put in for after his back pain. Oddly enough, Ron Howard was 18 at the time. - Leslie NielsenLeslie NielsenLeslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
guest-starred as Col. Buzz Brighton in the episode "The Ringbanger". Because of his high casualty record, Hawkeye and Trapper try to get him sent back to America by convincing him that he is insane. - Sal ViscusoSal ViscusoSal Viscuso is an American actor.His most notable role was as the uncredited, unseen P.A. system announcer in the long-running TV series M*A*S*H. He also made several one-shot appearances as other characters throughout the series, usually as a patient at the 4077th...
is often credited as the sole PA announcer for the television series and even the film. Though he did serve as the voice of the PA announcer for a time, Todd SusmanTodd SusmanTodd Susman is an American actor. His better-known roles include Officer Shifflett on Newhart and the unseen P.A. system announcer on the television series M*A*S*H, a role he shared with Sal Viscuso...
had the longest tenure. Neither actor's voice was heard in the film. Both actors appeared as other characters in various episodes. - Art LaFleurArt LaFleur-Life and career:La Fleur was born in Gary, Indiana. He played football in 1962 as a redshirt at the University of Kentucky under Coach Charlie Bradshaw as chronicled in a 2007 book, The Thin Thirty....
appeared in one episode in season 9 ("Father’s Day") as an MP looking for the person(s) responsible for a stolen side of beef. - Patrick SwayzePatrick SwayzePatrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
appeared in one episode ("Blood Brothers") as Gary Sturgis, an injured soldier with a broken arm who is diagnosed with leukemiaLeukemiaLeukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. - John RitterJohn RitterJonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
was in one episode ("Deal Me Out") early in his career, as a "shellshocked" soldier.
- Football player Alex KarrasAlex KarrasAlexander George "Alex" Karras , nicknamed "The Mad Duck", is a former football player, professional wrestler, and actor, best known for his stint with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1958–1962 and 1964-1970 and for his role as Mongo in the film Blazing Saddles...
was in one episode ("Springtime") serving as Hawkeye's bodyguard after the doctor saves his life. - Bruno KirbyBruno KirbyBruno Kirby was an American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally..., Good Morning, Vietnam, The Godfather Part II and Donnie Brasco.-Early life:Kirby was born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr. in New York City,...
(When Harry Met Sally, City SlickersCity SlickersCity Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance....
) played Boone in the first episode. In the opening montage of the pilot episode, before Radar's warning of "choppers" you can see that Radar and Boone are throwing a football to each other. You see him later in the episode helping to carry a drugged-out Maj Frank Burns to a bed in post-op. - Richard Herd appears in the Season 9 episode called "Back Pay". Besides his numerous character roles, he was also the Supreme Commander in the original 1982 television mini-series "V".
- Laurence FishburneLaurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
(CSI, The Matrix) appeared in the season-ten episode "The Tooth Shall Set You Free", in which Hawkeye and B.J. encounter a racist commander who is sending his African-American soldiers into dangerous duty. He also appeared in an episode of Trapper John, M.D. (the year before appearing on M*A*S*H). His Matrix costar, Joe PantolianoJoe PantolianoJoseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
, also appeared both on M*A*S*H and Trapper John, M.D. He appeared in the M*A*S*H episode "Identity Crisis" (also season ten), about a soldier (Pantoliano) who had stolen a fallen friend's identity, as well as his discharge papers, to get out of the fighting. - Pat MoritaPat MoritaNoriyuki "Pat" Morita was an American actor of Japanese descent who was well-known for playing the roles of Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on Happy Days and Mr. Miyagi in the The Karate Kid movie series, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1984.-Early life:Pat...
, who was famous for his role as Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid franchise, played Captain Sam Pak in season two's episode "Deal Me Out" (also with John Ritter), and again in season two's "The Chosen People". - Shelley LongShelley LongShelley Lee Long is an American actress best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers, for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress...
played in the 1980 episode "Bottle Fatigue", as one of Hawkeye's would-be lady friends. She later played alongside Ted Danson in the hit television comedy "Cheers", as Diane Chambers, the perpetual thorn in Sam Malone's (Ted Danson's) side. - George WendtGeorge WendtGeorge Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
played in the 1982 episode "Trick or Treatment" as Private La Roche, a marine treated by Charles Winchester because he had a pool ball stuck in his mouth. He later played alongside Ted Danson and Shelley Long in the hit television comedy Cheers. - Ed Begley, Jr.Ed Begley, Jr.Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
played in the 1979 episode "Too Many Cooks" as Private Paul Conway, a clumsy infantry soldier (he was wounded when he fell into a foxhole) who turns out to be a gifted chef.
Spearchucker Jones
During the first season, Hawkeye's, Trapper's and Frank's bunkmate was an African-American character called Spearchucker Jones, played by actor Timothy BrownTimothy Brown (actor)
Thomas Allen Brown is a former professional American football player and actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Knightstown, Indiana...
. (Brown appeared in the film version as a corporal, while neurosurgeon Dr. Oliver Harmon "Spearchucker" Jones was played by former NFL player Fred Williamson
Fred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
.) The character disappeared after the episode "Germ Warfare" because there is no record of black doctors serving in Korea during the Korean War.
According to the Memoirs of Harold Secor, a doctor working at the 8055th MASH unit, which M*A*S*H is based off of, at least one black doctor serve in the Korean War. A more likely explanation for Spearchucker Jones disappearance is the lack of story lines that could be created for him.
