Like the novel and movie before it, M*A*S*H centred on the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital near Uijeongbu, South Korea during the Korean War. The primary focus of the show in its early days were surgeons Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda) and "Trapper" John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers). They shared their tent in "the Swamp" with Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville), an inept, but well-to-do surgeon who usually blamed others whenever he made a mistake. He also has a tendency to go by the book, although he often behaves as if the rules don't apply to him. The head nurse was Major Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Switt), who was regular Army and the daughter of a career Army officer. She is a firm believer in military discipline. Initially having an affair with Frank Burns, she would evolve into a more sympathetic character through the course of the series. The commanding officer of the 4077th was Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson). Henry was very down-to-earth and laid back, and never strict on military discipline, so much so he wasn't particularly effective as a commanding officer. Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) was the company clerk. He grew up on a farm near Ottumwa, Iowa and was somewhat naive. He loved comic books, slept with a teddy bear, loved Nehi grape soda, and had an extensive menagerie of animals. Father John Mulcahy (William Christopher) was the unit's chaplain. Although very religious, Father Mulcahy served somewhat as comedy relief early on the series, but became a more serious character as the show went along. While many of the characters were not religious, they still often turn to Father Mulcahy for advice.
The origins of the TV series M*A*S*H can be traced back to the novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker (the pen name of Dr. H. Richard Hornberger, who was an Army surgeon during the Korean War). Published in 1968, MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors was adapted as the 20th Century Fox movie M*A*S*H (1970). The movie proved to be a hit at the box office, ultimately making $81.6 million at the box office. It also received mostly positive notices from critics at the time, and it was nominated for five Oscars. It won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium for screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr.
Such success was not lost on William Self. President of 20th Century Fox Television. William Self turned to Gene Reynolds to bring M*A*S*H to the small screen. He had directed episodes of such shows as The Farmer's Daughter, My Three Sons, and Hogan's Heroes, and produced episodes of the TV series Room 222. Gene Reynolds brought Larry Gelbart onto the project as a writer and a producer. Larry Gelbart had a long career in comedy, having written for the TV shows The Colgate Comedy Hour, Four Star Revue, and Caesar's Hour, as well as having written the book for the Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum. He wrote the story for the movie The Thrill of It All (1963) and the screenplay for The Wrong Box (1966).
While Larry Gelbart left the series after its fourth season, he would have a lasting impact on it. Larry Gelbart insisted on realism in the scenes in the operating scenes. He fought for M*A*S*H to not have a laugh track, finally getting the network to agree that there would be no laugh track during operating room scenes. Larry Gelbart was also the reason the show, although set during the Korean War, would serve as a commentary upon the then ongoing Vietnam War in its early years.
The pilot (simply titled "Pilot") was written by Larry Gelbart. CBS then picked the series up and scheduled it on Sunday at 8:00 PM Eastern/7:00 PM Central. Ratings for the show then proved to be less than stellar, with it only coming in at no. 46 for the year. Fortunately, for its second season, M*A*S*H was moved to Saturday night at 8:30 PM Eastern/7:30 PM Central, following the hit All in the Family. Its ratings rose to no. 4 for the season.
While CBS and the producers would at times come to heads, one thing that both agreed upon was that M*A*S*H must be medically accurate. Larry Gelbart devoted a good deal of time researching Army medicine during the Korean War, interviewing doctors who had served in the Army during the Korean War. The show also attempted to recreate a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War as realistically as possible. In fact, the 4077th was largely modelled after the real-life 8055 during the Korean War. That having been said, some concessions were made for the medium of television. The actual 8055 had 10 doctors, 12 nurses, and 200 beds, with 248 individuals serving in the company. The 4077th on M*A*S*H was much more modest, with fewer doctors, fewer nurses, fewer beds, and a smaller operating room.
M*A*S*H would also depart from reality in other ways. With regards to the racial composition of the actual MASH units during the Korean War, African Americans made up 14 to 18 percent of the personnel. The nurses serving in the actual MASH units during the Korean War also tended to be much older than the nurses serving in the 4077th on M*A*S*H. Indeed, most of the nurses who served in the Korean War tended to be career Army.
