Today In History

Today in history (1983), MASH aired its final episode after eleven years of nearly brilliant television programming. I say "nearly" because some of its later episodes lacked the shine that made the show so popular. An estimated 105 million people watched that final episode, and I was one of them, although it was a long shot.

I grew up watching MASH at home, although I distinctly remember my mother getting up to change the channel when Hawkeye said "son of a bitch," the first time that phrase was ever said on television. It was a very intense episode involving a Korean prisoner who was being patched up at the unit so she could be questioned and possibly executed, and I thought Hawkeye's expletive was appropriate. Not so for my mother. Despite that one incident, the show was a favorite in our house.

When I left home for college, the show was on the list. By that I mean there was a list on the one TV allowed in the dorm building of my very conservative school. If you chose to watch television, you had to plant yourself in front of the one monitored set, and you were not to watch the shows on the list taped to the top of it. I wasn't surprised to see Dallas on that list or Falcon Crest, but I wasn't sure why MASH was off limits, unless it was for the son-of-a-bitch remark or maybe because some of the doctors and nurses were promiscuous. Or maybe it was the still in the Swamp. Regardless of the reason, I missed it.

When the final episode was scheduled to air, I knew I had to do something. My roommate loaned me her army-green MASH t-shirt that I had to wear with a jean skirt because we weren't allowed to wear pants during class hours. I looked like an absolute slob, but I was within dress code guidelines, so no one said a word to me all day. I was afraid my silent protest would be the best I could do, but then, salvation—my sister who lived nearby had been invited to a MASH party—they were being given all over the country, I understand—and because the host worked at my school and understood my dilemma, I was allowed to tag along.

I got to watch the last episode after all, wearing my borrowed shirt in tribute and honestly feeling a little proud that I had skirted the rules (no pun intended) and watched the end of such a well-done and memorable show. I didn't have a favorite episode, but the ones I enjoyed the most always included Dr. Sidney Freedman, the visiting psychiatrist who brought reason into an unreasonable situation. "Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice: Pull down your pants and slide on the ice."

If you feel a bit nostalgic for MASH and don't have time to sit down to a few episodes on TVLand, go here to listen to the theme song.