M*A*S*H Headlines 4: Character Changes Keeps M*A*S*H Fresh

“M*A*S*H Headlines” is a new, limited time post that will focus on the press reaction to various events in the M*A*S*H timeline. The Press Pass posts focus on the press materials released by 20th Century Fox and CBS, but this series of posts will focus the press coverage of various M*A*S*H events including the release of Robert Altman’s film, the premiere of the M*A*S*H pilot episode on CBS, the death of Henry Blake, the M*A*S*H finale, and more! See the full series of Headlines posts here.

I argue that one of the key appeals of M*A*S*H is the writers’ ability to keep up with cast changes. In the 1970s, characters in hit TV shows weren’t replaced when the actor decided to leave. Instead, they were recast. There was a fear of changing the balance of a show, and it was thought that it would be easier to replace the face rather than the character. When an actor decided to leave M*A*S*H, there was an additional complication. The series began with established set of characters from the 1970 movie and the original novel. The writers introduced new characters such as Corporal Max Klinger, but at the end of season three, Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds had to decide what to do when two actors decided to leave the series. Would they recast the beloved characters or replace them? Thankfully, they chose to replace Trapper and Henry Blake as that gave writers the chance to introduce new storylines, create new relationships, and challenge the existing characters. A replacement surgeon and commanding officer would not have been out of a place in a real MASH unit as well. So, when the need arose to replace another character after season five, a replacement was found. I would argue that the only time a character wasn’t truly replaced was Radar. Klinger was an established character who took on a new job. In this month’s headlines post, we are going to look at the press reaction and impact of each of the major character replacements in M*A*S*H.

Season 4 (B.J. Hunicutt and Col. Sherman Potter)

After the shocking death of Henry Blake at the end of season three, M*A*S*H had to convince fans that the show could carry on without their lovable commanding officer. What made things more complicated going into season four is that Wayne Rogers had decided not to stick around after the conclusion of season three So, with little fanfare, M*A*S*H writers had to replace Trapper in addition to Col. Blake. It was a tall order, but as I argued in my season four wrap up, they succeeded. I am not alone in that assessment, however. At the time, television critic Gary Deeb agreed with a Chicago Tribune headline proclaiming “M*A*S*H: New Faces but Same Old Virtues.” In his column, he went on to suggest that the M*A*S*H would “absorb the losses with little trouble.” Joan Hanauer also agreed saying, “M*A*S*H loses two stars, none of stripe.” Despite the new faces, M*A*S*H was still the show that critics loved.

The critics weren’t the only people that M*A*S*H writer had to win over. The death of Col. Blake did anger some fans, and the ratings suffered. But that wasn’t the only challenge for M*A*S*H in season four. It was moved to Friday nights, and it was up against different competition. Season four is the only seasons (besides the first) where M*A*S*H was not consistently in the top ten in ratings. So while the death of Col. Blake is often blamed for the ratings drop, the change of night could have hurt it as well. A time slot could make or break a series, and M*A*S*H is the perfect example of this. In its first season, it was on Sundays and up against NBC’s Disney movie of the week. But in season two, M*A*S*H was moved to Saturdays. Despite the time slot change, the reviews of “Welcome to Korea” (04×01) were largely positive. In fact, there were several stories written about Mike Farrell and Harry Morgan leading up to the season premiere to ready fans for the change. The press blitz certainly helped, and an article by TV Scout featured an interview with Morgan discussing how, “if he could have a regular role on any series, his choice would be M*A*S*H.” Especially following his appearance in “The General Flipped at Dawn” (03×01). Little did he know, that just a year after that memorable appearance, he would be back on the set of M*A*S*H as the 4077th’s commanding officer.

