Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Real Jazz

2007-06-10T03:52:50Z

69.47.26.37:

{{Infobox Radio Station |
name = Real Jazz|
image = [[Image:Xm real jazz.jpg||center]]|
area = [[United States]] [[Canada]]|
branding = |
slogan = ''Swinging From Coast To Coast''|
airdate = [[2001]]|
frequency = [[XM Satellite Radio|XM]] 70|
format = Eclectic Jazz|
owner = [[XM Satellite Radio]]|
class = Satellite Radio Station|
website = [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=70/ Real Jazz Website]|
}}
'''Real Jazz''' is the name of an [[XM Satellite Radio]]'s Traditional Jazz music channel. The program director is Maxx Myrick.

The channel bills itself as "Swinging From Coast To Coast".

==Featured Shows==
* ''American Jazz'' with Dick Golden and [[Tony Bennett]]
* ''[[Ben Sidran]] On Record''
* ''In the Swing Seat with [[Wynton Marsalis]]''
* ''The French Quarter''
* ''[[Riverwalk Jazz]]''

==External link==
* [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=70 Real Jazz XM Radio Site]
{{XMChannels (music)}}

[[Category:Digital only radio stations]]
[[Category:XM Satellite Radio channels]]

{{US-radio-station-stub}}

Riverwalk Jazz

2007-06-10T03:49:48Z

69.47.26.37:

'''''Riverwalk Jazz''''' [http://www.riverwalkjazz.org] is a popular weekly public [[radio series]] distributed by [[Public Radio International]]. The series began broadcasting in [[1989]] and is produced by [[PVPMedia]]. The principle performing band on ''Riverwalk Jazz'' is the [[Jim Cullum Jazz Band]]. The series co-hosts are bandleader Jim Cullum Jr. and folklorist and storyteller [[David Holt]]. Jim Cullum's Landing Jazz Club [http://landing.com] on the Paseo Del Rio ([[San Antonio River Walk]]) in [[San Antonio, Texas]] serves as the venue where most of the hour-long shows are produced.

Through the use of live music performance, narration, autobiographies, historical recordings and musical demonstrations, the series focuses on [[jazz]] from before [[World War II]] as played by the great pioneers such as [[Jelly Roll Morton]], [[Joe "King" Oliver]], [[Louis Armstrong]], [[Bix Beiderbecke]], [[Sidney Bechet]], [[Duke Ellington]], [[Fletcher Henderson]] and many more. Also featured are the lives and music of the great interwar pop composers such as [[George Gershwin|George]] and [[Ira Gershwin]], [[Rodgers and Hart]], [[Harry Warren]], [[Harold Arlen]], [[Irving Berlin]], [[Jerome Kern]] and many others.

Frequent guests include playwright and actor [[Vernel Bagneris]], pianist [[Dick Hyman]], vocalists [[Topsy Chapman]] and [[Nina Ferro]], cornetist [[Bob Barnard]], as well as guest bands such as the [[Hot Club of San Francisco]]. Other notable musical guests in past years have included [[Benny Carter]], [[Linda Hopkins]], [[Bob Wilber]], [[Bob Haggart]], [[Yank Lawson]], [[Kenny Davern]], [[Harry "Sweets" Edison]], [[Clark Terry]], [[Bucky and John Pizzarelli]], [[Rebecca Kilgore]], [[Ralph Sutton]], [[Ken Peplowski]], [[Doc Cheatham]], [[Savion Glover]], [[Milt Hinton]], [[Jay McShann]], [[Joe Willims]] and [[William Warfield]].

The ''Riverwalk Jazz'' website [http://www.riverwalkjazz.org] provides weekly streaming of the radio broadcasts as well as JazzNotes about each week's show, as well as enabling registered users to receive monthly and weekly email newsletters.

In addition to PRI affiliates on FM/AM radio, ''Riverwalk Jazz'' airs weekly on [[XM Satellite Radio]]'s [[Real Jazz]] channel (XM-70).

The current personnel of the [[Jim Cullum Jazz Band]] includes Jim Cullum, Jr., leader and cornet; Ron Hockett, clarinet and saxophone; Kenny Rupp, trombone; Jim Turner, piano; Howard Elkins, banjo and guitar; Don Mopsick, bass; Mike Waskiewicz, drums. Past personnel heard in encore performances on the radio series include John Sheridan, piano; Allan Vaché, clarinet; Mike Pittsley, trombone; Brian Ogilvie, clarinet and saxophone; [[Evan Christopher]], clarinet; Ed Torres, drums and Kevin Dorn, drums.

[[Category:public broadcasting]]
[[Category:jazz]]

Real Jazz

2007-06-10T03:47:25Z

69.47.26.37: /* Featured Shows */

{{Infobox Radio Station |
name = Real Jazz|
image = [[Image:Xm real jazz.jpg||center]]|
area = [[United States]] [[Canada]]|
branding = |
slogan = ''Swinging From Coast To Coast''|
airdate = [[2001]]|
frequency = [[XM Satellite Radio|XM]] 70|
format = Eclectic Jazz|
owner = [[XM Satellite Radio]]|
class = Satellite Radio Station|
website = [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=70/ Real Jazz Website]|
}}
'''Real Jazz''' is the name of an [[XM Satellite Radio]]'s Traditional Jazz music channel. The program director is Maxx Myrick.

The channel is described as "Swinging From Coast To Coast"

==Featured Shows==
* ''American Jazz''
* ''Ben Sidran On Record''
* ''In the Swing Seat with [[Wynton Marsalis]]''
* ''The French Quarter''
* ''[[Riverwalk Jazz]]''

==External link==
* [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=70 Real Jazz XM Radio Site]
{{XMChannels (music)}}

[[Category:Digital only radio stations]]
[[Category:XM Satellite Radio channels]]

{{US-radio-station-stub}}

MAS*H (TV series)

2007-06-10T02:47:15Z

69.47.26.37: /* Spinoffs and specials */

{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==Spinoffs and specials==
''M*A*S*H'' had two official [[spin-off]] shows: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original theatrical film.

A [[documentary]] special titled ''Making M*A*S*H'', narrated by [[Mary Tyler Moore]] and taking viewers behind the production of the Season 9 episode "Old Soldiers", was produced for [[PBS]] in 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch.

Two retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th and 30th anniversary, respectively . ''Memories of M*A*S*H'', hosted by [[Shelley Long]] and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, aired on CBS in 1991. A ''30th Anniversary Reunion'' special aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] network in 2002; it marked the first onscreen reunion of the surviving cast members and producers since the show's end. Both specials are included as bonuses on the Collector's Edition DVD of "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen".

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''Dear Dad...Three''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''Dear Mildred'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''Dear Peggy'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''Dear Ma'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''Dear Sigmund'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''Dear Comrade'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''Dear Sis'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''Dear Uncle Abdul'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''Letters''').
*'''O.R.''' (10/8/74), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room and preop/postop ward (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white and presented as a 1950s television broadcast, with the cast partially improvising their responses to interviewer [[Clete Roberts]]' questions. Roberts returned for '''Our Finest Hour''' (10/9/78), which interspersed new black and white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''A War for All Seasons''' (12/29/80), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

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69.47.26.37: /* Spinoffs and specials */

{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==Spinoffs and specials==
''M*A*S*H'' had two official [[spin-off]] shows: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original theatrical film.

A [[documentary]] special titled ''Making M*A*S*H'', narrated by [[Mary Tyler Moore]] and taking viewers behind the production of the Season 9 episode "Old Soldiers", was produced for [[PBS]] in 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch.

Two retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th and 30th anniversary, respectively . ''Memories of M*A*S*H'', hosted by [[Shelley Long]] and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, aired on CBS in 1991. A ''30th Anniversary Reunion'' special aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] network in 2002; it marked the first onscreen reunion of the surviving cast members and producers since the show's end. Both specials are included as bonuses on the DVD edition of "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen".

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''Dear Dad...Three''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''Dear Mildred'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''Dear Peggy'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''Dear Ma'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''Dear Sigmund'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''Dear Comrade'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''Dear Sis'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''Dear Uncle Abdul'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''Letters''').
*'''O.R.''' (10/8/74), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room and preop/postop ward (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white and presented as a 1950s television broadcast, with the cast partially improvising their responses to interviewer [[Clete Roberts]]' questions. Roberts returned for '''Our Finest Hour''' (10/9/78), which interspersed new black and white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''A War for All Seasons''' (12/29/80), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

[[Category:1970s American television series]]
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[[Category:CBS network shows]]
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[[Category:Medical television series]]
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[[Category:Nielsen Ratings winners]]
[[Category:Period piece TV series]]
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[[Category:1972 television program debuts]]
[[Category:1983 television program series endings]]
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MAS*H (TV series)

2007-06-10T02:41:36Z

69.47.26.37: /* Spinoffs and specials */

{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==Spinoffs and specials==
''M*A*S*H'' had two official [[spin-off]] shows: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original film.

A [[documentary]] special titled ''Making M*A*S*H'', narrated by [[Mary Tyler Moore]] and taking viewers behind the production of the Season 9 episode "Old Soldiers", was produced for [[PBS]] in 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch.

Two retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th and 30th anniversary, respectively . ''Memories of M*A*S*H'', hosted by [[Shelley Long]] and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, aired on CBS in 1991. A ''30th Anniversary Reunion'' special aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] network in 2002; it marked the first onscreen reunion of the surviving cast members and producers since the show's end. Both specials are included as bonuses on the DVD edition of "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen".

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''Dear Dad...Three''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''Dear Mildred'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''Dear Peggy'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''Dear Ma'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''Dear Sigmund'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''Dear Comrade'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''Dear Sis'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''Dear Uncle Abdul'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''Letters''').
*'''O.R.''' (10/8/74), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room and preop/postop ward (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white and presented as a 1950s television broadcast, with the cast partially improvising their responses to interviewer [[Clete Roberts]]' questions. Roberts returned for '''Our Finest Hour''' (10/9/78), which interspersed new black and white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''A War for All Seasons''' (12/29/80), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

[[Category:1970s American television series]]
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[[Category:CBS network shows]]
[[Category:Comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios]]
[[Category:M*A*S*H| ]]
[[Category:Medical television series]]
[[Category:Military television series]]
[[Category:Nielsen Ratings winners]]
[[Category:Period piece TV series]]
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[[Category:Television programs based on novels]]
[[Category:1972 television program debuts]]
[[Category:1983 television program series endings]]
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MAS*H (TV series)

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{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==Spinoffs and specials==
''M*A*S*H'' had two official [[spin-off]] shows: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original film.

A [[documentary]] special titled ''Making M*A*S*H'', narrated by [[Mary Tyler Moore]] and taking viewers behind the production of the Season 9 episode "Old Soldiers", was produced for [[PBS]] in 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch.

Two retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th and 30th anniversary, respectively . ''Memories of M*A*S*H'', hosted by [[Shelley Long]] and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, aired on CBS in 1991. A ''30th Anniversary Reunion'' special aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] network in 2002; it marked the first onscreen gathering of the surviving cast members and producers since the show's end. Both specials are included as bonuses on the DVD edition of "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen".

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''Dear Dad...Three''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''Dear Mildred'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''Dear Peggy'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''Dear Ma'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''Dear Sigmund'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''Dear Comrade'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''Dear Sis'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''Dear Uncle Abdul'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''Letters''').
*'''O.R.''' (10/8/74), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room and preop/postop ward (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white and presented as a 1950s television broadcast, with the cast partially improvising their responses to interviewer [[Clete Roberts]]' questions. Roberts returned for '''Our Finest Hour''' (10/9/78), which interspersed new black and white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''A War for All Seasons''' (12/29/80), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

[[Category:1970s American television series]]
[[Category:1980s American television series]]
[[Category:CBS network shows]]
[[Category:Comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios]]
[[Category:M*A*S*H| ]]
[[Category:Medical television series]]
[[Category:Military television series]]
[[Category:Nielsen Ratings winners]]
[[Category:Period piece TV series]]
[[Category:Television programs based on films]]
[[Category:Television programs based on novels]]
[[Category:1972 television program debuts]]
[[Category:1983 television program series endings]]
[[Category:Peabody Award winners]]

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Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T02:11:59Z

69.47.26.37: /* Trivia */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on the [[spin-off]] series ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on ''R.F.D.''). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]], respectively, along with [[Maggie Peterson]] and [[The Dillards]] as the rest of the Darling clan. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] (Ellie Walker) and [[Jack Burns]] (Warren Ferguson) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''TAGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]], who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.) Former series regulars [[Howard McNear]] (as [[Floyd Lawson]]) and [[Paul Hartman]] (as Emmett Clark) had long since passed away.

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] ([[Betty Lynn]]) finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T02:11:14Z

69.47.26.37: /* Cast */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on the [[spin-off]] series ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on ''R.F.D.''). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]], respectively, along with [[Maggie Peterson]] and [[The Dillards]] as the rest of the Darling clan. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] (Ellie Walker) and [[Jack Burns]] (Warren Ferguson) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''TAGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]], who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.) Former series regulars [[Howard McNear]] (as [[Floyd Lawson]]) and [[Paul Hartman]] (as Emmett Clark) had long since passed away.

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T02:10:44Z

69.47.26.37: /* Cast */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on the [[spin-off]] series ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on ''R.F.D.''). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]], respectively, along with [[Maggie Peterson]] and [[The Dillards]] as the rest of the Darling clan. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] (Ellie Walker) and [[Jack Burns]] (Warren Ferguson) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last 'T'AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]], who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.) Former ''TAGS'' regulars [[Howard McNear]] (as [[Floyd Lawson]]) and [[Paul Hartman]] (as Emmett Clark) had long since passed away.

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T02:09:24Z

69.47.26.37: /* Plot */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on the [[spin-off]] series ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on ''R.F.D.''). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]], respectively, along with [[Maggie Peterson]] and [[The Dillards]] as the rest of the Darling clan. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] (Ellie Walker) and [[Jack Burns]] (Warren Ferguson) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]], who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.) Former cast members [[Howard McNear]] (as [[Floyd Lawson]]) and [[Paul Hartman]] (as Emmett Clark) had long since passed away.

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T02:06:31Z

69.47.26.37: /* Plot */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on the [[spin-off]] series ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on ''R.F.D.''). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]], respectively, as did [[Maggie Peterson]] and [[The Dillards]] as the rest of the Darling clan. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] (Ellie Walker) and [[Jack Burns]] (Warren Ferguson) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]], who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.) Former cast members [[Howard McNear]] (as [[Floyd Lawson]]) and [[Paul Hartman]] (as Emmett Clark) had long since passed away.

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T02:00:17Z

69.47.26.37: /* Plot */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on the [[spin-off]] series ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on ''R.F.D.''). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]]. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] (Ellie Walker) and [[Jack Burns]] (Warren Ferguson) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]], who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.) Former cast members [[Howard McNear]] (as [[Floyd Lawson]]) and [[Paul Hartman]] (as Emmett Clark) had long since passed away.

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T01:58:20Z

69.47.26.37: /* Cast */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' [[spin-off]] ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on "RFD"). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]]. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] (Ellie Walker) and [[Jack Burns]] (Warren Ferguson) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]], who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.) Former cast members [[Howard McNear]] (as [[Floyd Lawson]]) and [[Paul Hartman]] (as Emmett Clark) had long since passed away.

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T01:52:26Z

69.47.26.37: /* Cast */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' [[spin-off]] ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on "RFD"). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]]. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] (Ellie Walker) and [[Jack Burns]] (Warren Ferguson) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]], who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.)

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T01:49:58Z

69.47.26.37:

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] ([[Andy Griffith]]) returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' [[spin-off]] ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on "RFD"). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]]. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] and Jack Burns were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]] was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.)

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T01:49:23Z

69.47.26.37: /* Plot */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' [[spin-off]] ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on "RFD"). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]] ([[Jack Dodson]]), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]] ([[Jim Nabors]]) and [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] ([[George Lindsey]]), share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. [[Howard Morris]] and [[Denver Pyle]] reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]]. [[Otis Campbell]] ([[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] and Jack Burns were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]] was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.)

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

Return to Mayberry

2007-06-10T01:47:06Z

69.47.26.37: /* Plot */

'''''Return to Mayberry''''' was a [[television movie]] made in [[1986]] on [[NBC]]. The show was a reunion movie for the [[1960s]] [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''. The movie premiered on [[April 14]], [[1986 in television|1986]] was one of the highest [[Nielsen Ratings|rated]] shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after ''[[The Cosby Show]]''). Sixteen of the [[List of all Andy Griffith Show cast|original cast members]] reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre.

==Plot==

[[Sheriff Andy Taylor|Andy Taylor]] returns to his hometown of [[Mayberry]] with wife [[Helen Crump|Helen]] ([[Aneta Corsaut]]) (whom he had married in [[1968 in television|1968]], on ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' [[spin-off]] ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'') but without his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on "RFD"). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his elder son [[Opie Taylor|Opie]] ([[Ron Howard]]) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant.

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, [[Barney Fife]] ([[Don Knotts]]), has returned from [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in [[1965 in television|1965]]) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople ''assume'' that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in believing a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster.

Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast [[Howard Sprague]], in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, [[Goober Pyle|Goober]] and [[Gomer Pyle|Gomer]], share filling station duties (and are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. Howard Morris and Denver Pyle reprise the [[hillbilly]] roles of [[Ernest T. Bass]] and [[Briscoe Darling Jr.|Mr. Darling]]. [[Otis Campbell]], the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.

In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken. Andy is favored as sheriff, despite not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

==Cast==

Most of the surviving cast members of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was [[Frances Bavier]], who played [[Aunt Bee]] for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'' in [[1970 in television|1970]]. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and the events of this movie. [[Elinor Donahue]] and Jack Burns were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main ''R.F.D.'' regulars, Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last ''AGS'' season—were also absent. ([[Ken Berry]] was forced to decline as he was busy playing [[Vinton Harper]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]''.)

==Trivia==

* Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

* Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'') went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

* Barney and [[Thelma Lou]] finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

== External links ==

*[http://www.mayberry.com/ ''Mayberry.com''] - home of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
*[http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show.html ''Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry''] - a behind the scenes look at ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091846/ ''Return to Mayberry'' at [[The Internet Movie Database]]]
[[Category:1986 films]]
[[Category:Reunion films]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show]]
[[Category:American television films]]

John Gillespie Magee Jr.

2007-06-09T21:21:38Z

69.47.26.37: /* ''High Flight'' */

[[Image:John Gillespie Magee Jr.jpg|right|thumb|155px|John Gillespie Magee Jr]]
[[Image:Magee_Grave.JPG|right|thumb|155px|Magee's Grave, Scopwick]]

[[Pilot Officer]] '''John Gillespie Magee, Junior''' ([[June 9]], [[1922]] – [[December 11]], [[1941]]) was a British-American [[aviation|aviator]] and [[poet]] who died fighting in [[World War II]] while serving in the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]], which he had joined before the [[United States]] had officially entered the war. He is perhaps most famous for his poem ''High Flight''.

==Life==

John Magee junior was born in [[Shanghai]], [[China]] to an American father and a British mother who worked as [[Anglican]] [[missionaries]]. His father, John Gillespie Magee, was from a family in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]] of some wealth and influence—there is the Pittsburgh Magee Hospital and the Magee Building. Magee, disregarding family wealth, chose to become an [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal]] [[priest]] and was sent as a [[missionary]] to China and there met his wife - Faith Emmeline Backhouse. Faith came from [[Helmingham]] in [[Suffolk]], England, and was a member of the Church Missionary Society. John and Faith were married in 1921, and John junior was born in 1922. He had an older brother, Hugh. Proud of their origins and wanting to provide their sons knowledge of their Anglo-American roots, John and Hugh's parents resolved to send them, when they were old enough, first to school in England and then to college in America.

John junior began his education at the [[American School (Nanking)|American School]], [[Nanking]] (1929-1931). In 1931 he moved with his mother to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] where he continued his education first at [[St. Clare]]'s near [[Walmer]], [[Kent]] (1931-1935) and then at [[Rugby School]] (1935-1939) winning the Rugby School's poetry prize in 1938. In 1939 he moved to the USA to live with his aunt in Pittsburgh and attended [[Avon Old Farms School]] in [[Avon, Connecticut|Avon]], [[Connecticut]]. He earned a scholarship to [[Yale University]] - where his father was then a chaplain - in July 1940 but did not enroll, choosing instead to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force in October of that year.

He received training in flying in [[Ontario]] at [[Toronto]], [[Trenton]], [[Saint Catharines, Ontario|St. Catharines]], and [[Uplands]] and passed his Wings Test in June 1941. He was sent to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] initially to a [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]] operational training unit in [[Llandow]], [[Wales]] later that year and then to the newly formed No 412 Fighter Squadron, RCAF, which was activated at [[Digby]], [[England]], on [[30 June]] [[1941]]. The motto of this squadron was and is 'Promptus ad vindictam' (Latin: Swift to avenge). Magee was qualified on and flew the Supermarine Spitfire.

Magee was killed at the age of 19 when the Spitfire [[fixed-wing aircraft|airplane]] he was flying (markings VZ-H) collided with an Oxford Trainer from [[RAF Cranwell]] flown by Ernest Aubrey in a [[cloud]] at about 400 feet (120 m) AGL (above ground level) at 11:30 over the village of [[Roxholm]] which lies between RAF [[Cranwell]] and RAF Digby, in [[Lincolnshire]], England. Magee was descending at the time. At the inquiry afterwards a farmer testified that he saw the Spitfire pilot struggling to push back the canopy. The pilot stood up to jump from the plane but was too close to the ground for his parachute to open and died instantly. Magee is buried at Holy Cross, [[Scopwick]] Cemetery in Lincolnshire, England. [http://www.woodiescciclub.com/high-flight.htm]. On his grave are enscibed the first and last lines from his poem ''High Flight'':

: "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth -
: Put out my hand and touched the Face of God."

Part of the official letter to his parents read: "Your son's funeral took place at Scopwick Cemetery, near Digby Aerodrome, at 2:30 P.M. on Saturday, [[13 December]] [[1941]], the service being conducted by Flight Lieutenant S. K. Belton, the Canadian padre of this Station. He was accorded full Service Honours, the coffin being carried by pilots of his own Squadron."

His biography was written by [[Hermann Hagedorn]] in the 1942 book: 'Sunward I've Climbed, The Story of John Magee, Poet and Soldier, 1922-1941.'

==''High Flight''==

Magee's posthumous fame rests mainly on '''''High Flight''''', a [[Petrarchan sonnet]] he wrote on [[3 September]] [[1941]], shortly before his death. He was flying a high-altitude (30,000 feet / 10 000 m) test flight in a newer model of the [[Supermarine Spitfire Variants|Spitfire Mk V]] and as he orbited and climbed upward, he was struck with the inspiration of a poem -- "To touch the face of God." He completed the poem later that day after landing. The first person to read this poem later that day was almost certainly Air Vice-Marshall M.H. Le Bas in the officers mess, with whom Magee had trained.

Magee enclosed the [[poem]] on the back of a letter to his parents and his father, then rector of [[John the Apostle|Saint John]]'s [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]] in [[Washington, DC]], reprinted it in church publications. The poem became more widely known through the efforts of [[Archibald McLeish]], the then [[Librarian of Congress]], who included it in an exhibition of poems called 'Faith and Freedom' at the [[Library of Congress]] in February 1942. The [[manuscript]] copy of the poem remains at the Library of Congress.

'High Flight' has endured as a favorite poem among [[aviator]]s and, more recently, [[astronaut]]s. Portions of this poem appear on many headstones in [[Arlington National Cemetery]]. Today it serves as the official poem of the [[Royal Canadian Air Force|RCAF]] and [[Royal Air Force|RAF]]. Songs and symphonic compositions have been based on Magee's text. Many U.S. [[television]] viewers were introduced to 'High Flight' when some TV stations ended their programming day with short films based on it. Novelist [[Arthur Hailey]] quoted its first two lines as an [[epigraph]] for his bestselling novel ''[[Airport (novel)|Airport]]''. American President [[Ronald Reagan]] quoted two brief phrases from the poem at the end of his address to the nation following the loss of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger]] on [[January 28]], [[1986]]. The poem also appears as part of a display panel at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa.

'''''High Flight'''''

:Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
:And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
:Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
:of sun-split clouds, —and done a hundred things
:You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
:High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
:I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
:My eager craft through footless halls of air....

:Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
:I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
:Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
:And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
:The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
:Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

==Possible plagiarism in ''High Flight''==

The same words that conclude ''High Flight'': 'And touched the face of God' also conclude a poem by Cuthbert Hicks published three years earlier in '''Icarus: An Anthology of the Poetry of Flight''' (Macmillan, London, 1938) compiled by R de la Bere and three flight cadets of the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. In fact the last two lines in the Hicks poem are:
:For I have danced the streets of heaven,
:And touched the face of God.
This was in a remarkable poem entitled 'The Blind Man Flies'. Of the many poets in this book, Hicks was one of only four that de la Bere was unable to trace and contact. The same book contains a poem by G W N Dunn entitled ''New World,'' which contains the phrase 'on laughter-silvered wings.' Dunn also wrote of 'the lifting mind', another phrase which Magee uses in ''High Flight.'' Dunn also refers to 'the shouting of the air'; Magee has 'chased the shouting wind'. Finally, Magee's penultimate line, 'The high untrespassed sanctity of space, closely resembles 'Across the unpierced sanctity of space' which occurs in the same volume, in a poem by C.A.F.B. entitled Dominion over Air, also previously published in the ''RAF College Journal.''
These many coincidences of borrowed phrases from the same source book suggest that Magee was heavily influenced by it.

==''Sonnet to Rupert Brooke''==
Whislt at Rugby School, Magee was deeply moved by the honour roll of Rugby students who had fallen in the [[First World War]]. This list of the fallen included the celebrated war poet [[Rupert Brooke]] (1887-1915), whose work Magee greatly admired. The poem references Brooke's burial, at 11 o'clock at night in an olive grove on the island of [[Skyros]] in Greece.

: We laid him in a cool and shadowed grove
: One evening in the dreamy scent of thyme
: Where leaves were green, and whispered high above —
: A grave as humble as it was sublime;

: There, dreaming in the fading deeps of light —
: The hands that thrilled to touch a woman's hair;
: Brown eyes, that loved the Day, and looked on Night,
: A soul that found at last its answered Prayer...

: There daylight, as a dust, slips through the trees.
: And drifting, gilds the fern around his grave —
: Where even now, perhaps, the evening breeze

: Steals shyly past the tomb of him who gave
: New sight to blinded eyes; who sometimes wept —
: A short time dearly loved; and after, — slept.

==References==
* ''The Complete Works of John Magee, The Pilot Poet, including a short biography by Stephen Garnett''. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: This England Books, March 1989.

* ''Icarus: An anthology of the poetry of flight''. Macmillan, London, 1938.

* ''Sunward I've Climbed''. Hermann Hagedorn, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1942.

==External links==

* [http://www.highflightproductions.com/ThePoem.html Photocopy of the original manuscript]
* [http://www.highflightproductions.com/Page.asp Website dedicated to Magee and ''High Flight'' with interesting photographs]
* [http://www.bartleby.com/73/603.html Bartleby - Great Books Online]
* [http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poet/409.html Representative Poetry Online, University of Toronto]

[[Category:1922 births|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:1941 deaths|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:American poets|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:English poets|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:Royal Canadian Air Force personnel|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aircraft crashes|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:World War II pilots|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:Old Rugbeians|Magee, John Gillespie]]

[[pl:John Gillespie Magee]]

John Gillespie Magee Jr.

2007-06-09T21:20:45Z

69.47.26.37: /* ''High Flight'' */

[[Image:John Gillespie Magee Jr.jpg|right|thumb|155px|John Gillespie Magee Jr]]
[[Image:Magee_Grave.JPG|right|thumb|155px|Magee's Grave, Scopwick]]

[[Pilot Officer]] '''John Gillespie Magee, Junior''' ([[June 9]], [[1922]] – [[December 11]], [[1941]]) was a British-American [[aviation|aviator]] and [[poet]] who died fighting in [[World War II]] while serving in the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]], which he had joined before the [[United States]] had officially entered the war. He is perhaps most famous for his poem ''High Flight''.

==Life==

John Magee junior was born in [[Shanghai]], [[China]] to an American father and a British mother who worked as [[Anglican]] [[missionaries]]. His father, John Gillespie Magee, was from a family in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]] of some wealth and influence—there is the Pittsburgh Magee Hospital and the Magee Building. Magee, disregarding family wealth, chose to become an [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal]] [[priest]] and was sent as a [[missionary]] to China and there met his wife - Faith Emmeline Backhouse. Faith came from [[Helmingham]] in [[Suffolk]], England, and was a member of the Church Missionary Society. John and Faith were married in 1921, and John junior was born in 1922. He had an older brother, Hugh. Proud of their origins and wanting to provide their sons knowledge of their Anglo-American roots, John and Hugh's parents resolved to send them, when they were old enough, first to school in England and then to college in America.

John junior began his education at the [[American School (Nanking)|American School]], [[Nanking]] (1929-1931). In 1931 he moved with his mother to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] where he continued his education first at [[St. Clare]]'s near [[Walmer]], [[Kent]] (1931-1935) and then at [[Rugby School]] (1935-1939) winning the Rugby School's poetry prize in 1938. In 1939 he moved to the USA to live with his aunt in Pittsburgh and attended [[Avon Old Farms School]] in [[Avon, Connecticut|Avon]], [[Connecticut]]. He earned a scholarship to [[Yale University]] - where his father was then a chaplain - in July 1940 but did not enroll, choosing instead to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force in October of that year.

He received training in flying in [[Ontario]] at [[Toronto]], [[Trenton]], [[Saint Catharines, Ontario|St. Catharines]], and [[Uplands]] and passed his Wings Test in June 1941. He was sent to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] initially to a [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]] operational training unit in [[Llandow]], [[Wales]] later that year and then to the newly formed No 412 Fighter Squadron, RCAF, which was activated at [[Digby]], [[England]], on [[30 June]] [[1941]]. The motto of this squadron was and is 'Promptus ad vindictam' (Latin: Swift to avenge). Magee was qualified on and flew the Supermarine Spitfire.

Magee was killed at the age of 19 when the Spitfire [[fixed-wing aircraft|airplane]] he was flying (markings VZ-H) collided with an Oxford Trainer from [[RAF Cranwell]] flown by Ernest Aubrey in a [[cloud]] at about 400 feet (120 m) AGL (above ground level) at 11:30 over the village of [[Roxholm]] which lies between RAF [[Cranwell]] and RAF Digby, in [[Lincolnshire]], England. Magee was descending at the time. At the inquiry afterwards a farmer testified that he saw the Spitfire pilot struggling to push back the canopy. The pilot stood up to jump from the plane but was too close to the ground for his parachute to open and died instantly. Magee is buried at Holy Cross, [[Scopwick]] Cemetery in Lincolnshire, England. [http://www.woodiescciclub.com/high-flight.htm]. On his grave are enscibed the first and last lines from his poem ''High Flight'':

: "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth -
: Put out my hand and touched the Face of God."

Part of the official letter to his parents read: "Your son's funeral took place at Scopwick Cemetery, near Digby Aerodrome, at 2:30 P.M. on Saturday, [[13 December]] [[1941]], the service being conducted by Flight Lieutenant S. K. Belton, the Canadian padre of this Station. He was accorded full Service Honours, the coffin being carried by pilots of his own Squadron."

His biography was written by [[Hermann Hagedorn]] in the 1942 book: 'Sunward I've Climbed, The Story of John Magee, Poet and Soldier, 1922-1941.'

==''High Flight''==

Magee's posthumous fame rests mainly on '''''High Flight''''', a [[Petrarchan sonnet]] he wrote on [[3 September]] [[1941]], shortly before his death. He was flying a high-altitude (30,000 feet / 10 000 m) test flight in a newer model of the [[Supermarine Spitfire Variants|Spitfire Mk V]] and as he orbited and climbed upward, he was struck with the inspiration of a poem -- "To touch the face of God." He completed the poem later that day after landing. The first person to read this poem later that day was almost certainly Air Vice-Marshall M.H. Le Bas in the officers mess, with whom Magee had trained.

Magee enclosed the [[poem]] on the back of a letter to his parents and his father, then rector of [[John the Apostle|Saint John]]'s [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]] in [[Washington, DC]], reprinted it in church publications. The poem became more widely known through the efforts of [[Archibald McLeish]], the then [[Librarian of Congress]], who included it in an exhibition of poems called 'Faith and Freedom' at the [[Library of Congress]] in February 1942. The [[manuscript]] copy of the poem remains at the Library of Congress.

'High Flight' has endured as a favorite poem among [[aviator]]s and, more recently, [[astronaut]]s. Portions of this poem appear on many headstones in [[Arlington National Cemetery]]. Today it serves as the official poem of the [[Royal Canadian Air Force|RCAF]] and [[Royal Air Force|RAF]]. Songs and symphonic compositions have been based on Magee's text. Many U.S. [[television]] viewers were introduced to 'High Flight' when some TV stations ended their programming day with short films based on it. Novelist [[Arthur Hailey]] used the poem as an [[epigraph]] for his bestselling novel ''[[Airport (novel)|Airport]]''. American President [[Ronald Reagan]] quoted two brief phrases from 'High Flight' at the end of his address to the nation following the loss of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger]] on [[January 28]], [[1986]]. The poem also appears as part of a display panel at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa.

'''''High Flight'''''

:Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
:And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
:Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
:of sun-split clouds, —and done a hundred things
:You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
:High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
:I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
:My eager craft through footless halls of air....

:Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
:I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
:Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
:And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
:The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
:Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

==Possible plagiarism in ''High Flight''==

The same words that conclude ''High Flight'': 'And touched the face of God' also conclude a poem by Cuthbert Hicks published three years earlier in '''Icarus: An Anthology of the Poetry of Flight''' (Macmillan, London, 1938) compiled by R de la Bere and three flight cadets of the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. In fact the last two lines in the Hicks poem are:
:For I have danced the streets of heaven,
:And touched the face of God.
This was in a remarkable poem entitled 'The Blind Man Flies'. Of the many poets in this book, Hicks was one of only four that de la Bere was unable to trace and contact. The same book contains a poem by G W N Dunn entitled ''New World,'' which contains the phrase 'on laughter-silvered wings.' Dunn also wrote of 'the lifting mind', another phrase which Magee uses in ''High Flight.'' Dunn also refers to 'the shouting of the air'; Magee has 'chased the shouting wind'. Finally, Magee's penultimate line, 'The high untrespassed sanctity of space, closely resembles 'Across the unpierced sanctity of space' which occurs in the same volume, in a poem by C.A.F.B. entitled Dominion over Air, also previously published in the ''RAF College Journal.''
These many coincidences of borrowed phrases from the same source book suggest that Magee was heavily influenced by it.

==''Sonnet to Rupert Brooke''==
Whislt at Rugby School, Magee was deeply moved by the honour roll of Rugby students who had fallen in the [[First World War]]. This list of the fallen included the celebrated war poet [[Rupert Brooke]] (1887-1915), whose work Magee greatly admired. The poem references Brooke's burial, at 11 o'clock at night in an olive grove on the island of [[Skyros]] in Greece.

: We laid him in a cool and shadowed grove
: One evening in the dreamy scent of thyme
: Where leaves were green, and whispered high above —
: A grave as humble as it was sublime;

: There, dreaming in the fading deeps of light —
: The hands that thrilled to touch a woman's hair;
: Brown eyes, that loved the Day, and looked on Night,
: A soul that found at last its answered Prayer...

: There daylight, as a dust, slips through the trees.
: And drifting, gilds the fern around his grave —
: Where even now, perhaps, the evening breeze

: Steals shyly past the tomb of him who gave
: New sight to blinded eyes; who sometimes wept —
: A short time dearly loved; and after, — slept.

==References==
* ''The Complete Works of John Magee, The Pilot Poet, including a short biography by Stephen Garnett''. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: This England Books, March 1989.

* ''Icarus: An anthology of the poetry of flight''. Macmillan, London, 1938.

* ''Sunward I've Climbed''. Hermann Hagedorn, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1942.

==External links==

* [http://www.highflightproductions.com/ThePoem.html Photocopy of the original manuscript]
* [http://www.highflightproductions.com/Page.asp Website dedicated to Magee and ''High Flight'' with interesting photographs]
* [http://www.bartleby.com/73/603.html Bartleby - Great Books Online]
* [http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poet/409.html Representative Poetry Online, University of Toronto]

[[Category:1922 births|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:1941 deaths|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:American poets|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:English poets|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:Royal Canadian Air Force personnel|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aircraft crashes|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:World War II pilots|Magee, John Gillespie]]
[[Category:Old Rugbeians|Magee, John Gillespie]]

[[pl:John Gillespie Magee]]

Airport (novel)

2007-06-09T21:18:30Z

69.47.26.37:

[[Image:hailey_airport.jpg|thumb|200px|Airport book cover]]

'''''Airport''''' is a [[bestselling]] [[1968 in literature|1968]] novel by [[Arthur Hailey]] about a large metropolitan [[airport]] and the personalities of the people who use, rely and suffer from its operation. This book was adapted into a [[Airport (film)|major motion picture]] starring [[Burt Lancaster]], [[George Kennedy]], [[Dean Martin]] and [[Van Heflin]], among others.

== Plot ==
The story takes place at a fictional [[Chicago]] airport called Lincoln International.

The main character is Mel Bakersfeld, the General Manager, whose devotion to his job is tearing apart his family and his marriage to his wife Cindy, who resents his use of his job at the airport as a device to avoid going to various after-hours events she wants him to participate in, as she attempts to climb into the social circles of Chicago's elite. His problems in his marriage are further exacerbated by his (platonic) friendship with the lovely divorcee , Trans America Airlines passenger relations manager Tanya Livingston.

The story takes place mainly over the course of one evening, as a massive snowstorm plays havoc with airport operations. The storyline centers on Bakersfeld's struggles to keep the airport open during the storm. His chief problem is the primary runway, 29, which closes when a plane taxiing for takeoff turns past the wrong side of a light, burying the plane's nose gear in the mud, blocking the runway. The stuck plane becomes a major problem as a later emergency requires that the runway become available.

The closing of runway 29 requires the use of shorter runway 22, which has the unfortunate consequence of causing planes to fly low over the Meadowood residential district, causing its residents to picket the airport in protest over the damage caused by airplane noise.

The book shows an overview of the vast and complex operations involved in operating a major commercial airport.

Other significant characters include Joe Patroni, the tough, grizzled head of maintenance operations for TWA, who fights to move the disabled aircraft on its own power without damaging it in spite of the emergency, which could require the airplane be pushed off using snow plows (which would destroy the aircraft); D.O. Guerrero, a desperate man determined to find a way to solve his financial problems regardless of what it will cost others; and Vernon Demerest, womanizing pilot for Trans America and brother-in-law to Bakersfeld, who opposes him on a number of issues.

Earlier in his writing career, Hailey also wrote "Runway Zero Eight", which was dramatized in the television movie ''[[Flight into Danger]]'' (1956) and the theatrical films ''[[Zero Hour!]]'' (1957) and ''[[Terror in the Sky]]'' (1971). The plotline also figures prominently in the comedy spoof ''[[Airplane!]]'' (1980).

== Trivia ==
* [[Gwen Stefani]] was named after a stewardess in this book.<ref>''Entertainment Weekly'' #910, December 8, 2006, p. 94, sidebar</ref>
* The character of D.O. Guerrero (the "passenger with a bomb") was inspired by the sabotage of [[Continental Airlines Flight 11]] in 1962 by [[Thomas Doty]].

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:1968 novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Arthur Hailey]]

[[pt:Airport]]

Appointment in Samarra

2007-06-09T21:13:42Z

69.47.26.37:

{{Infobox Book
| name = Appointment in Samarra
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image =
| image_caption =
| author = [[John O'Hara]]
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = [[United States]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series =
| genre = [[Novel]]
| publisher = [[Harcourt]]
| release_date = [[1934 in literature|1934]]
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages =
| isbn = ISBN 0375719202 (Reprint ed: July, 2003)
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}
'''''Appointment in Samarra''''', published in [[1934]], is the first novel by [[John O'Hara]]. It concerns the self-destruction of Julian English, once a member of the social elite of [[List of fictional cities|Gibbsville]] (O'Hara's fictionalized version of [[Pottsville, Pennsylvania]]).

===Explanation of the novel's title===
The title is a reference to [[W. Somerset Maugham]]'s retelling of an old story, which appears as an [[epigraph (literature)|epigraph]] for the novel: A merchant in [[Baghdad]] sends his servant to the marketplace for provisions. Shortly, the servant comes home white and trembling and tells him that in the marketplace he was jostled by a woman, whom he recognized as Death, and she made a threatening gesture. Borrowing the merchant's horse, he flees at top speed to [[Samarra]], a distance of about 75 miles (125 km), where he believes Death will not find him. The merchant then goes to the marketplace and finds Death, and asks why she made the threatening gesture. She replies, "That was not a threatening gesture, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."

In his foreword to the 1952 reprint, O'Hara says that the working title for the novel was ''The Infernal Grove''. He got the idea for the title ''Appointment in Samarra'' when [[Dorothy Parker]] showed him the story in Maugham's play, ''[[Sheppey_(play)|Sheppey]].'' He says "Dorothy didn't like the title, [publisher] Alfred Harcourt didn't like the title, his editors didn't like it, nobody liked it but me." O'Hara describes it as a reference to "the inevitability of Julian English's death."

==Plot summary==

The novel describes how, over the course of three days, Julian English destroys himself with a series of impulsive acts, culminating in suicide. O'Hara never gives any obvious cause or explanation for his behavior, which is apparently predestined by his character.

Facts about Julian gradually emerge throughout the novel. He is about thirty. He is college-educated, owns a well-established Cadillac dealership, and within the Gibbsville community belongs to the high-ranking "Lantenengo street crowd."

Our introduction to him comes seven pages into the novel, in the thoughts of the wife of one of his employees: "She wouldn't trade her life for Caroline English's, not if you paid her. She wondered if Julian and Caroline were having another one of their battle royals." Within the three-day time span of the novel, Julian gets drunk several times. One almost lyrical long paragraph describes one of his hangovers. During the first of two suicidal reveries, we learn that his greatest fear is that he will eventually lose his wife to another man. Yet within three days, he propositions two women, succeeding once, with an ease and confidence that suggest that this is well-practised behavior.

On successive days, he commits three impulsive acts of not-quite-unforgivable behavior in social situations, which are serious enough to damage his reputation, his business, and his relationship with his wife.

First, he throws a drink in the face of Harry Reilly, a man who, we learn later, is an important investor in his business. The man is a sufficiently well-connected Catholic that Julian knows word will spread among the Gibbsville Catholic community, many of whom are his customers.

In a curious device, repeated for each of the incidents, the omniscient narrator never actually shows us the details of the incident. He shows us Julian fantasizing in great detail about throwing the drink; but, we are told, "he knew he would not throw the drink" because he was in financial debt to Harry and because "people would say he was sore because Reilly ... was elaborately attentive to Caroline English." The narrator's vision shifts elsewhere, and several pages later we surprised to hear a character report "Jeezozz H. Kee-rist! Julian English just threw a highball in Harry Reilly's face!"

The second event occurs at a roadhouse, where Julian goes with his wife and some friends. Julian gets drunk and invites a provocatively-clad woman to go out to his car with him. The woman is, in fact, a gangster's girlfriend, and one of the gangster's men is present, sent to keep an eye on her. Both Julian's wife and the gangster's aide see the couple leave. What actually happens in the car is left ambiguous but is unimportant, since all observers assume that a sexual encounter has taken place. There is not apparently any concern that the incident has placed Julian's life in danger. However, the gangster is a valued automobile customer who in the past has recommended Julian's dealership to his acquaintances.

As Julian is driven home, pretending to be asleep, he "felt the tremendous excitement, the great thrilling lump in the chest and abdomen that comes before the administering of an unknown, well-deserved punishment. He knew he was in for it."

Third, the next day, he engages in a complicated brawl with a man, Froggy Ogden. Julian thought of Froggy as an old friend, but Froggy acknowledges to Julian that he has always detested him and did not want Julian's wife (Froggy's cousin) to marry him. In the brawl, which perhaps Froggy started, he slugs Froggy, and at least one of a group of bystanders in the club.

He experiences two suicidal reveries which are at odd contrast to each other. In the first, following Caroline's temporary departure, he holds a gun to his head:

{{cquote|Julian thought and thought about Caroline and Harry, and thought against them, against their being drawn to each other sexually, which was the big thing that mattered. "By God, no one else will have her in bed," he said, to the empty office. And immediately began the worst fear he had ever known that this day, this week, this minute, next year, sometime she would open herself to another man and close herself around him. Oh, if she did that it would be forever.}}

He does not, however, follow through. His second suicidal reverie follows a failed attempt to seduce a woman, the local society reporter. He believes that as a result of his behavior, and the community's sympathy for Caroline, "no girl in Gibbsville—worth having—would risk the loss of reputation which would be her punishment for getting herself identified with him." He believes that even if he divorces Caroline he is destined to spend the rest of his life hearing:

:No, let's not have him, he's one of the older guys. Wish Julian English would act his age.... No thanks, Julian, I'd rather walk. No thinks, Mr. English, I haven't much farther to go. Julian, I wish you wouldn't call me so much. My father gets furious. You better leave me at the corner becuss if my old man. Listen, you, leave my sister alone.

Apparently finding this, and other indications that he had misperceived his status, too much to face, he commits suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, running his car in a closed garage.

Although Julian faced many difficulties, some external and many self-inflicted, it seems clear that these difficulties, though serious, were not insurmountable. His wife has departed temporarily for a long talk with her mother, but she and the reader realize that she will forgive Julian. His business was in financial difficulties, but they do not seem insoluble. It even seems likely that he could have patched things up with Harry Reilly, who says, on learning of English's suicide, "I liked English and he liked me, otherwise he wouldn't have borrowed money from me... He was a real gentleman. I wonder what in God's name would make him do a thing like that?" and picks up the telephone to order flowers."

Biographer Frank MacShane writes "The excessiveness of Julian's suicide is what makes ''Appointment in Samarra'' so much a part of its time. Julian doesn't belong to [[F. Scott Fitzgerald|Fitzgerald's]] Jazz Age; he is ten years younger and belongs to what came to be called the hangover generation, the young people who grew up accustomed to the good life without having to earn it. This is the generation that had so little to defend itself with when the depression came in 1929."

==Brand names for verisimilitude==
In the 1930s it was unusual to mention brand names in fiction. Biographer Frank MacShane says that O'Hara wanted his book to have a similar authenticity to those of [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], whom O'Hara admired as a writer who "could come right out and say '[[Locomobile]]' instead of 'high-powered motor car.'" MacShane says O'Hara "filled [''Appointment in Samarra''] with the names of popular songs, politicians, sports figures and cars of the period." English is a car dealer, and O'Hara assumes that readers will understand the social distinctions between a Cadillac, a [[LaSalle]], a Buick, and a "Chevvy" (which O'Hara spelled with two V's). But beyond cars, the novel is full of other brand names, which O'Hara obviously expects to convey subtle social meanings to the reader:

:He reached over [in his car] and picked up the hat beside him.... The brim did not snap down in front. It was a Stetson, and Julian wore Herbert Johnson hats from [[Brooks Brothers]]."

:You would look at Mrs. Waldo Wallace Walker, dressed in a brown sweater with a narrow leather belt, and a tweed skirt from Mann and Dilks, and Scotch grain shoes with fringed tongues..."

==Frank treatment of sexuality==
O'Hara's books tended to push the limits of what was considered tolerable in a mainstream novel. His second, ''[[BUtterfield 8]]'', was notorious and was banned from importation into Australia until 1963. But ''Appointment in Samarra'' was controversial, too. Biographer Geoffrey Woolf quotes a ''[[Saturday Review]]'' article by [[Yale University]] professor [[Henry Seidel Canby]], entitled "Mr. O'Hara and the Vulgar School," who criticized the book's sensuality as "nothing but infantilism — the erotic visions of a hobbledehoy behind the barn."

Most of O'Hara's descriptions are indirect: "There was the time Elinor Holloway... shinnied half way up the flagpole while five young gentlemen, standing at the foot of the pole, verified the suspicion that Elinor, who had not always lived in Gibbsville, was not naturally, or at least not entirely, a blonde." However, passages like the following were quite unusual for the time:

:She was wearing a dress that was cut in front so he could all but see her belly-button, but the material, the satin or whatever it was, it held close to her body so that when she stood up she only showed about a third of each breast. But when she was sitting down across the table from him she leaned forward with her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, and that loosened the dress so that whenever she made a move he could see the nipples of her breasts. She saw him looking—he couldn't help looking. And she smiled.

[[Category:1934 novels]]
[[Category:Debut novels]]

Appointment in Samarra

2007-06-09T21:12:53Z

69.47.26.37: /* Explanation of the novel's title */

{{Infobox Book
| name = Appointment in Samarra
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image =
| image_caption =
| author = [[John O'Hara]]
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = [[United States]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series =
| genre = [[Novel]]
| publisher = [[Harcourt]]
| release_date = [[1934 in literature|1934]]
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages =
| isbn = ISBN 0375719202 (Reprint ed: July, 2003)
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}
'''''Appointment in Samarra''''', published in [[1934]], is the first novel by [[John O'Hara]]. It concerns the self-destruction of Julian English, once a member of the social elite of [[List of fictional cities|Gibbsville]] (O'Hara's fictionalized version of [[Pottsville, Pennsylvania]]).

===Explanation of the novel's title===
The title is a reference to [[W. Somerset Maugham]]'s retelling of an old story, which appears as an [[epigraph]] for the novel: A merchant in [[Baghdad]] sends his servant to the marketplace for provisions. Shortly, the servant comes home white and trembling and tells him that in the marketplace he was jostled by a woman, whom he recognized as Death, and she made a threatening gesture. Borrowing the merchant's horse, he flees at top speed to [[Samarra]], a distance of about 75 miles (125 km), where he believes Death will not find him. The merchant then goes to the marketplace and finds Death, and asks why she made the threatening gesture. She replies, "That was not a threatening gesture, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."

In his foreword to the 1952 reprint, O'Hara says that the working title for the novel was ''The Infernal Grove''. He got the idea for the title ''Appointment in Samarra'' when [[Dorothy Parker]] showed him the story in Maugham's play, ''[[Sheppey_(play)|Sheppey]].'' He says "Dorothy didn't like the title, [publisher] Alfred Harcourt didn't like the title, his editors didn't like it, nobody liked it but me." O'Hara describes it as a reference to "the inevitability of Julian English's death."

==Plot summary==

The novel describes how, over the course of three days, Julian English destroys himself with a series of impulsive acts, culminating in suicide. O'Hara never gives any obvious cause or explanation for his behavior, which is apparently predestined by his character.

Facts about Julian gradually emerge throughout the novel. He is about thirty. He is college-educated, owns a well-established Cadillac dealership, and within the Gibbsville community belongs to the high-ranking "Lantenengo street crowd."

