# M*A*S*H (1972)

> A mobile army surgical unit during the Korean War uses pranks and gallows humor to survive the chaos of battlefield medicine.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/865

## Facts

- Seasons: 11
- Episodes: 251
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama, war
- Created by: Larry Gelbart
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, McLean Stevenson, Loretta Swit, Larry Linville, David Ogden Stiers, Gary Burghoff, Jamie Farr
- TMDB rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068098/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: irreverent, wry, bittersweet, sardonic, sincere

## What critics say

Widely acclaimed for blending sharp military-hospital comedy with genuinely heartbreaking wartime drama, with strong ensemble performances.

## Synopsis

M*A*S*H (1972-1983) is an American network sitcom and war dramedy created by Larry Gelbart for CBS. Set at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, it follows wisecracking surgeon Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda), the steady B. J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell), the prim head nurse Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit), and the chaplain Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) as they patch up wounded soldiers under constant shelling. The engine of the show is the struggle to keep sanity intact: the staff invent practical jokes, schemes and revenge plots against pompous officers such as Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and the army brass, while each episode alternates bright comic set pieces with sudden, heavy moments of loss. Across eleven seasons the ensemble turns over, with new doctors and a new commanding officer reshaping the group. Fans of Catch-22, Scrubs and Hogan's Heroes will find resonance in its irreverent, bittersweet blend of absurdist humor, anti-authority satire and wartime grief. The tone is warm and wry, with an undercurrent of antiwar sincerity that gives the laughs real weight.

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