Editing MAS*H (TV series)

{{short description|American war comedy-drama TV series (1972–1983)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg
| camera               = [[Multi-camera setup|Multi-camera]]
| runtime              = 24–26 minutes; except "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]" (2 hours)
| developer            = [[Larry Gelbart]]
| based_on             = {{plainlist|
* {{Based on|''[[MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]''|[[Richard Hooker (author)|Richard Hooker]]}}
* {{Based on|''[[M*A*S*H (film)|M*A*S*H]]''|[[Ring Lardner Jr.]]}}
}}
| starring             = {{plainlist|
* [[Alan Alda]]
* [[Wayne Rogers]]
* [[McLean Stevenson]]
* [[Loretta Swit]]
* [[Larry Linville]]
* [[Gary Burghoff]]
* [[Mike Farrell]]
* [[Harry Morgan]]
* [[Jamie Farr]]
* [[William Christopher]]
* [[David Ogden Stiers]]
}}
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]]<br />(written for the [[M*A*S*H (film)|film]])
| opentheme            = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]" (Instrumental)
| endtheme             = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]" (Big Band Version)
| genre                = {{Plainlist|
* [[Comedy drama]]
* [[Medical drama]]
* [[Sitcom]]
* [[War film|War]] 
}}
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| location             = [[Los Angeles County, California]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]], [[Malibu Creek State Park]])
| company              = [[20th Century-Fox Television]]
| network              = [[CBS]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1972|09|17}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1983|02|28}}
| num_seasons          = 11
| num_episodes         = 256
| list_episodes        = List of M*A*S*H episodes
| executive_producer   = {{Plainlist|
* [[Larry Gelbart]] (seasons 1–4)
* [[Gene Reynolds]] (seasons 1–5)
* [[Burt Metcalfe]] (seasons 6–11)
}}
| related              = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[MASH (film)|M*A*S*H]]'' (1970 film)
* ''[[AfterMASH]]''
* ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]''
* ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]''
}}
}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' <!-- Should be present tense, per WP:TVNOW --> <!-- STOP...do NOT change to 'was' -->is<!-- NOTE-remains as "is" per Wikipedia convention; see [[WP:WikiProject Television/Style guidelines#Lead paragraphs]]. --> an American [[war film|war]] [[comedy drama]] television series that aired on [[CBS]] from September 17, 1972, to February 28, 1983. It was developed by [[Larry Gelbart]] as the first original spin-off series adapted from the 1970 [[M*A*S*H (film)|film of the same name]], which, in turn, was based on [[Richard Hooker (author)|Richard Hooker]]'s 1968 novel ''[[MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]''. The series, produced by [[20th Television|20th Century-Fox Television]], follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]]" in [[Uijeongbu]], [[South Korea]], during the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953).

The [[ensemble cast]] originally featured [[Alan Alda]] and [[Wayne Rogers]] as surgeons Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Trapper" John McIntyre, respectively, as the protagonists of the show; joined by [[Larry Linville]] as surgeon Frank Burns, [[Loretta Swit]] as head nurse Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, [[McLean Stevenson]] as company commander Henry Blake, [[Gary Burghoff]] as company clerk Walter "Radar" O'Reilly, [[Jamie Farr]] as orderly Maxwell Klinger, and [[William Christopher]] as the chaplain, Father John Mulcahy.  Over the run of the show, several members of the main cast were replaced: Wayne Rogers was replaced by [[Mike Farrell]] as B. J. Hunnicutt, McLean Stevenson was replaced by [[Harry Morgan]] as Sherman Potter, Larry Linville was replaced by [[David Ogden Stiers]] as Charles Emerson Winchester III, and, when Gary Burghoff left the show, the Maxwell Klinger character moved into the company clerk role. Longtime supporting cast members included [[Kellye Nakahara]], [[Jeff Maxwell]], [[Johnny Haymer]], [[Allan Arbus]], [[Edward Winter (actor)|Edward Winter]] and [[G. W. Bailey]].

The series varied in style and tone – including broad comedy and tragic drama – which can be attributed to fluctuating writing staff over the life of the show and the variety of sources contributing to the stories, such as actor Alan Alda and surgeons who served in the Korean War.<ref name="book of MASH">{{cite book |last=Kalter |first=Suzy |title=The Complete Book of M*A*S*H |publisher=Abradale Press, Harry M. Abrahams, Inc. |year=1984 |location=New York |isbn=0-8109-8083-5}}</ref> The show's [[title sequence]] features an instrumental version of "[[Suicide Is Painless]]", the original film's theme song.<ref>{{citation |title=M*A*S*H* - movie theme song - opening| date=November 24, 2008 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgcGOWaTPdU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/FgcGOWaTPdU |archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live |access-date=April 7, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The show was created after an attempt to film the original book's sequel, ''[[M*A*S*H Goes to Maine]]'', failed. The television series is the best-known of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works and one of the highest-rated shows in [[Television in the United States|U.S. television history]] and is regarded by many as one of the [[List of television shows considered the best|greatest television shows of all time]].<ref name="TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tv-guide-names-top-50-shows/|title=TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows |publisher=[[CBS News]] |date=April 26, 2002|access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Fox News">{{cite news |date=February 19, 2008 |title=Mensa Picks 10 Smartest TV Shows of All Time|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/mensa-picks-10-smartest-tv-shows-of-all-time |url-status=live |publisher=[[Fox News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223104720/https://www.foxnews.com/story/mensa-picks-10-smartest-tv-shows-of-all-time |archive-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="101 Best Written TV Series List">{{cite web |url=http://wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=4925|title=101 Best Written TV Series List|access-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607080758/http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=5246|archive-date=June 7, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Fretts |first1=Bruce |last2=Roush |first2=Matt |title=The Greatest Shows on Earth |magazine=TV Guide |volume=61 |issue=3194–3195 |pages=16–19 |doi= <!--|access-date=22 December 2013-->}}</ref><ref name="100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/100-greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time-w439520/mash-w439624|title=100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=January 21, 2018|date=September 21, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Variety">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/lists/greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time/|title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|publisher=Variety|date=December 20, 2023}}</ref> Its final episode, "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]", was the [[List of most watched television broadcasts in the United States|most-watched television broadcast in the United States]] from 1983 to 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/02/saints-win-in-super-bowl-xliv-scores-highest-tv-ratings-since-1987/1|title=Saints' win over Colts in Super Bowl XLIV is most-watched television program ever|last=Gardner|first=Tim|date=February 8, 2010|website=[[USA Today]]|access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref> and it remains both the most-watched finale of any television series and the most-watched episode of a scripted series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-sunday-feb-4-2018-super-bowl/|title=TV Ratings Sunday: Super Bowl LII smallest since 2009, still massive; 'This Is Us' scores big [Updated]|first=Rick|last=Porter|date=February 5, 2018|website=TV by the Numbers|access-date=May 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205222211/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-sunday-feb-4-2018-super-bowl/|archive-date=February 5, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Premise ==
''M*A*S*H'' aired weekly on CBS, with most episodes being a half-hour in length. The series is usually categorized as a situation comedy, though it has also been described as a "[[black comedy|dark comedy]]" or a "[[comedy drama|dramedy]]" because of the often dramatic subject matter.{{efn-ua|The term "dramedy" (drama + comedy), although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air.}}

