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M*A*S*H producer Burt Metcalfe went to Korea to help create new plot ideas
"I still talk to doctors who served there during the war," said Metcalfe.
For a television show to hold a record like M*A*S*H would be practically unheard of today. The series performed consistently well, in the eyes of both viewers and critics. Furthermore, the series lasted a whopping eleven seasons.
But for as long as M*A*S*H lived, and as well-loved as it was, there was some disagreement as to just how long the show should air.
The show's producer Burt Metcalfe spoke to Florida Today about the later seasons of M*A*S*H. As the series progressed, some people behind the scenes felt that a show like M*A*S*H should burn out in a blaze of glory, still one of the most popular shows on television, as opposed to overstaying its welcome on the network.
"Some of us feel it would be a good idea to end the series while we're still on top in terms of both (audience) ratings and quality," said Metcalfe. "But certainly CBS and the studio would like to keep it going a lot longer. They see no reason to take a top-10 show and let it go down the drain. The rerun syndication alone is a gold mine."
But with new episodes comes new plot ideas, and Metcalfe admitted that the longer the show ran, the more difficult it became to come up with new and interesting concepts.
"Alan [Alda] and I find it increasingly difficult to come up with story material for that short Korean War period of 1950 to 1953," said Metcalfe. "We've done about 250 episodes already - each with two or three storylines. So it's really hard to develop new angles and fresh ideas."
In fact, Metcalfe actually did some hands-on research in order to prepare.
"Just last May, I went to Korea as a guest of the government to try and get more ideas," he said. "And I still talk to doctors who served there during the war."
This extra effort helped Metcalfe and other creatives tell an investing and authentic story in nearly every episode of M*A*S*H. It was a dedication that rang true from the pilot all the way until the final episode.
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