Father Francis Mulcahy
Chaplain of the 4077 unit, plays the piano and likes to feel needed. He is a fairly good amateur boxer, and at one stage takes up jogging. Spends a lot of his time and resources helping the local orphanages. William ChristopherWilliam Christopher
William Christopher is an American actor who is best known for playing Father Mulcahy on the television series M*A*S*H and Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.-Early life:...
plays Mulcahy, replacing actor George Morgan, who played Father Mulcahy in the pilot episode.
Henry Blake
By Season 3 (1974–1975), McLean StevensonMcLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
began chafing at what he considered to be a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers that he wanted to leave M*A*S*H. With ample time to prepare a "Goodbye, Henry" show, it was decided that Henry Blake would be discharged and sent home for the Season 3 finale, which aired on Tuesday, March 18, 1975. In the final scene of his last episode ("Abyssinia, Henry"), Radar tearfully reports that Henry's plane has been shot down over the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
, and no survivors were found among the wreckage.
Trapper John McIntyre
Wayne RogersWayne Rogers
William Wayne McMillan Rogers III is an American film and television actor, best known for playing the role of 'Trapper John' McIntyre in the U.S...
(Trapper John McIntyre) was planning to return for Season 4 but abruptly withdrew over a disagreement about his contract. Rogers had a dislike for his supporting role to Alda, and had been threatening to leave since season one. His departure was unexpected and unlike that of McLean Stevenson
McLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
, there was no onscreen farewell. Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda's character, Hawkeye Pierce.
Rogers's replacement Mike Farrell
Mike Farrell
Michael Joseph "Mike" Farrell is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series M*A*S*H . He is an activist for politically liberal causes....
was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. In the season's first episode, "Welcome to Korea
Welcome to Korea
"Welcome to Korea" was the 73rd episode of the M*A*S*H television series, and first episode of the fourth season of the series. First aired on September 12, 1975, the series' first 60 minute episode was most notable for its off-screen departure of the character of Captain Trapper John McIntyre ,...
", Hawkeye is informed by Radar that Trapper has been discharged, off screen, while Hawkeye was on leave, while B.J. Hunnicutt came in as Trapper's replacement. Trapper was described by Radar as being so jubilant over his release that "he got drunk for two days, took off all his clothes, and ran naked through the mess tent with no clothes on," and left with a message: a kiss on the cheek for Hawkeye. Actor Pernell Roberts
Pernell Roberts
Pernell Elvin Roberts, Jr. was an American stage, movie and television actor, as well as a singer. In addition to guest starring in over 60 television series, he was widely known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam Cartwright, on the western series Bonanza, a role he played from...
later played a middle-aged Trapper in the seven-year run of Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
.
Sherman T. Potter
In the second episode of the fourth season, "Change of Command", Col. Sherman T. Potter is assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns, who had taken over as commander after Blake's departure (Season 3, episode 24). Harry Morgan, who played Potter, had previously guest-starred in season 3 as a crazy general.The Colonel is a regular Army man, having served in both World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, first in the cavalry and later as a doctor. He is passionate about horses, and keeps an old saddle in his office, which is later put to use when he acquires a horse. It is interesting to note that this horse, which remained with Col. Potter until the end of the series, was referred to as a colt (Potter remarks, "He can't be more than four years old") in its first appearance, after which it is named "Sophie" and referred to as a mare. In his spare time, Potter also enjoys painting. The paintings seen in Potter's office were actually painted by Harry Morgan, the actor who portrayed Col. Potter.
Margaret Houlihan
Margaret Houlihan's role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier toward Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling-out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, Lt. Col. Donald Penobscot, but the union did not last for long. The "Hot Lips" nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, Loretta SwitLoretta Swit
Loretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
wanted to leave the series in the eighth season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988...
), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie that served as that series' pilot.
Frank Burns
Larry LinvilleLarry Linville
Lawrence Lavon "Larry" Linville was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of obnoxious, pious, self-important and inept surgeon Major Frank Burns in the television series M*A*S*H.-M*A*S*H:...
noted that his "Frank Burns" character was easier to dump on after head comedy writer Larry Gelbart departed after Season 4 and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season 5, Linville realized he had taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he had signed a five-year contract and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season 6, "Fade Out, Fade In", Frank Burns (off camera) suffers a nervous breakdown due to Margaret's marriage and is held for psychiatric evaluation. Hawkeye would offer a toast to Frank's departure, pausing only a moment, then stating "goodbye, Ferret Face." In an unexpected twist, Burns is transferred to an Indiana Veterans Administration hospital, near his home, and is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel — in a sense, Frank's parting shot at Hawkeye. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying, "I felt I had done everything possible with the character." Linville was not alone when he left; Executive Producer Gene Reynolds left after the production of Season 5, and Burt Metcalfe and star Alan Alda took over the producing responsibilities. During Season 6, Alda and Metcalfe even consulted Reynolds once a week, mainly to obtain help with their jobs as Executive Producers. These two men would remain as Executive Producers for the remaining five seasons.
Charles Emerson Winchester III
Charles Emerson Winchester III (David Ogden StiersDavid Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers is an American actor, director, vocal actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney movies, as well as his performances in the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy...
) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious, although he was a more able foil. Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage
Cribbage
Cribbage, or crib, is a card game traditionally for two players, but commonly played with three, four or more, that involves playing and grouping cards in combinations which gain points...
debt owed to him by his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent, technically superior surgeon, although his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid "meatball surgery" was called for.
Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
blue blood
Boston Brahmin
Boston Brahmins are wealthy Yankee families characterized by a highly discreet and inconspicuous life style. Based in and around Boston, they form an integral part of the historic core of the East Coast establishment...
