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113-422: Edgar McLean Stevenson Jr. (November 14, 1927 – February 15, 1996) was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake in the television series M*A*S*H , which earned him a Golden Globe Award in 1974. Stevenson also appeared on a number of television series, notably The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , The Doris Day Show and Match Game . Stevenson

226-479: A live studio audience using a multiple-camera setup , the latter of which continues in some modern productions such as The Big Bang Theory and Fuller House . Other formats make use of a laugh track or "canned laughter". Since the 1990s, sitcoms have since expanded to animated sitcoms , with successful shows of the genre including The Simpsons , King of the Hill , and Family Guy . Critics have debated

339-702: A press secretary for his cousin in the presidential elections of 1952 and 1956. He formed the "Young Democrats for Stevenson." In 1961, Stevenson's cousin invited him to social functions where he met a few business luminaries. He followed his cousin's advice to look for a show business career. He auditioned and won a scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy . He made his professional career debut in The Music Man in 1962 and appeared regularly in Warsaw, Indiana , in summer stock productions. Before becoming

452-529: A 30-minute time slot. Throughout their history, American sitcoms have often drawn inspiration from British counterparts. Popular shows like All in the Family , Three's Company , and Sanford and Son were adapted from successful British series. More recently, The Office achieved significant popularity in the United States , following the success of its British counterpart. Numerous television networks in

565-468: A Big Star' Award" early in his career as a critic. Stevenson commented in 1990 that some of the criticism was justified, conceding that leaving M*A*S*H was the biggest mistake of his career. "I made the mistake of believing that people were enamored of McLean Stevenson when the person they were enamored of was Henry Blake," said Stevenson. "So if you go and do The McLean Stevenson Show , nobody cares about McLean Stevenson." Stevenson admitted that his problem

678-551: A Commendation Medal, a Purple Heart, an Army of Occupation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean War Campaign Medal, and the U.N. Service Medal. He describes his wife in unflattering terms, having very expensive false teeth, varicose veins, a fistful of credit cards, looking like Frank Burns in drag, and that he only married her because she was a good cook. (These terms are quite unfair; in

791-414: A MASH unit. In an episode earlier in the series, Hawkeye is mistakenly reported dead. He boards a Quartermaster Corps bus/hearse which has dead soldiers aboard, saying he has just about had his fill of war, and admits he is tired of seeing death every day. In one episode, a temporary replacement surgeon from Tokyo General Hospital, who cut his teeth performing meatball surgery under impossible conditions in

904-516: A bathrobe instead of uniform, never polishes his combat boots, and only wears his Class A uniform when he believes appearance can achieve greater good, but does not wear any of the decorations to which he is entitled. (Based on what was told and shown in the course of the series, these would include the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal,

1017-644: A cigarette should" with the grammatically correct "as". After guest-starring in That Girl with Marlo Thomas , he was cast in The Doris Day Show in 1969, playing magazine editor boss Michael Nicholson until 1971. Originally, he auditioned for the role of Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H , but was persuaded to play Lt. Col. Henry Blake instead. Stevenson found his greatest success in M*A*S*H . The series quickly became one of

1130-476: A commander is his ability to maintain the morale of his unit, which he does through personal loyalty and indulgence of the lunacy that is a hallmark of the 4077th (as well as frequent participation). This success is demonstrated by the unit's outstanding 97.6% casualty survival rate. Blake also shows superior skills in assessing medical talent, when he ignores military rank and appoints Hawkeye Pierce as chief surgeon over Frank Burns. (Although junior in rank, Pierce

1243-544: A core group of characters who interact in a recurring setting, such as a family, workplace, or institution. However, British sitcoms typically consist of shorter series, often six episodes, and are frequently developed by a smaller writing team. The majority of British sitcoms are half-hour comedies recorded in studio settings using a multiple-camera setup. While many adhere to traditional sitcom conventions, some have ventured into more unconventional territory. For example, Blackadder and Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister shifted

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1356-539: A dismissive attitude toward his better-trained colleagues, blaming others for his failures. He unjustly accuses a rookie orderly, Boone (Bud Cort in the film), of killing one of his patients and nearly kills another patient, earning him retaliatory assaults from Duke and Trapper John. As Burns holds the same rank as Hawkeye in the novel Blake tries to make sure neither is on duty at the same time, but cannot do so when things get busy. His medical incompetence causes Colonel Blake to instead assign Trapper John as Chief Surgeon. In

1469-457: A dispute over the terms of the original five-year contract, he quit the show shortly before production of the fourth season began; the character of Trapper was abruptly discharged from the Army and sent back to the United States. The character of B.J. Hunnicutt was created to replace him, with the two-part Season Four opener created to explain his absence (the third episode introducing Col. Potter

1582-481: A few references (primarily in the early seasons) to Vermont. His father graduated from medical school and settled as a doctor in Crabapple Cove in 1911. His mother is deceased and he has a sister (like Vermont, they are mentioned in some early episodes and then never again; although, in season 4, he says he was an only child), and he is close to his father. In the novel and film, Hawkeye is married with children, but in

1695-408: A grudge against him after being passed over for command. In turn, Potter holds Burns's feigned military bearing and subpar medical skills in contempt. Potter takes pride in the competency of the rest of the medical staff despite their antics. Burns's replacement, Major Winchester, has a grudging respect for Potter, even though their personalities are often at odds with one another. Potter initially takes

