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September 2, 2022 9:12 am  #1


50 Years Of M*A*S*H*: The 10 Things You Never Knew About The TV Series

It's hard to imagine it's been 50 years since Alan Alda and company took up the M*A*S*H* mantle on CBS, and many of us have been watching the reruns ever since. It's one of those few perennial series so well made that it stands the test of time no matter how many times you've seen each episode. 

In honour of its half a century on television, Parade Magazine takes a look at the 10 things you may never have known about the classic series. 

The Magic of 'M*A*S*H': 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Iconic Series

Just one note - the mention of the army boots. There's a very famous and terrific episode in which Hawkeye goes on a trading binge to try to get a new pair of army boots when he gets holes in his old ones. So in that script, at least, the boots were a huge part of the story. 

 

September 2, 2022 10:16 am  #2


Re: 50 Years Of M*A*S*H*: The 10 Things You Never Knew About The TV Series

I loved reading this article and instantly flashed back to Radar walking into the operating room and telling them about Henry's plane going down. Bawled my eyes out every time I watched the episode.
Going to find a way to rewatch the whole series in chronological order.
Also just realized I was only eleven years old when I first read the original book. Finest kind. ;)
Thanks for posting it RA.

Last edited by betaylored (September 2, 2022 10:18 am)

 

September 2, 2022 10:28 am  #3


Re: 50 Years Of M*A*S*H*: The 10 Things You Never Knew About The TV Series

I think everyone has a personal favourite episode. My late best friend from high school and I used to rush home every weekday after class and watch the reruns on CBS, which showed them weekdays at 3:30 PM. The April Fool's episode, in which a martinet of a commanding officer and an old friend of Potter's, comes in and lays down the law to the misfit surgeons, may top my list. 

They, of course, can't resist disobeying and rebelling against the spit and polish General, and he winds having a heart attack. Of course, it was all a scam set up by Col. Potter and his friend, and they got the last laugh. If memory serves it's also the episode that features a chopper pilot who carries a dummy to help with the weight of the aircraft. 

At one point, an enraged Margaret rips off one of its limbs and starts whaling away on Hawkeye. To which he utters my favourite line. "Margaret, I'm unarmed!"

It's one those few series that's rewatchable over and over and over to this day. 

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September 2, 2022 10:34 am  #4


Re: 50 Years Of M*A*S*H*: The 10 Things You Never Knew About The TV Series

And here's one last memory - the beginning and the end: the TV Guide Fall preview of the M*A*S*H* debut in 1972 (interesting to see all the characters and actors that didn't survive in the series, including George Morgan, who played Father Mulcahy in the pilot, before being replaced by William Christopher) and the listing of the finale, Goodbye Farewell & Amen from Feb. 28, 1983, the highest rated TV series ending in the medium's history. 


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September 2, 2022 7:07 pm  #5


Re: 50 Years Of M*A*S*H*: The 10 Things You Never Knew About The TV Series

I'd often heard that the cast of M*A*S*H* became quite close over the years, but there was one exception. No one, it seemed, liked having to deal with Gary Burghoff, who played Radar O'Reilly and was the only actor who came over from the original movie.

I'd heard about this over the years, but had no idea if it was true or not, until I came across a TV Guide article from 1983 about the final show.

And it appears they didn't just dislike Burghoff - they outright hated him! Here's the relevant passage:

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September 2, 2022 9:02 pm  #6


Re: 50 Years Of M*A*S*H*: The 10 Things You Never Knew About The TV Series

in its 11 years on the air, MASH finished in the top 10 nine times, six of them in the top 5. Its highest Neilsen ranking was #3 in its final season.