Only one major character appeared in every iteration of the MASH TV franchise, and it wasn't Alan Alda's Hawkeye. There is a reality where MASH was canceled after season 1 thanks to poor ratings and became a forgotten curio. Instead, it was given a second life thanks to re-runs and evolved over its first few seasons into one of the first real dramedies on television. The death of Henry Blake in MASH season 3 sealed this transformation, while the departure of Wayne Rogers' Trapper also cemented that Alda's Hawkeye was the show's true leading man.
MASH ran for 11 seasons, coming to an emotional close in 1983. Despite being such an iconic series, there have been no attempts to reboot it in the decades since. It was actually a cast vote that led to the series ending, with the ensemble wanting to close on a high - in addition to moving on to new projects, of course. CBS didn't want the show to end, which is why MASH received a couple of spinoffs, both of which failed to match the original in terms of quality or (more importantly to the network) ratings.
Radar Is The Only Character To Appear In Every MASH TV Series
Gary Burghoff's Radar is one of MASH's most beloved figures
Many actors exited MASH throughout its run, with the final major departure being Gary Burghoff's Walter "Radar" O’Reilly during season 8. Although Radar himself was only supposed to be around 20 years old, Burghoff was closer to 40 when he exited. However, this only made his journey more poignant, with viewers watching the sweet farmboy "prematurely" age during his time in Korea. One record Burghoff holds within the MASH franchise is that he is the only actor to appear in both spinoffs of the CBS sitcom.
It would have made little sense for Radar to return for the series finale, but he later made a guest appearance on AfterMASH. This high-profile sequel was fronted by the cast members who voted to keep MASH running, with the network trying desperately to keep the brand alive a little longer. On AfterMASH season 1, Radar reunited with old pals Klinger (Jamie Farr), Potter (Harry Morgan), and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) for a two-part guest appearance. Burghoff's AfterMASH appearance was well-received and led CBS to greenlight W*A*L*T*E*R, a pilot for a potential Radar series. This would have followed Walter's journey to becoming a policeman following the end of his marriage. However, the pilot wasn't a success and quickly slipped into obscurity after it aired once in 1984.
Why Gary Burghoff Left MASH During Season 8
Burghoff had very personal reasons for leaving the 4077th
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MASH saw several key characters exit during its run, with Radar's being one of the most emotional. Burghoff's Radar signed out with season 8's fittingly titled two-parter "Good-Bye Radar," where Walter had to leave Korea following a tragedy back home; even then, he's reluctant to part from his friends. It took guts to leave one of the biggest shows on TV, but Burghoff revealed to Assist News Service in 2006 that his exit was due to burnout and wanting to be with his family.
Family, to me, became the most important thing. I was not available as a father because of my work. That doesn’t stop when the work stops. Whenever you go out as a family, you’re always torn from family to deal with public recognition.
Burghoff's personal life also hit a rough patch after his 1979 MASH exit, which included his father's passing and a divorce. Unfortunately, like co-stars such as Larry Linville before him, Burghoff's acting career stalled after he left and never fully recovered. This prompted his return to the franchise in later years too, which at least provided an epilogue for Radar.
Why Trapper John, MD Isn't Considered Part Of The MASH Franchise
MASH's first offshoot got into legal hot water
AfterMASH isn't technically the first MASH spinoff, with that honor going to Trapper John, MD, a medical drama that ran from 1979 to 1986. This picked up with the titular character 30 years on from the Korean War. Trapper (played by Pernell Roberts) has become Chief Surgeon at a San Francisco hospital, with the series following all the various dramas that take place in such a setting.
It was ultimately ruled Trapper John, MD was a spinoff of the 1970 film, not the show. So, despite featuring a picture of Hawkeye and Trapper from the show, Trapper John, MD is not connected with CBS' MASH...
