MAS*H (1972-1983) stands as one of the most awarded television series in history, dominating the Emmy Awards throughout its 11-season run and earning critical acclaim that continues to resonate over four decades later.
During its original run, MAS*H received 105 Emmy Award nominations and won 14 Emmy Awards [1]:
Alan Alda won five Emmy Awards for his work on MAS*H [2]:
He was the first actor to win Emmys for acting, writing, and directing the same series.
MAS*H also achieved significant recognition from the Golden Globes:
The series finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" (February 28, 1983), remains the most-watched episode in television history for a scripted series:
The finale earned 14 Emmy nominations and won 4, including Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special [3].
MASH's first season was a disaster. It aired on Sunday nights opposite NBC's The Wonderful World of Disney and ABC's The FBI*—both Top 30 shows—and finished the 1972-1973 season in 46th place. The wrap party had most of the cast assuming they wouldn't be back.
But CBS believed in the show's potential and made one crucial change: they moved MASH to Saturday nights at 8:30pm, right after All in the Family (the #1 show). This was part of CBS's legendary Saturday "wrecking crew" lineup: All in the Family, MASH, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. With weaker competition (mostly movies on ABC and NBC), MAS*H skyrocketed to 4th place in season 2 and never fell out of the Top 20 again.
The show also got a boost from summer reruns and word-of-mouth. Larry Gelbart wrote the Season 2 premiere "Divided We Stand" as a "second pilot" to re-introduce the show to audiences who missed it first time. The rest is history.
MAS*H proved that television could tackle serious issues—war, death, morality—while maintaining humor. Its success paved the way for future dramedies and demonstrated that audiences would embrace complex, emotionally challenging storytelling. The show reached #4 in seasons 2-6, peaked at #3 in the final season (1982-83), and was a Top 10 fixture for most of its run—never #1 for a week or season, but beloved nonetheless.