Our introduction to him comes seven pages into the novel, in the thoughts of the wife of one of his employees: "She wouldn't trade her life for Caroline English's, not if you paid her. She wondered if Julian and Caroline were having another one of their battle royals." Within the three-day time span of the novel, Julian gets drunk several times. One almost lyrical long paragraph describes one of his hangovers. During the first of two suicidal reveries, we learn that his greatest fear is that he will eventually lose his wife to another man. Yet within three days, he propositions two women, succeeding once, with an ease and confidence that suggest that this is well-practised behavior.

On successive days, he commits three impulsive acts of not-quite-unforgivable behavior in social situations, which are serious enough to damage his reputation, his business, and his relationship with his wife.

First, he throws a drink in the face of Harry Reilly, a man who, we learn later, is an important investor in his business. The man is a sufficiently well-connected Catholic that Julian knows word will spread among the Gibbsville Catholic community, many of whom are his customers.

In a curious device, repeated for each of the incidents, the omniscient narrator never actually shows us the details of the incident. He shows us Julian fantasizing in great detail about throwing the drink; but, we are told, "he knew he would not throw the drink" because he was in financial debt to Harry and because "people would say he was sore because Reilly ... was elaborately attentive to Caroline English." The narrator's vision shifts elsewhere, and several pages later we surprised to hear a character report "Jeezozz H. Kee-rist! Julian English just threw a highball in Harry Reilly's face!"

The second event occurs at a roadhouse, where Julian goes with his wife and some friends. Julian gets drunk and invites a provocatively-clad woman to go out to his car with him. The woman is, in fact, a gangster's girlfriend, and one of the gangster's men is present, sent to keep an eye on her. Both Julian's wife and the gangster's aide see the couple leave. What actually happens in the car is left ambiguous but is unimportant, since all observers assume that a sexual encounter has taken place. There is not apparently any concern that the incident has placed Julian's life in danger. However, the gangster is a valued automobile customer who in the past has recommended Julian's dealership to his acquaintances.

As Julian is driven home, pretending to be asleep, he "felt the tremendous excitement, the great thrilling lump in the chest and abdomen that comes before the administering of an unknown, well-deserved punishment. He knew he was in for it."

Third, the next day, he engages in a complicated brawl with a man, Froggy Ogden. Julian thought of Froggy as an old friend, but Froggy acknowledges to Julian that he has always detested him and did not want Julian's wife (Froggy's cousin) to marry him. In the brawl, which perhaps Froggy started, he slugs Froggy, and at least one of a group of bystanders in the club.

He experiences two suicidal reveries which are at odd contrast to each other. In the first, following Caroline's temporary departure, he holds a gun to his head:

{{cquote|Julian thought and thought about Caroline and Harry, and thought against them, against their being drawn to each other sexually, which was the big thing that mattered. "By God, no one else will have her in bed," he said, to the empty office. And immediately began the worst fear he had ever known that this day, this week, this minute, next year, sometime she would open herself to another man and close herself around him. Oh, if she did that it would be forever.}}

He does not, however, follow through. His second suicidal reverie follows a failed attempt to seduce a woman, the local society reporter. He believes that as a result of his behavior, and the community's sympathy for Caroline, "no girl in Gibbsville—worth having—would risk the loss of reputation which would be her punishment for getting herself identified with him." He believes that even if he divorces Caroline he is destined to spend the rest of his life hearing:

:No, let's not have him, he's one of the older guys. Wish Julian English would act his age.... No thanks, Julian, I'd rather walk. No thinks, Mr. English, I haven't much farther to go. Julian, I wish you wouldn't call me so much. My father gets furious. You better leave me at the corner becuss if my old man. Listen, you, leave my sister alone.

Apparently finding this, and other indications that he had misperceived his status, too much to face, he commits suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, running his car in a closed garage.

Although Julian faced many difficulties, some external and many self-inflicted, it seems clear that these difficulties, though serious, were not insurmountable. His wife has departed temporarily for a long talk with her mother, but she and the reader realize that she will forgive Julian. His business was in financial difficulties, but they do not seem insoluble. It even seems likely that he could have patched things up with Harry Reilly, who says, on learning of English's suicide, "I liked English and he liked me, otherwise he wouldn't have borrowed money from me... He was a real gentleman. I wonder what in God's name would make him do a thing like that?" and picks up the telephone to order flowers."

Biographer Frank MacShane writes "The excessiveness of Julian's suicide is what makes ''Appointment in Samarra'' so much a part of its time. Julian doesn't belong to [[F. Scott Fitzgerald|Fitzgerald's]] Jazz Age; he is ten years younger and belongs to what came to be called the hangover generation, the young people who grew up accustomed to the good life without having to earn it. This is the generation that had so little to defend itself with when the depression came in 1929."

==Brand names for verisimilitude==
In the 1930s it was unusual to mention brand names in fiction. Biographer Frank MacShane says that O'Hara wanted his book to have a similar authenticity to those of [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], whom O'Hara admired as a writer who "could come right out and say '[[Locomobile]]' instead of 'high-powered motor car.'" MacShane says O'Hara "filled [''Appointment in Samarra''] with the names of popular songs, politicians, sports figures and cars of the period." English is a car dealer, and O'Hara assumes that readers will understand the social distinctions between a Cadillac, a [[LaSalle]], a Buick, and a "Chevvy" (which O'Hara spelled with two V's). But beyond cars, the novel is full of other brand names, which O'Hara obviously expects to convey subtle social meanings to the reader:

:He reached over [in his car] and picked up the hat beside him.... The brim did not snap down in front. It was a Stetson, and Julian wore Herbert Johnson hats from [[Brooks Brothers]]."

:You would look at Mrs. Waldo Wallace Walker, dressed in a brown sweater with a narrow leather belt, and a tweed skirt from Mann and Dilks, and Scotch grain shoes with fringed tongues..."

==Frank treatment of sexuality==
O'Hara's books tended to push the limits of what was considered tolerable in a mainstream novel. His second, ''[[BUtterfield 8]]'', was notorious and was banned from importation into Australia until 1963. But ''Appointment in Samarra'' was controversial, too. Biographer Geoffrey Woolf quotes a ''[[Saturday Review]]'' article by [[Yale University]] professor [[Henry Seidel Canby]], entitled "Mr. O'Hara and the Vulgar School," who criticized the book's sensuality as "nothing but infantilism — the erotic visions of a hobbledehoy behind the barn."

Most of O'Hara's descriptions are indirect: "There was the time Elinor Holloway... shinnied half way up the flagpole while five young gentlemen, standing at the foot of the pole, verified the suspicion that Elinor, who had not always lived in Gibbsville, was not naturally, or at least not entirely, a blonde." However, passages like the following were quite unusual for the time:

:She was wearing a dress that was cut in front so he could all but see her belly-button, but the material, the satin or whatever it was, it held close to her body so that when she stood up she only showed about a third of each breast. But when she was sitting down across the table from him she leaned forward with her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, and that loosened the dress so that whenever she made a move he could see the nipples of her breasts. She saw him looking—he couldn't help looking. And she smiled.

[[Category:1934 novels]]
[[Category:Debut novels]]

Yosemite Sam

2007-06-09T20:55:54Z

69.47.26.37:

{{verify}}
{{WBToonChar
| name =Yosemite Sam
| image =[[Image:Sam.png|200px]]
| image caption =Yosemite Sam in the short ''[[14 Carrot Rabbit]]''
| first appearance =''[[Hare Trigger]]'' (1945)
| created by = [[Friz Freleng]]
| voiced by =[[Mel Blanc]]
| known aliases =Chilico Sam, K'chutha Sa'am, Riff Raff Sam, Sam Schulz, Sam von Schmamm, Seagoin' Sam, Seaweed Sam, Shanghai Sam
| known relatives =Prince Abbadabba (son), Wentworth (adopted son)
| knonw pets =
| known friends =[[Montana Max]] (student)
| known rivals =[[Bugs Bunny]], [[Daffy Duck]]
| catchphrases =''Great horny toads!'' ''Say yer prayers, varmint!'' ''I'm a-gonna blow you to smithereenies!'' ''I hate that rabbit!''
}}
{{For|the shortwave radio station|Yosemite Sam (shortwave)}}
'''Yosemite Sam''' is an [[animation|animated cartoon]] [[fictional character|character]] in the ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' and ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' series of cartoons produced by [[Warner Bros. Animation]]. The name is somewhat alliterative and is inspired by [[Yosemite National Park]]. In some cartoons he uses various aliases, including "Chillicothe Sam" (as a gold-claim jumper), "Riff Raff Sam" (as a camel rider in the Sahara Desert), "Sam Schulz" (as a prison guard), "Seagoin' Sam" (as a pirate), and "Shanghai Sam" (as a ship captain).

[[Animator]] [[Friz Freleng]] introduced the character in the [[1945]] cartoon ''[[Hare Trigger]]''. With his irascible temper, short stature (in two early gags in ''Hare Trigger'', a train he is attempting to rob passes right over top of him and he has to use a set of portable stairs to get on his horse; in ''[[Bugs Bunny Rides Again]]'', he rides a ''miniature'' horse), and fiery hair, Sam was in some ways an alter-ego of Freleng. The animator often denied any intentional resemblance. However, in the ''[[Looney Tunes Golden Collection]]'', surviving members of his production crew assert, and the late director's daughter acknowledges, that Sam definitely was inspired by Freleng.

Other influences were the [[Red Skelton]] character [[Sheriff Deadeye]], the [[Tom Varn]] character [[Bubba]],and the [[Tex Avery]] cartoon "[[Dangerous Dan McFoo]]". When he does a "slow burn" and cries "Oooooh!" he borrows a bit from such comedic character actors as [[Jimmy Finlayson]] (a frequent foil to [[Laurel and Hardy]]) and [[Frank Nelson]] (one of Mel Blanc's costars on ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]''). Freling also cited the Terrible-Tempered Mr. Bang, a character in the ''[[Toonerville Trolley]]'' comic strip, as an influence.

Other characters with Sam-like features appear in several ''Looney Tunes'' shorts. The [[Bugs Bunny]] entry ''[[Super Rabbit]]'' (1943) features the cowboy character "Cottontail Smith," who sounds a lot like Sam. ''[[Stage Door Cartoon]]'' (1944), another Bugs Bunny offering, features a southern sheriff character that sounds very much like Sam, except for a more defined southern stereotype to his voice. In a [[Daffy Duck]] cartoon called ''[[Along Came Daffy]]'' (1947), Daffy has to contend with ''two'' characters who look very much like Sam, one with Sam's red hair and one with black hair. Finally, ''[[Pancho's Hideaway]]'' (1964) features a Mexican villain who is designed much like Sam but has a different accent.

Freleng created Yosemite Sam to be a more worthy adversary for [[Bugs Bunny]]. Until then, Bugs' major foe had been [[Elmer Fudd]], a man so mild-mannered and dim-witted that Freleng thought Bugs actually came off as a bully by duping him. Sam, on the other hand, was extremely violent and belligerent, not at all a pushover like Fudd. Freleng compacted into a tiny body and 11-gallon hat the largest voice and the largest ego "north, south, east, aaaaand west of the [[Pecos River|Pecos]]".

For over 19 years, Freleng had almost exclusive usage of Sam at the Warner studio. Though officially a [[cowboy]], Freleng put Sam in a different costume in almost every film: a [[knight]], a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[legionary]], a [[pirate]], a [[duke]] (Duke of Yosemite, no less), a [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] soldier, and even a [[space alien]]. The humor of the cartoons inevitably springs from the odd miscasting of the hot-tempered cowboy.

Despite Freleng's intentions, Sam doesn't prove much brighter than Elmer in his encounters with Bugs. With all his bluff and bluster, Sam stands in contrast to Freleng's calmly cocky rabbit. Sam is significantly tougher and more aggressive than Elmer Fudd when challenging Bugs. He is also quicker to learn from his mistakes, and never falls for the same ploy twice. However it is Sam's own cockiness that always gets the best of him; Bugs learns to deal with Sam upon learning that he is incapable of turning down a challenge. Every time Bugs dares Sam to "step across that line," Sam can't help but do so, even if he steps off into empty space or down a mine shaft.

==Other appearances==
Yosemite Sam was one of the classic Looney Tunes characters who appeared as faculty members of Acme Looniversity in the [[1990s]] [[animated series]] [[Tiny Toon Adventures]]. Sam was shown teaching classes in Firearms and Anvilology (the study of falling anvils, a staple joke in the Looney Tunes genre), and was sometimes portrayed as the school principal (though at least one episode identified Bugs Bunny as the principal, and [[Wile E. Coyote]] was Dean of Acme Loo). As with all the main Looney Tunes characters, Sam had a student counterpart at Acme Loo, [[Montana Max]].

Yosemite Sam also appeared along with Bugs Bunny in a number of [[Mirinda]] commercials in early 90s, most probably due to direct competition to [[Fanta]], being advertized with [[Disney]] Characters at that time.

In the [[2003]] movie ''[[Looney Tunes: Back in Action]]'', Yosemite Sam is a [[bounty hunter]] employed by the [[Acme Corporation]] who was hired to finish off [[Brendan Fraser|DJ Drake]], [[Jenna Elfman|Kate Houghton]], Bugs, and [[Daffy Duck]]. In this film, he owns a casino in [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], which he calls Yosemite Sam's Wooden Nickel, and is accompanied by [[Nasty Canasta]] (from ''[[Drip-Along Daffy]]'') and [[Cottontail Smith]] (from ''[[Super Rabbit]]'').

Sam also plays the role of alien occasional guest villain '''K'chutha Sa'am''' (a parody of a typical [[Klingon]] from the [[Star Trek]] mythos, and right in line with Sam's abrasive personality) on the ''[[Duck Dodgers (TV series)|Duck Dodgers]]'' animated series. Sam appears in the movie ''[[Space Jam]]''. He also makes a cameo appearance in ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''. He also appears in the video games ''[[LOONS: The Fight for Fame]]'', ''[[Taz: Wanted]]'', ''Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle, Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage, [[Bugs Bunny Lost in Time]] [[Bugs Bunny and Taz Time Busters]] Sheep, Dog, 'n' Wolf Looney Tunes B-Ball'', ''Daffy Duck in Hollywood'' and ''Loony Tunes: Back In Action''.

==Voice==
The role of Yosemite Sam was originated by the Warners' principal voiceman, [[Mel Blanc]]. In his autobiography, Blanc said he had a difficult time coming up with the voice until he decided to simply yell at the top of his lungs. It fit perfectly with the blustery character, but also took a toll on Mel. He always made it a point to record Sam's lines at the end of a recording session so he wouldn't have to play other characters with a hoarse voice. In his final years, it was simply too much, and he passed along the role to others (most notably [[Joe Alaskey]] in ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''). This makes Sam one of the few voices created by Blanc to be voiced by someone else during his lifetime.

Blanc used a voice similar to Yosemite Sam's for [[Mr. Spacely]] on ''[[The Jetsons]]''.

*{{cquote|''I'm Yosemite Sam, the meanest, toughest, rip-roarin'-est, [[Edward Everett Horton]]-est hombre that ever packed a six-shooter!'' - Sam introduces himself to Bugs for the first time, in ''[[Hare Trigger]]'' (1945).}}

== Yosemite Sam in popular culture ==
===In music===
Yosemite Sam is mentioned by name in the following songs:
* "Lady Cab Driver"<ref>[http://www.dtt-lyrics.com/albums/1999.html#lady Lyrics for the song "Lady Cab Driver"]</ref>, performed by [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] on his [[1982]] album, ''[[1999 (album)|1999]]''.
*"When the Shit Goes Down" by [[Cypress Hill]].
*"[[Egg Man]]" by [[The Beastie Boys]] on their album ''[[Paul's Boutique]]''.
*"Rooting For The Bad Guy" by [[The Wildhearts]] on their 2007 self titled album.
*"[[11 minute freestyle]]" by [[Cassidy]] hot 97 freestyle with Brendan Jermaine Harris aka Brendan2da, Bren Heezy

===In other media===
*In the episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', "[[Homer: Bad Man]]", the corrections from the TV program ''[[Rock Bottom]]'' say that "[[Lyndon Johnson]] did not provide the voice of Yosemite Sam".
*In another ''Simpsons'' episode, "[[Principal Charming]]", when Marge is putting mustache wax on her sister Patty's upper lip, Marge says, "Come on, Patty. You don't want to go on your first date looking like Yosemite Sam."
*In an episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'', [[Stewie]] cautions [[ Brian Griffin | Brian]] to stay away from the vehicle ahead of them because it has Yosemite Sam mud flaps.
*On an episode of ''[[Night Court]]'', Dan ([[John Larroquette]]) is forced into impersonating Yosemite Sam by a mentally disturbed woman he's dating.

===Commercial appearances===
*Yosemite Sam appears on the logo of the [[KIJHL]] hockey team, the [[Castlegar Rebels]]
*Apart from cartoons, Yosemite Sam (in his pirate, "Sea-goin' Sam", alter ego) has a second career as a popular truck [[mudflap]] icon. He is shown brandishing old-fashioned flintlock pistols accompanied by the slogan "Back Off!" A 2006 [[Super Bowl]] ad showed a newly-animated version of mudflap Sam on a date with the silver silhouette [[mudflap girl]].
{{See also|Yosemite Sam (shortwave)}}

==References==

<div style="font-size:90%"><references/></div>

[[Category:Looney Tunes characters]]
[[Category:Fictional cowboys]]
[[Category:Fictional gunslingers]]
{{Warner Bros. cartoon characters}}

[[es:Sam Bigotes]]
[[th:โยเซมิตี แซม]]
[[fr:Sam le Pirate]]

Paul Christman

2007-06-09T20:54:26Z

69.47.26.37:

{{NFL player
|Image=
|DateOfBirth=[[March 5]], [[1918]]
|Birthplace=[[Maplewood, Missouri]]
|DateOfDeath=[[March 2]], [[1970]]
|Deathplace=[[Lake Forest, Illinois]]
|College=[[University of Missouri|Missouri]]
|Position=[[Quarterback]]
|DraftedYear=
|DraftedRound=
|years=1945-1949 1950
|teams=[[Arizona Cardinals|Chicago Cardinals]] [[Green Bay Packers]]
|DatabaseFootball=CHRISPAU01
|CollegeHOF=30109}}

'''Paul Christman''' ([[March 5]], [[1918]]-[[March 2]], [[1970]]) was an [[American football]] player and a member of the [[College Football Hall of Fame]]. He played [[college football]] for the [[University of Missouri-Columbia|University of Missouri]] and professionally for the [[Arizona Cardinals|Chicago Cardinals]] and [[Green Bay Packers]].

A [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] native, Christman led the Missouri Tigers to a 20-8 record during his three seasons as their starting [[quarterback]]. He was a two-time [[All-America|All-American]], and led the nation in [[touchdown]] passes in [[1940]]. He was Missouri's all-time leading passer until [[1976]], when he was surpassed by [[Steve Pisarkiewicz]]. While at Missouri University he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. His jersey number, 44, is one of six retired by the school. In [[1956]] he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Christman played six seasons in the [[National Football League]], from [[1945]]-[[1950]]. He was a member of the so-called "Million Dollar Backfield," which led the Cardinals to the [[1947 NFL season|1947]] [[NFL Championship]]. A notoriously poor ball-handler, at one time he owned the record for most [[fumble]]s in a game (five) and most own fumbles recovered in a season (eight).

After retiring as a player he worked as a [[color commentator]] for [[American Football League]] games, opposite legendary [[play-by-play]] announcer [[Curt Gowdy]]. In [[1967]], the pair called [[Super Bowl I]] for [[NFL on NBC|NBC]]. Christman died in [[1970]] in [[Lake Forest, Illinois]] from a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]].

His daughter is noted [[Scientology]] critic [[Tory Christman]].

==References==
*[http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=30109 Biography from the College Football Hall of Fame]

*[http://www.geocities.com/byergo/records.htmlMissouri Tigers Football Honors and Records]

==External links==
*[http://www.nfl.com/history/randf/records/indiv/fumbles NFL.com list of fumble records]
*[http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=1701 Pro Football Hall of Fame article on the "Million Dollar Backfield"]
*[http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=CHRISPAU01 Career statistics at databaseFootball.com]

[[Category:American football quarterbacks|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:Chicago Cardinals players|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers players|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:Missouri Tigers football players|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:1918 births|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:1970 deaths|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:American Football League|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:National Football League announcers|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:The Dream Backfield|Christman, Paul]]
[[Category:Deaths by myocardial infarction|Christman, Paul]]

Diamond (disambiguation)

2007-06-09T20:07:06Z

69.47.26.37:

{{Wiktionarypar|diamond}}
{{TOCright}}
'''[[Diamond]]''' is the hardest known natural material.

'''Diamond''' may also refer to:
* [[Lozenge]], [[◊]], a form of rhombus and symbols with that shape; also see [[polyiamond]]
* [[Baseball field]] or Baseball diamond, the field upon which the game of baseball is played
* [[Diamonds (suit)]], one of four suits in playing cards
* [[Diamond interchange]], a type of highway interchange
* [[Diamondsuit]] a combinatorial principle in set theory
* [[Tidal diamond]], a symbol on British admiralty charts
* [[HMS Diamond|HMS ''Diamond'']], ships of the Royal Navy
* [[M/S Sea Diamond]], a cruise ship which sank on April 6, 2007 near [[Santorini]].
* [[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl]], Nintendo DS games of the main Pokémon RPG series
* [[Diamonds (TV series)|''Diamonds'' (TV series)]], a Canadian television series that aired from 1987 to 1989
* [[Diamonds (film)|''Diamonds'' (film)]], a 1975 movie with Robert Shaw and Shelley Winters
* [[Diamonds (1999 film)|''Diamonds'' (1999 film)]], a 1999 movie with Kirk Douglas and Dan Aykroyd
* [[Diamonds (Herb Alpert song)]], a 1987 song
* [[Diamonds (Fabolous song)]], the first single from rapper Fabolous' 2007 album From Nothing to Something
* [[The Diamonds]], a Canadian singing group of the 1950s and '60s
* [[The Diamond Sea]], the first single from [[Sonic Youth]]'s 1995 album ''[[Washing Machine]]''

==Organizations==
* [[Diamond Light Source]], British synchrotron research facility
* [[Diamond Multimedia]], a computer hardware and electronics company
* [[Diamond Aircraft Industries]], a manufacturer of light aircraft
* [[Diamond Energy]], energy services company based in Canada
* [[Diamond Comic Distributors]], the largest comic book distributor serving North America
* Diamond Bus, a British bus company in the West Midlands and the [[Go West Midlands]] trading name
* [[Diamond (insurance)]], a British insurance provider focused on women car drivers
* [[Diamond Management & Technology Partners]] (commonly "Diamond"), a Chicago based technology consulting company

==People==
===Surname===
*[[Alexander Diamond]] (born 1985), Scottish professional footballer
*[[Amy Diamond]] (born 1992), Swedish pop singer
*[[Anne Diamond]] (born 1954), British television presenter
*[[Barry Diamond]], English vocal entertainer
*[[Benjamin Diamond]] (born 1975), French singer
*[[Bernard L. Diamond]] (1912-1990), American Professor of law and psychiatry
*[[Cora Diamond]], US-born philosopher
*[[David Diamond (composer)]] (1915–2005), American composer
*David Diamond (journalist), coauthor of [[Just for Fun]]
*[[Dustin Diamond]] (born 1977), American actor
*[[Gregg Diamond]] (1949-1999), American musician
*[[I. A. L. Diamond]] (1920-1988), Romanian-born American film writer
*[[Jack Diamond]] (1897-1931), Irish-American gangster
*[[Jack Diamond (Canadian businessman)]] (1909-2001), Canadian businessman and philanthropist
*[[Jackie Diamond Hyman]] (born 1949), American author, reporter and columnist
*[[Jared Diamond]] (born 1937), American biologist, physiologist, biogeographer and author
*[[Jim Diamond (music producer)]], American studio engineer, producer and bass player
*[[Jim Diamond (Scottish musician)]] (born 1951), British rock musician
*[[Jody Diamond]], American composer, performer, writer, publisher, editor, and educator
*[[John Diamond (journalist)]] (1953-2001), British Jewish broadcaster and journalist
*[[John Diamond, Baron Diamond]] (1907-2004), British politician
*[[King Diamond]] (born 1956), Danish heavy metal musician
*[[Larry Diamond]], political scientist
*[[Lou Diamond]] (1890–1951), US Marine
*[[Michael Diamond]] (born 1965), American musician, member of the Beastie Boys
*[[Michael Diamond (sport shooter)]] (born 1972), Australian professional target shooter
*[[Milton Diamond]] (born 1934), American professor of anatomy and reproductive biology
*[[Neil Diamond]] (born 1941), American singer/songwriter
*[[Reed Diamond]] (born 1967), American actor
*[[Robert Diamond]] (born 1951), London-based American banker
*[[Selma Diamond]] (1920-1985), Canadian-born comedic actress and TV writer

===First names===
*[[Dallas Page]] (born 1956), American wrestler often competing under the ring name Diamond Dallas Page
*[[Diamond D]], a Hip Hop producer/rapper

== See also ==
* [[Diamant (disambiguation)]], French for diamond
* [[Max Dimont]]
* [[Dymond]]
* [[Diament]]
* [[Yahalom]]

{{disambig}}

[[Category:Surnames]]

[[de:Diamond]]
[[fr:Diamond]]
[[lt:Diamond]]
[[nl:Diamond]]
[[ja:ダイヤモンド (曖昧さ回避)]]
[[pl:Diamond]]
[[sv:Diamond]]

Monster Mash

2007-06-09T20:05:54Z

69.47.26.37:

"'''Monster Mash'''" is a [[1959 in music|1962]] [[novelty song]] and the best known song by [[Bobby 'Boris' Pickett]]. Pickett was an aspiring actor who sang with a band called The Cordials at night while going to auditions during the day. One night, while performing with his band, Pickett did a monologue in imitation of horror movie actor [[Boris Karloff]] while covering [[The Diamonds]]' "Little Darlin'". The audience loved it and co band member, Lenny Capizzi encouraged Pickett to do more with the Karloff imitation.

Pickett and Capizzi composed "Monster Mash" and recorded it with [[Gary Paxton]], [[Leon Russell]], [[Johnny McCrae]] and [[Rickie Page]], credited as "The Cryptkickers". This song was partially inspired by Paxton's earlier novelty hit "[[Alley Oop (song)|Alley Oop]]", as well as by the [[Mashed Potato]] dance craze of the era.

The song is narrated by a [[mad scientist]] whose monster, late one evening, rises from a slab to perform a new dance. The dance becomes a hit when the scientist throws a party for other monsters. The producers came up with several low-budget, but effective sound effects for the recording. For example, the sound of a coffin opening was imitated by a rusty nail being pulled out of a board. The sound of a cauldron bubbling was actually water being bubbled through a straw and the chains rattling were simply chains being dropped on a tile floor. Pickett also impersonated the horror actor [[Bela Lugosi]] as [[Dracula]] when he said, "What ever happened to my Transylvania Twist?"

On [[October 20]], [[1962 in music|1962]], eight weeks after it was recorded, "Monster Mash" reached number one on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart just in time for [[Halloween]]. It has been a perennial holiday favorite ever since. The single was re-released twice, the first re-release was in [[1970 in music|1970]], and the second re-release resulted in the single peaking at #10 in early-May, [[1973 in music|1973]]. The song remains a staple on [[oldies]] radio.

"Monster's Holiday", a [[Christmas]]-themed follow up, was released in December 1962 and peaked at #30 on the ''Billboard'' chart. The tune was penned by the renowned novelty song composer Paul 'Oops! upside ya head' Harrison.

The [[Bonzo Dog Band]] released a version of "Monster Mash" on their [[1969]] album ''[[Tadpoles (Bonzo Dog album)|Tadpoles]]''.

Bobby 'Boris' Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers charted with "Monster Mash" in the UK in 1973 where it peaked at #3 in the early October. The BBC banned the record in 1962 on the grounds they thought the song was "too morbid." Hence part of the reason why the record failed in the UK.

In 2005, "Climate Mash", a version with re-written lyrics about [[global warming]] and new vocals by Pickett, was released on the Internet by the organization [[Clear the Air]].
"Monster Mash" was written by Pickett and [[Leonard Capizzi]].

==Trivia==
*When [[Elvis Presley]] heard the song for the first time, he said that it was "the dumbest song he had ever heard" ([[Music Choice]] Trivia).
*Mixing the cereals ''[[Count Chocula]]'', ''[[Franken Berry]],'' and ''[[Boo Berry]]'' into one bowl is commonly known as a Monster Mash.
*Horror punk group [[The Misfits]] covered this song on their album ''[[Monster Mash]],'' and ''[[Project 1950]]''.
*British [[ska]] band [[Bad Manners]] released a cover of the song on their 1980 debut album, [[Ska 'n' B]].
*Jesse Sails played drums and Chuck Trainor played bass for this song.

==Occurrences in the media==
* The ''[[Cheers]]'' episode "Bar Wars V: The Final Judgment" featured this song prominently, played repeatedly as a prank by rival bar owner Gary on [[Halloween]].
* [[Ron Howard]] performed the song on ''[[Happy Days]]'' (episode 124, "The Evil Eye" 10/31/78), but used a [[Peter Lorre]] impression rather than Boris Karloff.
* In [[1995]], a movie musical called ''[[Monster Mash: The Movie]]'', written in the spirit of the song and starring [[Bobby Pickett]] himself, was produced.
* Boris Karloff was so taken with the song that he performed it himself on a [[1965]] episode of ''[[Shindig!]]''.
* [[Mike Tyson]] appeared with [[Bobby Brown]] on ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live]]'', performing a duet of the song.
* The song was performed in the first episode of ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]'' by [[The Bonzo Dog Band]].
* The song appears on an episode of ''[[Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)|Sabrina, the Teenage Witch]]'', where a bunch of monsters invade the Spellman house on Halloween, caused by an evil talking doll.
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[I Love Lisa]]", the DJ on KBBL mistakingly plays it on [[Valentine's Day]], believing it as a love song about monsters, to which it embarrasses his co-DJ. He does it again at the end of the episode, this time on occassion for [[President's Day]], which anger his co-DJ.
* [[Mannheim Steamroller]]'s 2006 album ''Halloween, Vol. 2'' features a slightly re-worked version of the song.
* In American TV spots, the song was used to promote the film, ''[[Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit]]''.

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| before = "[[Sherry (song)|Sherry]]" by [[The Four Seasons (group)|The Four Seasons]]
| title = [[Billboard Hot 100]] [[List of number-one hits (United States)|number one single]]
| years = [[October 20]], [[1962]]
| after = "[[He's a Rebel]]" by [[The Crystals]]
}}
{{end box}}

==References==
* {{cite book | author = Bathroom Reader' Institute | year = 1991 | month = October | title = Uncle John's Fourth Bathroom Reader | publisher = St. Martin's Griffin | id = ISBN 0-312-06484-5 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.themonstermash.com/ Official "Monster Mash" site]

Monster Mash

2007-06-09T20:03:28Z

69.47.26.37:

"'''Monster Mash'''" is a [[1959 in music|1962]] [[novelty song]] and the best known song by [[Bobby 'Boris' Pickett]]. Pickett was an aspiring actor who sang with a band called The Cordials at night while going to auditions during the day. One night, while performing with his band, Pickett did a monologue in imitation of horror movie actor [[Boris Karloff]] in the middle of a song The Diamonds' "Little Darlin'". The audience loved it and co band member, Lenny Capizzi encouraged Pickett to do more with the Karloff imitation.

Pickett and Capizzi composed "Monster Mash" and recorded it with [[Gary Paxton]], [[Leon Russell]], [[Johnny McCrae]] and [[Rickie Page]], credited as "The Cryptkickers". This song was partially inspired by Paxton's earlier novelty hit "[[Alley Oop (song)|Alley Oop]]", as well as by the [[Mashed Potato]] dance craze of the era.

The song is narrated by a [[mad scientist]] whose monster, late one evening, rises from a slab to perform a new dance. The dance becomes a hit when the scientist throws a party for other monsters. The producers came up with several low-budget, but effective sound effects for the recording. For example, the sound of a coffin opening was imitated by a rusty nail being pulled out of a board. The sound of a cauldron bubbling was actually water being bubbled through a straw and the chains rattling were simply chains being dropped on a tile floor. Pickett also impersonated the horror actor [[Bela Lugosi]] as [[Dracula]] when he said, "What ever happened to my Transylvania Twist?"

On [[October 20]], [[1962 in music|1962]], eight weeks after it was recorded, "Monster Mash" reached number one on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart just in time for [[Halloween]]. It has been a perennial holiday favorite ever since. The single was re-released twice, the first re-release was in [[1970 in music|1970]], and the second re-release resulted in the single peaking at #10 in early-May, [[1973 in music|1973]]. The song remains a staple on [[oldies]] radio.

"Monster's Holiday", a [[Christmas]]-themed follow up, was released in December 1962 and peaked at #30 on the ''Billboard'' chart. The tune was penned by the renowned novelty song composer Paul 'Oops! upside ya head' Harrison.

The [[Bonzo Dog Band]] released a version of "Monster Mash" on their [[1969]] album ''[[Tadpoles (Bonzo Dog album)|Tadpoles]]''.

Bobby 'Boris' Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers charted with "Monster Mash" in the UK in 1973 where it peaked at #3 in the early October. The BBC banned the record in 1962 on the grounds they thought the song was "too morbid." Hence part of the reason why the record failed in the UK.

In 2005, "Climate Mash", a version with re-written lyrics about [[global warming]] and new vocals by Pickett, was released on the Internet by the organization [[Clear the Air]].
"Monster Mash" was written by Pickett and [[Leonard Capizzi]].

==Trivia==
*When [[Elvis Presley]] heard the song for the first time, he said that it was "the dumbest song he had ever heard" ([[Music Choice]] Trivia).
*Mixing the cereals ''[[Count Chocula]]'', ''[[Franken Berry]],'' and ''[[Boo Berry]]'' into one bowl is commonly known as a Monster Mash.
*Horror punk group [[The Misfits]] covered this song on their album ''[[Monster Mash]],'' and ''[[Project 1950]]''.
*British [[ska]] band [[Bad Manners]] released a cover of the song on their 1980 debut album, [[Ska 'n' B]].
*Jesse Sails played drums and Chuck Trainor played bass for this song.

==Occurrences in the media==
* The ''[[Cheers]]'' episode "Bar Wars V: The Final Judgment" featured this song prominently, played repeatedly as a prank by rival bar owner Gary on [[Halloween]].
* [[Ron Howard]] performed the song on ''[[Happy Days]]'' (episode 124, "The Evil Eye" 10/31/78), but used a [[Peter Lorre]] impression rather than Boris Karloff.
* In [[1995]], a movie musical called ''[[Monster Mash: The Movie]]'', written in the spirit of the song and starring [[Bobby Pickett]] himself, was produced.
* Boris Karloff was so taken with the song that he performed it himself on a [[1965]] episode of ''[[Shindig!]]''.
* [[Mike Tyson]] appeared with [[Bobby Brown]] on ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live]]'', performing a duet of the song.
* The song was performed in the first episode of ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]'' by [[The Bonzo Dog Band]].
* The song appears on an episode of ''[[Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)|Sabrina, the Teenage Witch]]'', where a bunch of monsters invade the Spellman house on Halloween, caused by an evil talking doll.
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[I Love Lisa]]", the DJ on KBBL mistakingly plays it on [[Valentine's Day]], believing it as a love song about monsters, to which it embarrasses his co-DJ. He does it again at the end of the episode, this time on occassion for [[President's Day]], which anger his co-DJ.
* [[Mannheim Steamroller]]'s 2006 album ''Halloween, Vol. 2'' features a slightly re-worked version of the song.
* In American TV spots, the song was used to promote the film, ''[[Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit]]''.

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| before = "[[Sherry (song)|Sherry]]" by [[The Four Seasons (group)|The Four Seasons]]
| title = [[Billboard Hot 100]] [[List of number-one hits (United States)|number one single]]
| years = [[October 20]], [[1962]]
| after = "[[He's a Rebel]]" by [[The Crystals]]
}}
{{end box}}

==References==
* {{cite book | author = Bathroom Reader' Institute | year = 1991 | month = October | title = Uncle John's Fourth Bathroom Reader | publisher = St. Martin's Griffin | id = ISBN 0-312-06484-5 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.themonstermash.com/ Official "Monster Mash" site]

Monster Mash

2007-06-09T20:01:48Z

69.47.26.37: /* Occurrences in the media */

"'''Monster Mash'''" is a [[1959 in music|1962]] [[novelty song]] and the best known song by [[Bobby 'Boris' Pickett]]. Pickett was an aspiring actor who sang with a band called The Cordials at night while going to auditions during the day. One night, while performing with his band, Pickett did a monologue in imitation of horror movie actor [[Boris Karloff]] in the middle of a song The Diamonds' "Little Darlin'". The audience loved it and co band member, Lenny Capizzi encouraged Pickett to do more with the Karloff imitation.

Pickett and Capizzi composed "Monster Mash" and recorded it with [[Gary Paxton]], [[Leon Russell]], [[Johnny McCrae]] and [[Rickie Page]], credited as "The Cryptkickers". This song was partially inspired by Paxton's earlier novelty hit "[[Alley Oop (song)|Alley Oop]]", as well as by the [[Mashed Potato]] dance craze of the era.

The song is narrated by a [[mad scientist]] whose monster, late one evening, rises from a slab to perform a new dance. The dance becomes a hit when the scientist throws a party for other monsters. The producers came up with several low-budget, but effective sound effects for the recording. For example, the sound of a coffin opening was imitated by a rusty nail being pulled out of a board. The sound of a cauldron bubbling was actually water being bubbled through a straw and the chains rattling were simply chains being dropped on a tile floor. Pickett also impersonated the horror actor [[Bela Lugosi]] as [[Dracula]] when he said, "What ever happened to my Transylvania Twist?"

On [[October 20]], [[1962 in music|1962]], eight weeks after it was recorded, "Monster Mash" reached number one on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart just in time for [[Halloween]]. It has been a perennial holiday favorite ever since. The single was re-released twice, the first re-release was in [[1970 in music|1970]], and the second re-release resulted in the single peaking at #10 in early-May, [[1973 in music|1973]]. The song remains a staple on [[oldies]] radio.

"Monster's Holiday", a [[Christmas]]-themed follow up, was released in December 1962 and peaked at #30 on the ''Billboard'' chart. The tune was penned by the renowned novelty song composer Paul 'Oops! upside ya head' Harrison.

The [[Bonzo Dog Band]] released a version of "Monster Mash" on their [[1969]] album [[Tadpoles (Bonzo Dog album)|Tadpoles]].

Bobby 'Boris' Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers charted with "Monster Mash" in the UK in 1973 where it peaked at #3 in the early October. The BBC banned the record in 1962 on the grounds they thought the song was "too morbid." Hence part of the reason why the record failed in the UK.

In 2005, "Climate Mash", a version with re-written lyrics about [[global warming]] and new vocals by Pickett, was released on the Internet by the organization [[Clear the Air]].
"Monster Mash" was written by Pickett and [[Leonard Capizzi]].

==Trivia==
*When [[Elvis Presley]] heard the song for the first time, he said that it was "the dumbest song he had ever heard" ([[Music Choice]] Trivia).
*Mixing the cereals ''[[Count Chocula]]'', ''[[Franken Berry]],'' and ''[[Boo Berry]]'' into one bowl is commonly known as a Monster Mash.
*Horror punk group [[The Misfits]] covered this song on their album ''[[Monster Mash]],'' and ''[[Project 1950]]''.
*British [[ska]] band [[Bad Manners]] released a cover of the song on their 1980 debut album, [[Ska 'n' B]].
*Jesse Sails played drums and Chuck Trainor played bass for this song.

==Occurrences in the media==
* The ''[[Cheers]]'' episode "Bar Wars V: The Final Judgment" featured this song prominently, played repeatedly as a prank by rival bar owner Gary on [[Halloween]].
* [[Ron Howard]] performed the song on ''[[Happy Days]]'' (episode 124, "The Evil Eye" 10/31/78), but used a [[Peter Lorre]] impression rather than Boris Karloff.
* In [[1995]], a movie musical called ''[[Monster Mash: The Movie]]'', written in the spirit of the song and starring [[Bobby Pickett]] himself, was produced.
* Boris Karloff was so taken with the song that he performed it himself on a [[1965]] episode of ''[[Shindig!]]''.
* [[Mike Tyson]] appeared with [[Bobby Brown]] on ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live]]'', performing a duet of the song.
* The song was performed in the first episode of ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]'' by [[The Bonzo Dog Band]].
* The song appears on an episode of ''[[Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)|Sabrina, the Teenage Witch]]'', where a bunch of monsters invade the Spellman house on Halloween, caused by an evil talking doll.
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[I Love Lisa]]", the DJ on KBBL mistakingly plays it on [[Valentine's Day]], believing it as a love song about monsters, to which it embarrasses his co-DJ. He does it again at the end of the episode, this time on occassion for [[President's Day]], which anger his co-DJ.
* [[Mannheim Steamroller]]'s 2006 album ''Halloween, Vol. 2'' features a slightly re-worked version of the song.
* In American TV spots, the song was used to promote the film, ''[[Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit]]''.

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| before = "[[Sherry (song)|Sherry]]" by [[The Four Seasons (group)|The Four Seasons]]
| title = [[Billboard Hot 100]] [[List of number-one hits (United States)|number one single]]
| years = [[October 20]], [[1962]]
| after = "[[He's a Rebel]]" by [[The Crystals]]
}}
{{end box}}

==References==
* {{cite book | author = Bathroom Reader' Institute | year = 1991 | month = October | title = Uncle John's Fourth Bathroom Reader | publisher = St. Martin's Griffin | id = ISBN 0-312-06484-5 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.themonstermash.com/ Official "Monster Mash" site]

Zelmo Zale

2007-06-09T19:21:07Z

69.47.26.37:

'''Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale''' was a [[fictional character]] on the ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'' [[television series]]. Zale was portrayed by [[Johnny Haymer]].

Zale was the supply sergeant for the 4077th MASH unit. He made his first appearance in the Season 2 episode "For Want of a Boot", and his final appearance in the Season 8 episode "Goodbye Radar" (which, coincidentally enough, also marked [[Gary Burghoff]]'s last appearance on the show as Corporal [[Radar O'Reilly]]).

Zale was portrayed as a hotheaded individual who frequently sparred with Corporal [[Maxwell Q. Klinger]]. Like Corporals Klinger and [[Igor Straminsky]] and Sergeant [[Luther Rizzo]], Zale served as [[comic relief]] for the show; once, in order to help a poor Korean family, Captain [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] had to blackmail Zale for supplies by threatening to reveal that Zale was sending a [[Quonset hut]] home to his wife.

{{mash}}
[[Category:M*A*S*H characters|Zale, Zelmo]]

MAS*H (TV series)

2007-06-09T19:14:15Z

69.47.26.37: /* Unique and unusual episodes */

{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general. The series has two spinoffs: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original film.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''Dear Dad...Three''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''Dear Mildred'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''Dear Peggy'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''Dear Ma'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''Dear Sigmund'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''Dear Comrade'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''Dear Sis'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''Dear Uncle Abdul'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''Letters''').
*'''O.R.''' (10/8/74), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room and preop/postop ward (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white and presented as a 1950s television broadcast, with the cast partially improvising their responses to interviewer [[Clete Roberts]]' questions. Roberts returned for '''Our Finest Hour''' (10/9/78), which interspersed new black and white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''A War for All Seasons''' (12/29/80), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

[[Category:1970s American television series]]
[[Category:1980s American television series]]
[[Category:CBS network shows]]
[[Category:Comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios]]
[[Category:M*A*S*H| ]]
[[Category:Medical television series]]
[[Category:Military television series]]
[[Category:Nielsen Ratings winners]]
[[Category:Period piece TV series]]
[[Category:Television programs based on films]]
[[Category:Television programs based on novels]]
[[Category:1972 television program debuts]]
[[Category:1983 television program series endings]]
[[Category:Peabody Award winners]]

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MAS*H (TV series)

2007-06-09T19:11:40Z

69.47.26.37: /* Unique and unusual episodes */

{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general. The series has two spinoffs: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original film.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''Dear Dad...Three''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''Dear Mildred'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''Dear Peggy'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''Dear Ma'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''Dear Sigmund'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''Dear Comrade'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''Dear Sis'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''Dear Uncle Abdul'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''Letters''').
*'''O.R.''' (10/8/74), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room and preop/postop ward (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white, with the cast partially improvising their responses to interviewer [[Clete Roberts]]' questions. Roberts returned for '''Our Finest Hour''' (10/9/78), which interspersed new black and white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''A War for All Seasons''' (12/29/80), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

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69.47.26.37: /* Unique and unusual episodes */

{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general. The series has two spinoffs: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original film.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''Dear Dad...Three''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''Dear Mildred'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''Dear Peggy'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''Dear Ma'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''Dear Sigmund'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''Dear Comrade'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''Dear Sis'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''Dear Uncle Abdul'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''Letters''').
*'''O.R.''' (10/8/74), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room and preop/postop ward (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white, the cast partially improvised their responses to interviewer [[Clete Roberts]]' questions. Roberts returned for '''Our Finest Hour''' (10/9/78), which interspersed new black and white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''A War for All Seasons''' (12/29/80), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

[[Category:1970s American television series]]
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[[Category:CBS network shows]]
[[Category:Comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios]]
[[Category:M*A*S*H| ]]
[[Category:Medical television series]]
[[Category:Military television series]]
[[Category:Nielsen Ratings winners]]
[[Category:Period piece TV series]]
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[[Category:Television programs based on novels]]
[[Category:1972 television program debuts]]
[[Category:1983 television program series endings]]
[[Category:Peabody Award winners]]

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{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general. The series has two spinoffs: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original film.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Three]]''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''[[Dear Mildred]]'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''[[Dear Peggy]]'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''[[Dear Ma]]'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''[[Dear Sigmund]]'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''[[Dear Comrade]]'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''[[Dear Sis]]'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''[[Dear Uncle Abdul]]'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''[[Letters (M*A*S*H episode)|Letters]]''').
*'''O.R.''' (10/8/74), which takes place entirely within the confines of the operating room and preop/postop ward (and was the first episode to omit the laugh track completely).
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white, the cast partially improvised their responses to interviewer [[Clete Roberts]]' questions. Roberts returned for '''[[Our Finest Hour]]''' (10/9/78), which interspersed new black and white interview segments with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''A War for All Seasons''' (12/29/80), which compresses an entire year in the life of the 4077th into a single episode.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

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28 Days Later

2007-06-09T07:19:41Z

69.47.26.37: /* Style and inspiration */

{{Infobox Film
| name = 28 Days Later
| image = 28DaysLaterMoviePoster.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| director = [[Danny Boyle]]
| producer = [[Andrew Macdonald (producer)|Andrew Macdonald]]
| writer = [[Alex Garland]]
| narrator =
| starring = [[Cillian Murphy]] [[Naomie Harris]] [[Brendan Gleeson]] [[Christopher Eccleston]] [[Megan Burns]]
| music = [[John Murphy (composer)|John Murphy]]
| cinematography = Anthony Dod Mantle
| editing = Chris Gill
| distributor = [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]]
| released = [[1 November]] [[2002]]
| runtime = 113 min.
| country = {{UK}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| budget = £5,000,000
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = ''[[28 Days Later: The Aftermath|The Aftermath]]'' (graphic novel) ''[[28 Weeks Later]]''
| website = http://www.foxsearchlight.com/28dayslater/
| amg_id = 1:276152
| imdb_id = 0289043
}}

'''''28 Days Later''''' is a [[2002 in film|2002]] [[Cinema of the UK|British]] [[post-apocalyptic science fiction]] / [[horror film]] directed by [[Danny Boyle]] and written by [[Alex Garland]]. The film was first released in the [[United Kingdom]] on [[November 1]], [[2002]] and in [[North America]] on [[June 27]], [[2003]].

Set in [[England]], during the early [[21st century]], the story concerns the breakdown of society following the release of a [[virus]] known as "[[Rage (fictional virus)|Rage]]", which makes people mindlessly [[violent]], and the struggle of four survivors to come to terms with the ruins of everything they once knew.

A critical and commercial success, the film is widely recognised for its images of an entirely deserted [[London]], and was shot almost entirely on [[digital video]]. The sequel, ''[[28 Weeks Later]]'' was released on [[11 May]] [[2007]].

==Plot==
[[Image:28dayslater2.jpg|left|thumb|Jim walks across [[Westminster Bridge]] on his journey through [[London]].]]
The film opens with the initial outbreak of the [[Rage (fictional virus)|Rage virus]], caused when an infected [[chimpanzee]] bites an animal rights activist attempting to free it from a laboratory. Twenty-eight days later, Jim, a bicycle [[courier]], wakes up from a coma in a strangely deserted hospital. Leaving the hospital, Jim discovers that London isn't in the same state: the streets are empty and filled with signs of catastrophe. Taking refuge in a church, Jim is chased by the Infected and rescued by two survivors, Selena and Mark, who rush him to their hideout in a section of the [[London Underground]]. Jim learns that while he was comatose, the virus spread uncontrollably among the people, turning them into vicious and mindless predators, referred to as "[[The Infected|Infected]]", and finally collapsing society, possibly on a global scale.

While visiting Jim's house, they discover that his parents have committed [[suicide]]. Later the group are attacked by Infected, and during the struggle Mark is is bitten. Selena kills him- before Mark shows any conclusive sign of infection- and she explains to Jim that it only takes seconds before those who are contaminated become Infected. They cannot take risks.

On their journey through the city they meet two other survivors, Frank and his daughter, Hannah. After spending the night at Frank's flat it becomes apparent that the few uninfected people will not survive for long, given that their supplies- particularly their water- are dwindling and London is suffering a drought. Frank later picks up a pre-recorded radio broadcast made by a group of soldiers who have set up a blockade near [[Manchester]] and claim to have "the answer to Infection". Despite reservations, the group decide to leave London to join the soldiers. At the blockade, Frank becomes infected, and is then killed by the soldiers.

The soldiers inhabit a fortified mansion, under the command of [[Major_%28UK%29|Major]] Henry West. Jim learns of West's answer to Infection - waiting until the Infected die of starvation, and in order to guarantee the survival of the species, luring survivors to the base to acquire women and satiate his men. Jim tries to escape with Selena and Hannah but is subdued and led out into a forest to be killed.

Escaping his captors, Jim returns to the mansion to rescue Selena and Hannah. He allows an Infected into the house, where it attacks and infects most of the remaining soldiers. As the trio prepare to leave, West shoots Jim in the stomach. West is killed by an infected soldier, and the trio escape.

After another twenty-eight days, the Infected are seen dying of starvation. Selena, Hannah, and Jim, who is recovering from his injuries, have taken refuge in a remote cottage. They are able to signal a passing aircraft.

