ENDED TV SERIES

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This series follows the adventures of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M*A*S*H) stationed in Uijeongbu, South Korea during the Korean War. It is loosely based on the historic 8055th MASH unit and draws on the experience of real MASH surgeons.  

Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce (Alan Alda) – Captain Pierce, or “Hawkeye” as he’s known around the hospital, is the Chief Surgeon. His nickname was bestowed on him by his father, Dr Daniel Pierce, a physician practicing in Crabapple Cove, Maine. It came from the novel The Last of the Mohicans – according to Hawkeye, the only book his father ever read. Hawkeye has fond memories of the place he grew up, talking about it often and always with a dreamy smile. He is the most skilled of the unit’s doctors, outclassing those more senior to him. He spends his time off with women and drinking too much, and no-one is safe from his pranks. The soldiers in his care are his primary concern, and he has no patience with red tape or what he calls “Regular Army clowns”. Despite his disdain for the Army, on the rare occasions when the colonel is away or ill, it is Hawkeye who takes temporary command.

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Captain John Francis Xavier McIntyre (Wayne Rogers) – Captain McIntyre – or Trapper, as he’s known, is another surgeon and Hawkeye’s best friend. He got his nickname after being caught having sex in a bathroom aboard a train; the woman he was with said, “He trapped me”! Like Hawkeye, Trapper likes to play pranks, drink heavily and chase women (despite being married with two daughters). He too is an excellent surgeon, and is the perfect foil for Hawkeye’s particular brand of humor.

Captain B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) – B.J. replaces Trapper, who is sent home at the end of the third season (Wayne Rogers had chosen to leave the show). He arrives at Seoul’s Kimpo Air Base at the beginning of season 4, fresh out of residency. After meeting Hawkeye for the first time when he and Radar (Gary Burghoff) pick him up, it isn’t long before the two men are drunk as skunks. When B.J. finally reports to the acting commander Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville), his first words are “What say you, Ferret Face?” He then collapses and Hawkeye laughs hysterically before following suit. But while B.J., Trapper and Hawkeye all have a lot in common, B.J. isn’t a carbon copy of his predecessor: while he too is married – to a woman named Peg who writes him a great many letters – he takes his vows seriously and often offers a voice of reason when Hawkeye is going off the rails. B.J.’s character develops over the series and by the final episodes he is not quite as calm or happy-go-lucky as his younger self. But throughout it all, he remains a decent guy who can’t wait to get back to his wife and baby when the war is over.

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Lieutenant Colonel Henry Braymore Blake (McLean Stevenson) – Henry is a reservist who has been called to active duty. He’s from Bloomington, Illinois, where he has his own practice, a wife, Lorraine, (played by Kathleen Hughes in a home movie), a son, Andrew and two daughters, Molly and Janie. His choice of sweaters and coffee mug confirm that he attended the University of Illinois. A good surgeon, Henry is a laid back commanding officer, which most – though not all – of the men and women under his charge find refreshing. The exceptions are Major Frank Burns and Major Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit). Henry usually spends his time off found hanging out at Rosie’s Bar, drinking with the rest of the guys or in the arms of a woman.

Colonel Sherman Thomas Potter (Harry Morgan) – Colonel Potter arrives at the beginning of season 4, after Henry Blake is discharged. Colonel Potter is more a typical Regular Army man and at first no-one – least of all Radar – is sure what to make of him. But although he knows when to put his foot down, Potter also realizes the importance of morale, drinking with Hawkeye and B.J. and even showing them how to improve their moonshine. In one of his early appearances, we get to see his softer side. It’s Potter’s wedding anniversary, and Burns and Houlihan try to give him the perfect present, a wooden bust of himself. Radar though, comes up trumps, giving the colonel a horse he has recently acquired. A former cavalry man, Potter is almost brought to tears by the gift.

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Major Franklin Delano Marion Burns, (Larry Linville) – Frank is an inadequate surgeon and a miserable human being. Married to Louise, he has an ongoing affair with Margaret Houlihan, a woman who should be out of his league. They have one thing in common: a high regard for military discipline. To the guys in the “swamp” (the tent in which Hawkeye and the rest of the surgeons reside), this is a source of endless amusement. With the exception of Margaret, no one really talks to Frank unless they have to. He took twice as long as anyone else to finish medical school, flunking out of two schools in the process and only finishing because he bought the answers to the final exam in the first year. Later, when Margaret gets married, he has a nervous breakdown and is never seen again. (Linville, though offered an extension for two more years after his contract expired, declined). He is replaced by Major Charles Emerson Winchester (David Ogden Stiers).

