MAS*H

Start date: 1972 Country of Origin: USA Genre: drama, comedy Director: Producer: Writer: Cast: Richard Hooker, Larry Gelbart Quirky Quote: Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr, William Christopher , Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, Gary Burghoff, Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell, David Ogden Stiers

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M*A*S*H is an enduringly popular American television comedy/drama based on director Robert Altman’s 1970 film of the same name, which is in turn based on Richard Hooker’s 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. Set during the Korean War, the program was produced between 1972 and 1982, giving it the curious distinction of running for longer than the war itself.

The show was centred on the daily lives of the staff of the fictional 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean war. Alan Alda starred as the wise-cracking Captain Benjamin “Hawekeye” Pierce who, along with fellow surgeon and friend “Trapper” John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), used humour and practical jokes as a way to cope with the bleak circumstances of the war. Hawkeye’s efforts were often frustrated by the higher ranking officers at the hospital such as Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houllahan (Lorreta Swit).

Although originally relying heavily on standard sit-com humour, the program became more serious during the course of its ten-year run, and incorporated elements of drama and social commentary. In particular, the show carried a strong anti-war message, and this is especially apparent in episodes written and directed by Alda itself.

Living on around the world in syndicated re-runs, the program is fondly regarded for its strong supporting characters, who offered both comic relief and dramatic tension. These included Gary Burghoff as “Radar” O’Reilly, Jamie Farr as the cross-dressing Corporal Klinger, and Mike Farrell as B.J. Hunnicutt, who was brought in to replace Trapper John after the show’s third season. It is also remembered for its theme music, an instrumental version of the film’s theme song “Suicide Is Painless”, which is to this day one of the most recognisable in television history.