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M*A*S*H (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American war comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983. It was developed by Larry Gelbart as the first original spin-off series adapted from the 1970 feature film M*A*S*H, which, in turn, was based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The series, which was produced with 20th Century Fox Television for CBS, follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the "4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War (1950–53).

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The show manages to excellently merge the elements of Comedy and Drama and is considered the pioneer of the dramedy genre.
 * 2) Great acting especially Alan Alda as Hawkeye.
 * 3) The setting does a great job at establishing itself as a gritty war zone.
 * 4) The theme song is great and establishes the tone of the show.
 * 5) Lots of funny moments especially from Hawkeye.
 * 6) Great production quality.
 * 7) Great cinematography.
 * 8) The show tackles lots of serious topics including abandonment, loss, trauma, fitting in,
 * 9) All the characters are really likable that go through lots of relatable things.
 * 10) As the show continued it became more and more dark. The first four seasons are pretty goofy but not without some serious moments, but then season 5 and onwards switched to a more serious tone with the plots themselves being more serious.
 * 11) The final episode, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen", was a great way to end the series as it works like a movie as it's a 2 1⁄2-hour episode and features all the main characters saying goodbye to one another. It's also the darkest episode in the series as it has Winchester losing his band, Father Mulcahy's hearing permanently damaged, and has Hawkeye traumatized.
 * 12) The show has lots of sad moments like when Hawkeye loses his friend on the operating table, when Radar announces Henry's death, and the reveal in the finale.
 * 13) While there are many sad moments there are also many happy moments like when Hawkeye and B.J. give Colonel Potter a respectful salute.
 * 14) The "Chicken on a Bus" scene is considered one of the saddest scenes in Sitcom. Hawkeye sent to the crazy house before the beginning of the final episode: that a Korean woman killed a chicken she was holding because Hawkeye was hissing at her to keep it quiet so they wouldn't be caught by nearby enemy soldiers. It is then revealed that it wasn't a chicken but a baby. Hawkeye replaced the baby with a chicken in his memory because he couldn't deal with the truth.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Some characters like Frank Burns can come off as unlikable as he always tries to get Hawkeye, B.J., and Trapper court-martialed, acts like a dictator when in charge, and acts like a jerk to just about everybody just because he's a Major.
 * 2) Hawkeye can come off as a creator's pet. Every good character seems to love or adore him, and while sometimes justified for main characters, it may be overbearing.

Reception
The series premiered in the US on September 17, 1972, and ended on February 28, 1983, with the finale, showcased as a television film, titled "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen", becoming the most-watched and highest-rated single television episode in US television history at the time, with a record-breaking 125 million viewers (60.2 rating and 77 share), according to the New York Times.

Important Shows Comedy shows Drama shows 1970s programs 1980s Programs American Shows