From The TV IV

M*A*S*H (1972–1983) is a series spun off from the hugely popular movie of the same name. The series revolves around MASH (or Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) 4077th in Korea during the Korean War. The show employs a unique use of the dramatic sitcom in order to drive the series with an anti-war message that is lightened by comedic performances.

Although the series was set during the Korean War, critics of the show see its anti-war message as taking jabs at the Vietnam War (which was, at the time of its premiere, still in progress) due to the attitudes of the cast members and the real-life stories from M*A*S*H surgeons adapted into the episodes. However, producers of the show have said repeatedly that the series isn't about just one war, but is about all wars.

Because of the unique style of the series, the tone changed wildly over the years. The first several seasons placed heavy emphasis on zanier, more slapstick elements but later focused heavily on serious controversy and character development. Both of these sides are prevalent throughout the series, but it is clear that the scales began to tip towards one side or the other. It has been said that Alan Alda's rising prominence in every aspect of the series led to the change in focus seen in the last several seasons and that was what caused the series to jump the shark, but that point is debatable.

The series was ended when the cast voted to let the tenth season be the last. But, when CBS and 20th Century Fox offered the cast and crew a shortened eleventh season, they jumped at the chance to end the series with a grand finale. This last season led to the final episode, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, a two and a half hour special which was the single most watched episode in television history with nearly 106 million Americans (77% of total viewership that night) watching.

Following the finale, the series spawned three spin-offs: AfterMASH, Trapper John, M.D. and W*A*L*T*E*R (a pilot which wasn't picked up).

Contents 1 Cast 2 Seasons 3 In-Depth 4 DVD Releases 5 External Sites

[edit] Cast

Actor	Character	Duration
Billed Cast
Alan Alda	Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Wayne Rogers	Capt. "Trapper John" McIntyre	1	2	3
Loretta Swit	Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Larry Linville	Maj. Frank Burns	1	2	3	4	5	6
Gary Burghoff	Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
McLean Stevenson	Lt. Col. Henry Blake	1	2	3
William Christopher	Father Francis J. Mulcahy	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Jamie Farr	Cpl. Maxwell "Max" Q. Klinger	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Harry Morgan	Col. Sherman T. Potter				4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Mike Farrell	Capt. B.J. Hunnicut				4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
David Ogden Stiers	Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III						6	7	8	9	10	11

[edit] Seasons

Season	Premiere	Finale	#
CBS
Season One	September 17, 1972	March 25, 1973	24
Season Two	September 15, 1973	March 2, 1974	24
Season Three	September 10, 1974	March 18, 1975	24
Season Four	September 12, 1975	February 24, 1976	24
Season Five	September 21, 1976	March 15, 1977	24
Season Six	September 20, 1977	March 27, 1978	24
Season Seven	September 18, 1978	March 12, 1979	25
Season Eight	September 17, 1979	March 24, 1980	25
Season Nine	November 17, 1980	May 4, 1981	20
Season Ten	October 26, 1981	April 12, 1982	21
Season Eleven	October 25, 1982	February 21, 1983	16

[edit] In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

[edit] DVD Releases

Title	Release Date	#
Complete Series
Martinis and Medicine Complete Collection	November 7, 2006	36	purchase
Season Sets
Season One	January 8, 2002	3	purchase
Season Two	July 23, 2002	3	purchase
Season Three	February 18, 2003	3	purchase
Season Four	July 15, 2003	3	purchase
Season Five	December 9, 2003	3	purchase
Season Six	June 8, 2004	3	purchase
Season Seven	December 7, 2004	3	purchase
Season Eight	May 24, 2005	3	purchase
Season Nine	December 6, 2005	3	purchase
Season Ten	May 23, 2006	3	purchase
Season Eleven	November 7, 2006	3	purchase

[edit] External Sites

• M*A*S*H TV Listings, Episode Guide, Photos, Message Board, Cast and More at TVGuide.com
• M*A*S*H at the Internet Movie Database