   #copyright

M*A*S*H (TV series)

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Television

                                    M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H title screen
The M*A*S*H title screen (1972 - 1978)
       Genre         Medical drama / Dramedy / Black comedy/
     Created by      H. Richard Hornberger
    Developed by     Larry Gelbart
      Starring       Alan Alda (1972-1983)
                     Loretta Swit (1972-1983)
                     Jamie Farr (1972-1983)
                     William Christopher (1972-1983)
                     Wayne Rogers (1972–1975)
                     McLean Stevenson (1972–1975)
                     Larry Linville (1972–1977)
                     Gary Burghoff (1972–1979)
                     Harry Morgan (1975–1983)
                     Mike Farrell (1975–1983)
                     David Ogden Stiers (1977-1983)
Theme music composer Johnny Mandel (written for the film)
   Opening theme     " Suicide Is Painless"
    Ending theme     "Suicide Is Painless"
 Country of origin   Flag of United States  United States
  No. of episodes    251 ( List of episodes)
                                  Production
      Location       Flag of United States Los Angeles County, California, USA (
                     Century City and the Malibu Creek area)
    Camera setup     Single camera
    Running time     24–25 minutes (per episode)
                                   Broadcast
  Original channel   CBS
    Original run     September 17, 1972 – February 28, 1983
                                     Links
                                 IMDb profile

   M*A*S*H is an American television series developed by Larry Gelbart and
   inspired by the 1961 novel Catch-22, the 1968 Richard Hooker novel
   M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors and its sequels,
   and—primarily—the 1970 film MASH. It is the most well-known version of
   the M*A*S*H works.

   The series was a medical drama/ black comedy produced by 20th Century
   Fox for CBS. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff
   stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu,
   Korea during the Korean War. M*A*S*H's title sequence featured an
   instrumental version of the song “ Suicide Is Painless,” which also
   appears 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 in U.S.
   television history. The show is still broadcast in syndication on
   various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning
   hours) and in 2007 began a run on TV Land with the "Major, Major
   M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven
   seasons covering a three-year war.

   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.
   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 has two spinoffs: 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. A
   court ruled that the more successful Trapper John, M.D., is actually a
   spinoff of the original film.

Episodes

    Season   Ep #   First Airdate      Last Airdate
   Season 1  24   September 17, 1972 March 25, 1973
   Season 2  24   September 15, 1973 March 2, 1974
   Season 3  24   September 10, 1974 March 18, 1975
   Season 4  24   September 12, 1975 February 24, 1976
   Season 5  24   September 21, 1976 March 15, 1977
   Season 6  24   September 20, 1977 March 27, 1978
   Season 7  25   September 18, 1978 March 12, 1979
   Season 8  25   September 17, 1979 March 24, 1980
   Season 9  20   November 17, 1980  May 4, 1981
   Season 10 21   October 26, 1981   April 12, 1982
   Season 11 16   October 25, 1982   February 28, 1983

Synopsis

   Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

   M*A*S*H was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as
   “ black comedy” or a " dramedy," due to the dramatic subject material
   often presented (although the term "dramedy" was not coined until after
   M*A*S*H had gone off the air). 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 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 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 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 among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter)
   or as guest stars (including Eldon Quick, Herb Voland, Mary Wickes, and
   Tim O'Connor).

   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 behaviour out of a desperate
   need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed
   out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a
   place; real women were too scarce.)

Cast

   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
   Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Alan Alda Captain Chief surgeon
   Temporary Commanding Officer
   Officer of the Day{once}
   Francis John Patrick Mulcahy George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by
   William Christopher Lieutenant,
   later Captain Chaplain
   Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (O'Houlihan in the film) Loretta Swit
   Major Head nurse,
   Temporary Commanding Officer
   Maxwell Q. Klinger Jamie Farr Corporal,
   later Sergeant Orderly,
   Company clerk
   Mailman
   Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
   John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre
   (Seasons 1-3) Wayne Rogers Captain Surgeon
   Henry Braymore Blake
   (Seasons 1-3) McLean Stevenson Lieutenant Colonel Surgeon,
   Commanding officer
   Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns
   (Seasons 1-5) Larry Linville Major,
   later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen) Surgeon,
   Temporary Commanding officer
   Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly
   (Seasons 1-8) Gary Burghoff Corporal (briefly Lieutenant) Company
   clerk/mailman/ bugler
   B.J. Hunnicutt
   (Seasons 4-11) Mike Farrell Captain Surgeon
   Sherman T. Potter
   (Seasons 4-11) Harry Morgan Colonel Surgeon,
   Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake)
   Company Clerk for 2 days
   Charles Emerson Winchester III
   (Seasons 6-11) David Ogden Stiers Major Surgeon
   Temporary Commanding Officer
   Company cook for 1 day

Guest stars

Recurring characters

   Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp,
   there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.
     * Dr. Sidney Freedman, a psychiatrist, played by Alan Arbus, appeared
       twelve times (once as Dr. Milton Freedman).