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.

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&nbsp;– [[Captain Pierce|Captains Pierce]], MacIntyre, and Hunnicutt, for example&nbsp;– 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.

==Characters==

===Main cast===
{{main|List of M*A*S*H characters}}
{{see also|List of M*A*S*H cast members}}
<gallery class="center" widths="250px" heights="250px">
File:MASH TV cast 1974.JPG|Publicity photo of the cast of ''M*A*S*H'' shot just prior to the production of Season 2, 1974 (clockwise from left): [[Loretta Swit]], [[Larry Linville]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Gary Burghoff]], [[McLean Stevenson]], and [[Alan Alda]]
File:MASH Cast 1977.JPG|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' 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:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onward (clockwise from left): [[Mike Farrell]], [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]], [[David Ogden Stiers]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[Alan Alda]], and [[Harry Morgan]]
</gallery>
Through changes of personnel ''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce|Hawkeye]], [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Father John Mulcahy|Father Mulcahy]], [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan|Margaret Houlihan]], and [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Klinger]] – on the show for all 11 seasons. Several other main characters departed or joined the program during its run, and numerous guest actors and recurring characters were used. The writers found creating so many names difficult, and used names from elsewhere; for example, characters on [[M*A*S*H season 7|the seventh season]] were named after the [[1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season|1978 Los Angeles Dodgers]].<ref name="levine20110130">{{cite news|last=Levine|first=Ken|title=Naming characters on TV shows|url=http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-of-hardest-tasks-in-any-script-is.html|access-date=January 30, 2011|newspaper=kenlevine.blogspot.com|date=January 30, 2011}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See reliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=March 2025}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/actress
! Rank
! Role
! Appearances
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]]
| 256
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Penobscott)]] 
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major (United States)|Major]]
| Head Nurse
| 239
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]<br />(recurring seasons 1–3, regular 4–11)
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]],<br />later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Combat Medic]],<br />later Company Clerk
| 217
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Father John Mulcahy|Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy]]<br />(recurring seasons 1–4, regular 5–11)
| George Morgan (pilot episode),<br />replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[First Lieutenant]],<br />later [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]]
| Chaplain
| 213
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Trapper John McIntyre|Trapper John McIntyre]]<br />(seasons 1–3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
| 72
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Henry Blake|Henry Blake]]<br />(seasons 1–3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]]
| [[Commanding officer]],<br />Surgeon
| 70
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Frank Burns|Frank Burns]]<br />(seasons 1–5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major,<br />later [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon
| 118
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Walter "Radar" O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly]]<br />(seasons 1–8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal,<br />briefly Second Lieutenant
| Company clerk,<br />[[bugler]]
| 156
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#B.J. Hunnicutt|B.J. Hunnicutt]]<br />(replaced Trapper; seasons 4–11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
| 183
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Sherman T. Potter|Sherman T. Potter]]<br />(replaced Henry Blake; seasons 4–11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]]
| Commanding Officer (after Lt. Col. Blake),<br />Surgeon
| 182
|-
| [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Charles Emerson Winchester III, M.D.|Charles Emerson Winchester III]]<br />(replaced Frank Burns; seasons 6–11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon
| 133
|}
{{Notelist-ur}}

====Main character timeline====
For the first three seasons, the show's [[ensemble cast]] included [[Alan Alda]] as surgeon Captain [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]], [[Wayne Rogers]] as surgeon Captain [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Trapper John McIntyre|Trapper John McIntyre]], [[McLean Stevenson]] as company commander Lt. Colonel [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Henry Blake|Henry Blake]], [[Loretta Swit]] as head nurse Major [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]], [[Larry Linville]] as surgeon Major [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Frank Burns|Frank Burns]], [[Gary Burghoff]] as company clerk Corporal [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Walter "Radar" O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly]], [[Jamie Farr]] as combat medic Corporal [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Klinger]], and [[William Christopher]] as chaplain 1st Lieutenant [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Father John Mulcahy|Father John Patrick Francis Mulcahy]].

At the end of the third season, Rogers and Stevenson left the show, with their characters written out, and they were replaced by [[Mike Farrell]] as surgeon Captain [[List of M*A*S*H characters#B.J. Hunnicutt|B. J. Hunnicutt]] and [[Harry Morgan]] as surgeon Colonel [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Sherman T. Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] as the new commanding officer.