1808-548: A guest on the program in 1982, he brought his daughter Lindsey onto the set when she was just 16 weeks old. During the 1988–89 television season, he returned to a supporting TV role in an ensemble, playing Max Kellerman in the short-lived CBS series adaptation of Dirty Dancing . Stevenson's career decline resulted in his becoming a target for industry jokes. Steve Daley wrote in 1985 that he had "worn out his television welcome", while David Bianculli drafted "The Annual McLean Stevenson Memorial 'I'm Gonna Quit This Show and Become

1921-606: A guest panelist for several weeks on Match Game in 1973 and 1974, and again in 1978 on the daytime and nighttime weekly syndicated version. In 1981, he became a regular panelist on the daily syndicated version of Match Game , staying with the show until its cancellation a year later. He would make occasional appearances on the subsequent Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1983 and 1984. After his departure from M*A*S*H , Stevenson's acting career declined. While occasionally filling in for Johnny Carson as guest host of The Tonight Show , Stevenson's first attempt at his own show

2034-510: A handful of 1970s television characters to be successfully adapted from situation comedy to drama. Captain B.J. Hunnicutt is played by Mike Farrell in the TV show. He replaced Trapper, both in his position within the unit and as an ally of Hawkeye Pierce and a foil of Frank Burns, appearing in all but one episode of the rest of the series. Although he glibly answers that the initials "B.J." stand for "anything you want", he tells Hawkeye that his name

2147-419: A hard line against Klinger's attempts to get discharged but is convinced to let him continue cross-dressing and eventually assigns him to be his new company clerk after Radar received a hardship discharge. As an indication of their respect for him, in the final episode Hawkeye and B. J. formally salute Potter as he leaves the camp, one of the few times either is shown doing so. The character also appeared as

2260-456: A higher yield of alcohol. He also has his eccentricities, including a love of horses from his cavalry days and an ability to use his Regular Army connections to the unit's advantage. Unlike Blake, he is not afraid to put his foot down when the camp's antics get out of hand, but this is motivated by not wanting to see his troops get into trouble outside of the camp. In addition, Potter, who had been managing administrative work before his assignment to

2373-464: A home movie she sent to him, she is considered more good looking than beautiful). Likewise, when she wrote to him about being tempted to (but not having) an affair with a dentist and that she understood if he was tempted to have an affair, Blake brags to Pierce and Trapper that she had given him permission to have an affair, which she did not. (In fact Blake is a serial adulterer, having interacted with six women, including three M*A*S*H 4077 nurses). Henry

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2486-511: A large house, an expensive car, a yacht and being a member of two men's clubs. Burns also has collateral duties as M*A*S*H 4077's Physical Fitness instructor, Food Procurement Officer, Food Inspector (where he came down with a case of food poisoning ), Garbage Officer, and Sanitary Disposal Officer, duties normally performed by the most junior officer of the unit, not a field grade officer . Every Friday he gives boring, nonsensical orientation lectures to newly arrived enlisted personnel about why

2599-452: A medical journal, using a primitive open-chest defibrillator and open-chest heart massage . On another occasion, he gave away a Bronze Star he was awarded because he felt he did not deserve it. He actively avoids the finality of farewells, but when the 4077th is disbanded in the series finale, he is last seen riding his Indian motorcycle away from camp, while Hawkeye sees from a helicopter that B.J. has arranged painted white stones into

2712-738: A new central character in AfterMASH , a spin-off starring the three cast members who had voted (unsuccessfully) to continue the first series. Potter became chief of staff and chief of surgery of the fictional General Pershing VA Hospital in River Bend, Missouri , where he is joined by Klinger and his wife Soon-Lee, and Father Mulcahy. Among the resident in-patients is one of Potter's subordinates from World War I, who addresses him as "Sarge" as opposed to his retired rank of colonel. Major (later Lieutenant Colonel ) Franklin Delano Marion " Frank " Burns

2825-557: A nurse, and was also similarly tempted into having an affair with a visiting female journalist. The nine months he spends in Korea caused him to have an emotional breakdown because of the separation from his wife and child. He is also more reserved than his predecessor, often serving as the voice of reason when Hawkeye goes too far. Nonetheless, he also participates in and initiates practical jokes, such as secretly switching Major Winchester's clothing for that of other soldiers to make him think he

2938-552: A physician Potter would have been a commissioned officer and so ineligible for it at the time. He also has claimed to be in two different theaters of War during World War II: In the summer of 1944 on Guam; in December 1944 in the Battle of the Bulge . Potter is married to Mildred, and they have only one daughter and one grandson in some episodes, while in others he has multiple children - including

3051-465: A profound lack of military competence as well. In an early episode, before his character becomes more of a buffoon, he demonstrated himself to be an efficient, though still micromanaging, commander. In another episode, Burns is gullible enough to believe that the US Army Corps of Engineers is going to make MASH hospitals amphibious. In " The Novocaine Mutiny ", Burns is left in temporary command when

3164-489: A psychiatrist that the war "forced me to operate next to a surgeon who can't cut his toenails without committing malpractice"; Trapper John sneers Burns couldn't cut salami without bungling it; B.J. remarked that Hawkeye claimed Burns became a surgeon after washing out of embalming school. Hawkeye taught the Korean ward boys to say, "You tell 'em, Ferret Face!" on cue. Even Hot Lips, when asked by Frank what she thought of him as

3277-697: A pulp". Several of his teeth were knocked out by his German captors, for which he was later awarded a Purple Heart , one of four he holds: two from World War I, one for his teeth being broken by the Germans and another for having been gassed; one from World War II when his illicit still on Guam blew up on him; and one from Korea, for being shot in the buttocks by a sniper. After the Great War, he went to medical school, and began his service as an Army doctor in 1932, serving in World War II . One of his most cherished possessions