== Style and inspiration ==
On the DVD commentary, Boyle and Garland frequently call it a [[post apocalyptic]], [[Horror film|horror]] and [[zombie]] film, commenting on scenes that were specific references to [[George A. Romero]]'s original Dead trilogy. However, during the initial marketing of the film Boyle did try to distance the film from such labels. The film's score was composed by [[John Murphy (composer)|John Murphy]] and was released in a score/song compilation in 2003. Much of the soundtrack, however, is based on a heavily edited version of the song "[[East Hastings]]" by the post-rock band [[Godspeed You! Black Emperor]]. The track is excluded from the soundtrack, due to group ethics.<ref name="guardian">{{Cite web|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,836839,00.html|title=Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Adjusting to Fame After ''28 Days Later''|accessdate=2006-11-26|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|year=2002|author=Kitty Empire|format=html}}</ref>

Boyle identified [[John Wyndham]]'s ''[[The Day of the Triffids]]'' as Garland's original inspiration for the story<ref name="guardian2">{{Cite web|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2073292,00.html|title=A capital place for panic attacks|accessdate=2007-05-12|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|year=2007|author=Mark Kermode|format=html}}</ref>.

''28 Days Later'' is usually included in the [[zombie]] genre. However, the Infected portrayed within the film fit only certain parts of the traditional zombie archetype. While zombies are generally slow, unintelligent, and hungry for human flesh, and are almost universally [[undead]], the Infected are merely living human beings overcome with senseless rage brought on by a highly infectious [[virus]]. They can be killed just as any human can and possess no supernatural abilities or inhuman strengths. At the same time, the Infected show many zombie characteristics: a bite-transmitted condition that results in the affected individual's loss of personality, decrease in cognitive function (e.g. problems with conventional door operation), aggressive pursuit of the uninfected, and the urge to spread the condition further all from part of the classic zombie movie trope.

George Romero's 1973 film ''[[The Crazies]]'' dealt with a small town whose citizens were sent into homicidal rage by a highly infectuous, government-created pathogen.

==Alternate endings==
=== Return to hospital ===
The first alternate ending is fully filmed. In this alternate ending, Jim is mortally wounded after escaping from the soldiers. Selena and Hannah rush Jim to a local hospital in a futile attempt to save his life. After Jim dies, the two women leave his body at the hospital; this completes an eerie circle for Jim, who began and ended the film alone in a deserted hospital. This ending closes with Selena and Hannah walking down the hospital corridor, still dressed in their red gowns and armed with guns, as the operating room doors slowly close and conceal them from view.

This ending was included in the first cut of the film and was tested in theaters with preview audiences. It was ultimately rejected for being too bleak, and also because test audiences misinterpreted the ending's intended mood. Garland and Boyle meant for Selena and Hannah's exit from the hospital to imply survival, whereas audiences felt that the women were walking into certain death.

The "return to hospital" ending was added in the theatrical release of the film beginning on [[25 July]] [[2003]]. It was placed after the credits and prefaced with the words "But what if."

On the DVD commentary, Garland and Boyle refer to this alternate ending as their personally preferred end to the movie.

===Modification of rescue ending===
An unpolished alternate ending is included on the DVD, which is very similar to the original coda scene of potential rescue from the air. This time, however, Jim is not present and has effectively been replaced by a [[chicken]].

===Return to research complex===
The second alternate ending was not filmed and is presented as a series of [[storyboards]] and [[voiceover]]s.
The story picks up at the point where Frank is infected at the military roadblock near Manchester. This time, the sub-plot involving the soldiers does not take place. In a radical turn, Jim, Selena, and Hannah take Frank to a local research complex, where the virus was developed. Their goal is to attempt to find the cure for the virus, which the radio broadcast had suggested was nearby.

A short time after arriving at the research complex, Jim and Selena discover a man who has locked himself in one of the rooms with enough food and water to survive for another week. After asking if he had sent the radio broadcast, the man replies that the soldiers back at the blockade had sent the broadcast, but they have already died. He refuses to talk to them any further. Jim attempts to get the man to sympathize with them by telling the man his life's story, which is related through various clips of Jim recounting trivial details about his life. In desperation, Jim brings Hannah outside the room and explains their situation to the man. In the end, the man tells them that the cure is a complete blood transfusion. Jim sacrifices himself so that Frank can live. Again, Jim is left alone, infected in a deserted hospital, while Selena, Hannah, and Frank move into the room with the man.

Garland and Boyle say on the DVD commentary that they conceptualized this ending in post-production to see what the film would be like if they did not expand the focus beyond the core four survivors. They decided against this ending because the idea of a total blood replacement (i.e., removing all of Frank's blood and replacing it with Jim's) was not feasible.

==Miscellaneous==
While travelling around [[London]] at the beginning of the film, Jim picks up a copy of the ''[[Evening Standard]]''. The front page carries a single [[headline]] printed in large font: "EVACUATION", with the sub-heading "Mass exodus of British people causes global chaos" Above the main headline, there are 3 small subheadings with page numbers- "Who will stop them?", "Refugee Crisis Looms" and "Dangerous Animals." Below the headline, the front page contains a list of London's boroughs with evacuation information on the left side with the main body containing the following smaller headlines, in order:
[[Image:28dayschris.jpg|thumb|[[Christopher Eccleston]] as [[Major_%28UK%29|Major]] West]]
* "[[Tony Blair|Blair]] declares a state of emergency"
* "Military ordered 'shoot to kill'"
* "Government Check points overrun"
* "[[UN]] to build giant [[refugee camps]]"
* "Chaos at all London airports"
* "Government call for calm"
* "Military patrol waters around Britain"
* "All roads around London grid-locked"

In the DVD's special features it is revealed that, in order to preserve the suspension of disbelief, relatively unknown actors were cast in the film. However, actors [[Christopher Eccleston]] and [[Brendan Gleeson]] were already well-known as character actors. Eccleston, who went on to become famous for his portrayal of the [[Ninth Doctor]] in the [[List of Doctor Who serials#Series 1 (2005)|2005 series]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', had also appeared in films such as ''[[Let Him Have It]]'', ''[[The Others (film)|The Others]]'', ''[[Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000 film)|Gone in 60 Seconds]]'', ''[[eXistenZ]]'' and ''[[Shallow Grave]]'' (another film directed by Boyle). Gleeson had appeared in ''[[Braveheart]]'', ''[[Lake Placid (movie)|Lake Placid]]'', and ''[[The General (1998 movie)|The General]]'', and went on to appear in ''[[Troy (film)|Troy]]'' and ''[[Dark Blue]]''.

One month before the film was released in cinemas, various newspapers included a short panel [[comic book]] style promo about the film; the various scenes showed a panicking London during those 27 days with people trying to escape the city en masse.

The pilot of the aircraft that finds the survivors at the end of the film speaks [[Finnish language|Finnish]]; thus the rescue group that finds them is likely to be from [[Finland]].

==Sequels==
A sequel, ''[[28 Weeks Later]]'', was released on [[11 May]] [[2007]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Gingold | url=http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=2322 | title=July 14: Fox sets HILLS II and more release dates | publisher=[[Fangoria (magazine)|Fangoria]] | date=[[2006-07-14]] | accessdate=2006-09-01 }}</ref> [[Danny Boyle]] and [[Alex Garland]] took producing roles along side [[Andrew Macdonald (producer)|Andrew Macdonald]]. The plot revolves around the idea of [[United States of America|Americans]] arriving about seven months after the incidents in the original film and attempting to revitalize an empty [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. The cast of the original film did not return for this film. The cast for this sequel includes [[Robert Carlyle]], [[Rose Byrne]], [[Jeremy Renner]], [[Harold Perrineau]], [[Catherine McCormack]] and [[Idris Elba]].

[[Fox Atomic Comics]], in association with [[HarperCollins]], is publishing a [[graphic novel]] bridging the gap between ''28 Days Later'' and ''28 Weeks Later'', entitled ''[[28 Days Later: The Aftermath]]'', written by [[Steve Niles]].

In March of 2007, ''28 Days Later'' director and ''28 Weeks Later'' executive producer Danny Boyle were interviewed by an Irish radio station. He announced plans for a third film in the series, but did not mention a title.<ref>http://www.moviehole.net/news/20070328_28_months_later.html (Link contains ''28 Weeks Later'' spoilers.)</ref>

==Filming details==
''28 Days Later'' features scenes set in normally bustling parts of London such as [[Westminster Bridge]], [[Piccadilly Circus]], [[Horse Guards Parade]] and [[Oxford Street]]. To capture these locations looking empty and desolate, the film crew closed off sections of street for minutes at a time, usually early in the morning, to minimize disruption. Parts of the film were shot on a [[Canon XL1]] [[digital video]] camera.<ref>{{cite news | first=Douglas | last=Bankston | url=http://www.theasc.com/magazine/july03/sub/index.html | title=Anthony Dod Mantle, DFF injects the apocalyptic 28 Days Later with a strain of digital video. | publisher=American Cinematographer | date=[[2003-07-01]] | accessdate=2007-05-01 }}</ref> DV cameras are much smaller and more maneuverable than traditional film cameras, which would have been impractical on such brief shoots. The use of digital video also adds a 'documentary' feel to the film and adds to the overall realism (see [[Cinéma vérité]]).{{Fact|date=March 2007}}

The scenes of the [[M1 motorway]] completely devoid of traffic were also filmed in limited time slots. In this case, a mobile police roadblock slowed traffic down enough to leave a long section of carriageway empty while the scene was filmed. The section used for filming was actually at Milton Keynes, nowhere near Manchester.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

For the scene where Jim walks by the overturned doubledecker bus in London, the crew was able to place the bus on its side and remove it when the shot was finished, all in under 20 minutes.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

Filming took place before the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], and in the audio commentary Boyle notes the similarity between the "missing persons" flyers seen at the beginning of the film and how people tried to find missing persons in [[New York City]] after 9/11. Boyle also notes that they probably would not have been given permission to close off [[Downing Street]] to film after the terrorist attacks.

The character Jim was English in the original script, and several scenes were actually shot with Cillian Murphy using an English accent. Due to Murphy's request, he continued the shoot using his own accent and dubbed the lines that had already been shot in post-production.

The mansion used was [[Trafalgar House (Wiltshire)|Trafalgar Park]] near [[Salisbury]]. Many rooms within the house, including the Cipriani room and the main hall, were used during filming with minimal set decoration. The scenes that take place in upstairs rooms were actually filmed downstairs, as the mansion's owner resided upstairs.

In the commentary, Boyle mentioned that the scene where Jim is brought to the execution ground in the forest is similar to the execution grounds of the [[Yugoslavian civil war]], where civilians were executed and unceremonially dumped in an open [[mass grave]]. The airplane that Jim sees shows that civilization outside of England has gone unaffected but is unwilling to help, similar to war atrocities being committed while the world looked on.

==Reception==
The film was a considerable success at the box office and became highly profitable on a budget of about £5 million ($9.8 million). In the UK, it took £6.1 million ($12 million), while in the US it became a surprise hit, taking over US$45 million despite a limited release at fewer than 1,500 screens nationwide. Worldwide the film scooped up around $82.7m.

Critical views of the film were positive (with a rating of 89% at [[RottenTomatoes]] [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_days_later/]) the ''[[L.A. Times]]'' describing it as a "stylistic tour de force", and efilmcritic.com describing it as "raw, blistering and joyously uncompromising".

==Parodies==
The success of ''28 Days Later'' has led to the creation of a number of spoofs and parodies:
*''48 Hours Later'' (2003) follows the same plot of a man waking to a plague-infested world.
*[[Malaysia|Malaysian]] film ''28 Hours Later'' (2005) relocates the basic plot of ''28 Days Later'' to [[Kuala Lumpur]].
*"Team Tiger Awesome" created a series of videos called ''28 Day Slater''. Whilst the title is clearly a play on ''28 Days Later'', the videos' plots actually parody ''[[Saved by the Bell]]'' and feature a fictional representation of [[Mario Lopez]], who believes that he is [[Saved by the Bell#A.C. Slater|Slater]], his character from ''Saved by the Bell'', during the month of [[February]] (a 28-day month).
*At the conclusion of the 2004 film ''[[Shaun Of The Dead]]'', a television broadcaster can be heard stating that reports that the zombies were caused by rage-infected monkeys were absurd.

==Soundtrack==
{{main|28 Days Later: The Soundtrack Album}}
'''''28 Days Later: The Soundtrack Album''''' is the accompanying soundtrack to the 2002 film ''28 Days Later''. It was released on June 17, 2003. The original score was composed by John Murphy, and tracks from Brian Eno, Grandaddy and Blue States which featured in the movie also appear on the album. An edited version of "East Hastings" by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor appeared in the movie but not on the soundtrack album.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*[http://www.foxsearchlight.com/28dayslater/ Official ''28 Days Later'' Web site]
*{{imdb title|id=0289043|title=28 Days Later}}
*{{imdb title|id=0463854|title=28 Weeks Later}}
*[http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.php?category=3&id=30548 Interview with Danny Boyle about sequel] at Sci Fi Wire
*''[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_days_later/ 28 Days Later]'' at [[Rotten Tomatoes]]
*''[http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/28dayslater?q=28%20Days%20Later 28 Days Later]'' at [[Metacritic]]

{{28 Days Later}}
[[Category:2000s horror films]]
[[Category:Zombie films]]
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:British films]]
[[Category:2003 Sundance Film Festival]]
[[Category:Best Horror Film Saturn]]
[[Category:Camcorder films]]
[[Category:DNA Film Productions]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Danny Boyle]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Fox Searchlight films]]
[[Category:Post-apocalyptic science fiction films]]
[[Category:Science fiction horror films]]

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[[sv:28 dagar senare]]

List of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction

2007-06-09T07:02:29Z

69.47.26.37: /* Alien invasion */

{{Cleanup|date=March 2007}}

This is a '''list of [[apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction]]''' works, sorted by the nature of the catastrophe portrayed.

==World War III and other conflicts==
===Films===
====1950s====
* 1951. ''[[Five (1951 film)|Five]]'', the first film to show the aftermath of a nuclear war, centered around a group of five survivors.
* 1952. ''[[Captive Women]]'', the first film to imagine a new primitive society emerging long after a nuclear war. Features two tribes, the "Norms" and the "Mutates", fighting in the remains of New York City, and later banding together to fight a third tribe, the "Upriver People", who are invading Manhattan through the Hudson Tunnel in order to steal the other tribes' women.
* 1952. ''[[Invasion U.S.A. (1952 film)|Invasion U.S.A.]]
* 1955. ''[[Day the World Ended]]''
* 1956. ''[[World Without End]]'' by [[Edward Bernd]], starring [[Hugh Marlowe]] and the film debut of [[Rod Taylor (actor)|Rod Taylor]]. Robust 20th Century men help pale nerds and their beautiful women emerge from underground and retake the post WWIII surface from mutants.
* 1958. ''[[Teenage Cave Man]]''
* 1958. ''[[Terror From the Year 5000]]''
* 1959. ''[[On the Beach]]'' by [[Stanley Kramer]], starring [[Gregory Peck]], [[Fred Astaire]], [[Anthony Perkins]] and [[Ava Gardner]]. The crew of an American submarine finds temporary safety from the fallout in Australia after the nuclear holocaust.
* 1959. ''[[The World, the Flesh and the Devil]]''

====1960s====
* 1960. ''[[Atomic War Bride]]''
* The 1960 film adaptation of [[H. G. Wells]]' ''[[The Time Machine (1960 film)|The Time Machine]]'' had an atomic war to explain the downfall of civilization.
* 1960. ''[[The Final War]]'' by [[Shigeaki Hidaka]], a Japanese film about a third world war started when the US accidentally drops a nuclear bomb on South Korea (Japanese title: ''Dai-sanji sekai taisen: Yonju-ichi jikan no kyofu'').
* 1961. ''[[The Last War (1961 film)|The Last War]]'' by [[Shuei Matsubayashi]], another Japanese film about WWIII (Japanese title: ''Sekai daisenso'').
* 1962. ''[[La Jetée]]'' by [[Chris Marker]].
* 1962. ''[[Panic in Year Zero!]]'', a 1962 movie about a family that escapes Los Angeles that was devastated by a nuclear attack.
* 1962. ''[[This Is Not a Test (1962 film)|This Is Not a Test]]''
* 1964. ''[[Fail-Safe (1964 film)|Fail-Safe]]'', theatrical release based on the novel of the same name. Drama in which a technical failure causes a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union by the United States. Deals with American and Soviet attempts to prevent escalation into a full-scale nuclear war.
* 1964. ''[[Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb|Dr. Strangelove]]'' by [[Stanley Kubrick]], adapting the novel ''[[Red Alert (novel)|Red Alert]]'' by [[Peter George]].
* 1964. ''[[The Time Travelers]]''
* 1965. ''[[The Bedford Incident]]''
* 1967. ''[[The End of August at the Hotel Ozone]]'' (Czech title: ''Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon'')
* 1967. ''[[In the Year 2889]]'', a remake of the 1955 film ''[[Day the World Ended]]''
* 1967. ''[[Journey to the Center of Time]]''
* 1968. ''[[Planet of the Apes (1968 film)|Planet of the Apes]]'', adapted from the novel ''[[La planète des singes]]'' by [[Pierre Boule]].
* 1969. ''[[The Bed Sitting Room]]''

====1970s====
* 1971. ''[[Glen and Randa]]''
* 1971. ''[[The Omega Man]]''. An immune survivor of a biological/nuclear war battles plague-altered quasi-vampires bent on erasing all vestiges of science and technology.
* 1973. ''[[Refuge of Fear]]'' (Spanish title: ''El refugio del miedo'')
* 1974. ''[[The Third Cry]]'' (Swiss film, French title: ''Le Troisième Cri'')
* 1975. ''[[A Boy and His Dog]]''. A young man and his pet dog struggle for survival and encounter strife in a harsh, post-apocalyptic wasteland where food and sex are scarcities.
* 1975. '' [[The Ultimate Warrior]]''. A community in post-nuclear apocalypse New York seek help in escaping the city with assistance from a mysterious stranger.
* 1975. ''[[La città dell'ultima paura]]''
* 1976. ''[[The People Who Own the Dark]]'' by [[Amando de Ossorio]] (Spanish title: ''Último deseo'')
* 1977. ''[[Wizards (film)|Wizards]]'' by [[Ralph Bakshi]]. A good wizard and his evil brother battle some two millennia after [[Armageddon]].
* 1977. ''[[Damnation Alley (film)|Damnation Alley]].'' A surviving American [[ICBM]] crew sets out across the [[United States]] in an armored vehicle in search of survivors in [[Albany, New York]]. Loosely based on [[Damnation Alley|the novel]] by [[Roger Zelazny]].
* 1979. ''[[Ravagers]]''

====1980s====
[[Image:Mad max two the road warrior.jpg|thumb|right|''Road Warrior'' re-sparked interest in the post-apocalyptic genre]]
* 1981. ''[[Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior]]''
* 1982. ''[[2020 Texas Gladiators]]''
* 1982. ''[[The Aftermath (film)|The Aftermath]]''
* 1982. ''[[Human Highway]]''
* 1982. ''[[Warriors of the Wasteland (film)|Warriors of the Wasteland]]''
* 1982. ''She'', a low-budget [[b-movie]], an extremely loose adaptation of the novel ''[[She (novel)]]'' by [[H. Rider Haggard]], starring [[Sandahl Bergman]] as a post-civilization warrior.
* 1983. ''[[2019, After the Fall of New York]]''
* 1983. ''[[Barefoot Gen]]'', based on the actual atomic bombing of Hiroshima (not technically post-apocalypse, but rather post-disaster)
* 1983. ''[[Endgame (film)|Endgame]]''
* 1983. ''[[Exterminators of the Year 3000]]''
* 1983. ''[[Le Dernier Combat]]'' by [[Luc Besson]]
* 1983. ''[[Stryker (film)|Stryker]]''
* 1983. ''[[Testament (film)|Testament]]''
* 1983. ''[[Warrior of the Lost World]]''
* 1983. ''[[Yor, the Hunter from the Future]]''
* 1984. ''[[Night of the Comet]]''
* 1984. ''[[Dark Enemy]]''
* 1984. ''[[Red Dawn]]'' by [[John Milius]]
* 1984. ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind]]'' by [[Hayao Miyazaki]]
* 1984. ''[[Sexmisja]]''. A [[Poland|Polish]] comedy.
* 1985. ''[[City Limits (film)|City Limits]]''
* 1985. ''[[Def-Con 4]]''
* 1985. ''[[Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]''
* 1985. ''[[Radioactive Dreams]]''
* 1986. ''[[Dead Man's Letters]]''
* 1986. ''[[The Sacrifice]]''
* 1986. ''[[When the Wind Blows (film)|When the Wind Blows]]'' by [[Jimmy Murakami]], adapting the graphic novel by [[Raymond Briggs]]
* 1987. ''[[Cherry 2000]]''
* 1987. ''[[Hell Comes to Frogtown]]''
* 1987. ''[[Steel Dawn]]''
* 1987. ''[[Survivor (1987 film)|Survivor]]''
* 1988. ''[[Akira (film)|Akira]]'' by [[Katsuhiro Otomo]]
* 1988. ''[[Miracle Mile (film)|Miracle Mile]]''
* 1988. ''[[Steel Dawn]]''
* 1988. ''[[World Gone Wild]]''
* 1989. ''[[Black Rain (Japanese film)|Black Rain]]'', another film about the actual bombing of Hiroshima.
* 1989. ''[[Deadly Reactor]]''
* 1989. ''[[Cyborg (film)|Cyborg]]''

====1990s====
* 1990. ''[[The Blood of Heroes]]''
* 1990. ''[[By Dawn's Early Light]]''
* 1991. ''[[Delicatessen (film)|Delicatessen]]'' by [[Jean-Pierre Jeunet]] and [[Marc Caro]]
* 1993. ''[[Cyborg 2]]''
* 1996. ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]''. A late-21st century Earth is devastated by nuclear conflict.
* 1997. ''[[The Postman (film)|The Postman]]'', partly based on the [[David Brin]] novel
* 1998. ''[[Six-String Samurai]]''

====2000s====
* 2002. ''[[Equilibrium (2002 film)|Equilibrium]]''. After barely surviving yet another worldwide conflict, mankind rejects all emotion and outlaws all forms of expression which might encourage emotional response.
* 2003. ''[[Time of the Wolf]]''

===Television===
* 1965. ''[[The War Game]]'' by [[Peter Watkins]].
* 1983. ''[[The Day After]]''. The effects of nuclear war on a Kansas town.
* 1984. ''[[Threads]]''. BBC Television Docudrama.
* 1987. ''[[Amerika (TV miniseries)|Amerika]]'', an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] mini-series about the peaceful takeover of United States by the Soviet Union.
* 1990. ''[[The Girl from Tomorrow]]'', Australian children's drama in which a girl from the [[31st century]] (after the Northern Hemisphere has been destroyed in the Great Disaster, later revealed to be a nuclear holocaust) becomes stranded in the 20th century. In the sequel, [[Tomorrow's End]], she and her friends fight to prevent history from being changed in such a way that the Southern Hemisphere is destroyed as well.
* 1992. ''[[Woops!]]'', a very short-lived sitcom about the survivors of a nuclear war.
* 2000. ''[[Fail-Safe (Television)|Fail-Safe]]'', televised play based on the novel of the same name directed by Stephen Frears and produced by [[George Clooney]]. Drama in which a technical failure causes a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union by the United States. Deals with American and Soviet attempts to prevent escalation into a full-scale nuclear war.
* 2002. ''[[Jeremiah (TV series)|Jeremiah]]'', In the year 2021, 15 years after a virus kills everyone over the age of puberty, the child survivors have grown up, living on the scraps of the old world.
* 2006. ''[[Jericho (TV series)|Jericho]]'' ([[CBS]]), about the residents of a small [[Kansas]] town which remains isolated in the aftermath of a series of nuclear attacks on America.

===Novels===
====1930s====
* 1933. ''[[The Shape of Things to Come]]'' by [[H. G. Wells]], predicting an extended world war fought with modern scientific weapons, societal upheaval, and the beginning of space travel. Filmed as ''[[Things to Come]]'' in 1936.
* 1934. ''[[Quinzinzinzili]]'' by [[Régis Messac]], also predicting a great world war that ends with the vanishing of humanity. Only a group of children survives and forms a strange new mankind.
* 1937. ''[[By the Waters of Babylon]]'' by [[Stephen Vincent Benet]].
====1940s====
* 1948. ''[[Ape and Essence]]'' by [[Aldous Huxley]]. Also screenplay.
====1950s====
* 1950. ''[[Pebble in the Sky]]'' by [[Isaac Asimov]]. (A later book, ''[[Robots and Empire]]'', gave a different explanation)
* 1952. ''[[Star Man's Son]]'' by [[Andre Norton]]
* 1954. ''[[Tomorrow!]]'' by [[Philip Wylie]]
* 1955. ''[[The Chrysalids]]'' (U.S. title: ''Re-Birth'') by [[John Wyndham]]
* 1955. ''[[The Long Tomorrow (novel)|The Long Tomorrow]]'' by [[Leigh Brackett]], in the aftermath of a nuclear war scientific knowledge is feared and restricted.
* 1956. ''[[The World Jones Made]]'' by [[Philip K. Dick]]
* 1957. ''[[On the Beach]]'' by [[Nevil Shute]] (also the films based on the book)
* 1958. ''[[Red Alert (novel)|Red Alert]]'' by [[Peter George]]. Filmed as ''[[Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb|Dr. Strangelove]]'' by [[Stanley Kubrick]].
* 1959. ''[[Alas, Babylon]]'' by [[Pat Frank]], the aftermath of a nuclear war in a rural Florida community.
* 1959. ''[[A Canticle for Leibowitz]]'' and later its sequel ''Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman'', both by [[Walter M. Miller, Jr.]]
* 1959. ''[[Level 7]]'' by [[Mordecai Roshwald]].
====1960s====
* 1961. ''[[Dark Universe]]'' by [[Daniel F. Galouye]].
* 1963. ''[[Triumph]]'' by [[Philip Wylie]]
* 1964. ''[[Farnham's Freehold]]'' by [[Robert A. Heinlein]]
* 1964. ''[[The Penultimate Truth]]'' by [[Philip K. Dick]]
* 1965. ''[[Dr. Bloodmoney, or How We Got Along After the Bomb]]'' by [[Philip K. Dick]]
* 1967. ''[[Ice (1967 novel)|Ice]]'' by [[Anna Kavan]]. [[Nuclear winter]] is encroaching the entire planet.
* 1968. ''[[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]'' by [[Philip K. Dick]], filmed as ''[[Blade Runner]]''.
* 1969. ''[[Damnation Alley]]'' by [[Roger Zelazny]] (made into a movie 1977).
* 1969. ''[[Heroes and Villains (novel)|Heroes and Villains]]'' by [[Angela Carter]]
====1970s====
* 1970. ''[[The Incredible Tide]]'' by Alexandar Key.
* 1970. ''[[The Year Of The Quiet Sun (novel)|The Year Of The Quiet Sun]]'' by [[Wilson Tucker]]
* 1971. ''[[Love in the Ruins]]'' by [[Walker Percy]].
* 1972. ''[[Malevil]]'' by [[Robert Merle]].
* 1975. ''[[Z for Zachariah]]'' by [[Robert C. O'Brien]]
* 1976. ''[[Deus Irae]]'' by [[Philip K. Dick]] in collaboration with [[Roger Zelazny]].
* 1979. ''[[Down to a Sunless Sea]]'' by [[David Graham (author)|David Graham]].
====1980s====
* 1980. ''[[Riddley Walker]]'' by [[Russell Hoban]].
* 1982. ''Survivors'' by John Nahmlos.
* 1983. ''[http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_letzten_Kinder_von_Schewenborn Die Letzten Kinder Von Schewenborn]'' by Gudrun Pausewang. In German.
* 1983. ''[[Pulling Through]]'' by [[Dean Ing]]
* 1983. ''[[Trinity's Child]]'' by [[William Prochnau]]
* 1983. ''[[Hiero's Journey]]'' (sequel ''[[The Unforsaken Hiero]]'' 1985), by Sterling E. Lanier. A "metis" priest/killman quests across post-apocalyptic northeastern North America, seven thousand years in the future.
* 1984. ''[[Brother in the Land]]'' by [[Robert Swindells]]
* 1984. ''[[Emergence (novel)|Emergence]]'' by [[David R. Palmer]]
* 1984. ''[[Warday]]'' by [[Whitley Strieber]] and [[James Kunetka]]
* 1985. ''[[Children of the Dust]]'' by Louise Lawrence
* 1985. ''[[The Postman]]'' by [[David Brin]] and the 1997 movie of the same name.
* 1985. ''[[This is the Way the World Ends]]'' by [[James Morrow]]
* 1987. ''[[Swan Song (novel)|Swan Song]]'' by [[Robert R. McCammon]]
* 1988. ''[[The Gate to Women's Country]]'' by [[Sheri S. Tepper]]
* 1988. ''[[The Last Ship]]'' by [[William Brinkley]].

====1990s====
* 1991. ''[[Yellow Peril (novel)|Yellow Peril]]'' in [[Chinese language|Chinese]] by activist Wang Lixiong under the pseudonym Bao Mi, about a nuclear civil war in the [[People's Republic of China]]
* 1997. ''Aftermath'' by [[Levar Burton]]. American civilization crumbles after a civil war pitting blacks against whites and a devastating earthquake.
* 1999. ''[[Resurrection Day]]'' by [[Brendan DuBois]], set 10 years after the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] escalated into nuclear war.
====2000s====
* 2001. ''[[Project Phoenix: Dead Rising]]'' by [[Darrin Brent Patterson]].
* 2003. ''[[Apokalipsa wedlug Pana Jana]]'' by [[Robert J. Szmidt]]
* 2003. ''[[The City of Ember]]'' and its sequel, ''[[The People of Sparks]]'', and prequel, ''[[The Prophet of Yonwood]]'', by [[Jeanne DuPrau]]
* 2004. ''[[Cowl (novel)|Cowl]]'' by [[Neal Asher]].
* 2004. ''[[Fitzpatrick's War]]'' by [[Theodore Judson]]
* 2006. ''[[The Road (novel)]]'' by [[Cormac McCarthy]]. A father and son's post-apocalyptic tale of survival.
* 2007. ''[[11:06]]'' by [[Stephen J. Davis]]

====Series and uncertain dates====
* ''[[Masters of the Fist]]'' and ''[[The Long Mynd]]'' by [[Edward P. Hughes]]
* ''[[The Goodness Gene]]'' by [[Sonia Levitin]]
* ''[[The King Awakes]]'' and ''[[The Empty Throne]]'' by [[Janice Elliott]], set in a [[Medieval]]-style society several generations after a nuclear war. Both novels deal with the return of [[King Arthur]] and his friendship with a youth from the post-holocaust world
* ''[[The Last War]]'' by [[Kir Bulychev]]
* ''[[The Steel, the Mist and the Blazing Sun]]'' by [[Christopher Anvil]]
* ''[[The World Ends in Hickory Hollow]]'' by [[Ardath Mayhar]]
* ''[[Time Capsule (novel)|Time Capsule]]'' by [[Mitch Berman]]
* Series ''[[The Amtrak Wars]]'' by [[Patrick Tilley]]
* Series ''[[Deathlands]]'' by [[James Axler]]
* Series ''[[Horseclans]]'' by [[Robert Adams]]
* Series ''[[Hungry City Chronicles]]'' by [[Phillip Reeve]]
* Series ''[[Obernewtyn Chronicles]]'' by [[Isobelle Carmody]]
* Series ''[[Shannara Series]]'' by [[Terry Brooks]]
* Series ''[[The Ashes]]'' by William W. Johnstone
* Series ''[[The Pelbar Cycle]]'' by [[Paul O. Williams]]
* Series ''[[The Survivalist]]'' by [[Jerry Ahern]], first novel ''Total War'' from 1981
* Series ''[[Traveler (novel)|Traveler]]'' by [[D. B. Drumm]], first novel ''First, You Fight'' from 1984
* Series ''[[Wingman (novel)|Wingman]]'' by Mack Maloney, follows a former [[U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds]] pilot trying to restore a [[balkanized]] and largely disarmed [[United States of America]] while flying the last remaining [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]] in existence
* Series and anime films ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'', set ten thousand years after a nuclear war occurs in 1999
* Trilogy ''The [[Greatwinter|Greatwinter Trilogy]]'' by [[Sean McMullen]]
* Trilogy ''[[The Uglies Trilogy]]'': ''[[Uglies]]'', ''[[Pretties]]'', and ''[[Specials (novel)|Specials]]'' by [[Scott Westerfeld]]

===Short stories===
* 1950. "[[There Will Come Soft Rains (short story)|There Will Come Soft Rains]]" by [[Ray Bradbury]] in ''[[The Martian Chronicles]]''.
* "Autobahn nach Poznan" by [[Andrzej Ziemianski]]
* "Dear Devil" by [[Eric Frank Russell]]
* "Let the Ants Try" by [[Frederik Pohl]] under the [[pseudonym]] [[James MacCreigh]]
* "Magic City" by Nelson S. Bond
* "[[Second Variety]]" by [[Philip K. Dick]]
* "[[A Boy and His Dog]]" by [[Harlan Ellison]]. Filmed in 1975.
* "Enta Geweorc" by Nicholas Waller (Interzone 198, 2004).
* "Time to Rest" and sequel "No Place Like Earth" by [[John Wyndham]]
* "[[I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream]]" by [[Harlan Ellison.]]
* "Extinction is Forever" by [[Louise Lawrence]]. A scientist uses a [[time travel|time machine]] to travel to the future and film the results of a nuclear war in a bid to prevent it from happening. However, his actions could have serious repercussions for the mutated descendants of the human race.

===Role-playing games===
* ''[[Gamma World]]'' from [[TSR, Inc.]], the makers of ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''
* ''[[Dark Sun]]'' from [[TSR, Inc.]]
* ''[[Fallout series]]''
* ''[[GURPS Reign of Steel]]''
* [[Land of Devastation]]'' (a [[BBS Door]])
* [[Operation Overkill]]'' (a [[BBS Door]])
* ''[[Wasteland (computer game)|Wasteland]]''
* ''[[Neuroshima]]'' from Portal Publishing
* ''[[The Morrow Project]]'' from Timeline Ltd
* ''[[Twilight: 2000]]'' from [[Game Designer's Workshop]], set in a world where a Sino-Russian war degenerates into a limited nuclear conflict that eventually drags in Europe and America.
* ''[[Rifts (role-playing game)|Rifts]]'', in which a nuclear exchange triggers the return of Ley Lines and Interdimensional Rifts or portals. These Ley Lines and Portals subsequently cause several natural and supernatural disasters.
* ''[[Warzone 2100]]''
* ''[[S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl]]''

===Other===
* Numerous episodes of ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' and its revivals, including "[[The Old Man in the Cave (The Twilight Zone)|The Old Man in the Cave]]"; "[[Time Enough at Last]]"; "[[A Little Peace and Quiet (The Twilight Zone)|A Little Peace and Quiet]]"; "[[Voices in the Earth (The Twilight Zone)|Voices in the Earth]]"; "[[Shelter Skelter (The Twilight Zone)|Shelter Skelter]]"; and "[[Quarantine (The Twilight Zone)|Quarantine]]"
* 1982 TV miniseries ''[[World War III (TV miniseries)|World War III]]'' with [[Rock Hudson]]
* TV series and film ''[[Whoops Apocalypse]]''
* Comics franchise ''[[Judge Dredd]]'', first popularized in 1977 by [[John Wagner]], [[Carlos Ezquerra]] and [[Pat Mills]].
* Webcomic ''[[Post-Nuke]]'' that takes place in a nuclear winter
* [[visual novel]] ''[[Planetarian]]''
* Japanese [[manga]] (and subsequent [[anime]] adaptations) ''[[Appleseed]]'' by [[Masamune Shirow]]
* Japanese anime series ''[[Saikano]]''
* Anime/manga series ''[[Fist of the North Star]]''
* 1978 anime series ''[[Future Boy Conan]]'' by Hayao Miyazaki. Supermagnetic WMDs devastate Earth and causes virtually all land to be submerged underwater.
* The computer game [[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]] tells of a ship leaving Earth on the eve of WWIII to found a new colony orbiting [[Alpha Centauri]]
* "April 2031" a song by the band [[Warrant]] on the "Dog Eat Dog" album depicts an earth devastated by war where life lives on only by artificial means.
* ''[[99 Red Balloons]]'', pop song by [[Nena]], in which a computer malfunction leads to harmless balloons being mistaken for a missile launch, resulting in a nuclear war
* ''Your Attention Please'', poem by [[Peter Porter (poet)|Peter Porter]], written in the style of a radio broadcast warning of an impending nuclear attack
* "Your Attention Please", a song adaptation of the above Porter poem written and recorded by the [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[post-punk]] group the [[Scars (band)|Scars]]
* ''The Horses'', poem by [[Edwin Muir]]. Deals with society's regression to pre [[Industrial Revolution]] conditions in the wake of a nuclear war
* The [[Command & Conquer series]] of games features several worldwide conflicts in the Tiberian (GDI vs. Brotherhood of Nod), Red Alert (Soviets vs. Allies), and Generals (USA vs. GLA vs. China) series.
* The comic book ''[[Ex-Mutants]]'' is set in a post-nuclear world.

==Pandemic==
* The 1826 novel ''[[The Last Man]]'' by [[Mary Shelley]]
* The 1912 novella ''[[The Scarlet Plague]]'' by [[Jack London]]
* The 1949 novel ''[[Earth Abides]]'' by [[George R. Stewart]]
* The 1954 novel ''[[I Am Legend]]'' by [[Richard Matheson]], filmed as ''[[The Last Man On Earth]]'' (1964) and ''[[The Omega Man]]'' (1971)
* The 1954 novel ''[[Some Will Not Die]]'' by [[Algis Budrys]]
* The 1969 film ''[[The Seed of Man]]'' by [[Marco Ferreri]] (Italian title: ''Il Seme dell'uomo'')
* The 1975 novel ''[[The Girl Who Owned a City]]'' by [[O.T. Nelson]]
* The 1975-1977 [[BBC]] television series ''[[Survivors]]'' by [[Terry Nation]]
* The 1978 novel ''[[The Stand]]'' by [[Stephen King]], and 1994 miniseries ''[[Stephen King's The Stand]]''
* The 1980 Japanese film ''[[Fukkatsu no hi]]'' also known as ''Virus'', directed by [[Kinji Fukasaku]]
* The 1982 novel ''[[The White Plague]]'' by [[Frank Herbert]]
* The 1985 novel ''[[Blood Music]]'' and the 1983 novelette of the same name by [[Greg Bear]]
* The 1985 film ''[[City Limits (film)|City Limits]]''
* The 1986 film ''[[Dead Man's Letters]]'' by [[Konstantin Lopushanskij]]
* The 1988 film ''[[Dead Man Walking (1988 film)|Dead Man Walking]]''
* The 1992 novel ''[[The Children of Men]]'' by [[P.D. James]]
* The 1995 film ''[[Twelve Monkeys]]'' directed by [[Terry Gilliam]]
* The 1999 novel ''[[The Transall Saga]]'' by [[Gary Paulsen]]
* The 1999-2003 New Zealand television series ''[[The Tribe]]''
* The 2001 novel ''Hole in the Sky'' by [[Pete Hautman]]
* The 2002 TV movie ''[[Smallpox (TV drama)|Smallpox]]''
* The 2002 film ''[[28 Days Later]]'', and its 2007 sequel ''[[28 Weeks Later]]''
* The 2002-2004 [[Showtime]] cable television series ''[[Jeremiah (series)|Jeremiah]]'', based on the comic of the same name
* The 2003 novel ''[[Idlewild (book)|Idlewild]]'' by [[Nick Sagan]]
* The 2003 novel ''[[Oryx and Crake]]'' by [[Margaret Atwood]]
* The 2003 novel ''[[Full Circle]]'' By Michael Boyle
* The 2004 novel ''[[Cloud Atlas]]'' by David Mitchell
* The 2004 film version of ''[[Dawn of the Dead (2004 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]''
* The 2006 novel ''[[Burning Stones]]'' by [[Steven Mills]]
* The [[manga]] ''[[Eden: It's an Endless World]]'' by Hiroki Endo
* The comic series ''[[Marvel Zombies]]''
* The comic series ''[[Y: The Last Man]]'' features a lone man & his monkey in a world populated only by women, series written by [[Brian K. Vaughan]] and published by [[Vertigo (comics)|Vertigo]]
* The novel ''[[A Gift Upon the Shore]]'' by [[M.K. Wren]]
* The novel ''[[A Planet for the President]]'' by [[Alistair Beaton]]
* The novel ''[[Eternity Road]]'' by [[Jack McDevitt]]
* The novel ''[[Plague 99]]'' by [[Jean Ure]] and its sequels [[Come Lucky April]] and [[Watchers at the Shrine]]
* The novel ''[[The Day of the Triffids]]'' by [[John Wyndham]]
* The novel ''[[The Night of the Triffids]]'' by [[Simon Clark]]
* The novel trilogy ''[[Fire-Us]]''
* The short story ''[[The City]]'' by [[Ray Bradbury]]
* The short story ''[[The Visitor]]'' by [[Ray Bradbury]]
* The webcomic ''[[Wandering Ones]]'' by Clint Hollingsworth
* The role-play game ''[[After The Bomb]]''
* The novel "[[Shades of White]]" by [[R.C. Duggan]].
* The book ''[[World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War]]'' by Max Brooks
* The game ''[[Deus Ex]]'' (in relation to the Black Plague)

==Astronomic impact (meteorites)==

* 1932 ''[[When Worlds Collide (film)|When Worlds Collide]]'' novel by Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer, and the 1951 and 2006 films of the same name.
* 1977 ''[[Lucifer's Hammer]]'' novel by [[Larry Niven]] and [[Jerry Pournelle]]
* 1979 ''[[Meteor (movie)|Meteor]]'' film
* 1979-80 ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' anime series, talks of the impact of a massive [[space colony]] on Earth.
* 1980-84 [[animated series]] ''[[Thundarr the Barbarian]]''
* 1995 ''[[Tank Girl]]'' movie loosely based on the comic by [[Jamie Hewlett]]
* 1996 ''[[After War Gundam X]]'' anime, sequel to ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]''
* 1997 ''[[Asteroid (movie)|Asteroid]]'' TV movie
* 1998 ''[[Armageddon (movie)|Armageddon]]'' film
* 1998 ''[[Deep Impact (movie)|Deep Impact]]'' film
* 1999 ''[[The last train|The Last Train]]'' (''Cruel Earth'' in Canada) British TV six part drama
* 2001- [[Remnants]], a book series by K.A. Applegate
* 2001 ''[[Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies]] The Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid crashes into the Usea Continent, killing 500,000 and leading to the development of an anti-asteroid weapon called Stonehenge, which becomes a catalyst to the ISAF-Erusian War.
* 2002 ''[[The Visitor (Sheri S. Tepper)|The Visitor]]'' by [[Sheri S. Tepper]]
* 2005 ''[[It's Only Temporary (book)|It's Only Temporary]]'' book
* 2006 ''[[Three Moons Over Milford]]'' TV series
* 1997 ''[[Titan (Stephen Baxter)|Titan]]'' — novel by [[Stephen Baxter]]: A divided Earth sends a one-way manned mission to find life on Saturn's moon. The Chinese try to control an asteroid, and the Titan crew learn the asteroid has struck Earth, wiping out humanity.
* The [[Compilation of Final Fantasy VII]], which includes video games, short stories, and animated features, revolves largely around the fate of a planet which is ravaged by the impact a a giant meteor/asteroid, summond by magic.

==Alien invasion==
* The novel ''[[The Alien Years]]'' ([[1998]]) by [[Robert Silverberg]]
* The novel ''[[Battlefield Earth (novel)|Battlefield Earth]]'' by [[L. Ron Hubbard]] and the [[Razzie]] award winning [[Battlefield Earth (film)|film]] based on the novel
* The film and original television series ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]''
* The SNES/PS1 video game [[Chrono Trigger]], where modern civilization is at risk of being destroyed by an [[Lavos|alien parasite]] in [[1999 A.D. (Chrono Trigger)|1999 AD]].
* The PS1 video game [[Chrono Cross]], where in alternate time lines modern civilization was destroyed by an [[Lavos|alien parasite]] in [[1999 A.D. (Chrono Trigger)|1999 AD]].
* The [[video game]] ''[[Destroy All Humans!]]'', in which the player controls a Furon alien in an attempt to overthrow mankind.
* The novel ''[[Footfall]]'' by [[Larry Niven]] and [[Jerry Pournelle]]
* ''[[The Forge of God]]'' by [[Greg Bear]]
* The anime ''[[Genesis Climber Mospeada]]''
* The [[computer and video game]] ''[[Half-Life]]'' and its [[Half-Life 2|sequel]]
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' by [[Douglas Adams]] (in several media)
* The film ''[[I Come In Peace]]'', directed by [[Craig R. Baxley]]
* [[Independence Day (film)]], a 1996 film
* ''[[Invasion of the Body Snatchers]]'', based on the [[The Body Snatchers|novel]] by [[Jack Finney]]
* [[John Wyndham]]'s novels ''[[The Day of the Triffids]]'' and ''[[The Kraken Wakes]]''
* The [[computer and video game]] [[Manhunter (game)|Manhunter]]
* [[Tim Burton]]'s film ''[[Mars Attacks!]]'' ([[1996]]), based on the [[trading card]] series ''[[Mars Attacks]] ([[1962]])
* [[Stephen King]]'s novella, ''[[The Mist]]''
* ''[[The Ophiuchi Hotline]]'', ''[[Steel Beach]]'', and the rest of the [[Eight Worlds series]], by [[John Varley (author)|John Varley]]
* ''[[Outlanders]]'' series by [[Mark Ellis]] aka James Axler
* ''Outlanders'', a Japanese [[manga]] by [[Johji Manabe]].
* [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[The Puppet Masters]]''
* The anime ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross]]'' and its sequels
* [[John Carpenter]]'s films ''[[The Thing (film)|The Thing]]'' and ''[[They Live]]''
* [[Don Bluth]]'s animated film ''[[Titan A.E.]]''.
* [[John Christopher]]'s ''[[The Tripods]]''
* The [[TV-series]] ''[[V (television series)|V]]''
* The novel ''[[The Visitors (novel)|The Visitors]]'' ([[1980]]) by [[Clifford D. Simak]]
* [[H. G. Wells]]' ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'' (in several media)
* TV Series (1966) "[[The Invaders]]" -Created by Quin Martin and Larry Cohen US
* TV Series (1970) "[[UFO (TV series)|UFO]]" - Gerry Anderson Production UK
* The novel ''The Killing Star'' by [[Charles Pellegrino]] and [[George Zebrowski]] - aliens conduct a preemptive strike against humanity with relativistic missiles
* ''[[The Genocides]]'' by [[Thomas Disch|Thomas M. Disch]]. Alien flora is seeded on Earth, and quickly comes to dominate all landmasses, threatening Human extinction.
* [[Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars]] In the midst of the Third Tiberium War, an alien faction known as the [[Scrin]] lands on Earth seeking the alien mineral [[Tiberium]] for themselves.
* The [[Halo video game series]] - An alien alliance called [[the Covenant]] begin attacking human colonies in 2525. By 2552, almost all of the human colonies are destroyed and the Covenant are attacking the Earth.

