MAS*Hwas a TV landmark. Developed by Larry Gelbart and based on the 1970 film of the same name (which was in turn based on the 1968 novelMASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctorsby Richard Hooker), the series ran for 11 seasons, spanning from 1972 to 1983, won 14 Emmys (being nominated for over 100), and basicallydefined the dramedy genre for television.
Set during the Korean War,MAS*Hrevolves around the daily life and situations of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, a medical unit stationed just a few miles away from the North Korean front. We follow its large cast of characters as they go about their jobs and tribulations, which can go from deciding which dress to wear to piss off a commanding officer to having to operate during a bombing. On the front line, there’s Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda), the compassionate and anti-authoritarian chief surgeon, and his best friend in surgery and in pranks, Trapper John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), who is replaced in the fourth season by B.J. Hunnicut (Mike Farrell).
While much remembered for its dramatic and innovative episodes, such as “Dreams” (season 8, episode 22) or “Point of View” (season 7, episode 11), the show was also one of the most hilarious things to ever air on television. From the surgeons trying to make a lamb out of SPAM to the camp going crazy over a pair of pajamas, here is an ordered list of the funniestMAS*Hepisodes.
10"The MAS*H Olympics" (6x11)
How many surgeons does it take to flip a Jeep? Far too many, apparently. After an ambulance overturns and no one has enough strength, even combined, to lift it back up, Col. Potter comes to the realization that the entire camp is completely out of shape. to give them the right incentive to work out, the MAS*H Olympics are created, and the winning team will get three days of R&R in Seoul.
The episode is intermixed with footage of the real 1952 Olympics, but the special feature here is the presence of Lt. Colonel Penobscott, Major Houlihan’s husband, foreshadowing their future marriage troubles and making us all remember that, despite his charisma, good looks, and intelligence, Hawkeye is still a bit of a calisthenics wimp.
9"Picture This" (10x21)
Having roommates can be difficult. Having roommates in a dirty tent in the middle of a war can beexcruciating. In this episode, Col. Potter is trying to paint a beautiful portrait of the 4077th staff to send home to his wife. However, little does he know that the three Swamp surgeons (Hawkeye, B.J., and Major Charles Winchester, played by David Ogden Stiers) are having a fight of their own, which will turn any happy painting into a full-blown picture of disagreement.
B.J. and Hawkeye can’t stand each other’s little quirks, which drives Hawkeye to move out, leaving B.J. and Charles alone to find out they also have little tolerance for one another without Hawk there to provide some buffer. The whole situation soon becomes a complete farce, with the entire camp trying to get the surgeons to make up and ultimately failing in the funniest ways.
8"The Long John Flap" (1x19)
This one is a gem from the time the series was more a sitcom about the inefficiency and absurdities of the army, dialoguing withthe ongoing war in Vietnam(the episode aired in 1973), than a character-driven dramedy.
Alan Alda Is Auctioning Screen-Used ‘Hawkeye’ Dog Tags and Boots for Charity
The screen-used boots and dog tags, which were worn by real soldiers, will be benefiting the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.
It’s freezing at the 4077th, and due to a supply error, no winter attire has arrived — except for a pair of wool longjohns Hawkeye’s father had sent him. As the whole camp turns green with envy, Trapper John (who has a cold, poor thing) manages to guilt Hawkeye into giving him the thermal wear, only to later lose it on a poker game. Soon, everyone on the staff manages to get their hands on the longjohns, if only for a brief period of time, before they go back to their original owner. Fun fact: this is the first MAS*H episode written by Alan Alda!
7"No Laughing Matter" (9x13)
Of course, there’s much more to Hawkeye than just making fun of everything… Right? After taking a magazine test, which affirms that people who make a lot of jokes are actually insecure, Hawkeye sets out to prove that he can go an entire day without cracking even a single joke. However, his attempt is complicated when Charles begins to make a fool of himself when trying to suck up to a visiting officer. Pay attention to the wonderful and frustrated glint in Hawkeye’s eyes whenever he sees the perfect setup for a gag and has to force himself to be quiet.
6"Private Charles Lamb" (3x14)
This one is for all the Henry Blake lovers. Long beforehis Abyssinia, Lt. Colonel Henry Blake received a wonderful present from the Greek regiment, consisting of booze, food and a young lamb to be turned into a barbecue for the camp. There’s just one problem: Radar (Gary Burghoff), our favorite little vegetarian, is determined to give the lamb a better destiny, even if it takes listing the animal as an army private and sending him to Iowa by plane. It is then up to Hawkeye and Trapper to improvise a new lamb for the feast and verify the alcohol is flowing freely so that no one notice the difference between a barbecue and SPAM.
5"April Fools" (8x25)
It is rare to see the entire surgical team gang up against the same opponent, but when they do… It’s almost April Fool’s Day, and the 4077th has been ravaged by a series of pranks. Nobody, not even Father Mulcahy (William Christopher), has been spared. Things get out of hand when a no-nonsense officer from the Surgeon General’s office catches our main surgeons goofing off and decides that enough is enough.
Certain they will all be facing court-martial, the group decides to play one last prank — but things don’t go exactly as planned… This episode is a perfect example of how, in the middle of a mostly serious eight season, MAS*H still managed to bring hilarious feel-good moments.
4"Tuttle" (1x15)
Wow, Captain Tuttle was such an interesting character, it’s a shame we see so little of him. In this episode, we can see the classic Hawkeye hijink: fooling everyone on camp by creating an inside joke in order to help someone else. After having to invent another officer, named Captain Tuttle, in order to justify giving away army supplies to the nearby orphanage, Hawkeye and Trapper are surprised to see that everyone else not only begins to believe the Captain’s existence but also claims to have met and talked to him. Things come to a head when General Clayton decides to award the made-up officer a commendation — on camera. There’s nothing left to do: our surgeons must get serious and kill Tuttle.
3"Movie Tonight" (5x22)
Sometimes, all you want is to sit down, relax and watch something on the big screen. And at the 4077th, things are not that different, except, perhaps, for the equipment: no matter how much they attempt to get the film reel to work, it simply won’t go for long enough so that they can watchMy Darling Clementine. What is left to do, then, is to tell jokes, sing songs on the piano, perform impressions and try to have a good time.
This is probably the episode that really solidifies the 4077th as a found family. They might snap at each other and be stuck in an unfortunate and stressful situation, but they also want to be able to share joy together. Bonus point for all the excellent Father Mulcahy impressions.
2"Adam’s Ribs" (3x11)
“I’ve eaten a river of liver and an ocean of fish!“Without a shadow of a doubt, “Adam’s Ribs” is Hawkeye’s crowning comedic episode, while also serving showcasing extremely well the obsessive side of his personality that would later come to play, in a much darker manner, in the series finale. Being sick and tired of eating liver and/or fish for almost two weeks, Hawkeye decides to take action: he will get barbecue ribs delivered from a Chicago restaurant, no matter the cost or the logistic trouble. However, when the ribs finally arrive at camp, so does a new batch of wounded, reminding everyone that there’s still a war going on. Oh, and that Hawkeye forgot to order the coleslaw.
1"The Joker Is Wild” (11x04)
Some might think B.J. was being a bit cruel here, but let’s be honest: it was hilarious. The episode begins with Hawkeye affirming that Trapper John did much better pranks than anyone currently in the 4077th. So, when a prank challenge is proposed by B.J., no one in the camp is safe — least of all Hawkeye, who gets increasingly terrified as he sees everyone around him fall victim to a different scheme. This time, it’s better not to spoil the ending, but rest assured that it is the most satisfactory, merciless and hilarious joke of all.