, he was also snobbish, as when he stated in surgery "I do one thing at a time, I do it very well, and then I move on," which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show's writers would occasionally allow Winchester's humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand; the protection of a stuttering
Stuttering
Stuttering , also known as stammering , is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds...
soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that Winchester's sister stutters); his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye's father went into surgery back in the States; his willingness to be officer of the day for Hawkeye when Hawkeye was offered three days in Seoul; or his continuing a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be among the most moving in the series, as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that "it is sadly inappropriate to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal." Isolating himself, he is saved by Klinger's own gift of understanding. Klinger scrapes together a Christmas dinner for Charles, with the provison that the source of the gift remain anonymous (Klinger had overheard Winchester's argument with the manager of the orphanage). For the final moment of the episode, the two are simply friends as Charles says, "Thank you, Max," and Klinger replies, "Merry Christmas, Charles."
Radar O'Reilly
Gary Burghoff (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least Season 4. With each successive year, he appeared in fewer episodes; and by Season 7, Radar is barely in half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of the seventh season (in 1979), but was convinced by producers Alda and Metcalfe to wait until the beginning of Season 8, when he filmed a two-part farewell episode, "Good-Bye, Radar", as well as a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it. The series' final nod to Radar came in the penultimate episode of the series, "As Time Goes By", when his iconic teddy bear was included in a time capsuleTime capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
of the 4077th's instigated by Margaret, which Hawkeye says is a symbol of those who "came as boys and went home as men."
Max Klinger
Max Klinger also grew away from the cross-dressing reputation that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as company clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffonChiffon (fabric)
Chiffon, , from the French word for a cloth or rag, is a lightweight, balanced plain-woven sheer fabric woven of alternate S- and Z-twist crepe yarns. The twist in the crepe yarns puckers the fabric slightly in both directions after weaving, giving it some stretch and a slightly rough...
dress, and tried to develop the character more fully. In the role of company clerk, Klinger's personality turned more to the "wheeler-dealer" aspects of his personality developed in the streets of Toledo, using those skills to aid the 4077th. Farr stayed throughout the rest of the series. Klinger was later promoted from corporal to sergeant (he and Father Mulcahy were the only two characters to be promoted on screen in the entire series, Frank Burns received his promotion off-screen after having left the series). In the final episode, he is, ironically, the only character who announces that he is staying in Korea. He wants to help his wife, Soon Lee, find her parents (he and Soon Lee marry at the end of the episode). When Klinger announces he is staying in Korea, Hawkeye says, "You don't have to act crazy now. We're all getting out!" However, in the short-lived spin-off, AfterMASH
AfterMASH
AfterMASH was an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from September 26, 1983 to December 11, 1984. A spin-off of the series M*A*S*H , the show took place immediately following the end of the Korean War and chronicled the adventures of three characters from the original series: Colonel...
, it becomes clear that soon after the end of the war, Klinger returned to the United States.
Change in tone
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from being primarily a comedy to becoming far more drama-focused. Changes behind the scenes were the cause, rather than the oft-cited cast defections of McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, Wayne Rogers and Gary Burghoff. Executive Producer Gene ReynoldsGene Reynolds
Gene Reynolds is a former American actor turned award-winning television writer, director, and producer.-Early life:He was born Eugene Reynolds Blumenthal on April 4, 1923 to Frank Eugene Blumenthal and Maude Evelyn Blumenthal in Cleveland, Ohio, he was raised in Detroit, Michigan, where his...
left at the end of the fifth season in 1977. This, coupled with head writer Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
's departure the previous season, stripped the show of its comedic foundation. Likewise, with the departure of Larry Linville
Larry Linville
Lawrence Lavon "Larry" Linville was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of obnoxious, pious, self-important and inept surgeon Major Frank Burns in the television series M*A*S*H.-M*A*S*H:...
after five seasons, the series lost its "straight man" (comic foil). As such, the comedic years were the show's first five seasons (1972–1977).
Beginning with the sixth season (1977–1978), Alan Alda
Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
and new Executive Producer Burt Metcalfe
Burt Metcalfe
Burt Metcalfe is a Canadian American television and film producer, director, and writer.-Biography:...
became the "voice" of M*A*S*H, and continued in those roles for the remaining six seasons (though Alda and Gene Reynolds became Executive Consultants). By the eighth season in 1979, the writing staff had been completely overhauled, and M*A*S*H displayed a different feel—consciously moving between comedy and drama, unlike the seamless integration of years gone by. In addition, the episodes became more political. At the same time, many episodes from the later era were praised for their experimentation with the half-hour sitcom format, including "Point of View" (an episode shown from the point of view of a wounded soldier), "Dreams" (which show the lyrical and eventually disturbing dreams of the 4077 personnel), "A War For All Seasons" (which takes place over the course of 1951), and "Life Time" (which takes place in real time).
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
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
, various sporting events, and the stardom of Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
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. The producers received phone calls from actual Korean War doctors, telling them experiences they had and wanted to include those into upcoming episodes. According to Burt Metcalfe, they had to refuse some (if not all) storylines from the doctors, saying they had used them up in previous episodes. Harry Morgan, who played Col. Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by Season 9 (1980–1981), and the cast had agreed to make Season 10 their last. CBS decided otherwise, saying that their hit show was not going to go away so easily. Ultimately, CBS persuaded the cast and crew to produce half a regular season of episodes for the final year (making an official run of eleven seasons) and end the series with a big finale, which ultimately became one of the most watched episodes in television history.
Spinoffs and specials
M*A*S*H had two official spinoffSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
shows: the short-lived AfterMASH
AfterMASH
AfterMASH was an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from September 26, 1983 to December 11, 1984. A spin-off of the series M*A*S*H , the show took place immediately following the end of the Korean War and chronicled the adventures of three characters from the original series: Colonel...