==Ecological catastrophe==
* The novel ''[[Aftermath (novel)|Aftermath]]'' by [[Charles Sheffield]], in which [[Alpha Centauri]] goes [[supernova]] and causes cataclysmic climate change
* The 1976-1979 TV series ''[[Ark II]]'' - pollution devastates humanity
* The PC game, ''[[Battlefield 2142]]'', in which a new ice age renders most of the Northern Hemisphere uninhabitable. Wars are fought over the remaining habitable land.
* Film ''[[Beyond the Time Barrier]]'' - X-plane arrives in future after solar radiation catastrophe - 1960
* The [[Television movie|made-for-TV Movie]] "[[Category 6: Day of Destruction]]" where Chicago is suffering from a series of tornadoes from numerous changes occurring in the climate
* The [[Captain Planet]] two-parter ''Two Futures'', in which the character Wheeler gets a glimpse of what could happen if damage to the environment was allowed to continue unchecked
* The novel ''[[Cat's Cradle]]'' by [[Kurt Vonnegut]], in which all the water on Earth freezes
* The novels [[Children of Morrow]] and [[Treasures of Morrow]] by [[H.M. Hoover]], set in [[California]] several centuries after [[pollution]] all but wiped out the human race
* The novels ''[[Clade (novel)|Clade]]'' and ''[[Crache]]'' by [[Mark Budz]]
* The anime ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' in which a manmade disaster has caused earth's moon to fragment, resulting in a constant rain of meteor strikes on the planet and forcing humanity to move out into the solar system.
* The novel "[[The Crystal World]]" by [[J.G. Ballard]] - Jungle in Africa starts to crystallize all life and expands outward
* The film ''[[The Day After Tomorrow]]'' written, directed and produced by [[Roland Emmerich]]. Based in part on the novel ''[[The Coming Global Superstorm]]'' by [[Art Bell]] & [[Whitley Strieber]]
* The film "[[The Day the Earth Caught Fire]]" (1964) - Earth starts hurtling toward sun as a result of man's nuclear testing
* The novel ''[[The Death Of Grass]]'' by [[John Christopher]], which was made into the film ''[[No Blade Of Grass]]'', in which a virus that destroys plants causes massive famine and the breakdown of society
* The novel ''[[Deus X]]'' by [[Norman Spinrad]], the results of [[global warming]]
* The novel ''[[The Drowned World]]'' by [[J.G. Ballard]] - Climate change causes flooding.
* The novel ''[[The Drought]]'' by [[J.G. Ballard]]- a super drought evaporates all water on earth.
* The novel ''[[Dust (novel)|Dust]]'' by [[Charles Pellegrino]], in which all the insect species on Earth die out, and the ecology crashes as a result
* The short story "[[The End of the Whole Mess]]" by Stephen King in which a distillate of a Texas aquifer--originally harvested and distributed worldwide to reduce human propensity for violence--curses humanity with premature Alzheimer's disease and senility.
* The anime ''[[Ergo Proxy]]'' by the Japanese production company [[Manglobe]], in which an undefined global ecological disaster has decimated the surface of the Earth, and the small remaining human population lives in isolated, city-state dome complexes.
* The novel ''[[Fallen Angels (science fiction novel)|Fallen Angels]]'' by [[Larry Niven]], [[Jerry Pournelle]], and [[Michael Flynn]], in which space-based civilization exists despite the government's wishes during an ice age.
* The novel ''[[The Fifth Sacred Thing]]'' by [[Starhawk]]
* The collection of stories ''[[Flight of the Horse]]'' by [[Larry Niven]]
* The novel ''[[Greybeard]]'' by [[Brian Aldiss]], in which the human race becomes sterile
* The novel ''[[The HAB Theory]]'' by [[Allan W. Eckert]], in which the stability of the Earth comes into question.
* The novel ''[[Hothouse (novel)|Hothouse]]'' by [[Brian Aldiss]], which presents a dying Earth where vegetation dominates and animal life is all but extinct. Originally published in the United States in abridged form as “The Long, Hot Afternoon of Earth.”
* The novel ''[[The Ice Schooner]]'' by [[Michael Moorcock]] which is set in a new ice age on earth
* The novel ''[[Ill Wind]]'' by [[Kevin J. Anderson]] and [[Doug Beason]] in which a microbe consumes all materials based on petroleum.
* The novel ''[[In the Drift]]'' by [[Michael Swanwick]] (also an [[alternate history (fiction)|alternate history]] [[Narrative|story]]), in which the 1979 [[Three Mile Island]] reactor incident resulted in a very large release of radioactivity, devastating the Northeastern U.S.
* The film ''[[It's All About Love]]'' written, directed and produced by [[Thomas Vinterberg]]
* The novel ''[[The Last Gasp]]'' (1983) by [[Trevor Hoyle]]
* The film ''[[The Last Woman on Earth]]'' (1960) by [[Roger Corman]], where the Earth's oxygen levels drop suddenly, suffocating most life–survivors in an oxygen-producing jungle speculate that this happened because of "a bigger and better bomb" but the reasons are not made clear.
* The video game ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]]'', in which a flood has decimated the fictional world of [[Hyrule]].
* The novel ''[[Make Room! Make Room!]]'' by [[Harry Harrison]], which was made into a 1973 film ''[[Soylent Green]]'' directed by [[Richard Fleischer]], showing a world where humanity had become massively overpopulated.
* The novel ''[[Nature's End]]'' by [[Whitley Strieber]] and James Kunetka.
* The manga and film ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind]]'' by [[Hayao Miyazaki]]
* The radio drama ''[[Nebulous]]'' by [[Graham Duff]], in which much of the world was destroyed by an event known as "the Withering".
* The novel ''[[Oryx and Crake]]'' by [[Margaret Atwood]]
* The anime ''[[Overman King Gainer]]'', which depicts humanity living in domes after an ecological disaster.
* The novel and film ''[[The Quiet Earth]]'' written by [[Craig Harrison]]
* The film ''[[Quintet (film)|Quintet]]'' directed by [[Robert Altman]]
* The novel "[[The Ragged Edge(US)/A Winkle in the Skin (UK)"]] -[[John Christopher]] - Civilization destroyed by massive world-wide earthquakes
* The short story ''[[The Screwfly Solution]]'' tells the tale of a virus which turns males into female-hating psychopaths when sexually aroused.
* The film ''[[Serenity (film)|Serenity]]'' and television show ''[[firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' by [[Joss Whedon]], in which the Earth's resources and biosphere get used up prompting mass exodus for the stars.
* The novel ''[[The Sheep Look Up]]'' by [[John Brunner (novelist)|John Brunner]], in which the United States is overwhelmed by environmental irresponsibility and [[authoritarianism]].
* The film ''[[Silent Running]]'' directed by [[Douglas Trumbull]]
* The novel ''Small-Minded Giants'' by Oísin McGann
* The novel ''[[The Snow (book)|The Snow]]'' by [[Adam Roberts]], in which the world is buried under [[kilometres]] of unnatural [[snow]].
* The novel trilogy ''[[Snowfall (novel)|Snowfall]]'' by ''[[Mitchell Smith]]'' (Snowfall, Kingdom River, and Moonrise) in which North America has retreated into hunter-gatherer societies and military kingdoms some 500 years after an apocalyptic [[ice age]].
* Film ''[[Them !]]'' - desert nuclear tests create mutated gigantic ants - 1954
* The film ''[[Ultimate Warrior]]'' - (1975) starring [[Yul Brynner]]
* The film ''[[Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea]]'', where the Van Allen belt catches on fire.
* The film ''[[Waterworld]]'' starring [[Kevin Costner]]
* The novel "[[The Wind From Nowhere]]" by J.G. Ballard - First published novel. World destroyed by increasingly powerful winds
* The novel ''[[The World in Winter (UK)]]/[[The Long Winter (US)]]'' by [[John Christopher]] in which a decrease in radiation from the sun causes a new ice age.
* The Japanese anime/manga series [[Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō]], set in a peaceful post-cataclysmic Japan, after an untold environmental disaster.
* The novel ''[[This Other Eden (novel)|This Other Eden]]'' by [[Ben Elton]] in which the earths population is forced to live in [[Biodome]]s for 50 years while the environment recovers from mankind's actions.
* The anime ''[[Zoids: Genesis]]'' where an earthquake triggers a series of worldwide natural disasters that devastate Planet Zi.
* The novel ''[[Mother of Storms]]'' (1995) by [[John Barnes]] - where a tactical nuclear strike in the North Pacific releases massive amounts of methane, spawning world-wide super hurricanes.
* The [[Command & Conquer: Tiberian series]] of games in which an alien [[crystalline]] material known as [[Tiberium]] has rendered most of Earth uninhabitable.
* The 1989 film ''[[Slipstream (1989 film)|Slipstream]]'', by [[Steven Lisberger]]
* The novel "[[Midnight Sun]]" by [[R.C. Duggan]].
* The made for tv movie ''[[Encrypt (film)|Encrypt]]''
* The novel ''[[Mr. Adam]]'' by [[Pat Frank]] depicts a world in which a nuclear power plant explosion renders the entire male population infertile.

==Cybernetic revolt==
{{main|Cybernetic revolt}}

* The novel ''[[The Adolescence of P-1]]'' by Thomas J. Ryan
* The film ''[[Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution]]'' by [[Jean-Luc Godard]]
* The [[Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries)|2003 TV miniseries]] and subsequent [[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|2004 television show]] [[Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining)|''Battlestar Galactica'']].
* The novel ''[[Colossus (novel)|Colossus]]'' (1966) by Dennis Feltham Jones, and the film adaptation titled ''[[Colossus: The Forbin Project]]'' (not exactly an apocalypse, however)
* The [[anime]] and [[manga]] [[DragonBall Z]], throughout the second of its major story arcs.
* The short story and computer game ''[[I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream]]'' by [[Harlan Ellison]]
* The novella ''[[It Happened Tomorrow]]'' by [[Robert Bloch]]
* The "[[Legends of Dune]]" series by [[Kevin J. Anderson]] and [[Brian Herbert]], consisting of the novels [[Dune: The Butlerian Jihad]], [[Dune: The Machine Crusade]], and [[Dune: The Battle of Corrin]].
* The 1909 [[short story]] ''[[The Machine Stops]]'' by [[E. M. Forster]] (more machinery than computers)
* The 1921 [[play]] ''[[R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)]]'' by [[Karel Čapek]]
* The ''[[The Matrix|Matrix]]'' trilogy ([[The Second Renaissance]])
* The novel ''[[The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect]]'' by [[Roger Williams]]
* ''[[Neuroshima]]'', the [[Poland|Polish]] [[role-playing game]] from Portal Publishing.
* The future depicted in the ''[[The Terminator|Terminator]]'' film series
* The [[Hazel O'Connor]] song ''The Eighth Day''
* The video game [[Command & Conquer: Firestorm]] - The Brotherhood of Nod's AI system [[CABAL]] goes rogue and takes control of Nod's cyborg units.
* The 2004 movie adaption of [[I, Robot]].

==The decline and fall of the human race==
* The videogame ''[[Gears of War]]'' ([[2006]]), which portrays humans fighting a losing war against monsters which have emerged from underground.
* The novel ''[[At Winter's End]]'' ([[1988]]) by [[Robert Silverberg]]
* The last two novels of [[James Herbert]]s ''Rats Quadrilogy'' show how after a nuclear war, humanity is overthrown by mutated [[Giant Black Rat]]s.
* The poem ''Bedtime Story'' from ''Collected Poems 1958 – 1970'' by [[George Macbeth]]
* [[Gene Wolfe]]'s ''[[The Book of the New Sun]]'' series
* The novel ''[[The Bridge (D Keith Mano)|The Bridge]]'' ([[1973]]) by [[D. Keith Mano]]
* [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s ''[[Childhood's End]]''
* The novel ''[[City (book by Clifford D. Simak)|City]]'' ([[1952]]) by [[Clifford D. Simak]]
* ''[[Friday (novel)]]'' by [[Robert A. Heinlein]], which portrays human society on a future Earth as slipping into a gradual, but inevitable, collapse.
* ''[[Galápagos (novel)|Galápagos]]'' by [[Kurt Vonnegut]]. After an ambiguous eradication of the human species, several people on a cruise to the Galapagos Islands get stranded there. Much to the dismay of the only male left, the women of the island continue the human species for thousands of years where they evolve into seal-like creatures.
* The novel ''[[I Am Legend]]'' by [[Richard Matheson]]
* The films ''[[Night of the Living Dead]]'', ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'', ''[[Day of the Dead (film)|Day of the Dead]]'', and ''[[Land of the Dead]]'' by [[George Romero]].
* ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'' by [[Pierre Boulle]]
* The latter part of [[H. G. Wells]]' ''[[The Time Machine]]''
* The 1974 [[John Boorman]] film ''[[Zardoz]]''
* The Japanese [[manga]]s [[Biomega]], [[NOiSE]], [[Blame!]] and [[Net Sphere Engineer]] by [[Tsutomu Nihei]]
* The Japanese [[manga]] and [[anime]] [[The Big O]], where humans apparently suffered mass [[amnesia]] 40 years prior and are afraid to leave their city, [[Paradigm City|Paradigm]]. It is a sort of [[mecha]]/apocalypse subclass of its own; the protagonist has to battle mechanical beings and other robots who are trying to destroy the remnants of the human race.
* The [[Cartoon Network]]/[[Adult Swim]] animated parody of the barbarian/post-apocalyptic genres, [[Korgoth of Barbaria]]
* [[The Dark Tower Series]] by [[Stephen King]]
* The novel [[Cell (novel)|Cell]], also by [[Stephen King]]
* [[Michael Haneke]]'s film [[Le Temps du Loup]] (The Time of the Wolf), following a family through the (French?) country side after an undefined catastrophic collapse of civilization.
* The movie [[A.I. (film)|A.I.]] depicts human extinction after 2000 years.
* The manga/anime series [[Wolf's Rain]] takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where constant conflicts between nobles leaves whole parts of the earth uninhabited, cities in ruins, and technology rare. Only the nobles possess futuristic ships, and the richest have domed cities where the debilitated earth can still support life. A second apocalypse ends the series, with a presumable renewing of the planet.
* The song ''[[In the Year 2525]]'' by [[Zager and Evans]], which describes, stage by stage, the decline of the human race. Covers the 26th, 36th, 46th, 56th, 66th, 76th, 86th and 96th centuries.
* The television series ''[[The Future Is Wild]]'', which uses computer animation to simulate the sort of creatures that may evolve from present-day animals. In the world depicted in the series, the human race either has become extinct or has left Earth. The reason is not given.
* The short story "[[To Serve The Master]]" By [[Philip K. Dick]]
* The 2006 film ''[[Children of Men]]'', where the human race has become infertile.
* The novel ''[[The Night Land]]'' by [[William Hope Hodgson]], in which the Sun burns out and the last of humanity is sheltered in an [[arcology]] from the hostile environment and the creatures adapted for it.

==After the fall of space-based civilization==
* ''[[Against the Fall of Night]]'' by [[Arthur C. Clarke]]
* [[Gene Roddenberry]]'s ''[[Andromeda (TV series)|Andromeda]]'' series
* [[Yukito Kishiro]]'s ''[[Battle Angel Alita]]''
* ''[[The City and the Stars]]'' by [[Arthur C. Clarke]]
* ''The Dragon Masters'', by [[Jack Vance]]
* The final two novels in [[Frank Herbert]]'s ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'' series, set after the disintegration of the Padishah Empire into many smaller factions.
* [[Gene Roddenberry]]'s [[Genesis II]]
* [[Dan Simmons]]'s ''[[Endymion (book)|Endymion]]'' & ''The Rise of Endymion''
* Few stories of ''[[Ray Bradbury]]'' ''[[Martian Chronicles]]'' mention catastrophe on earth
* ''[[The Mote in God's Eye]] by Niven & Pournelle
* [[Yasuhiro Nightow]]'s ''[[Trigun]]''
* The [[PlayStation]] video game ''[[Xenogears]]''
* [[Red Dwarf]], the British Science-Fiction [[Sitcom]]
* ''[[Star Man's Son 2250 A.D.]]'' by [[Andre Norton]]
* ''Transfusion'' by [[Chad Oliver]]
* ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' tabletop game set in a far future after the fall of a galactic avdanced mankind civilization and the rise of a new galactic mankind empire.
* Larry Niven's [[Ringworld]], an expedition from earth to find a futuristic planet, a ring surrounding a star, results in the members finding that a meteor puncture in the ring's floor and power failure caused the cities to break a part and civilization to collapse.
* The ''Last Legionary'' series by [[Douglas Hill]], in which a lone soldier fights to bring down the organisation which unleashed a deadly [[radiation]] against his planet, killing all his people and rendering the planet uninhabitable.

==The Sun's expansion==
* The episode "[[The Deconstruction of Falling Stars]]," of [[J. Michael Straczynski]]'s ''[[Babylon 5]]''
* The episode "[[The End of the World (Doctor Who)|The End of the World]]," of the television series ''[[Doctor Who]]''
* The novel ''[[Songs of Distant Earth]]'' by [[Arthur C. Clarke]] in which the last survivors of Earth arrive at a distant colony unexpectedly.
* ''[[Inconstant Moon]]'' by [[Larry Niven]]
* The comic series ''[[Just a Pilgrim]]'' by [[Garth Ennis]]
* The video game "[[Tetris Worlds]]"
* The poem "[[Darkness (poem)]]" by Lord Byron describes the end of life on earth after the sun's extinction.
* The movie "[[Last Night (film)]]" by [[Don McKellar]], which follows the lives of several individuals as they cope with their final six hours on Earth before the apparent incineration of the Earth by the sun (the cause of the apocalypse is never directly stated).
* The short story "Finis" by [[Frank Lillie Pollock]] where a second sun's light incinerates the Earth.

==Religious and supernatural apocalypse (Eschatological fiction)==
* The evangelical Christian film series 1972 ''[[A Thief in the Night]]'', sometimes referred to as the ''Mark IV'' films.
* The young adult book series ''[[Countdown (series)|Countdown]]'' by [[Daniel Parker (author)|Daniel Parker]], in which a demon wipes out the entire human population save for teenagers.
* The [[Deadlands: Hell on Earth]] role-playing game, in which the Earth is reduced to a haunted, radioactive wasteland as a result of the [[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]] ravaging the planet shortly after an eldritch nuclear war.
* ''[[The End of the Age]]'', by [[Pat Robertson]]
* The book and film series ''[[Left Behind (series)|Left Behind]]'', concerning the [[Rapture]].
* The novels ''[[Black Easter]]'' and ''[[The Day After Judgment]]'' by [[James Blish]], in which a [[black magic]]ian brings about the end of the world by releasing all the demons from Hell.
* The sci-fi anime ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' in which mankind's unearthing of a being known as Adam brings about [[Second Impact]], a catastrophic shockwave which destroys Antarctica and subsequently leads to the extinction of thousands of organisms, the destruction of much of the civilized world, and the deaths of billions.
* The film ''[[Prince of Darkness (1987 movie)|Prince of Darkness]]'', directed by [[John Carpenter]], in which all Hell breaks loose.
* The film ''The Rapture'' (1991)
* The zombie novels ''The Rising'' and its sequel ''City of the Dead'' by [[Brian Keene]]. Rather than the zombies being an infection, as in most zombie fiction; these zombies are reanimated by demonic entities, the sisquisim, from the Old Testament. Keene has also written ''Conqueror Worms'' which is a very Lovecraftian tale of one of the last survivors on earth.
* The novel [[Shade's Children]] by [[Garth Nix]], in which a group of extradimensional beings invade earth and cause all human adults to vanish.
* The manga and subsequent anime movies and TV series ''[[Silent Möbius]]'' by [[Kia Asamiya]]. The story is set in a [[Blade Runner]]-style world which has been invaded by [[demonic]] beings.
* The novel ''[[The Taking]]'', by [[Dean Koontz]] in which a malevolent demonic force kills off the majority of the human race.
* ''[[The Third Millennium]]'' (1995) and ''[[The Fourth Mellennium]]'' (1996), by [[Paul Meier]]
* The [[Tribe 8 (RPG)|Tribe 8]] role-playing game, in which sadistic demons invade (and conquer) the Earth.
* The [[Clamp (manga artists)|Clamp]] anime ''[[X/1999]]'' in which the seven Dragons of Heaven battle the Dragons of Earth to save the world.
* [[Hellgate|The Hellgate: London]] computer game to be released in 2007, where demons and humans are in constant struggle on earth.
* The ''[[Doom]]'' series of computer games, in which demons invade a human base on [[Phobos (moon)|Phobos]] (changed to [[Mars]] in ''[[Doom 3]]'') and then move on to Earth.

==Not specified==
* The 1885 novel ''After London'' by [[Richard Jefferies]]; the nature of the catastrophe is never stated, except that apparently most of the human race quickly dies out, leaving England to revert to nature.
* The 1956 short story "[[A Pail of Air]]" by [[Fritz Leiber]]. A small family struggles to survive at near-zero temperatures after Earth is ripped from its solar orbit.
* The 1975 novel ''[[Dhalgren]]'' by [[Samuel R. Delany]].
* The 1987 novel ''[[In the Country of Last Things]]'' by [[Paul Auster]].
* The novels ''Dies the Fire'' (2004), ''The Protector's War'' (2005) and ''The Meeting at Corvallis'' (2006) by [[S. M. Stirling]], in which a disaster of indeterminate cause (most speculation within the novels concerns an all-powerful outside force, i.e. aliens or an act of god/gods) causes electricity, combustion engines, and modern explosives to cease functioning.
* The 2006 novel ''[[The Road (novel)|The Road]] by [[Cormac McCarthy]].
* The series of novels set in the world of [[Wraeththu]] by [[Storm Constantine]], in which humanity is replaced as the planet's dominant species by a race of mystic hermaphrodites. War and plague ravage the human population, but no single cause is specified.

==To be categorized==
* The computer animated internet tv series [[afterworld]]
* The Korean animated film ''[[Wonderful Days]]''
* Much of the work of [[J. G. Ballard]], in which the current era is sometimes described as the ''pre-Third'', referring to [[World War III]].
* The film ''[[Crack in the World]]''
* The manga and movie ''[[Dragon Head]]'', by [[Mochizuki Minetaro]]
* The [[machinima]] ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'', the main characters are sent to the future in what they believe is a post-apocalyptic world.
* [[Jules Verne]]'s ''[[The Eternal Adam]]'', in one night all the emerged land submerges and some island emerge. The survivors start a new mankind.
* The movie ''[[The Last Woman on Earth]]'', directed by [[Roger Corman]], in which all the Earth's oxygen temporarily vanishes - leaving only three survivors.
* The novel ''[[Beyond Thirty]]'' ([[1916]]) by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]], in which an isolated and feuding Europe has retreated into barbarism
* The novel ''[[Manifold: Time]]'' by [[Stephen Baxter]] has the deliberate creation of a new [[vacuum state]] in the universe, incidentally annihilating all existing matter in the Universe - including the Earth.
* ''[[Nightfall (Asimov)|Nightfall]]'' by [[Isaac Asimov]]; A rare cosmological event causes an Earth-like society inhabiting a multistar system to collapse as they experience their first nightfall.
* ''[[The Purple Cloud]]'' by [[M.P. Shiel]]; An unknown event floods the earth with a poisonous gas, leaving only two survivors
* ''The Revenants'' by [[Sheri S. Tepper]]; the nature of the catastrophe is never stated but technology has been displaced and a bizarre religion is dividing society into ever-smaller, racially-divided units.
* Although not generally recognized as such, the ''[[Star Trek]]'' franchise falls into this category as it takes place in the decades and centuries following World War III on Earth, which nearly led to the collapse of human civilization. The ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' episode "[[Encounter at Farpoint]]" depicts one aspect of the "post-atomic horror"; the film ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'' takes place about a decade after the war and depicts one pocket of civilization living in a camp in [[Montana]], and the ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' episodes "[[Demons (Enterprise episode)|Demons]]" and "[[Terra Prime (Enterprise episode)|Terra Prime]]" refer to the rise of military rule and an act of [[genocide]] perpetrated on radiation-scarred survivors of the war a century earlier.
* The novel ''Taronga'', by [[Victor Kelleher]]; after an unknown disaster simply described as "Last Days" a boy ventures throughout his surroundings, finding refuge in Tarronga Zoo and befriending a [[tiger]].
*The film ''[[Titan A.E.]]'', in which the Drej destroy Earth to stop the advancement of humankind.
* The video game ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' where the villain Kefka destroys and takes over the world, creating the ''[[World of Ruin]]''.
* The anime [[OVA]] series ''Giant Robo'', in which a scientific experiment causes all power generation to stop worldwide, resulting in the death of one-third of the Earth's population in a week.
* The novel ''Présence de la mort'' (1922) by [[Charles Ferdinand Ramuz]] where the Earth falls into the Sun.
* The film ''[[The Omen]]'' (6-6-06)
* The novel ''Wolf and Iron'', by [[Gordon R. Dickson]] where after the fall of civilization from a worldwide financial collapse, a young scientist is trying to go cross country to his brother's ranch and gets help from a lone wolf.
* The animated series ''[[Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light]]'', in which a distant planet's technology fails following the Alignment of its Three Suns.
* It is widely believed that Third Earth, the setting for much of the ''[[Thundercats]]'' cartoon, is our own planet following two separate apocalypses, the exact natures of which are unknown. In addition, the series begins with the main characters fleeing the destruction of their home planet.
* The video game "[[Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]]", where the evil wizard [[Ganon]]dorf attempts to take over [[Hyrule]] through the spirit realm.
* The cartoon series ''[[Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors]]'' in which the universe is threatened by intelligent mutant plants called "Monster Minds"
* ''[[Aftermath (Gregory Benford)|Aftermath]]'' by [[Gregory Benford]]
* Moorcock's ''[[The Dancers at the End of Time]]'' stories, which are set in the days of the final collapse and end of the Universe itself
* ''[[The Final Programme (movie)|The Final Programme]]'', movie based on [[Michael Moorcock]]'s [[Jerry Cornelius]] stories
* Many (perhaps most) [[Godzilla]] movies - notably ''[[Monster Zero]]'', ''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' and ''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'', in these films, space aliens use mind-controlled giant monsters to destroy Earth's capitals
* ''[[Nosutoradamusu no daiyogen]] (Translated as: Nostradamus's Great Prophecy)'' also known as ''The Last Days of Planet Earth'', a 1974 Japanese film.
* The novels ''[[The Peace War]]'' ([[1984]]) and ''[[Marooned in Realtime]]'' ([[1986]]) (together also know as ''[[Across Realtime]]'', [[1991]]) by [[Vernor Vinge]]
* ''[[Reign of Fire]]'', in which a race of terrifically powerful dragons awakes from sleep and decimates the world.
* The Swedish [[role-playing game]]s ''[[Mutant (role-playing game)|Mutant]]'' and "Wastelands"
*''[[Andrei Tarkovsky]]'''s film ''[[Stalker (film)|Stalker]]''
* The role playing game ''[[Torg]]'', in which several alternate realities invade earth simultaneously, some primitive, some technological, and some supernatural.
* The role playing game ''[[Wasteworld]]'' [http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/4656/WasteWorld/WasteWorld.html].
* The novel [[The Lathe of Heaven]] by [[Ursula K. Le Guin]] contains apocalyptic science fiction elements.
* The manga ''[[Japan (manga)|Japan]]'', written by ''[[Eiji Otsuka]]'' and illustrated by ''[[Mami Ito]]''.
* The film ''[[The Dark Crystal]]'' chronicles the [[Great Conjunction]] of the planet [[Thra]]'s three suns. [[Aughra]], a character in the movie, claims that the Great Conjunction will mean "the end of the world...or the beginning." The cracking of the [[Dark Crystal]] also placed the world of [[Thra]] into a semi-apocalyptic state.
* The "[[X-Men]]" story arcs "[[Age of Apocalypse]]" and "[[Days of Future Past]]" feature devastated alternate timelines.
* [[Robert Jordan]]'s [[The Wheel of Time|Wheel of Time]] series of fantasy novels offers many hints implying that it is set in the distant future (or past, since it depicts time as cyclical) of our own world, with the current order of life passing away in a sort of "mystical singularity".
* The anime and manga [[Eureka seven]]
* The MMORPG [[EverQuest II]], in which the world of Norrath has been all but destroyed by a series of cataclysms, leaving only two cities surviving from the original [[EverQuest]] game.
*The predescessor of the Mars Attcks! trading card series [[Dinosaurs Attack!]],in which time displaced(some almost kaiju-sized)dinosaurs create a post-apocalyptic world.
* The animated TV show ''[[Thundarr the Barbarian]]'' takes place some 2,000 years after the end of civilization.
* The book ''Armageddons'', a collection of short stories about various ways the world could end. Authors include [[Frederick Pohl]], [[Gregory Benford]], [[Larry Niven]] and [[Fritz Lieber]].
* The novel ''Devil on my Back'' by [[Monica Hughes]], in which civilisation has collapsed for reasons never fully explained and human knowledge is preserved in isolated "arks"
*The [[Star Trek]] franchise has featured numerous stories in which apocalyptic and post apocalyptic scenarios of all kinds are explored. World War 3 and the Eugenics Wars are an issue in Earth history that is the topic of many stories in the Trek series', many stories involves planets or colonies threatened by spatial bodies such as asteroids, moons with degrading orbits, and stellar fragments. Cybernetic revolts have been seen on planets and on starships, as have pandemics, ecological catastrophes, alien invasions, economic collapses, etc. Eschatological themes are sometimes present in Deep Space Nine, due to storylines involving The Prophets and the Pah-Wraiths.

== See also ==
* [[Apocalypse]]
* [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction]]
* [[List of songs about nuclear war]]
* [[List of nuclear holocaust fiction]]
* [[Nuclear holocaust]]
* [[Nuclear weapons in popular culture]]
* [[World War III]]
* [[World War III in popular culture]]
* [[Zombie apocalypse]]

==External links==
*{{cite book
| last = Dodson
| first =Eric
| authorlink =Eric Dodson
| coauthors =
| year =2003
| title =[http://www.westga.edu/~psydept/dodson/postapoc.html Post-apocalyptic film and the post-modern apocalypse]
| publisher =State University of West Georgia
| location =
| id =
}}

[[Category:Anime and manga lists|Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic]]
[[Category:Comics-related lists|Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic]]
[[Category:Video game lists by genre|Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic]]
[[Category:Lists of films by genre|Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic]]
[[Category:Lists of novels|Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic]]
[[Category:Lists about role-playing games|Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic]]
[[Category:Lists of television series|Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic]]
[[Category:Post-apocalyptic fiction| ]]

Vollmer (company)

2007-06-09T04:16:52Z

69.47.26.37:

{{For|the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' character|Douglas Wade Vollmer}}

[[Image:Vollmer_highrise.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Vollmer kit for highrise in [[HO scale]]]]
==Overview==

'''Vollmer''' is a German manufacturer of [[Scale model|model buildings]] for [[H0 scale]] and [[N scale]] [[model railroads]].

[[Category:Model railroad manufacturers]]

{{germany-company-stub}}
{{toy-stub}}

[[de:Vollmer (Modelleisenbahn)]]

Bob FM

2007-06-08T23:58:30Z

69.47.26.37:

'''Bob FM''' is the on-air brand of several [[FM radio]] stations in [[Canada]] and the [[United States]]. The Bob FM format features a mix of classic [[1950s]], [[1960s]], [[1970s]], [[1980s]] and [[1990s]] hits with some current [[hot adult contemporary]] singles.

Bob FM stations in Canada are all owned by [[CHUM Limited]]. Those in the United States are owned by a variety of companies. Bob FM stations follow much the same format as the more famous (although newer) [[Jack FM]] brand, and are officially classified as '''variety hits''' or '''[[adult hits]]''' by radio research companies.

It was originally named for the "'''B'''est '''o'''f the '''B'''est", and subsequently associated with an everyday man character named Bob, and it proved extremely successful in its first implementation on [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]]'s [[CFWM]]. It inspired [[Rogers Communications]] to license the Jack FM format at many of its stations, [[Corus Entertainment]]'s subsequent [[Joe FM]] and [[Dave FM]] brands, and comparable moves at other stations. Currently a syndicated version of the format is offered by [[Waitt Radio Networks|Waitt Radio Networks.]]

The format was largely conceived by [[Howard Kroeger]], a former executive at CHUM, after attending a friend's 40th birthday party. He took the "Bob" moniker from a [[country music]] station (then WBOB, today [[KTLK-FM]]) that had broadcast in the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul]] market of [[Minnesota]] to the south several years earlier.

Many Bob FM stations market themselves with the slogan "Turn your knob to Bob"; this was parodied in a ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' skit in which [[TV's Frank]] creates his own radio station and exhorts viewers to "Turn your crank to Frank".

So far, [[Honolulu, Hawaii]], [[Omaha, Nebraska]] and [[Sacramento, California]] are the only North American markets where Bob FM has failed. In the Honolulu case [[Salem Communications]] acquired the station and likely would have jettisoned the format, regardless of its success, due to that company's programming philosophy. In Sacramento, the owner of the station requested that listeners "vote" whether the variety hits format or an 80s format should remain, as the owners were selling the frequency which housed the 80's format. The 80s format won, and 92.1 Bob FM turned into Flash 92.1.

The newest Bob FM station in Canada, CHUM Limited's [[CKLY]] in [[Kawartha Lakes, Ontario]], adopted the format on [[August 21]], [[2005]], while [[WJGO]] in [[Fort Myers, Florida]] jettisoned its "Groovin' Oldies" format to introduce Bob to its listeners on [[March 16]], [[2007]].

Many Bob-FM stations are imaged by Digital Sound & Video, Inc located in Daytona Beach, Florida.

==Bob FM stations in Canada==

* [[Brockville, Ontario]] – [[CJPT-FM|CJPT]]
* [[Kawartha Lakes, Ontario]] – [[CKLY-FM|CKLY]]
* [[London, Ontario]] – [[CHST-FM|CHST]]
* [[Ottawa, Ontario]] – [[CKKL-FM|CKKL]]
* [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]] – [[CFWM-FM|CFWM]]

== Bob FM stations in the United States ==
* [[Austin, Texas]] – [[KBPA-FM]]
* [[Abilene, Texas]] – [[KNCE-FM]]
* [[Anchorage, Alaska]] – [[KBBO-FM]]
* [[Augusta, Kansas]] – [[KIBB]]
* [[Austin, Texas|Austin]]/[[San Marcos, Texas|San Marcos]], [[Texas]] – [[KBPA]]
* [[Bloomington-Normal, Illinois]] – [[WBBE]]
* [[Boise, Idaho]] – [[KSRV]]
* [[Chico, California|Chico]]/[[Redding, California|Redding]] [[California]]; [[KLRS]]
* [[Erie, Pennsylvania]] – [[WXBB]]
* [[Eugene, Oregon]] – [[KEUG (radio station)|KEUG]]
* [[Fargo, North Dakota]] – [[KBVB]] ([[country music|country]] format)
* [[Fort Myers, Florida]] – [[WJGO]]
* [[Greenwood, Mississippi]] – [[WYMX]]
* [[Hampton Roads, Virginia|Hampton Roads]]-[[Norfolk, Virginia]] – [[WPYA]]
* [[Larned, Kansas]] – [[KGTR]]
* [[Midland, Texas|Midland]]-[[Odessa, Texas]] – [[KQRX]]
* [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]] – [[KLCI]] ([[country music|country]] format)
* [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]] – [[WYNA]]
* [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]] – [[KQOB]]
* [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] – [[WRRK]]
* [[Reno, Nevada]] – [[KZTQ]]
* [[Rockford, Illinois]] – [[WYHY]]
* [[Roswell, New Mexico]]
* [[Santa Rosa, California]] – [[KNOB]]
* [[Sedalia, Missouri]] – [[KSDL]]
* [[Sioux City, Iowa]] – [[KZSR]]
* [[Spokane, Washington]] – [[KYWL]]
* [[Texarkana, Texas]] – [[KBYB]]
* [[Tucson, Arizona]] – [[KSZR]]
* [[Washington, North Carolina|Washington]]-[[Greenville, North Carolina]] – [[WERO]]
* [[Williston, North Dakota]] – [[KDSR]]
* [[The Woodlands, Texas]] – [[KTWL]]
* [[Yakima, Washington]] – [[KRSE]]

==See also==
* [[Froggy (brand)]], is a brand of country music radio stations, which are also independently owned and operated, and generally are unrelated with each other, but use the same or similar logo.
* [[KISS-FM (brand)]], is a brand of radio stations. Unless they are owned by [[Clear Channel Communications]], each individual station is independently operated.
* [[The Fox (brand)]], is a brand of radio stations. Unless they are owned by [[Clear Channel Communications]], each individual station is independently operated.
* [[Jack FM]], is a brand of radio stations that play a large variety of music from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's.
* [[ESPN Radio]], is a brand of radio stations. They are generally tied to the same set of programs, but are not all by the same operator. Most local broadcasts of these stations have no connection to the national network.

== External links ==
* [http://www.varietyhits.com/variety/ VarietyHits.com, a comprehensive website about the entire format]

[[Category:Radio formats]]
[[Category:Franchised formats]]
[[Category:Classic hits radio stations| ]]
[[Category:Bob FM stations]]

MAS*H

2007-06-08T22:29:22Z

69.47.26.37: /* Cast of characters */

{{Otheruses5|the overall franchise|for the [[Robert Altman]] film and the subsequent television series|MASH (film)|M*A*S*H (TV series)}}
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|thumb|''M*A*S*H'' title screen from the television series|right]]
'''''M*A*S*H''''' was a [[media franchise]] active, in various forms, from 1968 to 1986. Owned by [[20th Century Fox]], the series concerns a group of [[fictional character]]s who served at the fictional 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]] during the [[Korean War]]. The original incarnations of the series are set during the war and feature [[Hawkeye Pierce]] as the [[main character]]. Later [[spin-off]]s involve characters who appeared in the series, but take place after the end of the war. However, almost all versions of the series fit into the genre of [[black comedy]] and involve [[medicine]] in a prominent role due to most of the main characters being [[physician|doctors]].

The franchise effectively ended with the conclusion of ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' on September 4, 1986. [[As of 2007]], there has been no attempt to reprise the series since then. However, a [[fanbase]] for the series still exists and 20th Century Fox has had notable success selling the film and seasons of the original TV series on [[DVD]].
[[Image:MASHBook.jpg|right|thumb|1969 Canadian paperback edition of the original book.]]

==Novels==
{{main|M*A*S*H (novels)}}
The ''M*A*S*H'' series began with the novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' written by [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]] based on his own experience serving as a surgeon at MASH unit 8055. The novel was originally published in 1968 and was followed by several sequels.

==Film==
[[image:Mash5.jpg|thumb|left|Sutherland and Gould in the film]]
{{main|MASH (film)}}

''MASH'' was a 1970 [[feature film]] adaptation of the original novel. The film was directed by [[Robert Altman]] and starred [[Donald Sutherland]] as [[Hawkeye Pierce]] and [[Elliott Gould]] as [[Trapper John McIntyre]].
 
==Television series==
[[Image:MASH-episode1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gary Burghoff]] as [[Radar O'Reilly|Radar]] in the [[M*A*S*H the Pilot (M*A*S*H episode)|premiere episode]]]]
{{main|M*A*S*H (TV series)}}

''M*A*S*H'', a television spin-off of the feature film, ran from 1972 to 1983. It starred [[Alan Alda]] as Pierce and [[Wayne Rogers]] as McIntyre. Rogers left the show after the third season and was replaced by [[Mike Farrell]] as [[B. J. Hunnicutt]]. This series is the most popular and well-known version of the franchise and was ranked #25 in ''[[TV Guide]]'''s "[[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]]."

==Video game==
An [[Atari 2600]] [[video game]] version of ''M*A*S*H'' was released in 1983. In this game, the player controlled a [[helicopter]] and [[army]] [[physician|doctor]]s. The goal was to rescue wounded soldiers to take back to the MASH 4077. While the [[Korea|Korean]] countryside looked somewhat realistic, the action was simply side-view and the characters looked like generic [[4-bit]] Atari 2600 characters. Players could also play a video version of "meatball surgery", with a giant patient on the table. The patient had points of entry, that twisted and turned like a maze. At the end of each maze was a bullet that players had to remove before time ran out. If a player got to close to the sides of the maze, the patient dies and the words "[[Ferret Face]]" appear on the top of the screen along with a warning buzzer.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

==Spin-offs==
===Trapper John, M.D.===
{{main|Trapper John, M.D.}}

''Trapper John, M.D.'' featured the character of Trapper John McIntyre, played by [[Pernell Roberts]], twenty-eight years after the events of the ''M*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 considered a spin-off of the ''MASH'' film rather than the television series.

===AfterMASH===
{{main|AfterMASH}}

''AfterMASH'' was a successor to the original ''M*A*S*H'' television series featuring [[Harry Morgan]], [[Jamie Farr]] and [[William Christopher]] as the same characters they played in the original television series after the conclusion of the war. [[Gary Burghoff]] and [[Edward Winter]] also appeared in guest appearances. However, the show was canceled after only two seasons.

===W*A*L*T*E*R===
{{main|W*A*L*T*E*R}}

''W*A*L*T*E*R'' was the pilot for a television series that wasn't picked up. It would have featured Gary Burghoff reprising the role of Walter O'Reilly, who is no longer referred to as "Radar." The pilot was shown as a "CBS Special Presentation" on [[July 17]], [[1984]].

==Cast of characters==
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" width="16%" |Character
! colspan="6" align="center" | '''''M*A*S*H'''''
|-
! align="center" width="14%" | [[MASH (film)|Film]]
! align="center" width="14%" | [[M*A*S*H (TV series)|TV series]]
! align="center" width="14%" | [[Trapper John, M.D.]]
! align="center" width="14%" | [[AfterMASH]]
! align="center" width="14%" | [[W*A*L*T*E*R]]
|-
! colspan="7" style="background-color:lightblue;" |
|-
! [[Ugly John Black]]
| [[Carl Gottlieb]]
| [[John Orchard]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Henry Blake]]
| [[Roger Bowen]]
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Frank Burns]]

| [[Robert Duvall]]
| [[Larry Linville]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Lieutenant Dish]]

| [[Jo Ann Pflug]]
| [[Karen Philipp]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Sam Flagg]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Edward Winter]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Edward Winter]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Duke Forrest]]

| [[Tom Skerritt]]
| colspan="4" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Sidney Freedman]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Allan Arbus]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Ho-Jon]]

| [[Kim Atwood]]
| [[Patrick Adiarte]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Margaret Houlihan]]

| [[Sally Kellerman]]
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[B. J. Hunnicutt]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Spearchucker Jones]]

| [[Fred Williamson]]
| [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Maxwell Klinger]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Trapper John McIntyre]]

| [[Elliott Gould]]
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| [[Pernell Roberts]]
| colspan="2" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Father Mulcahy]]

| [[Rene Auberjonois]]
| [[William Christopher]] ([[George Morgan (singer)|George Morgan]] in the pilot)
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[William Christopher]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Radar O'Reilly]]

| colspan="2" | [[Gary Burghoff]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| colspan="2" | [[Gary Burghoff]]
|-
! [[Donald Penobscot]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Beeson Carroll]]/[[Mike Henry]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Hawkeye Pierce]]
| [[Donald Sutherland]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Sherman T. Potter]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Luther Rizzo]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[G. W. Bailey]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Igor Straminsky]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Jeff Maxwell]]/[[Peter Riegert]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Walter Koskiusko Waldowski]]

| [[John Schuck]]
| colspan="4" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Charles Winchester]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Zelmo Zale]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Johnny Haymer]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|}

==See also==
*[[Differences between book, film and TV versions of M*A*S*H]]
*[[Suicide Is Painless]]

{{mash nav}}

[[Category:M*A*S*H| ]]
[[Category:Media franchises]]
[[Category:Fictional hospitals]]

[[de:M*A*S*H]]
[[it:M*A*S*H]]

[[nl:M*A*S*H]]
[[no:M*A*S*H]]
[[simple:M*A*S*H]]

MAS*H

2007-06-08T22:16:29Z

69.47.26.37:

{{Otheruses5|the overall franchise|for the [[Robert Altman]] film and the subsequent television series|MASH (film)|M*A*S*H (TV series)}}
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|thumb|''M*A*S*H'' title screen from the television series|right]]
'''''M*A*S*H''''' was a [[media franchise]] active, in various forms, from 1968 to 1986. Owned by [[20th Century Fox]], the series concerns a group of [[fictional character]]s who served at the fictional 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]] during the [[Korean War]]. The original incarnations of the series are set during the war and feature [[Hawkeye Pierce]] as the [[main character]]. Later [[spin-off]]s involve characters who appeared in the series, but take place after the end of the war. However, almost all versions of the series fit into the genre of [[black comedy]] and involve [[medicine]] in a prominent role due to most of the main characters being [[physician|doctors]].

The franchise effectively ended with the conclusion of ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' on September 4, 1986. [[As of 2007]], there has been no attempt to reprise the series since then. However, a [[fanbase]] for the series still exists and 20th Century Fox has had notable success selling the film and seasons of the original TV series on [[DVD]].
[[Image:MASHBook.jpg|right|thumb|1969 Canadian paperback edition of the original book.]]

==Novels==
{{main|M*A*S*H (novels)}}
The ''M*A*S*H'' series began with the novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' written by [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]] based on his own experience serving as a surgeon at MASH unit 8055. The novel was originally published in 1968 and was followed by several sequels.

==Film==
[[image:Mash5.jpg|thumb|left|Sutherland and Gould in the film]]
{{main|MASH (film)}}

''MASH'' was a 1970 [[feature film]] adaptation of the original novel. The film was directed by [[Robert Altman]] and starred [[Donald Sutherland]] as [[Hawkeye Pierce]] and [[Elliott Gould]] as [[Trapper John McIntyre]].
 
==Television series==
[[Image:MASH-episode1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gary Burghoff]] as [[Radar O'Reilly|Radar]] in the [[M*A*S*H the Pilot (M*A*S*H episode)|premiere episode]]]]
{{main|M*A*S*H (TV series)}}

''M*A*S*H'', a television spin-off of the feature film, ran from 1972 to 1983. It starred [[Alan Alda]] as Pierce and [[Wayne Rogers]] as McIntyre. Rogers left the show after the third season and was replaced by [[Mike Farrell]] as [[B. J. Hunnicutt]]. This series is the most popular and well-known version of the franchise and was ranked #25 in ''[[TV Guide]]'''s "[[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]]."

==Video game==
An [[Atari 2600]] [[video game]] version of ''M*A*S*H'' was released in 1983. In this game, the player controlled a [[helicopter]] and [[army]] [[physician|doctor]]s. The goal was to rescue wounded soldiers to take back to the MASH 4077. While the [[Korea|Korean]] countryside looked somewhat realistic, the action was simply side-view and the characters looked like generic [[4-bit]] Atari 2600 characters. Players could also play a video version of "meatball surgery", with a giant patient on the table. The patient had points of entry, that twisted and turned like a maze. At the end of each maze was a bullet that players had to remove before time ran out. If a player got to close to the sides of the maze, the patient dies and the words "[[Ferret Face]]" appear on the top of the screen along with a warning buzzer.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

==Spin-offs==
===Trapper John, M.D.===
{{main|Trapper John, M.D.}}

''Trapper John, M.D.'' featured the character of Trapper John McIntyre, played by [[Pernell Roberts]], twenty-eight years after the events of the ''M*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 considered a spin-off of the ''MASH'' film rather than the television series.

===AfterMASH===
{{main|AfterMASH}}

''AfterMASH'' was a successor to the original ''M*A*S*H'' television series featuring [[Harry Morgan]], [[Jamie Farr]] and [[William Christopher]] as the same characters they played in the original television series after the conclusion of the war. [[Gary Burghoff]] and [[Edward Winter]] also appeared in guest appearances. However, the show was canceled after only two seasons.

===W*A*L*T*E*R===
{{main|W*A*L*T*E*R}}

''W*A*L*T*E*R'' was the pilot for a television series that wasn't picked up. It would have featured Gary Burghoff reprising the role of Walter O'Reilly, who is no longer referred to as "Radar." The pilot was shown as a "CBS Special Presentation" on [[July 17]], [[1984]].

==Cast of characters==
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" width="16%" |Character
! colspan="6" align="center" | '''''M*A*S*H'''''
|-
! align="center" width="14%" | [[MASH (film)|Film]]
! align="center" width="14%" | [[M*A*S*H (TV series)|TV series]]
! align="center" width="14%" | [[Trapper John, M.D.]]
! align="center" width="14%" | [[AfterMASH]]
! align="center" width="14%" | [[W*A*L*T*E*R]]
|-
! colspan="7" style="background-color:lightblue;" |
|-
! [[Henry Blake]]
| [[Roger Bowen]]
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Frank Burns]]

| [[Robert Duvall]]
| [[Larry Linville]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Lieutenant Dish]]

| [[Jo Ann Pflug]]
| [[Karen Philipp]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Sam Flagg]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Edward Winter]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Edward Winter]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Duke Forrest]]

| [[Tom Skerritt]]
| colspan="4" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Sidney Freedman]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Allan Arbus]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Ho-Jon]]

| [[Kim Atwood]]
| [[Patrick Adiarte]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Margaret Houlihan]]

| [[Sally Kellerman]]
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[B. J. Hunnicutt]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Spearchucker Jones]]

| [[Fred Williamson]]
| [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Maxwell Klinger]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Trapper John McIntyre]]

| [[Elliott Gould]]
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| [[Pernell Roberts]]
| colspan="2" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Father Mulcahy]]

| [[Rene Auberjonois]]
| [[William Christopher]] ([[George Morgan (singer)|George Morgan]] in the pilot)
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[William Christopher]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Radar O'Reilly]]

| colspan="2" | [[Gary Burghoff]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| colspan="2" | [[Gary Burghoff]]
|-
! [[Donald Penobscot]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Beeson Carroll]]/[[Mike Henry]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Hawkeye Pierce]]
| [[Donald Sutherland]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Sherman T. Potter]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Luther Rizzo]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[G. W. Bailey]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Igor Straminsky]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Jeff Maxwell]]/[[Peter Riegert]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Ugly John]]

| [[Carl Gottlieb]]
| [[John Orchard]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Walter Koskiusko Waldowski]]

| [[John Schuck]]
| colspan="4" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Charles Winchester]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|-
! [[Zelmo Zale]]
| style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
| [[Johnny Haymer]]
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;" |  
|}

==See also==
*[[Differences between book, film and TV versions of M*A*S*H]]
*[[Suicide Is Painless]]

{{mash nav}}

[[Category:M*A*S*H| ]]
[[Category:Media franchises]]
[[Category:Fictional hospitals]]

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MAS*H (TV series)

2007-06-08T20:10:54Z

69.47.26.37: /* External links */

{{infobox Television |
|show_name = M*A*S*H
|image = [[Image:M*A*S*H TV title screen.jpg|200px|''M*A*S*H'' title screen]]
|caption = The ''M*A*S*H'' title screen (1972 - 1977)
|format = [[Medical drama]] / [[comedy-drama|Dramedy]] / [[Black comedy]]/
|camera = [[Single camera setup|Single camera]]
|runtime = 24–25 minutes (per episode)
|creator = [[H. Richard Hornberger]]
|developer = [[Larry Gelbart]]
|starring=[[Alan Alda]] (1972-1983) [[Loretta Swit]] (1972-1983) [[Jamie Farr]] (1972-1983) [[William Christopher]] (1972-1983) [[Wayne Rogers]] (1972–1975) [[McLean Stevenson]] (1972–1975) [[Larry Linville]] (1972–1977) [[Gary Burghoff]] (1972–1979) [[Harry Morgan]] (1975–1983) [[Mike Farrell]] (1975–1983) [[David Ogden Stiers]] (1977-1983)
| theme_music_composer = [[Johnny Mandel]] (written for the film)
|opentheme = "[[Suicide Is Painless]]"
|endtheme = "Suicide Is Painless"
|country = {{USA}}
|location = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles County, California]], [[United States|USA]] ([[Century City, Los Angeles, California|Century City]] and the [[Malibu Creek State Park|Malibu Creek area]])
|network = [[CBS]]
|first_aired = [[September 17]], [[1972]]
|last_aired = [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|num_episodes = 251
|list_episodes=List of M*A*S*H episodes
|imdb_id = 0068098
|}}

'''''M*A*S*H''''' was an [[United States|American]] television series developed by [[Larry Gelbart]], inspired by the [[1968 in literature|1968]] Richard Hooker (penname for [[H. Richard Hornberger]]) novel ''[[M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors]]'' and its ''[[M*A*S*H (novels)|sequels]]'', but primarily by the [[1970 in film|1970]] film ''[[MASH (film)|MASH]]'', and influenced by the [[1961 in literature|1961]] [[novel]] [[Catch-22]]. It is the most well-known version of the ''[[M*A*S*H]]'' works.

The series was a [[medical drama]]/[[black comedy]] produced by [[20th Century Fox]] for [[CBS]]. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|'''M'''obile '''A'''rmy '''S'''urgical '''H'''ospital]] in [[Uijeongbu]], [[Korea]], during the [[Korean War]]. ''M*A*S*H''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[title sequence]] featured an instrumental version of the song “[[Suicide Is Painless]],” which also appears in the original film.

The series premiered on [[September 17]], [[1972]] and ended [[February 28]], [[1983]], with [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (M*A*S*H episode)|the finale]] becoming the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most-watched television episode]] in U.S. television history. The show is still broadcast in [[Television syndication|syndication]] on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours) and in 2007 began a run on [[TV Land]] with the "Major, Major M*A*S*H Marathon". The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year war.

Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Some said the series seemed to be an [[allegory]] for the [[Vietnam War]] (still in progress when the series began) rather than just about the Korean War,{{Fact|date=February 2007}} though the show's producers have said it was about war in general. The series has two spinoffs: the short-lived ''[[AfterMASH]]'', which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, ''[[W*A*L*T*E*R]]'', in which [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter “Radar” O’Reilly]] joins a police force. A court ruled {{Fact|date=March 2007}} that the more successful ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'', is actually a spinoff of the original film.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of M*A*S*H episodes}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 1: 1972-73|Season 1]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1972]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 25]], [[1973]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 2: 1973-74|Season 2]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 15]], [[1973]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 2]], [[1974]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 3: 1974-75|Season 3]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 10]], [[1974]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 18]], [[1975]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 4: 1975-76|Season 4]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 12]], [[1975]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 24]], [[1976]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 5: 1976-77|Season 5]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 21]], [[1976]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 15]], [[1977]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 6: 1977-78|Season 6]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 24
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 20]], [[1977]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 27]], [[1978]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 7: 1978-79|Season 7]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 18]], [[1978]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 12]], [[1979]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 8: 1979-80|Season 8]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 25
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[September 17]], [[1979]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[March 24]], [[1980]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 9: 1980-81|Season 9]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 20
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[November 17]], [[1980]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[May 4]], [[1981]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 10: 1981-82|Season 10]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 21
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 26]], [[1981]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[April 12]], [[1982]]
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of M*A*S*H episodes#Season 11: 1982-83|Season 11]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 16
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[October 25]], [[1982]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | [[February 28]], [[1983]]
|}

==Synopsis==

''M*A*S*H'' was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “[[black comedy]]” or a "[[dramedy]]," due to the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy", although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after ''M*A*S*H'' had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army ''Mobile Army Surgical Hospital'' (MASH; the [[asterisk]]s in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. [[H. Richard Hornberger|Richard Hooker]], who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone (see section below). Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including [[Eldon Quick]], [[Herb Voland]], [[Mary Wickes]], and [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]]).

