MAS*H (TV series) - Revision history

imported>Mikeycdiamond: Reverted 1 edit by Epicnedd (talk) to last revision by Trivialist

2025-12-29T20:38:04Z

Reverted 1 edit by Epicnedd (talk) to last revision by Trivialist

← Previous revision		Revision as of 20:38, 29 December 2025
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	The show is an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a [[United States Army]] ''[[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]]'' (MASH) in the Korean War (1950–53). The "4077th MASH" was one of several surgical units in Korea. The [[asterisk]]s in the name are not part of military nomenclature and were creatively introduced in the novel and used in only the posters for the movie version, not the actual movie.		The show is an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a [[United States Army]] ''[[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]]'' (MASH) in the Korean War (1950–53). The "4077th MASH" was one of several surgical units in Korea. The [[asterisk]]s in the name are not part of military nomenclature and were creatively introduced in the novel and used in only the posters for the movie version, not the actual movie.

	Early seasons aired on network prime time while the [[Vietnam War]] had not ended; the show was forced to walk the fine line of ~~commenting~~ on that war while at the same time not seeming to protest against it. The show's discourse, under the cover of comedy, often questioned, mocked, and grappled with America's role in the Cold War.		Early seasons aired on network prime time while the [[Vietnam War]] had not ended; the show was forced to walk the fine line of reflecting on that war while at the same time not seeming to protest against it. The show's discourse, under the cover of comedy, often questioned, mocked, and grappled with America's role in the Cold War.

	Episodes were both plot- and character-driven, with several narrated by one of the show's characters as the contents of a letter home. The show's tone could move from silly to sobering from one episode to the next, with dramatic tension often occurring between the unwilling civilian draftees of 4077th – Captains [[Captain Pierce\|Pierce]], McIntyre, and Hunnicutt and the "regular Army" characters, such as Major Houlihan and Colonel Potter, who were commissioned as regulars. Other characters, such as Lieutenant Colonel Blake, Major Winchester, and Corporal/Sergeant Klinger, help demonstrate various American civilian attitudes toward Army life, while guest characters played by actors such as [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)\|Tim O'Connor]] also help further the show's discussion of America's place as Cold War participant and peace maker.		Episodes were both plot- and character-driven, with several narrated by one of the show's characters as the contents of a letter home. The show's tone could move from silly to sobering from one episode to the next, with dramatic tension often occurring between the unwilling civilian draftees of 4077th – Captains [[Captain Pierce\|Pierce]], McIntyre, and Hunnicutt and the "regular Army" characters, such as Major Houlihan and Colonel Potter, who were commissioned as regulars. Other characters, such as Lieutenant Colonel Blake, Major Winchester, and Corporal/Sergeant Klinger, help demonstrate various American civilian attitudes toward Army life, while guest characters played by actors such as [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)\|Tim O'Connor]] also help further the show's discussion of America's place as Cold War participant and peace maker.
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	{{Authority control}}		{{Authority control}}

	[[Category:MASH\|TV series]]		[[Category:MAS*H (TV series)\| ]]
	[[Category:1970s American comedy-drama television series]]		[[Category:1970s American comedy-drama television series]]
	[[Category:1970s American medical drama television series]]		[[Category:1970s American medical drama television series]]
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	[[Category:American English-language television shows]]		[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
	[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners]]		[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners]]
	[[Category:CBS comedy-dramas]]		[[Category:CBS comedy dramas]]
	[[Category:CBS sitcoms]]		[[Category:CBS sitcoms]]
	[[Category:CBS medical dramas]]		[[Category:CBS medical dramas]]
	[[Category:Cross-dressing in television]]		[[Category:Cross-dressing in television]]
	[[Category:Korean War ~~television series~~]]		[[Category:Television series about the Korean War]]
	[[Category:Live action television shows based on films]]		[[Category:Live action television shows based on films]]
	[[Category:Military comedy television series]]		[[Category:Military comedy television series]]

