M*A*S*H was a true ensemble series. Whilst characters such as Kellye, Igor, Rizzo, Goldman and Ginger are listed where they appear as specific characters central to the plot, they also appeared regularly as non-speaking cast members. This is also true of many of the nurses, corpsmen, orderlies and drivers listed as guest stars. Based on the 1968 novel by Richard Hooker and the 1970 20th Century-Fox movie of the same name, M*A*S*H aired on CBS from September 17, 1972 to February 21st, 1983 for 251 episodes, and has become one of the most celebrated television series in the history of the medium. During its initial season, however, M*A*S*H was in danger of being canceled due to low ratings. The show reached the top ten program list the following year, and never fell out of the top twenty rated programs during the remainder of its run. The final episode of M*A*S*H was a two and one half hour special that attracted the largest audience to ever view a single television program episode. In many ways the series set the standard for some of the best programming to appear later. The show used multiple plot lines in a half-hour episodes, usually with at least one story in the comedic vein and another dramatic. Some later versions of this form, e.g. Hooperman (ABC 1987-1989) and The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (NBC 1987-1989), would be known as the dramady, half-hour programs incorporating elements of both comedy and drama. Other comedies would forgo the more serious aspects of M*A*S*H, but maintain its focus on character and motive. And some dramatic programming, such as St. Elsewhere and Moonlighting would draw on the mixture of elements to distinguish themselves from more conventional television. M*A*S*H was set in South Korea, near Seoul, during the Korean War. The series focused on the group of doctors and nurses whose job was to heal the wounded who arrived at this "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" by helicopter, ambulance or bus. The hospital compound was isolated from the rest of the world. One road ran through the camp; a mountain blocked one perimeter and a minefield the other. Here the wounded were patched up and sent home--or back to the front. Here, too, the loyal audience came to know and respond to an exceptional ensemble cast of characters. The original cast assumed roles created in Altman's movie. The protagonists were Dr. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce(Alan Alda) and Dr. "Trapper" John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers). Pierce and McIntyre were excellent surgeons who preferred to chase female nurses and drink homemade gin to operating and who had little, if any use for military discipline or authority. As a result, they often ran afoul of two other medical officers, staunch military types, Dr. Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Senior Nurse, Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit). The camp commander, Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson), was a genial bumbler whose energies were often directed toward preventing Burns and Houlihan from court martialing Pierce and McIntyre. The camp was actually run by Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff), the company clerk who could spontaneously finish Blake's unspoken sentences and hear incoming helicopters before they were audible to other human ears. Other regulars were Corporal Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) who, in the early seasons, usually dressed in women's clothing in an ongoing attempt to secure a medical (mental) discharge, and Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher), the kindly camp priest who looked out for an orphanage. In the course of its eleven years the series experienced many cast changes. McIntyre was "discharged" after the 1974-75 season because of a contract dispute between the producers and Rogers. He was replaced by Dr. B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell), a clean cut family man quite different from Pierce's lecherous doctor. Frank Burns was given a psychiatric discharge in the beginning of the 1977-78 season and was replaced by Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester (David Ogden Stiers), a Boston blueblood who disdained the condition of the camp and tent mates Pierce and Hunnicutt. O'Reilly's departure at the beginning of the 1979-80 season was explained by the death of his fictional uncle, and Klinger took over the company clerk position. Perhaps the most significant change for the group occurred with the leave-taking of Henry Blake. His exit was written into the series in tragic fashion. As his plane was flying home over the Sea of Japan it was shot down and the character killed. Despite the "realism" of this narrative development, public sentiment toward the event was so negative that the producers promised never to have another character depart the same way. Colonel Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan), a doctor with a regular Army experience in the cavalry, replaced Blake as camp commander and became more both more complex and more involved with the other characters than Blake had been. Though the series was set in Korea, M*A*S*H, both the movie and the series, was initially developed as a critique of the Vietnam War. As that war dragged toward conclusion, however, the series focused more on characters than situations--a major development for situation