A lot of Alda
Most everyone agrees that one of the iconic roles in television history is that of Dr. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce.
Brought to life with a deft portrayal by Alan Alda in the 1972-83 CBS sitcom “M*A*S*H,” he was the wisecracking head surgeon at a U.S. Army mobile hospital on the frontlines of the Korean War, who like his compadres worked hard, played hard and questioned authority at every opportunity but never forgot that his first responsibility to the patient.
Players came (Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell, David Ogden Stiers) and players went (McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, Wayne Rogers, Gary Burghoff ) but Alda as Hawkeye was always there in the Swamp with a martini glass in hand and a quip at the ready. He was one of four cast members (with Loretta Swit, William Christopher and Jamie Farr) to appear in all 11 seasons.
Alda’s performance earned him a boatload of praise and awards (including three acting Emmys and one each for writing and directing) and cemented him as the face of one of TV’s greatest series, which can be seen all week on MeTV.