Over time M*A*S*H would evolve. Characters would change over time from their movie counterparts. Characters would also be added, while others would leave. Captain Oliver "Spearchucker" Jones (Timothy Brown) was one of the show's few Black characters. He was a surgeon who had been a champion javelin thrower in college (hence his nickname, which could be considered racially insensitive). The character was eventually dropped during the first season. Corporal Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) was the first character to be introduced on the show who was in neither the novel nor the movie. Klinger first appeared in the show's fourth episode, "Chief Surgeon, Who?". Klinger was inspired by a story Larry Gelberat had heard about comedian Lenny Bruce trying to be released from the Navy during World War II by wearing a WAVES uniform. For that reason, Klinger wore dresses in an attempt to get a Section 8 (a discharge on grounds of mental illness). Jamie Farr was hired for only one day to play Corporal Klinger in "Chief Surgeon, Who?," but the character proved to be so popular that he became a recurring character. By the fourth season, he was promoted to being a regular character. "
Radar and Klinger would not be the only enlisted men who would appear multiple times on M*A*S*H. Private Igor Straminsky (Jeff Maxwell, although Peter Riegert played him in two episodes of the sixth season) first appeared in the second season episode "5 O' Clock Charlie." Igor most often served food in the mess hall, although he sometimes had other duties as well. Igor would continue to appear until the end of the series. Among the nurses, Lt. Kellye Yamato (Kellye Nkhaara) may have appeared the most. She first appeared in the second season episode "Divided, We Stand." She remained until the end of the show. Initially appearing only briefly in episodes, as time went by Kellye played a more important role.
Among the most popular recurring characters on M*A*S*H was psychiatrist Major Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus). He was not permanently assigned to the 4077th, but was called upon to treat any mental difficulties that arose. He first appeared in the second season episode "Radar's Report," although originally his first name was "Milton." He continued to appear in various episodes until the end of the series, including the series finale. One of the show's few recurring antagonists was Colonel Samuel Flagg (Edward Winter). Flagg was an American intelligence officer, although he was often unclear on whom he actually worked for (over time he claimed to work for the CIA, the CIC, and the CID) . Flagg also displayed a good deal of paranoia, and most of the 4077th thought he was insane, a diagnosis Sidney Freedman appeared to agree with. Edward Winter first appeared in the second season M*A*S*H episode "Deal Me Out," playing a character named Captain Halloran. There are those who believe that Halloran may have been Flagg using a different rank and name, given the characters are nearly identical. He first appeared as Colonel Flagg in the second season episode "A Smattering of Intelligence." He continued to appear until the seventh season.
M*A*S*H had a very large ensemble, and it is difficult to include all the recurring characters in one blog post. This is complicated by the fact that M*A*S*H underwent several changes in its lead cast through the years. Wayne Rogers, who played Trapper John, left after the show's third season. Originally, Trapper John was meant to be as important as Hawkeye, but as the series progressed and Hawkeye proved popular, less and less attention was being paid to Trapper John. In the novel, movie, and originally on the TV show, Trapper was the 4077th's thoracic surgeon. It was with in the first season episode "Dear Dad" that Hawkeye was also made a thoracic surgeon, thus making Trapper John a less special character. While Wayne Rogers enjoyed working on M*A*S*H and enjoyed working with its cast, he felt that Trapper was not getting his due and so he left the series. Trapper John was then written out of the show as having been discharged from the Army.
He was replaced by Captain B. J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell). B.J. came from a family of doctors and was happily married to his wife Peg and he had a daughter named Erin. He was more reserved than either Hawkeye or Trapper, and often acted as the voice of reason for Hawkeye. While he did not care for military discipline and was prone to practical jokes much as Hawkeye was, he also had a stronger moral compass, sometimes refusing to go along with Hawkeye's schemes on moral grounds.
McClean Stevenson as Henry Blake also left the show after its third season. He was uncomfortable in playing what had become a supporting role to Hawkeye and wanted the opportunity to have a starring role on a show, having played in ensembles for years. Lt. Col. Henry Blake was written out of the show as having received a discharge from the Army. His departure would prove to be a source of controversy. As many men did not make it home from the Korean War even after their discharge, in the episode "Abyssinia, Henry," in which Lt. Col. Blake was set to return home, Radar enters the operating room and reports the sad news that the plane carrying Henry was shot down over the Sea of Japan and that there were no survivors. The producers received over 1000 letters from viewers in reaction to the episode, which was decidedly mixed. Some accepted Henry's death as part of the realities of war. Others objected to his death, thinking it was not fitting for a television comedy. Not only were some viewers unhappy with Henry's death, but so too were CBS and 20th Century Fox. In fact, CBS went so far that when "Abyssinia, Henry" was rerun that summer, they simply cut the finale in which Radar reports Henry's death from the episode.
