About M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H follows the doctors, nurses, and staff of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital stationed a few miles from the front lines during the Korean War. Adapted from Robert Altman's 1970 film and the novel by Richard Hooker, the series balances irreverent humor with the grim realities of wartime medicine, as overworked surgeons patch up wounded soldiers in a makeshift camp far from home.
At the heart of the unit is the gifted, wisecracking surgeon Benjamin Franklin Hawkeye Pierce, whose biting jokes and contempt for military bureaucracy mask a deep compassion for his patients. Around him circulate a memorable ensemble, including the by-the-book head nurse Margaret Houlihan and corporal Maxwell Klinger, who schemes for a discharge by wearing dresses. Together they cope with the absurdity and tragedy of their situation through camaraderie, pranks, and gallows humor.
Over eleven seasons the show evolved from a broad service comedy into a thoughtful, often somber meditation on war, friendship, and survival. Its blend of laughter and pathos, combined with sharp writing and strong performances, made it a landmark of American television. The two-and-a-half-hour finale, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, drew an enormous audience and remains one of the most-watched broadcasts in United States history.