From June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, America waged war with Korea. To tend to the wounded, the government sent the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital to the front lines to nurse the soldiers. In the camp called the 4077th, Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce witnesses this ferocious yet pointless fight go on while trying to keep the mood light with wise-cracking and practical jokes. He meets many illustrious people, such as the near-psychic company clerk Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly, the short-tempered Head Nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, Maxwell Q. Klinger who will do anything to be sent home, stern Colonel Henry Blake, the neurotic Major Frank Burns (Hawkeye's roommate), likeable Father Francis Mulcahy, countless other doctors and nurses, and Hawkeye's best friend, fellow fun-loving prankster Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre. During the war, Hawkeye sees many changes occur around him: Trapper, Frank and Radar are sent home, Klinger takes over as company clerk, B.J. Hunnicutt becomes Hawkeye's new best friend and plays around with him instead, arrogant but educated Charles Emerson Winchester III becomes Hawkeye's new roommate, and Blake's plane is shot down over the Sea of Japan, spinning in and killing him. He is replaced by Colonel Sherman Potter, an experienced man who becomes a father figure, albeit a strict one, to the group. Countless doctors and nurses appear throughout, and you can always count on the insane Colonel Samuel Flagg to try to screw everything up.

Alan Alda - Capt. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce

Wayne Rogers  - Capt. John Francis Xavier 'Trapper John' McIntyre

McLean Stevenson - Lt. Col. Henry Braymore Blake

Loretta Swit - Maj. Margaret 'Hotlips' Houlihan

Larry Linville - Maj. Frank Marion Burns

Gary Burghoff   - Cpl. Walter Eugene 'Radar' O'Reilly

Jamie Farr - Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. Klinger

William Christopher - 1st Lt./Capt. Father Francis John Patrick Mulcahy

Mike Farrell - Capt. B.J. Hunnicut

Harry Morgan  - Col. Sherman T. Potter

Jeff Maxwell - Cpl. Igor Straminsky

Kellye Nakahara - Nurse Kellye

Roy Goldman - Roy Goldman

Odessa Cleveland - Lt. Ginger Bayliss

Johnny Haymer - Sgt. Zelmo Zale

David Ogden Stiers - Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester, III

This television series, set during the Korean War, lasted eleven seasons. The actual Korean War lasted only three years.

Harry Morgan, who played Col. Potter, had an earlier guest appearance as a crazy General named Steele.

Col. Potter was from Hannibal, Missouri.

Col. Potter's horse was named Sophie. He gave Sophie to Sister Teresa's orphanage after the war ended, since he couldn't take her back to the States.

Jamie Farr, who played Max Klinger, was the only regular cast member to ever actually serve in the Army in Korea (after the war was over).

Many of the actors from the cast of "M*A*S*H" appeared in a series of TV commercials for the IBM Personal Computer. Alan Alda also endorsed the Atari personal computer.

"M*A*S*H" stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.

In the final episode (Goodbye, Farewell, Amen), the song Hail to the Chief/Saynora can be heard in a scene between Hawkeye Pierce and Sidney Freeman at the psychiatric hospital. The song originated from the 'Robert Altman' 's MASH (1970).

Almost 125 million people watched the final episode, at that time the largest audience ever for a television program.

McLean Stevenson, who played Lt. Col. Henry Blake, died of a heart attack on 15 February 1996. The next day, 16 February, Roger Bowen, who played Lt. Col. Henry Blake in the movie, died of the same cause.

The character of Spearchucker disappeared after the first five episodes when the writers found out that there weren't any African American surgeons serving at MASHes in the Korean War.

By the time the show ended, only three characters from the film remained: Hawkeye, Hot Lips, and Father Mulcahy.

In the episode "Abyssinia, Henry," Henry Blake is sent home. In a surprise twist at the end of the episode, the characters learn that Blake's plane was shot down en route and Henry died. This was kept a surprise from the cast, too, until the moment when Gary Burghoff's character ran into the operating room to announce the news. The intent was to capture the cast's genuine surprise and grief on film; but a mistake in filming required a second take to be done.

Edward Winter first appeared as Captain Halloran in "Deal Me Out" (8 December 1973), but would later play the paranoid Colonel Sam Flagg six times in the series. ("Halloran" may have been one of Flagg's many aliases; when he and Major Freedman meet in a later episode, Flagg reminds Freedman they'd once played poker together.)

Gary Burghoff's left hand is slightly deformed, and he took great pains to hide or de-emphasize it during filming. He did this by always holding something in his hand.

BJ's name comes from his parents': Bea and Jay Hunnicut.

All of the replacement characters (BJ, Col. Potter, and Charles) lasted longer then the characters they replaced (Trapper, Henry, and Frank).

