Alan Alda’s name is bound to pop up excessively in any discussion of the M*A*S*H TV series, particularly on the topic of its success. This was Alda’s time to shine as an actor, an opportunity he never shied away from. But Alda was eager to try out different production roles, sometimes simultaneously working as director, writer, and actor for a single episode.
Alda wrote a total of 13 episodes and directed 31, becoming the first person to ever win an Emmy Award for each of the various functions he performed. Thanks to the series, Alan Alda was able to showcase his fleet of talents to the world.
Colonel Potter
Before Harry Morgan assumed the role of Colonel Potter, he had already starred in films such as High Noon and Thunder Bay. He also dabbled in radio, hosting Mystery In The Air. Morgan’s opportunity to join the M*A*S*H cast came during the show’s third season, following McLean Stevenson’s untimely departure. He was as thrilled as you might imagine.
Harry Morgan got so captivated by M*A*S*H that he brought a framed photo of his wife, Eileen, to display on his character’s desk. Eileen actually played the role of Mildred, Morgan’s character’s fictional wife.
Creative Differences
The pilot episode was worked out by Larry Gelbart, writing it enthusiastically for only two days. He was responsible for developing the series from the 1970 film M*A*S*H, and for his two days’ worth of work, he got paid a massive $25,000 which would still be impressive by today’s standards.
While the TV execs were impressed, the novel’s author and the movie’s director were at creative odds with the show. They both felt it softened the anti-war and anti-authoritarian spirit of the earlier works and were unhappy with its adaptation.
Show Me The Money
There’s no getting around it: advertising annoys viewers. No-one likes waiting through the arduous commercials when all they want to know is what’s coming next in their favorite program. Having your joy cut into installments with slices of boredom in between isn’t fun. But these ads are how the networks pay for the shows we all enjoy, the legendary M*A*S*H series included.
When they were just starting up, during the first years, it would set you back $30,000 for a customized ad, running in the midst of an episode. During its eleventh season, the series finale, the cost to place an ad through the host network hit its own pinnacle. To expose your business before more than a million viewers, each individual ad (most of which ran for under a minute) cost a whopping $450,000.
One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure
Flooded with creativity, sometimes you just don’t know what writers and producers can come up with on set. The filming of an episode titled “As Time Goes By” yielded a time capsule which they decided to bury at the ranch. This property was sold two months later and the time capsule was forgotten in the midst of all the pressures of running a highly successful TV show.
The new owners of the ranch were surprised to stumble upon this buried capsule when a construction worker they hired dug it up. Perplexed, they got in contact with Alan Alda, who simply laughed and told them that they could keep the relic.