, which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, W*A*L*T*E*R, in which Walter "Radar" O’Reilly joins a police force back in the US. For legal reasons, the more successful Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
is considered a spinoff of the original theatrical film, rather than the series. If one watches carefully in the pilot, a photograph of Hawkeye and Trapper John from the television series can be seen.
A documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
special titled Making M*A*S*H, narrated by Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore is an American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show , in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as...
and taking viewers behind the production of the Season 8 episodes "Old Soldiers" and "Lend a Hand", was produced for PBS in 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch.
Two retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th and 30th anniversaries. Memories of M*A*S*H, hosted by Shelley Long
Shelley Long
Shelley Lee Long is an American actress best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers, for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress...
and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, was aired by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on November 25, 1991. A 30th Anniversary Reunion special, in which the surviving cast members and producers gathered to reminisce, aired on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on May 17, 2002. The two-hour broadcast was hosted by Mike Farrell
Mike Farrell
Michael Joseph "Mike" Farrell is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series M*A*S*H . He is an activist for politically liberal causes....
, who also got to interact with the actor he replaced, Wayne Rogers
Wayne Rogers
William Wayne McMillan Rogers III is an American film and television actor, best known for playing the role of 'Trapper John' McIntyre in the U.S...
; previously filmed interviews with McLean Stevenson
McLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
and Larry Linville
Larry Linville
Lawrence Lavon "Larry" Linville was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of obnoxious, pious, self-important and inept surgeon Major Frank Burns in the television series M*A*S*H.-M*A*S*H:...
, both of whom had died by that time, were featured as well. The two specials 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 the A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
cable channel's Biography
Biography (TV series)
Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987...
program that detailed the history of the show.
In the late 1980s, the cast had a partial reunion in a series of commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
personal computers. All of the front-billed regulars (with the two exceptions of Mike Farrell
Mike Farrell
Michael Joseph "Mike" Farrell is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series M*A*S*H . He is an activist for politically liberal causes....
and McLean Stevenson
McLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
) appeared in the spots over time.
Around 1990, Gary Burghoff appeared in some locally aired BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
television advertisements in the United States. In them he is playing no particular character, but shows much of Radar's quiet temperament. He announces that certain local filling stations, such as Sohio, are now or will soon become BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
filling stations.
In the mid-2000s, Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey...
, Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr is an American television, film, and theater actor. He is best known for having played the role of cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the television sitcom M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
, and Gary Burghoff reunited for a public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
promoting information about diabetes (a disease which all three actors have in its Type 1 form). It took place on the company clerk's office set and featured Klinger eating large amounts of chocolate pudding in an attempt to get diabetes in order to be discharged. The commercial is outside of continuity, as it had Klinger wearing his Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
jersey, which he did primarily after Radar left the series.
Set location
34.096347°N 118.744918°WThe 4077th actually consisted of two separate sets. An outdoor set in the mountains near Malibu, California (Calabasas, Los Angeles County, California) was used for most exterior and tent scenes for every season. This is the same set used to shoot the movie. The indoor set, on a sound stage at Fox Studios in Century City, 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 chopper pad required using the ranch).
Just as the series was wrapping production, a major brush fire destroyed most of the outdoor set on October 9, 1982. The fire was written into the final episode as a forest fire caused by enemy incendiary bombs.
The Malibu location is today known as Malibu Creek State Park
Malibu Creek State Park
Malibu Creek State Park is a California state park in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu, in Calabasas. It opened to the public in 1976.-Location:Malibu Creek State Park stretches from below Malibu Lake in the west to Piuma Road in the east...
. 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 and an ambulance used in the show. Through the 1990s, the area was occasionally used for television commercial production; for example, a Miller Beer ad with a "Mexican" setting was filmed there.
On February 23, 2008, series stars Mike Farrell
Mike Farrell
Michael Joseph "Mike" Farrell is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series M*A*S*H . He is an activist for politically liberal causes....
, Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit
Loretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
and William Christopher
William Christopher
William Christopher is an American actor who is best known for playing Father Mulcahy on the television series M*A*S*H and Private Lester Hummel on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.-Early life:...
(along with producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe and prolific M*A*S*H director Charles S. Dubin) reunited at the set to celebrate its partial restoration. The rebuilt iconic 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 (film)
How Green Was My Valley is a 1941 drama film directed by John Ford. The film, based on the 1939 Richard Llewellyn novel, was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and written by Philip Dunne. The film stars Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Anna Lee, Donald Crisp, and Roddy McDowall...
(1941) and the Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (TV series)
Planet of the Apes was a short-lived American science fiction television series that aired on Friday evenings at 8:00 PM Eastern/7:00 PM Central on CBS in 1974. The series starred Roddy McDowall, Ron Harper, and James Naughton, Mark Lenard and Booth Colman...
television series (1974) were filmed, among other productions.
When M*A*S*H was filming its last episode, the producers were contacted by the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, which asked to be given a part of the set. The producers quickly agreed and sent the tent, signposts, and contents of the "swamp", which was home to Hawkeye, BJ, Trapper, Charles, and Frank during the course of the show. The Smithsonian has the "swamp" on display to this day. Originally found on the Ranch, Radar's teddy bear, once housed at the Smithsonian, was sold at auction on July 29, 2005 for $11,800.
