M*A*S*H (1972–1983)

The staff of an army hospital in the Korean war find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation.

Stars:

Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr

Won 8 Golden Globes. Another 52 wins & 152 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Alan Alda	...	Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce (251 episodes, 1972-1983)
Loretta Swit	...	Major Margaret Houlihan (238 episodes, 1972-1983)
Jamie Farr	...	Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger (212 episodes, 1972-1983)
William Christopher	...	Father Francis Mulcahy (210 episodes, 1972-1983)
Harry Morgan	...	Colonel Sherman T. Potter (179 episodes, 1974-1983)
Mike Farrell	...	Captain B.J. Hunnicut (178 episodes, 1975-1983)
Gary Burghoff	...	Corporal Walter Eugene O'Reilly (155 episodes, 1972-1979)
David Ogden Stiers	...	Major Charles Winchester (131 episodes, 1977-1983)
Larry Linville	...	Major Franklin Marion Burns (118 episodes, 1972-1977)

Storyline

The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable. Nevertheless, the war goes on,

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Plot Keywords:

nurse | doctor | colonel | korean war | korea | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

M.A.S.H.

Filming Locations:

Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min 25 min (255 episodes) 25 min (256 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording) Mono (1972-1973)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alan Alda had a running guest appearance on the TV show ER in which he plays Dr. Gabriel Lawrence, who reminisces about being a doctor in a war.

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Goofs

Hawkeye and BJ are dying to see the movie The Moon is Blue. The movie was released in the U.S. on July 8, 1953. The Korean War ended on July 27, 1953. The time frame appears to be a bit tight.

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Quotes

Klinger: Sir, I've had a lot of experience in these matters.
Charles: I do not need the wisdom of your experience. I am not selling watches from the trunk of a car.

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Crazy Credits

In the closing credits of the episode "Tuttle", "Captain Tuttle" is listed as playing "Himself".

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Connections

Referenced in Jerry Jackson: Linkin Prk Kem 2 My House (2005)

User Reviews

Outstanding television, mostly.

I've found many of the comments about this series to be quite amusing, particularly the ones bashing it for "shoving" a liberal agenda down viewers throats. Given it's success for 11 years, I don't think the audience seemed to agree with that assessment. Quite simply, the show was one of the best written, best acted, and most entertaining shows in television history. Yes, it wore out its welcome in the end; but, it is a masterpiece that later shows rarely measured up to.

I have no great preference for one season's cast over another. Each character was unique and had something to contribute. When we lost the bumbling, but loveable Henry Blake, we got the stern but loving Sherman Potter. Both were the C.O., but each was a different person, a smart move by the creators. The same is true for Frank Burns and Charles Emerson Winchester III. Burns was a neurotic, vindictive, childish fool; while Winchester was an arrogant blowhard, but one who could hold his own with Hawkeye. Burns was incompetent, while Winchester was an outstanding surgeon; just ask him. Characters were missed when they left; but, they were not replaced with doppelgangers. That is part of the reason this show lasted so long.

The show did take on a more serious tone in the later seasons, but not entirely. There are plenty of laughs right up to the end. Those serious shows were often some of the most memorable, and they kept the series from becoming stale. With that said, they did tend to resort to Hawkeye's mental problems a bit too much, especially in the farewell. You can argue that a character like Hawkeye, with his passion for preserving life, was ripe for mental breakdowns; but, in reality, he probably would have been shipped home by the second breakdown.

The show is not perfect (it lasted 8 years longer than the actual war) but it comes far closer than most. It seems to be fashionable to bash popular shows and movies after their days is over. Part of this is a new generation trying to establish their own identity and dominance. Well, I didn't like my parent's movies, shows and music when I was younger; until I actually watched them and listened to them. Some of it turned out to be quite good, some not. Real quality stands the test of time. MASH will be around far longer than most of what I see on tv today.