A letter to ''[[TV Guide]]'' written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's [[crossdressing]]. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that an habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.)
{{-}}

==Cast==
[[Image:Mash-season1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' during season 1 ''(left to right)'': [[Gary Burghoff]], [[Larry Linville]], [[McLean Stevenson]], [[Wayne Rogers]], [[Alan Alda]] and [[Loretta Swit]]]]
[[Image:M*A*S*H TV cast1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cast of ''M*A*S*H'' from season 8 onwards ''(left to right)'': ''(top)'' [[William Christopher]], [[Jamie Farr]] ''(middle)'' [[Mike Farrell]], [[Harry Morgan]], [[Loretta Swit]], [[David Ogden Stiers]] ''(bottom)'' [[Alan Alda]]]]
:''For a complete list of characters, see [[:Category:M*A*S*H characters]].''

''M*A*S*H'' maintained a relatively constant [[ensemble cast]], with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous [[guest star]]s and one-time characters supplemented all of them.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Rank
! Role
|-
| [[Hawkeye Pierce|Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce]]
| [[Alan Alda]]
| [[Captain]]
| [[Surgery|Chief surgeon]] Temporary Commanding Officer [[Officer of the Day]]
|-
| [[Father Mulcahy|Francis John Patrick Mulcahy]]
| George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by [[William Christopher]]
| [[Lieutenant]], later [[Captain]]
| [[Chaplain]]
|-
| [[Margaret Houlihan|Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan]] (O'Houlihan in the film)
| [[Loretta Swit]]
| [[Major]]
| Head [[nurse]], Temporary Commanding Officer
|-
| [[Maxwell Klinger|Maxwell Q. Klinger]]
| [[Jamie Farr]]
| [[Corporal]], later [[Sergeant]]
| [[Orderly]], Company [[clerk]] Mailman Temporary Commanding Officer for 1 day
|-
| [[Trapper John McIntyre|John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[Wayne Rogers]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Henry Blake|Henry Braymore Blake]] (Seasons 1-3)
| [[McLean Stevenson]]
| [[Lieutenant Colonel]]
| Surgeon, [[Commanding officer]]
|-
| [[Major Frank Burns|Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns]] (Seasons 1-5)
| [[Larry Linville]]
| Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen)
| Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer
|-
| [[Radar O'Reilly|Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly]] (Seasons 1-8)
| [[Gary Burghoff]]
| Corporal (briefly Lieutenant)
| Company clerk, Mailman, [[Bugler]]
|-
| [[B.J. Hunnicutt]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Mike Farrell]]
| Captain
| Surgeon
|-
| [[Colonel Potter|Sherman T. Potter]] (Seasons 4-11)
| [[Harry Morgan]]
| [[Colonel]]
| Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Company Clerk for 2 days
|-
| [[Charles Winchester|Charles Emerson Winchester III]] (Seasons 6-11)
| [[David Ogden Stiers]]
| Major
| Surgeon Temporary Commanding Officer Company cook for 1 day
|}

===Guest stars===
{{seealso|List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H}}

===Recurring characters===
Apart from the characters, major and minor, stationed at the camp, there were several others who visited the 4077th from time to time.

* Dr. [[Sidney Freedman]], a psychiatrist, played by [[Alan Arbus]], appeared twelve times (once as Dr. ''Milton'' Freedman).

* [[Colonel Flagg|Col. (Sam) Flagg]], a paranoid intelligence officer, played by [[Edward Winter]], visited the unit six times.

* [[Herb Voland]] appeared four times as [[Henry Blake]]'s commander, [[Brigadier General]] Clayton.

* [[G. Wood]] appeared three times as [[Brigadier General]] Hammond.

* [[Robert F. Simon]] appeared three times as General Mitchell.

* [[Eldon Quick]] appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureacracy.

* Sgt. Jack Scully, played by [[Joshua Bryant (actor)|Joshua Bryant]], appeared in three episodes as a love interest of [[Margaret Houlihan]].

* [[Pat Morita]] appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the army of the [[ROK]].

* [[Sorrell Booke]] appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker.

* [[Robert Alda]] appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon.

* [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Donald Penobscot]] appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband.

==Changes==
During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called "Spearchucker" Jones, played by [[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timothy Brown]], who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared by episode 17, when it was discovered there weren't any black doctors in the Korean War.<ref> *http://imdb.com/title/tt0068098/trivia </ref> Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, [[McLean Stevenson]] was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that [[Henry Blake]] would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday [[March 18]], [[1975]]. In the final scene of his last episode, [[Abyssinia, Henry (M*A*S*H episode)|“Abyssinia, Henry,”]] Radar tearfully reports that Henry’s plane had been shot down over the [[Sea of Japan]], and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind ''M*A*S*H'' pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on ''M*A*S*H'', Stevenson had his own short-lived television show and appeared in small roles in numerous others. From 1975-1979, he was Johnny Carson's substitute "Tonight Show" host. He died on [[February 15]], [[1996]] of a heart attack.

[[Wayne Rogers]] ([[Trapper John McIntyre]]) was planning to return for Season Four but had a disagreement over his contract. He was told to sign a “morals clause” on his contract renewal {{Fact|date=April 2007}}, but he refused to do so, demanding the producers sign one as well. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of [[McLean Stevenson]]. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda’s character. [[Mike Farrell]] (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". Rogers later starred in the short-lived hospital sitcom, "[[House Calls (TV series)|House Calls]]" (1979-1981), that would implode over the rights of its costar, [[Lynn Redgrave]], to breast-feed on the set.

As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for ''M*A*S*H''. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper’s departure, while [[B. J. Hunnicutt]] came in as Trapper’s replacement. In the season’s second episode, Colonel [[Sherman T. Potter]] was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake’s departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan’s role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, [[Donald Penobscot|Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot]], but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, [[Loretta Swit]] wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]''), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path.

[[Larry Linville]] noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer [[Larry Gelbart]] departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns had suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret’s marriage, was transferred stateside, and was, in turn, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (in a sense, Frank’s parting shot at Hawkeye), all off-camera. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.”

Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III ([[David Ogden Stiers]]) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent physician, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for.

Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] “[[Aristocracy|blueblood]],” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show’s writers would allow Winchester’s humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a [[stuttering]] soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye’s father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be the most moving in the series (more so than even the loss of Henry Blake), as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is wrong to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger’s own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends.

[[Gary Burghoff]] (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season 4. With each season he appeared in fewer and fewer episodes, and by his final year (season 7), Radar appears in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of season 7, but was convinced by producers to hold off until the beginning of season 8, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it.

Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully.
[[Image:MASH Goodbye.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Final line]]

=="Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"==
{{main|Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen}}
“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” was the final episode of ''M*A*S*H''. The episode aired on [[February 28]], [[1983]] and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million [[United States|American]]s (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the [[List of most-watched television episodes|most watched episode]] in United States television history, a record which stands to this day. The episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city; apparently New Yorkers had been "holding it" through the show.<ref>http://imdb.com/title/tt0213826/trivia "M*A*S*H" Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (1983) trivia</ref>

For the Season 11 DVD release, the final 2½-hour episode was released on the third disc of the set as it was originally aired. It was later announced by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] that the "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" episode will be released as a stand-alone DVD. This DVD will ostensibly have special features that revolve around the episode.<ref>tvshowsondvd.com</ref>

==Goofs==
*In episode 6.10, [[Images (M*A*S*H)|Images]], Radar wants to get a tattoo, as though he had never had one. What's forgotten, however, is that he apparently already had one (an anchor on his arm) as revealed in episode 3.7 [[Check-Up]].
**the tattoo in episode 3.7 is only temporary; Hawkeye and Trapper talk Radar out of getting a real tattoo**

*In episode 6.1, [[Fade Out, Fade In]], Col. Potter has to "teach" Radar how to smoke a cigar. In earlier episodes, Radar was often seen sitting in Col. Blake's office smoking Blake's cigars.

* Many facts about characters were changed as the series wore on, such as the home town where Hawkeye says he is from changes from earlier episodes (from [[Vermont]] to Crabapple Cove, [[Maine]]).

* When Radar first gives Colonel Potter his horse as an anniversary gift, we find that the horse is a male, but in all other episodes the horse is described as a mare named Sophie.

* Some spouses and family members names change as the series progresses. Colonel Blake's wife mysteriously changes from 'Mildred' (the name of Colonel Potter's beloved later on) to 'Lorraine' in later episodes.

* Colonel Potter has his first grandchild during one of the season 4 episodes, and even though the War only lasts two and a half years, one episode has his grandchild writing him a letter as a five-year-old. This is due to Potter's children and grandchildren changing over time (from a married son and infant granddaughter to the mention of an eight-year-old granddaughter, and finally to having only a married daughter and toddler grandson) as did his home (from [[Ohio]], to [[Nebraska]], and finally to [[Hannibal, Missouri]]).

* Time seemed to go backward and forward all the time throughout the series as well. In earlier seasons, the characters says they have been in Korea for two years, but then in later episodes, the same characters say they have been there for two years as well. There were four Christmas episodes even though the war overlapped only three Christmases. In the first six seasons, the year 1952 is repeatedly referenced (for instance in the episode, "[[The M*A*S*H Olympics]]", which tied into the 1952 Olympics), but subsequent episodes [[retcon]] the date to 1951 (for instance, in "Point of View," an episode shot entirely from the perspective of a wounded soldier, there is a scene where the soldier is writing a letter dated September, 1951). Additionally, the actors visibly age across the 11 year run even though the Korean War only lasted 3 years.

* During the real Korean War conflict, doctors usually served a full year per MASH unit before being discharged. Very few saw the entire duration of the war.

* Though set in the 1950s, most of the characters have 1970s style hair cuts.

* During the course of the series, Hawkeye suffered at least four nervous breakdowns, two of which resulted in him living out childhood flashbacks, one leading to a long suppressed memory of being tossed into a lake by his older cousin. Despite these breakdowns, Hawkeye served in the MASH unit for the rest of the war as he had become the lead character of the series. In reality, the military would have most likely discharged him due to poor mental health.

==Change in tone==
As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from pure comedy to become far more dramatically focused. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. This often involved visiting authority figures, such as generals or other lower ranking platoon leaders, who were portrayed as incompetent, insensitive glory hounds, thus vilifying the military. This has sometimes been connected with [[Alan Alda]] taking a more involved role in production, and many of the episodes in which this change is particularly notable were written and/or directed by Alda. Another significant factor was the change in the cast, as Colonel Henry Blake, Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre, Major Frank Burns, and Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly departed the show. Still another change was a greater focus on the supporting cast (Father Mulcahy, Klinger) as opposed to the top-billed characters.

While the show remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. [[Harry Morgan]], who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by season nine, and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons.

In retrospect, the eleven years of ''M*A*S*H'' were generally split into two eras: the [[Larry Gelbart]]/[[Gene Reynolds]] "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1978–1983).

==Awards==
M*A*S*H won a total of 14 [[Emmy]]s during its eleven-year run:

*1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers)
*1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper
*1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda
*1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler
*1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds
*1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1977 - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff
*1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit
*1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan
*1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda
*1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit

==Popularity today==
Starting on [[January 1]], [[2007]], [[TV Land]] aired M*A*S*H from 8 PM until 8 AM for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the [[Futon Critic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} the marathon of ''M*A*S*H'' episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release:

*Goodbye, Farewell and Amen – 1.3 million total viewers
*Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers
*30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers.

[[Image:MASH Jeep.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Feb 2007, as seen from site of famous "Goodbye" sign Jeep marks approximate location of camp flagpole.]]
Now a part of [[Malibu Creek State Park]], the outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, has now returned to its mostly feral state and can hardly be distinguished as what it once was: one of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history. It can be visited with park entry, but after an over four mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain. The indoor scenes were filmed on [[sound stage]]s in [[Century City, Los Angeles, California]].

==DVD releases==
[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|20th Century Fox]] has released all 11 Seasons of ''M*A*S*H'' on DVD in Region 1 & Region 2 for the very first time.

{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
! Ep #
! Region 1
! Region 2

|-
| M*A*S*H Season 1
| 24
| [[January 8]] [[2002]]
| [[May 19]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 2
| 24
| [[July 23]] [[2002]]
| [[October 13]] [[2003]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 3
| 24
| [[February 18]] [[2003]]
| [[March 15]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 3'''
|
| N/A
| [[October 31]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 4
| 24
| [[July 15]] [[2003]]
| [[June 14]] [[2004]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 4'''
|
| [[December 2]] [[2003]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 5
| 24
| [[December 9]] [[2003]]
| [[January 17]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 6
| 24
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[March 28]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 7
| 25
| [[December 7]] [[2004]]
| [[May 30]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 8
| 25
| [[May 24]] [[2005]]
| [[August 15]] [[2005]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 9
| 20
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| [[January 9]] [[2006]]
|-
| '''M*A*S*H Seasons 1 - 9'''
|
| [[December 6]] [[2005]]
| N/A
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 10
| 21
| [[May 23]] [[2006]]
| [[April 17]] [[2006]]
|-
| M*A*S*H Season 11
| 16
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[May 29]] [[2006]]
|-
| Martinis and Medicine Collection (Complete Series)
|
| [[November 7]], [[2006]]
| [[October 30]], [[2006]]
|-
| Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen Collector's Edition
|
| [[May 15]], [[2007]]
| TBA
|}

==Trivia==
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*Robert Altman, director of [[MASH (film)]], said in the commentary for the movie DVD that he didn't like the series at all, saying that it was the antithesis of his intentions and that it only perpetuated the idea that "the brown-faced" people are the enemy.
*Author [[Paulette Bourgeois]] credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series ''Franklin''.
*[[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]], the creators of ''[[Cheers]]'', started their careers in television by writing "[[The Late Captain Pierce (M*A*S*H episode)|The Late Captain Pierce]]" and being lucky enough to submit it "on spec" and have it produced. They wrote no other episodes of the series.
*[[Alan Alda]] is the only person to win Emmy awards for acting, writing, and directing on the same show. He is also the only cast member to be in every one of the series' 251 installments.
*Radar's teddy bear is currently on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]].
*Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dogtags Farr wears on the show are really his.
*The 4077th moved, or "bugged out," five times, usually due to imminent danger, but returned each time to its original location.
*All the outdoor scenes of the series were filmed in [[20th Century Fox]]'s Century Ranch, near [[Malibu, California]], which was sold to the State of [[California]] in 1980, becoming [[Malibu Creek State Park]]. The state allowed filming to continue on the property, until shooting wrapped in late 1982. During the filming of the final episodes of the last season (1982 - 1983), there was a large brush fire, which destroyed the outdoor set. This incident was worked into the final episode ''Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,'' and was explained as a brush fire started by incendiary munitions. The site is currently overgrown, but still recognizable. All that remains is an old rusted [[Jeep]], an ambulance from the show, and the helicopter pad. The exact location coordinates are {{coor dms|34|05|47.43|N|118|44|39.39|W|type:landmark}}.
*The ever-present picture of Mildred Potter on the corner of Col. Potter's desk is actually a photo of actress [[Spring Byington]], who co-starred with Harry Morgan in the 1950s sitcom ''[[December Bride]]''.
*Max Klinger frequently refers to a baseball team named the [[Toledo Mud Hens]], which is real. Founded in 1896, it is the AAA minor league affiliate of the [[Detroit Tigers]] and part of the West Division of the [[International League|International Baseball League]].
*Most announcements over the PA were made by either Sal Viscuso or Todd Susman, both of whom appeared in one or two episodes as random patients (Viscuso in "Dear Sigmund" and Susman as the noselift patient in "Operation Noselift").
*Capt. Tuttle, an imaginary soldier Hawkeye created based on his childhood imaginary friend, is credited as being played by himself in the ending credits of ''Tuttle''.
*In Neil Gaiman's [[The Sandman]] comic series, an issue called "Facade" makes a small reference to M*A*S*H. One of the characters, thinking of suicide, says: "Like the song, you know, from that TV show, 'suicide is painless, it brings on many changes....'".
*Several years after the series ended, the cast was reunited (sort of) for a series of TV commercials for IBM personal computers. Of all the regulars throughout the series history, only McLean Stevenson and Mike Farrell did not participate.
*At least ten guest stars made appearances as different characters:
**[[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]] appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Trager. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye.
**Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different service branch); as US Navy Admiral Cox, as US Army General Prescott, and as US Marine Colonel Pitts.
**[[Harry Morgan]] played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O.(Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season.
**[[Soon-Tek Oh]] appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs, once as a North Korean doctor, once as a Korean matchmaker, and once as a South Korean interpretor who posed as a North Korean POW. (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other characters were played by Japanese actors.)
**[[Clyde Kusatsu]] appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American Surgeon.
**[[Robert Ito]] played a hood who works for the black market in "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon".
**[[Mako (actor)|Mako]] appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier.
**[[John Orchard]] starred as the Australian medic, [[Ugly John]], in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP.
**Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff.
**Ted Ghering appeared twice--in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer "Major Morris" who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed [[incubator (microbiology)]], and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO "Sgt Rhodden".
* The Australian T.V Series, Fast Forward, spoofed M*A*S*H in its 3rd series ('91).
*During the series, three main characters were promoted: Radar from [[Corporal]] to [[Second Lieutenant]] in 5.5, "Lt. Radar O'Reilly" (although he is uncomfortable as an officer and is back to his old rank at episode's end); Father Mulcahy from [[First Lieutenant|Lieutenant]] to [[Captain (army/air force)|Captain]] in 8.13, "Captain's Outrageous"; and Klinger from Corporal to [[Sergeant]] in 10.18, "Promotion Commotion".
*Father Mulcahy presided over three wedding ceremonies: Klinger and Laverne's via ham radio in episode 3.6, "Springtime", Hot Lips and Lt. Col. Penobscott's in episode 5.25, "Margaret's Marriage", and finally, Klinger and Soon Lee's in the [[Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen|series finale]].
*Besides Colonel Blake, only 2 members of MASH 4077 die--an ambulance driver, Jerry O'Donnell, in a road accident due to his own carelessness in episode 5.8, "Dear Sigmund", and in the last season (11.5, "Who Knew") a nurse, Millie Carpenter, who stepped on a [[landmine]] taking a walk after a date with Hawkeye. ("Wounded in action" members of MASH 4077 are Hawkeye Pierce, Radar O'Reilly, and Sherman Potter.)
*The pictures on Henry's desk of his family are portrayed in the movie as Trapper John's family pictures.
*BJ Hunnicutt's real first name is BJ, after his mother, Bea, and father, Jay.
*Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode (episode 8.20, [[Lend a Hand]]) as Corporal Jarvis, alongside their father, Robert Alda (appearing as Major Borelli).

==Continuity errors and anachronisms==
*The first episode gives the date as June 1950 and mentions "wounded Canadians". The first Canadians in Korean Conflict - the [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] - did not arrive in Korea until December 1950.
*Episodes during the first two seasons often featured a plastic model of a U.S. Army [[UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1]] "Huey" helicopter, hanging from Henry Blake's office ceiling, near or over the file cabinet, near his liqour cabinet. This was not designed or built during the Korean War; it is an icon of the Vietnam War. There were no commercially available models of the [[Bell 47]] helicopter at the time of the show's creation. Presumably the show producers wanted to include a helicopter, but found out it was anachronistic - it disappears during the later shows, during the third season.
The series also had timeline errors:
*Hawkeye gives the impression that he is just a civilian who was just drafted for the first time to serve in the [[Korean War]], yet, in 1.17, Hawkeye meets a friend from 15 years before, from the 4th grade. If he was 10/11 years old in about 1935/1936, he would have been born between 1924 and 1926. In 2.6, Trapper has been married for at least 5 years (since 1945/1946), and in an early episode, [[Frank Burns]] remarks that he has been a surgeon for 12 years (since 1938/1939). Thus, either Hawkeye, Trapper, or Burns would have been old enough to have been in World War II (however, they could have been at Medical School throughout WWII and therefore exempt from the draft).
*In 1.18, ([[Dear Dad...Again]]), Hawkeye tells his father in a letter to "give Mom and sis a kiss," but in later seasons reveals his mother has died, and he is an only child.
*The Army-Navy Game and Propaganda Bomb Episode, 1.20, takes place ''after'' the first [[Christmas]] 1950, (1.13.) In fact, the real [[Army Navy Game]] is every December ''before'' Christmas. The radio announcer calls this the "53rd Gridiron" Game. The real 53rd game was played in 1952.
*Episode 1.21 shows the MASH doctors ordering a movie [[Bonzo Goes to College]] - a film made in 1952.
*In 2.4, a "Dear Dad" episode, gives the date as [[May 24]] [[1951]], and still stationed at [[Uijeongbu]]. [[Uijeongbu]] and [[Seoul]] fell to Chinese forces in January, 1951.
*In 2.11, mention is made of a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, which would place the date as [[Dec 10]], [[1951]]. In 2.15, reference is made to [[Douglas MacArthur]] being in command in Tokyo, and in 3.21, MacArthur visits MASH 4077. Yet, MacArthur had been removed from command [[April 11]], [[1951]]. Also, while he visted the Korean front, he wore an overcoat - not his World War II Khaki uniform. And Houilhan remarks that her father fought with MacArthur against the [[Huks]]; the Huk rebellion was from 1946–1954. However, after 1946, MacArthur was in Japan; in 1950–1951, he was in Korea; and after 1951, he was in the USA.
*In 2.4, the 248th Artillery Unit is mentioned, and in 2.20, the 278th Artillery Unit is mentioned. The 248th and 278th Field Artillery Battalions were ''[[World War II]] formations''.
*In 2.15, a general's wounded son is in the [[Paratroops]]. Of the four 1950's Airborne units, only one - the [[187th Infantry Regiment]] [[R.C.T.]] - was in the Korean conflict, and never [[Seoul]]. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)]], [[82nd Airborne]], and [[101st Airborne]] were not deployed into the [[Korean War]]. {Furthermore the son was in the ''5th Airborne''- there never was a US Paratrooper 5th Airborne Division or Regiment-although the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)]] did serve in Korea!}
*In 3.4, an amphibious landing is staged to cover up a General's un-heroic death; in reality, the only amphibious landings were at [[Inchon]] in November 1950, and the only U.S. General to die during that period was [[Walton Walker]] in a road accident - not in a MASH unit.
*Colonel Potter arrives at MASH in September, 1952, (episode 4.2); yet, in 7.2, Hawkeye storms the peace talks and confronts US General "Tomlin". After Admiral [[C. Turner Joy]] was chief negotiator from July, 1951, the chief negotiator in 1953 was US Army General [[Mark Clark]].
*In 4.7, the North Korean POW wears a "Brown" uniform; Chinese and North Koreans wore light colored quilted uniforms in the [[Korean War]].
*In 4.14, the antique 1884 .45 pistol is actually a Colt .45 [[M1917 revolver]]. Hawkeye's remark of "A shot in the dark" is often mistaken for a reference to a 1964 [[Peter Sellers]] movie by that name, but in fact it is a common vernacular phrase for a random conjecture, dating back to the late 1800s.
*In 4.15, Radar remarks to Potter that [[Syngman Rhee]] was re-elected dictator. This happened in May, 1952, despite Potter's arrival in September, 1952 (episode 4.2.)
*In 4.18, the episode opens with a scene of Radar asleep with an issue of [[Avengers (comics)|The Avengers]] published by [[Marvel Comics]] in his hands. "The Avengers" was not published until September, 1963. Also, during the time of the Korean War, Marvel was known as Atlas Comics and would not become Marvel until 1961. Finally, between shots, the comic changes very clearly between two separate issues (one with the original title logo, and a second issue with the then-new "A-with-an-arrow" logo).
*In 6.11, Potter holds an "Olympics" concurrent with the 1952 Olympic games - the 1952 Olympics were held in the summer of 1952, two months before Potter arrived, according to 4.2.
*In 6.18, the British [[Gloucestershire Regiment]], is mentioned, but this unit was in Korea from 1950-1951, not 1952-1953.
*In 8.13, an Australian military unit is stationed next to MASH 4077 - the [[Royal Australian Regiment]] was not stationed near [[Seoul]].
*In 8.25, Potter pulls an April Fool's joke in April, 1950; fighting began in Korea in June 1950 - before the M.A.S.H. had even been set up.
*In 9.6, Potter welcomes the [[New Year]] of 1951. The finale, accurately set at the end of the war in summer 1953, shows Hunnicutt (who arrived shortly before Potter) and Winchester (who arrived later) -- indicating they had been at the 4077th for two years, meaning that neither they, nor Potter for that matter, could have been there in 1950; their predecessors Henry Blake, Trapper John and Frank Burns would have been there on [[New Year's Eve]] of that year.
*In 11.7, Potter goes into a tirade when he thinks his wife is going to buy a Florida houseboat and learn [[scuba]] diving; scuba was not taught in the United States until 1954.
*In 11.8, Hawkwye and B.J. see a movie banned in Boston, [[The Moon is Blue]]. The movie premiered in July, 1953.
*From the first to last seasons, various episodes feature appearances of the U.S. Marines; however, the [[1st Marine Division]] were only in the Seoul area from September-December, 1950.
*Hawkeye tells Nurse Dish in episode one that he is engaged, while in later episodes he is not engaged and tells a new nurse, his former girlfriend, that there has been no one since her. However, this was probably just sweet-talk and saying that to make her go along with his advances.
*One episode has Hawkeye asking if Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] was going to marry [[Elizabeth Taylor]]; Nixon became Vice-President in January, 1953.
*Radar starts out the series smoking cigars and drinking, but as the series goes on Radar becomes more innocent, rarely smokes or drinks, and is shy with women.

==Unique and unusual episodes==
The series had several unique episodes, which differed in tone, structure and style from the rest of the series, and were significant departures from the typical [[sitcom]] or [[dramedy]] plot. Some of these episodes include:
*The "letter episodes", which are flashback episodes narrated by a character as if they are writing a letter: Hawkeye writes to his Dad ('''[[Dear Dad (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Again (M*A*S*H episode)|Dear Dad Again]]''', '''[[Dear Dad...Three]]''', and he tape records a message in '''A Full Rich Day'''); Potter writes to his wife ('''[[Dear Mildred]]'''); BJ writes home to his wife ('''[[Dear Peggy]]'''); Radar writes to his mother ('''[[Dear Ma]]'''); Sidney writes to Sigmund Freud ('''[[Dear Sigmund]]'''); Winchester "writes" home by recording an audio message ('''[[The Winchester Tapes]]'''); Winchester's houseboy -- a North Korean spy -- writes to his superiors ('''[[Dear Comrade]]'''); Father Mulcahy writes to his sister, the nun ('''[[Dear Sis]]'''); Klinger writes home to his uncle ('''[[Dear Uncle Abdul]]'''); and the main characters all write to children in Crabapple Cove ('''[[Letters (M*A*S*H episode)|Letters]]''').
*'''[[Hawkeye (M*A*S*H episode)|Hawkeye]]''' (1/13/76), in which Hawkeye is taken in by a Korean family (who understand no English) after a jeep accident far from the 4077th, and he carries on what amounts to a 23-minute [[monologue]] in an attempt to remain [[conscious]]. Alan Alda is the only cast member to appear in the episode.
*'''The Interview''' (2/24/76), which is a sort of [[mockumentary]] about the 4077th. Shot in black and white, the cast partially improvised their responses to the interviewer's questions. The same format was used for '''[[Our Finest Hour]]''' with new links filmed in black and white interspersed with color clips from previous episodes.
*'''Point of View''' (11/20/78), which is shot entirely from the point of view of a soldier who is wounded in the throat and taken to the 4077th for treatment.
*'''Life Time''' (11/26/79), which takes place in real-time as the surgeons perform an operation that must be completed within 22 minutes (as a clock in the corner of the screen counts down the time).
*'''[[Dreams (M*A*S*H episode)|Dreams]]''' (2/18/80), in which the [[dreams]] of the overworked and sleep-deprived members of the 4077th are visually depicted, revealing their fears, yearnings, and frustrations. This episode was a hybrid that Alan Alda had been wanting to complete for years.
*'''Follies of the Living—Concerns of the Dead''' (1/4/82), in which a dead soldier's spirit wanders around the compound, and only a feverish Klinger is able to see him or speak with him.

==Notes and references==
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/alda.mash/index.html CNN.com: "Alda's favorite 'M*A*S*H' episodes"]
*[[Marvel Comics]]
<references/>

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0068098|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.tv.com/m-a-s-h/show/119/summary.html ''M*A*S*H'' at TV.com]
* {{epguides|id=Mash|title=M*A*S*H}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/mash/mash.htm M*A*S*H in the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
* [http://www.tvland.com/shows/mash/ ''M*A*S*H'' on TVLand.com]
* [http://hallmarkchannel.com/us_framework.jsp?BODY=program.jsp&CONTENT=DAM_FAM_1033386 ''M*A*S*H'' on HallmarkChannel.com]
* [http://www.finest-kind.net/ Finest Kind] - fan site
* [http://www.bestcareanywhere.net/ Best Care Anywhere] - fan site
* [http://www.mash4077.co.uk/index.php The 4077th Home Page] - fan site
* [http://tushball.com/MASH.html M*A*S*H Opening Credit Sequences 1972-1983] - compares different versions of the open throughout the show's run

{{mash nav}}

[[Category:1970s American television series]]
[[Category:1980s American television series]]
[[Category:CBS network shows]]
[[Category:Comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Fox Television Studios]]
[[Category:M*A*S*H| ]]
[[Category:Medical television series]]
[[Category:Military television series]]
[[Category:Nielsen Ratings winners]]
[[Category:Period piece TV series]]
[[Category:Television programs based on films]]
[[Category:Television programs based on novels]]
[[Category:1972 television program debuts]]
[[Category:1983 television program series endings]]
[[Category:Peabody Award winners]]

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Deep Tracks

2007-06-08T19:18:17Z

69.47.26.37:

{{Infobox Radio Station |
name = Deep Tracks|
image = [[Image:Deep_Tracks.gif||center]]|
area = [[United States]] [[Canada]]|
slogan = |
airdate = |
frequency = [[XM Satellite Radio|XM]]40 [[DirecTV|DTV]]840|
format = Deeper [[Classic Rock]]|
owner = [[XM Satellite Radio]]|
class = Satellite Radio Station|
website = [http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=40 XM Deep Tracks]|
}}

'''Deep Tracks''' is an [[XM Satellite Radio]] channel featuring the deeper side of [[classic rock]] music, which would encompass lesser known items such as album tracks, one-hit wonders, concert recordings, "forgotten 45s" and "B-side" tracks. The channel's format is often compared to that of the [[progressive rock (radio format)|progressive]] rock radio of the early 1970s.

[[George Taylor Morris]] and [[Earle Bailey]] are the channel's programming director and music director, respectively, as well as its principal on-air voices. [[Dan Neer]] and [[Greg Gillispie]] are also heard on the channel.

The station appears as [[channel]] 40 on [[XM Satellite Radio]] and is available for free on the Internet through [[AOL Radio]]. It can also be heard on [[DirecTV]] channel 840.

==Programming==
Deep Tracks is the home of a couple high profile programs on XM Radio, in addition to several specialty programs.

===Current Programs===
* '''[[Theme Time Radio Hour]] with [[Bob Dylan]]''' - Wednesdays at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT. Bob Dylan becomes the DJ for one hour every week on the channel, with several replays. Each week, Dylan chooses a new theme for the playlist he hand picks. Most of the songs Dylan chooses are obscure titles which are not in XM's library, and have to be searched out by creative director [[Lee Abrams]]. The show replays Thursday on XM15 [[The Village (XM)|The Village]]. The show is syndicated to the [[United Kingdom]]'s [[BBC Radio 2]] and [[BBC 6 Music]].
* '''Old, New, Borrowed and Blue''' - Weekdays at 9 AM ET/6 AM PT. Listeners send in their four-song set suggestions to Deep Tracks to play on the air, as long as the set includes something old, something new, something borrowed (a cover song), and something blue (a blues track, a sad song or even one with "blue" in the title).
* '''[[King Biscuit Flower Hour]]''' - Mondays at 3 PM ET/Noon PT. A nationally syndicated music show consisting of live performances from acclaimed rock bands. Encores are Tuesdays at 9 PM ET and Saturdays at 3 AM ET.
* '''Fresh Tracks''' - Mondays at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. This weekly show plays new music from familiar artists.
* '''All Hand-Mixed Vinyl''' - Tuesdays at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT. Hosted by [[Bill Fitzhugh]]. Setlists are at [http://www.billfitzhugh.com/ http://www.billfitzhugh.com/].
* '''Deep Tracks Undercover''' - Tuesdays at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT and Fridays and Saturdays at midnight ET/9 PM PT. This show features very recognized cover songs.
* '''The Grateful Dead Hour''' - Wednesdays at 11 PM ET/8 PM PT. Hosted by [[David Gans]], this show features live [[Grateful Dead]] performances and covers from other artists.
* '''Final Friday Concert Series''' - On the last Friday of each month, this show appears on Deep Tracks to broadcast live concerts from the XM Performance Theater.
* '''The Blacklight Room''' - Fridays at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. This is a specialty show for psychedelic music. Encores are Sundays at 2 AM ET.
* '''Earle Bailey's Headtrips''' - Saturdays at 5 PM ET/2 PM PT. This show features songs that tie in to a certain theme. The show is similar to Theme Time Radio Hour but with a more contemporary approach.
* '''The Art of Rock''' - Interviews with rock and roll artists.
* '''The Deep Tracks Box Set Symphony''' - A music and informative interview show based around music box-set releases. The show plays every song on the featured set, interlaced with interviews and stories from the band members and their friends.

===Former Programs===
* '''[[Tom Petty]]'s Buried Treasure''' - Aired Mondays at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT. Tom Petty broadcasted each week from his Los Angeles home, bringing together a playlist of classic songs and obscure music from his collection. The show was ended as Petty wished to devote his time to other projects. The show was dropped silently, despite its weekly promotion across the platform.

==External link==
* [http://www.xmradio.com/tompetty/index.xmc Tom Petty's Buried Treasure]
* [http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=40 XM Deep Tracks]

{{XMChannels (music)}}

[[Category:XM Satellite Radio channels]]
[[Category:Digital only radio stations]]

Deep Tracks

2007-06-08T19:17:40Z

69.47.26.37:

{{Infobox Radio Station |
name = Deep Tracks|
image = [[Image:Deep_Tracks.gif||center]]|
area = [[United States]] [[Canada]]|
slogan = |
airdate = |
frequency = [[XM Satellite Radio|XM]]40 [[DirecTV|DTV]]840|
format = Deeper [[Classic Rock]]|
owner = [[XM Satellite Radio]]|
class = Satellite Radio Station|
website = [http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=40 XM Deep Tracks]|
}}

'''Deep Tracks''' is an [[XM Satellite Radio]] channel featuring the deeper side of [[classic rock]] music, which would encompass lesser known items such as album tracks, one-hit wonders, concert recordings, "forgotten 45s" and "B-side" tracks. The channel's format is often compared to that of the [[progressive rock (radio format)|progressive]] rock radio of the early 1970s.

[[George Taylor Morris]] and [[Earle Bailey]] are the channel's programming director and music director, respectively, as well as its principal on-air voices. [[Dan Neer]] and [[Greg Gillispie]] are also heard on the channel.

Feature programming includes "The [[Grateful Dead]] Hour" and "[[Bob Dylan]]'s [[Theme Time Radio Hour]]".

The station appears as [[channel]] 40 on [[XM Satellite Radio]] and is available for free on the Internet through [[AOL Radio]]. It can also be heard on [[DirecTV]] channel 840.

==Programming==
Deep Tracks is the home of a couple high profile programs on XM Radio, in addition to several specialty programs.

===Current Programs===
* '''[[Theme Time Radio Hour]] with [[Bob Dylan]]''' - Wednesdays at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT. Bob Dylan becomes the DJ for one hour every week on the channel, with several replays. Each week, Dylan chooses a new theme for the playlist he hand picks. Most of the songs Dylan chooses are obscure titles which are not in XM's library, and have to be searched out by creative director [[Lee Abrams]]. The show replays Thursday on XM15 [[The Village (XM)|The Village]]. The show is syndicated to the [[United Kingdom]]'s [[BBC Radio 2]] and [[BBC 6 Music]].
* '''Old, New, Borrowed and Blue''' - Weekdays at 9 AM ET/6 AM PT. Listeners send in their four-song set suggestions to Deep Tracks to play on the air, as long as the set includes something old, something new, something borrowed (a cover song), and something blue (a blues track, a sad song or even one with "blue" in the title).
* '''[[King Biscuit Flower Hour]]''' - Mondays at 3 PM ET/Noon PT. A nationally syndicated music show consisting of live performances from acclaimed rock bands. Encores are Tuesdays at 9 PM ET and Saturdays at 3 AM ET.
* '''Fresh Tracks''' - Mondays at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. This weekly show plays new music from familiar artists.
* '''All Hand-Mixed Vinyl''' - Tuesdays at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT. Hosted by [[Bill Fitzhugh]]. Setlists are at [http://www.billfitzhugh.com/ http://www.billfitzhugh.com/].
* '''Deep Tracks Undercover''' - Tuesdays at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT and Fridays and Saturdays at midnight ET/9 PM PT. This show features very recognized cover songs.
* '''The Grateful Dead Hour''' - Wednesdays at 11 PM ET/8 PM PT. Hosted by [[David Gans]], this show features live [[Grateful Dead]] performances and covers from other artists.
* '''Final Friday Concert Series''' - On the last Friday of each month, this show appears on Deep Tracks to broadcast live concerts from the XM Performance Theater.
* '''The Blacklight Room''' - Fridays at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. This is a specialty show for psychedelic music. Encores are Sundays at 2 AM ET.
* '''Earle Bailey's Headtrips''' - Saturdays at 5 PM ET/2 PM PT. This show features songs that tie in to a certain theme. The show is similar to Theme Time Radio Hour but with a more contemporary approach.
* '''The Art of Rock''' - Interviews with rock and roll artists.
* '''The Deep Tracks Box Set Symphony''' - A music and informative interview show based around music box-set releases. The show plays every song on the featured set, interlaced with interviews and stories from the band members and their friends.

===Former Programs===
* '''[[Tom Petty]]'s Buried Treasure''' - Aired Mondays at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT. Tom Petty broadcasted each week from his Los Angeles home, bringing together a playlist of classic songs and obscure music from his collection. The show was ended as Petty wished to devote his time to other projects. The show was dropped silently, despite its weekly promotion across the platform.

==External link==
* [http://www.xmradio.com/tompetty/index.xmc Tom Petty's Buried Treasure]
* [http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=40 XM Deep Tracks]

{{XMChannels (music)}}

[[Category:XM Satellite Radio channels]]
[[Category:Digital only radio stations]]

Richard Neer

2007-06-08T19:16:10Z

69.47.26.37:

'''Richard Neer''' (born c. [[1949]] in [[Syracuse, New York]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[disc jockey]] and [[sports radio]] personality who has been involved in, and has chronicled, key changes in both music and sports radio.

Neer began his radio career as a student at [[Adelphi University]], from which he graduated in [[1970]]. He worked for a while at [[Long Island, New York]] station [[WLIR]], where he was one of the early adopters of the [[freeform radio|freeform]] or [[progressive rock (radio format)|progressive rock]] [[radio format]].

In [[1971]], he joined the airstaff of progressive rock radio powerhouse [[WNEW-FM]] in [[New York City]], where he worked as a disc jockey, mostly on weekends and overnight shifts. For a while he had a friendly relationship with [[Bruce Springsteen]] and played a part in bringing Springsteen's music to a wider audience. He witnessed the growth of this format and then its gradual shift into a more rigid, programmed, [[classic rock]]-driven product, a transformation he described in his 2001 book ''FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio''.

Concurrently, Neer began working as a sports radio talk show host at New York stations [[WBBR|WNEW-AM]] in [[1986]] and then at [[WFAN]] in [[1988]]. WFAN was the first and most visible of the successful all-sports format radio stations. Neer broadcast on the last day of music at WNEW-FM in [[1999]], then stayed with that station for a bit after its switch to a "hot talk" format to work on the [[Sports Guys]] sports talk show.

As of [[2007]], Neer remains at WFAN doing sports talk, working on weekends and some nights. He hosted [[New York Giants]] broadcasts for several years.

Neer's deadpan, unemotional style of speaking has prompted [[Bob Raissman]], sports media reporter for the [[New York Daily News]], to refer to Neer as "Sir Sominex," suggesting that Neer's delivery is somnambulistic.

Neer's brother, [[Dan Neer]] is also a disc jockey.

==Books==
* Neer, Richard. ''FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio''. Villard, 2001. ISBN 0-679-46295-3.

==External links==
* [http://wfan.com/pages/119319.php?contentType=4&contentId=234625 WFAN profile]

[[Category:Living people|Neer, Richard]]
[[Category:American radio personalities|Neer, Richard]]
[[Category:People from Syracuse, New York|Neer, Richard]]
[[Category:Adelphi University alumni|Neer, Richard]]

Night of the Living Dead

2007-06-08T19:07:30Z

69.47.26.37: /* Reception */

{{otheruses1|the 1968 film directed by [[George A. Romero]]}}
{{Infobox Film
| name = Night of the Living Dead
| image = Night_of_the_Living_Dead_affiche.jpg
| caption = Original 1968 theatrical poster
| director = [[George A. Romero]]
| producer = [[Karl Hardman]] [[Russell Streiner]]
| writer = George A. Romero [[John A. Russo]]
| starring = [[Duane Jones]] [[Judith O'Dea]] Karl Hardman [[Marilyn Eastman]] [[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne]] [[Judith Ridley]]
| music = Stock music
| cinematography = George A. Romero
| editing = George A. Romero John A. Russo
| distributor = [[Walter Reade|The Walter Reade Organization]]
| released = [[October 1]], [[1968 in film|1968]]
| runtime = 96 min.
| country = {{USA}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| budget = $114,000 (estimated)
| imdb_id = 0063350
| amg_id = 1:35311
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = ''[[Dawn of the Dead]]''
}}

'''''Night of the Living Dead''''' is a [[1968 in film|1968]] [[black-and-white]] [[independent film|independent]] [[horror film]] directed by [[George A. Romero]]. Early drafts of the script were titled '''''Monster Flick''''', but it was known as '''''Night of [[Anubis]]''''' and '''''Night of the Flesh Eaters''''' during production. The film stars [[Duane Jones]] as Ben and [[Judith O'Dea]] as Barbra. The plot revolves around the mysterious [[Corporeal reanimation|reanimation]] of the dead and the efforts of Ben, Barbra and five others to survive the night while trapped in a [[rural]] [[Pennsylvania]] farmhouse.

Romero produced the film on the small budget of $114,000, but after a decade of theatrical re-releases it had grossed an estimated $12 million in the [[Cinema of the United States|United States]] and $30 million internationally.<ref name="VH1">''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.vh1.com/movies/movie/24972/plot.jhtml VH1.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="IMDbbusiness">Business data for the film at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/business Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]]; however, places the box-office gross of $12 million at January 2000, not 1979.</ref> ''Night of the Living Dead'' was strongly criticized at the time of its release for its graphic content, but three decades later the [[Library of Congress]] entered it into the United States [[National Film Registry]] with other films deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically important."<ref name ="CNN">"U.S. film registry adds 25 new titles," November 16, 1999, at [http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9911/16/natl.film.registry/ CNN]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The culture of [[Vietnam War|Vietnam-era]] America had a tremendous impact on the film. It is so thoroughly laden with critiques of late-1960s American society that one historian described the film as "[[subversive]] on many levels."<ref name="Rockoff">Adam Rockoff, ''Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978–1986'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2002), p. 35, ISBN 0-7864-1227-5.</ref> While not the first [[Zombies in literature and fiction#In film|zombie film]] made, ''Night of the Living Dead'' influenced countless films and is perhaps the defining influence on [[Zombies in popular culture|the modern pop-culture zombie archetype]].<ref>"Zombie Movies" in ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', ed. John Clute and John Grant (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999), p. 1048, ISBN 0-312-19869-8 </ref> The film is the first of five ''Dead'' films (completed or pending) directed by Romero. It has been [[remake|remade]] twice, in [[Night of the Living Dead (1990 film)|1990]] and in [[Night of the Living Dead 3D|2006]].

==Plot==



Bickering siblings Johnny ([[Russell Streiner]]) and Barbra drive to a rural Pennsylvania [[cemetery]] to place a wreath on their father's grave. Johnny teases his sister, who is afraid of cemeteries, taunting, "They're coming to get you, Barbra!" A pale-faced man, ([[S. William Hinzman]]), lumbers toward the pair. The man suddenly grabs Barbra and Johnny rushes to save her. While fighting the man, Johnny falls and smashes his head on a gravestone. Barbra flees in Johnny's car, driving it into a tree. She runs into a nearby farmhouse to hide and soon discovers that others like the man are outside. While exploring the empty house, she discovers a hideously mutilated [[corpse]] at the top of the stairs.

[[Image:Judith O'Dea clutching grave in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|left|thumb|179px|Barbra ([[Judith O'Dea]]) flees from a mysterious attacker in the cemetery.]]Attempting to flee the house in a panic, Barbra is intercepted by Ben, who arrives in a [[pickup truck]] and attacks the mysterious figures with a [[tire iron]]. Ben boards up the doors and windows from the inside with dismantled furniture and scraps of wood as Barbra becomes [[hysterical]]. Ben finds a rifle and a radio as Barbra lies incapacitated on a couch in the living room. The two are unaware that Harry and Helen Cooper ([[Karl Hardman]] and [[Marilyn Eastman]]), their daughter Karen (Kyra Schon), and teenage couple Tom ([[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne]]) and Judy ([[Judith Ridley]]) have been hiding in the [[cellar]]. One of the attackers bit Karen earlier and she has fallen ill. Harry wants the group to barricade themselves in the cellar, but Ben argues that they would, effectively, be trapping themselves down there. Ben carries the argument, and the group cooperates (begrudgingly, in Harry's case) to reinforce the main part of the house.

Radio reports explain that an epidemic of [[mass murder]] is sweeping across the [[eastern seaboard]] of the [[United States]]. Later, Ben discovers a television set upstairs and the [[Emergency Broadcast System|emergency broadcaster]] reveals that the murderers are consuming their victims' flesh. A subsequent broadcast reports that the murders are being perpetrated by the recently deceased who have returned to life. Experts—scientists and military generals—are not sure of the cause of the reanimation, but one scientist is certain that it is the result of [[Radioactive contamination|radiation]] emanating from a [[Venus]] [[space probe]] that exploded in the [[Earth]]'s [[atmosphere]]. A final report instructs that a gunshot or heavy blow to the head will stop the "[[ghoul]]s" and that [[Posse comitatus (common law)|posse]]s of armed men are patrolling the countryside to restore order.

[[Image:Zombies NightoftheLivingDead.jpg|right|thumb|The living dead.]]Ben devises a plan to escape using his truck but it needs refueling. He exits the house armed with the rifle and a torch. Tom and Judy offer assistance, but when they arrive at a fuel pump near the house Ben accidentally sets the gasoline ablaze with his torch. The truck explodes with Tom and Judy inside. Ben runs back to the house to find that Harry locked him out. He kicks the door open and punches Harry repeatedly. Some of the living dead begin eating Tom and Judy's charred remains, the others try to break through the doors and windows of the house. Ben manages to hold them back, but drops his rifle. Harry quickly seizes the fallen rifle and turns it on Ben. Ben wrestles the rifle away from Harry and shoots him. Harry stumbles into the cellar and dies.

Shortly thereafter, Helen discovers that her daughter has been transformed into one of the living dead and is consuming her father's corpse. Karen stabs her mother with a [[trowel|cement trowel]], killing her, before going upstairs. Meanwhile, the undead finally break into the house. Barbra sees her brother Johnny in the mass. The resultant shock causes her to lower her defenses and she is carried away into the crowd. Ben retreats into the cellar, locking the door behind him (which, ironically, was Harry's plan all along). He shoots the reanimated Harry and Helen Cooper. In the morning, a posse approaches the house and proceeds to kill the remaining zombies. Hearing the commotion, Ben ambles up the cellar stairs into the living room and is shot in the head by a posse member who mistakes him for a zombie. His body is carried from the house and burned with the zombie corpses.

==Production==
While attending [[Carnegie Mellon University]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], George A. Romero embarked upon his career in the [[film industry]]. In the 1960s, he directed and produced television commercials and [[sponsored film|industrial films]] for The Latent Image, a company he co-founded with friends [[John Russo]] and [[Russell Streiner]]. During this period, the trio grew bored making commercials and wanted to film a horror movie. According to Romero, they wanted to capitalize on the film industry's "thirst for the bizarre."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview">Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/interviews_1.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> He and Streiner contacted [[Karl Hardman]] and [[Marilyn Eastman]], president and vice president respectively of a Pittsburgh-based industrial film firm called Hardman Associates, Inc., and pitched their idea for a then-untitled horror film.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview">Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/interviews_1.html Homepage of the Dead].</ref> Convinced by Romero, a production company called Image Ten was formed which included Romero, Russo, Streiner, Hardman and Eastman. Image Ten raised approximately $114,000 for the budget.<ref name="RomeroPreface">George A. Romero, Preface to John Russo, ''The Complete Night of the Living Dead Filmbook'' (Pittsburgh: Imagine, Inc., 1985), pp. 6–7, ISBN 0-911137-03-3 .</ref><ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

[[Image:Boscosyrup.jpg|left|thumb|[[Marilyn Eastman]] applying [[Bosco Chocolate Syrup]] to [[Karl Hardman]] for a bloody special effect.]]

