The classic television show M*A*S*H was first based off of a film of the same name. The film itself was a smashing success, but when the attempt at making a sequel, M*A*S*H Goes to Maine, was a terrible disaster, creators decided to opt for a television series instead. The original premise was based on the 1968 novel by Richard Hooker entitled Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. Since the film adaptation was met with such glowing reviews, and the creators knew they could do so much more with the original story, the first episode of the television series aired on September 17th, 1972. Today, it still remains one of the most popular television shows to ever grace America.
The dark comedy revolves around the members of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, stationed in Korea during the Korean War. The amazing ensemble cast was filled with versatile actors, who could perform stellar comedy, while also remaining serious and emotional during the more dramatic scenes.
Because much of the series aired during the highly controversial Vietnam War, which had many parallels to the Korean War, the creators knew that the show couldn’t be strictly comedic. While it still remained a great form of entertainment to audience members looking to wind down after a long day, the show wasn’t afraid to be dramatic, serious, and even incredibly sad at times. Many fans of the show agree that this is a major part of what made M*A*S*H such an amazing show.
Today, M*A*S*H still airs in syndication, with audience members all over the country. Even though show is considered old by today’s standards, it’s also, in a sense, timeless. The show still hits just as hard as it did in the 1970s, and even children can enjoy the comedic elements.
M*A*S*H ran for eleven seasons, airing a total of 256 episodes, until it finally ended on February 28th, 1953 with the record-breaking series finale, “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.” Today, we’re going to take a closer look at what made this finale so special, as well as some behind the scenes secrets you didn’t know! Make sure you stick around, because we’re going to reveal how the creators were able to adapt to a sudden natural disaster on set, and even turn it into a part of the show! We hope you like this video, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
Only Two Actors Appeared in the First and Last Episodes of the Show
M*A*S*H spanned a total of eleven seasons and 256 amazing episodes. But between the very first and very last episode, only two cast members appeared in both! Because the show lasted so long, many of the original actors ended up leaving the cast. The only two actors to appear in both the first and last episodes of M*A*S*H were Alan Alda, who played Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce,” and Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan. Furthermore, Alan Alda was also the only actor who played in every single episode of the first.
Alan Alda didn’t just work as an actor on the show, however. He also played a special role behind the camera, directing a total of 31 episodes, including the series finale!
The Creators Worked a Real Fire Into the Script
The original series finale was only meant to last for ninety minutes. However, while filming, the Fox Ranch set located in Malibu Creek State Park caught ablaze in a brush fire. Rather than scrapping filming for that day, the creators decided to instead film the fire and work it into the finale. This added a full thirty minutes of plot, where a bomb goes off and triggers a forest fire. Even though the finale ended up being thirty minutes longer than intended, audience members certainly didn’t mind the extra time. The network didn’t seem to mind, either, as 30-second commercial blocks sold for as much as $450,000, which even beat NFL Super Bowl commercials at the time. The extra airtime ensured that the series finale made even more money than the creators could have imagined!
It Wasn’t Actually the Last M*A*S*H Episode Filmed
The tearful goodbyes of the characters onscreen were so raw and realistic, everybody assumed that it was the actor’s really saying goodbye onset. However, this wasn’t actually the case. Not every episode of M*A*S*H was actually filmed in order, and this is also the case for the series finale. “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was filmed earlier on in the season, and filmed tenth out of the sixteen episodes in season eleven. The actual final M*A*S*H episode ever filmed was season eleven, episode fifteen, entitled “As Time Goes By.” It’s amazing to think that the actors had to film the heartwrenching final episode, then pull themselves together and go on filming six more episodes!
What Happened to Loretta Swit?
Loretta Swit played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan, and was one of the few cast members to act throughout the entire show. After M*A*S*H ended, she continued to act in various TV movies and shows. Her final appearance as an actor was in 2002, when she reunited with the M*A*S*H cast for a TV movie special. Today, she lives peacefully in retirement.