imported>JPMayotte4321: /* External links */

2025-11-16T03:01:28Z

External links

← Previous revision		Revision as of 03:01, 16 November 2025
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	\| image = MAS*H TV title screen.jpg		\| image = MAS*H TV title screen.jpg
	\| camera = [[Multi-camera setup\|Multi-camera]]		\| camera = [[Multi-camera setup\|Multi-camera]]
	\| runtime = 24–26 minutes; except "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]" (2 ~~1/2~~ hours)		\| runtime = 24–26 minutes; except "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]" (2.5 hours)
	\| developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]		\| developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
	\| based_on = {{plainlist\|		\| based_on = {{plainlist\|
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	}}		}}
	\| related = {{Plainlist\|		\| related = {{Plainlist\|
	* ''[[~~MASH~~ (film)\|MAS*H]]'' (1970 film)		* ''[[MASH (film)\|MASH]]'' (1970 film)
	* ''[[AfterMASH]]''		* ''[[AfterMASH]]''
	* ''[[WALTE*R]]''		* ''[[WALTE*R]]''
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	The show is an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a [[United States Army]] ''[[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]]'' (MASH) in the Korean War (1950–53). The "4077th MASH" was one of several surgical units in Korea. The [[asterisk]]s in the name are not part of military nomenclature and were creatively introduced in the novel and used in only the posters for the movie version, not the actual movie.		The show is an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a [[United States Army]] ''[[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]]'' (MASH) in the Korean War (1950–53). The "4077th MASH" was one of several surgical units in Korea. The [[asterisk]]s in the name are not part of military nomenclature and were creatively introduced in the novel and used in only the posters for the movie version, not the actual movie.

	Early seasons aired on network prime time while the [[Vietnam War]] ~~was still ongoing~~; the show was forced to walk the fine line of commenting on that war while at the same time not seeming to protest against it. The show's discourse, under the cover of comedy, often questioned, mocked, and grappled with America's role in the Cold War.		Early seasons aired on network prime time while the [[Vietnam War]] had not ended; the show was forced to walk the fine line of commenting on that war while at the same time not seeming to protest against it. The show's discourse, under the cover of comedy, often questioned, mocked, and grappled with America's role in the Cold War.

	Episodes were both plot- and character-driven, with several narrated by one of the show's characters as the contents of a letter home. The show's tone could move from silly to sobering from one episode to the next, with dramatic tension often occurring between the unwilling civilian draftees of 4077th – [[Captain Pierce\|~~Captains~~ Pierce]], ~~MacIntyre~~, and Hunnicutt~~, for example –~~ and the "regular Army" characters, such as Major Houlihan and Colonel Potter, who ~~enlisted voluntarily~~. Other characters, such as Lieutenant Colonel Blake, Major Winchester, and Corporal/Sergeant Klinger, help demonstrate various American civilian attitudes toward Army life, while guest characters played by actors such as [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)\|Tim O'Connor]] also help further the show's discussion of America's place as Cold War participant and peace maker.		Episodes were both plot- and character-driven, with several narrated by one of the show's characters as the contents of a letter home. The show's tone could move from silly to sobering from one episode to the next, with dramatic tension often occurring between the unwilling civilian draftees of 4077th – Captains [[Captain Pierce\|Pierce]], McIntyre, and Hunnicutt and the "regular Army" characters, such as Major Houlihan and Colonel Potter, who were commissioned as regulars. Other characters, such as Lieutenant Colonel Blake, Major Winchester, and Corporal/Sergeant Klinger, help demonstrate various American civilian attitudes toward Army life, while guest characters played by actors such as [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)\|Tim O'Connor]] also help further the show's discussion of America's place as Cold War participant and peace maker.