After the news of Colonel Blake's death shocked the world, the very next night on "The Carol Burnett Show", the opening shot was of "Henry Blake" in a smoking raft, waving his arms, hollering, "I'm OK!" I'm OK!"

The character of "Hotlips Houlihan" was inspired by the real-life Korean War MASH head nurse "Hotlips Hammerly," also a very attractive blonde, of the same disposition, and also from El Paso, Texas.

The filming location for the exteriors of the 4077 M*A*S*H camp is today known as Malibu Creek State Park in Malibu, California. Formerly called the Fox Ranch, and owned by 20th Century Fox Studios until the 1980's, the M*A*S*H site today is overgrown with foliage, and marked by a rusted Jeep and ambulance used in the show, as well as a small sign. The state park is open to the public. It was also the location where Planet of the Apes and How Green Was My Valley were filmed.

When the series was first going into production, the network wanted a laugh track (a sitcom staple), while the show's producers didn't. They compromised with a "chuckle track", played only occasionally. (DVD releases of the series mostly allow viewers a no-laugh-track option.)

When the series was shown in the UK, it didn't have a laugh track. Once, the BBC left it switched on by mistake and received a number of complaints that the intrusive canned laughter spoilt the show's atmosphere.

Alan Alda had a running guest appearance on the TV show "ER" in which he plays Dr. Gabriel Lawrence, who reminisces about being a doctor in a war.

In the TV show, Col. Henry Blake is from the central Illinois twin cities of Bloomington-Normal. McLean Stevenson, the actor who portrayed Col. Blake, was born and raised in Bloomington-Normal (in McLean county).

Allan Arbus's character Dr. Sidney Freedman was called Dr. Milton Freedman in episode: "Radar's Report"

While most of the characters from the movie were carried over to the television series, only three actors appeared in both: Gary Burghoff (Radar O'Reilly) and G. Wood (General Hammond) both appeared as the same character they played in the film. Wood only appeared in three episodes of "M*A*S*H". Timothy Brown, who played Spearchucker Jones on the TV series was also in the original theatrical film, MASH. He was listed in the credits as "Tim Brown" and played a character named Cpl. Judson.

Robert Alda, Alan Alda's father, had guest appearances in two episodes, "The Consultant" and "Lend a Hand". "Lend a Hand" also featured a guest appearance by Antony Alda, Alan Alda's brother.

Gary Burghoff played his character's own mother in the fourth season episode "Mail Call Again".

Klinger's attempt to be thrown out of the army by wearing women's clothing was inspired by the comedian Lenny Bruce, who similarly attempted to win his way home from active service by dressing up as a WAVE (female officer).

Stuart Margolin appears as two different characters during the first and second season. Oliver Clark and 'Tim O'Connor (I)' also played two different characters on the show, and even John Orchard ("Ugly John" from early in the series) returned for a guest spot later, in another role.

Loudon Wainwright III appeared in three episodes in 1972, playing the character "Captain Calvin Spaulding". The name is taken from "Captain Jeffery T. Spaulding", a character played by Groucho Marx in Animal Crackers.

Hotlips Houlihan (Loretta Swit) and Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) and Father Mulcahy are the only three characters who appear both in the first episode and the last episode.

While he was known for the role, William Christopher didn't play Father Mulcahy in the series pilot. George Morgan originated the role, but was only contracted for the pilot episode.

Many young actors appeared as guest stars before becoming household names: John Ritter, Patrick Swayze, Laurence Fishburne. Ron Howard guest starred while still known as "Ronny" Howard, between "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Happy Days".

BJ Hunnicutt's daughter's name, Erin, is the real-life name of Mike Farrell's daughter.

B.J.'s wife's name was Peg.

Frank's wife's name was Louise - as was Trapper John's. Frank had three daughters; Trapper John had two (Cathy and Becky).

It was Jamie Farr's idea to ironically have Max Klinger voluntarily choose to remain in Korea in the final episode.

There was one nude scene throughout the entire series. It occurred during the episode titled "The Sniper". When Radar was running outside wearing only a towel and the sniper is firing at him, he runs back into the showers, for some reason he takes off his towel *before* he closes the door to the showers. Rear nudity is briefly shown from a distance.

Larry Linville left the show because he felt that the character of Frank Burns was too one-dimensional, and that they'd done all they could do with the character.

Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the Toledo Mud Hens. This team exists in reality. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and is part of the West Division of the International Baseball League.

First American network series to use the phrase "son-of-a-bitch".

Michael Mann once took a minor role in the series as a wounded soldier.