McClean Stevenson was replaced by Harry Morgan as Col. Sherman T. Potter. Col. Potter was a sharp contrast to Henry. He was a career Army doctor who had first entered the miliary as part of the cavalry in World War I. Col. Potter was stricter with regards to military discipline than Henry ever was, but at the same time he was very laid back, realizing how much pressure the surgeons and nurses were under. He was from Hannibal, Missouri, and had been married to his wife Mildred for years. Given their ages, Col. Potter and Mildred not only had children, but grandchildren. Col Potter loved horses and he was a big fan of Western novels. The staff of the 4077th had enormous respect for Col. Potter, and he is one of the few officers that Hawkeye and B.J. ever saluted.
Larry Linville would leave the show after its fifth season. He simply felt that he had taken the character of Major Burns as far as he could take him. Frank Burns would be written out of the show as having a mental breakdown in the wake of Major Houlihan's marriage to Lt. Col. Donald Penobscott. He was replaced by Major Charles Emerson Winchester III. Much as Col. Potter was a sharp contrast to Lt. Col. Blake, so too was Winchester a sharp contrast to Frank Burns. For one thing, not only Major Winchester a competent surgeon, but he was actually one of the best surgeons in Boston. He was the scion of a wealthy family who lived on Beacon Hill and could sometimes be a snob. Like Frank Burns, Winchester could be adversarial to both Hawkeye and B. J., but at the same time he often takes their side. Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester, although he might be loathe to admit, respects Hawkeye and B.J. and counts them as friends. Although raised in wealth, Winchester was capable of great acts of charity.
The last major cast change on M*A*S*H was the departure of Gary Burghoff. He left the show in its seventh season primarily to spend more time with his family. Unlike the other major characters on the show, Radar was written out of the show as having been given a hardship discharge following the death of his Uncle Ed. Unlike other characters, Radar was not replaced, but instead Kliinger simply took over being company clerk.
While M*A*S*H went though several cast changes in its run, it also changed in tone over the years. Upon its debut, M*A*S*H was essentially a situation comedy with some dramatic elements. Eventually M*A*S*H would evolve into what was later called a "dramedy," combing elements of both comedy and drama. Even in its earliest days, M*A*S*H could shift from a scene that was highly comedic to one that was very dramatic. As the series progressed, the show's episodes also became much more character driven than they had before.While in its early days M*A*SH more often than not focused on Hawkeye and Trapper, as the seasons progressed it became much more of an ensemble show.
In keeping with being a dramedy, M*A*S*H often pushed the envelope as to what could be done on a television series. A prime example of this is the aforementioned death of Henry Blake. Characters on situation comedies had been killed off before. After Jean Hagen left Make Room for Daddy following its third season, her character was written off the show as having died in between seasons. What set Henry Blake's death apart from earlier instances of character deaths on situation comedies is that the character of Henry actually appeared in the episode in which he was killed off. As noted above, the move would prove controversial.
M*A*S*H was also the first primetime, network show to feature nudity, although it was brief. In the second season episode "The Sniper," Radar briefly loses his towel while fleeing from the sniper of the title. M*A*S*H was also pioneering in its use of strong language.In the eighth season episode "Guerilla My Dreams," Hawkeye actually calls Lt. Park, a South Korean intelligence officer visiting the 4077th to take a wounded North Korean woman into custody, "a son of a bitch." For the year 1979 that was extremely strong language on American television (keep in mind it was only a few years earlier that the word "Hell" couldn't even be uttered).
M*A*S*H often toyed with television storytelling. The 4th season episode "Deluge" actually rotated scenes of the doctors in the 4077th at work with actual newsreel footage from the Korean War. Another 4th season episode, "The Interview," was shot entirely in black and white (except for the credits) and featured an American news correspondent interviewing the staff of the 4077th about their work and their experiences in Korea. The eighth season episode "Life Time" was told in real time, as they attempt to save a wounded soldier. Also in the eighth season, the episode "Dreams" portrayed the staff of the 4077th working with little sleep and the dreams they have when they do get a little time to nap. The 9th season episode "A War for All Seasons" unfolded through the course of a year. Finally, the eleventh season episode "Point of View" was told from the point of view of a wounded soldier.