3390-541: A rather unremarkable boyhood, by his own admission he had had several experiences he never forgot. Once when young, he fell overboard in a pond and nearly drowned as a result of a cruel practical joke, leaving him with lifelong claustrophobia. When he was 14, his father was angered to find him in bed with a girl and smoking a cigarette. When he was 12, he discovered his father was dating a female bookkeeper; to keep his father's attention all to himself, Hawkeye selfishly ruined their relationship so they couldn't marry. He attended

3503-542: A regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie). In 1987, Mother and Son won the Television Drama Award for portraying a woman suffering from senile dementia and her interaction with her family, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission . In 2007, Kath & Kim ' s first episode of series 4 attracted an Australian audience of 2.521 million nationally. This

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3616-461: A sidearm as required by regulations when serving as Officer of the Day. When he is ordered by Colonel Potter to carry his issue pistol on a trip to a ROK aid station and they are ambushed on the road, he fires it into the air rather than at their attackers. This was after he told the gun "You're fired." He is also a chronic alcoholic, for three years in Korea drinking every day three times more heavily than

3729-523: A son born in 1926 who is a dentist - and grandchildren. As a " Regular Army " career officer, Potter is a more capable commander than his predecessor, Henry Blake. He is better able to lead the 4077th through a crisis, such as a deluge of wounded soldiers, a "Bug Out" (forced evacuation), a weather-related crisis (such as a rainstorm, windstorm, or a freezing winter with supply shortages), or an outbreak of an infectious disease, such as hepatitis or hemorrhagic fever . Despite his stern military bearing, Potter

3842-543: A staple of the government broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In the 1970s and 1980s many British sitcoms also screened on the Seven Network . By 1986, UK comedies Bless This House and Are You Being Served? had been re-screened several times by ABC Television ; they were then acquired and screened by the Seven Network. In 1981, Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature

3955-695: A star, Stevenson appeared as a contestant on the Password television game show in New York City, winning five pieces of luggage. After this he appeared in New York City on stage, and in television commercials. He also performed on Broadway , and began to establish himself as a comedy writer, writing for the American version of That Was the Week That Was — in which Alan Alda appeared—and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour , performing occasionally on both shows. He

4068-494: A surgeon, replied, "Frank, don't you have enough pain?" The MASH surgeons get a big laugh when they see a film of his wedding - even then Burns couldn't hold a knife while cutting his wedding cake. Hawkeye remarked, "Watch the cake die of malpractice!" Frank had a poor relationship with his father, who would strike him at the dinner table if he ever talked out of turn. Furthermore, Burn's father pretended to like his son, but actually hated him. His older brother despised him, pinning

4181-418: A traditional conservative. I mean, he wanted nothing more than to have people leave him alone so he could enjoy his martini, you know? Government should get out of his liquor cabinet". Pierce has little tolerance for military red tape and protocol, feeling they get in the way of his doing his job, and has little respect for most Regular Army personnel. He never wears rank insignia on his fatigues, usually wears

4294-626: Is 28 years old; later when he meets a medical college friend "Practical Joker" it is revealed that BJ has been both married and practicing medicine for 10 years. He is devoted to his wife Peg (née Hayden) who writes many letters to him while he is in Korea. The couple has a daughter, Erin, who was born shortly before B.J. left for Korea. In contrast to the philandering Trapper John, B.J. remains generally faithful to his wife and daughter, saying that it's not because he thinks it's morally wrong to do otherwise, but "I simply don't want to." One time he accidentally had an unplanned one-night stand while comforting

4407-404: Is a good man and a capable surgeon but unfocused and often ineffective as a commanding officer . In a letter to his father, Hawkeye Pierce describes Henry's lack of leadership ability: "As a commanding officer, it's like being on a sinking liner, running to the bridge, and finding out the captain is Daffy Duck." Henry often gets flustered when an important decision needs to be made. For example, in

4520-465: Is a relatively relaxed and laid-back commander, not above involving himself in camp hijinks and understanding the need for fun and games to boost morale during wartime, particularly in the high-pressure atmosphere of a MASH. When Hawkeye and B. J. invite Potter to their tent for a post-surgery drink just after his assuming command, he is very affable and complimentary of their brewing skills, even giving them tips on how to improve their gin still and get

4633-513: Is depicted doing this in Hooker's two sequels, M*A*S*H Goes to Maine and M*A*S*H Mania . Captain " Trapper " John Francis Xavier McIntyre appears in the novels, the film (played by Elliott Gould ), the M*A*S*H TV series (played by Wayne Rogers ), and the spin-off Trapper John, M.D. series (played by Pernell Roberts ). He is one of the main characters in the M*A*S*H TV series during

McLean Stevenson - Misplaced Pages Continue

4746-405: Is gaining or losing weight, or filling Frank Burns's air raid foxholes with water and then having the visiting Sidney Freedman yell "Air raid!" . On other occasions, B.J. encourages members of the 4077th to play jokes on each other, starting escalating joke wars for his amusement, with neither side knowing that he is the instigator. Unfortunately, this has often backfired on him when both parties he

4859-409: Is his Good Conduct Medal , an award "only given to enlisted men", Potter explains to Radar while unpacking that he has a "Good Conduct Medal with a clasp." That means he was an enlisted man for at least eight years before he becomes a doctor. It is framed and hung behind his desk during his tenure at the 4077th. However, the earliest a soldier in the army was credited towards this award was 1940, and as

