From 1972 to 1983, this half-hour television show set in a medical compound during the Korean War won over a huge audience and established itself as one of the top TV shows of all time. After nearly being cancelled after its first season, it went on to be a ratings success and its two-and-a-half-hour long finale was the most-watched show to date in the U.S., with 105 million viewers tuning in. Based in the early 1950s, the ensemble series focused on the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital set in South Korea, where the medical staff tried their best to alleviate the tension of their grave surroundings and duties with humor and friendship. The show was a half-hour dramedy produced by 20th Television Fox for CBS that featured Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce as the wise-cracking chief surgeon. He was joined by fellow surgeon, Dr. "Trapper" John McIntyre, played by Wayne Rogers. Both characters were often more interested in booze and women than in surgery and were aided by Senior Nurse, Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (played by Emmy-winner, Lorretta Swift). Jamie Farr was Corporal Klinger, the cross-dressing staff member who tried to get booted from the army on medical discharge for his insane behavior. His getups included Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Scarlet O’Hara, a nun, and Moses. The show also featured Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly, the company clerk played by Gary Burghoff, who also took home an Emmy for his role. Other characters included the bumbling camp commander, Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) and the kind camp priest, Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher). During its run, the show garnered a large collection of Emmy awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, multiple Best Lead Actor In A Comedy Series wins for Alda, as well as multiple Outstanding Directing In A Comedy Series wins and supporting actor wins. MASH was based on a 1968 book by Dr. Richard Hornberger, who used the name Richard Hooker to write a fictional account of his years at the 8055 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea. Hawkeye was based on himself yet he said he never liked Alda’s portrayal of the character. The book was made into an Oscar-nominated film in 1970, which directly inspired the television adaptation. The show still airs in reruns on the TV LAND network.