Hawkeye's father's name was Daniel. Dr. Daniel Pierce was an M.D. who still practiced in Crabapple Cove, Maine, where Hawkeye grew up. (In one of the "Dear Dad" episodes early in the series, however, Hawkeye mentions his father living in Vermont.)

Hawkeye occasionally mentions a sister (even sporting an oversized sweater she'd knitted him) during the first few seasons, and asks his father in a letter to "kiss Mom and Sis" for him. However, Hawkeye later related that he'd been an only child, that his mother died when he was a boy, and that his father had never remarried.

Margaret's father, Alvin Houlihan, was a retired colonel whose nickname was "Howitzer Al".

The ubiquitous helicopters are Bell 47Ds. In the real Korean War, the 47D evacuated 80% of American casualties. (Roads in Korea were primitive, and often treacherous, so helicopters were favored over ambulances.)

In some early episodes, Colonel Blake's wife was called Mildred. Later, she became Lorraine. Colonel Potter's wife was called Mildred.

Charles Emerson Winchester was stationed in Tokyo before he was transferred to the 4077.

Other early career appearances are George Wendt (Norm from "Cheers") and 'Andrew "Dice" Clay' (credited as Andrew Clay), who appeared as Marines in the same episode. (Wendt had a pool ball stuck in his mouth; Clay was injured driving drunk into a chicken coop.)

When Larry Linville left the series after the 1976-1977 season, his absence was explained by having Frank Burns suffer a breakdown after Hot Lips got married. After that he was taken in for psychiatric evaluation and transferred. Later, Burns got promoted to lieutenant colonel and got himself transferred back to the States where he became chief of staff at a V.A. hospital in Indiana.

During filming for the final episode, a brush fire broke out and destroyed much of the set. After that it was decided to write the fire into the story by having the North Koreans set off incendiary devices and start a brush fire.

Wayne Rogers was originally considered for the Hawkeye role; finding the character too sardonic for his tastes, he asked if he could instead test as Trapper John, who was more upbeat.

Much like their onscreen counterparts, the cast of "M*A*S*H" bonded and became a "family" on the set, in response to the relative remoteness of the Fox Ranch, and the cold weather when filming began.

A catered wrap party had been planned for the end of the third season, but after completing the final scene of "Abyssinia, Henry", with the announcement of Henry Blake's death, nobody felt like celebrating, and they simply went home. Also, after witnessing filming of the announcement of his character's death, McLean left the set, driving home almost immediately after the scene.

Wayne Rogers decided to leave the show because he felt that Trapper John had become more of a sidekick to Alan Alda's Hawkeye, than the equals they were supposed to be. 20th Century-Fox sued Rogers, but their case collapsed when it transpired that he'd never signed his contract. (The reason Rogers cited for this was an archaic "morals clause", which he wouldn't accept unless the studio signed one for him in turn.)

Klinger married his first wife, his childhood sweetheart Laverne Esposito, while he was serving in Korea. The ceremony was performed over the short wave radio and officiated by Father Mulcahy, who also performed Klinger's marriage ceremony to his Korean war bride Soon Lee.

While he never played an instrument in any episode, one of Major Burns' prized possessions was a white award Bible he won for playing organ.

As the series went on, the producers began interviewing actual M*A*S*H veterans for their stories and impressions; many of their recollections went into storylines.

Klinger was only going to appear in one episode. However, he proved so popular that he became a regular.

To show the horrors of war, Alan Alda had it written into his contract that each episode had to have at least one scene taking place in the operating room.

When Gary Burghoff decided to leave the series, Mike Farrell tried unsuccessfully to talk him out of it. Specifically, Farrell cited the lackluster, relatively unsuccessful TV careers both McLean Stevenson and Larry Linville had once they earlier left the show.

Larry Hama, the writer of most of the GI Joe comic books, appeared in one episode as a North Korean jeep driver.

It was Alan Alda's idea to have Mike Farrell grow a moustache in the seventh season. Farrell kept it for the rest of the show's run.

Frank Burns had three middle names during his time on the show: W., Marion and D.

While Major Burns almost never drank, the camp's Officer's Club (later opened to enlisted personnel) was built at his request, after the surgeons saved Gen. Mitchell's son.

The original broadcast of the episode, "The Life You Save" was delayed by several weeks. The episode featured a subplot about Major Winchester becoming obsessed with death after almost being shot. It was scheduled to air a few hours after U.S. President Reagan was wounded in an assassination attempt. The network felt the audience was not in the mood to see the episode at that time.

The PA announcer is the same for the entire series, and is never seen on screen.

John Fujioka, who played the uncredited role of a Japanese Golf Pro in the movie, appeared three times in the series. The first time was in "Dear Ma" as Colonel Kim, the second time was in "The Tooth Shall Set You Free (as Duc Phon Jong and the last time he played a peasant in "Picture This".

