However, the ease with which Hawkeye and Co. The emotional highlights of this episode arrive early in the awkwardly tender goodbyes between a tongue-tied Henry and his men. Once he’s back, the boys twist his arm into staying, and although he claims he’s going to tighten up on the disciplinary front this time around, the final scene of him joining in for poker and martinis suggest a full return to normal. But rather than bow to Frank’s tyranny, they immediately set out to convince Henry to return with a scheme in which Radar fakes a mysterious illness that necessitates Henry returning to base to lend his 'expertise.' When Henry, after receiving a commendation for his work at the 4077th, is transferred to Tokyo to teach, Hawkeye and Trapper must grapple with Frank taking his place as their C.O. You may also like: Best 'Law & Order SVU' episodes Do you remember these memorable moments or is it time for a rewatch? But debate no further: Stacker took a look back and created a definitive list of the top 100 “M*A*S*H” episodes of all time based on fan-voted IMDb scores. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan (Loretta Swit).

Thanks to its staying power, fans have passionately debated over favorite storylines and the most dramatic or funniest scenes-with iconic characters like Hawkeye (Alan Alda), Charles Winchester (David Ogden Stiers) or Maj. The writers also refused to shy away from hard truths about war and the human condition despite network pressure, leading to some of the series' most powerful episodes. The show pioneered narrative techniques like 30-minute episodes with two plotlines, usually one funny and one serious. It’s inspired countless shows today, partly because the show’s talented writers weren’t afraid to take risks with its characters and storytelling. “M*A*S*H” remains the gold standard for TV writing in 2013, the Writers Guild of America voted it the fifth best-written TV series of all time. The “M*A*S*H” series finale still ranks as the most-watched TV finale of all time, with nearly 106 million viewers tuning in to say farewell. It lasted longer than the actual Korean War by around eight years.

The comedy-drama, which focused on the lives of the doctors and staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, ran from 1972 to 1983 and aired more than 250 episodes in its 11 seasons. “M*A*S*H” is one of those shows.Ĭreated by comedic writer and playwright Larry Gelbart, the legendary, Emmy-winning series was adapted from the 1970 Robert Altman film of the same name, which was based off a book by wartime-surgeon Richard Hooker. Some television shows transcend time and genre-and leave an indelible mark on culture long after they’ve left the airwaves.

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