| Spanning an amazing 11 seasons, (1972-1983) M*A*S*H was an incredible show that took another look at what war was. Staying away from romanticizing or glorifying war or using it as a backing for slapstick comedy, M*A*S*H explored war and all of its horrors. Using the seriousness of death and destruction as a foundation, the doctors of the fictional 4077th MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) had to make jokes to keep their sanity. M*A*S*H started as a novel written by Richard Hooker and was made into a FOX movie starring Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerrit, and Robert Duvall that made a feirce anti-Vietnam statement. Although it was supposed to take place in Korea, the actors never mention Korea once in their dialog and, until the final cut of the movie, the word Korea never even showed up. It was obvious that the movie was supposed to be about Vietnam. Since the movie had been such a great success, William Self, the president of Fox studios wanted to turn the movie into a television series. The Pilot aired in September of 1972 to dismal ratings and disappointing reviews. But the cast and crew knew that M*A*S*H could make it and kept on filming, sometimes up to thirteen hours a day, first on Sound Stage 9 then outdoor shots on the Fox Ranch in Southern California. The show didn't hit its stride until an episode called "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" aired. That particular episode had a well-liked character die on the operating table. It was there that the cast, crew, and writing staff realized what they could do to change television. They tackled not only controversial wartime issues but social issues as well: violence, adultery, amputation, derangement, impotence, homosexuality, transvestism, and interratial marriage. Eleven years and 251 episodes later, the world had to say goodbye to M*A*S*H. The final episode was watched by over 125 million viewers, more than half of the population of the U.S. But M*A*S*H never really left. The show spawned a mess of products: T-Shirts, clothing, games, toys, pajamas, posters, calendars, and many more. Re-runs of M*A*S*H can be seen regularly on Fox channels and the children of M*A*S*H's original audience discover and fall in love with the characters just like their parents did. |
| M*A*S*H |