4972-425: Is introduced in the 1968 novel M*A*S*H , and is also a character in the film (played by Roger Bowen ) and television series (played by McLean Stevenson ). He is a surgeon and the original commanding officer of the 4077th MASH unit. He is beloved for his down-to-earth, laid-back manner by many under his command, especially Hawkeye and Trapper John (with whom he drinks, flouts regulations, and chases women). However, he

5085-580: Is not an initialism , but simply B.J., derived from the names of his parents, Bea and Jay. Hunnicutt resided in Mill Valley, California , before he was drafted. He was educated at Stanford University and was a member of the Tau Phi Epsilon fraternity. He is a third-generation doctor in his family. He went through his military training at Fort Sam Houston . When he arrived at MASH 4077 in September 1952 he

5198-556: Is one of the leading channels in India, dedicated entirely to Sitcoms. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is the longest-running sitcom of Indian television and is also known as the flagship show of SAB TV . On Tiptoes and Shabhaye Barareh were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran, both receiving wide critical and audience acclaim. El Chavo del Ocho , which ran from 1971 to 1980,

5311-424: Is permanently sent away for psychiatric evaluation in a straitjacket, shot full of tranquilizers. In the novel, the confrontation is less violent, and Burns is simply transferred to a VA hospital stateside. In the film and the subsequent TV series, Frank Burns's rank is that of major. The film version includes elements of the novel's Major Jonathan Hobson, a very religious man who prays for all souls to be saved. In

5424-549: Is scorned for it by those who prefer strict military discipline, such as Frank Burns and Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan. In the film and novel, he is a career Army physician, having been commissioned before World War II . In the television series, he is 44 years old and a reservist called up to active duty and taken from his private practice in Bloomington, Illinois . Henry attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , where he

5537-491: Is the executive officer and main antagonist in the film (played by Robert Duvall ) and the first five seasons of the television series ( Larry Linville ). Burns first appeared in the original novel, where he had the rank of captain. In the novel, Burns is a well-off doctor who attended medical school, but whose training as a surgeon was limited to an apprenticeship with his father in Fort Wayne, Indiana . Nonetheless, he maintains

5650-716: The Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series . In 2020, the sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards . This broke the record for the most Emmy nominations given to a comedy series in its final season. During the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards , the show became the first ever comedy or drama series to sweep the four acting categories ( Outstanding Lead Actor , Outstanding Lead Actress , Outstanding Supporting Actor , Outstanding Supporting Actress for Eugene Levy , Catherine O'Hara , Dan Levy , and Annie Murphy respectively) and one of only four live action shows, along with All in

5763-586: The Pusan Perimeter at the start of the war, does indeed crack under pressure and probably received a Section 8 due to his emotional breakdown that prevents him working as a combat surgeon. When the Korean Armistice Agreement is announced, he states his intention to return to Crabapple Cove to be a local doctor who has the time to get to know his patients, instead of contending with the endless flow of casualties he faced during his time in Korea. He

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5876-684: The RTR channel. The "boom" of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s, when in 2004, the STS started the highly successful sitcom " My Fair Nanny " (an adaptation of the American sitcom " The Nanny "). Since that time, sitcoms in Russia have been produced by the two largest entertainment channels in the country — STS and TNT . In 2007, the STS released the first original domestic sitcom — " Daddy's Daughters " (there were only adaptations before), and in 2010, TNT released " Interns " —

5989-577: The United States Navy , and served from January 1946 to November 1947 as a hospital corpsman . After his service he attended Northwestern University , where he was a Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brother, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Afterward, he worked at a radio station, played a clown on a live TV show in Dallas , became an assistant athletic director at Northwestern, and sold medical supplies and insurance. He also worked as

6102-575: The 1970 film adaptation of the novel, the television series M*A*S*H (1972–1983), AfterMASH (1983–1985), W*A*L*T*E*R (1984), and Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986), and the video game M*A*S*H (1983). M*A*S*H is a media franchise revolving around the staff of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they attempt to maintain sanity during the harshness of the Korean War . Captain Benjamin Franklin " Hawkeye " Pierce (Jr. in

6215-839: The 1970 movie M*A*S*H , died of a heart attack the day after Stevenson's death. List of M*A*S*H characters#Henry Blake This is a list of characters from the M*A*S*H franchise created by Richard Hooker , covering the various fictional characters appearing in the novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors (1968) and its sequels M*A*S*H Goes to Maine (1971), M*A*S*H Goes to New Orleans (1974), M*A*S*H Goes to Paris (1974), M*A*S*H Goes to London (1975), M*A*S*H Goes to Vienna (1976), M*A*S*H Goes to San Francisco (1976), M*A*S*H Goes to Morocco (1976), M*A*S*H Goes to Miami (1976), M*A*S*H Goes to Las Vegas (1976), M*A*S*H Goes to Hollywood (1976), M*A*S*H Goes to Texas (1977), M*A*S*H Goes to Moscow (1977), M*A*S*H Goes to Montreal (1977), and M*A*S*H Mania (1977),

6328-431: The 1990s these included: Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993), Zabaan Sambhalke (1993), Shrimaan Shrimati (1995), Office Office (2001), Ramani Vs Ramani (Tamil 2001), Amrutham (Telugu 2001–2007), Khichdi (2002), Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (2005) F.I.R. (2006–2015), Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (2008–present), Uppum Mulakum (Malayalam 2015–present), and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain (2015–present). SAB TV

