I believe that M*A*S*H is one of the most influential shows that has ever been on the air because it is one show that can honestly speak for an entire generation of people. The show chronicles the lives of the Doctors, Nurses and Support Staff of the Mobile Army Surgical Unit 4077th in Uijeongbu, South Korea. The show premiered in September 17, 1972 while the Vietnam War was being fought over seas which automatically made M*A*S*H not only unique, as it was about war in a time of war, but controversial as well. But that's not really what makes M*A*S*H special, what makes M*A*S*H special is the combination of drama and comedy, but also the sheer honesty of it. The writers of M*A*S*H wanted the show to be authentic, so they interviewed active duty Army Surgeons and based episodes of the show on their stories. Which immediately gave the characters a depth that couldn't have developed otherwise and gave the show a real-ness that you couldn't ignore. No character demonstrates that better then Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Peirce as brought to life by Alan Alda.
The final episode of M*A*S*H, entitled "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" premiered on, February 28, 1983 and according to The New York Times, it was the most watched television episode in history at the time, with an amazing 125 million viewers. Since it's premier M*A*S*H has never been off the air, reruns are shown regularly and stores have always kept the series in stock. Why? Because a show like this does not become "dated" like Little House on the Prairie. M*A*S*H told the stories of countless of enlisted men and women and spoke for a generation and it's still speaking to us today.
Goodbye, Farewell and Amen
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