More than 100 million americans watched the mash finale when it first aired in 1983. The series, which covered a threeyear military conflict, spanned 255 episodes and a 2 hour finale over 11 seasons. The series would wrap its 11season run with a twohour finale that would. Mobile army surgical hospital 4077 was fictional, but the wisecracking main character. The final episode of mash was a two and one half hour special that attracted the largest audience to ever view a single television program episode. While the finale of mash was goodbye, farewell, amen, which received over 100 million views and has been raised to the status of pop culture legend, it wasnt the final episode for the cast and crew. The final episode of the hit tv series, mash aired on february 28, 1983, garnering an astounding 125 million viewers, the most in television history at the time for a single program. In this final episode, the staff of the 4077th mash unit find their lives no less. As time goes by is the 255th episode of mash, airing on february 21 first run and september 12 repeat, 1983, and the last episode filmed. Two mash stars reunited on stage 35 years after the final episode. Metv, who shows two mash episodes every weekday night, only plays the movie once a year, on veterans day. Seinfelds finale ends up in sixth place of all time. Mash final episode best memories childhood memories alan alda mash wayne rogers 1960s tv shows william christopher mash 4077 favorite movie quotes thirtyfive years after ending its run, the cast and creators behind the cbs military comedy look back on one of the most beloved shows in tv history.
It begins with you crying and it ends with you crying more because all the characters youd loved have left your lives after being their for you for over a decade. The final mash show although the real korean war ran only three years 19501953, the mash series ran for eleven 19721983. A fastpaced and funfilled series relating the antics of a mobile army surgical hospital crew during the korean war. The mash finale, goodbye, farewell and amen, remains the most watched scripted television episode of all time. See more no boil slow cooker mashed potatoes spend with pennies. The real final halfhour mash episode aired a week before that, its called as time goes by, and i think its better than the series finale. Gelbart and metcalfe interviewed korean war surgeons who had served in mash units. The show, set in an american mobile army surgical hospital mash unit during the korean war, ran for eleven seasons and told the stories of the doctors and. Goodbye, farewell, and amen tv series episode monster mash. This was not the series last filmed episodein fact, the episode that preceded it, mash. Final episode of mash airs on february 28, 1983, the celebrated sitcom mash bows out after 11 seasons, airing a special twoandahalf hour episode watched by 77 percent of the television. The last dance on espn, chronicling michael jordan and the chicago bulls last championship run heres when espns the last dance will arrive on netflix in the u.
The final episode of the series which was set in korea during the war there. On that night, the nation seemingly shut down to watch the final episode of cbs groundbreaking military comedy mash. The staff of an army hospital in the korean war find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation. Goodbye, farewell, and amen tv series episode monster mas. The final episode produced was the penultimately aired episode as time. Why do they not show the final episode of mash on tv. The finale was directed by alan alda, who would also play the role of the shows hawkeye pierce. The episodes were produced by 20th century fox television for the cbs network and aired from september 17, 1972, to february 28, 1983.
The finale was originally slated to run 90 minutes. It is important to note, however, that the episode aired in a different television landscapelong before streaming and binge watching were possible, when programming was dominated by three networks offering limited choices. February 28 final episode of mash airs on february 28, 1983, the celebrated sitcom mash bows out after 11 seasons, airing a special twoanda. The first episode of the extremely popular tv series mash aired on cbs on september 17, 1972. She decides to do the same thing for the mash 4077. But those numbers are minuscule compared to the audience that tuned in to m. While mash always dealt with serious issues of life and loss, the finale has some of. The series finale finds the staff of the 4077th going their separate.
Alan alda discusses the final episode of mash emmytvlegends. Due to the amount of time required for postproduction, the twohour finale was shot the summer before the premiere of the shortened last season. No other scripted television show has come close to touching the mash finale. Episode 16 goodbye, farewell and amen the final episodes of the series which was set in korea during the war there in the early 50s, follows the antics of the medical staff of the 4077th mash, or mobile army surgical hospital. It would face the abc movie of the week and the cbs tuesday night movie. The last episode that aired, the season 7 finale in 2017, attracted a series high of 16. The official final mash episode, goodbye, farewell and amen, was a. The tv show mash proves that laughter really is the best medicine to cure any wounds. It was the largest percentage ever to watch a single tv show up to that time. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from time.