6441-477: The 2010s, resulting in a decline in sitcom popularity. Nevertheless, there have been recent efforts to revive the sitcom genre. For instance, Netflix released So Not Worth It in 2021, featuring many creators from popular South Korean sitcoms. Popular South Korean sitcoms include the High Kick series, which has spawned several spin-offs. British sitcoms , like their American counterparts, often revolve around

6554-472: The 4077th MASH. The character appeared in all but three of the subsequent episodes. Potter is from Hannibal, Missouri , one-quarter Cherokee and possesses a passion and fondness for horses. In typical M*A*S*H inconsistency, Potter's birth year was variously mentioned as being 1883 (he claimed to have joined Theodore Roosevelt 's "Roughriders" as a marginally legal 15-year-old enlistee in 1898), 1890, or 1900 or 1902. The most plausible date would be 1890. In

6667-466: The 4077th himself and resorts to underhanded means in attempting to achieve this end. Among his underhanded schemes are filing misleading complaints about Blake and unsuccessfully preventing Hawkeye and Trapper from testifying in Blake's defense. When Burns is left in command of the unit (per military regulations), he generally micromanages camp operations, just for the sake of being in command but demonstrates

6780-506: The 4077th is inundated with a deluge of casualties. Burns and Hawkeye recount different versions of the events. Burns claims that he was performing superior work, even going so far as to donate blood to a critically wounded soldier in between treating patients and completing the Last Rites benediction in Latin for the deceased after Father Mulcahy passed out from exhaustion. Burns further asserts that

6893-434: The 4077th with the asset of knowing many of his superiors as personal acquaintances, possesses formidable skills as a surgeon and for keeping morale high in the operating room. Potter is well-liked by his subordinates, especially Radar, who comes to see him as a mentor and father figure after Blake's transfer stateside and subsequent death. Potter receives more respect than Blake did from Major Houlihan, but Major Burns harbors

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7006-457: The 4077th. In the film, he has a dry, sardonic, deadpan sense of humor, while in the M*A*S*H television series he is more of a class clown . Trapper spends much of his time on the series engaging in mischief with Hawkeye Pierce, with the two playing practical jokes on Majors Frank Burns and Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, heavy drinking, and trying to seduce women. While Trapper expresses great love for his wife and daughters, he also fraternizes with

7119-417: The Family , The Golden Girls , and Will & Grace where all the principal actors have won at least one Emmy Award. Sitcoms started appearing on Indian television in the 1980s, with serials like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Nukkad (1986), and Wagle Ki Duniya (1988) on the state-run Doordarshan channel. Gradually, as private channels were permitted to operate, many more sitcoms followed. In

7232-710: The Great War. Although his career was in the Horse Cavalry until 1924 when he married, he has told stories about being in the Infantry during World War I. During combat in World War I , at the July 1918 Battle of Château-Thierry , he was mustard gassed , leaving him blind for a month in a French hospital. In the September - November 1918 Battle of the Argonne Forest , he was "lost for three days, taken prisoner, head shaved and beaten to

7345-752: The Korean Campaign Medal, the U.N. Service Medal, the Meritorious Unit Commendation , the Commendation Medal, the Purple Heart, and possibly a Legion of Merit ; plus the Combat Medical Badge for his periodic service at battalion aid stations.) On occasion, he assumes temporary command of the 4077th in the absence or disability of Colonels Blake or Potter. As a surgeon, he does not like the use of firearms and he refuses to carry

7458-584: The Season 10 episode " Pressure Points ," Potter tells Sidney Friedman that he is 62 years old. (The 1883 birthdate appears unlikely, since this would have made Potter nearly 70 during the Korean Conflict. The 1900 and 1902 birthdates would indicate he would be only around 49–50 during the Korean War.) Throughout his tenure in the series, it is occasionally mentioned that Potter is "close to retirement." Potter joined

7571-538: The South Korean Army. He also failed to become a nurse when he couldn't fold bed sheets with hospital corners , and in his hometown the local funeral director sends him Thank You cards every Christmas. The other doctors of the 4077th have little to no respect for Ferret Face. They looked at him with amused contempt when he once referred to himself as the unit's "Deputy Chief Surgeon". In one episode, one of Burns's patients had to have emergency surgery because Burns

7684-555: The TV series, he is a bachelor and something of a ladies' man (although he fakes being married to Vanessa Pierce Girlfriend in episode 1/23 "Ceasefire".) He was given the nickname "Hawkeye" by his father, Benjy (Sr.), in the novel and in the series from the character in the novel The Last of the Mohicans , "the only book my old man ever read". His birth name is taken from a member of Hooker's own family named Franklin Pierce. Although he had

7797-503: The TV series, he is very high-strung, with a penchant for uttering what are often bizarre or redundant cliches and malapropisms; one example is from "The Interview" (season 4, episode 24), in which Burns describes marriage as "the headstone of American society". In the TV series, though by military rank Burns is second-in-command of the unit, he is in fact outranked in medical matters by Hawkeye, who reluctantly accepts appointment by Colonel Blake as Chief Surgeon. Burns longs for command of

7910-541: The US Army cavalry as a private during World War I and subsequently rose to the rank of sergeant. Although never deployed as cavalry, the 6th and 15th Cavalry Regiments were sent to France and served in the American Expeditionary Forces in 1918. As the 15th was dismounted and sent into the trenches as infantry to relieve exhausted doughboys, it seems probable Potter saw combat with this battle-hardened unit in

