M*A*S*H Trivia That Fans Want To Know
Fans couldn't get enough of M*A*S*H, the TV series that aired on CBS for an incredible eleven seasons. Based on real-life events of the Korean War, the show had a dedicated fan base and won several awards for its characters, plot lines, and depiction of military life during the war. The show also boosted the careers of actors like Alan Alda. There's a lot that went on behind the scenes of the show that even the biggest M*A*S*H fans are not aware of. Did you know that there was an episode that never aired? Or why the show eventually ended? Take a look back at M*A*S*H.
Two Of The Lead Actors Served in Korea
Alan Alda was a perfect fit for the role of Captain Hawkeye Pierce. A veteran himself, Alda enlisted in the military after graduating from Fordham University. Like many men his age at the time, Alda served in the Army Reserve and was even stationed in Korea, although not during the Korean War.
Actor Jamie Farr, who played Corporal Klinger, also had military experience under his belt before joining the cast. Having actors who experienced military life first-hand increased the show's authenticity.
A Bad Time Slot Led to Poor Ratings
You may be surprised to learn that in the beginning, M*A*S*H wasn't considered to be a successful TV show. Viewership ratings tanked during the airing of the first season, and CBS network began to believe that people couldn't relate to the show. However, before deciding to cancel, the network tested moving the show into a different time slot first.
Once the network began airing the show on Saturday nights, between All In The Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, ratings greatly improved.
Klinger Was Only Supposed To Appear In One Episode
Surprisingly, Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, played by Jamie Farr, was originally supposed to appear for only one episode of M*A*S*H. Cast as the token gay character, Farr's acting led writers to decide to keep him on the show as a reoccurring character.
Klinger was constantly scheming and cross-dressing, which added comic relief to the series that covered some heavy topics. The writers had originally planned on having Klinger attempt to get out of the military by failing a psych exam.
Writers Used Baseball Players Names For Patients
Many of the characters of the cast of M*A*S*H are based on real people. You may notice that during the sixth and seventh seasons, many of the patient's names were baseball players from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels.
Occasionally, actors requested that particular names are inserted for minor roles. For example, actor Mike Farrell asked that his character's daughter's name be the same as his daughter in real life, Erin.
Alan Alda Commuted From New Jersey to Los Angeles
Actor Alan Alda wasn't sure how long they would be filming the show for, he made the decision not to move his family from New Jersey to California. So at the end of every week, Alda jumped on a plane and headed home to his family in New Jersey.
At the time, Alda had no idea how successful his acting career would become. He went on to work with Woody Allen in Manhattan Murder Mystery and starred in The West Wing, 30 Rock, Horace and Pete, and Blacklist. Alda's talent for acting earned him 21 Emmy Award nominations, six of which he took home, along with a Golden Globe Award.
Real-Life Inspiration
Writers made sure to make the show as realistic as possible, especially with the details of the military life in Korea. They met with military patients and doctors whose stories helped create the scenes in the show. Some of the details were too gruesome to air and were left out of the script.
In fact, the producers regularly censored scenes that, at the time, would be too controversial to air on television.
CBS Receives 1,000 Complaint Letters From Fans
Colonel Henry Blake was a fan favorite on the show. When actor McLean Stevenson decided that he was leaving the show, writers needed to find a way to write out his character. They decided that the 72nd episode would be Blake's last appearance on the show.
In the episode, Blake is honorably discharged. However, writers decided to include a plot twist... After Colonel Henry Blake says farewell and leaves the base, Radar announces that his transport plane was shot down and that Blake didn't survive the crash. Fans were furious that the character was killed off in this fashion and CBS received over 1,000 complaint letters about the outcome.
Don't Anger The Writers...
As mentioned, sometimes the writers would submit to the actors' requests, and throw in a choice name or element to a scene. Other times, however, feedback from the cast was not appreciated. Actors would often leave the writers notes, and over time, the writers became fed up with all of the requests from the actors.
To get back at the cast, the writers wrote a scene where the actors wore heavy parkas, pretending to be cold in the middle of winter. They made sure that the scene was filmed on a hot summer day in Southern California.
They Forgot to Have Wayne Rogers Sign a Contract
Actor Wayne Rogers initially auditioned to play the role of Hawkeye Pierce. Once he studied the role more, Rogers decided the character was too gruff for him and wanted to play Trapper instead. After reading the part, producers agreed and cast Rogers as Trapper.
When the actor was ready to leave M*A*S*H, producers said he would be in violation of his contract. As it turned out, Rogers had never signed a contract at all! After leaving the show, he became a producer and director and even launched his own stock investment corporation.
