The series finale of M*A*S*H, which brought the long-running sitcom to an end after 11 seasons, celebrates its 36th anniversary today. Roughly 105.9 million viewers watched the movie-length finale on Monday, February 28th, 1983. Were you one of them?
If you didn’t watch “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” during its original CBS broadcast 36 years ago, when did you see it for the first time?
First time I saw GFA was 2005, I had started watching M*A*S*H that summer when Hallmark Channel still aired it, and the finale was included in the rotation this time . . . uncut, too! Needless to say, I did get choked up watching it.
First time I saw it would have been very late 90’s or very early 2000’s. My parents and I watched M*A*S*H just about daily from the late 90’s into 2003 when I finished high school and went to the military (and eventually to Camp Casey, Korea, not far north of Uijeongbu), but I don’t recall specifically when I first saw it. It would have been at least a year or two into us watching it, and very likely broken up into 5 episodes instead of all together since it was just aired during the normal 30 minute slots.
I was 10 years old, in the 5th grade, when GFA aired. I got to stay up to watch it with my mom and older sisters. I started watching Mash in 1976, because my parents did, and though at such a young age i did not understand everything i liked the show. I cannot recall the first episode i saw only that Margaret was going on about being engaged to Donald.
My first watch of GFA was when I bought the ‘Martinis and Medicine’ collection in 2006. Needless to add, I was a complete wreck the last half hour of the show and don’t even get me started on the bawling when I saw the ‘GOODBYE.’ What an emotional moment!!
The first time I saw this episode was in 1993 when it was aired in syndication right after the first episode aired. Sizable portions were cut to allow extra commercials. What more can I say except “Bravo, 4077th!”