M*A*S*H (TV series)

M*A*S*H was an American medical drama/black comedy produced by 20th Century Fox for CBS. M*A*S*H was created by Larry Gelbart, inspired by the 1961 novel Catch 22, the 1970 film MASH, and the 1968 Richard Hooker novel of the same name. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea during the Korean War. M*A*S*H's title sequence featured an instrumental version of the song "Suicide Is Painless" which also appeared in the original film.

The series premiered on September 17, 1972 and ended February 28, 1983, with the finale becoming the most-watched television episode to this day. The show is still broadcast in syndication on various networks. The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three year war. Many of the stories in the early seasons were based on real-life tales told by real M*A*S*H surgeons, interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an allegory for the Vietnam War (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War, though the show's producers have said it was about war in general. The series had three spin-offs, the short-lived AfterMASH which featured several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war; the more successful Trapper John, M.D., which a court later ruled was actually a spin-off of the original film; and an unpurchased television pilot, W*A*L*T*E*R, in which Walter "Radar" O'Reilly joins a police force.

Synopsis

M*A*S*H was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as "black comedy" due to 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 asterisks in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the Korean War (1950-1953). The 4077 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 show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to "kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape"). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many outstanding, inventive episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "regular Army" characters either in the cast or guest-starring.

A letter to TV Guide written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's crossdressing. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that a habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)

Cast

For a complete list of characters see Category:M*A*S*H characters.

M*A*S*H maintained a relatively constant ensemble cast, with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous guest stars and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

Character	Actor/Actress	Rank	Role
Hawkeye Pierce	Alan Alda	Captain	Chief surgeon
Father Mulcahy	William Christopher	Lieutenant, later Captain	Chaplain
Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan	Loretta Swit	Major	Head nurse
Maxwell Klinger	Jamie Farr	Corporal, later Sergeant	Medic, Company clerk
Trapper John McIntyre	Wayne Rogers	Captain	Surgeon
Henry Blake	McLean Stevenson	Lieutenant Colonel	Surgeon, Commanding officer
Major Frank Burns	Larry Linville	Major, later Lieutenant Colonel	Surgeon
Radar O'Reilly	Gary Burghoff	Corporal	Company clerk
B.J. Hunnicutt	Mike Farrell	Captain	Surgeon
Colonel Potter	Harry Morgan	Colonel	Surgeon, Commanding officer
Charles Emerson Winchester III	David Ogden Stiers	Major	Surgeon

Guest Stars

Changes

McLean Stevenson was growing unhappy playing third scalpel to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers by the start of the third season. Midway through, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a 'Goodbye Henry' show, it was decided that Henry Blake would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale. In the final scene of his last episode, "Abyssinia, Henry," Radar tearfully reports that Henry's plane had been shot down over the Sea of Japan and he was killed. None of the cast (with the exception of Alda, who wrote the scene) knew about that development until a few minutes before Burghoff was told to go in and have Radar report that Blake had died. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind "M*A*S*H" pledged that no other characters would leave the show in tragic fashion. In a strange twist of fate, Stevenson died on February 15, 1996; the following day, Roger Bowen, who portrayed Henry Blake in the motion picture, passed away. Both actors died of a heart attack.

Wayne Rogers (Trapper John McIntyre) was planning on returning for Season Four, but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a "morals clause" on his contract renewal, but refused to do so. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to McLean Stevenson, who decided to leave midway through Season Three. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda's character. Mike Farrell (Rogers's replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus, which explains why there was no 'Goodbye Trapper' episode.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for M*A*S*H. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper's departure, while B.J. Hunnicutt was drafted in as Trapper's replacement. In the season's second episode, Colonel Sherman T. Potter was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Blake. The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan's role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot ("I could never love anyone who didn't outrank me"), but the union did not last for long. The "Hot Lips" nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the mid-way point in the series. In fact, Loretta Swit wanted to leave the series in the 8th 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 which served as that series' pilot.

Larry Linville noted that his 'Frank Burns' character was easier to 'dump on' after head comedy writer Larry Gelbart departed after Season Four. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he'd taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he'd signed a five-year contract originally and his fifth year was coming to an end, that he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a breakdown due to Margaret's marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank's parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. 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." A longtime smoker, Linville died of cancer-related pneumonia in April, 2000.

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III (David Ogden Stiers) 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 CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though 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 "blueblood," he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show's writers would 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, or his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye's father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage.

"Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

"Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" was the final episode of M*A*S*H. The episode aired on February 28, 1983 and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million Americans (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the most watched episode in United States television history, a record which stands today.

Change in Tone

As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of "preaching" to its viewers. This has sometimes been connected with Alan Alda taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal "Radar" O'Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

Some fans prefer the more serious and dramatic tone of the later seasons over the more chaotic humor of the early years, though many fans still prefer those early years. While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of M*A*S*H are generally split into two eras: the Larry Gelbart/Gene Reynolds "comedy" years (1972-1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978-1983).

DVD releases

DVD Name	Region 1	Region 2
MAS*H Season 1	January 8 2002	May 19 2003
MAS*H Season 2	July 23 2002	October 13 2003
MAS*H Season 3	February 18 2003	March 15 2004
MAS*H Seasons 1 - 3	N/A	October 31 2005
MAS*H Season 4	July 15 2003	June 14 2004
MAS*H Seasons 1 - 4	December 2 2003	N/A
MAS*H Season 5	December 9 2003	January 17 2005
MAS*H Season 6	June 8 2004	March 28 2005
MAS*H Season 7	December 7 2004	May 30 2005
MAS*H Season 8	May 24 2005	August 15 2005
MAS*H Season 9	December 6 2005	January 9 2006
MAS*H Seasons 1 - 9	December 6 2005	N/A
MAS*H Season 10	May 23 2006	April 17 2006
MAS*H Season 11	November, 2006	May 29 2006
MAS*H Complete Series	November, 2006	N/A

Trivia

Author Paulette Bourgeois credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 720) in which character Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce 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" (episode 404) and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
George Morgan played Father Mulcahy in the pilot
Alan Alda is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show.
The series was on air longer than the war it depicted.

Continuity Errors and Anachronisms

Unique and Unusual Episodes

The series had several unique 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:

"Hawkeye" (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute monologue in an attempt to remain conscious. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
"Point of View" (11/20/78), in which a single camera represents the point of view of a patient who arrives by chopper, is operated on and spends the episode in post-op.
The letter episodes, which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad (Dear Dad 1, 2, and 3; Radar writes to his mother "Dear Ma (12/23/75); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ("Dear Sigmund" Potter writes to his wife ("Dear Mildred" ^*);" target="_blank" >Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ("Dear Sis" ^*);" target="_blank" >and Winchester's houseboy {and NKP spy} writes to his own army unit ("Dear Comrade" [11/27/78).
"The Interview" (2/24/76), which is a sort of mockumentary about the 4077th. Shot in black and white, the cast partially improvised their responses to the interviewer's questions.
"Life Time" (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
"Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead" (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.
"Dreams" (2/18/80), 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 a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.

References

Episode 203 credits CNN.com article about Alan Alda and his favorite episodes

External links

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