54 Years Later, This Stellar War Series Masterpiece Is Getting Better With Age

1 day ago 7

Published Mar 20, 2026, 7:09 PM EDT

Lloyd 'Happy Trails' Farley: the man, the myth, the legend. What can be said about this amazing - and humble - man that hasn't been said before? Or, more accurately, what can be said in public? Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Lloyd is a master of puns and a humorist, who has authored one pun book to date - Pun and Grimeish Mint - and is working on a second. His time with Collider has allowed Lloyd's passion for writing to explode, with nearly 1,000 articles to his name that have been published on the site, with his favorite articles being the ones that allow for his sense of humor to shine. Lloyd also holds fast to the belief that all of life's problems can be answered by The Simpsons, Star Wars, and/or The Lion King. You can read more about Lloyd on his website, or follow his Facebook page and join the Llama Llegion. Happy trails!

It has arguably never been more difficult to place a TV show in singular genre than now, with shows like Ted Lasso and Hacks defying labels. The concept of the dramedy has been embraced to such a degree that even Collider has differing opinions on whether The Bear is more comedy than drama, or vice versa. But one of American television's all-time classic series was resisting the genre tag long before the golden age of television. 54 years before, in fact, at any one time, this series could be a laugh-out-loud comedy, a medical procedural, and a heartbreaking drama. Set during a war that lasted only three years compared to the eleven years the series was on air, M*A*S*H is still worth the binge-watch over a half-century after it premiered.

War is Hell, and Hilarious, for a Group of Surgeons in 'MAS*H'

A series adapted from the 1970 darkly comedic war film M*A*S*H (which was based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel), the titular series centers around the personnel of the 4077th United States Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit based in Korea set during the 1950-53 Korean War. The characters from the film carried over, though now played by new actors. Captain "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda) was the funny, likable womanizer, alongside Captain "Trapper John" McIntyre (Wayne Rogers) as the charming prankster. Lt. Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) was the incompetent, but genial, commanding officer, with Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) as the inept, insecure, and antagonistic blowhard.

Then there was Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit), who was the strict head nurse, and 1st Lieutenant Father Mulcahy (William Christopher), the chaplain. Rounding out the ensemble is Corporal "Radar" O'Reilly, the innocent and efficient clerk played by Gary Burghoff, the only actor to reprise his role from the film. Then there was Corporal Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr), an original show character who didn't appear in the film.

The cast carried the series over its first three seasons when it was predominantly a sitcom... and a very funny one at that. A 24-hour poker game and a drunk North Korean soldier bring laughs in "Deal Me Out." In "Tuttle," Hawkeye creates a fake officer by the name of Captain Tuttle, simply so he can donate "his" paychecks to the orphanage, before it goes hilariously out of control, forcing a funeral speech for a man who never was. There were endless pranks played on Burns by Hawkeye and Trapper, using his own arrogance and paranoia against him. And, of course, there was Klinger and his assortment of extravagant dresses, hats, and outfits, all in a futile effort to convince the powers that be he is unfit to serve.

A Shocking Death Changes 'MAS*H' for the Better

Despite a handful of memorable dramatic moments – Season 1's "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" sees Hawkeye fall apart after a patient and friend dies – there was little that truly separated M*A*S*H from its sitcom kin, apart from its thinly-veiled critique of the still-raging Vietnam War. That changed in shocking fashion with the Season 3 finale, "Abyssinia, Henry." The episode saw Henry Blake being honorably discharged, allowing him to return home. He calls his wife and kids to tell them, says his farewells, and revels in a goodbye party before his helicopter arrives. But in the episode's closing moments, Radar enters the operating room to inform everyone that Blake's helicopter was shot down... with no survivors.

It was a truly jarring moment, with its somber tone accentuated by a cast that didn't even know it was going to happen until right before shooting the scene. M*A*S*H was no longer "just" a sitcom, but a series that could deliver humor and heartbreak in equal and effective doses. The arrival of three new characters – Captain B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell), replacing Trapper; Colonel Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan) as the new commanding officer; and Major Charles Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers), replacing Frank Burns – certainly helped. Each new character was a much deeper, more interesting character than the ones they replaced. The remaining characters, too, expanded beyond their tropes to become more nuanced. Specifically, Houlihan and Hawkeye saw deeper character development, with the former becoming more complex and empathetic, and the latter's humorous façade slowly cracking to expose the psychological toll war had taken on him.

The embracing of dramatic elements and the savvy balancing of drama with wit and additional anti-war sentiment didn't chase viewers away. M*A*S*H not only retained its viewership but gained more, culminating in a series finale, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," that to this day has the record for being the most-watched finale ever, with a whopping 105.9 million viewers tuning in. Today, its message about the negative physical and psychological impacts of the threat of war and war itself remains, sadly, relevant. That message's honesty is truly refreshing in a world where war can be "spun" a thousand different ways. But M*A*S*H is more than its message: funny and heartrending, hilarious and horrifying, it's a show that truly defines the power of dramedy in a way today's efforts simply can't, and that makes it more than worth parking on a couch and taking in all 100+ hours of it on Hulu.