With the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, I thought it would be fun to look at objects in the collection related to the episode of M*A*S*H, “The M*A*S*H Olympics” (06×10). Last week, I reviewed the script and episode, and this week I pulled out a press photo promoting the episode. The episode originally aired in 1977, which would not have been an a year the Olympics were held, but the episode did feature archival newsreel footage from the 1952 Olympic Games held in Helsinki, Finland. In the press photo we see Margaret (Loretta Swit) and her husband Lt. Col. Donald Penobscott (Mike Henry). But the back of this photo has key information about the episode and its guest star.
This press photo is one of a few photos of Margaret and her husband, Lt. Col. Penobscott. At the end of season five, Margaret married Penobscott, and early in season six, he returned. This time he had a different face. In the season five finale, Penobscott was played Beeson Carroll. For this episode, however, Carroll was unavailable, so Tarzan and Smokey and the Bandit actor Mike Henry was hired for the role. Both actors were good in the role, and the storyline from “The M*A*S*H Olympics” was very funny. It’s just too bad that the press photo wasn’t from one of the events, or of him losing the final race!
Of course, this is a press photo, so there is more to it than just the photo of Swit and Henry. Flip it over to the back, and there is a sheet of paper attached to it that describes the scene, identifies the actors, identifies the series, and lists the air date for the episode. This episode aired November 22, 1977, and in season six, M*A*S*H was on Tuesday evenings. The description of the episode is brief, and it would have been enough of a teaser to allow publications to interest audiences. Especially since this was the second, and final, time we saw Penobscott on screen. The Olympics aspect of the episode is very entertaining as well, but I went into more detail about that last week.
Press photos and press releases were the most important form of communication television production studios and television networks had. It was their way to reach fans through the publications they cared about. Providing high quality photographs like this 8″ x 10″ example would have teased viewers of the new episode. Based the date of the photo and the date the episode aired, the photo was released 12 days before the episode aired. This was not too late for publications to publish the photo and information, but it was also not too early so that fans forgot about the upcoming episode. While today’s communication landscape has changed drastically, one thing remains true. Timing is everything in promotion of a television series or event. You don’t want to be announce something too late or too early. The PR team at CBS and Fox were masters of ensuring that fans knew what to expect on the next episode of M*A*S*H.
The M*A*S*H Historian 