8023-525: The United States in 1926 with the radio show Sam 'n' Henry . The subsequent success of Amos 'n' Andy , also created by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll , solidified the sitcom's place in American radio programming. The transition to television brought about significant changes in the sitcom format. Mary Kay and Johnny , which premiered in 1947, became the first American television sitcom. Today, American sitcoms typically run for 22 minutes, allowing for approximately eight minutes of advertising within

8136-448: The United States is in the Korean War. Situation comedy The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners . These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but the term "sitcom" emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filmed in front of

8249-693: The average person [his homemade still; daily tabs at the MASH Officers' Club, and Rosie's Bar] and also drinks 12-year-old Scotch whisky and Seagrams (Canadian whisky) — the latter so heavily that in the episode "Bottle Fatigue" Klinger decides to buy stock in Seagrams. In the series finale, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen", Hawkeye experiences a mental breakdown when a Korean woman suffocates her infant child in response to his frantic demand that she quiet her child lest enemy soldiers hear it and discover them. In talking to psychiatrist Sidney Freedman he first says that

8362-518: The character is in continuity with the film rather than the TV series, but no other characters from either production appear in this series, making Trapper John the only M*A*S*H character to be depicted on-screen in the present day at the time of airing. In the first season, McIntyre's chief nurse, nicknamed "Starch", is said to have served with/worked for him in Korea, but never appeared in the novel, movie, or TV series. Trapper John, along with The Mary Tyler Moore Show 's Lou Grant , thus became one of

8475-636: The episode " Rainbow Bridge ", he has to decide whether to send his doctors into enemy territory for an exchange of wounded prisoners. He hems and haws before telling his doctors, "Whatever you guys decide is fine with me." (In a fourth season episode, " Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler ," Colonel Flagg complains to Colonel Potter, "The last C.O. in this unit couldn't make a command decision without a month's notice.") Fortunately for Henry, his company clerk, Radar O'Reilly, can usually anticipate his C.O.'s wishes and turn them into efficient military orders. Henry's strength as

8588-505: The exact definition of a sitcom, mostly regarding productions created at the turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use a single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, instead more resembling documentaries or the comedy-dramas of the 1980s and 1990s. Although there have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, many American and British sitcoms have been successful in Australia, since sitcoms are considered

8701-505: The fictional Androscoggin College. In the book and the film, Hawkeye had played football in college; in the series, he is non-athletic. After completing his medical residency (possibly in Chicago; he has a familiarity with the city that implies extended time spent there, e.g. , "Adam's Ribs"); he had a common law marriage with a nurse, Carlye Breslin, but they broke up after a year. In 1950 he

8814-588: The first sitcom, filmed as a comedy (unlike dominated "conveyor" sitcoms). Sitcoms, or "시트콤" in Korean, gained significant popularity in South Korea during the 1990s. This popularity was fueled by the success of shows like Dr. Oh's People , LA Arirang , and Men and Women . The use of computer graphics (CG) in sitcoms began to increase in the late 1990s as more broadcasters adopted CG technology. This led to more visually dynamic and creative sitcoms. However, viewer preferences shifted towards dramas and thrillers in

8927-437: The first three seasons and the central character of the latter series. His nickname comes from an incident in which he was caught having sex with a woman in the lavatory aboard a Boston and Maine Railroad train: she claimed in her defense that "he trapped me!" In the book and the film, Trapper John is a graduate of Dartmouth College , having played quarterback on the school's football team, and serves as thoracic surgeon of

9040-491: The focus from domestic or workplace settings to the world of politics. A more recent development in British comedy is the mockumentary , a style that blends documentary and comedic elements. Shows like The Office , Come Fly with Me , W1A , People Just Do Nothing , and This Country have successfully employed this format to explore a variety of topics and characters. Sitcoms, or situation comedies, made their debut in

9153-489: The incident to determine if a court-martial is warranted concluded there were no grounds for a court-martial, and indicated that according to Burns' record, "If you hadn't been drafted as a doctor, I think you'd have been assigned as a pastry chef." A borderline-incompetent surgeon (he twice failed the medical exams and only passed by buying the answers the third time - even so it took him seven years to complete medical school ), his reputation for incompetence has spread even to

9266-467: The more lucrative opportunities presented to him at the time. Stevenson was replaced in the series by Harry Morgan , a best friend of Stevenson who had guest-starred opposite him in the Season Three premiere episode " The General Flipped at Dawn ". Morgan portrayed Colonel Sherman Potter for the show's remaining eight seasons and starred in its short-lived spin-off AfterMASH . Stevenson appeared as

9379-488: The most popular situation comedies of its time, and was eventually recognized as one of the top sitcoms in television history. He wrote the episode " The Trial of Henry Blake ", and provided the story for another, " The Army-Navy Game ", which earned him an Emmy nomination. Despite the show's success, Stevenson began to resent (as did Wayne Rogers ) playing a supporting role to the wisecracking Hawkeye (played by Alan Alda ), and asked to be released from his contract during

9492-485: The nickname of "Ferret Face" on him as a boy. When the Swampmen learn of this, it becomes Frank's nickname at the 4077th as well, used by most of the unit and even on occasion by Major Houlihan. The one person who genuinely cares about him is his mother; his parents and brother were his only relations at his wedding. He was scoutmaster of the local Boy Scout troop until he accidentally set fire to himself. He brags about having

