Introduction
AfterMASH premiered on Monday, September 26th, 1983 at 8:00PM with an hour-long episode (split in two for summer repeats). The following week, it moved to 9:00PM. The first season finale was broadcast on Monday, March 12th, 1984 and the series was replaced with Kate & Allie for several weeks. Summer repeats began on Sunday, April 29th, 1984, airing at 8:00PM. These repeats were shifted to Tuesdays beginning June 24th. The final summer repeat aired on September 11th, 1984; the following week AfterMASH was pre-empted by the premiere of E/R.
The first episode of the second season was given a special showing on Sunday, September 23rd, 1984 at 8:00PM before the Emmy Awards. The following week, the series moved to Tuesdays at 8:00PM. Only five episodes aired in this timeslot (and one pre-emption) before the series was cancelled. That’s where things get tricky.
The Last Episodes
On December 4th, CBS aired the 29th episode of the series, titled “Ward is Hell.” The following week, on December 11th, the episode “Saturday’s Heroes” was supposed to be aired but CBS pulled the broadcast at the last moment (after TV Guide and local television listings had been printed). There is reason to believe that CBS sent out press material promoting another new episode (the very last episode, in fact) of AfterMASH as airing on December 18th at 8:30PM. At least one source (The Hartford Courant) lists this episode (about a flood and a poker game). However, the final weeks of 1984 would be filled with animated specials, not AfterMASH.
Five months later, CBS announced it would air the final two episodes of AfterMASH back-to-back on Friday, May 31st, 1985. The second-to-last episode, “Saturday’s Heroes,” aired from 8:00PM to 8:30PM. And then, as one final slap in the face, CBS pulled the very last episode, “Wet Feet,” and aired a news special with Dan Rather. The final episode has never aired.
Season One (1983-1984)
| Airdate | Episode # | Episode Title |
| 09/26/1983 | 1/2 | September of ‘53/Together Again |
| 10/03/1983 | 3 | Klinger vs. Klinger |
| 10/10/1983 | 4 | Snap, Crackle, Plop |
| 10/17/1983 | 5 | Staph Inspection |
| 10/24/1983 | 6 | Night Shift |
| 10/31/1983 | 7 | Shall We Dance |
| 11/07/1983 | 8 | Little Broadcast of ‘53 |
| 11/14/1983 | 9 | Sunday, Cruddy Sunday |
| 11/21/1983 | 10 | Thanksgiving of ‘53 |
| 11/28/1983 | PRE-EMPTED: The Gambler – The Adventure Continues, Part I | |
| 12/05/1983 | 11 | Fallout |
| 12/12/1983 | 12 | Bladder Day Saints |
| 12/29/1983 | 13 | All About Christmas Eve |
| 12/26/1983 | REPEAT: Staph Inspection | |
| 01/02/1984 | 14 | Chief of Staff |
| 01/09/1984 | 15 | C.Y.A. |
| 01/16/1984 | 16 | Yours Truly, Max Klinger |
| 01/23/1984 | 17 | It Had To Be You |
| 01/30/1984 | 18 | Odds and Ends |
| 02/06/1984 | 19 | Another Saturday Night |
| 02/13/1984 | REPEAT: Shall We Dance | |
| 02/20/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Sidney Sheldon’s Master of the Game | |
| 02/27/1984 | 20 | Fever Pitch |
| 03/05/1984 | 21 | By The Book |
| 03/12/1984 | 22 | Up and Down Payments |
| 03/19/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Kate & Allie | |
| 03/26/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Kate & Allie | |
| 04/02/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: NCAA Basketball Championship | |
| 04/09/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Still the Beaver | |
| 04/16/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Kate & Allie | |
| 04/23/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Kate & Allie | |
| 04/29/1984 | REPEAT: September of ‘53 | |
| 05/06/1984 | REPEAT: Together Again | |
| 05/13/1984 | REPEAT: Klinger vs. Klinger | |
| 05/20/1984 | REPEAT: Snap, Crackle, Plop | |
| 05/27/1984 | REPEAT: Thanksgiving of ‘53 | |
| 06/03/1984 | REPEAT: Little Broadcast of ‘53 | |
| 06/10/1984 | REPEAT: Yours Truly, Max Klinger | |
| 06/17/1984 | REPEAT: It Had To Be You | |
| 06/25/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Scarecrow and Mrs. King | |
| 07/01/1984 | REPEAT: Fallout | |
| 07/08/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Salute to Lady Liberty | |
| 07/15/1984 | REPEAT: Night Shift | |
| 07/24/1984 | REPEAT: Little Broadcast of ‘53 | |
| 07/31/1984 | REPEAT: Sunday, Cruddy Sunday | |
| 08/07/1984 | REPEAT: Bladder Day Saints | |
| 08/14/1984 | REPEAT: C.Y.A. | |
| 08/21/1984 | REPEAT: Chief of Staff | |
| 08/28/1984 | REPEAT: Another Saturday Night | |
| 09/04/1984 | REPEAT: Fever Pitch | |
| 09/11/1984 | REPEAT: Odds and Ends | |
| 09/18/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: E/R | |
Season Two (1984; 1985)
| Airdate | Episode # | Episode Title |
| 09/23/1984 | 23 | Less Miserables |
| 09/25/1984 | 24 | Calling Doctor Habibi |
| 10/02/1984 | 25 | Strangers and Other Lovers |
| 10/09/1984 | 26 | Trials |
| 10/16/1984 | 27 | Madness to His Method |
| 10/23/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Lyndon H. LaRouche Paid Advertisement | |
| 10/30/1984 | 28 | The Recovery Room |
| 11/06/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: National Election Results | |
| 11/13/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Donald Duck’s 50th Birthday | |
| 11/20/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Bugs Bunny Thanksgiving Diet | |
| 11/27/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Heroes and Sidekicks: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | |
| 12/04/1984 | 29 | Ward is Hell |
| 12/11/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas | |
| 12/18/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies | |
| 12/25/1984 | PRE-EMPTED: The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie | |
| 05/31/1985 | 30 | Saturday’s Heroes |
| UNAIRED | 31 | Wet Feet |
And that was the lonely and unglamorous end of AfterMASH.
References:
- Associated Press. “LaRouche Ad Citing Mondale Angers Viewers.” Los Angeles Times. 25 Oct. 1984: B6.
Last updated August 17th, 2008
February 9th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
I have aquired video taped recordings of all but four episodes. The ones I do not have are:
22. By The Book
26. Trials
30. Saturday’s Heroes
31. Wet Feet
I would love to aquire these episodes somehow. I am more than willing to trade digitized versions of my recordings for these missing episodes. I understand, of course, that episode #31 will be virtually imposible to find unless and until this series is released on DVD. So, that makes three episodes that are out there, somewhere, that I need. Can you help?
February 9th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
By The Book is 21, not 22. Sorry. I stil need it though.
February 12th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I only have a handful of episodes of AfterMASH myself but I was under the impression that aside from the unaired finale all the episodes are floating around out there. It would be wonderful if 20th Century Fox would release the series on DVD (hint, hint) rather than forcing folks to seek the series any way they can.
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Well, do you have the three episodes I mentioned?
February 24th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I’m afraid not.