On September 17, 1972, M*A*S*H aired for the first time.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

M*A*S*H (TV series)



Based on: MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, by Richard Hooker; and the screenplay by Ring Lardner, Jr.
No. of seasons: 11
No. of episodes: 256 (list of episodes)
Original release: September 17, 1972 – February 28, 1983

M*A*S*H (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American war comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from September 17, 1972 to February 28, 1983. It was developed by Larry Gelbart as the first original spin-off series adapted from the 1970 feature film M*A*S*H, which, in turn, was based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The series, which was produced with 20th Century Fox Television for CBS, follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War (1950–53).

{snip}

[markie]

1. this in my email yesterday

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2022/09/making-mash/

"Thoughtful and meticulous, Reynolds made two critical decisions that allowed M*A*S*H to blend comedy and drama to greater effect than any television show before it (or, for that matter, almost any since). The first was in selecting a writer. Reynolds’s first choice was Ring Lardner Jr., a member of the formerly blacklisted Hollywood Ten, who wrote the movie’s screenplay. When Lardner passed on the project, Reynolds remembered an old friend, Larry Gelbart. At that point, Gelbart was not an obvious choice: He had not worked in American television or even lived in the U.S. for nearly a decade, but in the fraternity of television comedy writers, he was revered; Norman Lear, for one, considered him the wittiest of all..."

[doc03]

2. That was a great show but I have seen it so many

times especially during the pandemic I have ODed. Hawkeye just irritates me anymore. Same for Gunsmoke, Adam 12 and Seinfeld.

[House of Roberts]

3. This just showed up on another twitter post.

Link to tweet

[ms liberty]

4. This is one of the greatest TV shows ever created, maybe THE greatest

I don't think we ever missed an episode. Now I've seen them all more times than I can count, and still love it.

[murielm99]

5. Same here.

Upthread, someone said Hawkeye is annoying. I think he is supposed to be annoying.

[ms liberty]

6. Hawkeye inspired a generation or more of smart asses - my husband is one of them lol

I've never found Hawkeye annoying for some reason, I've always liked his ability to laugh, analyze and fight in the face of tragedy and disaster. But that kind of smartassery at home can get a bit tiring on occasion!

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

7. "his ability to laugh"

Hawkeye's maniacal laugh at good jokes, pranks and pratfalls makes them even funnier.

Remember his reaction when Henry was looking for stolen property in a stovepipe and wound up with a face full of soot?