The first episode ties into Trapper's experiences, where the sleeping Trapper dreams of archive footage from MASH, and there is a framed picture of Wayne Rogers' Trapper and Alda's Hawkeye in his office. Despite this, his experiences in Korea hardly ever came up on the show. This was due to a lawsuit involving Ingo Preminger, the producer of Robert Altman's MASH movie and 20th Century Fox, with Preminger feeling he was entitled to produce Trapper John, MD as part of his deal involving potential spinoffs.
It was ultimately ruled Trapper John, MD was a spinoff of the film only, not the show. So, despite the picture of Hawkeye and Trapper from the show, Trapper John, MD is not connected with CBS' MASH in any way. Instead, the Trapper seen in the spinoff is based on the Elliott Gould version from Altman's movie. Roberts' Trapper doesn't look or feel much like Gould, but then again, the show follows the surgeon decades after the Korean War.
Trapper John, MD
is currently unavailable on any streaming platforms.
Gary Burghoff Is The Only MASH Actor To Reprise His Role From The Movie
Burghoff's Radar underwent some big changes between the film and CBS show
Every MASH Movie & Show
Release Year
MASH (Movie)
1970
MASH (TV Series)
1972-1983
AfterMASH
1983-1985
W*A*L*T*E*R
1984
In addition to being the only actor to appear in all three MASH shows, Burghoff was the only returnee from Robert Altman's movie. The film is a good deal more cynical and gory than the CBS sitcom could ever be, with even Radar being a darker character. Burghoff initially based his characterization during season 1 off his work on the film, but eventually softened Radar to make him more lovable and naive. Radar's more childlike nature made him an audience favorite, with Walter's teddy bear even becoming a recurring gag.
During the 1970s, it was practically unheard of for movie stars to cross over into television. That's one reason why Gould and co-star Donald Sutherland weren't approached for the MASH series, where they would have had to tone down Trapper and Hawkeye's antics from the movie. Reportedly, Tom Skerritt (Alien) was also approached about reprising Duke from MASH, though the actor declined the TV offer too.
Radar's W*A*L*T*E*R Spinoff Was Doomed From The Start
AfterMASH and W*A*L*T*E*R were both mistakes
W*A*L*T*E*R suffered from the same issues as AfterMASH, though at least the latter felt like a natural extension of the show's themes.
MASH's finale became the most-watched scripted TV episode of all time in 1983. In the age of streaming, YouTube and dozens of ways to view content, that record is now impossible to top. Those numbers also speak to just how huge the show was, even 11 years on from its debut. That's why CBS tried some spinoffs, and while it might be considered a huge mistake now, AfterMASH was still a ratings success during its first season.
MASH was not new to character exits by the time that Gary Burghoff left the series, but Radar's departure was almost terrible because of the actor.
Still, the series was ill-conceived from the start, as co-creator Larry Gelbart (via FoundationINTERVIEWS) later confessed, AfterMASH would have worked better as a straight drama without any MASH characters. W*A*L*T*E*R suffered from the same issues as AfterMASH, though at least the latter felt like a natural extension of the show's themes. Radar's failed spinoff felt like a witless ripoff of Police Academy that lacked the heart of the franchise.
AfterMASH and W*A*L*T*E*R are so poorly regarded that neither received any form of home release and can't be found on any streaming platforms. W*A*L*T*E*R was a disappointing end to Burghoff's journey as Radar, with both the actor and character deserving much better. Even so, at least its failure convinced CBS that it was time to finally let MASH end.
M*A*S*H is a drama-comedy series set during the Korean War, centering on the lives of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they navigate the challenges of wartime medical service with humor and resilience.
Cast Alan Alda , Loretta Swit , William Christopher , Jamie Farr , Harry Morgan , Mike Farrell , Gary Burghoff , Larry Linville , David Ogden Stiers , Wayne Rogers , McLean Stevenson , Jeff Maxwell , Kellye Nakahara , Odessa Cleveland , Johnny Haymer , Patricia Stevens
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
Custom Image by Ana Dumaraog 
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