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Mike Farrell clapped back at Richard Hooker after it was revealed the M*A*S*H author wasn't a fan of the television adaptation
"He says it’s no longer true to the spirit of his intentions."
As a series, M*A*S*H didn’t just break barriers; it broke television records. The series seemingly had no shortage of fans during its incredible 11-year run.
However, the M*A*S*H cast knew that there was one enemy of the show, none other than Richard Hooker. Hooker was responsible for the 1968 book, MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The book was developed into the hit 1970 film, which eventually led to the television adaptation.
Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt, acknowledged that the series had earned the ire of the author. “He hates the series with a passion,” Farrell said during an interview with the Calgary Herald. “He says it’s no longer true to the spirit of his intentions because we’ve become pacifist and anti-war in our statements.”
Farrell said that Hooker also disagreed with the lighter tone M*A*S*H frequently took on. While the series was more serious than other sitcoms on air at the time, there was certainly room for laughter on the set of M*A*S*H. It was an adjustment that Farrell argued was integral to the series. “We’ve had to interject some elements of comedy to transcend all ages and tastes, and he’s critical of that,” said Farrell.
Furthermore, Farrell argued that although the series took some liberties, it remained accurate to the time in which it was set. “We interview a lot of doctors for the show, and we’ve met a number who know (Hooker),” said the actor. “They say they really love the show and that they’ve met the doctor at medical conventions and have told them so...It’s more likely that we are acting out specifically what he intended and he has grown further and further away from his own idealized version of himself,” Farrell said.
Hooker wasn’t willing to go as far as to say he hated the series, though he was more than willing to make his discontent known. “I don’t exactly dislike it,” Hooker said during an interview with The Daily Illini. “I’m just not excited about it.” However, the author said that the film was “excellent.”
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