While Loretta Swit has been lucky to have a peaceful and successful life after her days on M*A*S*H, not every cast member was so lucky. Make sure you stick around until the very end, because we’re going to reveal the tragedy that’s befallen the lead actor of M*A*S*H, Alan Alda! And if you’re enjoying this video so far, please take a moment to like this video, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
The Episode Supposedly Ruined New York’s Plumbing
After the series finale of M*A*S*H aired, people all over New York City claimed that the plumbing was shut down. Supposedly, so many people had been sitting and watching the show for so long that an unprecedented amount of people all went to use the bathroom at the same moment the show was over. This reportedly caused damage to the plumbing. However, there’s no actual evidence to suggest this happened, and it’s actually just assumed to be an urban legend.
What Happened to the Famous Signpost?
The iconic signpost in M*A*S*H ended up making an appearance in a special Smithsonian exhibit five months after the series ended. The exhibit was titled M*A*S*H: Binding Up the Wounds, and it was on display a year and a half. Afterwards, the show’s set decorator, Bert Allen, took the signpost for himself and kept it for years. In 2005, however, the signpost sold at auction for an amazing $25,000! Some lucky person has an amazing piece of history in their own home.
The Final Episode Wrapped Up a Joke from the First Episode
In the very first episode, the first scene opens up with the words Korea, 1950: 100 Years Ago. This was a bizarre joke to audiences at the time, especially since the time it aired was only 22 years after that date. In the series finale, however, the characters put together a time capsule that will be opened up 100 years later. This made some audiences realize that perhaps the show was told 100 years later, with people in the future putting the story together based on information from the time capsule.
What Happened to Alan Alda?
Alan Alda is well known for playing the lead role of Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H, but he’s earned critical acclaim for many other roles. He’s won six Primetime Emmy Awards (five of which were for his role in M*A*S*H) as well as six Golden Globe Awards. After M*A*S*H concluded, he continued to act in shows like 30 Rock and The West Wing, as well as several films. In fact, even at age 85, he’s still making appearances in film and television! Tragically, however, it seems that his career may be drawing to a close.
In 2015, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which he announced three years later in a 2018 interview. While people with the degenerative disorder usually live between 10 and 20 years after onset, the combination of the disease mixed with Alan Alda’s old age mean he may not have that much longer left to live. Still, he’s done such amazing work throughout his life, and the diagnosis hasn’t stopped him from continuing to act yet!
The classic television show M*A*S*H was first based off of a film of the same name. The film itself was a smashing success, but when the attempt at making a sequel, M*A*S*H Goes to Maine, was a terrible disaster, creators decided to opt for a television series instead. The original premise was based on the 1968 novel by Richard Hooker entitled Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. Since the film adaptation was met with such glowing reviews, and the creators knew they could do so much more with the original story, the first episode of the television series aired on September 17th, 1972. Today, it still remains one of the most popular television shows to ever grace America.
The dark comedy revolves around the members of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, stationed in Korea during the Korean War. The amazing ensemble cast was filled with versatile actors, who could perform stellar comedy, while also remaining serious and emotional during the more dramatic scenes.
Because much of the series aired during the highly controversial Vietnam War, which had many parallels to the Korean War, the creators knew that the show couldn’t be strictly comedic. While it still remained a great form of entertainment to audience members looking to wind down after a long day, the show wasn’t afraid to be dramatic, serious, and even incredibly sad at times. Many fans of the show agree that this is a major part of what made M*A*S*H such an amazing show.
Today, M*A*S*H still airs in syndication, with audience members all over the country. Even though show is considered old by today’s standards, it’s also, in a sense, timeless. The show still hits just as hard as it did in the 1970s, and even children can enjoy the comedic elements.
M*A*S*H ran for eleven seasons, airing a total of 256 episodes, until it finally ended on February 28th, 1953 with the record-breaking series finale, “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.” Today, we’re going to take a closer look at what made this finale so special, as well as some behind the scenes secrets you didn’t know! Make sure you stick around, because we’re going to reveal how the creators were able to adapt to a sudden natural disaster on set, and even turn it into a part of the show!
The finale of M*A*S*H is probably one of the most famous television endings to ever air, but it came with a lot of behind the scenes surprises. Were you more surprised to learn that the original signpost sold at auction for $25,000, or that the creators of the show worked a sudden and unexpected fire into the actual finale? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