After season five, Linville left to be replaced by [[David Ogden Stiers]] as surgeon Major [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Charles Emerson Winchester III, M.D.|Charles Emerson Winchester III]].

Early in season eight, Burghoff left the show; Klinger (Farr) was moved to company clerk to replace Radar, while [[G. W. Bailey]] joined the cast to play [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo|Staff Sergeant Luther Rizzo]], the unit's motor pool sergeant. Other long-serving actors on the show include [[Kellye Nakahara]] as [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Lt. Nurse Kellye|Nurse Kellye]], [[Jeff Maxwell]] as Private [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Igor Straminsky|Igor Straminsky]], [[Johnny Haymer]] as [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale|Sergeant Zelmo Zale]], the supply sergeant, [[Allan Arbus]] as psychiatrist [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Major Sidney Freedman|Major Sidney Freedman]], and [[Edward Winter (actor)|Edward Winter]] as intelligence officer [[List of M*A*S*H characters#Colonel Samuel Flagg|Colonel Sam Flagg]].
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 bar:Burns   text:"Franklin Marion 'Frank' Burns"
 bar:Radar   text:"Walter Eugene 'Radar' O'Reilly"
 bar:Jones text:"Oliver Harmon 'Spearchucker' Jones"
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</timeline>

==Production==

===Writing===
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from being primarily a comedy with dramatic undertones to a drama with comedic overtones. This was a result of changes in writing, production, and acting staff. Series co-creator and comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season 4. Executive Producer [[Gene Reynolds]] departed at the conclusion of Season 5 in 1977, resulting in ''M*A*S*H'' being almost fully stripped of its original comedic foundation by the beginning of Season 6.<ref name="book of MASH"/>

Whereas Gelbart and Reynolds were the comedic voice of ''M*A*S*H'' for the show's first five seasons (1972–1977), [[Alan Alda]] and newly promoted Executive Producer [[Burt Metcalfe]] became the new dramatic voice of ''M*A*S*H'' for Seasons 6–11. By the start of Season 8 (1979–1980), the writing staff had been completely overhauled.

Cast changes also contributed to the greater weighting of drama in later series ''M*A*S*H''. The departures of McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, and Gary Burghoff removed gifted performers of [[physical comedy|physical]] and verbal comedy.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Fishman |first1=Howard |title=What "M*A*S*H" Taught Us |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/what-mash-taught-us |access-date=June 30, 2024 |magazine=The New Yorker |date=July 24, 2018}}</ref> Wayne Rogers's Trapper John had been Hawkeye's partner in high jinks and womanizing, while his successor in Mike Farrell's B.J. gave Hawkeye a more mature best friendship. A gentler characterization made Margaret a less pointed comedy foil, and after Klinger took over Radar's responsibilities he discontinued cross-dressing and other attempts to get a [[Section 8 (military)|Section 8]] psychiatric discharge.

The end of the Vietnam War in 1975 was a significant factor as to why storylines become less political in nature and more character-driven. Several episodes experimented by going outside the sitcom format:
* "Point of View" – shown from the perspective of a soldier with a throat wound
* "Dreams" – an idea of Alda's, where during a deluge of casualties, members of the 4077 take naps on a rotation basis, allowing the viewer to see the simultaneously lyrical and disturbing dreams
* "A War For All Seasons" – features a story line that takes place over the course of 1951
* "Life Time" – utilizes a [[Real time (media)|real time]] method of narration<ref name="book of MASH"/>

Another change was the infusion of story lines based on actual events and medical developments that materialized during the Korean War. Considerable research was done by the producers, including interviews with actual MASH surgeons and personnel to develop story lines rooted in the war itself. Such early 1950s events as [[McCarthyism|the McCarthy era]], various sporting events, and the stardom of [[Marilyn Monroe]] were all incorporated into various episodes, a trend that continued until the end of the series.<ref name="book of MASH"/>

While the series remained popular through these changes, it eventually began to run out of creative steam. Korean War doctors regularly contacted producers with experiences that they thought might make for a good storyline, only to learn the idea had previously been used. Harry Morgan admitted that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season 9 (1980–1981).<ref name="book of MASH"/> Alda wished to make season 10 (1981–1982) ''M*A*S*H''{{'}}s last, but was persuaded by CBS to produce a slightly shortened 11th season, coupled with a farewell movie finale, at the request of CBS. In the end, season 11 had 15 episodes (although six had been filmed during season 10 and held over) and a {{frac|2|1|2}}-hour movie, which was treated as five episodes and was filmed before the nine remaining episodes. The final episode produced was the penultimately aired episode "As Time Goes By". The series finale movie, titled "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen", became the [[List of most watched television broadcasts in the United States|most-watched U.S. television broadcast]] in history at that time, with 106 million viewers.<ref name="book of MASH"/>

===Set and filming===
[[File:MASH site - Malibu Creek State Park - 2 January 2010.jpg|thumb|M*A*S*H site in Malibu Creek State Park. Burnt-out Dodge WC54 ambulance used in filming. A replica of the iconic M*A*S*H signpost was installed on the site in 2008.]]
The 4077th consisted of two separate sets. An outdoor set in the mountains near Malibu ([[Calabasas, California|Calabasas]], Los Angeles County, California) ({{coord|34|5|47.55|N|118|44|41.24|W|}}) was used for most exterior and tent scenes for every season. This was the same location used to shoot the movie, although the number of tents was reduced and there were changes made to the positions of several tents for the TV show. The indoor set, on Stage 09 at Fox Studios in [[Century City, California|Century City]], was used for the indoor scenes for the run of the series. Later, after the indoor set was renovated to permit many of the "outdoor" scenes to be filmed there, both sets were used for exterior shooting as script requirements dictated (e.g., night scenes were far easier to film on the sound stage, but scenes at the helicopter pad required using the ranch).