     * Col. (Sam) Flagg, a paranoid intelligence officer, played by Edward
       Winter, visited the unit six times.

     * Herb Voland appeared four times as Henry Blake's commander,
       Brigadier General Clayton.

     * G. Wood appeared three times as Brigadier General Hammond.

     * Robert F. Simon appeared three times as General Mitchell.

     * Eldon Quick appeared three times as two nearly identical
       characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were
       dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

     * Sgt. Jack Scully, played by Joshua Bryant, appeared in three
       episodes as a love interest of Margaret Houlihan.

     * Pat Morita appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the ROK.

     * Sorrell Booke appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

     * Robert Alda appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

     * Lt. Col. Donald Penobscot appeared twice (played by two different
       actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

Changes

   During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black
   character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by Timothy Brown, who
   appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character
   disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any
   black doctors in the Korean War. Another actor, George Morgan, played
   Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, McLean
   Stevenson was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda
   and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, 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, which aired on Tuesday March 18, 1975. 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. The scene was the last one shot of the entire
   episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only
   given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be
   shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and
   act shocked at the news a second time. 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 such a tragic
   fashion. Following his successful run on M*A*S*H, Stevenson had his own
   short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous
   others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight
   Show" host. He died on February 15, 1996 of a heart attack.

   Wayne Rogers ( Trapper John McIntyre) was planning to return for Season
   Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a
   “morals clause” on his contract renewal, but he refused to do so,
   demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been
   threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was
   unexpected, as compared to that of McLean Stevenson. 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’
   replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production
   hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a
   middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper
   John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom,
   "House Calls" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its
   costar, Lynn Redgrave, to breast-feed on the set.

   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 came in as
   Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel Sherman
   T. Potter was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing
   Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure).
   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, 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 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. As the show progressed into its last few seasons,
   episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often
   about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some
   fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show
   had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an
   even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

   Larry Linville noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to
   “dump on” after head comedy writer Larry Gelbart departed after Season
   Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. 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, he would leave the series. During the
   first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous
   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.”

   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, the protection of a stuttering soldier from the
   bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister
   stutters), 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. The
   episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the
   most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake),
   as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it
   is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating
   himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding.
   For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply
   friends.

   Gary Burghoff (aka Radar) had been growing restless in his role since
   at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer
   episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely
   half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7,
   but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of
   season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short
   scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

   Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker 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 chiffon dress, and tried to develop the
   character more fully.

"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 to this day. The episode was seen by so
   many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City
   Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water
   ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it"
   through the show.

   For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released
   on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later
   announced by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment that the "Goodbye,
   Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD on
   May 15th. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve
   around the episode.

Goofs

     * In episode 6.10, Images, Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he
       had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently
       already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7
       Check-Up.

     * In episode 6.1, Fade Out, Fade In, Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar
       how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen
       sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

     * Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on,
       such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from
       earlier episodes (from Vermont to Crabapple Cove, Maine).

     * When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary
       gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes
       the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

     * Some spouses and family members names change as the series
       progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from
       'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to
       'Lorraine' in later episodes. (Lorraine was Henry Blake's wife's
       name.)

     * Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4
       episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years,
       one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a
       five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren
       changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to
       the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to
       having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his
       home (from Ohio, to Nebraska, and finally to Hannibal, Missouri).

     * Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the
       series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have
       been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same
       characters say they have been there for two years as well. There
       were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only
       three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is
       repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, " The M*A*S*H
       Olympics", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent
       episodes retcon the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View,"
       an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier,
       there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated
       September, 1951).

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.