They Didn't Think Much About The Nurses
While it was necessary to include nurses on M*A*S*H, the writers didn't put much thought into it. None of the actresses played key parts, and so the writers gave them bland names that they even changed throughout the series.
One actress, Kellye Nakahara, was given several different character names while playing a nurse on the show. It wasn't until much later that she was eventually given a speaking part, a scene in which she argues with Hawkeye.
Yes, There Are Some Historical Inaccuracies
While M*A*S*H creators worked hard to make sure the television series was as historically accurate as possible, they had to make a few exceptions. The actors found the proper military boots to be terribly uncomfortable and too noisy for the cameras. Many of them opted to wear sneakers, instead, which the cameramen tried to avoid showing.
There were also items in the scenes that weren't yet invented during the time period the show takes place in. This includes aluminum cans and candy bars with UPC codes.
The Reason The Show Ended Probably Isn't What You Think
It's hard to imagine making the call to end filming of one of the most successful television series of all time. After eleven seasons, the cast and crew of M*A*S*H gathered together to discuss the future of the show. Did they all want to continue filming, or wrap it up?
In the meeting, some of the actors and writers wanted to stay on, while others wanted to leave. The result: M*A*S*H ended and those who wanted to continue on joined the spin-off shows.
Two Actors Playing The Same Role Met The Same Fate
Two different actors played the role of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake; McLean Stevenson played Blake int he TV series, while Roger Bowen played Blake in the 1970 M*A*S*H film. Stevenson left M*A*S*H pursue other acting opportunities, which didn't end up working out in his favor.
Sadly, Stevenson passed away from a heart attack in 1996. Strangely enough, Bowen also died of a heart attack that same year, only one day apart from Stevenson.
The $14K M*A*S*H Teddy Bear
A teddy bear that was found on the set of Fox Ranch found its way into more than a few episodes of M*A*S*H. The bear became Radar's, and he often slept with it. After the last episode of the show, the bear was on display at the Smithsonian before going to auction.
The starting bid for the M*A*S*H teddy was $500. It ended up going to the highest bidder at $14K! The new owner was also given a letter of authenticity from Gary Burghoff.
106 Million Viewers Watched The Finale
Although it took two seasons for M*A*S*H to become a hit, the show would go on to make television history. The series went on for eleven seasons, airing its final episode on February 28, 1983. On that day, over 106 million viewers tuned in, which broke the TV viewership record previously held by the Super Bowl.
Actor Alan Alda directed the final episode, titled "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" which lasted two and a half hours. The majority of the episode was filmed indoors, as their outdoor set had been severely damaged by wildfire. Writers wrote the fire into the script.
There Were Many Spin-offs
After the final episode aired, viewers were craving more of M*A*S*H. Writers decided to create a few spin-offs of the series to keep their fans entertained. The character of Trapper John, M.D. received his own self-titled show, as Chief of Surgery in a hospital in San Francisco. The series aired for seven seasons.
Two spin-offs that weren't successful are W*A*L*T*E*R, centered around Radar's character becoming a police officer, and AfterMASH, which included actors Harry Morgan, William Christopher, and Jamie Farr.
An Episode That Was Deemed "Unpatriotic" Never Aired
Eleven seasons of M*A*S*H were filmed and only one episode was never aired. The network denied one of the M*A*S*H episodes because they believed it was unpatriotic. In the episode, soldiers are given a chance to line up in a request to go back to the United States.
CBS network executives thought that the storyline was disrespectful to the soldiers who were serving and unpatriotic. There were many different held beliefs on war at the time, and CBS wanted to steer away from anything that would be viewed as controversial.
Where Gary Burghoff Is Now
Gary Burghoff's spin-off show as Radar didn't work out, and the actor ended up pursuing a career in music and art after it ended. Burghoff played drums in a band called The Relatives, through which he met Lynda Carter. The two become good friends and Burghoff even appeared on Wonder Woman in a guest role.
Burghoff also took up painting, wildlife in particular, as he's always been fond of animals.
The Wedding Dress Was Worn Three Times On The Show
Do you remember the wedding dress that Klinger wore? As it turns out, the wedding dress appears three different times during the show's eleven seasons. The first time, it was worn by Klinger when he married Laverne Esposito.
The second time the dress appeared was when Margret Houlihan wore it when she married Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot. Finally, Soon Lee wore it when she married Klinger. The wedding dress got more use than most!
Actress Kellye Nakahara Passes Away
On February 16, 2020, actress Kellye Nakahara passed away after battling cancer. She was 72 years old. In a statement, her son said that "[s]he died in her home peacefully with her family and her closest friends."
