FOX Sets Two-Hour M*A*S*H Special

M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, a two-hour special celebrating the 14-time Emmy-winning TV classic M*A*S*H, is slated to premiere on FOX in the U.S. on January 1.

The special centers on new interviews with original cast members and executive producers to detail the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters and storylines. It will also feature rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories.

Original cast members featured include 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). Executive producers participating are Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe.

Also, writer/producer Larry Gelbart and 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) will be remembered through a collection of clips and rarely seen archival interviews.

The two-and-a-half-hour series finale of M*A*S*H that first aired on CBS in 1983 remains the highest rated telecast in television history, delivering a 77 percent 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; What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears?), with Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan as executive producers.

“M*A*S*H is not only a great television series, it is a cultural phenomenon,” Scheinfeld and Kaplan said. “It has made multiple generations of viewers laugh, cry and think, often in the same episode. 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,” said Dan Harrison, executive VP of program planning and content strategy at FOX Entertainment. “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. 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.”