Throughout its eleven years on the air, M*A*S*H received several Emmy nominations. Ultimately it won 14 Emmy Awards. Following its first season, it also received high ratings, ranking in the top ten shows every year except for its fourth season (when it came in at a still respectable no. 15 for the year). When it ended its run it was the 3rd highest rated show for the season.
As the seasons passed, it became harder and harder for the producers to find storylines that had not already been done on M*A*S*H before. Alan Alda and other producers then wanted to end the show with its tenth season, but CBS persuaded them to make a shorter 11th season with a two hour series finale. The final original episode, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," aired on February 28 1983. The episode drew a total of 121.6 million viewers. It remains both the most watched episode of an American television series and the most watched series finale to this day.
M*A*S*H would produce two spinoff series. The first to debut was the medical drama Trapper John, M.D., in 1979. On the series Pernell Roberts played Trapper, now working as the Chief of Surgery at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Although a spinoff of M*A*S*H, the producers of the original show actually had nothing to do with Trapper John, M.D. Instead, the show was a product of 20th Century Fox, who had produced the 1970 movie and the TV show M*A*S*H. Trapper John, M.D. would prove successful. It ran for seven seasons.
The second spinoff to M*A*S*H was also a direct sequel to the show. CBS was not ready to give up on the M*A*S*H franchise when the show ended its run. AfterMASH took place immediately following the Korean War. After returning home, Sherman T. Potter became the chief of staff at General Pershing Veteran's Hospital in Missouri. He was joined by Klinger, whom he hired as his administrative assistant. Father Mulcahy became General Pershing Veteran's Hospital's chaplain. A few characters from the original series would appear on AfterMASH. Colonel Flagg appeared in the episode "Trials," investigating Klinger as a suspect Communist sympathizer or an outright Communist. Radar appeared in two first season episodes. While Sidney Freedman never appeared on AfterMASH, in one episode Sherman T. Potter is writing a letter to him. AfterMASH received respectable ratings in its first season, ranking at no. 15 for the year. It also received largely negative reviews. The show was overhauled a bit for its second season, and the show was moved to Tuesday. Unfortunately, this placed it opposite NBC's megahit The A-Team. Its ratings dropped dramatically and it was ultimately cancelled.
Gary Burghoff's guest appearances on AfterMASH would lead to one last, proposed spinoff of M*A*S*H. In the proposed spinoff, W*A*L*T*E*R, Walter O'Reilly, no longer using his nickname "Radar," must leave the family farm in Iowa and take a job as a police officer in St. Louis, Missouri. CBS did not pick up the series, but aired the pilot only once, on July 17 1984.
M*A*S*H was a huge departure from previous service comedies that had aired on American television. Previous service comedies (such as The Phil Silvers Show) were often set during peacetime. Even when a service comedy was made during a time of war, it often avoided any mention of that war. A perfect example of this is Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., which never mentioned the Vietnam War. When a service comedy did have a wartime setting, such as McHale's Navy and Hogan's Heroes, it was usually set during in an earlier time period (in the case of those two sitcoms, World War II) and strenuously avoided the realities of war. M*A*S*H was set during the Korean War and never avoided the harsh realities of war. The scenes in the operating room could be graphic for the era. The doctors and nurses were often overworked. It was not unusual for characters to die, in one instance one of the lead characters. While M*A*S*H was often comedic in tone, it always took the subject of war very seriously. This was a sharp break from earlier service comedies.
M*A*S*H was also revolutionary in its blend of comedy and drama. It is quite possible that M*A*S*H was the first dramedy to air on American television. At the very least it was the first successful one. Arguably, the success of M*A*S*H opened the doors for such dramedies as Moonlighting, The Wonder Years, Northern Exposure, and others. It also revolutionized the way stories could be told on television. As noted above, many of its episodes broke with the usual, straightforward plotlines of American television, with an episode told from the point of view of a particular character and told in real time.
The fact that M*A*S*H differed a good deal from previous shows on American television may explain much of its success, but it also seems likely that much of its success was also because it was a character driven show. Between an excellent writing staff and a great cast, the episodes of the show explored the staff of the 4077th in a way that no previous sitcoms had explored their characters before. Indeed, M*A*S*H may be one of the very few shows from which the average person can actually name most of the characters.
Ever since M*A*S*H ended its original run on CBS it has persisted in syndication. It is also available on DVD and it is available on streaming. Arguably, it was not only one of the most successful shows of the Seventies, but also one of the most success TV shows of all time. It may well be safe to say that in 50 years viewers will still be watching M*A*S*H.
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