After 54 Years, 10/10 War Series That Was Almost Canceled After Season 1 Has Aged Like Fine Wine

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Sci-fi cult classics, including NBC’s Quantum Leap and Fox’s The X-Files, mystery boxes such as ABC’s Lost, and even creative sitcoms like NBC’s Alf. In 1972, however, CBS took a chance on an odd take for a comedy — a war-set humorous show that could have easily and quickly gone off the rails. Granted that it had a film adaptation that set the bar for its execution, CBS’s MASH series almost ended after just 24 episodes.

MASH Was Almost Canceled After Just One Season

It had just been two years since the Donald Sutherland-led MASH film premiered to critical and commercial acclaim. Unfortunately, that success didn’t translate to its TV show counterpart from Larry Gelbart — at least not at first. CBS’s take on the war series ranked #46 in terms of viewership in its premiere year, causing the network TV executives to consider axing it from its lineup. Luckily, some saw its potential, hoping that because it was good TV, it just needed time to find the right audience. Luckily, it eventually did.

Bolstered by its reruns during the offseason, which put it in front of a broader audience, MASH made a significant jump to take the #4 spot in ratings during its sophomore year. Since then, the show became a consistent performer for CBS, even after a series of cast changes, not to mention tweaks in storytelling approach and more out-of-the-box episodes. MASH’s finale, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” had 125 million viewers.

How MASH Is More Relevant Than Ever After Half A Century

54 years later, MASH has an enduring legacy. Aside from its original fans when it first debuted on CBS, the comedy has also garnered a new generation of followers thanks to its availability on reruns and streaming platforms. Best known for its smart and nuanced writing, MASH perfected its brand of comedy, delivering humorous scenes without losing sight of how truly awful being in the middle of a war is. Despite Alan Alda’s Hawkeye and the rest of the 4077 dealing with tragedy and death all the time, MASH made sure not to normalize the losses.

While it has been long since MASH premiered, it remains relevant, considering the state of the world. Through its thoughtful storytelling, it has been able to deliver great entertainment while also showcasing the horrors of war. No wonder, it remains ever popular.

MASH is available to stream on Hulu.

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