`M*A*S*H' said goodbye 40 years ago, with a finale for the ages
“M*A*S*H” ran for 11 seasons, even though the Korean War, during which the CBS series was set, lasted three years. When the show finally signed off 40 years ago Tuesday — with a special 2 1/2-hour episode titled “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” — it set a ratings record that will never be equaled, and indeed, has become virtually impossible in the fragmented media market that exists today.
Broadcast during the period when there were still just three major networks (Fox didn't sign on until 1986) and cable was in its infancy, the “M*A*S*H” finale on Feb. 28, 1983, drew 106 million viewers, still a record for any episodic series.
More staggeringly, the finale was watched in over 60% of U.S. homes, commanding the attention of more than 3 out of 4 TV sets in use (that is, its share of audience), meaning that every other programmer might as well have been running a test pattern.
The population has grown substantially over the last four decades, so recent Super Bowls can surpass the overall audience. But no entertainment program has ever rivaled that “M*A*S*H” milestone, and in an age of countless networks and multiple streaming services, it seems safe to say that none ever will.
“M*A*S*H's” accomplishments hardly begin and end with ratings trivia. With its mix of wartime drama and broad comedy, the show basically created the template for what became known as the “dramedy,” a hybrid of the two genres that grew increasingly popular in the '80s and has carried through till today.
The series also changed and replaced key cast members through the duration of its run, often coming out stronger with the new additions.
The constants included star Alan Alda, who exercised greater control of the series during the latter half of its run, as former CBS executive Jim McKairnes, now a professor of TV history at Middle Tennessee State University, wrote last year in a USA Today piece marking the 50th anniversary of the show's debut.