FOX has announced plans to broadcast a new two-hour special titled “M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television” on Monday, January 1st, 2024 from 8-10PM ET. The special includes new interviews with Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit, Gene Reynolds, and Burt Metcalfe.
Here’s the official press release:
M*A*S*H: THE COMEDY THAT CHANGED TELEVISION, AN ALL-NEW TWO-HOUR CELEBRATION OF TELEVISION’S MOST INFLUENTIAL SITCOM
NEW ORIGINAL SPECIAL AIRS MONDAY, JANUARY 1, ON FOX
Featuring New Interviews with Cast Members Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Wayne Rogers and Loretta Swit, as well as Original Series Executive Producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe
Plus Rarely-Seen Archival Interviews with Writer/Producer Larry Gelbart, and Stars Larry Linville, Harry Morgan, McLean Stevenson and David Ogden Stiers
In the all-new two-hour special, M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, premiering Monday, January 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, join the men and women who made M*A*S*H as they celebrate one of the most beloved, enduringly popular, often quoted and influential comedies ever created.
As the definitive look at the 14-time Emmy-winning television classic, the special centers around new interviews with original cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. “Trapper” John McIntyre) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan) and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe. In these intimate, highly personal remembrances, the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters are revealed, alongside rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories.
Writer/producer Larry Gelbart, as well as additional series stars Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns), Harry Morgan (Col. Sherman T. Potter), McLean Stevenson (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) and David Ogden Stiers (Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III) are remembered through a vibrant collection of clips from the series as well as in rarely-seen archival interviews. With unique experiences, observations and memories from 11 seasons of M*A*S*H, this special will make audiences laugh, touch their heartstrings, and leave them on a nostalgic high while celebrating the sustained brilliance of the iconic sitcom.
“M*A*S*H is not only a great television series, it is a cultural phenomenon. It has made multiple generations of viewers laugh, cry and think, often in the same episode,” said Executive Producers John Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan. “We are excited to team with FOX to create this unprecedented window into an innovative television classic.”
“M*A*S*H is among the most iconic sitcoms in the annals of television history. It’s a timeless show that comedically captures the 4077th medical corps and how they managed to maintain their sanity while saving lives on the front lines of the Korean War,” said Dan Harrison, EVP, Program Planning & Content Strategy, FOX Entertainment. “Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe brought this incredible comedy to life thanks to their ensemble cast led by the incomparable Alan Alda. FOX is proud to celebrate the landmark achievements of one of the best comedies ever created.”
The M*A*S*H two-and-a-half-hour series finale that first aired on CBS in 1983 remains the highest rated telecast in television history, delivering an incredible 77 audience share and 60.2 rating. To-date, the show has never left the air, continuously running in syndication, on basic cable and now streaming on Hulu. The series was produced by 20th Television.
M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television is directed by John Scheinfeld (Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback, The U.S. vs. John Lennon and What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears?) with Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan as Executive Producers.
Viewers can watch M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television next day on Hulu, http://Fox.com, On Demand and FOX Entertainment’s streaming platform, Tubi. On Demand is available for customers of Cox Contour TV, DIRECTV, DISH, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Optimum, Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, XFINITY, YouTube TV and many more.
If you’re wondering how the special can include new interviews with Wayne Rogers or William Christopher, who passed away in 2015 and 2016, respectively, chances are this special has been in the works for a long time. Gene Reynolds died in 2020, so his interview must likewise be several years old. Burt Metcalfe’s interview had to have been made before he died in July 2022.
It’s possible these interviews were conducted in 2014 for a documentary that was then in the works. Scriptwriter Ken Levine mentioned the interviews and the proposed documentary at his blog. Digital specialty network Me-TV aired portions of these interviews as part of a special three-hour broadcast of “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” in May 2015 and again in November 2016. This is pure speculation on my part. I’m looking forward to watching this new special. Be sure to mark your calendars.
The documentary began with interviews as a labor of love for the producers in the timeframe you mentioned. It did not get sold until this year so the only thing that was conducted were interviews. The interviews are new as in – shot for the purposes of this documentary… which hasn’t been made until 2023. Now, Fox has bought it to premiere on 1/1/24 and the full documentary is being produced. I think all M*A*S*H fans will enjoy.
Regarding the information about new interviews will Bill Christopher, Wayne Rogers, and Burt Metcalfe, I think I also saw someplace that Peter Jackson, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were involved in helping complete this special.
Oh wait. Wrong 2023 project.
Airing this special during the ncaa playoffs was not a good choice. When will it be reaired?
It’s on Hulu today.