Season 6 (Major Charles Emerson Winchester III)

Following the shake up in season four, M*A*S*H underwent another cast change at the start of season six. Major Frank Burns left the 4077th, and Major Charles Emerson Winchester III joined the crew. This cast change didn’t receive the same fanfare as the introduction of B.J. and Col. Potter in season four. That could be because Frank wasn’t killed off, or it could simply be that fans, like the M*A*S*H writers and Larry Linville himself, realized that the storylines for Frank Burns had dried up. As critic Bettelou Peterson pointed out, “with Margaret Houlihan married, it seemed better to end the Burns-Hot Lips relationship. Double adultery was asking for pickets outside the TV stations.” I don’t agree with this assessment necessarily. The relationship between Frank and Margaret had changed since the end of season three. His departure seemed inevitable. There is another issue I have with Peterson’s article. She claims that Linville “lost his job” as Frank, and that is not the case. Linville was contracted with Fox through season five, and he opted not to renew the contact. That hardly counts as being fired.

While Burns’ exit was as quiet as Trapper’s, the introduction of Charles was anything but quiet. Several articles quoted his “You can’t break the spirit of Winchester” speech. What was immediately obvious with Charles was that he was a better foil for Hawkeye and B.J. since he was also a skilled surgeon. Columnist Mary Wood stated that in “Fade Out, Fade In” (06×01), M*A*S*H introduced “the arrogant super-surgeon from Boston…played to the hilt by David Ogden Stiers, who join the the M*A*S*H company with the greatest reluctance and is instantly hated by one and all.” We now know the Charles has a likable side, but his initial appearance set up an instant rivalry for Hawkeye and B.J. As I argued in my season six wrap up, Charles was a breath of fresh air for the series and allowed for new relationships and storylines to explore.

Season 8 (Goodbye, Radar)

No post about the cast changes in M*A*S*H would be complete without the farewell to everyone’s favorite company clerk, Walter “Radar” O’Reilly. Gary Burghoff opted to leave the series for personal reasons, and, by season eight, he had played the role for nearly a decade since he also portrayed Radar in the original movie. The reaction in the press picked up for Radar’s farewell since he was a popular character. Radar’s goodbye was widely praised, and as David Bianculli pointed out in the Fort Lauderdale News, every character got a moment to say goodbye to Radar, including a rare salute from Hawkeye. In a way, Radar got the goodbye that it would have been nice to see for Trapper and Frank. Thankfully, Burghoff agreed to briefly return in season eight for a proper sendoff, and I wish the same had happened for Rogers and Linville.

In the an interview, Burghoff didn’t mince words about why he was leaving the show. He said, “I loved being that kid, and hated it, too, all these years, and I’m looking forward to being a person again, able to make my own choices and being able to live day-to-day without being bound by too many commitments.” Burghoff had kept a busy schedule before M*A*S*H as well appearing on Broadway as Charlie Brown. His hectic schedule took toll on him and his family as he discussed in his memoir, Gary Burghoff: To M*A*S*H and Back: My Life in Poems and Songs (That Nobody ever Wanted to Publish). However, that didn’t stop some from wondering whether Radar’s final episode set up a possible spin-off. Bernie Harrion wrote, “Are you glad he [Radar] met that girl in Tokyo (also returning) who lives only 100 miles from him back home? Could there be some of sort of spinoff in the works?” Of course, there wasn’t a spinoff immediately planned, but there was a pilot episode of a show called W*A*L*T*E*R in 1984 that featured Radar as a police officer in St. Louis. What?! Thankfully, that series never made it to network.

The cast changes provoke debate and conversation in the M*A*S*H community to this day. We can argue whether the decision to kill Henry Blake was controversial, and we can argue about Burghoff’s portrayal of Radar in “Goodbye, Radar.” The one thing that it is hard to argue is that the cast changes made during the eleven year run of M*A*S*H worked well. The writers took the time to introduce each new character and flesh them out. In other words, they learned from some of the mistakes of the early seasons with characters such as Trapper. Keeping a show running for 24 episodes a season is no easy task, and when new characters are introduced, it can be a challenge. The producers, writers, and cast of M*A*S*H took the cast changes in stride. I am not going to argue that the show didn’t change over its eleven year run, but I would instead argue that the changes that were made were necessary for it to last eleven years. The storylines of the first three seasons could not have lasted another eight years. New characters, character growth, and changing character dynamics allowed M*A*S*H to grow, and the audience came along with it. That is what makes M*A*S*H special, and Barbara Holsopple said it best in her critique of the season six opener when she prophesied that M*A*S*H was “destined to become of the classics of ‘the good old days.'”