9605-636: The novel) was played by Donald Sutherland in the film, and by Alan Alda in the television series. A principal character of the series, where between long sessions of treating wounded patients, he is found making wisecracks, drinking heavily, carousing, womanizing, and pulling pranks on the people around him, especially Frank Burns and "Hot Lips" Houlihan. In the novel, he serves as a moral center and author's alter ego , chiding Trapper John for calling Major Houlihan "Hot Lips", which Pierce never does. Although just one of an ensemble of characters in author Richard Hooker 's MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors , in

9718-416: The novel, the extent of the relationship between Burns and Houlihan is unclear and only rumored to be sexual. In the film, it is overtly sexual and broadcast throughout the camp when Radar puts a microphone under Hot Lips' bunk in her tent. After the "Swampmen" learn that Burns is having an affair with Houlihan, Hawkeye taunts him about it, baiting him to attack just as Blake enters the tent. The next day, Burns

9831-449: The nurses a great deal with no pretense of fidelity. He admits frankly that his wife collects his pay for a special fund to pay private investigators who will spy on him, which will begin the second night he gets home from Korea. In the film, Hawkeye and Trapper are given roughly equal focus, but in the TV series, the character devolved to become more of a sidekick to the character of Hawkeye. This frustrated Rogers, and in combination with

9944-421: The other surgeons could not keep up with him and complained that he was pushing them too hard. In Hawkeye's presumably far more accurate account, Frank was borderline hysterical and performed his triage duties with singular incompetence, which resulted in the near-deaths of multiple casualties. After being confronted by Hawkeye, Burns was knocked unconscious by the operating room door. The JAG colonel investigating

10057-436: The scene was shot. In Richard Hooker's 1977 novel M*A*S*H Mania , which takes place in the early 1970s, Henry Blake has become a General and helps Hawkeye in a scheme to rid Crabapple Cove of a troublesome psychologist. Colonel Sherman Tecumseh Potter appears in the M*A*S*H and AfterMASH television series. He was portrayed by Harry Morgan and replaced the departing character of Henry Blake as commanding officer of

10170-420: The series ended) —B.J. professes stronger moral values. For example, in the episode "Preventative Medicine" he refuses to participate in a scheme to have an overzealous officer relieved of command by performing an unnecessary appendectomy on him. He is a skilled surgeon, willing to take extraordinary measures to save a patient, such as in "Heroes", where he undertakes an experimental procedure he had read about in

10283-442: The show at the end of the third season, his character was scripted to be discharged and sent home as a way to write him out of the series. However, the producers added a final scene to his last episode in which Radar delivers news that Blake's plane has been shot down with no survivors. The characters are shocked by the news; the actors were shocked too, as they were not informed of the script change to have Blake die until just before

10396-519: The show has earned an estimated $ 1 billion in syndication fees alone for Televisa . Gliding On , a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards during its run including Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Direction at the Feltex Awards . The first Russian sitcom series was "Strawberry", which resembled "Duty Pharmacy" in a Spanish format. It was aired from 1996 to 1997 on

10509-528: The show's third season. The show's writers reluctantly penned him an exit in the final episode of the 1974–1975 season (entitled " Abyssinia, Henry "), in which Lt. Colonel Blake was discharged, only to board a plane that was shot down over the Sea of Japan , killing everyone on board— a development added after scripts were distributed so the show's actors would display genuine emotion. In an interview, M*A*S*H actress Loretta Swit commented that Stevenson wanted to be

10622-449: The star and felt oppressed as one of an ensemble of eight. She said that before Stevenson left the series he told her, "I know I will not be in anything as good as this show, but I have to leave and be number one." Although he had played ensemble parts for several years, he stated that the primary reasons for his departure were systemic problems with 20th Century Fox , especially disregard for simple comforts for cast and crew on location, and

10735-555: The television series, Hawkeye became the center of the MASH unit's medical activity. In the television series, he becomes the Chief Surgeon of the unit early in the first season. Alan Alda is the only actor to appear in all 256 episodes of the series. Pierce was born and raised in New England , most often mentioning Crabapple Cove, Maine, as a place that his family had a summer home and with

10848-402: The woman had suffocated a chicken, until Freedman led him to admit the repressed memory — the horror of a mother smothering her own baby. He recommended that Hawkeye return to the 4077th for the end of the war to come to terms with what he had endured. In real life, Pierce would have faced a Section 8 discharge due to his emotional breakdown, having serving in Korea for at least two years in

10961-473: The word "GOODBYE", visible from the air. On an episode of St. Elsewhere , it was mentioned and implied by Dr. Mark Craig (portrayed by William Daniels ) that B.J. Hunnicutt had remained in Korea where he was reassigned to another unit following the July 1953 deactivation of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at the end of M*A*S*H's finale and Dr. Craig also mentions serving in Korea with B.J. as his drinking buddy. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Braymore Blake

11074-403: Was drafted into the U.S. Army Medical Corps and sent to serve at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War . He became Chief Surgeon instead of Burns because Hawkeye specialized in cardiothoracic surgery in addition to general surgery, whereas Burns was only qualified in general surgery. Alda said of Pierce, "Some people think he was very liberal. But he was also

11187-660: Was a co-host of the syndicated daytime talk show America , which lasted 16 weeks between September 16, 1985, and January 3, 1986. Stevenson was recovering from bladder cancer surgery at the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center on February 15, 1996, when he suffered a sudden fatal heart attack. He was cremated and his ashes are interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. By coincidence, Roger Bowen , who portrayed Henry Blake in