The small budget dictated much of the production process. According to Hardman, "We knew that we could not raise enough money to shoot a film on a par with the classic horror films with which we had all grown up. The best that we could do was to place our cast in a remote spot and then bring the horror to be visited on them in that spot."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/> Scenes were filmed near [[Evans City, Pennsylvania]], thirty miles north of Pittsburgh in rural [[Butler County, Pennsylvania|Butler County]]; the opening sequence was shot at the Evans City Cemetery.<ref>Neil Fawcett, "Evans Cemetery: Then and Now" at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/baps/evans_cemetary.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>Alan Jones, however, mistakenly cites the [[Allegheny Cemetery]] on Butler Street in Pittsburgh as the filming location. Alan Jones, ''The Rough Guide to Horror Movies'' (New York: Rough Guides, 2005), p. 118, ISBN 1-84353-521-1 .</ref>

[[Special effect]]s were fairly simple and likewise limited by the budget. The blood, for example, was [[Bosco Chocolate Syrup]] drizzled over cast members' bodies.<ref>"The Filming" of ''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/filming.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Costumes consisted of second-hand clothing, and mortician's wax served as zombie makeup. Marilyn Eastman supervised the special effects, wardrobe and makeup.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

Filming took place between June and December of 1967 under the working title ''Night of Anubis'' and later ''Night of the Flesh Eaters''.<ref name="FrightfulFacts">"Frightful Facts" at [http://www.houseofhorrors.com/night68.htm House of Horrors]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="IMDbbusiness"/> The small budget led Romero to shoot on [[35 mm|35 mm]] black-and-white film. The completed film ultimately benefited from the decision, as film historian Joseph Maddrey describes the black-and-white filming as "[[Guerrilla filmmaking|guerilla]]-style", resembling "the unflinching authority of a wartime [[newsreel]]." Maddrey adds, it "seem[s] as much like a documentary on the loss of social stability as an [[exploitation film]]." <ref>Joseph Maddrey, ''Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004), p. 51, ISBN 0-7864-1860-5 .</ref>

Members of Image Ten were personally involved in filming and [[Film editing|post-production]], participating in loading [[camera magazine]]s, [[Gaffer (motion picture industry)|gaffing]], constructing props, recording sounds and editing.<ref name="RomeroPreface"/> Production stills were shot and printed by Karl Hardman, who stated in an interview that a "number of cast members formed a production line in the darkroom for developing, washing and drying of the prints as I made the exposures. As I recall, I shot over 1,250 pictures during the production."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

Upon the completion of post-production, Image Ten found it difficult to secure a distributor willing to show the film with the gruesome scenes intact. [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]] and [[American International Pictures]] declined after requests to soften it and re-shoot the final scene were rejected by producers.<ref>Jason Paul Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's: Interviews with 20 Cult Film Actresses'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004), p. 4, ISBN 0-7864-1818-4 .</ref> Romero admitted that "none of us wanted to do that. We couldn't imagine a happy ending. . . . Everyone want[ed] a Hollywood ending, but we stuck to our guns."<ref name="DOD">George A. Romero interview, quoted at "George A. Romero Bio", Special Features, ''Dawn of the Dead'', Special Divimax Edition (DVD, Anchor Bay, 2004), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001611DI/ ASIN B0001611DI].</ref> The [[Manhattan]]-based [[Walter Reade|Walter Reade Organization]] agreed to show the film uncensored, but changed the title from ''Night of the Flesh Eaters'' to ''Night of the Living Dead'' because a film had already been produced under a [[The Flesh Eaters (film)|title]] similar to the former.<ref name="FrightfulFacts"/>

===Writing===
Co-written as a [[horror comedy]] by John Russo and George A. Romero under the title ''Monster Flick'', an early screenplay draft concerned the exploits of teenage [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]] who visit Earth and befriend human teenagers. A second version of the script featured a young man who runs away from home and discovers rotting human corpses that aliens use for food scattered across a meadow. The final draft, written mainly by Romero over three days in 1967, focused on reanimated human corpses—Romero refers to them as ''[[ghouls]]''—that feast on the flesh of the living.<ref name="Treatment">John A. Russo, ''The Complete Night of the Living Dead Filmbook'' (Pittsburgh: Imagine, Inc., 1985), ISBN 0-911137-03-3 , quoted in "Treatment/Original Script," Bonus Materials, ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition (DVD, Elite Entertainment, 2002), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005Y6Y2 ASIN B00005Y6Y2].</ref> In a 1997 interview with the [[BBC]]'s ''Forbidden Weekend'', Romero explained that the script developed into a three-part [[short story]]. Part one became ''Night of the Living Dead''. Sequels ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'' (1978) and ''[[Day of the Dead (film)|Day of the Dead]]'' (1985) were adapted from the two remaining parts.<ref>George A. Romero interview, ''Forbidden Weekend'', [[February 2]] [[1997]], available [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/baps/bbc_interview.html here]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref>

Romero drew inspiration from [[Richard Matheson|Richard Matheson's]] ''[[I Am Legend]]'' (1954), a [[horror fiction|horror / science fiction novel]] about a [[Epidemic|plague]] that ravages a futuristic [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] in the 1970s. The deceased in ''I Am Legend'' return to life and prey on the uninfected.<ref name="RomeroPreface"/><ref>Richard Matheson, ''I Am Legend'' (1954; New York: Orb Books, 1995), ISBN 0-312-86504-X .</ref><ref>Marco Lanzagorta, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition DVD, at [http://popmatters.com/film/reviews/n/night-of-the-living-dead-millennium.shtml Pop Matters]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> [[Film adaptation]]s of Matheson's novel appeared in 1964 as ''[[The Last Man on Earth]]'' and in 1971 as ''[[The Omega Man]]''. Matheson was not impressed by Romero's interpretation, telling an interviewer, "It was ... kind of cornball."<ref>Richard Matheson interview, in Tom Weaver, ''Return of the B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers: The Mutant Melding of Two Volumes of Classic Interviews'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1999), p. 307, ISBN 0-7864-0755-7 .</ref>

Russo and Romero revised the screenplay while filming. Karl Hardman attributed the edits to lead actor Duane Jones: "The script had been written with the character Ben as a rather simple truck driver. His dialogue was that of a lower class / uneducated person. Duane Jones was a very well educated man ... [and he] simply refused to do the role as it was written. As I recall, I believe that Duane himself upgraded his own dialogue to reflect how he felt the character should present himself." The cellar scenes featuring dialogue between Helen and Harry Cooper were also modified by Marilyn Eastman.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

According to lead actress Judith O'Dea, much of the dialogue was [[Improvisational theatre|improvised]]. She told an interviewer, "I don't know if there was an actual working script! We would go over what basically had to be done, then just did it the way we each felt it ''should'' be done."<ref name="O'Deainterview">Judith O'Dea interview, in Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 4.</ref> One example offered by O'Dea concerns a scene where Barbra tells Ben about Johnny's death:

<blockquote>''The sequence where Ben is breaking up the table to block the entrance and I'm on the couch and start telling him the story of what happened [to Johnny] ... it's all [[ad-lib]]bed. This is what we want to get across ... tell the story about me and Johnny in the car and me being attacked. That was it ... all improv. We filmed it once. There was a concern we didn't get the sound right, but fortunately they were able to use it.''<ref name="O'Deainterview"/>''</blockquote>

===Casting===
The limited budget curtailed the ability of Image Ten to hire well-known actors. The cast consisted of Pittsburgh stage actors, members of the Image Ten production crew, and acquaintances of Romero. Involvement in the film propelled many cast members into the motion picture industry.

[[Image:Duane Jones as Ben in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|thumb|179px|right|[[Duane Jones]] as Ben.]]

The lead role of Ben went to unknown [[African American]] stage actor [[Duane Jones]]. His performance depicted Ben as a "comparatively calm and resourceful [[Negro]]," according to one reviewer at the time.<ref>Kevin Thomas, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Los Angeles ''Times'', January 10, 1969, reprinted in ''The A-List: The National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films'', ed. Jay Carr (Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2002), p. 199, ISBN 0-306-81096-4 .</ref> Casting Jones was potentially controversial. In the mid-twentieth century it was unusual for a black man to play the hero in a film that starred white actors, and commentators saw Romero's choice of Jones as significant. Romero, on the other hand, said that Jones "simply gave the best audition."<ref name="Romeroquote">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref> After ''Night of the Living Dead'', he co-starred in ''[[Ganja and Hess]]'' (1973), ''[[Vampires (1986 film)|Vampires]]'' (1986), ''[[Negatives (film)|Negatives]]'' (1988) and ''[[To Die For (1989 film)|To Die For]]'' (1989) before his death in 1988.<ref>Duane Jones at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0427977/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Despite his other film roles, Jones worried that people only recognized him as Ben.<ref>Duane Jones interview, Bonus Materials, ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition (DVD, Elite Entertainment, 2002).</ref>

Image Ten cast 23-year-old commercial and stage actor [[Judith O'Dea]] as the waifish Barbra. Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman contacted O'Dea, who had once worked for them in Pittsburgh, to audition for the part. O'Dea was in [[Hollywood]] searching for a break-out role in motion pictures. She remarked in an interview that starring in the film was a positive experience for her, although she admitted that horror movies terrified her, particularly [[Vincent Price|Vincent's Price's]] ''[[House of Wax (1953 film)|House of Wax]]'' (1953). Besides acting, O'Dea performed her own stunts, which she jokingly says amounted to "lots of running." Assessing ''Night of the Living Dead'', she states "I honestly had no idea it would have such a lasting impact on our culture." She was just as surprised by the renown the film brought her: "People treat you differently. [I'm] ho-hum Judy O'Dea until they realize [I'm] Barbara [''sic''] from ''Night of the Living Dead''. All of a sudden [I'm] not so ho-hum anymore!"<ref name="O'Deainterview"/> Following ''Night of the Living Dead'', O'Dea appeared in the television film ''The Pirate'' (1978) and feature films ''[[Claustrophobia (film)|Claustrophobia]]'' (2003), ''[[October Moon]]'' (2005) and ''[[The Ocean (film)|The Ocean]]'' (2006).<ref>Judith O'Dea at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0640621/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The supporting cast had no experience in the film industry prior to ''Night of the Living Dead''. The role of Tom remained [[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne's]] only film role (he committed [[suicide]] in 1995),<ref>Keith Wayne at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0915593/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> but [[Judith Ridley]] co-starred in Romero's ''[[There's Always Vanilla]]'' (1971).<ref>Judith Ridley at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0725985/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref> The cemetery zombie who kills Johnny in the first scene was played by [[S. William Hinzman]], a role that launched his horror film career. Hinzman was later involved in the films ''[[Season of the Witch]]'' (1973), ''[[Flesheater]]'' (1988), ''[[Legion of the Night]]'' (1995), ''[[Santa Claws]]'' (1996), and ''[[Evil Ambitions]]'' (1996).<ref>S. William Hinzman at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0386100/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Image Ten members [[Karl Hardman]], [[Marilyn Eastman]] and [[Russell Streiner]] performed prominent acting roles. Hardman and Eastman co-starred as Harry and Helen Cooper (Eastman also played the female zombie who plucks an insect off a tree and eats it) while Streiner played Johnny, Barbra's brother. Hardman's eleven-year-old daughter, [[Kyra Schon]], played the role of Karen Cooper. Image Ten's [[production manager]], George Kosana, played Sheriff McClelland.<ref>Full Cast and Crew for ''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/fullcredits Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Romero's friends and acquaintances were recruited as zombie [[Extra (actor)|extras]]. Romero stated, "We had a film company doing commercials and industrial films so there were a lot of people from the advertising game who all wanted to come out and be zombies, and a lot of them did." He adds amusingly, "Some people from around Evans City who just thought it was a goof came out to get caked in makeup and lumber around."<ref>George A. Romero interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/zombies.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

===Directing===
''Night of the Living Dead'' was the first feature-length film directed by [[George A. Romero]]. His initial work involved filming [[Short subject|shorts]] for Pittsburgh public broadcaster [[WQED (TV)|WQED]]'s children's series ''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]''.<ref name="DOD"/><ref>George A. Romero, "Bloody Diary" available at [http://www.diamonddead.com/diary/view.php?s=YToyOntzOjM6ImFpZCI7czoxOiIzIjtzOjI6ImlkIjtzOjI6IjM1Ijt9 Diamond Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref> Romero's decision to direct ''Night of the Living Dead'' essentially launched his career as a horror director. He took the helm of the sequels as well as ''Season of the Witch'', ''[[The Crazies]]'' (1973), ''[[Martin (film)|Martin]]'' (1977), ''[[Creepshow]]'' (1982) and ''[[The Dark Half (film)|The Dark Half]]'' (1993).<ref>George A. Romero biography at [http://www.horrordirectors.com/georgeromero.html HorrorDirectors.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Critics saw the influence of the horror and science-fiction films of the 1950s in Romero's directorial style. Stephen Paul Miller, for instance, witnessed "a revival of fifties schlock shock... and the army general's television discussion of military operations in the film echoes the often inevitable calling-in of the army in fifties horror films." Miller admits, however, that "''Night of the Living Dead'' takes greater relish in mocking these military operations through the general's pompous demeanor" and the government's inability to source the zombie epidemic or protect the citizenry.<ref>Stephen Paul Miller, ''The Seventies Now: Culture as Surveillance'' (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1999), p. 81, ISBN 0-8223-2166-1 .</ref>

Romero describes the mood he wished to establish: "The film opens with a situation that has already disintegrated to a point of little hope, and it moves progressively toward absolute despair and ultimate tragedy."<ref>George A. Romero, quoted in Royer, ''The Spectacle Of Isolation,'' p. 15.</ref> According to film historian Carl Royer, Romero "employs [[chiaroscuro]], [[Film noir|noir]]-style lighting to emphasize humanity's nightmare alienation from itself."<ref>Carl Royer, ''The Spectacle Of Isolation In Horror Films: Dark Parades'' Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth Press, 2005), p. 15, ISBN 0-7890-2264-8 .</ref>

While some critics dismissed Romero's film because of the graphic scenes, writer [[R. H. W. Dillard]] claimed that the "open-eyed detailing" of [[taboo]] served to heighten the film's success. He asks, "What girl has not, at one time or another, wished to kill her mother? And Karen, in the film, offers a particularly vivid opportunity to commit the forbidden deed vicariously."<ref>R. H. W. Dillard, "''Night of the Living Dead'': It's Not Like Just a Wind That's Passing Through," in ''American Horrors: Essays on the Modern American Horror Film'', ed. Gregory A. Waller (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1988), p. 15, ISBN 0-252-01448-0 .</ref>

Romero featured human taboos as key themes, particularly [[cannibalism]]. Although zombie cannibals were inspired by Matheson's ''I Am Legend'', film historian Robin Wood sees the flesh-eating scenes of ''Night of the Living Dead'' as a late-[[1960s]] critique of American [[capitalism]]. Wood asserts that the zombies represent capitalists, and "cannibalism represents the ultimate in possessiveness, hence the logical end of human relations under capitalism." He argues that the zombies' victims symbolized the repression of "[[Other|the Other]]" in [[bourgeois]] American society, namely [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|civil rights activists]], [[Second-wave feminism|feminists]], [[homosexual]]s and [[Counterculture|counterculturalists]] in general.<ref>Robin Wood, "An Introduction to the American Horror Film," in ''Movies and Methods'', Vol. II, ed. Bill Nichols (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1985), p. 213, ISBN 0-520-05409-1 .</ref>

===Music and sound effects===
The eerie and disturbing [[film score|music score]] of ''Night of the Living Dead'' was not composed for the film. Karl Hardman told an interviewer that the music came from Hardman Associates's extensive film music library. Much of it used in the film was purchased from the library of Capitol Records, and an album of the soundtrack was released at one point. Stock music selections included works by Ib Glindemann, Philip Green, [[Geordie Hormel]], William Loose, Jack Meakin and Spencer Moore.<ref>Full Cast and Crew for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://imdb.com/title/tt0063350/fullcredits Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[August 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Some of the music was earlier used as the soundtrack for the science-fiction [[B-movie]] ''[[Teenagers from Outer Space]]'' (1959) The eerie musical piece during the tense scene in the film where "Ben" finds the rifle in the closet inside the farmhouse as the radio reports of mayhem play ominously in the background can be heard in longer and more complete form during the opening credits and the beginning of [[The Devil's Messenger]] (1961) starring Lon Chaney Jr. Another piece was taken from the final episode of television's ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', which had aired one year earlier.<ref>Trivia for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/trivia Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[August 28]] [[2006]].</ref> According to Hardman, "I chose a selection of music for each of the various scenes and then George made the final selections. I then took those selections and augmented them electronically."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/> Hardman's choices worked well, as Film historian Sumiko Higashi believes that the music "signif[ies] the nature of events that await."<ref>Sumiko Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead'': A Horror Film about the Horrors of the Vietnam Era," in ''From Hanoi to Hollywood: The Vietnam War in American Film'', ed. Linda Dittmar and Gene Michaud (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1990), p. 182, ISBN 0-8135-1587-4 .</ref>

Sound effects were created by Hardman and Marilyn Eastman: "Marilyn and I recorded all of the live sound effects used in the film (two 10 inch reels of edited tape)." Hardman recalled, "Of all the sound effects that we created, the one that still gives me goose bumps when I hear it, is Marilyn's screaming as [Helen Cooper] is killed by her daughter. Judy O'Dea's screaming is a close second. Both were looped in and out of echo over and over again."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

==Reception==
''Night of the Living Dead'' premiered on [[October 1]] [[1968]] at the Fulton Theater in Pittsburgh.<ref name="Collum3">Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 3.</ref> Nationally, it was shown as a Saturday afternoon matinée—as was typical for horror films of the 1950s and 1960s—and attracted an audience consisting of [[pre-teen]]s and [[adolescents]].<ref>[[Stephen King]], ''[[Danse Macabre (book)|Danse Macabre]]'' (New York: Berkley Books, 1983), pp. 1–9, ISBN 0-425-10433-8 .</ref><ref name="Ebertreview">Roger Ebert, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Chicago ''Sun-Times'', January 5, 196[9], at [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19670105/REVIEWS/701050301/1023 RogerEbert.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> The [[MPAA film rating system]] was not in place until November 1968, so theater managers did not prohibit even young children from purchasing tickets. [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' chided theater owners and parents who allowed children access to the film. "I don't think the younger kids really knew what hit them," complained Ebert. "They were used to going to movies, sure, and they'd seen some horror movies before, sure, but this was something else." According to Ebert, the film affected the audience immediately:<blockquote>''The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying.''<ref name="Ebertreview"/></blockquote>

[[Image:NightoftheLivingDeadPosterSpanish.jpg|right|thumb|[[Spanish language]] poster advertising ''Night of the Living Dead'' in [[Spain]].]]

One commentator asserts that the film garnered little attention from critics, "except to provoke argument about [[censorship|censor]]ing its grisly scenes."<ref name="Higashi175">Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 175.</ref> Despite the controversy, five years after the premiere Paul McCullough of ''[[Take One]]'' hailed ''Night of the Living Dead'' as the "most profitable horror film ever ... produced outside the walls of a major studio."<ref>Paul McCullough, "A Pittsburgh Horror Story," ''Take One'' 4 (No. 6, July-August 1973), p. 8.</ref> The film had earned between $12 and $15 million at the American [[box office]] after a decade. It was translated into more than 25 languages and released across Europe, [[Canada]] and [[Australia]].<ref name="Higashi175"/> ''Night of the Living Dead'' grossed $30 million internationally, and the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that it was the top grossing film in Europe in 1969.<ref>''Wall Street Journal'' (New York), quoted in Dillard, "''Night of the Living Dead''", p. 15.</ref><ref name="VH1"/>

''Night of the Living Dead'' was awarded two distinguished honors thirty years after the debut. The [[Library of Congress]] added it to the [[National Film Registry]] in 1999 with other films deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically important in any way."<ref>"Librarian of Congress Names 25 More Films to National Film Registry," November 16, 1999, at [http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/1999/99-174.html Library of Congress]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name ="CNN"/> In 2001, the [[American Film Institute]] named the film to a list of one hundred important horror and [[thriller film]]s, ''[[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills|100 Years...100 Thrills]]''.<ref>''AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills'', at [http://http.vitalstreamcdn.com/aficom_vitalstream_com/docs/tvevents/pdf/thrills100.pdf American Film Institute]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> This film was #9 on [[Bravo (television network)|Bravo]]'s ''100 Scariest Movie Moments''.

===Criticism===
Reviewers disliked the film's gory special effects. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' labeled ''Night of the Living Dead'' an "unrelieved orgy of [[Sadism and Masochism|sadism]]" and questioned the "integrity and social responsibility of its Pittsburgh-based makers."<ref>''Variety'', review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', October 15, 1968, quoted in Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''", p. 184.</ref> ''[[New York Times]]'' critic [[Vincent Canby]] referred to the film as a "junk movie" as well as "spare, uncluttered, but really silly."<ref>Vincent Canby, "Getting Beyond Myra and The Valley of the Junk," New York ''Times'', July 5, 1970, p. 49.</ref>

Nevertheless, some reviewers recognized the film as groundbreaking. [[Pauline Kael]] called the film "one of the most gruesomely terrifying movies ever made—and when you leave the theatre you may wish you could forget the whole horrible experience. . . . The film's grainy, banal seriousness works for it—gives it a crude realism."<ref name="Kael">Pauline Kael, ''5001 Nights at the Movies'' (Henry Holt and Company, 1991), ISBN 0-8050-1367-9 .</ref> A ''Film Daily'' critic commented, "This is a pearl of a horror picture which exhibits all the earmarks of a sleeper."<ref>''Film Daily'', review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', quoted in Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 175.</ref> While Roger Ebert criticized the matinée screening, he admitted that he "admires the movie itself."<ref name="Ebertreview"/> Critic [[Rex Reed]] wrote, "If you want to see what turns a [[B movie]] into a classic ... don't miss ''Night of the Living Dead''. It is unthinkable for anyone seriously interested in horror movies not to see it."<ref>Rex Reed, quoted at [http://www.houseofhorrors.com/night68.htm House of Horrors]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Since the release, critics and film historians have seen ''Night of the Living Dead'' as a subversive film that critiques 1960s American society, international [[Cold War]] politics, and domestic [[racism]]. Elliot Stein of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' saw the film as an ardent critique of American involvement in Vietnam, arguing that it "was not set in [[Transylvania]], but Pennsylvania—this was [[Middle America]] at war, and the zombie carnage seemed a grotesque echo of the conflict then raging in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]]."<ref name="Steinreview">Elliot Stein, "The Dead Zones: 'George A. Romero' at the American Museum of the Moving Image," ''The Village Voice'' (New York), 8–14 January, 2003, available [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0302,stein,41018,20.html here]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Film historian Sumiko Higashi concurs, arguing that ''Night of the Living Dead'' was a horror film about the horrors of the Vietnam era. While she asserts that "there are no Vietnamese in ''Night of the Living Dead'', ... they constitute an absent presence whose significance can be understood if narrative is construed." She points to aspects of the Vietnam War paralleled in the film: grainy black-and-white newsreels, [[search-and-destroy]] operations, helicopters, and graphic carnage.<ref>Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 181.</ref>

[[Image:Ben giving Barbra slippers in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|left|thumb|179px|A scene that portrays Barbra as helpless. Ben puts slippers on her feet as she is [[catatonic]].]]

While George Romero denies he hired Duane Jones simply because he was black, reviewer Mark Deming notes that "the grim fate of Duane Jones, the sole heroic figure and only African-American, had added resonance with the assassinations of [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] and [[Malcolm X]] fresh in the minds of most Americans."<ref>Mark Deming, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', at [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:35311 All Movie Guide]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="RomeroJones">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref> Stein adds, "In this first-ever subversive horror movie, the resourceful black hero survives the zombies only to be killed by a [[redneck]] posse."<ref name="Steinreview"/> The deaths of Ben, Barbra and the supporting cast offered audiences an uncomfortable, [[nihilism|nihilistic]] glimpse unusual for the genre.<ref>Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror'', pp. 117–118.</ref>

The treatment of female characters attracted criticism from [[feminism|feminist]] scholars and critics. Women are portrayed as helpless and often excluded from the decision-making process by the male characters. Barbra suffers a psychological breakdown so severe after the loss of her brother that she is reduced to a semi-[[catatonic]] state for much of the film. Judy is portrayed in an extreme state of denial, leading to her own death and that of her boyfriend. Helen Cooper, while initially strong-willed, becomes immobilized and dies as a result.<ref name="Grant">Barry Keith Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead'': George Romero, Feminism and the Horror Film," in ''The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film'', ed. Barry K. Grant (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996), ISBN 0-292-72794-1 .</ref>

Other prevalent themes included "[[disillusionment]] with government and [[patriarchal]] [[nuclear family]]"<ref name="Steinreview"/> and "the flaws inherent in the media, local and federal government agencies, and the entire mechanism of [[civil defense]]."<ref>Gregory A. Waller, Introduction to ''American Horrors'', p. 4.</ref> Film historian Linda Badley explains that the film was so horrifying because the monsters were not creatures from [[Outer Space]] or some exotic environment, "They're us."<ref>Linda Badley, ''Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic'' (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995), p. 25, ISBN 0-313-27523-8 .</ref> Romero confessed that the film was designed to reflect the tensions of the time: "It was 1968, man. Everybody had a 'message'. The anger and attitude and all that's there is just because it was the [[1960s|Sixties]]. We lived at the farmhouse, so we were always into raps about the implication and the meaning, so some of that crept in."<ref name="RomeroJones">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref>

===Influence===

{{seealso|Zombies in popular culture}}
George Romero revolutionized the horror film industry with ''Night of the Living Dead''. According to Almar Haflidason of the BBC, the film represented "a new dawn in horror film-making."<ref>Almar Haflidason, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', March 20, 2001, at [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/03/20/night_of_the_living_dead_1968_review.shtml BBC]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Early films that featured [[zombies]] such as [[Victor Halperin|Victor Halperin's]] ''[[White Zombie (film)|White Zombie]]'' (1932), [[Jacques Tourneur|Jacques Tourneur's]] ''[[I Walked with a Zombie]]'' (1943) and [[John Gilling]]'s ''[[The Plague of the Zombies]]'' (1966) involved living human zombies enslaved by a [[Voodoo]] [[witch doctor]]; many were set in the [[Caribbean]].

The film and its successors spawned countless imitators that borrowed elements instituted by Romero: ''[[Tombs of the Blind Dead]]'' (1971), ''[[Zombi 2|Zombie]]'' (1979), ''[[Hell of the Living Dead]]'' (1980), ''[[Night of the Comet]]'' (1984), ''[[Return of the Living Dead]]'' (1985), ''[[Night of the Creeps]]'' (1986), ''[[Children of the Living Dead]]'' (2001), and the video game series ''[[Resident Evil (series)|Resident Evil]]'' (later adapted as films in [[Resident Evil (film)|2002]], [[Resident Evil: Apocalypse|2004]], and [[Resident Evil: Extinction|2007]]), ''[[Dead Rising]]'', and ''[[The House of the Dead]]''. ''Night of the Living Dead'' is [[parody|parodied]] in films such as ''[[Night of the Living Bread]]'' (1990) and ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'' (2004) and in episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' ("[[Treehouse of Horror III]]", 1992) and ''[[South Park]]'' ("[[Pink Eye (South Park episode)|Pink Eye]]", 1997; "[[Night of the Living Homeless]]", 2007 ).<ref>Rockoff, ''Going to Pieces'', p. 36.</ref><ref>"Treehouse of Horror III," episode 64, ''The Simpsons'', October 29, 1992, at the [http://imdb.com/title/tt0758368/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref><ref>"Pink Eye," episode 107, ''South Park'', October 29, 1997, on ''South Park: The Complete First Season'' (DVD, Warner Bros., 2002)</ref> The word ''zombie'' is never used, but Romero's film introduced the theme of zombies as reanimated, flesh-eating cannibals.<ref>Andrew Tudor, ''Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie'' (Oxford, Eng.: Blackwell Publishing, 1989), p. 101, ISBN 0-631-16992-X .</ref><ref name="Collum3">Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 3.</ref>

''Night of the Living Dead'' ushered in the [[slasher film|slasher]] and [[splatter film]] sub-genres. As one film historian points out, horror prior to Romero's film had mostly involved rubber masks and costumes, cardboard sets, or mysterious figures lurking in the shadows. They were set in locations far removed from rural and [[suburban]] America.<ref>Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror'', p. 117.</ref> Romero revealed the power behind [[exploitation film|exploitation]] and setting horror in ordinary, unexceptional locations and offered a template for making an "effective and lucrative" film on a "minuscule budget."<ref name="Rockoff"/> Slasher films of the 1980s such as [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978), [[Sean S. Cunningham]]'s ''[[Friday the 13th (film)|Friday the 13th]]'' (1980), and [[Wes Craven]]'s ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984), for example, "owe much to the original ''Night of the Living Dead''."<ref>Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 201.</ref>

==Revisions==
{{Double image stack|right|Night of the Living Dead color 1986.JPG|Night of the Living Dead color 2004.jpg|180|The film was colorized in 1986...|...and in 2004.}}
The first revisions of ''Night of the Living Dead'' involved [[film colorization|colorization]] by home video distributors. [[Hal Roach|Hal Roach Studios]] released a colorized version in 1986 that featured green zombies. Another colorized version appeared in 1997 from [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] with flesh-colored zombies.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' (VHS, Anchor Bay Entertainment, 1997), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/6301231864/ ISBN 6301231864].</ref> In 2004, [[Legend Films]] produced a colorized version for distribution by [[20th Century Fox]].<ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002IQLGM/ ASIN B0002IQLGM].</ref><ref>Alternate Versions of ''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/alternateversions Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Co-writer [[John Russo]] released a modified version in 1999 titled ''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition''.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition'' (DVD, 1999), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000JXVO/ ASIN B00000JXVO].</ref> He filmed additional scenes and recorded a revised soundtrack composed by Scott Vladimir Licina. In an interview with ''[[Fangoria (magazine)|Fangoria]]'' magazine, Russo explained that he wanted to "give the movie a more modern pace."<ref>John A. Russo interview, ''Fangoria'', quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night30/index.html Homepage of the Dead].</ref> Russo took liberties with the original script, introducing odd didactic qualities that the original lacked. The additions are neither clearly identified nor even listed. However, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reported "no bad blood" between Russo and Romero. The magazine, however, quoted Romero as saying, "I didn't want to touch ''Night of the Living Dead''."<ref>''Entertainment Weekly'', quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night30/index.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Critics panned the revised film, notably [[Harry Knowles]] of ''[[Ain't It Cool News]]''. Knowles promised to permanently ban anyone from his publication who offered positive criticism of the film.<ref>Harry Knowles, review of ''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition'', at [http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=4397 Ain't It Cool News]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The film has been [[remake|remade]] twice. The first, debuting in 1990, was directed by special effects artist [[Tom Savini]]. [[Night of the Living Dead (1990 film)|The remake]] was based on the original screenplay, but included more gore and a revised plot that portrayed Barbara<ref>The character's name is spelled ''Barbara'' in the remake, not ''Barbra''.</ref> ([[Patricia Tallman]]) as a heroine. [[Tony Todd]] played the role of Ben. Film historian Barry Grant saw the new Barbara as a corrective on the part of Romero. He suggests that the character was made stronger to rectify the depiction of female characters in the original film.<ref name="Grant">Barry Keith Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead'': George Romero, Feminism and the Horror Film," in ''The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film'', ed. Barry K. Grant (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996), ISBN 0-292-72794-1 .</ref> The second remake was filmed in [[3-D film|3-D]] format and scheduled for release in September 2006 under the title ''[[Night of the Living Dead 3-D]]''. Directed by [[Jeff Broadstreet]], the characters and plot are similar to the 1968 original. Unlike Savini's 1990 film, Broadstreet's project was not affiliated with Romero.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead 3-D'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489244/ Internet Movie Database].</ref><ref>''Night of the Living Dead 3-D'' [http://www.nightofthelivingdead3d.com/ official site]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The World Stage Premiere of "Night of the Living Dead" was on October 26, 2006, at the Stella Adler Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The play was produced by the Gangbusters Theatre Company<ref>Night of the Living Dead at [http://www.plays411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=721 Plays411 Production Services & Tickets Agency 4 Plays]</ref>, was translated for the stage by Leon Shanglebee, and Directed by Christian Levatino.

==Copyright status in the U.S.==
''Night of the Living Dead'' lapsed into the [[public domain]] because the original theatrical distributor, the Walter Reade Organization, neglected to place a [[copyright]] notice on the prints. In 1968, [[United States copyright law]] required a proper notice for a work to maintain a copyright. Image Ten displayed such a notice on the title frames of the film beneath the original title, ''Night of the Flesh Eaters''. The distributor removed the statement when it changed the title.<ref>United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Technology and the Law, ''Legal Issues that Arise when Color is Added to Films Originally Produced, Sold and Distributed in Black and White'' (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1988), p. 83.</ref> According to George Romero, Walter Reade "ripped us off."<ref>George A. Romero, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/filming.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Because of the public domain status, the film is sold on home video by several distributors. As of 2006, the [[Internet Movie Database]] lists 23 copies of ''Night of the Living Dead'' retailing on [[DVD]] and nineteen on [[VHS]].<ref>Merchandise for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/sales Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> The original film is available for [[download]] at no cost on [[Internet]] sites such as [[Google Video]] and [[Internet Archive]].<ref> ''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2956447426428748010 Google Video]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.archive.org/details/night_of_the_living_dead Internet Archive]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> As of 3 January 2007, it was the Internet Archive's most downloaded film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archive.org/details/moviesandfilms |title=Most Downloaded Items |accessdate=2007-06-06 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Internet Archive |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref> Elite Entertainment released a director-approved and fully-restored version of the film. The first Elite release was a laserdisc in which Romero participated in the supplements. The first Elite DVD was released as a single-layer DVD and some of the extras from the laserdisc were dropped due to space limitations but they were included in Elite's current Millennium Edition.

==Sequels==
{{main|Living Dead|Return of the Living Dead (film series)}}

''Night of the Living Dead'' constitutes the first of five Living Dead films directed by George Romero. Following the 1968 film, Romero released ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'' (1978), ''[[Day of the Dead (film)|Day of the Dead]]'' (1985) and ''[[Land of the Dead]]'' (2005). ''[[Diary of the Dead]]'' is expected to be released in 2007. Each film traces the evolution of the zombie epidemic in the United States and humanity's desperate attempts to cope with it. As in ''Night of the Living Dead'', Romero peppered the other films in the series with critiques specific to the periods in which they were released.

The same year ''Day of the Dead'' premiered, ''Night of the Living Dead'' co-writer John Russo released a film titled ''[[Return of the Living Dead]]''. Russo's film offers an alternate [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]] to the original film than ''Dawn of the Dead'', but acted more as a parody than a sequel. Russo's film spawned four [[Return of the Living Dead (film series)|sequels]]. The last—''[[Return of the Living Dead: Rave from the Grave]]''—was released in 2005 as a [[television movie]].

''Return of the Living Dead'' sparked a legal battle with Romero, who believed Russo marketed his film in direct competition with ''Day of the Dead'' as a sequel to the original film. In the case ''Dawn Associates v. Links'' (1978), Romero accused Russo of "appropriat[ing] part of the title of the prior work," [[plagiarism|plagiarizing]] ''Dawn of the Dead'''s advertising slogan ("When there is no room in [[hell]] ... the dead will walk the earth"), and copying stills from the original 1968 film. Romero was ultimately granted a restraining order that forced Russo to cease his advertising campaign. Russo, however, was allowed to retain his title.<ref>Patrick J. Flinn, ''Handbook of Intellectual Property Claims and Remedies: 2004 Supplement'' (New York: Aspen Publishers, 1999), pp. 24–25, ISBN 0-7355-1125-X .</ref>

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count: 2; column-count: 2;">
<references/>
</div>

==Further reading==
<div class="references-small">
*Becker, Matt. "A Point of Little Hope: Hippie Horror Films and the Politics of Ambivalence." ''The Velvet Light Trap'' (No. 57, Spring 2006): pp. 42–59.
*Carroll, Noël. "The Nature of Horror." ''Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism'' 46 (No. 1, Autumn 1987): pp. 51–59.
*Crane, Jonathan Lake. ''Terror and Everyday Life: Singular Moments in the History of the Horror Film''. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1994. ISBN 0-8039-5849-8 .
*Dinello, Daniel. ''Technophobia!: Science Fiction Visions of Posthuman Technology''. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006. ISBN 0-292-70986-2 .
*Harper, Stephen. "''Night of the Living Dead'': Reappraising an Undead Classic." ''Bright Lights Film Journal'' (Issue 50, November 2005): [http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/50/night.htm online].
*Heffernan, Kevin. ''Ghouls, Gimmicks, and Gold: Horror Films and the American Movie Business, 1953–1968''. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8223-3215-9 .
*Heffernan, Kevin. "Inner-City Exhibition and the Genre Film: Distributing ''Night of the Living Dead'' (1968)." ''Cinema Journal'' 41 (No. 3, Spring 2002): pp. 59–77.
*Jancovich, Mark, Antonio Lazaro Reboll, Julian Stringer, and Andy Willis, eds. ''Defining Cult Movies: The Cultural Politics of Oppositional Taste''. Manchester, Eng.: Manchester University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7190-6631-X .
*Laderman, Gary. ''The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799–1883''. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-300-07868-4 .
*Lowenstein, Adam. ''Shocking Representation: Historical Trauma, National Cinema, and the Modern Horror Film''. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-231-13246-8 .
*Newman, Robert. "The Haunting of 1968." ''South Central Review'' 16 (No. 4, Winter 1999): pp. 53–61.
*Pharr, Mary. "Greek Gifts: Vision and Revision in Two Versions of ''Night of the Living Dead''." In ''Trajectories of the Fantastic''. Ed. Michael A. Morrison. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997. ISBN 0-313-29646-4 .
*Pinedo, Isabel Cristina. ''Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film Viewing''. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1997. ISBN 0-7914-3441-9 .
*Shapiro, Jerome F. ''Atomic Bomb Cinema: The Apocalyptic Imagination on Film''. London: Routledge, 2001. ISBN 0-415-93660-8 .
*Wood, Robin. ''Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1986. ISBN 0-231-05777-6 .
*Young, Lola. ''Fear of the Dark: 'Race', Gender and Sexuality in the Cinema''. London: Routledge, 1996. ISBN 0-415-09709-6 .
</div>

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*{{imdb title|id=0063350}}
*[http://allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:35311 ''Night of the Living Dead''] at [[All Movie Guide]]
*{{Movie-Tome|id=29066}}
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8162994492026870322&q=night+of+the+living+dead ''Night of the Living Dead''] full film at [[Google Video]]
*[http://www.archive.org/details/night_of_the_living_dead ''Night of the Living Dead''] full film at [[Internet Archive]]

{{Livingdead}}
{{George A. Romero Films}}

{{featured article}}
[[Category:1968 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:Black and white films]]
[[Category:Directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1960s horror films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by George A. Romero]]
[[Category:Independent films]]
[[Category:Living Dead films]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh in film and television]]
[[Category:Public domain films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry]]

[[de:Die Nacht der lebenden Toten]]
[[es:La noche de los muertos vivientes]]
[[fr:La Nuit des morts-vivants]]
[[hr:Noć živih mrtvaca]]
[[it:La notte dei morti viventi (film 1968)]]
[[nl:Night of the Living Dead]]
[[ja:ナイト・オブ・ザ・リビングデッド]]
[[no:Night of the Living Dead]]
[[pl:Noc żywych trupów]]
[[pt:Night of the Living Dead]]
[[ru:Ночь живых мертвецов (фильм, 1968)]]
[[simple:Night of the Living Dead]]
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[[sv:Night of the Living Dead (1968)]]

Night of the Living Dead

2007-06-08T18:50:21Z

69.47.26.37: /* Plot */

{{otheruses1|the 1968 film directed by [[George A. Romero]]}}
{{Infobox Film
| name = Night of the Living Dead
| image = Night_of_the_Living_Dead_affiche.jpg
| caption = Original 1968 theatrical poster
| director = [[George A. Romero]]
| producer = [[Karl Hardman]] [[Russell Streiner]]
| writer = George A. Romero [[John A. Russo]]
| starring = [[Duane Jones]] [[Judith O'Dea]] Karl Hardman [[Marilyn Eastman]] [[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne]] [[Judith Ridley]]
| music = Stock music
| cinematography = George A. Romero
| editing = George A. Romero John A. Russo
| distributor = [[Walter Reade|The Walter Reade Organization]]
| released = [[October 1]], [[1968 in film|1968]]
| runtime = 96 min.
| country = {{USA}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| budget = $114,000 (estimated)
| imdb_id = 0063350
| amg_id = 1:35311
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = ''[[Dawn of the Dead]]''
}}

'''''Night of the Living Dead''''' is a [[1968 in film|1968]] [[black-and-white]] [[independent film|independent]] [[horror film]] directed by [[George A. Romero]]. Early drafts of the script were titled '''''Monster Flick''''', but it was known as '''''Night of [[Anubis]]''''' and '''''Night of the Flesh Eaters''''' during production. The film stars [[Duane Jones]] as Ben and [[Judith O'Dea]] as Barbra. The plot revolves around the mysterious [[Corporeal reanimation|reanimation]] of the dead and the efforts of Ben, Barbra and five others to survive the night while trapped in a [[rural]] [[Pennsylvania]] farmhouse.

Romero produced the film on the small budget of $114,000, but after a decade of theatrical re-releases it had grossed an estimated $12 million in the [[Cinema of the United States|United States]] and $30 million internationally.<ref name="VH1">''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.vh1.com/movies/movie/24972/plot.jhtml VH1.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="IMDbbusiness">Business data for the film at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/business Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]]; however, places the box-office gross of $12 million at January 2000, not 1979.</ref> ''Night of the Living Dead'' was strongly criticized at the time of its release for its graphic content, but three decades later the [[Library of Congress]] entered it into the United States [[National Film Registry]] with other films deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically important."<ref name ="CNN">"U.S. film registry adds 25 new titles," November 16, 1999, at [http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9911/16/natl.film.registry/ CNN]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The culture of [[Vietnam War|Vietnam-era]] America had a tremendous impact on the film. It is so thoroughly laden with critiques of late-1960s American society that one historian described the film as "[[subversive]] on many levels."<ref name="Rockoff">Adam Rockoff, ''Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978–1986'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2002), p. 35, ISBN 0-7864-1227-5.</ref> While not the first [[Zombies in literature and fiction#In film|zombie film]] made, ''Night of the Living Dead'' influenced countless films and is perhaps the defining influence on [[Zombies in popular culture|the modern pop-culture zombie archetype]].<ref>"Zombie Movies" in ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', ed. John Clute and John Grant (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999), p. 1048, ISBN 0-312-19869-8 </ref> The film is the first of five ''Dead'' films (completed or pending) directed by Romero. It has been [[remake|remade]] twice, in [[Night of the Living Dead (1990 film)|1990]] and in [[Night of the Living Dead 3D|2006]].

==Plot==



Bickering siblings Johnny ([[Russell Streiner]]) and Barbra drive to a rural Pennsylvania [[cemetery]] to place a wreath on their father's grave. Johnny teases his sister, who is afraid of cemeteries, taunting, "They're coming to get you, Barbra!" A pale-faced man, ([[S. William Hinzman]]), lumbers toward the pair. The man suddenly grabs Barbra and Johnny rushes to save her. While fighting the man, Johnny falls and smashes his head on a gravestone. Barbra flees in Johnny's car, driving it into a tree. She runs into a nearby farmhouse to hide and soon discovers that others like the man are outside. While exploring the empty house, she discovers a hideously mutilated [[corpse]] at the top of the stairs.

[[Image:Judith O'Dea clutching grave in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|left|thumb|179px|Barbra ([[Judith O'Dea]]) flees from a mysterious attacker in the cemetery.]]Attempting to flee the house in a panic, Barbra is intercepted by Ben, who arrives in a [[pickup truck]] and attacks the mysterious figures with a [[tire iron]]. Ben boards up the doors and windows from the inside with dismantled furniture and scraps of wood as Barbra becomes [[hysterical]]. Ben finds a rifle and a radio as Barbra lies incapacitated on a couch in the living room. The two are unaware that Harry and Helen Cooper ([[Karl Hardman]] and [[Marilyn Eastman]]), their daughter Karen (Kyra Schon), and teenage couple Tom ([[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne]]) and Judy ([[Judith Ridley]]) have been hiding in the [[cellar]]. One of the attackers bit Karen earlier and she has fallen ill. Harry wants the group to barricade themselves in the cellar, but Ben argues that they would, effectively, be trapping themselves down there. Ben carries the argument, and the group cooperates (begrudgingly, in Harry's case) to reinforce the main part of the house.

Radio reports explain that an epidemic of [[mass murder]] is sweeping across the [[eastern seaboard]] of the [[United States]]. Later, Ben discovers a television set upstairs and the [[Emergency Broadcast System|emergency broadcaster]] reveals that the murderers are consuming their victims' flesh. A subsequent broadcast reports that the murders are being perpetrated by the recently deceased who have returned to life. Experts—scientists and military generals—are not sure of the cause of the reanimation, but one scientist is certain that it is the result of [[Radioactive contamination|radiation]] emanating from a [[Venus]] [[space probe]] that exploded in the [[Earth]]'s [[atmosphere]]. A final report instructs that a gunshot or heavy blow to the head will stop the "[[ghoul]]s" and that [[Posse comitatus (common law)|posse]]s of armed men are patrolling the countryside to restore order.

[[Image:Zombies NightoftheLivingDead.jpg|right|thumb|The living dead.]]Ben devises a plan to escape using his truck but it needs refueling. He exits the house armed with the rifle and a torch. Tom and Judy offer assistance, but when they arrive at a fuel pump near the house Ben accidentally sets the gasoline ablaze with his torch. The truck explodes with Tom and Judy inside. Ben runs back to the house to find that Harry locked him out. He kicks the door open and punches Harry repeatedly. Some of the living dead begin eating Tom and Judy's charred remains, the others try to break through the doors and windows of the house. Ben manages to hold them back, but drops his rifle. Harry quickly seizes the fallen rifle and turns it on Ben. Ben wrestles the rifle away from Harry and shoots him. Harry stumbles into the cellar and dies.

Shortly thereafter, Helen discovers that her daughter has been transformed into one of the living dead and is consuming her father's corpse. Karen stabs her mother with a [[trowel|cement trowel]], killing her, before going upstairs. Meanwhile, the undead finally break into the house. Barbra sees her brother Johnny in the mass. The resultant shock causes her to lower her defenses and she is carried away into the crowd. Ben retreats into the cellar, locking the door behind him (which, ironically, was Harry's plan all along). He shoots the reanimated Harry and Helen Cooper. In the morning, a posse approaches the house and proceeds to kill the remaining zombies. Hearing the commotion, Ben ambles up the cellar stairs into the living room and is shot in the head by a posse member who mistakes him for a zombie. His body is carried from the house and burned with the zombie corpses.

==Production==
While attending [[Carnegie Mellon University]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], George A. Romero embarked upon his career in the [[film industry]]. In the 1960s, he directed and produced television commercials and [[sponsored film|industrial films]] for The Latent Image, a company he co-founded with friends [[John Russo]] and [[Russell Streiner]]. During this period, the trio grew bored making commercials and wanted to film a horror movie. According to Romero, they wanted to capitalize on the film industry's "thirst for the bizarre."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview">Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/interviews_1.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> He and Streiner contacted [[Karl Hardman]] and [[Marilyn Eastman]], president and vice president respectively of a Pittsburgh-based industrial film firm called Hardman Associates, Inc., and pitched their idea for a then-untitled horror film.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview">Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/interviews_1.html Homepage of the Dead].</ref> Convinced by Romero, a production company called Image Ten was formed which included Romero, Russo, Streiner, Hardman and Eastman. Image Ten raised approximately $114,000 for the budget.<ref name="RomeroPreface">George A. Romero, Preface to John Russo, ''The Complete Night of the Living Dead Filmbook'' (Pittsburgh: Imagine, Inc., 1985), pp. 6–7, ISBN 0-911137-03-3 .</ref><ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

[[Image:Boscosyrup.jpg|left|thumb|[[Marilyn Eastman]] applying [[Bosco Chocolate Syrup]] to [[Karl Hardman]] for a bloody special effect.]]

The small budget dictated much of the production process. According to Hardman, "We knew that we could not raise enough money to shoot a film on a par with the classic horror films with which we had all grown up. The best that we could do was to place our cast in a remote spot and then bring the horror to be visited on them in that spot."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/> Scenes were filmed near [[Evans City, Pennsylvania]], thirty miles north of Pittsburgh in rural [[Butler County, Pennsylvania|Butler County]]; the opening sequence was shot at the Evans City Cemetery.<ref>Neil Fawcett, "Evans Cemetery: Then and Now" at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/baps/evans_cemetary.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>Alan Jones, however, mistakenly cites the [[Allegheny Cemetery]] on Butler Street in Pittsburgh as the filming location. Alan Jones, ''The Rough Guide to Horror Movies'' (New York: Rough Guides, 2005), p. 118, ISBN 1-84353-521-1 .</ref>

[[Special effect]]s were fairly simple and likewise limited by the budget. The blood, for example, was [[Bosco Chocolate Syrup]] drizzled over cast members' bodies.<ref>"The Filming" of ''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/filming.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Costumes consisted of second-hand clothing, and mortician's wax served as zombie makeup. Marilyn Eastman supervised the special effects, wardrobe and makeup.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

Filming took place between June and December of 1967 under the working title ''Night of Anubis'' and later ''Night of the Flesh Eaters''.<ref name="FrightfulFacts">"Frightful Facts" at [http://www.houseofhorrors.com/night68.htm House of Horrors]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="IMDbbusiness"/> The small budget led Romero to shoot on [[35 mm|35 mm]] black-and-white film. The completed film ultimately benefited from the decision, as film historian Joseph Maddrey describes the black-and-white filming as "[[Guerrilla filmmaking|guerilla]]-style", resembling "the unflinching authority of a wartime [[newsreel]]." Maddrey adds, it "seem[s] as much like a documentary on the loss of social stability as an [[exploitation film]]." <ref>Joseph Maddrey, ''Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004), p. 51, ISBN 0-7864-1860-5 .</ref>

Members of Image Ten were personally involved in filming and [[Film editing|post-production]], participating in loading [[camera magazine]]s, [[Gaffer (motion picture industry)|gaffing]], constructing props, recording sounds and editing.<ref name="RomeroPreface"/> Production stills were shot and printed by Karl Hardman, who stated in an interview that a "number of cast members formed a production line in the darkroom for developing, washing and drying of the prints as I made the exposures. As I recall, I shot over 1,250 pictures during the production."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

Upon the completion of post-production, Image Ten found it difficult to secure a distributor willing to show the film with the gruesome scenes intact. [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]] and [[American International Pictures]] declined after requests to soften it and re-shoot the final scene were rejected by producers.<ref>Jason Paul Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's: Interviews with 20 Cult Film Actresses'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004), p. 4, ISBN 0-7864-1818-4 .</ref> Romero admitted that "none of us wanted to do that. We couldn't imagine a happy ending. . . . Everyone want[ed] a Hollywood ending, but we stuck to our guns."<ref name="DOD">George A. Romero interview, quoted at "George A. Romero Bio", Special Features, ''Dawn of the Dead'', Special Divimax Edition (DVD, Anchor Bay, 2004), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001611DI/ ASIN B0001611DI].</ref> The [[Manhattan]]-based [[Walter Reade|Walter Reade Organization]] agreed to show the film uncensored, but changed the title from ''Night of the Flesh Eaters'' to ''Night of the Living Dead'' because a film had already been produced under a [[The Flesh Eaters (film)|title]] similar to the former.<ref name="FrightfulFacts"/>

===Writing===
Co-written as a [[horror comedy]] by John Russo and George A. Romero under the title ''Monster Flick'', an early screenplay draft concerned the exploits of teenage [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]] who visit Earth and befriend human teenagers. A second version of the script featured a young man who runs away from home and discovers rotting human corpses that aliens use for food scattered across a meadow. The final draft, written mainly by Romero over three days in 1967, focused on reanimated human corpses—Romero refers to them as ''[[ghouls]]''—that feast on the flesh of the living.<ref name="Treatment">John A. Russo, ''The Complete Night of the Living Dead Filmbook'' (Pittsburgh: Imagine, Inc., 1985), ISBN 0-911137-03-3 , quoted in "Treatment/Original Script," Bonus Materials, ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition (DVD, Elite Entertainment, 2002), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005Y6Y2 ASIN B00005Y6Y2].</ref> In a 1997 interview with the [[BBC]]'s ''Forbidden Weekend'', Romero explained that the script developed into a three-part [[short story]]. Part one became ''Night of the Living Dead''. Sequels ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'' (1978) and ''[[Day of the Dead (film)|Day of the Dead]]'' (1985) were adapted from the two remaining parts.<ref>George A. Romero interview, ''Forbidden Weekend'', [[February 2]] [[1997]], available [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/baps/bbc_interview.html here]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref>

Romero drew inspiration from [[Richard Matheson|Richard Matheson's]] ''[[I Am Legend]]'' (1954), a [[horror fiction|horror / science fiction novel]] about a [[Epidemic|plague]] that ravages a futuristic [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] in the 1970s. The deceased in ''I Am Legend'' return to life and prey on the uninfected.<ref name="RomeroPreface"/><ref>Richard Matheson, ''I Am Legend'' (1954; New York: Orb Books, 1995), ISBN 0-312-86504-X .</ref><ref>Marco Lanzagorta, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition DVD, at [http://popmatters.com/film/reviews/n/night-of-the-living-dead-millennium.shtml Pop Matters]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> [[Film adaptation]]s of Matheson's novel appeared in 1964 as ''[[The Last Man on Earth]]'' and in 1971 as ''[[The Omega Man]]''. Matheson was not impressed by Romero's interpretation, telling an interviewer, "It was ... kind of cornball."<ref>Richard Matheson interview, in Tom Weaver, ''Return of the B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers: The Mutant Melding of Two Volumes of Classic Interviews'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1999), p. 307, ISBN 0-7864-0755-7 .</ref>

Russo and Romero revised the screenplay while filming. Karl Hardman attributed the edits to lead actor Duane Jones: "The script had been written with the character Ben as a rather simple truck driver. His dialogue was that of a lower class / uneducated person. Duane Jones was a very well educated man ... [and he] simply refused to do the role as it was written. As I recall, I believe that Duane himself upgraded his own dialogue to reflect how he felt the character should present himself." The cellar scenes featuring dialogue between Helen and Harry Cooper were also modified by Marilyn Eastman.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

According to lead actress Judith O'Dea, much of the dialogue was [[Improvisational theatre|improvised]]. She told an interviewer, "I don't know if there was an actual working script! We would go over what basically had to be done, then just did it the way we each felt it ''should'' be done."<ref name="O'Deainterview">Judith O'Dea interview, in Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 4.</ref> One example offered by O'Dea concerns a scene where Barbra tells Ben about Johnny's death:

<blockquote>''The sequence where Ben is breaking up the table to block the entrance and I'm on the couch and start telling him the story of what happened [to Johnny] ... it's all [[ad-lib]]bed. This is what we want to get across ... tell the story about me and Johnny in the car and me being attacked. That was it ... all improv. We filmed it once. There was a concern we didn't get the sound right, but fortunately they were able to use it.''<ref name="O'Deainterview"/>''</blockquote>

===Casting===
The limited budget curtailed the ability of Image Ten to hire well-known actors. The cast consisted of Pittsburgh stage actors, members of the Image Ten production crew, and acquaintances of Romero. Involvement in the film propelled many cast members into the motion picture industry.