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Major Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit) – Head nurse Major Houlihan is known to everyone as “Hot Lips”. The nickname was born from a scene in the M*A*S*H movie, where Houlihan (played by Sally Kellerman) is having sex with Frank unaware that someone has put the public address microphone underneath their cot. As a result, everyone in the camp hears her utter the immortal words, “Frank, kiss my hot lips”. Her character was based on a real-life Korean War MASH head nurse by the name of Janie Hall, who contributed many stories to the character. Margaret grew up an “army brat”, and her father, Col. Alvin ‘Howitzer’ Houlihan, (Andrew Duggan) was her role model. She believes in military discipline and doing things by the book – and in this respect alone she finds a kindred spirit in the odious Frank Burns. Later, she begins to relax and bond with her nurses, who are grateful that she takes on any officers or surgeons who fail to treat nurses with respect.

Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers) – Brought in to replace Frank Burns, Winchester is a top class surgeon – and he knows it. When he first arrives at the 4077th, he is appalled at the conditions; it’s a far cry from Tokyo General, where he was previously stationed. Having been assured that he’ll only be there for 48 hours, little does he realize that commanding officer Colonel Horace Baldwin (Robert Symonds) has sent him there to settle a grudge. Baldwin owes Winchester $672.17 in cribbage debts, but the losses are nothing in comparison to Winchester’s crowing about his victory. A permanent posting at the 4077th is to be his punishment. It’s a hard transition, but eventually Winchester adjusts to what he calls “meatball surgery” and, although he tries to conceal it, now and again his human side is revealed; he even has a few drinks with Hawkeye and B.J. Winchester’s letters reveal that he’s particularly close to his sister, Honoria, who still lives with his parents on Beacon Hill in Boston, and when life is hard he finds refuge in his love of classical music.

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Corporal Walter Eugene O’Reilly (Gary Burghoff) – Corporal O’Reilly, known to everyone as “Radar”, gained his nickname from his apparent ability to read people’s minds and predict the future. He tends to appear out of nowhere at his commanding officer’s side when he’s needed, and can hear a helicopter before anyone else knows it’s coming. Sly and sophisticated at the beginning of the first season, Radar is later portrayed as naive farm boy. He rarely drinks, doesn’t chase women and often talks fondly of his mother and Uncle Ed. Radar can always be counted on to get the job done, even when it looks like the odds are stacked against him.

1st Lieutenant Francis John Patrick Mulcahy (William Christopher) – Lieutenant Mulcahy is the camp chaplain, and referred to as Father Mulcahy by everyone. Though a man of the cloth he does a little boxing on the side, the legacy of a former mentor in Jesuit school who said that boxing builds character. He is respected by religious and non-religious alike, though he often ponders whether his role is important compared to the doctors’ ability to save lives. When given the chance to offer extra assistance, he is quick to volunteer. He often speaks affectionately of his sister, who is a Catholic nun.

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Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger (Jamie Farr) – Klinger is a Lebanese-American from Toledo, Ohio (like Farr himself). Klinger’s goal is to get out of the army on a Section 8 psychiatric discharge. Wearing women’s clothing is his preferred method of faking insanity, although on occasion he tries other stunts. But no matter how badly he wants out of the army, he never puts anything above his duties. He is a great supporter of his hometown’s minor league baseball team, The Toledo Mud Hens, the Toledo restaurant Tony Paco’s, and Toledo itself. After Radar is sent home on a hardship discharge, Klinger is given his job and begins to dress more like a company clerk. He loves his family and holds his mother in especially high esteem. Worried about her reaction if she finds out he is stationed in Korea, he instead tells her he’s been sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, where he did his training. He includes a photo from his time there with every letter he sends home. Later in the series he finds she knew the truth all along but didn’t want to worry him.

A number of other characters made recurring appearances throughout the show’s 11 seasons. The most well-known included Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus), the psychiatrist; Igor (Jeff Maxwell), who usually served food; Nurse Kellye (Kellye Nakahara); Rizzo (G.W. Bailey), who worked in the motor pool; and Colonel Flagg (Edward Winter).

