Changing half the cast of an ensemble show could have killed almost any other sitcom, but this huge behind-the-scenes shift somehow made the inimitable MASH even better. Based on director Robert Altman’s movie MASH, which in turn was based on Dr. Richard Hornberger’s novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, the TV series MASH ran for 11 seasons between 1972 and 1983. The series focused on the eponymous Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and its inhabitants, including Alan Alda’s sharp-tongued Hawkeye and Gary Burghoff’s sweet Radar.
Ironically, Hornberger disliked MASH’s antiwar message according to his New York Times obituary. The source novel’s author was almost alone in this ᴀssessment. MASH was the most popular show on television during its original run, and the MASH series finale set viewing records that remain unbroken to this day thanks to its enduring popularity. A lot of elements conspired to make MASH a hit, including the extraordinary chemistry between its cast, writing that balanced antiwar satire, goofy character comedy, and poignant drama, and some genuinely surprising, tragic plot twists that kept proceedings unpredictable.
Why MASH Changed So Much Of Its Cast
Various MASH Cast Members Left The Series
Famously, Henry Blake’s MASH death was one of the most devastating surprises in the history of sitcoms. The events of season 3, episode 24, “Abyssinia, Henry,” remain a gut punch that few shows have since been able to replicate, even though the show losing major cast members would become a regular occurrence in the years that followed. In fact, a large number of MASH’s main cast members were replaced during the show’s original run, which is a staggering achievement considering how much the workplace sitcom format relies on consistent character dynamics.
Many of the cast left thanks to the show’s popularity, as their roles in MASH afforded them the opportunity to pursue other projects.
Frank Burns, Henry Blake, Radar O’Reilly, and Trapper John McIntyre all left MASH early, although Radar lasted a little longer than the others. Many of the cast left thanks to the show’s popularity, as their roles in MASH afforded them the opportunity to pursue other projects. While this could have ruined the sitcom, MASH’s cast changes arguably saved the series as they injected new blood into the cast frequently and changed the show’s dynamic as a result.
MASH’s Cast Change Would’ve Killed A Lot Of Shows
Most Ensemble-Cast Sitcoms Rely More On Their Lead Actors
Many of the shows that were influenced by MASH in the years since it ended, from Brooklyn 99 to Community to Scrubs to The Office, were hurt by cast reshuffles and major actor exits. Critics and fans agree that The Office was never the same after the departure of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, Donald Glover’s Community exit signaled a major, divisive change for the series, and the final season of Scrubs was badly hampered by attempts to replace various beloved main characters.
Even Brooklyn 99’s brief, temporary efforts to replace Holt were awkward and critically divisive despite the presence of major comedic stars like Bill Hader in these outings. However, not only did the earlier sitcom sidestep the fate suffered by later shows, but MASH was arguably improved by the show’s frequent cast changes. Dropping and introducing new major characters was not how most TV shows operated, especially in the ’70s, and it certainly wasn’t common in the world of sitcoms, where the status quo reigned supreme.
It is impossible to imagine the biggest ensemble comedies of later decades, like Cheers or Friends, switching out main characters from their lineups partway through the show. However, as MASH’s heartbreaking finale proved, the show was no ordinary sitcom. MASH was always a show about war, albeit indirectly, so the constant cast changes were a fitting reminder that the characters lived in an uncertain, unstable, and inhospitable liminal space.
How MASH Survived (& Thrived) After Its Cast Change
MASH’s Cast Changes Introduced New Power Dynamics And Character Pairings
The very тιтle of the series referred to a mobile hospital, an insтιтution that only exists due to the chaotic, perpetually unpredictable nature of active conflict zones. MASH never shied away from the harsh realities of war, so characters who viewers had come to know and love abruptly moving on should have never come as a surprise. From Henry Blake’s tragic death to Radar’s early exit, MASH’s cast changes were a constant, thematically fitting reminder that there was no consistency or comfort to be found in a world at war.
MASH could thrive despite its cast changes because of the show’s atypical setting.
As much as Hawkeye and H๏τ Lips offered viewers a lot of laughs, these characters also provided viewers with moving reminders of the human cost of permanent war. As such, MASH could thrive despite its cast changes because of the show’s atypical setting. Very few subsequent workplace sitcoms had a setting as tumultuous and inherently violent as an army hospital, so few later shows could justify sudden exits for major characters so easily. For MASH, unlike most sitcoms, constant change was a part of the show’s entire appeal thanks to its unique premise.
Source: New York Times
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