M*A*S*H (TV series)
M*A*S*H is an American television sitcom made by Larry Gelbart about doctors in a mobile . It was inspired by MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. It stars Alan Alda as the main character. It was very popular, lasting 11 seasons, and having one of the most viewed series finales in television history.
| M*A*S*H | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | Larry Gelbart |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Johnny Mandel (written for the movie) |
| Opening theme | "Suicide Is Painless" (Instrumental) |
| Ending theme | "Suicide Is Painless" (Big Band Version) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 11 |
| No. of episodes | 256 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production locations | Los Angeles County, California (Century City, Malibu Creek State Park) |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 25-26 minutes; except "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" (2 hours) |
| Production company | 20th Century Fox Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 17, 1972 – February 28, 1983 |
| Related | |
| Trapper John, M.D. | |
Summary
changeM*A*S*H is about a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. It stars Hawkeye Pierce, an American surgeon who dislikes the war and makes a lot of jokes.
Cast
changeThere have been a strong cast of characters through the show's life. The only four people who appeared from the first episode to the last are Alan Alda and Loretta Swit. William Christopher's character, Father Mulcahy appeared in the first episode but was played by George Morgan. William Christopher took over the role for the rest of the series.
| Character | Actor/Actress | Rank | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce | Alan Alda | Captain | Chief surgeon |
| John Patrick Francis Mulcahy | George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by William Christopher | 1st Lieutenant, later Captain |
Chaplain |
| Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (O'Houlihan in the film) | Loretta Swit | Major | Head nurse |
| Maxwell Q. Klinger | Jamie Farr | Corporal, later Sergeant |
Medic/Orderly, later Company Clerk |
| 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, also known as "Ferrett Face" (Seasons 1-5) |
Larry Linville | Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen) |
Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer (following the discharge of Henry Blake) |
| Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly (Seasons 1-7) |
Gary Burghoff | Corporal | Company Clerk, Bugler |
| B. J. Hunnicutt (replaced Trapper; Seasons 4-11) |
Mike Farrell | Captain | Surgeon |
| Sherman T. Potter (replaced Henry Blake; Seasons 4-11) |
Harry Morgan | Colonel | Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) |
| Charles Emerson Winchester III (replaced Frank Burns; Seasons 6-11) |
David Ogden Stiers | Major | Surgeon |
"Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"
change"Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" is the series finale. It was aired on February 28, 1983, and is two and a half hours long. Nearly 106 million Americans watched it, which was 77% of the people watching TV at the time. It is the most watched episode of any show in American history.