In the summer of 1981, M*A*S*H was headed into its tenth season, and executive producer Burt Metcalfe had been at the helm of the show since Larry Gelbart left the series after the fourth season. Metcalfe had creative control, and this week’s press release announces some decisions he made in the show’s creative staff. ThisContinue reading “Press Pass 20: “Burt Metcalfe Promotes Quartet to M*A*S*H Creative Positions””
Tag Archives: mash
Script Spotlight 20: “Check-Up”
As we roll into May, I was struggling to find an episode to review this week. The first one that came to mind was “Springtime” (03×05), but I don’t have a script for it. However, I do have the script for the next episode, “Check-Up” (03×06), so I pulled it out to look through. IContinue reading “Script Spotlight 20: “Check-Up””
MishM*A*S*H 19: Banning M*A*S*H
When the series M*A*S*H debuted in 1972 on CBS, it was the third act in M*A*S*H reaching American audiences following the successful Robert Allan film and the Richard Hooker novel. However, M*A*S*H wasn’t only released in the United States, and it wasn’t an instant classic. In its first season M*A*S*H did poorly in the ratings,Continue reading “MishM*A*S*H 19: Banning M*A*S*H”
From the M*A*S*H Library 19: “Secrets of the M*A*S*H Mess”
What is it? Maxwell, Jeff. Secrets of the M*A*S*H Mess: The Lost Recipes of Private Igor. Nashville: Cumberland House, 1997. Why should M*A*S*H fans care? Jeff Maxwell delivers a comedic book as our favorite cook, Private Igor. He takes the character from the series and creates a more dimensional Igor that we never got in the show. AsContinue reading “From the M*A*S*H Library 19: “Secrets of the M*A*S*H Mess””
Press Pass 19: “M*A*S*H won’t Last Forever and Jamie Farr’s Preparing”
In October 1980, M*A*S*H had begun its ninth season and was humming along in the ratings. In the television world, however, there are not many shows that run beyond nine seasons. That reality was not missed by many of the M*A*S*H cast members, and in this 20th Century Fox Television Feature Story press release, weContinue reading “Press Pass 19: “M*A*S*H won’t Last Forever and Jamie Farr’s Preparing””
Script Spotlight 19: “No Laughing Matter”
This week I chose a script from later in the series, “No Laughing Matter” (09×13). I don’t just have one script for this episode, I have two! One of the scripts, like several others in my collection, belonged to Albert Frankel, the men’s wardrobe director. The other script I got from the actress who usedContinue reading “Script Spotlight 19: “No Laughing Matter””
From the M*A*S*H Library 18: “The Real M*A*S*H” (Documentary)
What is it? Lee, Min Sook, dir. The Real M*A*S*H. Toronto, Ontario: Storyline Entertainment, 2012. Why should M*A*S*H fans care? This documentary places the series in the context of the Korean War and real MASH units in Korea. The interviews with veterans and their MASH stories make this documentary worthwhile. As a M*A*S*H fan, what part(s) should I watch?Continue reading “From the M*A*S*H Library 18: “The Real M*A*S*H” (Documentary)”
Press Pass 18: “M*A*S*H Move is Almost Like Starting New”
The first season of M*A*S*H was not a ratings success. Far from it, in fact. But the show’s second season was more successful and finished the year solidly in the top ten in ratings. While M*A*S*H did see some ratings success during the summer re-runs, it was CBS’s decisions to move the show from SundayContinue reading “Press Pass 18: “M*A*S*H Move is Almost Like Starting New””
Script Spotlight 18: “Radar’s Report”
Typically I try to choose a script that is related to an event or holiday that is coming up. However, there isn’t much happening in March besides St. Patrick’s Day and the beginning of spring. So this week I decided to pick a random script from the collection to review. The episode that I selectedContinue reading “Script Spotlight 18: “Radar’s Report””
MishM*A*S*H 18 (Follow-Up): The Officers’ Club Sign
UPDATE 4/9/2023: Two more names have been identified! See the additions and updated images below. Thanks to the Smithsonian to providing higher detailed images and to Dan Harrison for his eagle eye and knowledge of the series. On Monday, I published a look behind the scenes at the Smithsonian in which I featured a numberContinue reading “MishM*A*S*H 18 (Follow-Up): The Officers’ Club Sign”
The M*A*S*H Historian 