Content
M*A*S*H was the first American network series to use the phrase "son of a bitch" (in the 8th-season episode "Guerilla My Dreams"), and there was brief partial nudity in the series (notably Gary Burghoff's buttocks in "The Sniper" and Hawkeye in one of the "Dear Dad" episodes). A different innovation was the show's producers' not wanting a laugh trackLaugh track
A laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
, as the network did. They compromised with a "chuckle track", played only occasionally. (DVD releases of the series allow viewers a no-laugh-track option.)
In his blog, writer Ken Levine revealed that on one occasion, when the cast offered too many nitpicking "notes" on a script, he and his writing partner 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 100 degrees. Levine says, "This happened maybe twice, and we never got a ticky-tack note again."
Jackie Cooper wrote that Alan Alda, whom Cooper directed in M*A*S*H, is concealing a lot of hostility beneath the surface, and that the two of them barely spoke to each other by the time Cooper’s directing of M*A*S*H ended.
Character information
Throughout the run of the series, any "generic" nurses (those who had a line or two but were minor supporting characters otherwise) were generally given the names "Nurse Able", "Nurse Baker", or "Nurse Charlie". These names stem from the enunciated alphabet used by the military and ham radio operators at the time. During the Korean War, the letters A, B, and C in the phonetic alphabet were Able, Baker, and Charlie (since then, the standard has been updated; A and B are now Alpha and Bravo). In later seasons, it became more common for a real character name to be created, especially as several of the nurse actresses became semi-regulars. For example, Kellye Nakahara played both "Able" and "Charlie" characters in Season 3 before becoming the semi-regular "Nurse Kellye"; on the other hand, Judy Farrell (then Mrs. Mike Farrell) played Nurse Able in eight episodes, including the series finale.By the time the series ended, three of the regulars had been promoted. Klinger (Jamie Farr) went from Corporal to Sergeant, and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) went from Lieutenant to Captain. Frank Burns (Larry Linville) was promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel when he was shipped back to the U.S. following Margaret's marriage. (Farr and Christopher also saw their names move from the closing credits of the show to the opening credits.) Radar O'Reilly was fraudulently "promoted" for a short time (through a machination of Hawkeye and B.J.) to Second Lieutenant, but discovered he disliked officer's duties and asked them to "bust" him back to Corporal.
It was Mike Farrell who asked that his character's daughter's name be Erin, after his real-life daughter (the character's name was originally going to be Melissa). When B.J. spoke on the telephone on-camera, Erin or his then-wife Judy were on the other end.
Colonel Sherman Potter converts
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
during the series. When he first arrives at the 4077 he asks Father Mulcahy if he does a "Methodist" service and are there other Methodists on the camp, as he hates to sing alone. In a later episode, when he is having trouble with Klinger's efforts as company clerk, Father Mulcahy relates the story of when Radar first arrive at the camp. Potter replies "you wouldn't lie to an old Presbyterian would you?"
Character injuries
Three MASH 4077 staff members suffered fatalities on the show: Lieutenant Colonel Blake, when his plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan; an ambulance driver, O'Donnell, in a traffic accident; and a nurse, Millie Carpenter, by a land mine. Though actually an imaginary person made up by Hawkeye Pierce to provide money for Sister Teresa's orphanage, "Capt. Tuttle" was killed when he jumped from a helicopter without a parachute. Hawkeye provided him with a very ironic eulogy.Among those wounded were Hawkeye Pierce ("Hawkeye"; "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"; "Comrades in Arms [Part I]"; "Good-Bye, Radar [Part I]"; and "Lend a Hand"), Radar O'Reilly ("Fallen Idol"), B.J. Hunnicutt ("The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan" and "Operation Friendship"), Max Klinger ("It Happened One Night"; "Baby, It's Cold Outside"; and "Operation Friendship"), Father Mulcahy ("Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"), and Sherman Potter ("Dear Ma"). Henry Blake was injured four times: once by a disgruntled chopper pilot ("Cowboy"); once by friendly fire ("The Army-Navy Game"); and in season 3, episode 15 ("Bombed"), Henry is injured when the latrine he is in is blown up. (The gag of Blake's being caught in a exploding latrine is also in the episode "Cowboy".) Henry is also injured when the latrine catches fire. Frank Burns is twice awarded Purple Hearts for spurious injuries: throwing his back out after he gave Margaret a dip and could not move - which was later covered for with a story that he slipped on the way to the showers ("Sometimes You Hear the Bullet", 1.17), and getting an egg-shell fragment in the eye ("The Kids", 4.8). Burns' Purple Heart medals were then given to more deserving people: a GI who was admitted with appendicitis, and a Korean newborn infant who was hit by a bullet in utero.
At least two personnel suffered emotional breakdowns: Hawkeye Pierce ("Goodbye, Farewell and Amen") and Frank Burns ("Fade Out, Fade In [Part 1]" and "Fade Out, Fade In [Part 2]").
Vehicles
The helicopters used on the series were model H-13 SiouxH-13 Sioux
The H-13 Sioux was a two-bladed, single engine, light helicopter built by Bell Helicopter. Westland Aircraft manufactured the Sioux under license for the British military as the Sioux AH.1 and HT.2.-Development:...
(military designation and nickname of the Bell 47
Bell 47
The Bell 47 is a two-bladed, single engine, light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. Based on the third Model 30 prototype, Bell's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter certified for civilian use on 8 March 1946...
civilian model). As in the film, some care seems to have been taken to use the correct model of the long-lived Bell 47 series. In the opening credits and many of the episodes, Korean War vintage H-13Ds and Es (Bell 47D-1s) were used complete with period-correct external litters
Litter (rescue basket)
A litter is a stretcher or basket designed to be used where there are obstacles to movement or other hazards: for example, in confined spaces, on slopes, in wooded terrain. Typically it is shaped to accommodate an adult in a face up position and it is used in search and rescue operations. The...