Just as the series was wrapping production, a brush fire destroyed most of the outdoor set on October 9, 1982. The fire was written into the final episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" as a forest fire caused by enemy [[incendiary bomb]]s that forced the 4077th to move out.

The Malibu location is today known as [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. Formerly called the Century Ranch and owned by 20th Century Fox Studios until the 1980s, the site today is returning to a natural state, and is marked by a rusted [[Jeep]] and a [[Dodge]] ambulance used in the show. Through the 1990s, the area was occasionally used for television commercial production.

On February 23, 2008, series stars Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit and William Christopher (along with producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe and ''M*A*S*H'' director Charles S. Dubin) reunited at the set to celebrate its partial restoration. The rebuilt signpost is now displayed on weekends, along with tent markers and maps and photos of the set. The state park is open to the public. It was also the location where the film ''[[How Green Was My Valley (film)|How Green Was My Valley]]'' (1941) and the ''[[Planet of the Apes (TV series)|Planet of the Apes]]'' television series (1974) were filmed, among many other productions. Much of this location, including the signpost and markers, was thought to have been destroyed in the 2018 [[Woolsey Fire]]<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-santa-monica-mountains-20181111-story.html Woolsey fire destroys historic ranches, movie sets and open spaces in Santa Monica Mountains] Retrieved November 11, 2018</ref> but subsequently was determined to have survived the fire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.conejovalleyguide.com/welcome/mash-set-at-malibu-creek-state-park-survives-the-woolsey-fire|title=MASH Set at Malibu Creek State Park Survives the Woolsey Fire|website=Conejo Valley Guide {{!}} Conejo Valley Events|date=December 22, 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref>

[[File:MASH Operating Room in the National Museum of American History.jpg|thumb|right|The operating room set on display in the [[National Museum of American History]] as part of the "MASH: Binding Up the Wounds" exhibit in 1983.]]
There was an exhibition called ''M*A*S*H: Binding Up the Wounds'' at the [[National Museum of American History]] from July 30, 1983, through February 3, 1985. The exhibition was extremely popular, drawing more than 17,000 in a single week, a record for any Smithsonian display.<ref>{{cite news|title=M*A*S*H Again a Hit – At the Smithsonian|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/12/arts/m-a-s-h-again-a-hit-at-the-smithsonian.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 12, 1983}}</ref>

The Swamp and Operating Room sets, one of the show's 14 Emmy Awards, early drafts of the pilot script, costumes from the show and other memorabilia were all exhibited. Sets were decorated with props from the show including the iconic signpost, Hawkeye's [[still]] and Major Winchester's [[Webcor]] tape recorder and phonograph. The exhibit also encouraged visitors to compare the show to real Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals of the Korean and the Vietnam Wars.
<ref>{{cite web|title=M*A*S*H: Binding Up the Wounds {{!}} Smithsonian|url=http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/MASH-Binding-Up-the-Wounds-2721|website=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=PIANTADOS|first1=ROGER|title=MASH Lives, At the Smithsonian|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/07/29/mash-lives-at-the-smithsonian/0628f8fa-4794-4eb4-a243-01f524a35e2c/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=July 29, 1983}}</ref>

===Laugh track===
Series creators Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds wanted ''M*A*S*H'' broadcast without a [[laugh track]]. Though CBS initially rejected the idea, a compromise was reached that allowed for omitting the laughter during operating room scenes if desired. "We told the network that under no circumstances would we ever can laughter during an OR scene when the doctors were working," said Gelbart in 1998. "It's hard to imagine that 300 people were in there laughing at somebody's guts being sewn up."<ref>{{cite AV media |people=[[Larry Gelbart|Gelbart, Larry]] |title=Emmy TV Legends: Larry Gelbart Interview |medium=Interview with Dan Harrison |publisher=Archive for American Television |location=Los Angeles |date=May 26, 1998 |url=https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/larry-gelbart}}</ref>

Seasons 1–5 utilized a more invasive laugh track; a more subdued audience was employed for Seasons 6–11 when the series shifted from sitcom to comedy drama with the departure of Gelbart and Reynolds. Several episodes ("O.R.", "The Bus", "[[Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?]]", "[[The Interview (M*A*S*H)|The Interview]]", "Point of View", and "[[Dreams (M*A*S*H)|Dreams]]" among them) omitted the laugh track altogether; as did almost all of Season 11, including the 135-minute series finale, "[[Goodbye, Farewell and Amen]]".<ref name=gelbart/> The laugh track is also omitted from some international and syndicated airings of the show. On one occasion during an airing on [[BBC2]] in the UK, the laugh track was accidentally left on, and viewers expressed their displeasure; an apology from the network for the "technical difficulty" was later released, for during its original run on BBC2 in the UK, it had been shown without the laugh track. UK DVD critics speak poorly of the laugh track, stating "canned laughter is intrusive at the best of times, but with a programme like ''M*A*S*H'', it's downright unbearable."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myreviewer.com/Review_of_MASH_Season_3_DVD_Review/a57838/page2 |title=Myreviewer.com/Review of MASH Season 3 DVD Review |publisher=Myreviewer.com |date=March 20, 2004 |access-date=July 9, 2013}}</ref>

On all released DVDs, both in Region 1 (including the US and Canada) and Region 2 (Europe, including the UK), an option is given to watch the show with or without the laugh track.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.avrev.com/dvd/revs/mash3.shtml |title=DVD Review: M*A*S*H – Season Three (Collector's Edition) |publisher=AVRev.com |date=February 18, 2003 |access-date=May 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103002343/http://www.avrev.com/dvd/revs/mash3.shtml |archive-date=November 3, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/reviews/review.asp?Index=4536&User=35366 |title=Another MASH DVD review mentioning audio choices |publisher=Dvd.reviewer.co.uk |date=October 3, 2010 |access-date=May 17, 2011}}</ref>