Newspaper Bibliography

Season 4 (B.J. Hunicutt and Col. Sherman Potter)

• Archibald, John. “Too Man Hard Knocks.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 16, 1975, 35.
• Benbow, Charles. “B.J. Joins M*A*S*H for a Trial by Fire.” St. Petersburg Times. September 12, 1975, D1.
• “The Critics Look at TV.” The Times Record. September 12, 1975, 14.
• Deeb, Gary. “M*A*S*H: New Faces but Same Old Virtues.” Chicago Tribune. September 12, 1975, 12-3.
• Deeb, Gary. “M*A*S*H Essentials Still There.” Des Moines Tribune. September 12, 1975, 15.
• Hanauer, Joan. “M*A*S*H Carries On.” The Denton Record-Chronicle. September 12, 1975, 5B.
• Hanauer, Joan. “M*A*S*H Does it Again? – A Hit!” The Daily Herald. September 12, 1975, 2-3.
• Hanauer, Joan. “M*A*S*H Loses Two Stars, None of Stripe.” The South Bend Tribune. September 12, 1975, 25.
• Hanauer, Joan. “M*A*S*H Makes Debut Tonight.” The Daily News-Journal. September 12, 1975, 2.
• Hanauer, Joan. “M*A*S*H Moves to New Night.” Journal Gazette and Times-Courier. September 13, 1975, 10.
• Hanauer, Joan. “M*A*S*H Still Top-Notch.” The Jersey Journal. September 12, 1975, 10.
• Hanauer, Joan. “Television in Review.” Grand Prairie Daily News. September 12, 1975, 15.
• Hoffman, Steve. “M*A*S*H Hour Shows New Look.” The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 12, 1975, 55.
• Martin, Bob. “M*A*S*H Up Against Chico, Mobile One.” Independent. September 19, 1975, C8.
• Martin, Bob. “NBC Stands Pat; Other Nets Shift.” Press-Telegram. September 12, 1975, C12.
• “M*A*S*H” The Wichita Beacon. September 21, 1975, 15.
• “M*A*S*H Begins with Special.” The World-News. September 12, 1975, 14.
• “M*A*S*H Offers New Characters.” The Commercial Appeal. September 12, 1975, 31.
• Peterson, Bettelou. “M*A*S*H Madness Survives New Faces and New TV Rules.” Detroit Free Press. September 13, 1975, 7B.
• “Return to Medicine in M*A*S*H.” Danville Register and Bee. September 15, 1975, 7.
• Smith, Thom. “Only the Stars will Change in M*A*S*H.” Palm Beach Post. September 12, 1975, B9.
• “Tonight KNOE-TV8” Monroe News Star. September 12, 1975, 1D.
• “Tonight’s Shows: TV Key Previews” Evening Express. September 12, 1975, 12.
• TV Scout. “Col. Potter is a Wish Come True.” Anchorage Times. September 28,1975, H17.
• “TV Key Previews.” Morning Sentinel. September 12, 1975, 5.
• Utterback, Betty.  “Hot Lips Swit: Comedy is Difficult.” Pacific Daily News. September 27, 1975, 42.
• Witbeck, Charles. “Cavalry Man Takes M*A*S*H Command.” The Fresno Bee. September 28, 1975, 2.
• Wood, Mary. “Hermione’s Getting Attached to Mrs. Naugatuck.” The Cincinnati Post. September 17, 1975, 16.
• “Your Key to Top TV Shows Tonight.” Vincennes Sun-Commercial. September 12, 1975, 15.

