I only have anecdotal evidence to support this — and not all that much of it — but I’m of the opinion that during the past decade M*A*S*H has picked up a lot of younger fans. Of course, the success of the series on television (cable channels FX, TV Land and The Hallmark Channel and broadcast network ION) and DVD can just as easily be attributed to people who’ve been fans of the series since the 1970s or 1980s. But it seems to me — and again, this is based on nothing more than my observations — that M*A*S*H has a fan base that similar sitcoms simply don’t. And that, in my opinion, reflects a fan base that is expanding rather than dwindling as those who watched M*A*S*H when it originally aired have aged.
Of the 63 people who have submitted entries to My First M*A*S*H, a total of 40 were born after M*A*S*H went off the air in 1983. That’s 63%. And 22 of them, or 35%, were born in the 1990s. Several gave 1995 as the year they were born. That would make them thirteen or fourteen, depending on when they sent me the entry. How do thirteen-year-old’s get interested in M*A*S*H?
Judging from the entries themselves, some had family members who watched the show and introduced them to it while others stumbled upon it all by themselves while watching TV Land or The Hallmark Channel. It helps that M*A*S*H has been shown so often on cable. The more M*A*S*H is on the air the more opportunities there are for younger viewers to find it. The same can’t be said for a lot of sitcoms; for example, you don’t see The Mary Tyler Moore Show or Maude or Three’s Company on television nearly as often as M*A*S*H.
It would be very interesting to see the demographic breakdowns for airings of M*A*S*H on TV Land, The Hallmark Channel and ION. Are younger viewers well represented or are the bulk of those watching baby boomers?
I am 22 which means I was born in 1987, 4 years after M*A*S*H ended. My dad liked to watch M*A*S*H reruns and I got hooked when M*A*S*H began to air on FX. I am a college student and many of my friends say M*A*S*H is a classic and they like it also. It is a show that will never go out of style.
That certainly seems to be the case. New fans seem to be replacing — or joining — older fans all the time.
I am a teenager, who stumbled upon M*A*S*H while looking for something good to watch. I watch it on Hallmark channel often. The very first episode I saw was when Radar left. I fell in love with the show immediately. (More specifically, I fell in love with B.J.) Anyways, nobody of my generation watches it. I just saw the season finale on Hallmark. I also heard they were going to bring back M*A*S*H (and take I love Lucy out) on Oct. 19th @ 5:00pm.
I hope they start out with the first season, I barely got to know Trapper. 🙂
Hey, Im 29, watched MASH with my dad when I was a kid. Now I own the 11 season box set. I’ll go through a few episodes an evening and soon enough, Im done watching it again. Love the series. They had an amazing mix of comedy and drama (dramedy). I scour the web looking for memorabilia from the show but sadly there isnt much of the actual set still around. Either way, Im a huge fan and love watching it any chance I get. Being in medicine myself now, I get to see the inner workings of some of the references they used from Doctors. Things have changed significantly, but they are pretty accurate for the era. The cast of this show is my top ten list of people Id love to meet!
I’m 14, born in 2002. I think I’m the only person at my school that watches M*A*S*H. Still, I watch it! My mum got me on to it, and boy do I need to thank her for doing so!