"They're a lie," said Gelbart in a 1992 interview. "You're telling an engineer when to push a button to produce a laugh from people who don't exist. It's just so dishonest. The biggest shows when we were on the air were ''[[All in the Family]]'' and ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'' both of which were taped before a live studio audience where laughter made sense," continued Gelbart. "But our show was a film show – supposedly shot in the middle of [[Korea]]. So the question I always asked the network was, 'Who are these laughing people? Where did they come from?'" Gelbart persuaded CBS to test the show in private screenings with and without the laugh track. The results showed no measurable difference in the audience's enjoyment. "So you know what they said?" Gelbart said. {{" '}}Since there's no difference, let's leave it alone!' The people who defend laugh tracks have no sense of humor."<ref name=gelbart>{{cite news |first= Deborah Starr |last= Seibel |title= Funny Business: TV Laugh Tracks Can Still Cause Frowns, But The Studios Feel A Need To Be Humored |work= [[Chicago Tribune]] |date= April 16, 1992 |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/04/16/funny-business-23/ |access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref> Gelbart summed up the situation by saying, "I always thought it cheapened the show. The network got their way. They were paying for dinner."<ref name=mentalfloss>{{cite web | last = Greene | first = Nick | url = http://mentalfloss.com/article/56777/why-did-mash-have-laugh-track | title = Why Did ''M*A*S*H'' Have A Laugh Track? | publisher = mental floss.com | date = May 19, 2014 | access-date = January 12, 2016}}</ref>

===Content===
In his blog, writer Ken Levine revealed that on one occasion, when the cast offered too many nitpicking "notes" on a script, his writing partner and he changed the script to a "cold show" – one set during the frigid Korean winter. The cast then had to stand around barrel fires in parkas at the Malibu ranch when the temperatures neared {{convert|100|F}}. Levine says, "This happened maybe twice, and we never got a ticky-tack note again."<ref>{{cite web |title=M*A*S*H N*O*T*E*S |url=http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2006/03/mash-notes.html |website=... by Ken Levine |author=Ken Levine |date=March 1, 2006 |access-date=March 5, 2023}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=See reliable sources list on [[WP:KO/RS]]|date=March 2025}}

[[Jackie Cooper]] wrote that Alan Alda{{snd}}whom Cooper directed in several episodes during the first two seasons{{snd}}concealed what Cooper felt was a lot of hostility toward him, and the two barely spoke to each other by the time Cooper's tenure on the show ended.<ref>Jackie Cooper, ''Please Don't Shoot My Dog'', p. 290, William Morrow & Company, 1981</ref>

==Episodes==

===Episode list===
{{Main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}
{{:List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

===Final episode: "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"===
{{Main|Goodbye, Farewell and Amen}}
"Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H.'' Special television sets were placed in [[Base Exchange|PX]] parking lots, auditoriums and day rooms of the U.S. Army in Korea so that military personnel could watch that episode, in spite of 14 hours' time-zone difference with the East Coast of the US. The episode aired on February 28, 1983, and was 2{{frac|1|2}} hours long. The episode got a [[Nielsen Media Research|Nielsen rating]] of 60.2 and 77 share<ref>{{cite news|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/02/saints-win-in-super-bowl-xliv-scores-highest-tv-ratings-since-1987/1|title=Saints'|work=[[USA Today]]|date=February 8, 2010|access-date=February 11, 2010}}</ref> and according to a ''New York Times'' article from 1983, the final episode of ''M*A*S*H'' had 125 million viewers.<ref name="nytimes.com"/>

When the ''M*A*S*H'' finale aired in 1983, more than 83.3 million homes in the U.S. had televisions, compared to almost 115 million in February 2010.<ref name="flint">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-feb-09-la-et-bowlratings9-2010feb09-story.html|title=Super Bowl XLIV game a ratings winner|last=Flint|first=Joe|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 9, 2010|access-date=February 11, 2010}}</ref>

"Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" broke the record for the highest percentage of homes with television sets to watch a television series. Stories persist that the episode was seen by so many people that the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the plumbing systems broke down in some parts of the city from so many New Yorkers waiting until the end to use the toilet. Articles copied into Alan Alda's book ''The Last Days of M*A*S*H'' include interviews with New York City Sanitation workers citing the spike in water use on that night. According to the interviews at 11:03 pm, EST New York City public works noted the highest water usage at one given time in the city's history. They attributed this to the fact that in the three minutes after the finale ended, around 77 percent of the people of New York City flushed their toilets.<ref>Alda, Arlene, and Alan Alda. The Last Days of MASH. n.p.: Unicorn House, 1983. Print.</ref> These stories have all since been identified as part of an [[urban legend]] dating back to the days of the'' [[Amos and Andy]]'' radio program in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/sports/football/flush.asp|title=Super Bowl Flushing Breaks Sewage Systems: snopes.com|author=snopes|date=March 5, 2016|work=snopes|access-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref>

==Reception==

===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 M*A*S*H 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=M*A*S*H |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, ''M*A*S*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 (M*A*S*H)|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, ''M*A*S*H'' 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>{{cite magazine |last1=Fretts |first1=Bruce |last2=Roush |first2=Matt |title=The Greatest Shows on Earth |magazine=TV Guide |volume=61 |issue=3194–3195 |pages=16–19 |doi= <!--|access-date=22 December 2013-->}}</ref> 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 ''M*A*S*H'' #24 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.<ref name="Variety"/>

