Yesterday I wrote about scripts for unproduced episodes of M*A*S*H using information taken from the online finding aid for the Gene Reynolds Collection of Television Scripts and Production Material, part of the Performing Arts Special Collections at the Charles E. Young Research Library at the University of California, Los Angeles. The collection obviously contains primarily produced scripts, some of which had working titles that were very different from the final titles. Here’s a list, with the working titles on the far right:
| Season | Ep. # | Original Airdate | Episode Title | Working Title(s) |
| 2×04 | 28 | October 6th, 1973 | “For the Good of the Outfit” | “Pick of the Litter” |
| 2×23 | 47 | February 23rd, 1974 | “Mail Call” | “Movies Tonight” |
| “Dear Dad…Four” | ||||
| 3×06 | 54 | October 15th, 1974 | “Springtime” | “Way Sarong, Sarong” |
| “How Do I Love Thee” | ||||
| 4×09 | 81 | November 7th, 1975 | “Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?” | “Corp. Jesus H. Christ” |
| 4×14 | 86 | December 9th, 1975 | “Mail Call Again” | “Duty Roster” |
| 4×21 | 93 | February 3rd, 1976 | “Smilin’ Jack” | “Dangerous Dan” |
| 4×22 | 94 | February 10th, 1976 | “The More I See You” | “Collage” |
| 5×01 | 97 | September 21st, 1976 | “Bug Out” | “Mobile Surgical Circus” |
| 5×02 | 98 | September 28th, 1976 | “Margaret’s Engagement” | “The Betrothed” |
| 5×16 | 112 | January 18th, 1977 | “Ping Pong” | “G.I. Cho” |
| 5×17 | 113 | January 25th, 1977 | “End Run” | “Boxer Rebellion” |
| “Alternatives” | ||||
| 5×20 | 116 | February 15th, 1977 | “The General’s Practitioner” | “Coming of Age in Korea” |
| 5×24 | 120 | March 15th, 1977 | “Margaret’s Marriage” | “Margaret’s Wedding” |
Perhaps the most interesting revelation is that “Mail Call” was originally titled “Dear Dad…Four” as well as “Movies Tonight.” What do you think? Are any of the working titles better than the final titles? Personally, I think “Corp. Jesus H. Christ” is a more interesting title than “Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?” but probably was not considered politically correct. I also like “Mobile Surgical Circus” more than the bland “Bug Out.”
Totally love “G.I. Cho”.
And how funny that “Smilin Jack” was originally focused on the nemisis “Dangerous Dan”!
The only alternate title that would seem to work, to me, is “Margaret’s Wedding”… otherwise, all the other titles sound rather ridiculous.
It’s odd that “Margaret’s Wedding” got changed to “Margaret’s Marriage”, since the original title is actually more accurate to what happened in the episode. A wedding is something that happens, while a marriage is an ongoing process.
Years ago I read somewhere that the season 1 episode “Bananas Crackers and Nuts” had as an alternative title “After Me The Deluge”.
I can find no evidence to back that up but I still think it was true.
… any ideas?
Personally, I think “Duty Roster” is a better title than “Mail Call Again”.