M*A*S*H

M*A*S*H
Premiere	September 17, 1972
Finale	February 28, 1983
Airs	Weeknights at 6 PM, 6:30 PM, 7 PM & 7:30 PM and Sundays at 7 PM & 7:30 PM on MeTV
Developed by	developed for television by Larry Gelbart
Network/Provider	CBS
Style	30-minute comedic military drama
Company	20th Century Fox Television
Distributor	20th Century Fox Television (until 1989) 20th Television (1989–2020) Disney-ABC Domestic Television (2020– )
Seasons	11
Episodes	256
Origin	USA

M*A*S*H 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).

Cast

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

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				25
Season Five	September 21, 1976	March 15, 1977				25
Season Six	September 20, 1977	March 27, 1978				25
Season Seven	September 18, 1978	March 12, 1979				26
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				22
Season Eleven	October 25, 1982	February 21, 1983				16

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

DVD Releases

Title			Release			Discs
Complete Series  (Region 1)
Martinis and Medicine Complete Collection			November 7, 2006	purchase		36
Season Sets  (Region 1)
Season One			January 8, 2002	purchase		3
Season Two			July 23, 2002	purchase		3
Season Three			February 18, 2003	purchase		3
Season Four			July 15, 2003	purchase		3
Season Five			December 9, 2003	purchase		3
Season Six			June 8, 2004	purchase		3
Season Seven			December 7, 2004	purchase		3
Season Eight			May 24, 2005	purchase		3
Season Nine			December 6, 2005	purchase		3
Season Ten			May 23, 2006	purchase		3
Season Eleven			November 7, 2006	purchase		3

External Sites

• M*A*S*H Episodes, TV Listings, News, Photos and More at TVGuide.com
• M*A*S*H on IMDb