[[Image:Duane Jones as Ben in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|thumb|179px|right|[[Duane Jones]] as Ben.]]

The lead role of Ben went to unknown [[African American]] stage actor [[Duane Jones]]. His performance depicted Ben as a "comparatively calm and resourceful [[Negro]]," according to one reviewer at the time.<ref>Kevin Thomas, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Los Angeles ''Times'', January 10, 1969, reprinted in ''The A-List: The National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films'', ed. Jay Carr (Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2002), p. 199, ISBN 0-306-81096-4 .</ref> Casting Jones was potentially controversial. In the mid-twentieth century it was unusual for a black man to play the hero in a film that starred white actors, and commentators saw Romero's choice of Jones as significant. Romero, on the other hand, said that Jones "simply gave the best audition."<ref name="Romeroquote">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref> After ''Night of the Living Dead'', he co-starred in ''[[Ganja and Hess]]'' (1973), ''[[Vampires (1986 film)|Vampires]]'' (1986), ''[[Negatives (film)|Negatives]]'' (1988) and ''[[To Die For (1989 film)|To Die For]]'' (1989) before his death in 1988.<ref>Duane Jones at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0427977/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Despite his other film roles, Jones worried that people only recognized him as Ben.<ref>Duane Jones interview, Bonus Materials, ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition (DVD, Elite Entertainment, 2002).</ref>

Image Ten cast 23-year-old commercial and stage actor [[Judith O'Dea]] as the waifish Barbra. Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman contacted O'Dea, who had once worked for them in Pittsburgh, to audition for the part. O'Dea was in [[Hollywood]] searching for a break-out role in motion pictures. She remarked in an interview that starring in the film was a positive experience for her, although she admitted that horror movies terrified her, particularly [[Vincent Price|Vincent's Price's]] ''[[House of Wax (1953 film)|House of Wax]]'' (1953). Besides acting, O'Dea performed her own stunts, which she jokingly says amounted to "lots of running." Assessing ''Night of the Living Dead'', she states "I honestly had no idea it would have such a lasting impact on our culture." She was just as surprised by the renown the film brought her: "People treat you differently. [I'm] ho-hum Judy O'Dea until they realize [I'm] Barbara [''sic''] from ''Night of the Living Dead''. All of a sudden [I'm] not so ho-hum anymore!"<ref name="O'Deainterview"/> Following ''Night of the Living Dead'', O'Dea appeared in the television film ''The Pirate'' (1978) and feature films ''[[Claustrophobia (film)|Claustrophobia]]'' (2003), ''[[October Moon]]'' (2005) and ''[[The Ocean (film)|The Ocean]]'' (2006).<ref>Judith O'Dea at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0640621/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The supporting cast had no experience in the film industry prior to ''Night of the Living Dead''. The role of Tom remained [[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne's]] only film role (he committed [[suicide]] in 1995),<ref>Keith Wayne at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0915593/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> but [[Judith Ridley]] co-starred in Romero's ''[[There's Always Vanilla]]'' (1971).<ref>Judith Ridley at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0725985/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref> The cemetery zombie who kills Johnny in the first scene was played by [[S. William Hinzman]], a role that launched his horror film career. Hinzman was later involved in the films ''[[Season of the Witch]]'' (1973), ''[[Flesheater]]'' (1988), ''[[Legion of the Night]]'' (1995), ''[[Santa Claws]]'' (1996), and ''[[Evil Ambitions]]'' (1996).<ref>S. William Hinzman at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0386100/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Image Ten members [[Karl Hardman]], [[Marilyn Eastman]] and [[Russell Streiner]] performed prominent acting roles. Hardman and Eastman co-starred as Harry and Helen Cooper (Eastman also played the female zombie who plucks an insect off a tree and eats it) while Streiner played Johnny, Barbra's brother. Hardman's eleven-year-old daughter, [[Kyra Schon]], played the role of Karen Cooper. Image Ten's [[production manager]], George Kosana, played Sheriff McClelland.<ref>Full Cast and Crew for ''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/fullcredits Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Romero's friends and acquaintances were recruited as zombie [[Extra (actor)|extras]]. Romero stated, "We had a film company doing commercials and industrial films so there were a lot of people from the advertising game who all wanted to come out and be zombies, and a lot of them did." He adds amusingly, "Some people from around Evans City who just thought it was a goof came out to get caked in makeup and lumber around."<ref>George A. Romero interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/zombies.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

===Directing===
''Night of the Living Dead'' was the first feature-length film directed by [[George A. Romero]]. His initial work involved filming [[Short subject|shorts]] for Pittsburgh public broadcaster [[WQED (TV)|WQED]]'s children's series ''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]''.<ref name="DOD"/><ref>George A. Romero, "Bloody Diary" available at [http://www.diamonddead.com/diary/view.php?s=YToyOntzOjM6ImFpZCI7czoxOiIzIjtzOjI6ImlkIjtzOjI6IjM1Ijt9 Diamond Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref> Romero's decision to direct ''Night of the Living Dead'' essentially launched his career as a horror director. He took the helm of the sequels as well as ''Season of the Witch'', ''[[The Crazies]]'' (1973), ''[[Martin (film)|Martin]]'' (1977), ''[[Creepshow]]'' (1982) and ''[[The Dark Half (film)|The Dark Half]]'' (1993).<ref>George A. Romero biography at [http://www.horrordirectors.com/georgeromero.html HorrorDirectors.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Critics saw the influence of the horror and science-fiction films of the 1950s in Romero's directorial style. Stephen Paul Miller, for instance, witnessed "a revival of fifties schlock shock... and the army general's television discussion of military operations in the film echoes the often inevitable calling-in of the army in fifties horror films." Miller admits, however, that "''Night of the Living Dead'' takes greater relish in mocking these military operations through the general's pompous demeanor" and the government's inability to source the zombie epidemic or protect the citizenry.<ref>Stephen Paul Miller, ''The Seventies Now: Culture as Surveillance'' (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1999), p. 81, ISBN 0-8223-2166-1 .</ref>

Romero describes the mood he wished to establish: "The film opens with a situation that has already disintegrated to a point of little hope, and it moves progressively toward absolute despair and ultimate tragedy."<ref>George A. Romero, quoted in Royer, ''The Spectacle Of Isolation,'' p. 15.</ref> According to film historian Carl Royer, Romero "employs [[chiaroscuro]], [[Film noir|noir]]-style lighting to emphasize humanity's nightmare alienation from itself."<ref>Carl Royer, ''The Spectacle Of Isolation In Horror Films: Dark Parades'' Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth Press, 2005), p. 15, ISBN 0-7890-2264-8 .</ref>

While some critics dismissed Romero's film because of the graphic scenes, writer [[R. H. W. Dillard]] claimed that the "open-eyed detailing" of [[taboo]] served to heighten the film's success. He asks, "What girl has not, at one time or another, wished to kill her mother? And Karen, in the film, offers a particularly vivid opportunity to commit the forbidden deed vicariously."<ref>R. H. W. Dillard, "''Night of the Living Dead'': It's Not Like Just a Wind That's Passing Through," in ''American Horrors: Essays on the Modern American Horror Film'', ed. Gregory A. Waller (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1988), p. 15, ISBN 0-252-01448-0 .</ref>

Romero featured human taboos as key themes, particularly [[cannibalism]]. Although zombie cannibals were inspired by Matheson's ''I Am Legend'', film historian Robin Wood sees the flesh-eating scenes of ''Night of the Living Dead'' as a late-[[1960s]] critique of American [[capitalism]]. Wood asserts that the zombies represent capitalists, and "cannibalism represents the ultimate in possessiveness, hence the logical end of human relations under capitalism." He argues that the zombies' victims symbolized the repression of "[[Other|the Other]]" in [[bourgeois]] American society, namely [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|civil rights activists]], [[Second-wave feminism|feminists]], [[homosexual]]s and [[Counterculture|counterculturalists]] in general.<ref>Robin Wood, "An Introduction to the American Horror Film," in ''Movies and Methods'', Vol. II, ed. Bill Nichols (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1985), p. 213, ISBN 0-520-05409-1 .</ref>

===Music and sound effects===
The eerie and disturbing [[film score|music score]] of ''Night of the Living Dead'' was not composed for the film. Karl Hardman told an interviewer that the music came from Hardman Associates's extensive film music library. Much of it used in the film was purchased from the library of Capitol Records, and an album of the soundtrack was released at one point. Stock music selections included works by Ib Glindemann, Philip Green, [[Geordie Hormel]], William Loose, Jack Meakin and Spencer Moore.<ref>Full Cast and Crew for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://imdb.com/title/tt0063350/fullcredits Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[August 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Some of the music was earlier used as the soundtrack for the science-fiction [[B-movie]] ''[[Teenagers from Outer Space]]'' (1959) The eerie musical piece during the tense scene in the film where "Ben" finds the rifle in the closet inside the farmhouse as the radio reports of mayhem play ominously in the background can be heard in longer and more complete form during the opening credits and the beginning of [[The Devil's Messenger]] (1961) starring Lon Chaney Jr. Another piece was taken from the final episode of television's ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', which had aired one year earlier.<ref>Trivia for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/trivia Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[August 28]] [[2006]].</ref> According to Hardman, "I chose a selection of music for each of the various scenes and then George made the final selections. I then took those selections and augmented them electronically."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/> Hardman's choices worked well, as Film historian Sumiko Higashi believes that the music "signif[ies] the nature of events that await."<ref>Sumiko Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead'': A Horror Film about the Horrors of the Vietnam Era," in ''From Hanoi to Hollywood: The Vietnam War in American Film'', ed. Linda Dittmar and Gene Michaud (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1990), p. 182, ISBN 0-8135-1587-4 .</ref>

Sound effects were created by Hardman and Marilyn Eastman: "Marilyn and I recorded all of the live sound effects used in the film (two 10 inch reels of edited tape)." Hardman recalled, "Of all the sound effects that we created, the one that still gives me goose bumps when I hear it, is Marilyn's screaming as [Helen Cooper] is killed by her daughter. Judy O'Dea's screaming is a close second. Both were looped in and out of echo over and over again."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

==Reception==
''Night of the Living Dead'' premiered on [[October 1]] [[1968]] at the Fulton Theater in Pittsburgh.<ref name="Collum3">Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 3.</ref> Nationally, it was shown as a Saturday afternoon matinée—as was typical for horror films of the 1950s and 1960s—and attracted an audience consisting of [[pre-teen]]s and [[adolescents]].<ref>[[Stephen King]], ''[[Danse Macabre (book)|Danse Macabre]]'' (New York: Berkley Books, 1983), pp. 1–9, ISBN 0-425-10433-8 .</ref><ref name="Ebertreview">Roger Ebert, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Chicago ''Sun-Times'', January 6, 196[9], at [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19670105/REVIEWS/701050301/1023 RogerEbert.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> The [[MPAA film rating system]] was not in place until November 1968, so theater managers did not prohibit even young children from purchasing tickets. [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' chided theater owners and parents who allowed children access to the film. "I don't think the younger kids really knew what hit them," complained Ebert. "They were used to going to movies, sure, and they'd seen some horror movies before, sure, but this was something else." According to Ebert, the film affected the audience immediately:<blockquote>''The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying.''<ref name="Ebertreview"/></blockquote>

[[Image:NightoftheLivingDeadPosterSpanish.jpg|right|thumb|[[Spanish language]] poster advertising ''Night of the Living Dead'' in [[Spain]].]]

One commentator asserts that the film garnered little attention from critics, "except to provoke argument about [[censorship|censor]]ing its grisly scenes."<ref name="Higashi175">Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 175.</ref> Despite the controversy, five years after the premiere Paul McCullough of ''[[Take One]]'' hailed ''Night of the Living Dead'' as the "most profitable horror film ever ... produced outside the walls of a major studio."<ref>Paul McCullough, "A Pittsburgh Horror Story," ''Take One'' 4 (No. 6, July-August 1973), p. 8.</ref> The film had earned between $12 and $15 million at the American [[box office]] after a decade. It was translated into more than 25 languages and released across Europe, [[Canada]] and [[Australia]].<ref name="Higashi175"/> ''Night of the Living Dead'' grossed $30 million internationally, and the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that it was the top grossing film in Europe in 1969.<ref>''Wall Street Journal'' (New York), quoted in Dillard, "''Night of the Living Dead''", p. 15.</ref><ref name="VH1"/>

''Night of the Living Dead'' was awarded two distinguished honors thirty years after the debut. The [[Library of Congress]] added it to the [[National Film Registry]] in 1999 with other films deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically important in any way."<ref>"Librarian of Congress Names 25 More Films to National Film Registry," November 16, 1999, at [http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/1999/99-174.html Library of Congress]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name ="CNN"/> In 2001, the [[American Film Institute]] named the film to a list of one hundred important horror and [[thriller film]]s, ''[[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills|100 Years...100 Thrills]]''.<ref>''AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills'', at [http://http.vitalstreamcdn.com/aficom_vitalstream_com/docs/tvevents/pdf/thrills100.pdf American Film Institute]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> This film was #9 on [[Bravo (television network)|Bravo]]'s ''100 Scariest Movie Moments''.

===Criticism===
Reviewers disliked the film's gory special effects. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' labeled ''Night of the Living Dead'' an "unrelieved orgy of [[Sadism and Masochism|sadism]]" and questioned the "integrity and social responsibility of its Pittsburgh-based makers."<ref>''Variety'', review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', October 15, 1968, quoted in Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''", p. 184.</ref> ''[[New York Times]]'' critic [[Vincent Canby]] referred to the film as a "junk movie" as well as "spare, uncluttered, but really silly."<ref>Vincent Canby, "Getting Beyond Myra and The Valley of the Junk," New York ''Times'', July 5, 1970, p. 49.</ref>

Nevertheless, some reviewers recognized the film as groundbreaking. [[Pauline Kael]] called the film "one of the most gruesomely terrifying movies ever made—and when you leave the theatre you may wish you could forget the whole horrible experience. . . . The film's grainy, banal seriousness works for it—gives it a crude realism."<ref name="Kael">Pauline Kael, ''5001 Nights at the Movies'' (Henry Holt and Company, 1991), ISBN 0-8050-1367-9 .</ref> A ''Film Daily'' critic commented, "This is a pearl of a horror picture which exhibits all the earmarks of a sleeper."<ref>''Film Daily'', review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', quoted in Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 175.</ref> While Roger Ebert criticized the matinée screening, he admitted that he "admires the movie itself."<ref name="Ebertreview"/> Critic [[Rex Reed]] wrote, "If you want to see what turns a [[B movie]] into a classic ... don't miss ''Night of the Living Dead''. It is unthinkable for anyone seriously interested in horror movies not to see it."<ref>Rex Reed, quoted at [http://www.houseofhorrors.com/night68.htm House of Horrors]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Since the release, critics and film historians have seen ''Night of the Living Dead'' as a subversive film that critiques 1960s American society, international [[Cold War]] politics, and domestic [[racism]]. Elliot Stein of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' saw the film as an ardent critique of American involvement in Vietnam, arguing that it "was not set in [[Transylvania]], but Pennsylvania—this was [[Middle America]] at war, and the zombie carnage seemed a grotesque echo of the conflict then raging in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]]."<ref name="Steinreview">Elliot Stein, "The Dead Zones: 'George A. Romero' at the American Museum of the Moving Image," ''The Village Voice'' (New York), 8–14 January, 2003, available [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0302,stein,41018,20.html here]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Film historian Sumiko Higashi concurs, arguing that ''Night of the Living Dead'' was a horror film about the horrors of the Vietnam era. While she asserts that "there are no Vietnamese in ''Night of the Living Dead'', ... they constitute an absent presence whose significance can be understood if narrative is construed." She points to aspects of the Vietnam War paralleled in the film: grainy black-and-white newsreels, [[search-and-destroy]] operations, helicopters, and graphic carnage.<ref>Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 181.</ref>

[[Image:Ben giving Barbra slippers in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|left|thumb|179px|A scene that portrays Barbra as helpless. Ben puts slippers on her feet as she is [[catatonic]].]]

While George Romero denies he hired Duane Jones simply because he was black, reviewer Mark Deming notes that "the grim fate of Duane Jones, the sole heroic figure and only African-American, had added resonance with the assassinations of [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] and [[Malcolm X]] fresh in the minds of most Americans."<ref>Mark Deming, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', at [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:35311 All Movie Guide]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="RomeroJones">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref> Stein adds, "In this first-ever subversive horror movie, the resourceful black hero survives the zombies only to be killed by a [[redneck]] posse."<ref name="Steinreview"/> The deaths of Ben, Barbra and the supporting cast offered audiences an uncomfortable, [[nihilism|nihilistic]] glimpse unusual for the genre.<ref>Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror'', pp. 117–118.</ref>

The treatment of female characters attracted criticism from [[feminism|feminist]] scholars and critics. Women are portrayed as helpless and often excluded from the decision-making process by the male characters. Barbra suffers a psychological breakdown so severe after the loss of her brother that she is reduced to a semi-[[catatonic]] state for much of the film. Judy is portrayed in an extreme state of denial, leading to her own death and that of her boyfriend. Helen Cooper, while initially strong-willed, becomes immobilized and dies as a result.<ref name="Grant">Barry Keith Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead'': George Romero, Feminism and the Horror Film," in ''The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film'', ed. Barry K. Grant (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996), ISBN 0-292-72794-1 .</ref>

Other prevalent themes included "[[disillusionment]] with government and [[patriarchal]] [[nuclear family]]"<ref name="Steinreview"/> and "the flaws inherent in the media, local and federal government agencies, and the entire mechanism of [[civil defense]]."<ref>Gregory A. Waller, Introduction to ''American Horrors'', p. 4.</ref> Film historian Linda Badley explains that the film was so horrifying because the monsters were not creatures from [[Outer Space]] or some exotic environment, "They're us."<ref>Linda Badley, ''Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic'' (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995), p. 25, ISBN 0-313-27523-8 .</ref> Romero confessed that the film was designed to reflect the tensions of the time: "It was 1968, man. Everybody had a 'message'. The anger and attitude and all that's there is just because it was the [[1960s|Sixties]]. We lived at the farmhouse, so we were always into raps about the implication and the meaning, so some of that crept in."<ref name="RomeroJones">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref>

===Influence===

{{seealso|Zombies in popular culture}}
George Romero revolutionized the horror film industry with ''Night of the Living Dead''. According to Almar Haflidason of the BBC, the film represented "a new dawn in horror film-making."<ref>Almar Haflidason, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', March 20, 2001, at [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/03/20/night_of_the_living_dead_1968_review.shtml BBC]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Early films that featured [[zombies]] such as [[Victor Halperin|Victor Halperin's]] ''[[White Zombie (film)|White Zombie]]'' (1932), [[Jacques Tourneur|Jacques Tourneur's]] ''[[I Walked with a Zombie]]'' (1943) and [[John Gilling]]'s ''[[The Plague of the Zombies]]'' (1966) involved living human zombies enslaved by a [[Voodoo]] [[witch doctor]]; many were set in the [[Caribbean]].

The film and its successors spawned countless imitators that borrowed elements instituted by Romero: ''[[Tombs of the Blind Dead]]'' (1971), ''[[Zombi 2|Zombie]]'' (1979), ''[[Hell of the Living Dead]]'' (1980), ''[[Night of the Comet]]'' (1984), ''[[Return of the Living Dead]]'' (1985), ''[[Night of the Creeps]]'' (1986), ''[[Children of the Living Dead]]'' (2001), and the video game series ''[[Resident Evil (series)|Resident Evil]]'' (later adapted as films in [[Resident Evil (film)|2002]], [[Resident Evil: Apocalypse|2004]], and [[Resident Evil: Extinction|2007]]), ''[[Dead Rising]]'', and ''[[The House of the Dead]]''. ''Night of the Living Dead'' is [[parody|parodied]] in films such as ''[[Night of the Living Bread]]'' (1990) and ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'' (2004) and in episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' ("[[Treehouse of Horror III]]", 1992) and ''[[South Park]]'' ("[[Pink Eye (South Park episode)|Pink Eye]]", 1997; "[[Night of the Living Homeless]]", 2007 ).<ref>Rockoff, ''Going to Pieces'', p. 36.</ref><ref>"Treehouse of Horror III," episode 64, ''The Simpsons'', October 29, 1992, at the [http://imdb.com/title/tt0758368/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref><ref>"Pink Eye," episode 107, ''South Park'', October 29, 1997, on ''South Park: The Complete First Season'' (DVD, Warner Bros., 2002)</ref> The word ''zombie'' is never used, but Romero's film introduced the theme of zombies as reanimated, flesh-eating cannibals.<ref>Andrew Tudor, ''Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie'' (Oxford, Eng.: Blackwell Publishing, 1989), p. 101, ISBN 0-631-16992-X .</ref><ref name="Collum3">Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 3.</ref>

''Night of the Living Dead'' ushered in the [[slasher film|slasher]] and [[splatter film]] sub-genres. As one film historian points out, horror prior to Romero's film had mostly involved rubber masks and costumes, cardboard sets, or mysterious figures lurking in the shadows. They were set in locations far removed from rural and [[suburban]] America.<ref>Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror'', p. 117.</ref> Romero revealed the power behind [[exploitation film|exploitation]] and setting horror in ordinary, unexceptional locations and offered a template for making an "effective and lucrative" film on a "minuscule budget."<ref name="Rockoff"/> Slasher films of the 1980s such as [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978), [[Sean S. Cunningham]]'s ''[[Friday the 13th (film)|Friday the 13th]]'' (1980), and [[Wes Craven]]'s ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984), for example, "owe much to the original ''Night of the Living Dead''."<ref>Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 201.</ref>

==Revisions==
{{Double image stack|right|Night of the Living Dead color 1986.JPG|Night of the Living Dead color 2004.jpg|180|The film was colorized in 1986...|...and in 2004.}}
The first revisions of ''Night of the Living Dead'' involved [[film colorization|colorization]] by home video distributors. [[Hal Roach|Hal Roach Studios]] released a colorized version in 1986 that featured green zombies. Another colorized version appeared in 1997 from [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] with flesh-colored zombies.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' (VHS, Anchor Bay Entertainment, 1997), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/6301231864/ ISBN 6301231864].</ref> In 2004, [[Legend Films]] produced a colorized version for distribution by [[20th Century Fox]].<ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002IQLGM/ ASIN B0002IQLGM].</ref><ref>Alternate Versions of ''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/alternateversions Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Co-writer [[John Russo]] released a modified version in 1999 titled ''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition''.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition'' (DVD, 1999), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000JXVO/ ASIN B00000JXVO].</ref> He filmed additional scenes and recorded a revised soundtrack composed by Scott Vladimir Licina. In an interview with ''[[Fangoria (magazine)|Fangoria]]'' magazine, Russo explained that he wanted to "give the movie a more modern pace."<ref>John A. Russo interview, ''Fangoria'', quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night30/index.html Homepage of the Dead].</ref> Russo took liberties with the original script, introducing odd didactic qualities that the original lacked. The additions are neither clearly identified nor even listed. However, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reported "no bad blood" between Russo and Romero. The magazine, however, quoted Romero as saying, "I didn't want to touch ''Night of the Living Dead''."<ref>''Entertainment Weekly'', quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night30/index.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Critics panned the revised film, notably [[Harry Knowles]] of ''[[Ain't It Cool News]]''. Knowles promised to permanently ban anyone from his publication who offered positive criticism of the film.<ref>Harry Knowles, review of ''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition'', at [http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=4397 Ain't It Cool News]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The film has been [[remake|remade]] twice. The first, debuting in 1990, was directed by special effects artist [[Tom Savini]]. [[Night of the Living Dead (1990 film)|The remake]] was based on the original screenplay, but included more gore and a revised plot that portrayed Barbara<ref>The character's name is spelled ''Barbara'' in the remake, not ''Barbra''.</ref> ([[Patricia Tallman]]) as a heroine. [[Tony Todd]] played the role of Ben. Film historian Barry Grant saw the new Barbara as a corrective on the part of Romero. He suggests that the character was made stronger to rectify the depiction of female characters in the original film.<ref name="Grant">Barry Keith Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead'': George Romero, Feminism and the Horror Film," in ''The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film'', ed. Barry K. Grant (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996), ISBN 0-292-72794-1 .</ref> The second remake was filmed in [[3-D film|3-D]] format and scheduled for release in September 2006 under the title ''[[Night of the Living Dead 3-D]]''. Directed by [[Jeff Broadstreet]], the characters and plot are similar to the 1968 original. Unlike Savini's 1990 film, Broadstreet's project was not affiliated with Romero.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead 3-D'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489244/ Internet Movie Database].</ref><ref>''Night of the Living Dead 3-D'' [http://www.nightofthelivingdead3d.com/ official site]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The World Stage Premiere of "Night of the Living Dead" was on October 26, 2006, at the Stella Adler Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The play was produced by the Gangbusters Theatre Company<ref>Night of the Living Dead at [http://www.plays411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=721 Plays411 Production Services & Tickets Agency 4 Plays]</ref>, was translated for the stage by Leon Shanglebee, and Directed by Christian Levatino.

==Copyright status in the U.S.==
''Night of the Living Dead'' lapsed into the [[public domain]] because the original theatrical distributor, the Walter Reade Organization, neglected to place a [[copyright]] notice on the prints. In 1968, [[United States copyright law]] required a proper notice for a work to maintain a copyright. Image Ten displayed such a notice on the title frames of the film beneath the original title, ''Night of the Flesh Eaters''. The distributor removed the statement when it changed the title.<ref>United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Technology and the Law, ''Legal Issues that Arise when Color is Added to Films Originally Produced, Sold and Distributed in Black and White'' (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1988), p. 83.</ref> According to George Romero, Walter Reade "ripped us off."<ref>George A. Romero, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/filming.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Because of the public domain status, the film is sold on home video by several distributors. As of 2006, the [[Internet Movie Database]] lists 23 copies of ''Night of the Living Dead'' retailing on [[DVD]] and nineteen on [[VHS]].<ref>Merchandise for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/sales Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> The original film is available for [[download]] at no cost on [[Internet]] sites such as [[Google Video]] and [[Internet Archive]].<ref> ''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2956447426428748010 Google Video]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.archive.org/details/night_of_the_living_dead Internet Archive]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> As of 3 January 2007, it was the Internet Archive's most downloaded film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archive.org/details/moviesandfilms |title=Most Downloaded Items |accessdate=2007-06-06 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Internet Archive |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref> Elite Entertainment released a director-approved and fully-restored version of the film. The first Elite release was a laserdisc in which Romero participated in the supplements. The first Elite DVD was released as a single-layer DVD and some of the extras from the laserdisc were dropped due to space limitations but they were included in Elite's current Millennium Edition.

==Sequels==
{{main|Living Dead|Return of the Living Dead (film series)}}

''Night of the Living Dead'' constitutes the first of five Living Dead films directed by George Romero. Following the 1968 film, Romero released ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'' (1978), ''[[Day of the Dead (film)|Day of the Dead]]'' (1985) and ''[[Land of the Dead]]'' (2005). ''[[Diary of the Dead]]'' is expected to be released in 2007. Each film traces the evolution of the zombie epidemic in the United States and humanity's desperate attempts to cope with it. As in ''Night of the Living Dead'', Romero peppered the other films in the series with critiques specific to the periods in which they were released.

The same year ''Day of the Dead'' premiered, ''Night of the Living Dead'' co-writer John Russo released a film titled ''[[Return of the Living Dead]]''. Russo's film offers an alternate [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]] to the original film than ''Dawn of the Dead'', but acted more as a parody than a sequel. Russo's film spawned four [[Return of the Living Dead (film series)|sequels]]. The last—''[[Return of the Living Dead: Rave from the Grave]]''—was released in 2005 as a [[television movie]].

''Return of the Living Dead'' sparked a legal battle with Romero, who believed Russo marketed his film in direct competition with ''Day of the Dead'' as a sequel to the original film. In the case ''Dawn Associates v. Links'' (1978), Romero accused Russo of "appropriat[ing] part of the title of the prior work," [[plagiarism|plagiarizing]] ''Dawn of the Dead'''s advertising slogan ("When there is no room in [[hell]] ... the dead will walk the earth"), and copying stills from the original 1968 film. Romero was ultimately granted a restraining order that forced Russo to cease his advertising campaign. Russo, however, was allowed to retain his title.<ref>Patrick J. Flinn, ''Handbook of Intellectual Property Claims and Remedies: 2004 Supplement'' (New York: Aspen Publishers, 1999), pp. 24–25, ISBN 0-7355-1125-X .</ref>

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count: 2; column-count: 2;">
<references/>
</div>

==Further reading==
<div class="references-small">
*Becker, Matt. "A Point of Little Hope: Hippie Horror Films and the Politics of Ambivalence." ''The Velvet Light Trap'' (No. 57, Spring 2006): pp. 42–59.
*Carroll, Noël. "The Nature of Horror." ''Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism'' 46 (No. 1, Autumn 1987): pp. 51–59.
*Crane, Jonathan Lake. ''Terror and Everyday Life: Singular Moments in the History of the Horror Film''. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1994. ISBN 0-8039-5849-8 .
*Dinello, Daniel. ''Technophobia!: Science Fiction Visions of Posthuman Technology''. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006. ISBN 0-292-70986-2 .
*Harper, Stephen. "''Night of the Living Dead'': Reappraising an Undead Classic." ''Bright Lights Film Journal'' (Issue 50, November 2005): [http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/50/night.htm online].
*Heffernan, Kevin. ''Ghouls, Gimmicks, and Gold: Horror Films and the American Movie Business, 1953–1968''. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8223-3215-9 .
*Heffernan, Kevin. "Inner-City Exhibition and the Genre Film: Distributing ''Night of the Living Dead'' (1968)." ''Cinema Journal'' 41 (No. 3, Spring 2002): pp. 59–77.
*Jancovich, Mark, Antonio Lazaro Reboll, Julian Stringer, and Andy Willis, eds. ''Defining Cult Movies: The Cultural Politics of Oppositional Taste''. Manchester, Eng.: Manchester University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7190-6631-X .
*Laderman, Gary. ''The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799–1883''. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-300-07868-4 .
*Lowenstein, Adam. ''Shocking Representation: Historical Trauma, National Cinema, and the Modern Horror Film''. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-231-13246-8 .
*Newman, Robert. "The Haunting of 1968." ''South Central Review'' 16 (No. 4, Winter 1999): pp. 53–61.
*Pharr, Mary. "Greek Gifts: Vision and Revision in Two Versions of ''Night of the Living Dead''." In ''Trajectories of the Fantastic''. Ed. Michael A. Morrison. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997. ISBN 0-313-29646-4 .
*Pinedo, Isabel Cristina. ''Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film Viewing''. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1997. ISBN 0-7914-3441-9 .
*Shapiro, Jerome F. ''Atomic Bomb Cinema: The Apocalyptic Imagination on Film''. London: Routledge, 2001. ISBN 0-415-93660-8 .
*Wood, Robin. ''Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1986. ISBN 0-231-05777-6 .
*Young, Lola. ''Fear of the Dark: 'Race', Gender and Sexuality in the Cinema''. London: Routledge, 1996. ISBN 0-415-09709-6 .
</div>

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*{{imdb title|id=0063350}}
*[http://allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:35311 ''Night of the Living Dead''] at [[All Movie Guide]]
*{{Movie-Tome|id=29066}}
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8162994492026870322&q=night+of+the+living+dead ''Night of the Living Dead''] full film at [[Google Video]]
*[http://www.archive.org/details/night_of_the_living_dead ''Night of the Living Dead''] full film at [[Internet Archive]]

{{Livingdead}}
{{George A. Romero Films}}

{{featured article}}
[[Category:1968 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:Black and white films]]
[[Category:Directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1960s horror films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by George A. Romero]]
[[Category:Independent films]]
[[Category:Living Dead films]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh in film and television]]
[[Category:Public domain films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry]]

[[de:Die Nacht der lebenden Toten]]
[[es:La noche de los muertos vivientes]]
[[fr:La Nuit des morts-vivants]]
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[[it:La notte dei morti viventi (film 1968)]]
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[[ja:ナイト・オブ・ザ・リビングデッド]]
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[[pl:Noc żywych trupów]]
[[pt:Night of the Living Dead]]
[[ru:Ночь живых мертвецов (фильм, 1968)]]
[[simple:Night of the Living Dead]]
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[[sv:Night of the Living Dead (1968)]]

Blooper

2007-06-08T18:46:21Z

69.47.26.37:

{{Otheruses}}
A '''blooper''' usually describes a short sequence of a film or video production which contains a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. These bloopers, or '''[[outtake]]s''' as they are also called, are often the subject of [[television]] shows or are sometimes revealed during the [[credit]] sequence at the end of the [[film|movie]]s. ([[Jackie Chan]] and [[Burt Reynolds]] are both famous for including such reels with the [[closing credits]] of their movies.) Humorous mistakes made by athletes are often referred to as bloopers as well, particularly in [[baseball]].

In East Asia, bloopers are referred as NG's (No Good){{Fact|date=May 2007}}.

Comedian [[Dick Emery]] showcased his own out-takes as an epilog entitled ''A Comedy of Errors'' to his BBC shows in the mid 1970s. The later British show ''[[It'll Be Alright On The Night]]'', which has been running on [[ITV]] since 1977, and hosted by [[Denis Norden]] showed out-takes from film and TV. The [[BBC]]'s answer to the show, ''[[Auntie's Bloomers]]'', presented by [[Terry Wogan]] (and its spin-off sporting-mistakes show, Auntie's Sporting Bloomers, also presented by Wogan), ran until approximately [[2000]], and was replaced by ''[[Out-Take TV]]'', which began as 2 half-hour specials in [[2002]], hosted by [[Paul O'Grady]]. A series was commissioned and subsequently broadcast on [[BBC One]] during the summer of [[2004]], but this time hosted by [[Anne Robinson]]. The main difference between ''Out-Take TV'' and ''Auntie's Bloomers'' is that whilst out-takes on the latter were confined to the [[BBC]] archive, the former shows clips from across all five major British TV channels. ''Out-Take TV'' now appears in occasional one-off specials, much in the same way as ''It'll Be Alright on the Night''. Special ''[[Weakest Link]]'' themed editions are a regular occurrence.

ITV has also produced two other shows, ''[[TV Nightmares]]'', and ''[[TV's Naughtiest Blunders]]''. Both were presented by [[Steve Penk]] at one stage, before the latter was changed to show wall-to-wall clips with voiceover by [[Neil Morrissey]]. The former also singled out certain TV personalities as they related some of their most hair-raising moments, whether live, out-take, or otherwise, whilst the latter was set aside for more risqué mistakes. The latter has also been criticised for being used as a simple schedule filler, often with ridiculously titled editions (e.g. "All New TV's Naughtiest Blunders 18").

During the 1982-83 season, [[television producer|TV producer]] [[Dick Clark (entertainer)|Dick Clark]] revived the bloopers concept in America for a series of specials on [[NBC]]. This led to [[TV Bloopers & Practical Jokes|a weekly series]] which ran from 1984 through 1992 and was followed by more specials that appeared on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] irregularly until as recently as 2004, still hosted by Clark.

Clark suffered a [[stroke]] that year, and the blooper shows went on hiatus until 2007, when [[John O'Hurley]] hosted a Dick Clark Productions-packaged special for the ABC.

The success of both Clark's and Norden's efforts led to imitators on virtually all American and Australian TV networks, as well as scores of [[home video]] releases; many American productions are aired to fill gaps in [[prime time]] schedules. With the coming of [[DVD]] in the 1990s, it is now common for major film releases to include a "blooper reel" (also known as a "gag reel" or simply "outtakes") among the bonus material on the disc.

In 1985 a relatively unknown producer named [[Steve Rotfeld]] began compiling [[stock footage]] of various sports-related errors and mistakes and compiled them into a program known as ''[[Bob Uecker]]'s Wacky World of Sports''. The show is now known as ''[[The Lighter Side of Sports]]'' and is still in production today.

== Causes of bloopers ==
Bloopers are generally caused through human error. Where actors need to memorize large numbers of lines or perform a series of actions in quick succession, out-takes can be expected. Similarly, [[News presenter|newsreader]]s have only a short time to deliver a large amount of information - often from foreign countries - and are prone to mispronounce place names and people's names, or switch a name or word without realizing it, as in a slip-of-the-tongue or [[Freudian slip]].

Some common examples include: uncontrollable laughter ''(called in television circles, corpsing)'', unanticipated incidents (i.e. a [[Theatrical property|prop]] falling or breaking), forgotten lines, or deliberate sabotage of an actor's performance by a fellow actor (to evoke laughter).

The famous adage of show business "Never work with children or [[animal]]s" demonstrates two other causes of out-takes. [[Child]]ren, especially children who have no acting experience, often miss cues, deliver the wrong lines or make comments which are particularly embarrassing. Similarly, animals are very likely to do things not in the script.

A third type of blooper is caused by failure of inanimate objects. This can be as simple as a sound effect being mis-timed or a microphone not working, but frequently involves doorknobs (and doors) not working or breaking, props and sets being improperly prepared, as well as props working in ways they should not work.

In recent years, [[mobile phone]]s have been a new source of bloopers with them frequently going off. Many of them belong to actors, presenters and contestants who may have forgotten to turn them off or put on silence.

The reaction to bloopers is often intensified in the stressful environment of a movie or television filming set, with some actors expressing extreme annoyance while others enjoy the stress relief brought on by the unexpected event.

== Examples of bloopers ==
One of the earliest known bloopers is attributed to 1930s broadcaster [[Harry Von Zell]], who accidentally referred to then-US President [[Herbert Hoover]] as "Hoobert Heever" during an introduction. Reportedly it was upon hearing of this mistake that Kermit Schafer was inspired to begin collecting bloopers. See also http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/radio/vonzell.asp

One famous out-take from [[Australia]]n television is from the [[gameshow]] ''[[Who Dares Wins (game show)|Who Dares Wins]]'', hosted by former [[cricket]]er [[Mike Whitney]]. The scene involved Whitney introducing a challenge by throwing a [[water balloon]] from hand to hand and delivering the line, "Remember when we were young, when we were kids, and we'd play with water balloons? You'd throw them all over the place and they'd burst and water would go everywhere". The out-takes of this scene, aired after the credits of the show, feature Whitney delivering the line in the following ways:

* Remember when we were young, when we were kids, when we were young, when we were kids, when we were young...
* Remember when we were young, when we were kids, and we'd play with water balloons? You'd throw them all over the place and they'd burst and water would go all over the place. [Pause] That's two all over the places.
* Remember when we were young, when we were kids, and we'd play with water balloons? You'd throw them all over the place and they'd burst and water would go everywhere everywhere. [Laughter]

During a comedy show hosted by [[Red Skelton]] in the 1950s, a skit incorporating Red's "country bumpkin" character, "Clem Kadiddlehopper", had him leading a cow onto the stage. Several seconds into the skit, the cow defecated on-stage during the live broadcast. The audience laughed uncontrollably, and Skelton resorted to the use of the [[ad-lib]], saying "Boy, she's a great cow! Not only does she give milk, {pause} she gives Pet-Ritz Pies!" He followed with, "Why didn't you think of that earlier?", "You know, your breath stinks, too!" and finally, "Well, it's just like the psychiatrists say, {long pause} Get it out of your system!" Red then finally broke into laughter, and the network cut to a commercial.

A much-bootlegged recording of [[Bing Crosby]] has him singing to a recording of a band playing "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", when he realizes that the master tape had not been fully rewound, and ad-libbed vocals to the truncated music. He begins, ''"Castles may tumble, that's fate after all/ Life's really funny that way."'' Realizing the shortened music, he ad-libs, ''"Sang the wrong melody, we'll play it back/ See what it sounds like, Hey Hey!/ They cut out eight bars, the dirty bastards/ I didn't know which eight bars he was gonna cut/ Why doesn't somebody tell me things around here?/ Holy Christ, I'm goin' off my nut!"''

The [[United States|American]] [[sitcom]] ''[[Fresh Prince of Bel Air]]'' had a tradition of airing out-takes over the credit sequence. Many of these involved [[malapropism]]s on the part of the cast, often lampooned by [[Will Smith]]. Additionally, Smith would reference black culture in setting up mistakes made by the rest of the cast. An example of this is when Uncle Phil ([[James L. Avery, Sr.]]) comments, "Well, it's not here. It must been stolen", before realising the line was "It must ''have'' been stolen" and correcting himself. Smith appears in the shot and, in an exaggerated [[Accent (linguistics)|accent]], responds, "It must bin stolen. Y'all hear dat?"

Another sitcom, ''[[Home Improvement]]'', also showcased out-takes over its closing credits.

''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' produced many famous out-takes, which were shown to the delight of fans at gatherings over the years and have been extensively bootlegged. One famous example shows actor [[Leonard Nimoy]], who plays the supposedly emotionless [[Mr. Spock]], breaking into laughter when, instead of saying the line "The plants act as a ''repository''," instead says "The plants act as a ''[[suppository]]''". In another out-take, lead actor [[William Shatner]] breaks character during a scene and starts complaining about the food served in the studio commissary. A third example begins with a guest actress reciting the line, "We've come to the end of an eventful trip," to which Shatner replies, "I don't know what you've been taking..." -- a reference to the then-topical issue of [[LSD|drug-induced hallucinations]] or "trips". People bumping into supposedly automatic doors when the backstage personnel mistimed opening them was a common accident depicted. Similarly there were also mishaps while filming in exterior, with aircraft flying over supposedly alien planets.

''[[Lizzie McGuire]]'', ''[[That's So Raven]]'' and other [[Disney Channel]] shows are also characterized for showing their bloopers after the shows have ended.

Many theatrical motion pictures feature bloopers during the end credits. For example, many [[Jackie Chan]] movies end with footage of failed stunts, blown dialogue, and other mishaps; Chan was inspired to do this by [[Burt Reynolds]] films of the early 1980s (in particular ''[[Smokey and the Bandit II]]'' and ''[[The Cannonball Run]]'') that also featured end-credits bloopers. As an homage to its inspiration, the closing-credits blooper reel for ''[[Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy]]'' actually featured one outtake from ''Smokey and the Bandit II''.

[[Pixar]] also has a tradition of including blooper-like material during the end credits of such films as'' [[Toy Story 2]]'' and ''[[A Bug's Life]]''; ''A Bug's Life'', in particular, was at one point reissued to theatres with a major selling feature being the addition of extra "bloopers". Since Pixar's films are computer-animated, however, these scenes are re-enacted with faked bloopers. The makers of another computer animated film, ''[[Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within]]'', likewise also created a faux blooper reel showing the characters playing practical jokes and, in one case, bursting into laughter when one "sneezes" during a dramatic sequence. Going back decades earlier, in 1939 [[Warner Bros. Animation]] director [[Bob Clampett]] produced a short "blooper" film (for the studio's annual in-house gag reel) of ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' character [[Porky Pig]] smashing his thumb with a hammer and cursing.

The [[fishing television series]] ''[[Bill Dance Outdoors]]'' has produced three videos (two [[VHS]] and one [[DVD]]) focusing entirely on bloopers during production of the show and associated commercials, often showing various mishaps such as missed lines (which sometimes take several takes to finally deliver correctly), accidents during filming (including falling into the water, being impaled with a [[fishing hook]], or equipment malfunctions), as well as practical jokes played on the host by his guests and film crew (and vice versa). Some of the outtakes shown on these videos would sometimes be shown during the end credits of the show.

The [[Discovery Channel]] series ''[[Mythbusters]]'' will often keep some bloopers included in the actual episodes, usually various mishaps that occur on the show, such as minor injuries suffered by the cast, or various other accidents and malfunctions, which are usually quite spectacular and/or embarrassing when they do occur.

== Acceptance of out-takes ==
The proliferation of out-takes/gag reels/blooper reels, especially on recent DVD releases, has received mixed response by actors and directors. While many don't mind the extra publicity offered by such material being shown to the public and others simply enjoy seeing the mistakes, other actors complain that out-takes are demeaning to themselves and/or the craft and refuse to allow them to be made public.

Director [[Hal Ashby]]'s decision to include a blooper reel of star [[Peter Sellers]] in his 1979 film ''[[Being There]]'', for example, is sometimes blamed for Sellers' failure to win that year's [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] (for which he was nominated). Sellers had reportedly urged Ashby not to include the outtakes in the final edit of the film, to no avail.

Among his other issues with ''Star Trek'''s [[television producer|producer]] [[Gene Roddenberry]], [[Leonard Nimoy]] was not happy that Roddenberry showed the show's blooper reels to fans at conventions in the early 1970s. He felt actors needed to be free to make mistakes without expecting that they would be shown to the public, and wrote a letter to Roddenberry asking him to stop. Roddenberry's answer was to send Nimoy a blooper reel of his own should he have wished to show it at conventions.

This may have been why the concerns of one unidentified cast member have led to only a few out-takes from ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', mostly its first season, being officially released to the public. [[Paramount Pictures]] reportedly had a policy of destroying out-takes from the various ''Star Trek'' series for a time, although bloopers from ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Deep Space Nine]]'', ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Voyager]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise]]'' have been broadcast in recent years and the current producers seem to be more accepting towards out-takes. The 2005 DVD release of the first season of ''Enterprise'' included nine minutes of out-takes, flubs, and on-screen practical jokes, and was the first officially sanctioned ''Star Trek'' blooper reel ever released commercially by Paramount. The subsequent DVD releases of the second, third and final seasons of ''Enterprise'' also included blooper reels of varying lengths.

The only occasion to date on which ''Next Generation'' bloopers were broadcast (in a Paramount-authorized fashion) occurred in a 1987 installment of the children's series, ''[[Reading Rainbow]]'', which took place behind the scenes of TNG (since ''Rainbow'' was hosted by TNG co-star [[LeVar Burton]]); the episode ended with a selection of mild bloopers from an early episode (specifically "''[[Symbiosis (TNG episode)|Symbiosis]]''".). Some additional bloopers and gag footage from TNG has survived and has been circulated on the Internet.

==Alternative definition==
The term "blooper" is often applied to describe continuity errors and other mistakes that have escaped the notice of film editors and directors and have made it into a final, televised or released product, where these errors are subsequently identified by viewers. For example, in a film taking place in the Old West, a viewer might spot a twentieth century vehicle driving in the distance of one shot, or in a film taking place in ancient Greece, an actor may have forgotten to remove his wristwatch and it was caught on film. Or it might be a piece of clothing, such as shoes, that change for one shot then change back with no explanation. Strictly speaking, however, these are film errors, and not "bloopers" since they did not occur in outtake footage or a live broadcast.

[[Category:Television terminology]]
[[Category:Radio]]
[[Category:Film and video terminology]]
[[Category:Television programming]]

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The Lighter Side of Sports

2007-06-08T18:45:33Z

69.47.26.37:

'''''The Lighter Side of Sports''''' is a long-running [[first-run syndication|syndicated]] American sports [[blooper]] program produced by [[Steve Rotfeld]] Productions. It is currently hosted by ESPN personality [[Mike Golic]]. ''Lighter Side'' is the first and longest-running of Rotfeld's productions.

The show was launched in 1985 as '''''Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports'''''. As the name implied, "Mr. Baseball" [[Bob Uecker]] was the host of a sort of mock talk show. Uecker's incarnation involved numerous sports bloopers and oddities, as well as numerous jokes and sketches involving Uecker himself.

In the 1990s, Uecker left the show, and the concept was revamped. The name was changed to its current title, a synthesizer-based theme song and digitally-generated opening sequence was produced, and Golic was tapped to host. Uecker's sketches were replaced with more bloopers and spectacular sports accidents, and Golic's role was reduced to one comparable to a disc jockey, introducing clips coming in and out of commercial breaks (often at some sporting venue as part of a running gag to tie the show together).