One day they aired the final episode on television and i was on my seat for the whole 3 hours. The final scene filmed for the series was the time capsule burial scene from. Thursdays seinfeld thus ranks as the sixth mostwatched entertainment event excluding super bowl games of all time, behind the 1983 mash finale which drew 106 million people. Wed take walks in the park for hours laying out the story, scene by scene. Find out when and where you can watch mash episodes with tvguides full tv listings youll never miss another moment from your favorite show. Radar notices a number of tattoos on one of the wounded, and convinces himself that with a tattoo he will be. As time goes by was the 255th overall episode of the cbs television series mash, and the 15th of season 11. I for some reason was just thinking of that scene i will never forget it ever since i have seen the last episode of the sopranos, i thought that the best finale of all time was that one but no if i really think of it. The local affiliates that played mash when i was a kid had a half hour slot, so they werent going to air a 2 hour episode. In the series penultimate episode, as time goes by, the characters bury a time capsule under the fox ranch. It was that final episode that made me want to see the entire mash. Mash is an american war comedydrama television series that aired on cbs from 1972 to.
The 4077th mash was one of several surgical units in korea. Goodbye, farewell and amen is a television film that served as the 256th and final episode of the american television series mash. In the penultimate episode of the series, as time goes by, the characters, aware that the korean. Written by dan wilcox and thad mumford and directed by burt metcalfe, the episode aired on february 21, 1983, and was repeated on september 12, 1983. The episodes plot chronicles the final days of the korean war at the 4077th mash and features several story lines intended to show the wars effects on the. Mash is a classic and i do believe there will never be another like it. Goodbye, farewell, and amen has a runtime of 2 hours. Mash goodbye, farewell, and amen tv episode 1983 imdb. Mash was moved again for its third season, this time to tuesdays at 8. The official final mash episode, goodbye, farewell and amen, was a twohour movie. Margaret decides to plant a time capsule at the 4077th, so the whole camp contributes meaningful gifts. Closing out the series 11th season, the twohour episode first aired on cbs on february 28, 1983, ending the series original run. In todays golden age of tv, it may seem that everyone watches game of thrones.
As it was the final episode filmed they took a moment to pay tribute to the characters except for trapper john mcintyre who had left the series before its conclusion. The local affiliates that played mash when i was a kid had a half hour slot, so they werent going to air a. The last episode that aired, the season 7 finale in 2017, attracted a. In his blog, mash 1972 writer ken levine revealed that on one occasion when the cast offered too many nitpicky notes on a script, he and his writing partner changed the script to a cold show, one set during the frigid korean winter. He was a surgeon who was drafted into the 4077th mash during the korean war. But just as the show was finishing its run, nature threw the final episode a curveball. Mash tv listings, tv schedule and episode guide tv guide. What happens in the last episode of the tv show, m. It did this largely through two plotlines, usually with at least one story in. Several other main characters departed or joined the program during its run, and. The show reached the top ten program list the following year, and never fell out of the top twenty rated programs during the remainder of its run. As time goes by 1983, which aired the previous week, was the last filmed episode. The last episode filmed was the penultimate episode, as time goes by, which featured the previouslydiscussed time capsule.
Its viewership continues to grow, even after seven seasons. When it was on tv, i watched 4 reurns everyday except tuesdays. Why the reallife hawkeye pierce hated mash history. Alan alda on the mash episode sometimes you hear the bullet its dramatic significance an. When season 11 was shown on tv years ago, that was the first time i ever saw mash. Alan told me its his favorite episode and its mine, too. The plot revolves around a time capsule, a fitting. The series premiered in the us on september 17, 1972, and ended on february 28, 1983, with the finale, showcased as a television film, titled goodbye, farewell and amen, becoming the mostwatched and highestrated single television episode in us television history at the time, with a recordbreaking 125 million viewers 60. For an enhanced browsing experience, get the imdb app on your smartphone or tablet. Decades later, goodbye, farewell and amen remains one of the most popular broadcasts in television history. It also spawned an unsuccessful spinoff, aftermash, which cbs aired from. Alice was also the show that cbs ran going into the mash finale.
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