. However, a later (1954–73) 47G would occasionally make an appearance. The helicopters are remarkably similar in appearance (with the later "G" models having larger two-piece fuel tanks, a slightly revised cabin as well as other changes) with differences noticeable only to a serious helicopter fan. In the pilot episode, a later Bell 47J (production began in 1957) was shown flying Henry Blake to Seoul, en-route to a meeting with General Hammond in Tokyo. A Sud Aviation Allouette II helicopter was also shown transporting Henry Blake to the 4077th in the episode Henry, Please Come Home.
The Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
s used were 1953 military M38 or civil CJ2A Willys
Willys
Willys was the brand name used by Willys-Overland Motors, an American automobile company best known for its design and production of military Jeeps and civilian versions during the 20th century.-Early History:In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company...
Jeeps and also World War II Ford GPWs and Willys Mbs. Two of the ambulances were WC-54 Dodges and one was a WC-27
Dodge WC series
The Dodge WC series was a range of light military trucks produced by Dodge during World War II. The series included weapon carriers, telephone installation trucks, ambulances, reconnaissance vehicles, mobile workshops and command cars. They were replaced after the war by the Dodge M-series...
. A WC-54 ambulance remains at the site and was burned in the Malibu fires on October 9, 1982. while a second WC-27 survives at an El Monte, CA museum without any markings. The bus used to transport the wounded was an early-1950s Ford model. In the last season an M43 ambulance from the Korean War era also was used in conjunction with the WC-54s and WC-27.
Broadcast History
| Season | Time Slot |
|---|---|
| 1 (1972–1973) | Sunday at 8:00 pm |
| 2 (1973–1974) | Saturday at 8:30 pm |
| 3 (1974–1975) | Tuesday at 8:30 pm |
| 4 (1975–1976) | Friday at 8:00 pm (September 12, 1975) Friday at 8:30 pm (September 19 - November 28, 1975) Tuesday at 9:00 pm (December 2 - February 24, 1976) |
| 5 (1976–1977) | Tuesday at 9:00 pm |
| 6 (1977–1978) | Tuesday at 9:00 pm (September 20, 1977 - January 24, 1978) Monday at 9:00 pm (January 30 - March 27, 1978) |
| 7 (1978–1979) | Monday at 9:00 pm (September 18, 1978 - January 29, 1978; February - March 12, 1979) Monday at 8:30 pm (February 5, 1979) |
| 8 (1979–1980) | Monday at 9:00 pm |
| 9 (1980–1981) | |
| 10 (1981–1982) | |
| 11 (1982–1983) | Monday at 9:00 pm (October 25, 1982 - January 24, 1983; February 14 - 21, 1983) Monday at 8:00 pm (February 7, 1983) Monday at 8:30 pm (February 28, 1983) |
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 dayrooms of the US Army in Korea so that military personnel could watch that episode; this in spite of 14 hours' time zone difference with the east coast of the US. The episode aired on February 28, 1983, and was 2½ hours long. The episode got a Nielsen rating of 60.2 and 77 share, translating into nearly 125 million Americans watching that night, which established it as the most watched broadcast in United States television history. Some sources say that the 2010 Super Bowl broke the record in absolute viewers (but not share or ratings). However, according to a New York Times article from 1983, the final episode of M*A*S*H had an astonishing 125 million viewersWhen the M*A*S*H finale aired in 1983, there were 83.3 million television homes, compared to almost 115 million in February 2010.
According to articles from the Associated Press from March, 1983, "CBS parlayed the final episode of MASH - which got the highest rating and attracted the largest audience ever for a single TV program - into a big ratings victory for the week..."
The record "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" did break was 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, at the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported that the plumbing systems had broken down in some parts of the city. Said to be the largest use of water ever around the city because so many New Yorkers waited until the episode ended to go to the toilet. Articles copied into Arlene Alda's "The Last Days of MASH" include interviews with New York City Sanitation workers citing the definite spike in water usage on that night.
Unusual episodes
The series had several unusual episodes, which differed in tone, structure, and style from the rest of the series and were significant departures from the typical sitcom or dramedy plot. Some of these episodes include:- The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if he is writing a letter. Hawkeye writes home to his father (first with a narration done by him at the start of the pilot episode and then as follows: "Dear Dad", "Dear Dad... Again", "Dear Dad... Three", and he tape-records a message in "A Full Rich Day"); Potter writes home to his wife ("Dear Mildred"); BJ writes home to his wife ("Dear Peggy"); Radar composes a weekly report to headquarters ("Radar's Report"), writes home to his mother ("Dear Ma"), and tries his hand at creative writing ("The Most Unforgettable Characters"); Sidney writes to Sigmund FreudSigmund FreudSigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
("Dear Sigmund"); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ("The Winchester Tapes"); Winchester's houseboy—a North Korean spy—writes to his superiors ("Dear Comrade"); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, a nun ("Dear Sis"); Klinger writes home to his uncle ("Dear Uncle Abdul"); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ("Letters"). As part of an educational program, the script was published in a local newspaper. Drama classes in local schools were encouraged to use the script in their classes. - The "mail call episodes": "Mail Call", "Mail Call Again", and "Mail Call Three". In these episodes, the members of the 4077th receive letters and packages from home.
- "Showtime" (originally aired March 25, 1973), which shows various incidents at the 4077th interspersed with performances from a visiting USO troupe.