After M*A*S*H, Nakahara went on to act in films including Black Day Blue Night, She's Having A Baby, and Clue. Here, Nakahara is pictured with Loretta Swit at the 7th Annual TV Land Awards in 2009.
Viewers In The UK Didn't Like The Laugh Track
Although the series' creators didn't want a laugh track, CBS initially insisted on it. The laugh track was toned down in later seasons and completely left out of all international broadcasts.
That is, all but one international airing of the show. In the UK, BBC2 inadvertently played an episode that included the fake laughter -- and its viewers hated it. One DVD critic later said, "canned laughter is intrusive at the best of times, but with a [program] like M*A*S*H, it's downright unbearable."
Two Sets, One Series
Filming of M*A*S*H took place at two different locations. One was in the Malibu area surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains, which isn't far from Hollywood. This set was used for shooting scenes outside, as well as in the tents.
The other filming location is at Fox studios. This is where the crew would film the majority of the indoor scenes. When it didn't make sense to bring everyone back to Malibu for a couple of scenes, they went ahead and shot the outdoor scenes at Fox, too.
Klinger's Tactics Were Inspired By Real Events
Like many details and aspects of the TV series, Klinger's tactics in order to be discharged from the military were similar to what many young men were doing at the time. They knew that if they wore women's clothing there was a good chance that they would be disqualified from serving.
A dishonorable discharge isn't something to be desired, but for some military personnel, it was a valid option that would prevent them from going to war.
The TV Series Was Based on a Book
After serving in the military during the Korean War, Richard Hooker wrote, MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors based on his experiences. The well-written book was then turned into the television script we all know and love.
In fact, just four years after Hooker's book was published, the story was brought to life on-screen. Although the book didn't have a storyline that would last across eleven seasons of television programming, the characters and setting had enough depth to entertainment viewers for years.
Nobody Liked the Laugh Track, But It Was Mandatory
We've mentioned that UK audiences weren't a fan of M*A*S*H having a laugh track in the background. Well, it turns out that the actors and the producers didn't want to use the laugh track either.
In the beginning, CBS made it mandatory for the show to use a laugh track. They thought that maybe viewers would know that it was intended to be a comedy, as the show held some dark topics about war. Co-creator Larry Gelbart said, "I always thought it cheapened the show. The network got their way. They were paying for dinner."
The Korean Actors Weren't Korean
When casting extras and minor role characters, M*A*S*H producers struggled to find enough Korean actors to play the roles they needed. So, they ended up casting actors of various Asian backgrounds.
There was a Chinese-American actor, a Japanese actress, and a Japanese American actor. In fact, there was only one actor who was actually Korean that appeared on the show. Hollywood has come a long way in terms of diversity since the late '70s.
Harry Morgan Placed a Photo of His Wife on Colonel Potter's Desk
If you look closely, actor Harry Morgan snuck a photo of his wife onto the set. The actor who played Colonel Potter absolutely loved his role and took the time to create the character and think about how he would live his life during the Korean War.
One day, he showed up to the set with a photo of "Potter's wife" which was actually his real-life wife, Eileen. Morgan displayed the photo on Potter's desk to add authenticity.
David Ogden Stiers Was The Second To Play Winchester
David Ogden Stiers first appeared on M*A*S*H in season six, 1978. He stepped in to play the role of Major Charles Merson Winchester III after actor Frank Burns left the cast. He kept many of the characteristics that Burns had portrayed but was generally more kind and friendly than his character was in previous seasons.
Bunkmates with Hawkeye and BJ, Winchester was known for his funny antics and pranks. After the Korean War ended, Winchester went home to work in a hospital in Boston. Stiers passed away at the age of 75 on March 3, 2018.
The Creator and Filmmaker Weren't Fans of the TV Show
Screenwriter Larry Gelbart wrote the pilot for M*A*S*H in just two days time and was paid $25,000 for the script. Gelbart wrote the pilot episode off the 1968 book, MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors written by Richard Hooker.
However, Hooker wasn't a fan of the TV series and neither was Robert Altman, who had previously made MASH the movie in 1970. Altman criticized the TV series, saying it "softened the anti-war and anti-authoritarian spirit of the movie."
Alan Alda Achieved the Triple Threat: Writer, Director, Actor
As the TV series progressed, Alan Alda became more involved with the show's creation. In total, Alda wrote the script for thirteen episodes of M*A*S*H and directed 31 episodes. Not only was Alda an instrumental part of M*A*S*H's success, but he was making history in the entertainment industry, too.
For his work on the TV show, Alda became the first person to receive an Emmy award for the triple threat of writing, directing, and acting on the same show. It's quite a feat!