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Main Cast

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Additional Cast

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Trivia

The song at the beginning of the show is an instrumental of Suicide is Painless, the theme song from the movie.

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The M*A*S*H series finale drew the biggest audience of any finale of a television series in U.S. history. The day the show was aired, the New York City public works also noted that it had seen the highest water usage in the city’s history: in the 3 minutes after it ended, approximately 77 per cent of New York City flushed their toilets.

The series lasted for eleven years, but the Korean War only lasted for three.

Judy Farrell (then Mike Farrell’s wife), played Nurse Able for 8 episodes, including the finale.

Mike Farrell asked that his character’s daughter be called Erin, after his own daughter.

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Radar’s teddy bear, which was once housed at the Smithsonian, was sold at auction for $11,800.

Harry Morgan had one guest appearance on the show as a nutty General before he later returned as Colonel Sherman Potter.

Alan Alda and Jamie Farr were the only cast members to serve in Korea. Both did their tours after the 1953 ceasefire.

McLean Stevenson died of a heart attack on February 15, 1996. The next day Roger Bowen, who played Col. Blake in the movie, died of the same causes.

Gary Burghoff’s left hand is deformed. He went to great lengths to hide this during filming, usually holding something in his hand.

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Klingers’ favorite baseball team, The Toledo Mud Hens, actually exists. It is the AAA minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Klinger was only supposed to be in one episode but proved so popular that his character became a permanent fixture.

Big Bird’s teddy bear in Sesame Street is named Radar. The name of Radar’s teddy bear, however, is never revealed.

Alan Alda is the only actor who appeared in every episode of the series.

The restaurant that Klinger mentions, Tony Paco’s in his hometown of Toledo, is a real restaurant and is still popular today.

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Dr. Michael DeBakey, the physician credited with playing the biggest part in creating MASH units for the U.S. Army, died in July 2008. He was 2 months short of his 100th birthday.

Harry Morgan said in an interview that he wanted to play Colonel Potter forever.

The decision to end M*A*S*H was made by a vote of the cast. Those who voted for it to continue were featured in the spin-off show After Mash.

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Alan Alda (who was born Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo) was 7 years old when he contracted poliomyelitis (polio). His parents used a very painful treatment invented by Sister Elizabeth Kenny to battle the disease. It involved stretching his muscles and applying hot woolen blankets to his arms and legs.

Harry Morgan was married to his first wife, Eileen Detchon, for 45 years, and to his second wife, Barbara Bushman Quine, for 25 years until his death. He died peacefully in his sleep aged 96.

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During his time on M*A*S*H, whenever they showed Colonel Potter’s (Harry Morgan), desk, a photograph of his first wife, Detchon, was usually on it. The drawing of a horse which hung on the wall behind Potter’s desk had been done by Harry Morgan’s grandson, Jeremy.

Wayne Rogers graduated from Princeton University in 1954 with a degree in history.

McLean Stevenson was the great-grandson of William Stevenson, who was the brother of Adlai E. Stevenson, U.S. Vice President.

Loretta Swit became neighbors with fellow cast member and close friend Harry Morgan after the series ended.

Mike Farrell attended West Hollywood Grammar School with actress Natalie Wood.

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David Ogden Stiers is the associate conductor for the Newport Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted more than 70 orchestras in numerous locations.

Larry Linville was married five times before his death following cancer surgery in April 2000.

William Christopher has an autistic son, Ned, and devotes a lot of his time to the National Autistic Society. He and his wife, Barbara, wrote a book together about the experience of raising an autistic child. It was called Mixed Blessings.

William Christopher is a descendant of the famous Paul Revere.

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Jamie Farr has been married to his wife, Joy Ann Richards, for 50 years. They have two children, Jonas and Yvonne.

Gary Burghoff holds a patent on the “Chum Magic”, a fishing tackle invention. Clearly an ingenious man, he has also invented a fishing pole and a toilet seat lifting handle.

Radar was based on Don Shaffer, a company clerk who served in Korea and really did have that nickname. The character also shared Shaffer’s place of birth, Ottumwa, Iowa.

Gary Burghoff (Radar) was the only actor from the M*A*S*H film to reprise his role for the TV series.

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