===Season ratings===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Season
!rowspan="2"| Ep #
!rowspan="2"| Time slot (ET)
!rowspan="2"| Season Premiere
!rowspan="2"| Season Finale
!colspan="3"| Nielsen Ratings
|-
!Rank
!Viewers<br />(in millions)
!Rating
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 1|1]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1972–73 United States network television schedule|1972–73]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 24
| style="text-align:center;"| Sunday at 8:00 pm
| style="text-align:center;"| September 17, 1972
| style="text-align:center;"| March 25, 1973
| style="text-align:center;" | #46<ref>{{cite episode |title=M*A*S*H: Television's Serious Sitcom |series=[[Biography (TV series)|Biography]] |network=[[A&E Network|A&E]] |airdate=July 10, 2003 |quote=Although the cast was beginning to think that ''M*A*S*H'' was about to hit its stride, the series was still attracting a very small audience and it ranked 46 in the ratings.}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" {{N/A}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 17.4
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 2|2]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1973–74 United States network television schedule|1973–74]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 24
| style="text-align:centre;"| Saturday at 8:30 pm
| style="text-align:center;"| September 15, 1973
| style="text-align:center;"| March 2, 1974
| style="text-align:center;" | #4<ref name="ratings73">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1973.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1973–1974 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 17.02<ref name=ratings73/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 25.7
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 3|3]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1974–75 United States network television schedule|1974–75]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 24
| style="text-align:centre;"| Tuesday at 8:30 pm
| style="text-align:center;"| September 10, 1974
| style="text-align:center;"| March 18, 1975
| style="text-align:center;" | #5<ref name="ratings74">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1974.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1974–1975 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 18.76<ref name=ratings74/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 27.4
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 4|4]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1975–76 United States network television schedule|1975–76]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 25
| style="text-align:centre;"| Friday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episode 1)</small><br />Friday at 8:30 pm <small>(Episodes 2–13)</small><br />Tuesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 14–25)</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| September 12, 1975
| style="text-align:center;"| February 24, 1976
| style="text-align:center;" | #15<ref name="ratings75">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1975.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1975–1976 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 15.93<ref name=ratings75/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 22.9
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 5|5]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1976–77 United States network television schedule|1976–77]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 25
| style="text-align:centre;"| Tuesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1, 3–25)</small><br />Tuesday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episode 2)</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| September 21, 1976
| style="text-align:center;"| March 15, 1977
| style="text-align:center;" | #4<ref name="ratings76">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1976.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1976–1977 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 18.44<ref name=ratings76/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 25.9
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 6|6]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1977–78 United States network television schedule|1977–78]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 25
| style="text-align:centre;"| Tuesday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1, 3–19)</small><br />Tuesday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episode 2)</small><br />Monday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 20–25)</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| September 20, 1977
| style="text-align:center;"| March 27, 1978
| style="text-align:center;" | #9<ref name="ratings77">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1977.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1977–1978 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 16.91<ref name=ratings77/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 23.2
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 7|7]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1978–79 United States network television schedule|1978–79]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 26
| style="text-align:centre;"| Monday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1–4, 6–26)</small><br />Monday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episode 5)</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| September 18, 1978
| style="text-align:center;"| March 12, 1979
| style="text-align:center;" | #7<ref name="ratings78">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1978.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1978–1979 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 18.92<ref name=ratings78/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 25.4
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 8|8]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1979–80 United States network television schedule|1979–80]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 25
| style="text-align:centre;" rowspan="2"| Monday at 9:00 pm
| style="text-align:center;"| September 17, 1979
| style="text-align:center;"| March 24, 1980
| style="text-align:center;" | #5<ref name="ratings79">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1979.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1979–1980 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 19.30<ref name=ratings79/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 25.3
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 9|9]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1980–81 United States network television schedule|1980–81]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 20
| style="text-align:center;"| November 17, 1980
| style="text-align:center;"| May 4, 1981
| style="text-align:center;" | #4<ref name="ratings80">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1980.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1980–1981 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 20.53<ref name=ratings80/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 25.7
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 10|10]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1981–82 United States network television schedule|1981–82]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 22
| style="text-align:centre;"| Monday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1, 3–22)</small><br />Monday at 9:30 pm <small>(Episode 2)</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| October 26, 1981
| style="text-align:center;"| April 12, 1982
| style="text-align:center;" | #9<ref name="ratings81">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1981.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1981–1982 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 18.17<ref name=ratings81/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 22.3
|-
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[M*A*S*H season 11|11]]
| style="text-align:centre;"| [[1982–83 United States network television schedule|1982–83]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 16
| style="text-align:centre;"| Monday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1–15)</small><br />Monday at 8:30 pm <small>(Episode 16)</small>
| style="text-align:center;"| October 25, 1982
| style="text-align:center;"| February 28, 1983
| style="text-align:center;" | #3<ref name="ratings82">{{cite web |url=https://classictvguide.com/tvratings/1982.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1982–1983 |work=ClassicTVHits.com |access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 18.82<ref name=ratings82/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 22.6
|}

===Awards===
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by M*A*S*H (TV series)}}
''M*A*S*H'' was nominated for over 100 [[Emmy Award]]s during its 11-year run, winning 14:
* 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]]: "[[Carry On, Hawkeye]]"
* 1974 – Actor of the Year, Series – Alan Alda
* 1975 – Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Gene Reynolds: "O.R."
* 1976 – Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming – [[Fred W. Berger]] and [[Stanford Tischler]]: "[[Welcome to Korea]]"
* 1976 – Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Gene Reynolds: "Welcome to Korea"
* 1977 – Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series – Alan Alda: "[[Dear Sigmund]]"
* 1977 – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Gary Burghoff
* 1979 – Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series – Alan Alda: "Inga"
* 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

The show won the [[Golden Globe Award]] for Best Television Series (Musical or Comedy) in 1981. Alan Alda won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) six times: in 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. McLean Stevenson won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series in 1974.