Despite a twenty-two year run, only 76 episodes have been produced of the series (30 with Uecker, 46 with Golic). Only a few new episodes have been produced each year, so to fill the gap, all 46 Golic-hosted shows air in rotation, with new shows added in as they are produced.

==External link==
[http://www.rotfeldproductions.com/lighterside/ Lighter Side of Sports] at [http://www.rotfeldproductions.com/ Steve Rotfeld Productions]

[[Category:First-run syndicated television programs|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:1980s American television series|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:1990s American television series|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:2000s American television series|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:1985 establishments|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:1985 television program debuts|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]

The Lighter Side of Sports

2007-06-08T18:44:50Z

69.47.26.37:

'''The Lighter Side of Sports''' (originally ''Wacky World of Sports'') is a long running [[first-run syndication|syndicated]] American sports [[blooper]] program produced by [[Steve Rotfeld]] Productions. It is currently hosted by ESPN personality [[Mike Golic]]. ''Lighter Side'' is the first and longest-running of Rotfeld's productions.

The show was launched in 1985 as '''Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports'''. As the name implied, "Mr. Baseball" [[Bob Uecker]] was the host of a sort of mock talk show. Uecker's incarnation involved numerous sports bloopers and oddities, as well as numerous jokes and sketches involving Uecker himself.

In the 1990s, Uecker left the show, and the concept was revamped. The name was changed to its current title, a synthesizer-based theme song and digitally-generated opening sequence was produced, and Golic was tapped to host. Uecker's sketches were replaced with more bloopers and spectacular sports accidents, and Golic's role was reduced to one comparable to a disc jockey, introducing clips coming in and out of commercial breaks (often at some sporting venue as part of a running gag to tie the show together).

Despite a twenty-two year run, only 76 episodes have been produced of the series (30 with Uecker, 46 with Golic). Only a few new episodes have been produced each year, so to fill the gap, all 46 Golic-hosted shows air in rotation, with new shows added in as they are produced.

==External link==
[http://www.rotfeldproductions.com/lighterside/ Lighter Side of Sports] at [http://www.rotfeldproductions.com/ Steve Rotfeld Productions]

[[Category:First-run syndicated television programs|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:1980s American television series|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:1990s American television series|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:2000s American television series|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:1985 establishments|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]
[[Category:1985 television program debuts|Lighter Side of Sports, The]]

Night of the Living Dead

2007-06-08T16:34:25Z

69.47.26.37: /* Plot */

{{otheruses1|the 1968 film directed by [[George A. Romero]]}}
{{Infobox Film
| name = Night of the Living Dead
| image = Night_of_the_Living_Dead_affiche.jpg
| caption = Original 1968 theatrical poster
| director = [[George A. Romero]]
| producer = [[Karl Hardman]] [[Russell Streiner]]
| writer = George A. Romero [[John A. Russo]]
| starring = [[Duane Jones]] [[Judith O'Dea]] Karl Hardman [[Marilyn Eastman]] [[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne]] [[Judith Ridley]]
| music = Stock music
| cinematography = George A. Romero
| editing = George A. Romero John A. Russo
| distributor = [[Walter Reade|The Walter Reade Organization]]
| released = [[October 1]], [[1968 in film|1968]]
| runtime = 96 min.
| country = {{USA}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| budget = $114,000 (estimated)
| imdb_id = 0063350
| amg_id = 1:35311
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = ''[[Dawn of the Dead]]''
}}

'''''Night of the Living Dead''''' is a [[1968 in film|1968]] [[black-and-white]] [[independent film|independent]] [[horror film]] directed by [[George A. Romero]]. Early drafts of the script were titled '''''Monster Flick''''', but it was known as '''''Night of [[Anubis]]''''' and '''''Night of the Flesh Eaters''''' during production. The film stars [[Duane Jones]] as Ben and [[Judith O'Dea]] as Barbra. The plot revolves around the mysterious [[Corporeal reanimation|reanimation]] of the dead and the efforts of Ben, Barbra and five others to survive the night while trapped in a [[rural]] [[Pennsylvania]] farmhouse.

Romero produced the film on the small budget of $114,000, but after a decade of theatrical re-releases it had grossed an estimated $12 million in the [[Cinema of the United States|United States]] and $30 million internationally.<ref name="VH1">''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.vh1.com/movies/movie/24972/plot.jhtml VH1.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="IMDbbusiness">Business data for the film at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/business Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]]; however, places the box-office gross of $12 million at January 2000, not 1979.</ref> ''Night of the Living Dead'' was strongly criticized at the time of its release for its graphic content, but three decades later the [[Library of Congress]] entered it into the United States [[National Film Registry]] with other films deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically important."<ref name ="CNN">"U.S. film registry adds 25 new titles," November 16, 1999, at [http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9911/16/natl.film.registry/ CNN]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The culture of [[Vietnam War|Vietnam-era]] America had a tremendous impact on the film. It is so thoroughly laden with critiques of late-1960s American society that one historian described the film as "[[subversive]] on many levels."<ref name="Rockoff">Adam Rockoff, ''Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978–1986'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2002), p. 35, ISBN 0-7864-1227-5.</ref> While not the first [[Zombies in literature and fiction#In film|zombie film]] made, ''Night of the Living Dead'' influenced countless films and is perhaps the defining influence on [[Zombies in popular culture|the modern pop-culture zombie archetype]].<ref>"Zombie Movies" in ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', ed. John Clute and John Grant (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999), p. 1048, ISBN 0-312-19869-8 </ref> The film is the first of five ''Dead'' films (completed or pending) directed by Romero. It has been [[remake|remade]] twice, in [[Night of the Living Dead (1990 film)|1990]] and in [[Night of the Living Dead 3D|2006]].

==Plot==



Bickering siblings Johnny ([[Russell Streiner]]) and Barbra drive to a rural Pennsylvania [[cemetery]] to place a wreath on their father's grave. Johnny teases his sister, who is afraid of cemeteries, taunting, "They're coming to get you, Barbra!" A pale-faced man, ([[S. William Hinzman]]), lumbers toward the pair. The man suddenly grabs Barbra and Johnny rushes to save her. While fighting the man, Johnny falls and smashes his head on a gravestone. Barbra flees in Johnny's car, driving it into a tree. She runs into a nearby farmhouse to hide and soon discovers that others like the man are outside. While exploring the empty house, she discovers a hideously deformed [[corpse]] at the top of the stairs.

[[Image:Judith O'Dea clutching grave in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|left|thumb|179px|Barbra ([[Judith O'Dea]]) flees from a mysterious attacker in the cemetery.]]Attempting to flee the house in a panic, Barbra is intercepted by Ben, who arrives in a [[pickup truck]] and attacks the mysterious figures with a [[tire iron]]. Ben boards up the doors and windows from the inside with dismantled furniture and scraps of wood as Barbra becomes [[hysterical]]. Ben finds a rifle and a radio as Barbra lies incapacitated on a couch in the living room. The two are unaware that Harry and Helen Cooper ([[Karl Hardman]] and [[Marilyn Eastman]]), their daughter Karen (Kyra Schon), and teenage couple Tom ([[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne]]) and Judy ([[Judith Ridley]]) have been hiding in the [[cellar]]. One of the attackers bit Karen earlier and she has fallen ill. Harry wants the group to barricade themselves in the cellar, but Ben argues that they would, effectively, be trapping themselves down there. Ben carries the argument, and the group cooperates (begrudgingly, in Harry's case) to reinforce the main part of the house.

Radio reports explain that an epidemic of [[mass murder]] is sweeping across the [[eastern seaboard]] of the [[United States]]. Later, Ben discovers a television set upstairs and the [[Emergency Broadcast System|emergency broadcaster]] reveals that the murderers are consuming their victims' flesh. A subsequent broadcast reports that the murders are being perpetrated by the recently deceased who have returned to life. Experts—scientists and military generals—are not sure of the cause of the reanimation, but one scientist is certain that it is the result of [[Radioactive contamination|radiation]] emanating from a [[Venus]] [[space probe]] that exploded in the [[Earth]]'s [[atmosphere]]. A final report instructs that a gunshot or heavy blow to the head will stop the "[[ghoul]]s" and that [[Posse comitatus (common law)|posse]]s of armed men are patrolling the countryside to restore order.

[[Image:Zombies NightoftheLivingDead.jpg|right|thumb|The living dead.]]Ben devises a plan to escape using his truck but it needs refueling. He exits the house armed with the rifle and a torch. Tom and Judy offer assistance, but when they arrive at a fuel pump near the house Ben accidentally sets the gasoline ablaze with his torch. The truck explodes with Tom and Judy inside. Ben runs back to the house to find that Harry locked him out. He kicks the door open and punches Harry repeatedly. Some of the living dead begin eating Tom and Judy's charred remains, the others try to break through the doors and windows of the house. Ben manages to hold them back, but drops his rifle. Harry quickly seizes the fallen rifle and turns it on Ben. Ben wrestles the rifle away from Harry and shoots him. Harry stumbles into the cellar and dies.

Shortly thereafter, Helen discovers that her daughter has been transformed into one of the living dead and is consuming her father's corpse. Karen stabs her mother with a [[trowel|cement trowel]], killing her, before going upstairs. Meanwhile, the undead finally break into the house. Barbra sees her brother Johnny in the mass. The resultant shock causes her to lower her defenses and she is carried away into the crowd. Ben retreats into the cellar, locking the door behind him (which, ironically, was Harry's plan all along). He shoots the reanimated Harry and Helen Cooper. In the morning, a posse approaches the house and proceeds to kill the remaining zombies. Hearing the commotion, Ben ambles up the cellar stairs into the living room and is shot in the head by a posse member who mistakes him for a zombie. His body is carried from the house and burned with zombie corpses.

==Production==
While attending [[Carnegie Mellon University]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], George A. Romero embarked upon his career in the [[film industry]]. In the 1960s, he directed and produced television commercials and [[sponsored film|industrial films]] for The Latent Image, a company he co-founded with friends [[John Russo]] and [[Russell Streiner]]. During this period, the trio grew bored making commercials and wanted to film a horror movie. According to Romero, they wanted to capitalize on the film industry's "thirst for the bizarre."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview">Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/interviews_1.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> He and Streiner contacted [[Karl Hardman]] and [[Marilyn Eastman]], president and vice president respectively of a Pittsburgh-based industrial film firm called Hardman Associates, Inc., and pitched their idea for a then-untitled horror film.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview">Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/interviews_1.html Homepage of the Dead].</ref> Convinced by Romero, a production company called Image Ten was formed which included Romero, Russo, Streiner, Hardman and Eastman. Image Ten raised approximately $114,000 for the budget.<ref name="RomeroPreface">George A. Romero, Preface to John Russo, ''The Complete Night of the Living Dead Filmbook'' (Pittsburgh: Imagine, Inc., 1985), pp. 6–7, ISBN 0-911137-03-3 .</ref><ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

[[Image:Boscosyrup.jpg|left|thumb|[[Marilyn Eastman]] applying [[Bosco Chocolate Syrup]] to [[Karl Hardman]] for a bloody special effect.]]

The small budget dictated much of the production process. According to Hardman, "We knew that we could not raise enough money to shoot a film on a par with the classic horror films with which we had all grown up. The best that we could do was to place our cast in a remote spot and then bring the horror to be visited on them in that spot."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/> Scenes were filmed near [[Evans City, Pennsylvania]], thirty miles north of Pittsburgh in rural [[Butler County, Pennsylvania|Butler County]]; the opening sequence was shot at the Evans City Cemetery.<ref>Neil Fawcett, "Evans Cemetery: Then and Now" at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/baps/evans_cemetary.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>Alan Jones, however, mistakenly cites the [[Allegheny Cemetery]] on Butler Street in Pittsburgh as the filming location. Alan Jones, ''The Rough Guide to Horror Movies'' (New York: Rough Guides, 2005), p. 118, ISBN 1-84353-521-1 .</ref>

[[Special effect]]s were fairly simple and likewise limited by the budget. The blood, for example, was [[Bosco Chocolate Syrup]] drizzled over cast members' bodies.<ref>"The Filming" of ''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/filming.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Costumes consisted of second-hand clothing, and mortician's wax served as zombie makeup. Marilyn Eastman supervised the special effects, wardrobe and makeup.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

Filming took place between June and December of 1967 under the working title ''Night of Anubis'' and later ''Night of the Flesh Eaters''.<ref name="FrightfulFacts">"Frightful Facts" at [http://www.houseofhorrors.com/night68.htm House of Horrors]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="IMDbbusiness"/> The small budget led Romero to shoot on [[35 mm|35 mm]] black-and-white film. The completed film ultimately benefited from the decision, as film historian Joseph Maddrey describes the black-and-white filming as "[[Guerrilla filmmaking|guerilla]]-style", resembling "the unflinching authority of a wartime [[newsreel]]." Maddrey adds, it "seem[s] as much like a documentary on the loss of social stability as an [[exploitation film]]." <ref>Joseph Maddrey, ''Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004), p. 51, ISBN 0-7864-1860-5 .</ref>

Members of Image Ten were personally involved in filming and [[Film editing|post-production]], participating in loading [[camera magazine]]s, [[Gaffer (motion picture industry)|gaffing]], constructing props, recording sounds and editing.<ref name="RomeroPreface"/> Production stills were shot and printed by Karl Hardman, who stated in an interview that a "number of cast members formed a production line in the darkroom for developing, washing and drying of the prints as I made the exposures. As I recall, I shot over 1,250 pictures during the production."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

Upon the completion of post-production, Image Ten found it difficult to secure a distributor willing to show the film with the gruesome scenes intact. [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]] and [[American International Pictures]] declined after requests to soften it and re-shoot the final scene were rejected by producers.<ref>Jason Paul Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's: Interviews with 20 Cult Film Actresses'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004), p. 4, ISBN 0-7864-1818-4 .</ref> Romero admitted that "none of us wanted to do that. We couldn't imagine a happy ending. . . . Everyone want[ed] a Hollywood ending, but we stuck to our guns."<ref name="DOD">George A. Romero interview, quoted at "George A. Romero Bio", Special Features, ''Dawn of the Dead'', Special Divimax Edition (DVD, Anchor Bay, 2004), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001611DI/ ASIN B0001611DI].</ref> The [[Manhattan]]-based [[Walter Reade|Walter Reade Organization]] agreed to show the film uncensored, but changed the title from ''Night of the Flesh Eaters'' to ''Night of the Living Dead'' because a film had already been produced under a [[The Flesh Eaters (film)|title]] similar to the former.<ref name="FrightfulFacts"/>

===Writing===
Co-written as a [[horror comedy]] by John Russo and George A. Romero under the title ''Monster Flick'', an early screenplay draft concerned the exploits of teenage [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]] who visit Earth and befriend human teenagers. A second version of the script featured a young man who runs away from home and discovers rotting human corpses that aliens use for food scattered across a meadow. The final draft, written mainly by Romero over three days in 1967, focused on reanimated human corpses—Romero refers to them as ''[[ghouls]]''—that feast on the flesh of the living.<ref name="Treatment">John A. Russo, ''The Complete Night of the Living Dead Filmbook'' (Pittsburgh: Imagine, Inc., 1985), ISBN 0-911137-03-3 , quoted in "Treatment/Original Script," Bonus Materials, ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition (DVD, Elite Entertainment, 2002), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005Y6Y2 ASIN B00005Y6Y2].</ref> In a 1997 interview with the [[BBC]]'s ''Forbidden Weekend'', Romero explained that the script developed into a three-part [[short story]]. Part one became ''Night of the Living Dead''. Sequels ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'' (1978) and ''[[Day of the Dead (film)|Day of the Dead]]'' (1985) were adapted from the two remaining parts.<ref>George A. Romero interview, ''Forbidden Weekend'', [[February 2]] [[1997]], available [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/baps/bbc_interview.html here]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref>

Romero drew inspiration from [[Richard Matheson|Richard Matheson's]] ''[[I Am Legend]]'' (1954), a [[horror fiction|horror / science fiction novel]] about a [[Epidemic|plague]] that ravages a futuristic [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] in the 1970s. The deceased in ''I Am Legend'' return to life and prey on the uninfected.<ref name="RomeroPreface"/><ref>Richard Matheson, ''I Am Legend'' (1954; New York: Orb Books, 1995), ISBN 0-312-86504-X .</ref><ref>Marco Lanzagorta, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition DVD, at [http://popmatters.com/film/reviews/n/night-of-the-living-dead-millennium.shtml Pop Matters]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> [[Film adaptation]]s of Matheson's novel appeared in 1964 as ''[[The Last Man on Earth]]'' and in 1971 as ''[[The Omega Man]]''. Matheson was not impressed by Romero's interpretation, telling an interviewer, "It was ... kind of cornball."<ref>Richard Matheson interview, in Tom Weaver, ''Return of the B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers: The Mutant Melding of Two Volumes of Classic Interviews'' (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1999), p. 307, ISBN 0-7864-0755-7 .</ref>

Russo and Romero revised the screenplay while filming. Karl Hardman attributed the edits to lead actor Duane Jones: "The script had been written with the character Ben as a rather simple truck driver. His dialogue was that of a lower class / uneducated person. Duane Jones was a very well educated man ... [and he] simply refused to do the role as it was written. As I recall, I believe that Duane himself upgraded his own dialogue to reflect how he felt the character should present himself." The cellar scenes featuring dialogue between Helen and Harry Cooper were also modified by Marilyn Eastman.<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

According to lead actress Judith O'Dea, much of the dialogue was [[Improvisational theatre|improvised]]. She told an interviewer, "I don't know if there was an actual working script! We would go over what basically had to be done, then just did it the way we each felt it ''should'' be done."<ref name="O'Deainterview">Judith O'Dea interview, in Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 4.</ref> One example offered by O'Dea concerns a scene where Barbra tells Ben about Johnny's death:

<blockquote>''The sequence where Ben is breaking up the table to block the entrance and I'm on the couch and start telling him the story of what happened [to Johnny] ... it's all [[ad-lib]]bed. This is what we want to get across ... tell the story about me and Johnny in the car and me being attacked. That was it ... all improv. We filmed it once. There was a concern we didn't get the sound right, but fortunately they were able to use it.''<ref name="O'Deainterview"/>''</blockquote>

===Casting===
The limited budget curtailed the ability of Image Ten to hire well-known actors. The cast consisted of Pittsburgh stage actors, members of the Image Ten production crew, and acquaintances of Romero. Involvement in the film propelled many cast members into the motion picture industry.

[[Image:Duane Jones as Ben in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|thumb|179px|right|[[Duane Jones]] as Ben.]]

The lead role of Ben went to unknown [[African American]] stage actor [[Duane Jones]]. His performance depicted Ben as a "comparatively calm and resourceful [[Negro]]," according to one reviewer at the time.<ref>Kevin Thomas, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Los Angeles ''Times'', January 10, 1969, reprinted in ''The A-List: The National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films'', ed. Jay Carr (Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2002), p. 199, ISBN 0-306-81096-4 .</ref> Casting Jones was potentially controversial. In the mid-twentieth century it was unusual for a black man to play the hero in a film that starred white actors, and commentators saw Romero's choice of Jones as significant. Romero, on the other hand, said that Jones "simply gave the best audition."<ref name="Romeroquote">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref> After ''Night of the Living Dead'', he co-starred in ''[[Ganja and Hess]]'' (1973), ''[[Vampires (1986 film)|Vampires]]'' (1986), ''[[Negatives (film)|Negatives]]'' (1988) and ''[[To Die For (1989 film)|To Die For]]'' (1989) before his death in 1988.<ref>Duane Jones at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0427977/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Despite his other film roles, Jones worried that people only recognized him as Ben.<ref>Duane Jones interview, Bonus Materials, ''Night of the Living Dead'', Millennium Edition (DVD, Elite Entertainment, 2002).</ref>

Image Ten cast 23-year-old commercial and stage actor [[Judith O'Dea]] as the waifish Barbra. Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman contacted O'Dea, who had once worked for them in Pittsburgh, to audition for the part. O'Dea was in [[Hollywood]] searching for a break-out role in motion pictures. She remarked in an interview that starring in the film was a positive experience for her, although she admitted that horror movies terrified her, particularly [[Vincent Price|Vincent's Price's]] ''[[House of Wax (1953 film)|House of Wax]]'' (1953). Besides acting, O'Dea performed her own stunts, which she jokingly says amounted to "lots of running." Assessing ''Night of the Living Dead'', she states "I honestly had no idea it would have such a lasting impact on our culture." She was just as surprised by the renown the film brought her: "People treat you differently. [I'm] ho-hum Judy O'Dea until they realize [I'm] Barbara [''sic''] from ''Night of the Living Dead''. All of a sudden [I'm] not so ho-hum anymore!"<ref name="O'Deainterview"/> Following ''Night of the Living Dead'', O'Dea appeared in the television film ''The Pirate'' (1978) and feature films ''[[Claustrophobia (film)|Claustrophobia]]'' (2003), ''[[October Moon]]'' (2005) and ''[[The Ocean (film)|The Ocean]]'' (2006).<ref>Judith O'Dea at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0640621/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The supporting cast had no experience in the film industry prior to ''Night of the Living Dead''. The role of Tom remained [[Keith Wayne (actor)|Keith Wayne's]] only film role (he committed [[suicide]] in 1995),<ref>Keith Wayne at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0915593/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> but [[Judith Ridley]] co-starred in Romero's ''[[There's Always Vanilla]]'' (1971).<ref>Judith Ridley at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0725985/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref> The cemetery zombie who kills Johnny in the first scene was played by [[S. William Hinzman]], a role that launched his horror film career. Hinzman was later involved in the films ''[[Season of the Witch]]'' (1973), ''[[Flesheater]]'' (1988), ''[[Legion of the Night]]'' (1995), ''[[Santa Claws]]'' (1996), and ''[[Evil Ambitions]]'' (1996).<ref>S. William Hinzman at the [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0386100/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Image Ten members [[Karl Hardman]], [[Marilyn Eastman]] and [[Russell Streiner]] performed prominent acting roles. Hardman and Eastman co-starred as Harry and Helen Cooper (Eastman also played the female zombie who plucks an insect off a tree and eats it) while Streiner played Johnny, Barbra's brother. Hardman's eleven-year-old daughter, [[Kyra Schon]], played the role of Karen Cooper. Image Ten's [[production manager]], George Kosana, played Sheriff McClelland.<ref>Full Cast and Crew for ''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/fullcredits Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Romero's friends and acquaintances were recruited as zombie [[Extra (actor)|extras]]. Romero stated, "We had a film company doing commercials and industrial films so there were a lot of people from the advertising game who all wanted to come out and be zombies, and a lot of them did." He adds amusingly, "Some people from around Evans City who just thought it was a goof came out to get caked in makeup and lumber around."<ref>George A. Romero interview, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/zombies.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

===Directing===
''Night of the Living Dead'' was the first feature-length film directed by [[George A. Romero]]. His initial work involved filming [[Short subject|shorts]] for Pittsburgh public broadcaster [[WQED (TV)|WQED]]'s children's series ''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]''.<ref name="DOD"/><ref>George A. Romero, "Bloody Diary" available at [http://www.diamonddead.com/diary/view.php?s=YToyOntzOjM6ImFpZCI7czoxOiIzIjtzOjI6ImlkIjtzOjI6IjM1Ijt9 Diamond Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref> Romero's decision to direct ''Night of the Living Dead'' essentially launched his career as a horror director. He took the helm of the sequels as well as ''Season of the Witch'', ''[[The Crazies]]'' (1973), ''[[Martin (film)|Martin]]'' (1977), ''[[Creepshow]]'' (1982) and ''[[The Dark Half (film)|The Dark Half]]'' (1993).<ref>George A. Romero biography at [http://www.horrordirectors.com/georgeromero.html HorrorDirectors.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Critics saw the influence of the horror and science-fiction films of the 1950s in Romero's directorial style. Stephen Paul Miller, for instance, witnessed "a revival of fifties schlock shock... and the army general's television discussion of military operations in the film echoes the often inevitable calling-in of the army in fifties horror films." Miller admits, however, that "''Night of the Living Dead'' takes greater relish in mocking these military operations through the general's pompous demeanor" and the government's inability to source the zombie epidemic or protect the citizenry.<ref>Stephen Paul Miller, ''The Seventies Now: Culture as Surveillance'' (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1999), p. 81, ISBN 0-8223-2166-1 .</ref>

Romero describes the mood he wished to establish: "The film opens with a situation that has already disintegrated to a point of little hope, and it moves progressively toward absolute despair and ultimate tragedy."<ref>George A. Romero, quoted in Royer, ''The Spectacle Of Isolation,'' p. 15.</ref> According to film historian Carl Royer, Romero "employs [[chiaroscuro]], [[Film noir|noir]]-style lighting to emphasize humanity's nightmare alienation from itself."<ref>Carl Royer, ''The Spectacle Of Isolation In Horror Films: Dark Parades'' Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth Press, 2005), p. 15, ISBN 0-7890-2264-8 .</ref>

While some critics dismissed Romero's film because of the graphic scenes, writer [[R. H. W. Dillard]] claimed that the "open-eyed detailing" of [[taboo]] served to heighten the film's success. He asks, "What girl has not, at one time or another, wished to kill her mother? And Karen, in the film, offers a particularly vivid opportunity to commit the forbidden deed vicariously."<ref>R. H. W. Dillard, "''Night of the Living Dead'': It's Not Like Just a Wind That's Passing Through," in ''American Horrors: Essays on the Modern American Horror Film'', ed. Gregory A. Waller (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1988), p. 15, ISBN 0-252-01448-0 .</ref>

Romero featured human taboos as key themes, particularly [[cannibalism]]. Although zombie cannibals were inspired by Matheson's ''I Am Legend'', film historian Robin Wood sees the flesh-eating scenes of ''Night of the Living Dead'' as a late-[[1960s]] critique of American [[capitalism]]. Wood asserts that the zombies represent capitalists, and "cannibalism represents the ultimate in possessiveness, hence the logical end of human relations under capitalism." He argues that the zombies' victims symbolized the repression of "[[Other|the Other]]" in [[bourgeois]] American society, namely [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|civil rights activists]], [[Second-wave feminism|feminists]], [[homosexual]]s and [[Counterculture|counterculturalists]] in general.<ref>Robin Wood, "An Introduction to the American Horror Film," in ''Movies and Methods'', Vol. II, ed. Bill Nichols (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1985), p. 213, ISBN 0-520-05409-1 .</ref>

===Music and sound effects===
The eerie and disturbing [[film score|music score]] of ''Night of the Living Dead'' was not composed for the film. Karl Hardman told an interviewer that the music came from Hardman Associates's extensive film music library. Much of it used in the film was purchased from the library of Capitol Records, and an album of the soundtrack was released at one point. Stock music selections included works by Ib Glindemann, Philip Green, [[Geordie Hormel]], William Loose, Jack Meakin and Spencer Moore.<ref>Full Cast and Crew for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://imdb.com/title/tt0063350/fullcredits Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[August 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Some of the music was earlier used as the soundtrack for the science-fiction [[B-movie]] ''[[Teenagers from Outer Space]]'' (1959) The eerie musical piece during the tense scene in the film where "Ben" finds the rifle in the closet inside the farmhouse as the radio reports of mayhem play ominously in the background can be heard in longer and more complete form during the opening credits and the beginning of [[The Devil's Messenger]] (1961) starring Lon Chaney Jr. Another piece was taken from the final episode of television's ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', which had aired one year earlier.<ref>Trivia for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/trivia Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[August 28]] [[2006]].</ref> According to Hardman, "I chose a selection of music for each of the various scenes and then George made the final selections. I then took those selections and augmented them electronically."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/> Hardman's choices worked well, as Film historian Sumiko Higashi believes that the music "signif[ies] the nature of events that await."<ref>Sumiko Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead'': A Horror Film about the Horrors of the Vietnam Era," in ''From Hanoi to Hollywood: The Vietnam War in American Film'', ed. Linda Dittmar and Gene Michaud (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1990), p. 182, ISBN 0-8135-1587-4 .</ref>

Sound effects were created by Hardman and Marilyn Eastman: "Marilyn and I recorded all of the live sound effects used in the film (two 10 inch reels of edited tape)." Hardman recalled, "Of all the sound effects that we created, the one that still gives me goose bumps when I hear it, is Marilyn's screaming as [Helen Cooper] is killed by her daughter. Judy O'Dea's screaming is a close second. Both were looped in and out of echo over and over again."<ref name="Hardman/Eastmaninterview"/>

==Reception==
''Night of the Living Dead'' premiered on [[October 1]] [[1968]] at the Fulton Theater in Pittsburgh.<ref name="Collum3">Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 3.</ref> Nationally, it was shown as a Saturday afternoon matinée—as was typical for horror films of the 1950s and 1960s—and attracted an audience consisting of [[pre-teen]]s and [[adolescents]].<ref>[[Stephen King]], ''[[Danse Macabre (book)|Danse Macabre]]'' (New York: Berkley Books, 1983), pp. 1–9, ISBN 0-425-10433-8 .</ref><ref name="Ebertreview">Roger Ebert, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', Chicago ''Sun-Times'', January 6, 196[9], at [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19670105/REVIEWS/701050301/1023 RogerEbert.com]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> The [[MPAA film rating system]] was not in place until November 1968, so theater managers did not prohibit even young children from purchasing tickets. [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' chided theater owners and parents who allowed children access to the film. "I don't think the younger kids really knew what hit them," complained Ebert. "They were used to going to movies, sure, and they'd seen some horror movies before, sure, but this was something else." According to Ebert, the film affected the audience immediately:<blockquote>''The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying.''<ref name="Ebertreview"/></blockquote>

[[Image:NightoftheLivingDeadPosterSpanish.jpg|right|thumb|[[Spanish language]] poster advertising ''Night of the Living Dead'' in [[Spain]].]]

One commentator asserts that the film garnered little attention from critics, "except to provoke argument about [[censorship|censor]]ing its grisly scenes."<ref name="Higashi175">Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 175.</ref> Despite the controversy, five years after the premiere Paul McCullough of ''[[Take One]]'' hailed ''Night of the Living Dead'' as the "most profitable horror film ever ... produced outside the walls of a major studio."<ref>Paul McCullough, "A Pittsburgh Horror Story," ''Take One'' 4 (No. 6, July-August 1973), p. 8.</ref> The film had earned between $12 and $15 million at the American [[box office]] after a decade. It was translated into more than 25 languages and released across Europe, [[Canada]] and [[Australia]].<ref name="Higashi175"/> ''Night of the Living Dead'' grossed $30 million internationally, and the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that it was the top grossing film in Europe in 1969.<ref>''Wall Street Journal'' (New York), quoted in Dillard, "''Night of the Living Dead''", p. 15.</ref><ref name="VH1"/>

''Night of the Living Dead'' was awarded two distinguished honors thirty years after the debut. The [[Library of Congress]] added it to the [[National Film Registry]] in 1999 with other films deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically important in any way."<ref>"Librarian of Congress Names 25 More Films to National Film Registry," November 16, 1999, at [http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/1999/99-174.html Library of Congress]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name ="CNN"/> In 2001, the [[American Film Institute]] named the film to a list of one hundred important horror and [[thriller film]]s, ''[[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills|100 Years...100 Thrills]]''.<ref>''AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills'', at [http://http.vitalstreamcdn.com/aficom_vitalstream_com/docs/tvevents/pdf/thrills100.pdf American Film Institute]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> This film was #9 on [[Bravo (television network)|Bravo]]'s ''100 Scariest Movie Moments''.

===Criticism===
Reviewers disliked the film's gory special effects. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' labeled ''Night of the Living Dead'' an "unrelieved orgy of [[Sadism and Masochism|sadism]]" and questioned the "integrity and social responsibility of its Pittsburgh-based makers."<ref>''Variety'', review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', October 15, 1968, quoted in Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''", p. 184.</ref> ''[[New York Times]]'' critic [[Vincent Canby]] referred to the film as a "junk movie" as well as "spare, uncluttered, but really silly."<ref>Vincent Canby, "Getting Beyond Myra and The Valley of the Junk," New York ''Times'', July 5, 1970, p. 49.</ref>

Nevertheless, some reviewers recognized the film as groundbreaking. [[Pauline Kael]] called the film "one of the most gruesomely terrifying movies ever made—and when you leave the theatre you may wish you could forget the whole horrible experience. . . . The film's grainy, banal seriousness works for it—gives it a crude realism."<ref name="Kael">Pauline Kael, ''5001 Nights at the Movies'' (Henry Holt and Company, 1991), ISBN 0-8050-1367-9 .</ref> A ''Film Daily'' critic commented, "This is a pearl of a horror picture which exhibits all the earmarks of a sleeper."<ref>''Film Daily'', review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', quoted in Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 175.</ref> While Roger Ebert criticized the matinée screening, he admitted that he "admires the movie itself."<ref name="Ebertreview"/> Critic [[Rex Reed]] wrote, "If you want to see what turns a [[B movie]] into a classic ... don't miss ''Night of the Living Dead''. It is unthinkable for anyone seriously interested in horror movies not to see it."<ref>Rex Reed, quoted at [http://www.houseofhorrors.com/night68.htm House of Horrors]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Since the release, critics and film historians have seen ''Night of the Living Dead'' as a subversive film that critiques 1960s American society, international [[Cold War]] politics, and domestic [[racism]]. Elliot Stein of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' saw the film as an ardent critique of American involvement in Vietnam, arguing that it "was not set in [[Transylvania]], but Pennsylvania—this was [[Middle America]] at war, and the zombie carnage seemed a grotesque echo of the conflict then raging in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]]."<ref name="Steinreview">Elliot Stein, "The Dead Zones: 'George A. Romero' at the American Museum of the Moving Image," ''The Village Voice'' (New York), 8–14 January, 2003, available [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0302,stein,41018,20.html here]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Film historian Sumiko Higashi concurs, arguing that ''Night of the Living Dead'' was a horror film about the horrors of the Vietnam era. While she asserts that "there are no Vietnamese in ''Night of the Living Dead'', ... they constitute an absent presence whose significance can be understood if narrative is construed." She points to aspects of the Vietnam War paralleled in the film: grainy black-and-white newsreels, [[search-and-destroy]] operations, helicopters, and graphic carnage.<ref>Higashi, "''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 181.</ref>

[[Image:Ben giving Barbra slippers in Night of the Living Dead bw.jpg|left|thumb|179px|A scene that portrays Barbra as helpless. Ben puts slippers on her feet as she is [[catatonic]].]]

While George Romero denies he hired Duane Jones simply because he was black, reviewer Mark Deming notes that "the grim fate of Duane Jones, the sole heroic figure and only African-American, had added resonance with the assassinations of [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] and [[Malcolm X]] fresh in the minds of most Americans."<ref>Mark Deming, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', at [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:35311 All Movie Guide]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name="RomeroJones">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref> Stein adds, "In this first-ever subversive horror movie, the resourceful black hero survives the zombies only to be killed by a [[redneck]] posse."<ref name="Steinreview"/> The deaths of Ben, Barbra and the supporting cast offered audiences an uncomfortable, [[nihilism|nihilistic]] glimpse unusual for the genre.<ref>Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror'', pp. 117–118.</ref>

The treatment of female characters attracted criticism from [[feminism|feminist]] scholars and critics. Women are portrayed as helpless and often excluded from the decision-making process by the male characters. Barbra suffers a psychological breakdown so severe after the loss of her brother that she is reduced to a semi-[[catatonic]] state for much of the film. Judy is portrayed in an extreme state of denial, leading to her own death and that of her boyfriend. Helen Cooper, while initially strong-willed, becomes immobilized and dies as a result.<ref name="Grant">Barry Keith Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead'': George Romero, Feminism and the Horror Film," in ''The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film'', ed. Barry K. Grant (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996), ISBN 0-292-72794-1 .</ref>

Other prevalent themes included "[[disillusionment]] with government and [[patriarchal]] [[nuclear family]]"<ref name="Steinreview"/> and "the flaws inherent in the media, local and federal government agencies, and the entire mechanism of [[civil defense]]."<ref>Gregory A. Waller, Introduction to ''American Horrors'', p. 4.</ref> Film historian Linda Badley explains that the film was so horrifying because the monsters were not creatures from [[Outer Space]] or some exotic environment, "They're us."<ref>Linda Badley, ''Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic'' (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995), p. 25, ISBN 0-313-27523-8 .</ref> Romero confessed that the film was designed to reflect the tensions of the time: "It was 1968, man. Everybody had a 'message'. The anger and attitude and all that's there is just because it was the [[1960s|Sixties]]. We lived at the farmhouse, so we were always into raps about the implication and the meaning, so some of that crept in."<ref name="RomeroJones">George A. Romero, quoted in Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror Movies'', p. 118.</ref>

===Influence===

{{seealso|Zombies in popular culture}}
George Romero revolutionized the horror film industry with ''Night of the Living Dead''. According to Almar Haflidason of the BBC, the film represented "a new dawn in horror film-making."<ref>Almar Haflidason, review of ''Night of the Living Dead'', March 20, 2001, at [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/03/20/night_of_the_living_dead_1968_review.shtml BBC]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Early films that featured [[zombies]] such as [[Victor Halperin|Victor Halperin's]] ''[[White Zombie (film)|White Zombie]]'' (1932), [[Jacques Tourneur|Jacques Tourneur's]] ''[[I Walked with a Zombie]]'' (1943) and [[John Gilling]]'s ''[[The Plague of the Zombies]]'' (1966) involved living human zombies enslaved by a [[Voodoo]] [[witch doctor]]; many were set in the [[Caribbean]].

The film and its successors spawned countless imitators that borrowed elements instituted by Romero: ''[[Tombs of the Blind Dead]]'' (1971), ''[[Zombi 2|Zombie]]'' (1979), ''[[Hell of the Living Dead]]'' (1980), ''[[Night of the Comet]]'' (1984), ''[[Return of the Living Dead]]'' (1985), ''[[Night of the Creeps]]'' (1986), ''[[Children of the Living Dead]]'' (2001), and the video game series ''[[Resident Evil (series)|Resident Evil]]'' (later adapted as films in [[Resident Evil (film)|2002]], [[Resident Evil: Apocalypse|2004]], and [[Resident Evil: Extinction|2007]]), ''[[Dead Rising]]'', and ''[[The House of the Dead]]''. ''Night of the Living Dead'' is [[parody|parodied]] in films such as ''[[Night of the Living Bread]]'' (1990) and ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'' (2004) and in episodes of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' ("[[Treehouse of Horror III]]", 1992) and ''[[South Park]]'' ("[[Pink Eye (South Park episode)|Pink Eye]]", 1997; "[[Night of the Living Homeless]]", 2007 ).<ref>Rockoff, ''Going to Pieces'', p. 36.</ref><ref>"Treehouse of Horror III," episode 64, ''The Simpsons'', October 29, 1992, at the [http://imdb.com/title/tt0758368/ Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]], [[2006]].</ref><ref>"Pink Eye," episode 107, ''South Park'', October 29, 1997, on ''South Park: The Complete First Season'' (DVD, Warner Bros., 2002)</ref> The word ''zombie'' is never used, but Romero's film introduced the theme of zombies as reanimated, flesh-eating cannibals.<ref>Andrew Tudor, ''Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie'' (Oxford, Eng.: Blackwell Publishing, 1989), p. 101, ISBN 0-631-16992-X .</ref><ref name="Collum3">Collum, ''Assault of the Killer B's'', p. 3.</ref>

''Night of the Living Dead'' ushered in the [[slasher film|slasher]] and [[splatter film]] sub-genres. As one film historian points out, horror prior to Romero's film had mostly involved rubber masks and costumes, cardboard sets, or mysterious figures lurking in the shadows. They were set in locations far removed from rural and [[suburban]] America.<ref>Jones, ''Rough Guide to Horror'', p. 117.</ref> Romero revealed the power behind [[exploitation film|exploitation]] and setting horror in ordinary, unexceptional locations and offered a template for making an "effective and lucrative" film on a "minuscule budget."<ref name="Rockoff"/> Slasher films of the 1980s such as [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978), [[Sean S. Cunningham]]'s ''[[Friday the 13th (film)|Friday the 13th]]'' (1980), and [[Wes Craven]]'s ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984), for example, "owe much to the original ''Night of the Living Dead''."<ref>Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead''," p. 201.</ref>

==Revisions==
{{Double image stack|right|Night of the Living Dead color 1986.JPG|Night of the Living Dead color 2004.jpg|180|The film was colorized in 1986...|...and in 2004.}}
The first revisions of ''Night of the Living Dead'' involved [[film colorization|colorization]] by home video distributors. [[Hal Roach|Hal Roach Studios]] released a colorized version in 1986 that featured green zombies. Another colorized version appeared in 1997 from [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] with flesh-colored zombies.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' (VHS, Anchor Bay Entertainment, 1997), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/6301231864/ ISBN 6301231864].</ref> In 2004, [[Legend Films]] produced a colorized version for distribution by [[20th Century Fox]].<ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002IQLGM/ ASIN B0002IQLGM].</ref><ref>Alternate Versions of ''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/alternateversions Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Co-writer [[John Russo]] released a modified version in 1999 titled ''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition''.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition'' (DVD, 1999), [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000JXVO/ ASIN B00000JXVO].</ref> He filmed additional scenes and recorded a revised soundtrack composed by Scott Vladimir Licina. In an interview with ''[[Fangoria (magazine)|Fangoria]]'' magazine, Russo explained that he wanted to "give the movie a more modern pace."<ref>John A. Russo interview, ''Fangoria'', quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night30/index.html Homepage of the Dead].</ref> Russo took liberties with the original script, introducing odd didactic qualities that the original lacked. The additions are neither clearly identified nor even listed. However, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reported "no bad blood" between Russo and Romero. The magazine, however, quoted Romero as saying, "I didn't want to touch ''Night of the Living Dead''."<ref>''Entertainment Weekly'', quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night30/index.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> Critics panned the revised film, notably [[Harry Knowles]] of ''[[Ain't It Cool News]]''. Knowles promised to permanently ban anyone from his publication who offered positive criticism of the film.<ref>Harry Knowles, review of ''Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition'', at [http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=4397 Ain't It Cool News]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The film has been [[remake|remade]] twice. The first, debuting in 1990, was directed by special effects artist [[Tom Savini]]. [[Night of the Living Dead (1990 film)|The remake]] was based on the original screenplay, but included more gore and a revised plot that portrayed Barbara<ref>The character's name is spelled ''Barbara'' in the remake, not ''Barbra''.</ref> ([[Patricia Tallman]]) as a heroine. [[Tony Todd]] played the role of Ben. Film historian Barry Grant saw the new Barbara as a corrective on the part of Romero. He suggests that the character was made stronger to rectify the depiction of female characters in the original film.<ref name="Grant">Barry Keith Grant, "Taking Back the ''Night of the Living Dead'': George Romero, Feminism and the Horror Film," in ''The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film'', ed. Barry K. Grant (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996), ISBN 0-292-72794-1 .</ref> The second remake was filmed in [[3-D film|3-D]] format and scheduled for release in September 2006 under the title ''[[Night of the Living Dead 3-D]]''. Directed by [[Jeff Broadstreet]], the characters and plot are similar to the 1968 original. Unlike Savini's 1990 film, Broadstreet's project was not affiliated with Romero.<ref>''Night of the Living Dead 3-D'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489244/ Internet Movie Database].</ref><ref>''Night of the Living Dead 3-D'' [http://www.nightofthelivingdead3d.com/ official site]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

The World Stage Premiere of "Night of the Living Dead" was on October 26, 2006, at the Stella Adler Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The play was produced by the Gangbusters Theatre Company<ref>Night of the Living Dead at [http://www.plays411.com/newsite/show/play_info.asp?show_id=721 Plays411 Production Services & Tickets Agency 4 Plays]</ref>, was translated for the stage by Leon Shanglebee, and Directed by Christian Levatino.

==Copyright status in the U.S.==
''Night of the Living Dead'' lapsed into the [[public domain]] because the original theatrical distributor, the Walter Reade Organization, neglected to place a [[copyright]] notice on the prints. In 1968, [[United States copyright law]] required a proper notice for a work to maintain a copyright. Image Ten displayed such a notice on the title frames of the film beneath the original title, ''Night of the Flesh Eaters''. The distributor removed the statement when it changed the title.<ref>United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Technology and the Law, ''Legal Issues that Arise when Color is Added to Films Originally Produced, Sold and Distributed in Black and White'' (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1988), p. 83.</ref> According to George Romero, Walter Reade "ripped us off."<ref>George A. Romero, quoted at [http://www.homepageofthedead.com/films/night/filming.html Homepage of the Dead]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref>

Because of the public domain status, the film is sold on home video by several distributors. As of 2006, the [[Internet Movie Database]] lists 23 copies of ''Night of the Living Dead'' retailing on [[DVD]] and nineteen on [[VHS]].<ref>Merchandise for
''Night of the Living Dead'' at the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/sales Internet Movie Database]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> The original film is available for [[download]] at no cost on [[Internet]] sites such as [[Google Video]] and [[Internet Archive]].<ref> ''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2956447426428748010 Google Video]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>''Night of the Living Dead'' at [http://www.archive.org/details/night_of_the_living_dead Internet Archive]; last accessed [[June 24]] [[2006]].</ref> As of 3 January 2007, it was the Internet Archive's most downloaded film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archive.org/details/moviesandfilms |title=Most Downloaded Items |accessdate=2007-06-06 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Internet Archive |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref> Elite Entertainment released a director-approved and fully-restored version of the film. The first Elite release was a laserdisc in which Romero participated in the supplements. The first Elite DVD was released as a single-layer DVD and some of the extras from the laserdisc were dropped due to space limitations but they were included in Elite's current Millennium Edition.

==Sequels==
{{main|Living Dead|Return of the Living Dead (film series)}}

''Night of the Living Dead'' constitutes the first of five Living Dead films directed by George Romero. Following the 1968 film, Romero released ''[[Dawn of the Dead (1978 film)|Dawn of the Dead]]'' (1978), ''[[Day of the Dead (film)|Day of the Dead]]'' (1985) and ''[[Land of the Dead]]'' (2005). ''[[Diary of the Dead]]'' is expected to be released in 2007. Each film traces the evolution of the zombie epidemic in the United States and humanity's desperate attempts to cope with it. As in ''Night of the Living Dead'', Romero peppered the other films in the series with critiques specific to the periods in which they were released.

The same year ''Day of the Dead'' premiered, ''Night of the Living Dead'' co-writer John Russo released a film titled ''[[Return of the Living Dead]]''. Russo's film offers an alternate [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]] to the original film than ''Dawn of the Dead'', but acted more as a parody than a sequel. Russo's film spawned four [[Return of the Living Dead (film series)|sequels]]. The last—''[[Return of the Living Dead: Rave from the Grave]]''—was released in 2005 as a [[television movie]].

''Return of the Living Dead'' sparked a legal battle with Romero, who believed Russo marketed his film in direct competition with ''Day of the Dead'' as a sequel to the original film. In the case ''Dawn Associates v. Links'' (1978), Romero accused Russo of "appropriat[ing] part of the title of the prior work," [[plagiarism|plagiarizing]] ''Dawn of the Dead'''s advertising slogan ("When there is no room in [[hell]] ... the dead will walk the earth"), and copying stills from the original 1968 film. Romero was ultimately granted a restraining order that forced Russo to cease his advertising campaign. Russo, however, was allowed to retain his title.<ref>Patrick J. Flinn, ''Handbook of Intellectual Property Claims and Remedies: 2004 Supplement'' (New York: Aspen Publishers, 1999), pp. 24–25, ISBN 0-7355-1125-X .</ref>

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count: 2; column-count: 2;">
<references/>
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==Further reading==
<div class="references-small">
*Becker, Matt. "A Point of Little Hope: Hippie Horror Films and the Politics of Ambivalence." ''The Velvet Light Trap'' (No. 57, Spring 2006): pp. 42–59.
*Carroll, Noël. "The Nature of Horror." ''Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism'' 46 (No. 1, Autumn 1987): pp. 51–59.
*Crane, Jonathan Lake. ''Terror and Everyday Life: Singular Moments in the History of the Horror Film''. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1994. ISBN 0-8039-5849-8 .
*Dinello, Daniel. ''Technophobia!: Science Fiction Visions of Posthuman Technology''. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006. ISBN 0-292-70986-2 .
*Harper, Stephen. "''Night of the Living Dead'': Reappraising an Undead Classic." ''Bright Lights Film Journal'' (Issue 50, November 2005): [http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/50/night.htm online].
*Heffernan, Kevin. ''Ghouls, Gimmicks, and Gold: Horror Films and the American Movie Business, 1953–1968''. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8223-3215-9 .
*Heffernan, Kevin. "Inner-City Exhibition and the Genre Film: Distributing ''Night of the Living Dead'' (1968)." ''Cinema Journal'' 41 (No. 3, Spring 2002): pp. 59–77.
*Jancovich, Mark, Antonio Lazaro Reboll, Julian Stringer, and Andy Willis, eds. ''Defining Cult Movies: The Cultural Politics of Oppositional Taste''. Manchester, Eng.: Manchester University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7190-6631-X .
*Laderman, Gary. ''The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799–1883''. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-300-07868-4 .
*Lowenstein, Adam. ''Shocking Representation: Historical Trauma, National Cinema, and the Modern Horror Film''. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-231-13246-8 .
*Newman, Robert. "The Haunting of 1968." ''South Central Review'' 16 (No. 4, Winter 1999): pp. 53–61.
*Pharr, Mary. "Greek Gifts: Vision and Revision in Two Versions of ''Night of the Living Dead''." In ''Trajectories of the Fantastic''. Ed. Michael A. Morrison. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1997. ISBN 0-313-29646-4 .
*Pinedo, Isabel Cristina. ''Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film Viewing''. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1997. ISBN 0-7914-3441-9 .
*Shapiro, Jerome F. ''Atomic Bomb Cinema: The Apocalyptic Imagination on Film''. London: Routledge, 2001. ISBN 0-415-93660-8 .
*Wood, Robin. ''Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1986. ISBN 0-231-05777-6 .
*Young, Lola. ''Fear of the Dark: 'Race', Gender and Sexuality in the Cinema''. London: Routledge, 1996. ISBN 0-415-09709-6 .
</div>

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*{{imdb title|id=0063350}}
*[http://allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:35311 ''Night of the Living Dead''] at [[All Movie Guide]]
*{{Movie-Tome|id=29066}}
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8162994492026870322&q=night+of+the+living+dead ''Night of the Living Dead''] full film at [[Google Video]]
*[http://www.archive.org/details/night_of_the_living_dead ''Night of the Living Dead''] full film at [[Internet Archive]]

{{Livingdead}}
{{George A. Romero Films}}

{{featured article}}
[[Category:1968 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:Black and white films]]
[[Category:Directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1960s horror films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by George A. Romero]]
[[Category:Independent films]]
[[Category:Living Dead films]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh in film and television]]
[[Category:Public domain films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry]]

[[de:Die Nacht der lebenden Toten]]
[[es:La noche de los muertos vivientes]]
[[fr:La Nuit des morts-vivants]]
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[[it:La notte dei morti viventi (film 1968)]]
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[[pl:Noc żywych trupów]]
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[[ru:Ночь живых мертвецов (фильм, 1968)]]
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[[sv:Night of the Living Dead (1968)]]