Life-sized statues were made, and city council meetings were postponed in preparation for the 'M*A*S*H' finale

Tents went up in yards and there were countless 'M*A*S*H bashes' held around the country.

The Everett Collection

If you've been a fan of M*A*S*H since the show was on the air, you certainly remember watching the series finale.

You know about the record-setting ratings the finale episode received, as some 120 million people tuned in! A record-breaking number like that represents just how big of a deal the series-ending episode was. 

All around the country, diehard fans of the 4077th would do just about anything to make their viewing experience of the last episode as memorable as possible. According to a 1983 article from Mattoon, Illinois Journal Gazette, fanatics were hosting "M*A*S*H bashes all over the country."

According to the newspaper article, one fan considered "digging a trench in the front yard," but decided the landlord wouldn't like that too much. She compromised and pitched a tent. That was from a fan in Jackson, Mississippi, but we venture to guess she wasn't the only one.

In the Cincinnati, Ohio suburb of Fairfield, the finale had influence on the city council's agenda that day. "The city council voted 5-2 to postpone its regular Monday meeting so Mayor Donald Leroy and council members could stay home and watch."

Many M*A*S*H fans know about the water issue the series finale caused in New York City, the one where so many people went to the restroom at the same during commercials and after the show. The subsequent pressure drop from flushing toilets caused a surge in the tunnels that brought the water from the Catskills to the city. 

Before that happened though, Alan Alda's old dorm room at Fordham University was turned "into a facsimile of 'the swamp' - the tent in which he has dwelt for 11 years as Hawkeye Pierce." Imagine if that was your dorm for a day! 

In Jamie Farr's hometown of Toledo, Ohio, many of the M*A*S*H-bashers at a local cafe snapped a few pictures with a "life-sized statue of Farr." 

M*A*S*H fans have always supported the show and have gone all-out when it comes to showing their fandom, evident in the examples you just read. 

When it comes to the ending of their beloved series, we wonder just how many times these millions of fans have seen the final episode since it originally aired on Feb. 28, 1983. 

How many times do you think you've seen "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"? 

Watch M*A*S*H on MeTV!

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27 Comments

HopeDuchaine 4 months ago
Just one thing: I have been seeing the same commercial at least 3 times in a row; the commercial is the one for sensitive All; Please cut back the ad with Dr.Z
John 4 months ago
I'm drowning in MASH. 4 TIMES A DAY!
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!
Avie 4 months ago
I've seen it only once -- the finale was a huge disappointment and not worth of the show it attempted to send off.

As for

"A record-breaking number like that represents just how big of a deal the series-ending episode was."

That's just how big a deal the series-ending episode was. NO 'OF'!

What is is with some people that they succumb to the irresistible compulsion to drop utterly superlfuous "ofs" into sentences like these? It's bad writing, terrible English and tells me that whoever is being paid to write this junk needs to be in a different line of work.
musicman37 Avie 4 months ago
Usage, tense grammar, and spelling have all gone by the wayside. I can't tell you how many annoying misusages of all I see on TV shows, in advertising, and in general day-to-day conversation, on a daily basis.

It's no mystery as to why immigrants don't want to learn our language - they'd probably speak it better than most Americans today, but it's confusing, unless you master it at an early age.
LoveMETV22 Avie 4 months ago
Not sure what purpose you're trying to achieve with your commentaries. However before pointing attention towards other errors or mistakes, maybe a quick check of your own.

"I've seen it only once -- the finale was a huge disappointment and not "𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵" of the show."

"worthy" would have been a better choice.

As for

"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲."

Should be: What is "it" with some people.

As you can see, they are simple mistakes in spelling and grammar. You make mistakes as well in posts. When you call out those other mistakes and then make errors of your own, it makes your corrections "pedantic" in nature.

There's really nothing more than semantics going on in your various posts. You're trying to call attention to others, but what your doing is calling attention to yourself.
John musicman37 4 months ago
I agree completely. We've raised a generation of nitwits
RicardoShillyShally 4 months ago
I've only seen it once. I had to work that night, so I taped it on my Betamax. That scene on the bus where that Korean woman kills her baby still haunts me.
rnwrede 4 months ago
I thought Toledo was Klinger's hometown, was it Jamie's as well?
hootrs23 rnwrede 4 months ago
that's what yahoo says.
WGH 4 months ago
Everyone should be honest. It was a comedy and that finale sucked.

Instead of them having a huge party, it turned into a boohoo, I'm going to miss everyone, mess.

And Hawkeye going crazy was an insane Story line. Come on guys.
musicman37 WGH 4 months ago
Just because YOU didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean countless others didn't. I maintain that people who didn't enjoy it didn't UNDERSTAND it.
WGH 4 months ago
We raised money for a good cause at my high school by having a M*A*S*H finale day.

High schoolers walking around in cowboy hats and bathrobes. Or Army fatigues. Etc.(none of the guys wore dresses though.)
10john10 4 months ago
CBS hyped the finale with "The End of an Era!"(with newspaper heading and typewriter effects). Mash had one of it's worst showings during "The Peoples' Choice Awards" in 1982(although viewership remained strong). The finale aired mid season and the earlier episodes repeated until summer '83? The Happy Days finale also aired mid season in 1984, but unseen episodes followed until that September. I did attend high school in Mash attire on the finale date, with some affirming response. This was very appreciated by a young freshman!
WGH 10john10 4 months ago
Me too!
Jon 4 months ago
I've seen it completely the first two times when CBS aired it (2/28/1983) and mostly on its second run (9/19/1983) , but I skipped the last time (9/18/1984, when it got terrible ratings). I've seen bits of it on MeTV and recorded it off the channel to record the interviews which increased the length to three hours. I may watch it again today on MeTV.
harlow1313 4 months ago
Well, perhaps METV is overhyping. I heard a small rumble among co-wokers, in those olden days. I watched it.

Like MrsPhilHarris, I was "mildly disappointed." I hate when final episodes "tie" up too many loose ends. So artificial, so unlike real life. It puts me off. (I hated the American finale of "The Office." Dreadful.)

That is one reason I like the Seinfeld finale. I think it is clever. Unexpected. (Of course, "Newhart" has one great moment, in an otherwise forgettable finale.)
MrsPhilHarris harlow1313 4 months ago
Newhart may have had the best finale ever!
WGH MrsPhilHarris 4 months ago
I love when Bob Newhart told Emily she should wear more sweaters. Lol.
Moverfan WGH 4 months ago
Well, that does it...no more Japanese food before bed for you.
MrsPhilHarris WGH 4 months ago
That was a great line. 😁
Runeshaper 4 months ago
Wow! That's quite an impact. The water issue was interesting and funny lol
MrsPhilHarris Runeshaper 4 months ago
I have always wondered if that was an urban legend, 🤔
JeffPaul76 15 months ago
Me? How many times have I seen the M*A*S*H finale? About 10 or 12 times. I haven't counted, to tell you the truth.
MrsPhilHarris 17 months ago
I was a big MASH fan at the time and tuned in but admit I was mildly disappointed. That is just my opinion as I know lots of people think it’s the best thing ever.
LoveMETV22 17 months ago
Thanks MeTV that was an interesting story. I remember reading about the water issue the series finale caused in New York City, from the previous article you posted in 2021. The other snippets about the finale seem to be new.
Michael 17 months ago
Philip Berrigan came to town to give a speech, I even met him and gave him a paper crane.

I never saw the episode unt il about 15 years ago, when I found it at a used book sale, a commercial VHS release.
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