33rd Anniversary of Goodbye, Farewell and Amen

5 Comments

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the original CBS broadcast of “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” back in 1983. An estimated 105.9 million viewers tuned in for that that historic broadcast on Monday, February 28th, 1983. It remains the single highest-rated television broadcast of all time in the United States.

The past year has been a pretty big one for the M*A*S*H series finale. On May 3rd, 2015 classic TV diginet MeTV aired a special presentation of the final episode featuring exclusive interviews with members of the cast and the show’s creative team, including Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, Wayne Rogers, Gene Reynolds, and Ken Levine. Also, on July 1st the finale was added to Netflix in the United States (and other countries).

Here at MASH4077TV.com, visitors voted “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” their favorite episode from Season 11 in November 2015 and then the following month voted it their favorite episode from the entire series.

Earlier this month, Super Bowl 50 was watched by 111.86 million viewers, pushing “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” to eighth on the list of most-watched TV broadcasts in U.S. history.

It’s been almost a decade since I last watched “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.” I know I’ll be watching it at some point in the next year or so, depending on when it gets chosen for an Episode Spotlight review.

Hit the comments with your memories of the first time you saw the finale. Were you watching on CBS in 1983? Did you buy it on VHS in the 1980s? Did you have to wait until it aired in syndication in 1993? Is there anyone who hasn’t seen it?

5 Replies to “33rd Anniversary of Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”

  1. I watched it the night it aired originally… sat at the foot of my parents’ bed and watched with them. Was in tears at the end, mostly at the thought that M*A*S*H was over. Watched the rerun again in September the week before AfterMASH debuted. Great memories of a show that inspired my love of television.

  2. I saw a glimpse of it, but was in college and very busy with schoolwork and couldn’t spare a couple of hours. I caught it when it was rebroadcast at least once, before buying the DVD for Season 11.

  3. I was in high school and watched it the night it originally aired. I enjoyed it overall, but by that point in the series I was mostly bored with M*A*S*H. I watched it much more because it was such a hyped ‘event’ at the time.

  4. I was only 9 but had been watching Mash with my dad for my whole life. I more or less begged to stay up well past my bedtime and they let me. This episode, like many others had themes beyond my grasp at the time but I really believe Mash helped define my sense of morality. I think the earlier, more lighthearted, seasons of Mash kind of softened my parents’ view of the show which allowed me to be exposed to the more thought-provoking later episodes. I’m thankful for that.
    Anyway, I was sad to see the characters I loved say goodbye. BJ’s message in stone was etched in my mind for a long time. I also thought his motorcycle was pretty bad ass.

  5. I watched it when it first aired in 1983 and the rebroadcast that September the week before AFTER MASH premiered. I don’t remember much about seeing it the first time but I remember watching the rebroadcast with my brother and sister who was seeing it for the first time. I remember during it at a lot of the commercial breaks CBS would show promos for AFTER MASH and I remeber during GOODBYE, FAREWELL & AMEN every time they showed a character she’d ask us “Is he/she going to be in that AFTER MASH or whatever it’s called”? and she was starting to become annoying, finnaly my brother yelled at her “WHY DON’T YOU JUST WATCH IT AND SEE FOR YOURSELF”? LOL

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