Frank Burns' nickname "Ferret Face" came from his brother; he mentioned it to Hawkeye and Trapper John once, during a rare drinking binge, and they never forgot it. (Even BJ's first words to Burns when they met were "What say, Ferret Face?")

The surgeons' tent was called "The Swamp".

Although "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" was the final episode that aired, the episode "As Time Goes By", which was the second last episode that aired, was in fact shot after "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen".

Both Major Margaret Houlihan and Cpl. Max Klinger were married (Margaret in person, Klinger over the phone) and divorced during their service at the 4077th.

Continuity error: Many contradictions to earlier episodes appear in later episodes, for example, in one episode Radar shows off his new tattoo, but in a later episode, Hawk and the gang try to talk Radar out of getting a tattoo.

Factual error: Several references are made to a points system that the Army uses to rotate company doctors. The points system quit being used right after World War II and would not have been in place during the Korean War.

Anachronism: Hawkeye can been seen in 1980s footwear in a couple of episodes.

Anachronism: Many of the references to films and comics mention titles that appeared well after the Korean War.

Anachronism: The characters drink beer from aluminum cans, which were not available until well after the 1950s.

Continuity error: In one of the early episodes, Henry Blake refers to his wife as "Mildred". However, in later episodes her name is Lorraine. Col. Potter's wife's name is Mildred.

Continuity error: Col. Potter's horse Sophie started off as a male.

Anachronism: In an episode where a Korean man is given a chocolate bar, the wrapper clearly has a barcode (introduced in the late 1970s).

In the closing credits of the episode "Tuttle", "Captain Tuttle" is listed as playing "Himself".

The pilot episode opening credits (only seen in original network airings and on DVD and video releases), feature the legend "KOREA, 1950.  A hundred years ago..."

The episode "The Army-Navy Game", features a jazzier version of the opening theme.

The pilot episode's original opening title sequence was edited out of all versions in syndication. It is replaced by the standard opening title sequence used during the remainder of the series run. The original opening is only available on the OOP Columbia House and 2002 Fox Video VHS/DVD releases.

The final episode, "Farewell, Goodbye and Amen" was originally broadcast over 2 1/2 hours. Video versions run the equivalent length minus commercial breaks, but in syndication it is reedited into five half-hour episodes.

Recent DVD releases of this TV show feature the option of listening to the English soundtrack with or without the laugh-track.

An alternate version of the theme was heard on four 1972-1973 season episodes, including "Sticky Wicket" and "The Army-Navy Game". The theme is replaced by the regular series theme in syndication, but the opening is fully intact on the DVD and VHS releases The closing sequences seen in the early network airings were edited out of most syndicated airings. They are intact in the DVD and VHS editions.

Every episode of M*A*S*H ran longer than the normal 22 minutes we see today. Each Episode ran about 25 1/2 minuets, with shorter commercial breaks. The syndicated versions shown today edit out some parts of the episodes, and sometimes the "missing" footage is essential to the story. The DVD versions restore all "missing" footage and run the proper length (25 1/2 minutes).

DVD release gives viewers the option of watching episodes with or without a laugh track.

A joke version of the opening credits was created, for use on blooper reels from the series. The altered version gives the show's title as "Mish-M*A*S*H."

Hawkeye: I will not carry a gun, Frank. When I got thrown into this war I had a clear understanding with the Pentagon: no guns. I'll carry your books, I'll carry a torch, I'll carry a tune, I'll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash and carry, carry me back to Old Virginia, I'll even 'hari-kari' if you show me how, but I will not carry a gun.

Wounded Soldier: What if they ask me where I got hit?

Hawkeye: Look them right in the eye and say without blinking, "I got hit in the butt." And if they keep bugging you, drop your pants and show them your scar.

Wounded Soldier: [Snort] make me laugh.

Hawkeye: Whitney, we're talking about your body. It's been invaded by a bullet and there's nothing amusing about that.

Wounded Soldier: Don't I know it.

Hawkeye: On the other hand, you should be proud. You have a very special wound - it's symbolic of this entire war. This whole thing has been one giant pain in the butt. When they wanna hand you your purple heart, you can tell them where to pin it.

Radar: A lot of guys look up to you. They want to be like you. And when you walk out on a patient it's like you don't care.

Hawkeye: Don't put all that on my shoulders. Every day I stand in the blood of children and pull them out of a meat grinder and try to save them if I can, and if I can't do that to your satisfaction then to hell with you. To hell with your Iowa naiveté, to hell with your teddy bear, and to hell with you.