Cable channel Reelz will premiere a new television special celebrating the 50th anniversary of M*A*S*H on Tuesday, September 13 at 9PM ET. “M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever” will include new interviews with Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, and Jeff Maxwell. The special also features with Elliott Gould, Ken Levine, Gary Markowitz, and late Burt Metcalfe.
Unfortunately, I don’t get Reelz through my cable subscription. You can check to see if you have access to Reelz on cable or satellite at the official Reelz website. Reelz programming is also available through streaming services like Roku, Prime Video Channels, Pluto TV, Tubi, and Freevee although I don’t know when or if “M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever” will be added to any of these services.
Prime Video Channels offers a 7-day free trial of Reelz that I plan on taking advantage of. Hopefully, “M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever” will be available to watch after it airs.
Here’s a full press release for the special:
“M*A*S*H: WHEN TELEVISION CHANGED FOREVER” CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GROUNDBREAKING TV SERIES
Special Premieres Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT with Cast Members Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell and Jeff Maxwell Sharing Their Recollections From the History Making Television Series
(Albuquerque, NM) Tuesday, August 23, 2022 — REELZ today announced a new original special M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Korean War themed comedy drama that premiered on September 17, 1972 and ran for 11 seasons that would become a beloved television juggernaut culminating in more than 106 million people tuning in for the series finale in 1983—a record that still stands today. Through new exclusive interviews with cast members Jamie Farr (Cpl. Maxwell Q. Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt) and Jeff Maxwell (Pvt. Igor Straminsky) along with producers and writers the special explores the brilliant series that lasted four times longer than the war it was set in and its delicate straddling of the line between comedy and drama at a time when evening news about the Vietnam War was beaming to television sets every night across America.
M*A*S*H also had many creative firsts never before seen in television dramas which included killing off a main character and weaving together multiple storylines in a single episode. M*A*S*H also broke barriers in television taking bold risks tackling issues of racism, gays in the military and anti-war sentiment. But what viewers didn’t see on screen were the struggles that left the show hanging by a thread on more than one occasion including its lukewarm reception by audiences to its first season that almost led to its cancellation. M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever premieres Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT.
“M*A*S*H had a tremendous impact on television with powerful storytelling that could be both hilarious and horrific often in the same scene,” said Steve Cheskin, SVP of Programming at REELZ. “We’re excited to show viewers the magic that made M*A*S*H as we mark its 50th anniversary with the real stories from people who lived it.”
In M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever cast and crew reveal their battles with network executives to keep the show alive, their first days on set, favorite episodes, what they think made the show a mega hit and why it endures today. The special also retraces the franchise history including its source material the 1968 novel “MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors” and the Academy Award® winning movie M*A*S*H starring Elliott Gould who in a new interview shares the story of how he won the coveted role of Capt. John Francis Xavier “Trapper John” McIntyre. Series executive producer Burt Metcalfe and writers Ken Levine and Gary Markowitz discuss stylistic firsts in the series that were considered risky at the time with episodes shot in different perspectives including a soldier’s point of view after being wounded and becoming a patient inside the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and a black and white documentary style episode complete with real life war correspondent Clete Roberts interviewing M*A*S*H characters. And in true M*A*S*H fashion real events would find their way into key storylines after a fire tore through the Malibu set before production wrapped on the monumental series finale. The two hour series finale was expanded by another 30 minutes after it was decided to weave in stories about the fire much to the satisfaction of network executives who sold 30 second commercial spots in the series finale for the same price as those in the Super Bowl that year. M*A*S*H: When Television Changed Forever is produced by AMS Pictures.
(Thanks to Dan)
And, of course, the only question about this that is more obvious than “What on Earth is the Reelz Channel?” is …. “Why isn’t CBS airing this special?”
Just what I was thinking. Think I’ll watch the retrospectives on the Martinis and Medicine DVD.
I can remember watching mash with my father every time it came on as a kid. Even though he has passed away I still watch mash almost every night before I go to bed on HULU it has always been something very special to me and I would like to thank each and every person who had a part of making this series such a huge part of my family’s life.
You’re not the only one. It’s an interesting feeling.