| M*A*S*H | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Richard Hooker |
| Original work | MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (1968) |
| Owner | 20th Century Studios |
| Print publications | |
| Novel(s) | List of novels (1968–1977) |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | M*A*S*H (1970) |
| Television series |
|
| Television film(s) | W*A*L*T*E*R (1984) |
| Theatrical presentations | |
| Play(s) | M*A*S*H (1973) |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | M*A*S*H (1983) |
M*A*S*H (an acronym forMobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an Americanmedia franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction ofRichard Hooker.
The franchise depicts a group of fictional characters who served at the fictional "4077thMobile Army Surgical Hospital (M*A*S*H)" during theKorean War, loosely based on the historic 8055th MASH unit.Hawkeye Pierce is featured as the main character, played byDonald Sutherland in the 1970 filmM*A*S*H and byAlan Alda on the television series also titledM*A*S*H. Laterspin-offs involve characters who appeared in the series, but were set after the end of the war. Almost all versions of the series fit into the genre ofblack comedy ordramedy; the lead characters weredoctors,nurses andpatients, and the practice of medicine was at the center of events. However, to relieve the pressures of duty in afield hospital close to the front and the attendant horrors of war, the staff engage in humorous hijinks, frivolity, and petty rivalries off-duty.
The franchise effectively ended with the conclusion ofTrapper John, M.D. in September 1986. A large fanbase for the series continues to exist; the show has never been out of syndication worldwide, and 20th Century Fox has had notable success selling the film and seasons of the TV series onDVD.
Richard Hooker wroteMASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (1968) based on his experiences as a surgeon at the 8055th MASH in South Korea. He published severalother novels based on that group. A total of 15 M*A*S*H novels were published between 1968 and 1977, some co-authored byWilliam E. Butterworth.
M*A*S*H is a 1970 feature film adaptation of the original novel. The film was directed byRobert Altman and starredDonald Sutherland asHawkeye Pierce andElliott Gould asTrapper John McIntyre. Although the title had no punctuation onscreen, i.e. "MASH", in posters for the movie and in the trailer, it was rendered asM*A*S*H.
M*A*S*H, a TV adaptation of the film, ran from 1972 to 1983, more than three times as long as the war it chronicled. It starredAlan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce andWayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre. After the third season, Rogers left the show and was replaced byMike Farrell asB. J. Hunnicutt. That same year,Harry Morgan replacedMcLean Stevenson. Morgan, a veteran character actor and formerUniversal contract player, portrayedColonel Sherman T. Potter. This series is the most popular and best-known version of the franchise and was ranked #25 inTV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Itsfinal episode in 1983 was the most-watched in television history.[2]
Trapper John, M.D. featured the character of Trapper John McIntyre, played byPernell Roberts, twenty-eight years after the events of theM*A*S*H film and television series. It was the first spin-off to feature a character from the series in civilian life after the war. Legally,Trapper John, M.D. is a direct spin-off of theMASH film rather than the television series due to licensing issues. The pilot episode briefly shows a photograph of Rogers and Alda.
AfterMASH was a successor to the originalM*A*S*H television series, featuringHarry Morgan,Jamie Farr, andWilliam Christopher after the war, as the same characters they played in the original television series.Gary Burghoff andEdward Winter also appeared as guests. The series was canceled after two seasons.
W*A*L*T*E*R was the pilot for a television series that was not picked up. It would have featured Gary Burghoff reprising the role ofWalter O'Reilly. The pilot was shown as a "CBS Special Presentation" on July 17, 1984.
In 1973, a play by Tim Kelly, based on the book, television show, and film, was published in both one-act and full versions.[3][4] The play incorporates many of the characters but omits more of the dark comedy aspects. It is occasionally produced bycommunity theater and high school theater companies.
The cast from theM*A*S*H series appeared in advertising forIBM products, such as thePS/2 line that introduced thePS/2 connector for keyboards and mice.
Fox developed aM*A*S*H video game that was released for theAtari 2600,Atari 8-bit computers, andTI-99/4A.[5] Players alternate between controlling a helicopter picking up wounded soldiers from the front and a surgeon removing shrapnel from a soldier, similar toMicrosurgeon.InfoWorld calledM*A*S*H "the exception" among the TI 99/4A's generally poor game library.[6]
Magnum Photos photographerThomas Dworzak, after having been embedded for several years with USmedevac units inIraq, in 2007 published the photo-book "M*A*S*H*IRAQ". His images of soldiers at work and play, from mess rooms to operating rooms and out in the field, are juxtaposed with the subtitles from the TV series.[7]. With a foreword byMike Farrell.
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