   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 were generally split into
   two eras: the Larry Gelbart/ Gene Reynolds "comedy" years (1972–1977),
   and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

Awards

   M*A*S*H won a total of 14 Emmys during its eleven-year run:
     * 1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene
       Reynolds (Producers)
     * 1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
     * 1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
     * 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 Continuing Performance by a 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

Popularity today

   Starting on January 1, 2007, TV Land aired M*A*S*H From 8 PM until 8 AM
   for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at
   the Futon Critic, the marathon of M*A*S*H episodes and specials that
   aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million
   total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and
   delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top
   ten basic cable channels among the adults 25-54 demographic for the
   week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in
   the press release:
     * Goodbye, Farewell and Amen - 1.3 million total viewers
     * Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) - 1.5 million total viewers
     * 30th Anniversary Reunion Special - 1.4 million total viewers.

   Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks
   approximate location of camp flagpole.
   Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks
   approximate location of camp flagpole.

   Now a part of Malibu Creek State Park, the outdoor set used for the
   movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later
   seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be
   distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites
   in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after
   an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor
   scenes were filmed on sound stages in Century City, Los Angeles,
   California.

DVD releases

   20th Century Fox has released all 11 Seasons of M*A*S*H on DVD in
   Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.
   DVD Name Ep # 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 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 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 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) November 7, 2006 October 30, 2006
   Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition May 15, 2007 TBA

Trivia

     * Robert Altman, director of MASH (film), said in the commentary for
       the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it
       was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated
       the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
     * 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"
       (episode 76) and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have
       it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
     * Alan Alda is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting,
       writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast
       member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
     * Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the Smithsonian.
     * 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 dogtags Farr wears on the show are really
       his.
     * The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to
       imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
     * All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in 20th Century
       Fox's Century Ranch, near Malibu, California, which was sold to the
       State of California in 1980, becoming Malibu Creek State Park. The
       state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting
       wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of
       the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which
       destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final
       episode Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, and was explained as a brush
       fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently
       overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old
       rusted Jeep, an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad.
       The exact location coordinates are 34°05′47.43″N, 118°44′39.39″W.
     * The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col.
       Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress Spring Byington, who
       co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom December Bride.
     * Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the Toledo
       Mud Hens, which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor
       league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and part of the West
       Division of the International Baseball League.
     * Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or
       Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random
       patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift
       patient in "Operation Noselift").
     * Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his
       childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself
       in the ending credits of Tuttle.
     * In Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comic series, an issue called "Facade"
       makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking
       of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show,
       'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
     * Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort
       of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of
       all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean
       Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
     * At least nine guest stars made appearances as different characters:
          + Tim O'Connor appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel
            Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters
            were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
          + Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different
            service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General
            Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
          + Harry Morgan played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col.
            Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General
            Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
          + Soon-Tek Oh appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs,
            once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker,
            and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North
            Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to
            play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were
            played by Japanese actors.)
          + Clyde Kusatsu appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender
            in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and
            once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
          + Robert Ito played a hood who works for the black market in "
            To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised
            as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean
            Surgeon".
          + Mako 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.
          + John Orchard starred as the Australian medic, Ugly John, in
            the first season, and later appeared in episode 8.13 as a
            disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
          + 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.
     * The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd
       series ('91).
     * During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from
       Corporal to Second Lieutenant in episode 5.5 Lt. Radar O'Reilly
       (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old
       rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from Lieutenant to Captain
       in episode 8.13 Captain's Outrageous; and Klinger from Corporal to
       Sergeant in episode 10.18 Promotion Commotion.
     * Also during the series, Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding
       ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6
       Springtime, Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25
       Margaret's Marriage and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the
       series finale.
     * Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 "die"--an
       ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his
       own carelessness in episode 5.8 Dear Sigmund, and in the last
       season (episode 11.5 Who Knew) a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who
       stepped on a landmine taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye.
       ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 (not including
       accidents/illness) are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman
       Potter.)
     * The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the
       movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
     * BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and
       father, Jay.
     * Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode
       (episode 8.20 Lend a Hand) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their
       father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

Continuity errors and anachronisms

   Both the first and last episodes have errors:
     * The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded
       Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the Princess
       Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry - did not arrive in Korea until
       December 1950.
     * The last episode gives the date as July 27, 1953, when a group of
       Chinese POWs befriended by Major Winchester are killed while going
       to be exchanged. POW exchanges began in August 1953.

     * Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic
       model of a U.S. Army UH-1 "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry
       Blake's office ceiling, near, or over the file cabinet, near his
       liqour cabinet. This a/c was not designed or built during the
       Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no
       commercially available models of the Bell 47 helicopter at the time
       of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to
       include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it
       dissapears during the later shows, during the third season.

   The series also had timeline errors:
     * Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was
       just drafted for the first time to serve in the Korean War, yet, in
       1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th
       grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have
       been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married
       for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode,
       Frank Burns remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since
       1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been
       old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have
       been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from
       the draft).
     * In 1.18 ( Dear Dad...Again), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter
       to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his
       mother has died, and he is an only child.
     * The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place
       after the first Christmas 1950, episode 1.13. In fact, the Army
       Navy Game takes place before Christmas. The Propagada bomb took
       place in December, 1951. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd
       Gridiron" Game, won 42-36 by the Navy. The real 53rd game was
       played in 1952 and won by the Navy with a score of 7-0. The
       Propaganda leafets are signed by Douglas MacArthur who was relieved
       from command April 11, 1951 - 8 months before December, 1951.
     * In 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie Bonzo Goes to
       College - a film made in 1952.
     * An early "Dear Dad" episode gives the date as May 1951, and still
       stationed at Uijeongbu. Uijeongbu and Seoul fell to Chinese forces
       in January 1951.
     * In 2.11, mention is made of a Nobel Prize winner, which would place
       the date as Dec 10, 1951. In 2.15, reference is made to Douglas
       MacArthur being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits
       MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command April 11,
       1951. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat -
       not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her
       father fought with MacArthur against the Huks; the Huk rebellion
       was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in
       1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
     * In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the
       278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field
       Artillery Battalions were World War II formations.
     * In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the Paratroops. Of the four
       1950's Airborne units, only one - the 187th Infantry Regiment
       R.C.T. - was in the Korean conflict, and never Seoul. The 11th
       Airborne, 82nd Airborne, and 101st Airborne were not deployed into
       the Korean War.
     * In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's
       un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at
       Inchon in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during
       that period was Walton Walker in a road accident - not in a MASH
       unit.
     * Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2);
       yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US
       General "Tomlin". After Admiral C. Turner Joy was chief negotiator
       from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General
       Mark Clark.
     * In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and
       North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the Korean
       War.
     * In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 M1917
       revolver. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often
       mistaken for a reference to a 1964 Peter Sellers movie by that
       name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random
       conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
     * In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that Syngman Rhee was re-elected
       dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in
       September, 1952, (episode 4.2.)
     * In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an
       issue of (The Avengers) published by (Marvel Comics) in his hands.
       "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also,
       during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics
       and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the
       comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with
       the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new
       "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
     * In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952
       Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952,
       two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
     * In 6.18, the British Gloucestershire Regiment, is mentioned, but
       this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
     * In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077
       - the Royal Australian Regiment was not stationed near Seoul.
     * In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting
       began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set
       up.
     * In 9.6, Potter welcomes the New Year of 1951. The finale,
       accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows
       Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who
       arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two
       years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could
       have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper
       John and Frank Burns would have been there on New Year's Eve of
       that year.
     * In 11.7 Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going
       to buy a Florida houseboat and learn scuba diving; scuba was not
       taught in the United States until 1954.
     * In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, The Moon is
       Blue. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
     * From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature
       appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the 1st Marine Division
       were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
     * Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while
       in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his
       former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However,
       this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go
       along with his advances.
     * One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President Richard Nixon was
       going to marry Elizabeth Taylor; Nixon became Vice-President in
       January, 1953.
     * Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the
       series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or
       drinks, and is shy with women.

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:
     * 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, Dear Dad Again, Dear Dad...Three, and he tape
       records a message in A Full Rich Day); Potter writes to his wife (
       Dear Mildred); BJ writes home to his wife ( Dear Peggy); Radar
       writes to his mother ( Dear Ma); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud (
       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, the nun ( Dear Sis); Klinger writes
       home to his uncle ( Dear Uncle Abdul); and the main characters all
       write to children in Crabapple Cove ( Letters).
     * 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.
     * 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. The same format was
       used for Our Finest Hour with new links filmed in black and white
       interspersed with colour clips from previous episodes.
     * Point of View (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of
       view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the
       4077th for treatment.
     * 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).
     * 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.
     * 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.

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