THE MAGIC OF M*A*S*H

As the beloved sitcom marks its 50th anniversary, star Alan Alda tells Parade about the enduring magic in its mix of wartime drama and humor. Plus, eight things you might not know about the TV classic.

History lessons typically aren’t entertaining, let alone funny. But how about this one? A surgeon named H. Richard Hornberger wrote the 1968 book MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (under the pseudonym Richard Hooker), based on his experiences in the Korean War. Director Robert Altman adapted it into a classic 1970 movie. Then, on September 17, 1972, M*A*S*H premiered on TV, in between Anna and the King and The Sandy Duncan Show on CBS. With an eclectic ensemble led by Alan Alda, Loretta Swit and Jamie Farr, it focused on the doctors and staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in the early 1950s who resorted to jocular hijinks and petty rivalries to get through the traumas of the war.

The show didn’t initially catch on with viewers, but it was an acclaimed critical success from the start, winning its first four Emmys—including one for Outstanding Comedy Series—in 1974. (In all, it received 109 Emmy nominations and 14 wins.)

“It was a brilliant mash-up of comedy and drama with a wonderful cast and great characters,” says Television Academy senior vice president of awards John Leverence. “But it also included this emotional detachment from these reallife horrors that was, and still is, part of American culture.” Though the Korean War lasted three years, one month and two days, M*A*S*H aired for 11 seasons, and its 1983 finale remains the most-watched TV series episode in history. In honor of its 50th anniversary, Parade gives this prime-time classic a proper salute with eight things you didn’t know about the beloved show and an exclusive interview with Alda.