- "O.R." (originally aired October 8, 1974), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
- "Bulletin Board" (originally aired January 14, 1975), an episode showing various camp activities as seen on notices found on the camp bulletin board. These include a sex lecture by Henry, a letter written by Trapper, a Shirley Temple movie, and a picnic.
- "The Bus" (originally aired October 17, 1975), in which Hawkeye, BJ, Potter, Frank, and Radar find themselves lost and stranded behind enemy lines on their way back from a medical convention. (It is one of only three episodes in the series in which the entire story takes place outside the 4077th camp, and is also one of only three episodes that does not include a scene of the surgeons operating in the 4077th O.R. or another operating room.)
- "Hawkeye" (originally aired January 13, 1976), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after suffering a head injury in a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute monologueMonologueIn theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
in an attempt to remain conscious. (Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.) - "Deluge" (originally aired February 17, 1976), "The M*A*S*H Olympics" (originally aired November 22, 1977), and "Give 'em Hell, Hawkeye" (originally aired November 16, 1981) all intersperse vintage MovietoneMovietone NewsMovietone News is a newsreel that ran from 1928 to 1963 in the United States, and from 1929 to 1979 in the United Kingdom.-History:It is known in the U.S. as Fox Movietone News, produced cinema, sound newsreels from 1928 to 1963 in the U.S., from 1929 to 1979 in the UK , and from 1929 to 1975 in...
newsreelNewsreelA newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
footage with activities at the 4077th. - "The Interview" (originally aired February 24, 1976), which is a sort of mockumentaryMockumentaryA mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
about the 4077th. It is shot in black-and-white and presented as a 1950s television broadcast, with the cast partially improvising their responses to interviewer Clete RobertsClete RobertsClete Roberts was a pioneer in Los Angeles local broadcast journalism. The urbane, mustachioed newscaster was a fixture on Southern California television screens for over thirty years.-KNXT Channel 2:...
's questions. Roberts returned for "Our Finest Hour" (originally aired October 9, 1978), which interspersed new black-and-white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes. - "Point of View" (originally aired November 20, 1978), which is shot from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
- "A Night at Rosie's" (originally aired February 26, 1979), which takes place entirely at Rosie's Bar just outside of camp.
- "Life Time" (originally aired November 26, 1979), which takes place in real time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 20 minutes (a clock in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen counts down the time).
- "Dreams" (originally aired February 18, 1980), in which the dreams of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was conceived by James Jay Rubinfier and cowritten with Alan Alda. The episode received two prestigious writing honors: The Humanitas Prize (1980) and a Writers' Guild of America nomination for episodic television writing in the dramatic category, which was a first, as M*A*S*H received WGA nominations in both comedy and drama categories that same year.
- "A War for All Seasons" (originally aired December 29, 1980), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
- "Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead" (originally aired January 4, 1982), in which a dead soldier's ghost (Kario SalemKario SalemKario Salem is an American television, film, and stage actor and screenwriter.-Career:In 1997, Salem earned an Emmy Award as a writer for the television special Don King: Only in America, which also earned him a PEN nomination. The film also won the Broadcast Film Critics Award and Peabody Award...
) wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him. - "Where There's a Will, There's a War" (originally aired February 22, 1982), which features a series of flashbacks as Hawkeye recalls his friends' most endearing qualities while writing his last will and testament during heavy fighting at a frontline aid station.
Influences on pop culture
In music, Welsh rock band Manic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
released a cover version of "Suicide Is Painless
Suicide Is Painless
"Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman , which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H" ". Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14...
" as a charity single to help The Spastics Society (now Scope) in 1992. It was their first UK top-ten hit. Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
also released a cover version that was featured on the Blair Witch Project 2
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is the 2000 American horror film and the sequel to the film The Blair Witch Project, directed by Joe Berlinger...
soundtrack album.
Author Paulette Bourgeois
Paulette Bourgeois
Paulette Bourgeois, CM is best known for creating Franklin the Turtle, the character who appears in picture books illustrated by Toronto native Brenda Clark. The books have sold more than 60 million copies around the world and have been translated into 38 languages...
credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series Franklin. Glen Charles
Glen Charles
Glen Gerald Charles was born on February 18, 1943 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He attended the University of Redlands, California and earned a B.A. in English. Charles began his professional life as an advertising copywriter, but moved into television. He began his television career with his brother, Les...
and Les Charles
Les Charles
Les Charles was born in Henderson, Nevada. He attended the University of Redlands, California and earned a B.A. in English. Charles began his professional career as a high school English teacher, but moved into television....
, the creators of Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, started their careers in television by writing "The Late Captain Pierce".
There have been numerous references to M*A*S*H in other series, including several episodes of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, the Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
"War is the H-Word
War is the H-Word
"War Is the H-Word" is episode seventeen in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on November 26, 2000. The episode parodies several war films and shows, including Starship Troopers, Patton and M*A*S*H.-Plot:...
", The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Half-Decent Proposal
Half-Decent Proposal
"Half-Decent Proposal" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 10, 2002...
", and the Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
episode "My Super Ego". On Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, in homage to Radar O'Reilly and his teddy bear, Big Bird
Big Bird
Big Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....
's teddy bear's name is Radar. Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr is an American television, film, and theater actor. He is best known for having played the role of cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the television sitcom M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
appeared as himself on a 1995 episode of Women of the House
Women of the House
Women of the House is an American situation comedy television series. It is a spin-off of Designing Women and stars Delta Burke, who had reconciled with producers after a bitter, highly publicized, off-screen battle.- Premise :...
titled "Guess Who's Sleeping in Lincoln's Bed?" (the series was written and created by former M*A*S*H writer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason is an American writer and television producer....