comedy. Characters were given room to learn from their mistakes, to adapt and change. Houlihan became less the rigid military nurse and more a friend to both her subordinates and the doctors. Pierce changed from a gin-guzzling skirt chaser to a more "enlightened" male who cares about women and their issues, a reflection of Alda himself. O'Reilly outgrew his youthful innocence, and Klinger gave up his skirts and wedding dresses to assume more authority. This focus on character rather than character type set M*A*S*H apart from other comedies of the day and the style of the show departed from the norm in many other ways as well, both in terms of its style and its mode of production. While most other contemporary sitcoms took place indoors and were largely produced on videotape in front of a live audience, M*A*S*H was shot on film on location in Southern California, as well as in a closed studio set (studio #9 at 20th Century Fox). Outdoor shooting at times presented problems. While shooting the final episode, for example, forest fires destroyed the set, causing a delay in filming. The series also made innovative uses of the laugh track. In early seasons, the laugh track was employed during the entire episode. As the series developed, the laugh track was removed from scenes that occurred in the operating room. In a few episodes, the laugh track was removed entirely, another departure from sitcom conventions. The most striking technical aspect of the series is found in its aggressively cinematic visual style. Instead of relying on straight cuts and short takes episodes often used long shots with people and vehicles moving between the characters and the camera. Tracking shots moved with action, and changed direction when the story was "handed off" from one group of characters to another. These and other camera movements, wedded to complex editing techniques, enabled the series to explore character psychology in powerful ways, and to assert the preeminence of the ensemble over any single individual. In this way M*A*S*H seemed to be asserting the central fact of war, that individual human beings are caught in the tangled mesh of other lives and there must struggle to retain some sense of humanity and compassion. This approach was grounded in Altman's film style and enabled M*A*S*H to manipulate its multiple story lines and its mixture of comedy and drama with techniques that matched the complex, absurd tragedy of war itself. M*A*S*H was one of the most innovative sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s. Its stylistic flair and narrative mix drew critical acclaim, while the solid writing and vitally drawn characters helped the series maintain high ratings. The show also made stars of it performers, none more so than Alda, who went on to a successful career in film. The popularity of M*A*S*H was quite evident in the 1978-79 season. CBS aired new episodes during primetime on Monday and programmed reruns of the series in the daytime and on Thursday late night, giving the show a remarkable seven appearances on a single network in a five day period. The series produced one unsuccessful spin-off, AfterMASH, which aired on CBS from 1983-85. The true popularity of M*A*S*H can still be seen, for the series is one of the most widely syndicated series throughout the world. Despite the historical setting, the characters and issues in this series remain fresh, funny and compelling in ways that continue to stand as excellent television. Some of the above info from the article in the Museum Of Broadcast Communications: M*A*S*H page, written by Jeff Shires. M*A*S*H Theme Song - "Suicide Is Painless" Written by Digital Tradition Mirror (Lyrics shortened for television theme) Through early morning fog I see, Visions of the things to be, The pains that are withheld for me, I realize and I can see... That suicide is painless, It brings on many changes, And I can take or leave it if I please. Ratings (Top 30 or Better) – 1972-1973:Not in Top 30 1973-1974:#4 1974-1975:#5 1975-1976:#15 1976-1977:#4 1977-1978:#9 1978-1979:#7 1979-1980:#5 1980-1981:#4 1981-1982:#9 1982-1983:#3 Telecast: CBS September 17, 1972 - September 19, 1983 Broadcast History (all times Eastern): Sep 1972 - Sep 1973, CBS Sun 8:00-8:30 Sep 1973 - Sep 1974, CBS Sat 8:30-9:00 Sep 1974 - Sep 1975, CBS Tue 8:30-9:00 Sep 1975 - Nov 1975, CBS Fri 8:30-9:00 Dec 1975 - Dec 1977, CBS Tue 9:00-9:30 Jan 1978 - Sep 1983, CBS Mon 9:00-9:30 251 Episodes In Color On Film Repeats air on Hallmark Channel.

Reporter Ozzie Graham (Wyatt Cenac) investigates a support group for people who believe they were abducted by aliens run by Gina Morrison (Ana Gasteyer) and he soon begins to suspect he may have been abducted as well in this comedy created by David Jenkins.

Fraternal twins Sterling and Blair (Maddie Phillips and Anjelica Bette Fellini) join bounty hunter Bowser Jenkins (Kadeem Hardison) on the job while juggling high school and relationships in this comedy created by Kathleen Jordan.

In DC, Republican super PAC finance director Erica Myles (Anna Friel) hires escort Anna Garner (Louisa Krause) to blackmail a fundraiser to get access to a secret network and soon begins a relationship with Anna. While in New Mexico, former escort Bria Jones (Carmen Ejogo) enters the Witness Protection Program with her step-daughter, only to return to her former career which brings threats to the safety of herself, her step-daughter, and US Marshal, Ian Olsen (Tunde Adebimpe).