The series earned the [[Directors Guild of America]] Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series seven times: 1973 (Gene Reynolds), 1974 (Reynolds), 1975 (Hy Averback), 1976 (Averback), 1977 (Alan Alda), 1982 (Alda), 1983 (Alda).

The show was honored with a [[Peabody Award]] in 1975 "for the depth of its humor and the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and, as well, to offer a profound statement on the nature of war." ''M*A*S*H'' was cited as "an example of television of high purpose that reveals in universal terms a time and place with such affecting clarity."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/details.php?id=671 |title=The Peabody Awards &#124; An International Competition for Electronic Media, honoring achievement in Television, Radio, Cable and the Web &#124; Administered by University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication |publisher=Peabody.uga.edu |access-date=May 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203071945/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/details.php?id=671 |archive-date=February 3, 2012}}</ref>

Writers for the show received several [[Humanitas Prize]] nominations, with Larry Gelbart winning in 1976, Alan Alda winning in 1980, and the team of David Pollock and Elias Davis winning twice in 1982 and 1983.

The series received 28 [[Writers Guild of America Award]] nominations – 26 for Episodic Comedy and two for Episodic Drama. Seven episodes won for Episodic Comedy in 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, and 1981.

==Home entertainment==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] has released all 11 seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in [[DVD region code|Region 1 and Region 2]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2"|DVD title
! rowspan="2"|Ep No.
! colspan="3"|Release dates
|-
! Region 1
! Region 2
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| style="text-align:center;"|24
| January 8, 2002
| May 19, 2003
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| style="text-align:center;"|24
| July 23, 2002
| October 13, 2003
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| style="text-align:center;"|24
| February 18, 2003
| March 15, 2004
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1–3'''
| style="text-align:center;"|72
| N/A
| October 31, 2005
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| style="text-align:center;"|24
| July 15, 2003
| June 14, 2004
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1–4'''
| style="text-align:center;"|96
| December 2, 2003
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| style="text-align:center;"|24
| December 9, 2003
| January 17, 2005
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| style="text-align:center;"|24
| June 8, 2004
| March 28, 2005
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| style="text-align:center;"|25
| December 7, 2004
| May 30, 2005
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| style="text-align:center;"|25
| May 24, 2005
| August 15, 2005
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| style="text-align:center;"|20
| December 6, 2005
| January 9, 2006
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1–9'''
| style="text-align:center;"|214
| December 6, 2005
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| May 23, 2006
| April 17, 2006
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| style="text-align:center;"|16
| November 7, 2006
| May 29, 2006
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection<br />(Complete Series, including the Original Movie)
| style="text-align:center;" |256
| November 7, 2006
| October 30, 2006
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| May 15, 2007
| N/A
|}

In January 2015, it was announced that the first five seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' would be available on [[Netflix]]'s instant streaming service beginning February 1, 2015. This marked the first time the series was made available on an internet platform. As of July 1, 2015, all 11 seasons were available; syndicated versions of hour-long episodes were utilized for streaming, splitting these shows into two parts.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/20/netflix-february-2015_n_6506708.html|title=Netflix|date=2015|access-date=January 21, 2015}}</ref> In contrast to the DVD sets, the Netflix streams did not have an option for disabling the laugh track on the soundtrack. On April 1, 2016, Netflix' contract to stream the series expired and ''M*A*S*H'' was removed from the platform.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://decider.com/2016/03/23/movies-expiring-from-netflix-april-2016/|title=Netflix's Expiring Movies and Shows: A Complete List of What's Leaving on April 1|last=Cobb|first=Kayla|publisher=decider.com|date=March 23, 2016}}</ref>

In July 2017, it was announced that [[Hulu]] had acquired U.S. streaming rights for the entire run of ''M*A*S*H,'' along with several other 20th Century Fox-owned TV programs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/hulu-20th-century-fox-tv-how-i-met-your-mother-glee-bones-mash-1202500027/|title=Hulu to Add All Episodes of 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Glee,' 'Bones,' 'M*A*S*H' and More in Mammoth 20th Century Fox TV Deal|last=Spangler|first=Todd|work=Variety|date=July 19, 2017|access-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref> All 256 episodes were added to Hulu beginning June 29, 2018. All episodes were scanned in 1080 HD from the original 35mm negatives and are presented in 16:9 widescreen by cropping the top and bottom off the original 4:3 aspect ratio. Outside the U.S., the series is available on [[Disney+]]'s [[Star (Disney+)|Star]] section and the [[Star+]] service in Latin America.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/hulu-just-added-all-256-episodes-of-mash/|title=Hulu Just Added All 256 Episodes of M*A*S*H|website=Cord Cutters News|last=Bouma|first=Luke|date=June 29, 2018|access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref>

== Games ==

Two board games were created based on the show. The first came out in 1975 and was published by [[Transogram]], and the second was published in 1981 by [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]].<ref>{{Bgg title|16521|MASH Game (1975)}}</ref><ref>{{Bgg title|9701|M*A*S*H Game (1981)}}</ref>

A [[M*A*S*H (video game)|M*A*S*H video game]] was produced by [[Fox Video Games]] in 1983. It was criticized for trivializing the war, lacking the nuance of the film and TV show.