Season 6 (Major Charles Emerson Winchester III)

• Gannett News Service. “David Ogden Stiers…” Pensacola News Journal. September 25, 1977, 35.
• Goodman, Bob. “Lou Grant Does Comedy and Drama.” The Atlanta Journal. September 20, 1977, 9B.
• Hanauer, Joan. “Alda Convincing in Bandit Role.” Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. September 22, 1977, F9.
• Holsopple, Barbara. “Can’t Break a Winchester’s Spirit, Chuck Says.” The Pittsburgh Press. September 21, 1977, D10.
• “M*A*S*H Premiere.” The Sioux City Journal. September 20, 1977, B7.
• “M*A*S*H Up to Usual Fun.” Dayton Daily News. September 20, 1977, 34.
• “New Cast Member” Casper Star-Tribune. September 20, 1977, 6.
• “New Major Joins M*A*S*H Unit.” St. Petersburg Times. September 20, 1977, 7D.
• Peterson, Bettelou. “Lou’s Got a Steady Job; M*A*S*H, a Proper Snob.” Detroit Free Press. September 22, 1977, 7E.
• Schindler, Harold. “M*A*S*H, Lou Grant to Open Fall Curtains.” The Salt Lake Tribune. September 20, 1977, 22. 
• Sklarewitz, Norman. “M*A*S*H’s Medics Treat Asians, Too.” Newsday. September 20, 1977, 50.
• Tashman, George. “Tashman on TV.” The Independent and Gazette. September 20, 1977, 7.
• “TV Scout.” The Tennessean. September 20, 1977, 16.
• Wood, Mary. “Chessman’s Battle to Escape Gas Chamber Dramatized.” The Cincinnati Post. September 22, 1977, 30.

Season 8 (Goodbye, Radar)

• “Actor to Quit Radar Role.” Syracuse Herald-Journal. October 14, 1979, 13M.
• Bianculli, David. “Paper Chase May be Back; Radar’s Goodbye was Great.” Fort Lauderdale News. October 16, 1979, 8D.
• “Goodbye, Radar.” Muncie Evening Press. October 13, 1979, T9.
• Harrison, Bernie. “Does Radar have a Spin-Off in the Works?” Danville Register and Bee. October 15, 1979, 3B.
• “Goodbye, Radar!” The Knoxville News-Sentinel. October 14, 1979, TV-1.
• “Goodbye Radar, We’ll Miss You.” The Salisbury Post. October 13, 1979, 1B, 13B.
• Harrison, Bernie. “M*A*S*H Wits Won’t have Radar to Kick Around.” San Angelo Standard. October 15, 1979, 10A.
• Harrison, Bernie. “So Long, Radar, It’s Been Nice.” Intelligencer Journal. October 15, 1979, 6.
• Harrison, Bernie. “Radar Bids Farewell to the M*A*S*H Crew.” The Kansas City Star. October 15, 1979, 32.
• Harrison, Bernie. “TV Tonight.” Des Moines Tribune. October 15, 1979, 13.
• Harrison, Bernie. “TV Tonight: Tune in for Radar’s Goodbye to M*A*S*H.” The Charlotte News. October 15, 1979, 10A.
• Kelleher, Terry. “M*A*S*H’s Radar Discharged.” The Daily Herald. October 13, 1979, 6.
• “Key to TV Highlights.” Staten Island Advance. October 15, 1979, 15.
• “M*A*S*H Bids Farewell to Radar O’Reilly.” Springfield Leader and Press. October 15, 1979, 6B.
• Musselwhite, Bill. “Radio and Television.” Calgary Herald. October 17, 1979, D15.
• “Radar O’Reilly Leaves M*A*S*H.” The Town Talk. October 15, 1979, B5.
• “Radar Says Goodbye.” The Saginaw News. October 13, 1979, D3.
• Sasso, Joey. “Through Channels.” The Daily American. October 11, 1979, 5.
• “So Long.” The Pantagraph. October 15, 1979, A11.
• Tashman, George. “Radar Tells Buddies Goodbye.” The Berkeley Gazette. October 15, 1979, 13.
• “Television Log.” Enterprise-Record. October 15, 1979, 7.