), and he ultimately got into drag. He also appeared in an episode of That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
as himself, in which he directly mentions his work on M*A*S*H.
The 1975-1976 children's series Uncle Croc's Block
Uncle Croc's Block
Uncle Croc's Block was a short-lived, hour-long live-action/animated series on ABC, produced by Filmation Associates.-History:A spoof of kid shows, Charles Nelson Reilly played the titular Uncle Croc, who hated his job as the show's host. Also featured were Alfie Wise as his sidekick Mr...
included a recurring animated segment called "M-U-S-H", about a group of police dogs stationed at an Arctic Circle outpost. The segment's premise, title (an acronym for Mangy Unwanted Shabby Heroes), and characters (Bullseye, Trooper Yoe, Cold Lips, Major Hank Sideburns, Colonel Flake, Sonar) all parodied M*A*S*H.
After McLean Stevenson left the show, being 'McLean'd' became a reference to a character that is killed off after its actor departs a given series.
Joey Lawrence
Joey Lawrence
Joseph "Joey" Lawrence is an American actor, R&B-singer, and TV-host. He is known for his roles in the TV-series Gimme a Break!, Blossom, and Melissa & Joey.- Early life :...
's character on Melissa & Joey
Melissa & Joey
Melissa & Joey is an ABC Family original television series starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. It first aired on ABC Family on August 17, 2010...
, Joey Longo, was born in a U.S. Army hospital in Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city is located just north of Seoul with many U.S. and Korean military bases for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established its headquarters in the city with main troops deployed in Dongducheon...
.
Season ratings
| Season | Ep # | Season Premiere | Season Finale | Ranking | Viewers (Households in millions) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 24 | September 17, 1972 | March 25, 1973 | #46 | Less than 12,000,000 | Less than 20 |
| Season 2 | 24 | September 15, 1973 | March 2, 1974 | #4 | 17.02 | 25.7 |
| Season 3 | 24 | September 10, 1974 | March 18, 1975 | #5 | 18.76 | 27.4 |
| Season 4 | 24 | September 12, 1975 | February 24, 1976 | #15 | 15.93 | 22.9 |
| Season 5 | 24 | September 21, 1976 | March 15, 1977 | #4 | 18.44 | 25.9 |
| Season 6 | 24 | September 20, 1977 | March 27, 1978 | #9 | 16.91 | 23.2 |
| Season 7 | 25 | September 18, 1978 | March 12, 1979 | #7 | 18.92 | 25.4 |
| Season 8 | 25 | September 17, 1979 | March 24, 1980 | #5 | 19.30 | 25.3 |
| Season 9 | 20 | November 17, 1980 | May 4, 1981 | #4 | 20.53 | 25.7 |
| Season 10 | 21 | October 26, 1981 | April 12, 1982 | #9 | 18.17 | 22.3 |
| Season 11 | 16 | October 25, 1982 | February 28, 1983 | #3 | 18.82 | 22.6 |
As a Top 20 series, M*A*S*H has an average rating of 24.6.
Awards
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s during its eleven-year run:
- 1974 — Outstanding Comedy Series – M*A*S*H; Larry GelbartLarry GelbartLarry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
, Gene ReynoldsGene ReynoldsGene Reynolds is a former American actor turned award-winning television writer, director, and producer.-Early life:He was born Eugene Reynolds Blumenthal on April 4, 1923 to Frank Eugene Blumenthal and Maude Evelyn Blumenthal in Cleveland, Ohio, he was raised in Detroit, Michigan, where his...
(Producers) - 1974 — Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda
- 1974 — Best Directing in Comedy – Jackie CooperJackie CooperJackie Cooper was an American actor, television director, producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to make the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination...
- 1974 — Actor of the Year, Series – Alan Alda
- 1975 — Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Gene Reynolds
- 1976 — Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming – Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
- 1976 — Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Gene Reynolds
- 1977 — Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda
- 1977 — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Gary Burghoff
- 1979 — Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series – Alan Alda
- 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 was also honored with a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
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."
DVD releases
20th Century Fox20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
has released all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H on DVD in Region 1 and Region 2
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | |||
| M*A*S*H Season 1 | 24 | January 8, 2002 | May 19, 2003 | |
| M*A*S*H Season 2 | 24 | July 23, 2002 | October 13, 2003 | |
| M*A*S*H Season 3 | 24 | February 18, 2003 | March 15, 2004 | |
| M*A*S*H Seasons 1–3 | 72 | N/A | October 31, 2005 | |
| M*A*S*H Season 4 | 24 | July 15, 2003 | June 14, 2004 | |
| M*A*S*H Seasons 1–4 | 96 | December 2, 2003 | N/A | |
| M*A*S*H Season 5 | 24 | December 9, 2003 | January 17, 2005 | |
| M*A*S*H Season 6 | 24 | June 8, 2004 | March 28, 2005 | |
| M*A*S*H Season 7 | 25 | December 7, 2004 | May 30, 2005 | |
| M*A*S*H Season 8 | 25 | May 24, 2005 | August 15, 2005 | |
| M*A*S*H Season 9 | 20 | December 6, 2005 | January 9, 2006 | |
| M*A*S*H Seasons 1–9 | 214 | December 6, 2005 | N/A | |
| M*A*S*H Season 10 | 21 | May 23, 2006 | April 17, 2006 | |
| M*A*S*H Season 11 | 16 | November 7, 2006 | May 29, 2006 | |
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series including the Original Movie) |
251 | November 7, 2006 | October 30, 2006 | |
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition | 1 | May 15, 2007 | N/A | |
See also
- Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
- Priesthood (Catholic Church)#Fiction and Literature Portraying Priests