M*A*S*H is a rare example of a show that can survive major cast changes. At the end of the third season, fan favorites Trapper John and Henry Blake were written off the show, allowing for the arrival of newcomers like B.J. Hunnicutt and Sherman Potter.

Adding new characters is always a risky move, but it paid off big time for M*A*S*H. The series continued to rate highly and became one of the longest-running sitcoms of all time.

A lot can happen over the course of 11 years. The cast can change, but the cast members themselves can change too. Here's a look at what the actors looked like for their first and last episodes of the series.  

Hawkeye Pierce

Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan

Maxwell Klinger

Father Francis Mulcahy

Sherman T. Potter

Harry Morgan, the actor who plays Sherman T. Potter, first appeared on the series as Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele.

B.J. Hunnicutt

Radar O'Reilly

Charles Winchester

Frank Burns

Trapper John

Henry Blake