Jamie (Helen Hunt) and Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser) are a young urban couple with five months of marriage behind them and they're still trying to make some ground rules of living together in an apartment in Manhattan. This is definitely not easy because Jamie & Paul are both equally neurotic - but in totally different ways. Paul is a documentary filmmaker, he is charming and creative, but also extremely careful and analytic. Jaime works as a public relations consultant, and is more of a free spirit, but also has a number of discomforts. Jaime's sister Lisa Stemple (Anne Ramsay) often comes to visit them, just like their friends Mark Devanow (Richard Kind), his wife Fran (Leila Kenzle) and Paul's cousin Ira Buchman (John Pankow). But, they aren't the only ones dropping by the apartment - there are always all kinds of other characters like noisy neighbours, a funny dogwalker (Hank Azaria), family members and others. With a big part of personal intimacy, which Paul Reiser, the head character and the creator of the show, compares to "a ride home after a party, when a couple can finally tell each other what have they been thinking all night", the 30-minute show searches for capricious moments of every couple. Their co-creator of the show, Danny Jacobson, adds that "they wanted to set a mirror to marriage life and see how the world is behind closed doors". Awards and Nominations: GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS: > 1998 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Paul Reiser] > 1998 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Helen Hunt] > 1997 - Won! - Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Helen Hunt] > 1997 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Paul Reiser] > 1997 - Nominated - Best TV-Series Comedy/Musical > 1996 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Helen Hunt] > 1996 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Paul Reiser] > 1996 - Nominated - Best TV-Series Comedy/Musical > 1995 - Won! - Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Helen Hunt] > 1995 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Paul Reiser] > 1995 - Won! - Best TV-Series Comedy/Musical > 1994 - Won! - Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Helen Hunt] > 1993 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical [Helen Hunt] EMMY AWARDS: > 1999 - Won! - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series [Mel Brooks] (For playing "Uncle Phil Buchman". For episode "Uncle Phil Goes Back To High School".) > 1999 - Won! - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series [Helen Hunt] > 1999 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series [Paul Reiser] > 1998 - Won! - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series [Mel Brooks] (For playing "Uncle Phil". For episode "Uncle Phil And The Coupons".) > 1998 - Won! - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series [Helen Hunt] > 1998 - Nominated - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series [Hank Azaria] (For playing "Nat". For episode "Nat And Arly".) > 1998 - Nominated - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series [Nathan Lane] (For playing "Professor Twilley". For episode "Good Old Reliable Nathan".) > 1998 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series [Paul Reiser] > 1998 - Nominated - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series [Carol Burnett] (For playing "Theresa Stemple". For episode "Coming Home".) > 1997 - Won! - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series [Helen Hunt] > 1997 - Won! - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series [Mel Brooks] (For playing "Uncle Phil". For episode "The Penis".) > 1997 - Won! - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series [Carol Burnett] (For playing "Teresa Stemple". For episode "Jamie's Parents".) > 1997 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series [Paul Reiser] > 1997 - Nominated - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series [Sid Caesar] (For playing "Harold". For episode "Citizen Buchman".) > 1997 - Nominated - Outstanding Comedy Series > 1996 - Won! - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series [Helen Hunt] > 1996 - Nominated - Outstanding Comedy Series > 1996 - Nominated - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special (for episode "New Years Eve") > 1996 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series [Paul Reiser] > 1995 - Won! - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series [Carl Reiner] (For playing "Alan Brady". For episode "The Alan Brady Show".) > 1995 - Won! - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series [Cyndi lauper] (For playing "Marianne Lugasso". For episode "Money Changes Everything".) > 1995 - Won! - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special (for episode "Up in Smoke") > 1995 - Nominated - Outstanding Comedy Series > 1995 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series [Helen Hunt] > 1995 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series [Paul Reiser] > 1995 - Nominated - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Multi-Camera Production (Sheila Amos; for episode "The Ride Home") > 1994 - Won! - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special (for episode "The Surprise") > 1994 - Nominated - Outstanding Comedy Series > 1994 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series [Helen Hunt] > 1994 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series [Paul Reiser] > 1994 - Nominated - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Comedy Series (Tom Moore; for episode "Love Letters") > 1994 - Nominated - Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Comedy Series (Lee Shallat Chemel; for episode "Paul is Dead") > 1993 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series [Helen Hunt] International Broadcasting: ARGENTINA: Telecasted on SONY ETV AUSTRALIA: Telecasted on Channel 10 AUSTRIA: Telecasted on ORF1 BELGIUM: Telecasted on BRTN1 BRAZIL: Telecasted on ETV, GLOBO TV and SONY Entertainment Cable CROATIA: Telecasted on RTL TELEVIZIJA FINLAND: Telecasted on YLE TV1 FRANCE: Telecasted on RTL9 GERMANY: Telecasted on RTL and VOX HONG KONG: Telecasted on TV-B PEARL ISRAEL: Telecasted on Family Channel (3) ITALY: Telecasted on Italian Tv MALAYSIA: Telecasted on TV3 NETHERLANDS: Telecasted on NED-3 and YORIN NEW ZEALAND: Telecasted on TV2 PORTUGAL: Telecasted on TV-I SINGAPORE: Telecasted on TCS Channel 5 SLOVENIA: Telecasted on SLO 1 & 2 and KANAL A SOUTH AFRICA: Telecasted on SABC 3 SOUTH KOREA: Telecasted on AFKN SPAIN: Telecasted on TV3 SWEDEN: Telecasted on KANAL 1 TAIWAN: Telecasted on TV TIME CABLE UNITED KINGDOM: Telecasted on SKY ONE, ABC1 NBC Broadcast History September 1992 - January 1993 -- Wednesdays 9:30pm February 1993 - May 1993 -- Saturdays 9:30pm September 1993 - May 1995 -- Thursdays 8:00pm September 1995 - May 1996 -- Sundays 8:00pm September 1996 - November 1998 -- Tuesdays 8:00pm December 1998 - May 1999 -- Mondays 8:00pm Theme Song: "Final Frontier" performed by Andrew Gold