			Reviewing the series in 1980 for the [[BBC]], [[Ludovic Kennedy]] observed "...its humour derives mainly from the layman's delight in finding that members of the medical profession (traditionally totem figures) can in their social lives be just as venal and silly as the rest of us."<ref> ''[[Did You See...?]]'', originally broadcast on [[BBC Two]], 8 November, 1980.</ref>

	==Characters==		==Characters==
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	{{see also\|List of MAS*H cast members}}		{{see also\|List of MAS*H cast members}}
	<gallery class="center" widths="250px" heights="250px">		<gallery class="center" widths="250px" heights="250px">
	File:MASH TV cast 1974.JPG\|Cast just prior to production of Season 2, 1974 (clockwise from left): [[Loretta Swit]], [[Larry Linville]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Gary Burghoff]], [[McLean Stevenson]], and [[Alan Alda]]		File:MASH TV cast 1974.JPG\|Cast just prior to production of Season 3, 1974 (clockwise from left): [[Loretta Swit]], [[Larry Linville]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Gary Burghoff]], [[McLean Stevenson]], and [[Alan Alda]]
	File:MASH Cast 1977.JPG\|The cast from Season 6, 1977 (clockwise from left): [[William Christopher]], Gary Burghoff, [[David Ogden Stiers]], [[Jamie Farr]], [[Mike Farrell]], Alan Alda, [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]].		File:MASH Cast 1977.JPG\|The cast from Season 6, 1977 (clockwise from left): [[William Christopher]], [[Gary Burghoff]], [[David Ogden Stiers]], [[Jamie Farr]], [[Mike Farrell]], Alan Alda, [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]].
	File:MAS*H TV cast1.jpg\|The cast from season 8 onward (clockwise from left): Mike Farrell, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, David Ogden Stiers, Loretta Swit, Alan Alda, and Harry Morgan		File:MAS*H TV cast1.jpg\|The cast from season 8 onward (clockwise from left): Mike Farrell, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, David Ogden Stiers, Loretta Swit, Alan Alda, and Harry Morgan
	</gallery>		</gallery>
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	\| 70		\| 70
	\|-		\|-
	\| [[List of MAS*H characters#Frank Burns\|Frank Burns]]<br />(seasons 1–5)		\| [[List of MAS*H characters#Frank Burns\|Frank Marion Burns]]<br />(seasons 1–5)
	\| [[Larry Linville]]		\| [[Larry Linville]]
	\| Major,<br />later [[Lieutenant Colonel]]		\| Major,<br />later [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
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	[[Category:CBS comedy-dramas]]		[[Category:CBS comedy-dramas]]
	[[Category:CBS sitcoms]]		[[Category:CBS sitcoms]]
			[[Category:CBS medical dramas]]
	[[Category:Cross-dressing in television]]		[[Category:Cross-dressing in television]]
	[[Category:Korean War television series]]		[[Category:Korean War television series]]

imported>TheVeganFromNorfolk: Reverted 1 edit by 2601:805:C100:FB00:69F7:88D:5A1E:8833 (talk) to last revision by 2001:8003:B039:A401:F545:161F:95C9:2714

2025-06-27T23:10:59Z

Reverted 1 edit by 2601:805:C100:FB00:69F7:88D:5A1E:8833 (talk) to last revision by 2001:8003:B039:A401:F545:161F:95C9:2714

← Previous revision		Revision as of 23:10, 27 June 2025
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	\| [[List of MAS*H characters#Frank Burns\|Frank Burns]]<br />(seasons 1–5)		\| [[List of MAS*H characters#Frank Burns\|Frank Burns]]<br />(seasons 1–5)
	\| [[Larry Linville]]		\| [[Larry Linville]]
	\| Major,<br />later [[Lieutenant Colonel]], [[Executive Officer]], Interim [[Commanding Officer]]		\| Major,<br />later [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
			\| [[Executive Officer]], Interim [[Commanding Officer]]
	\| 118		\| 118
	\|-		\|-