Finally, there was a [[trivia game]] published by Golden in 1984. It was available in two variations, one with a full complement of paraphernalia including game-tray, die, and point value cards and another version that was just question cards.<ref>{{Bgg title|9508|Golden Trivia Game: M*A*S*H Edition (1984)}}</ref>

== Merchandise ==

A trading card set was published in 1982 by [[Donruss]].<ref>[https://www.tcdb.com/ViewSet.cfm/sid/79510/1982-Donruss-M*A*S*H 1982 Donruss M*A*S*H]</ref> Also in 1982, [[Tri-Star International]] produced a set of MASH [[action figure]]s, with vehicles and a play set.<ref>[https://www.mash4077tv.com/learn/tristar/  Tristar M*A*S*H Collectibles]</ref><ref>[https://20thcenturytoycollector.com/posts/category/mash/ Archive for the 'M*A*S*H' Category]</ref>

==Spin-offs and reunion specials==

The two-season spin-off ''[[AfterMASH]]'' (1983–1985) inherited the parent show's Monday night time slot and featured a few of its main characters reunited in a Midwestern hospital after the war.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-here-comes-the-fall-vol-20-no-9/ |title=Here Comes the Fall! |work=People |access-date=September 13, 2018}}</ref> The more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' (1979–1986) took place nearly three decades after the events of ''M*A*S*H'' and depicted Trapper John McIntyre as chief of surgery at a San Francisco hospital;<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-UVDAAAQBAJ&q=Trapper+John%2C+M.D.+%281979%E2%80%9386%29++chief+of+surgery+at+a+San+Francisco+hospital%3B&pg=PA258 |title=Medical Visions: Producing the Patient Through Film, Television, and Imaging Technologies |last=Ostherr |first=Kirsten |date=April 11, 2013 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199737246}}</ref> its producers argued successfully in court that it was based on the earlier movie rather than the TV series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/feature/a844124/7-weird-spin-offs-that-were-nothing-like-their-parent-shows/ |title=7 weird spin-offs that were nothing like the originals |publisher=[[Digital Spy]] |date=November 28, 2017}}</ref> In an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'' (1984), Walter "Radar" O'Reilly joins the [[St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department|St. Louis police force]] after his farm fails following his return to the U.S.

''Making M*A*S*H'', a documentary special narrated by [[Mary Tyler Moore]] that takes viewers behind the production of the season 8 episodes "Old Soldiers" and "Lend a Hand", was produced for [[PBS]], and aired on January 21, 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mash4077tv.com/articles/makingmash/ |title=MASH4077TV.com |access-date=November 4, 2013 |date=January 2, 2005 |publisher=MASH4077tv.com}}</ref>

Three retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th, 30th and 50th anniversaries:
* ''Memories of M*A*S*H'', hosted by [[Shelley Long]] and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, was aired by CBS on November 25, 1991.
* ''M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion'', in which the surviving cast members and producers gathered to reminisce, aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] on May 17, 2002. The two-hour broadcast was hosted by Mike Farrell, who also got to interact with the actor he replaced, Wayne Rogers; previously filmed interviews with McLean Stevenson and Larry Linville (who had died in 1996 and 2000, respectively,) were also featured.
* ''M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever'', a one-hour retrospective commemorating the show's 50th anniversary, aired on [[Reelz]] on September 13, 2022. It featured new exclusive interviews with cast members Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell and Jeff Maxwell, as well as producers and writers, exploring the series' popularity and creative firsts.

''Memories of M*A*S*H'' and ''M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion'' are included as bonuses on the Collector's Edition DVD of "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen". Also included is "M*A*S*H: Television's Serious Sitcom," a 2002 episode of [[A&E (TV network)|A&E]] channel's ''[[Biography (TV program)|Biography]]'' program that detailed the show's history.

In the late 1980s, the cast had a partial reunion in a series of [[Television advertisement|commercials]] for [[IBM]] products, including personal computers and the [[IBM AS/400|AS/400]] system. All of the front-billed regulars (with the exceptions of Farrell and Stevenson) appeared in the spots over time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wollenberg|first=Skip|date=April 3, 1987|title=IBM Ads Reunite Seven 'MASH' Actors|url=https://apnews.com/article/ba3973d3dbe02d4aa66da319ec18d700|access-date=November 28, 2021|website=APNews.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=June 22, 1988|title=Alda Reunited with Other Ex-M-A-S-H Stars in New IBM Ads|url=https://apnews.com/article/f2b2a315b7555275ab9da44d5dbd1cc2|access-date=November 28, 2021|website=APNews.com}}</ref>

==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|Television}}
*{{Portal-inline|United States}}

==References==
'''Informational notes'''
{{Notelist-ua}}

'''Citations'''
{{Reflist}}

'''Further reading'''
* Gelbart, Larry. (1998). ''Laughing Matters: On Writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie, Oh, God! and a Few Other Funny Things.'' New York: Random House. {{ISBN|0-679-42945-X}}.
* Kalter, Suzy. (1985). ''The Complete Book of M*A*S*H.'' New York: Harry N. Abrams. {{ISBN|0-810-91319-4}}.
* Reiss, David S. (1983). ''M*A*S*H: The Exclusive, Inside Story of TV's Most Popular Show'' (2nd ed.). New York: MacMillan. {{ISBN|0-672-52762-6}}.
* Solomonson, Ed, and Mark O'Neill. (2009). ''TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book.'' Albany, GA: BearManor Media. {{ISBN|1-593-93501-3}}.
* Wittebols, James. (1998). ''Watching M*A*S*H, Watching America: A Social History of the 1972–1983 Television Series.'' Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. {{ISBN|0-786-40457-4}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|M*A*S*H (TV series)}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0068098|M*A*S*H}}
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060923041249/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm ''M*A*S*H'' in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?um=1&tab=wl&client=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=en&q=34%2005%2747.43%22%20N%20118%2044%2739.39%22%20W Google Maps view of the camp]

{{MASH}}
{{M*A*S*H episodes}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by M*A*S*H (TV series)|Awards for ''M*A*S*H'']]
|list = 
{{EmmyAward ComedySeries 1952-1975}}
{{GoldenGlobeTVComedy 1969-1989}}
{{TCA Heritage Award}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

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