11300-401: Was a regular on the 1970 The Tim Conway Comedy Hour variety show on CBS. During the late '60s and early '70s, he appeared in TV commercials for products such as Kellogg's , Libby's fruit cocktail , Dolly Madison and Winston cigarettes, in which he was shown sprinting around a parking lot of Winston delivery trucks and painting over the product slogan, replacing the "like" in "like

11413-430: Was a specialist surgeon in chest wounds while Burns was a General Practitioner .) Blake in the TV series is compassionate but pragmatic at times: in the early episode "Sometimes You Hear The Bullet", he bluntly tells Hawkeye "When I went to school as an Army surgeon, they taught me two rules. Rule #1 is that in war, young men die. And Rule #2...is that doctors can't change Rule #1." When McLean Stevenson decided to leave

11526-494: Was an NBC variety show special titled The McLean Stevenson Show on November 20, 1975. The program finished 41st in the ratings that week and the planned series was ultimately scuttled. He then starred in a series of sitcoms: The McLean Stevenson Show (1976–77), In the Beginning (1978), Hello, Larry (1979–80) and Condo (1983). All four sitcoms were dismissed by audiences, lambasted by critics and all aired while M*A*S*H

11639-670: Was born in Normal, Illinois (coincidentally, a town located in McLean County). He was the great-grandson of William Stevenson (brother of US Vice President Adlai E. Stevenson ), making him a second cousin once removed of two-time presidential nominee Adlai E. Stevenson II . He was also the brother of actress Ann Whitney. His father, Edgar, was a cardiologist . Their shared middle name, "McLean", came from Lottie McLean, Stevenson's paternal grandmother. Stevenson attended Bloomington High School and Lake Forest Academy . After high school, he joined

11752-916: Was criticized by several social commentators as inappropriately disrespectful to the office of the Prime Minister. The show nevertheless proved very popular with both television audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched Australian scripted comedy series of 2011. It was nominated at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television Comedy Series. Although there have been several notable exceptions, relatively few Canadian sitcoms attained notable success in Canada or internationally. Canadian television has had much greater success with sketch comedy and dramedy series. The popular show King of Kensington aired from 1975 to 1980, at its peak garnering an average of 1.5 to 1.8 million viewers weekly. The 1999 movie Trailer Park Boys

11865-474: Was finding something of the caliber of M*A*S*H , saying "I've never been able to work with a group that's as talented or scripts that are as good. I did some terrible shows. But nobody made me do it. I did everything by choice." Stevenson's screen credits include the Disney movie The Cat from Outer Space as a friend of Frank Wilson (played by Ken Berry ) along with his M*A*S*H replacement Harry Morgan. He also

11978-530: Was followed up by a television series of the same name that ran from 2001 to 2018, airing in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Corner Gas , which ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, became an instant hit, averaging one million viewers per episode. It has been the recipient of six Gemini Awards and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards. Other noteworthy recent sitcoms have included: Call Me Fitz , Schitt's Creek , Letterkenny , and Kim's Convenience , all of which have been winners of

12091-423: Was intended to be the premiere episode). The character returned to television in 1979 in the medical drama series Trapper John, M.D. Now played by Pernell Roberts , the character is depicted in the then-present day as the middle-aged Chief of Surgery at a San Francisco hospital. Regarding his family life, he is divorced from his wife; the only mention of his children is that he has a grown son. This version of

12204-449: Was pranking find out and retaliate. B.J. is also an inveterate, bordering on compulsive, punster . While he assumes the same general disregard for military discipline exhibited by both Hawkeye and Trapper — going as far as to grow out a moustache at the start of the 7th season in clear violation of Army uniform guidelines (and would be retained by the character for the rest of the series, though Farrell would shave it off immediately after

12317-489: Was still in production. Only Hello Larry lasted two seasons, all the others were cancelled in their first. Stevenson guest-starred as Stan Zbornak's brother Ted in the hit sitcom The Golden Girls in 1987, in addition to guest-starring in shows such as Square One TV , The Love Boat , Diff'rent Strokes (as part of a cross-over with his series Hello, Larry ), and Hollywood Squares . He filled in for Johnny Carson as guest host of The Tonight Show 58 times, and as

12430-644: Was the football team's athletic trainer . He tells Hawkeye he has "a great practice back home", but a "routine" one, and that by serving in Korea, he is doing more doctoring than he would otherwise do in a lifetime. While Henry is in command of the 4077th, his wife – called Mildred in earlier episodes, Lorraine in later ones (the reason is never explained) – gives birth to a son back in Bloomington. Henry would never meet his son. As shown in Episode 2/16, "Henry in Love", Blake holds

12543-542: Was the highest rating for a first episode in the history of Australian television, until the series premiere of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities in 2009, which garnered 2.58 million viewers. In 2013, Please Like Me received an invitation to screen at the Series Mania Television Festival in Paris, was praised by critics, and earned numerous awards and nominations. Also in 2013, At Home with Julia

12656-534: Was the most-watched show on Mexican television and had a Latin-American audience of 350 million viewers per episode at its popularity peak during the mid-1970s. The show continues to be popular in Central America as well as in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, the United States, and other countries. Syndicated episodes average 91 million daily viewers in all its American markets. Since it ceased production in 1992,

12769-419: Was too lazy to exteriorize a patient's colon during an operation. Henry Blake once threatened to bust Burns down to male nurse if he didn't get out of his way. Potter once told Burns his light bulb had been out for as long as he had known him; and on another occasion, told him that his brain had a charley horse. Hawkeye told a court of inquiry that Burns had created more widows and orphans than salmonella, and

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