M*A*S*H: The Full Story of one of TV’s Greatest Shows

A Sitcom with Something to Say

The show is an ensemble comedy-drama set during the Korean War, following the fictional events (that were often based on real-life tales from former army surgeons and medical professionals) of a U.S. Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. M*A*S*H quickly made a name for itself as quite a dark comedy, telling dark stories with grave consequences, all delivered with a contrasting but perfectly dosed amount of lighthearted humor and silly gags.

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(Original Caption) Alan Alda, (left) as Hawkeye and Wayne Rogers (right) as Trapper John face a rather nerve-racking roadblock when they are stopped by Red Chinese Dr. Tam, played by Mako, on MASH Tuesday, April 15 (8:30-9:00 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network.

Unlike so many sitcoms that move from one joke to the next over an interchangeable and often meaningless plot, M*A*S*H broke the boundaries of the form, proving that laugh-out-loud moments and heartbreaking scenes could work together in the same show. Episodes would often focus on the antics and interactions of the various members of the hospital, with tensions and issues almost always on the horizon, while also offering sobering and subtle commentary on the nature of war and the human condition.

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