imported>Dimadick: /* External links */

2025-06-15T14:45:55Z

External links

← Previous revision		Revision as of 14:45, 15 June 2025
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	\| [[List of MAS*H characters#Frank Burns\|Frank Burns]]<br />(seasons 1–5)		\| [[List of MAS*H characters#Frank Burns\|Frank Burns]]<br />(seasons 1–5)
	\| [[Larry Linville]]		\| [[Larry Linville]]
	\| Major,<br />later [[Lieutenant Colonel]]		\| Major,<br />later [[Lieutenant Colonel]], [[Executive Officer]], Interim [[Commanding Officer]]
	~~\| Surgeon~~
	\| 118		\| 118
	\|-		\|-
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	\| [[David Ogden Stiers]]		\| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
	\| Major		\| Major
	\| Surgeon		\| Surgeon, Executive Officer
	\| 133		\| 133
	\|}		\|}
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	===Ratings and recognition===		===Ratings and recognition===
	The series premiered in the US on September 17, 1972, and ended on February 28, 1983, with the finale, showcased as a television film, titled "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]", becoming the [[List of most watched television broadcasts\|most-watched and highest-rated single television episode]] in US television history at the time, with a record-breaking 125 million viewers (60.2 rating and 77 share),<ref>{{cite book\|last=Hyatt\|first=Wesley\|title=Television's Top 100\|year=2012\|publisher=McFarland\|location=US\|isbn=978-0-7864-4891-3\|page=171\|url=https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/televisions-top-100/\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326163815/http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4891-3\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=March 26, 2011}}</ref> according to the ''[[New York Times]].''<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news\| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/03/arts/finale-of-m-a-s-h-draws-record-number-of-viewers.html \| work=[[The New York Times]] \| title=Finale Of MASH Draws Record Number Of Viewers \| date=March 3, 1983}}</ref> It had struggled in its first season and was at risk of being canceled.<ref name="tvcom">{{cite web \|url=http://www.tv.com/mash/show/119/summary.html \|title=MASH \|publisher=Tv.com \|access-date=May 17, 2011 \|archive-date=May 18, 2011 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518163930/http://www.tv.com/mash/show/119/summary.html \|url-status=dead}}</ref> In season two, ''MAS*H'' was placed in a better time slot by CBS (airing after the popular ''[[All in the Family]]'', taking the place of ''[[Bridget Loves Bernie]]'', which had been canceled after one season despite good ratings due to religious groups protesting against the show's premise of an inter-faith marriage between the title characters); the show then became one of the top 10 programs of the year and stayed in the top 20 programs for the rest of its run.<ref name="tvcom"/> It is still broadcast in [[Broadcast syndication\|syndication]] on various television stations. The series, which depicted events occurring during a three-year war, spanned 256 episodes and lasted 11 seasons. The Korean War lasted 1,128 days, meaning each episode of the series would have averaged almost four and a half days of real time. Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Like the movie, the series was as much an [[allegory]] about the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the show began) as it was about the [[Korean War]].<ref>Schochet, Stephen. "[http://www.hollywoodstories.com/c25.htm The Ironies of MASH] {{webarchive \|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070414120834/http://www.hollywoodstories.com/c25.htm \|date=April 14, 2007}}." ''hollywoodstories.com,'' 2007. The show's producers have said that it was about war and bureaucracy in general.</ref>		The series premiered in the United States on September 17, 1972, and ended on February 28, 1983, with the finale, showcased as a television film, titled "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]", becoming the [[List of most watched television broadcasts\|most-watched and highest-rated single television episode]] in US television history at the time, with a record-breaking 125 million viewers (60.2 rating and 77 share),<ref>{{cite book\|last=Hyatt\|first=Wesley\|title=Television's Top 100\|year=2012\|publisher=McFarland\|location=US\|isbn=978-0-7864-4891-3\|page=171\|url=https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/televisions-top-100/\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326163815/http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4891-3\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=March 26, 2011}}</ref> according to the ''[[New York Times]].''<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news\| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/03/arts/finale-of-m-a-s-h-draws-record-number-of-viewers.html \| work=[[The New York Times]] \| title=Finale Of MASH Draws Record Number Of Viewers \| date=March 3, 1983}}</ref> It had struggled in its first season and was at risk of being canceled.<ref name="tvcom">{{cite web \|url=http://www.tv.com/mash/show/119/summary.html \|title=MASH \|publisher=Tv.com \|access-date=May 17, 2011 \|archive-date=May 18, 2011 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518163930/http://www.tv.com/mash/show/119/summary.html \|url-status=dead}}</ref> In season two, ''MAS*H'' was placed in a better time slot by CBS (airing after the popular ''[[All in the Family]]'', taking the place of ''[[Bridget Loves Bernie]]'', which had been canceled after one season despite good ratings due to religious groups protesting against the show's premise of an inter-faith marriage between the title characters); the show then became one of the top 10 programs of the year and stayed in the top 20 programs for the rest of its run.<ref name="tvcom"/> It is still broadcast in [[Broadcast syndication\|syndication]] on various television stations. The series, which depicted events occurring during a three-year war, spanned 256 episodes and lasted 11 seasons. The Korean War lasted 1,128 days, meaning each episode of the series would have averaged almost four and a half days of real time. Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Like the movie, the series was as much an [[allegory]] about the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the show began) as it was about the [[Korean War]].<ref>Schochet, Stephen. "[http://www.hollywoodstories.com/c25.htm The Ironies of MASH] {{webarchive \|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070414120834/http://www.hollywoodstories.com/c25.htm \|date=April 14, 2007}}." ''hollywoodstories.com,'' 2007. The show's producers have said that it was about war and bureaucracy in general.</ref>