The Show Set a Record for TV Advertising
When the show first started, advertising costs were $30,000, and that was pretty steep, considering the time slot and viewership that it had while airing on CBS at the time. After the network moved the show over to the Saturday evening time slot, viewership greatly increased and it became one of the most popular television shows in history.
By the time the show was in its eleventh season, advertising on the show had increased to $450,000, setting the record for TV advertising in 1983.
A Time Capsule From An Episode Was Found By A Construction Worker
In the episode "As Time Goes By", the characters bury a time capsule at their military medical unit in Korea. After filming the episode, the cast of M*A*S*H was inspired to create and bury a time capsule of their own.
Alda said, "We all thought it would be fun to do our own time capsule and each of us put a keepsake related to the character we played into a medicine chest with a red cross on it." The land they filmed on and buried the capsule was sold and a construction worker dug up the capsule two months later.
Trapper John
Comedian and actor Robert Klein was tapped to join the cast of M*A*S*H and play the role of Trapper John. Klein decided that he wanted to remain focused on comedy, and turned down the opportunity.
Actor Wayne Rogers p[layed Captain Trapper John McIntyre for the first three seasons. Klein went on to become a widely successful stand-up comedian, actor and musical artist, including winning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1979.
Easter Egg: The Hat
Easter eggs in TV shows and films are purposefully placed hints and references to something else, for viewers to catch. One of the Easter eggs that you can spot in M*A*S*H is the hat that actor Alan Alda is wearing in the opening credits of the show.
This is the only instance that you see Alda wearing the hat, which is the same hat worn by actor Donald Sutherland in M*A*S*H the film.
The Finale Episode Wasn't the Last to be Filmed
Oddly enough, the director and producers decided to film the finale of M*A*S*H and then film the second-to-last episode, "The Time Capsule". Imagine how high the emotions were running on the set as the cast played out the last scenes of their characters.
After years of filming together, the show was coming to a close. Unfortunately, after the finale, the actors had to regroup and return to the set to film another episode.
Gelbart Was Living in the UK When He Wrote the Pilot
M*A*S*H was the first military TV drama of its kind and it took viewers a little while to warm up to the idea. Although many people across generations and countries were familiar with the effects of war, it wasn't presented on the screen in this fashion, yet.
When Gelbart wrote the pilot episode, he was living in the United Kingdom at the time and wasn't experienced in the ways of Hollywood. However, viewership increased and Americans embraced the characters and show.
A Few Guest Stars Went on to Make It Big
The core cast of M*A*S*H weren't the only ones to make it big after appearing on the show. Several of the guest stars went on to become big names, too. Actor John Ritter played the part of a recovering soldier in treatment who snaps and ends up taking a hostage.
Other stars who appeared on the show include Laurence Fishburne, who plays a racist commander, and Patrick Swayze, who appeared as a terminally ill patient.
Hawkeye Refused to Carry a Gun
Hawkeye was a surgeon who didn't like guns. Although Colonel Potter begged Hawkeye to carry a pistol on him when he went to provide aid to soldiers he adamantly refused.
The writers of M*A*S*H were known to base their characters off of real people, so it's fair to assume that Hawkeye's rare and possibly controversial outlook on guns was inspired by someone who was serving in the military. Luckily for him, Hawkeye was a surgeon and not on the front lines.
Captain Tuttle Receives a Credit
We've mentioned the Easter egg included in the opening credits of the TV series (the hat) but there's also one in the closing credits that most fans probably missed. Captain Tuttle is a figment of Hawkeye's imagination that viewers never get to hear or see.
The producers must have thought it would be funny to include Captain Tuttle in the credits, however, because there he is. He might just be one of the most famous imaginary people in the history of entertainment.
Another Inaccuracy: Multiple Purple Hearts
When a member of the military is injured in action, they are awarded a Purple Heart medal. It's an honor to receive one as recognition of a soldier's sacrifice. The military rule also includes that each soldier is only eligible to receive one Purple Heart.
After the first Purple Heart, if a soldier is again wounded, they're given an oak leaf cluster to adorn the Purple Heart medal. In M*A*S*H, soldiers are repeatedly awarded the Purple Heart medal.
Gary Burghoff Has Beef With TV Columnist Mike Drew
After filming the television series for eight seasons, actor Gary Burghoff decided that he wanted to leave M*A*S*H in order to spend more time with his family. Actor Mike Farrell tried to convince Burghoff to stay on the show and continue filming, but his mind was made up.
TV Columnist Mike Drew tried to stir the pot and throw Burghoff under the bus by writing that "No castmates cried much over the departure of Burghoff." Burghoff returned with, "While there may not have been tears shed by my cast members over my leaving the show, they did know- and still do- of my contribution."
