8.8119 minSeason 11 • Episode 16
LatestHawkeye is sent to a mental hospital; a freak accident causes Father Mulcahy to lose his hearing; Margaret worries about her post-war plans; Charles run across a band of Chinese musicians; BJ is sent home, much to Hawkeye's dismay; Klinger decides to stay in Korea to marry Soon-Lee; a ceasefire is declared, ending the war.
The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.
Writing
Scripted chaos that invented the dramedy—75% jokes, 25% existential dread.
Acting
Alda and company improvised through actual tears; the grief is real.
Direction
Gelbart fought CBS for 11 years to keep the anti-war message intact.
Creator
Larry Gelbart
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The finale's 106 million viewers still holds the record for most-watched scripted broadcast in US history—beating every Super Bowl.
Radar's exit in season 8 destroyed morale so thoroughly that viewers sent angry letters for years; the cast never fully recovered.
US