	The episodes "[[Abyssinia, Henry]]" and "[[The Interview (MASH)\|The Interview]]" were ranked number 20 and number 80, respectively, on [[TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite magazine \|title=Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time \|magazine=[[TV Guide]] \|issue=June 28 – July 4, 1997}}<!--\|access-date=October 4, 2011--></ref> In 2002, ''MASH'' was ranked number 25 on [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]].<ref name="TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows"/> In February 2008, the series was named the number-one smartest TV show of all time by Jim Werdell, chairman of [[Mensa International]], who said that it "had smart repartee and was so much more than a comedy".<ref name="Fox News"/> In 2013, the [[Writers Guild of America]] ranked it as the fifth-best written TV series ever<ref name="101 Best Written TV Series List"/> and ''[[TV Guide]]'' ranked it as the eighth-greatest show of all time.<ref name="auto"/> In 2016, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked it as the 16th-greatest TV show.<ref name="100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time"/> In 2023, ''[[Variety (magazine)\|Variety]]'' ranked ''MAS*H'' #24 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.<ref name="Variety"/>		The episodes "[[Abyssinia, Henry]]" and "[[The Interview (MASH)\|The Interview]]" were ranked number 20 and number 80, respectively, on [[TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite magazine \|title=Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time \|magazine=[[TV Guide]] \|issue=June 28 – July 4, 1997}}<!--\|access-date=October 4, 2011--></ref> In 2002, ''MASH'' was ranked number 25 on [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]].<ref name="TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows"/> In February 2008, the series was named the number-one smartest TV show of all time by Jim Werdell, chairman of [[Mensa International]], who said that it "had smart repartee and was so much more than a comedy".<ref name="Fox News"/> In 2013, the [[Writers Guild of America]] ranked it as the fifth-best written TV series ever<ref name="101 Best Written TV Series List"/> and ''[[TV Guide]]'' ranked it as the eighth-greatest show of all time.<ref name="auto"/> In 2016, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked it as the 16th-greatest TV show.<ref name="100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time"/> In 2023, ''[[Variety (magazine)\|Variety]]'' ranked ''MAS*H'' #24 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.<ref name="Variety"/>
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	[[Category:1980s American multi-camera sitcoms]]		[[Category:1980s American multi-camera sitcoms]]
	[[Category:1983 American television series endings]]		[[Category:1983 American television series endings]]
	[[Category:American black comedy television ~~shows~~]]		[[Category:1970s American black comedy television series]]
			[[Category:1980s American black comedy television series]]
	[[Category:American English-language television shows]]		[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
	[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners]]		[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners]]

imported>Chimatronx at 15:18, 31 May 2025

2025-05-31T15:18:43Z