Due to a personal matter I won’t be updating the site this week. I hope to resume updates on Monday, February 1st. Thank you for your understanding. While I’m away, why not take the time to read some articles or features you might not have gotten around to yet? Here are a few suggestions:

MASHback

MASHback was a proposed television special that would delve into the behind-the-scenes story of M*A*S*H during its first three seasons. Announced in December of 2003, the special never materialized.

M*A*S*H in Syndication

An in-depth look at how M*A*S*H has been syndicated over the decades, starting with late night and daytime runs on CBS in the late 1970s and later off-network/local and cable airings.

Music of M*A*S*H

An analysis of the music used in individual episodes using original cue sheets from the series.

Promoting the Premiere

A collection of rare promotional material used to publicize the premiere of M*A*S*H way back in September of 1972.

Watching M*A*S*H in the 1970s

A look at the way M*A*S*H was originally broadcast in the 1970s, with rare footage of sponsorship promos and more.

Forty years ago today, on January 25th, 1970, Robert Altman’s MASH (or M*A*S*H) premiered in New York City. It opened in Los Angeles roughly a month later on February 18th and in the rest of the country in March. Based on the novel by Richard Hooker, the screenplay for MASH was written by Ring Lardner, Jr. The movie was produced by Ingo Preminger. Johnny Mandel wrote the famous theme song and Mike Altman (son of Robert Altman) provided the lyrics. Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould starred as Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre, respectively, with Tom Skerritt as Duke Forrest (a character not carried over to the television series), Sally Kellerman as Hot Lips, Robert Duvall as Frank Burns, Roger Bowen as Colonel Henry Blake, Rene Auberjonois as Father John Mulcahy and Gary Burghoff as Radar O’Reilly. Other cast members included Jo Ann Pflug as Lieutenant Dish, Fred Williamson as Oliver “Spearchucker” Jones and G. Wood as General Hammond.

Here’s a poster for the movie, courtesy of Aaron Handy III, who also reminded me that this anniversary was coming up:

Poster for MASH

Some two and a half years after MASH hit theaters, the television version we all know and love premiered on CBS. It would run until 1983. Had the movie not succeeded financially and critically, M*A*S*H never would have been made. A two-disc collector’s edition was released on DVD in February of 2006; the movie was also included as an extra in the complete series “Martinis & Medicine Collection” when it was released in November of 2006. You can read more about the movie at AFI.com and IMDb.com.

What are your thoughts on MASH, forty years after it first hit theaters?

The Name That Episode game is played Tuesdays and Thursdays. Players can participate as often as they like. An archive of past rounds can be found here. Today’s image can be found below. Can you name the episode it’s from? Feel free to post guesses in the comments section. As always, the winner gets bragging rights.

And the Winner Is: 5 o’clock Charlie, who correctly identified “The Bus.”

Name That Episode

The Name That Episode game is played Tuesdays and Thursdays. Players can participate as often as they like. An archive of past rounds can be found here. Today’s image can be found below. Can you name the episode it’s from? Feel free to post guesses in the comments section. As always, the winner gets bragging rights.

And the Winner Is: 5 o’clock Charlie, who correctly identified “The Ringbanger.”

Name That Episode

I’m not a big fan of sports but even I recognize the name Mark McGwire and, like many others, read about his admission that he used steroids last week. What I did not read was his reference to M*A*S*H. It’s not quite a reference on television, I admit, but it is an interesting connection to M*A*S*H. I received the following e-mail from someone who either did not leave their name or had the name lost during its transit through the Internet:

Mark McGwire, in his confession to using steroids – 1/11/10 – McGwire’s initial reason for turning to steroids was understandable, if not completely forgivable. He said he was a “walking MASH unit” in the mid-’90s, so frustrated with his injuries that he considered retirement.

I think it says a lot that he knew we all would understand what a “walking MASH unit” is.

According to this transcript from the San Jose Mercury News, the exact quote is as follows:

As far as using it on a consistent basis, the winter of 93/94. I did it on health purposes. If you look at my career in 93, 94, 95, 96, I was a walking MASH unit.

McGwire used the reference again when he called Joe Posnanski this of Sports Illustrated. Although I understand what he meant I’m not sure it works all that well. The steroids were more akin to a MASH unit, performing “meatball surgery” on McGwire so he could head back out to the front line (which in this case was the ball field). A better comparison would be between McGwire and a wounded soldier.

Last night’s episode of NBC’s Community (“Investigative Journalism”) was filled with references to M*A*S*H. It was hilarious at times. I wasn’t the only one who saw the episode; Mrs. Frank Burns e-mailed me this morning saying “MASH References Galore!” I’ve embedded most of the references through Hulu, although the videos will only work in the United States and will disappear eventually. You can find a comprehensive analysis of the episode here, along with another reference from an earlier episode of Community (“Home Economics,” originally broadcast November 5th, 2009) that I watched but forgot to mention.