More than 30 years later, this classic death is tough to top. After finally getting discharged from the Army and bidding farewell to the 4077th, Blake's transport plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. The show had a knack for balancing laughs with serious reflections on war, but it was never more emotional than when Radar delivered the sad news to the company.


http://www.tvguide.com/PhotoGallery/13-Shocking-TV-1004562/14.aspx

Did they actually show the death? I rarely watch MASH, so I didn't know that he had died on air. In reading the list, I see that it says that Dan on Rosanne died in the last episode, but I don't remember that at all. Did he really die at Darlene's wedding? That's a terrible way to end a series!!!

Sorry for the change of subject. Thanks for posting the link to the list!

Lt. Col. Henry Blake is last seen boarding a helicopter on the heli-pad. Radar reads the message he received about the death of their camp commander to the surgical staff in the O.R. .

they filmed the entire episode, then the cast was told they wanted them back to film one last scene; but they didn't tell them what it was. I think Gary Burghoff was the only one who new and he just found out right before Radar walked in and did his lines. They did it that way so they could get an honest, real reaction from everyone, and if you've seen the episode it worked.
Unfortunately though, they had to do the scene a second time because of a problem with one of the cameras. But it worked just as well the second time.
And when you hear someone drop something metalic in the background, that was when a technician dropped something accidentaly. But they decided to leave it in for the dramatic effect.

they filmed the entire episode, then the cast was told they wanted them back to film one last scene; but they didn't tell them what it was. I think Gary Burghoff was the only one who new and he just found out right before Radar walked in and did his lines. They did it that way so they could get an honest, real reaction from everyone, and if you've seen the episode it worked.
Unfortunately though, they had to do the scene a second time because of a problem with one of the cameras. But it worked just as well the second time.
And when you hear someone drop something metalic in the background, that was when a technician dropped something accidentaly. But they decided to leave it in for the dramatic effect.
Wow, that's a great story - I never knew all that. :cool:

That was definitely the most shocking death I recall on TV; I watched the episode as it originally aired. Awesome stuff.

The only other one that comes to mind right now is the death of Beverly LaSalle, from "All in the Family". That was a great episode (actually a pair of episodes I think or perhaps one full our one).

I remember back when that episode first aired, in 1975. I remember I was so mad at my sister, because she had told me beforehand that Col. Blake was going to die, she didn't tell me how though. So during the entire episode I knew what was going to happen at the end.

Wow, that's a great story - I never knew all that. :cool:
there's been rumors over the years that the writers wrote McLean out of the show because they hated working with him, and that he was backstage when he heard Radar read that line, and got so mad that he stormed off the set, but they're both just that-rumors.

The reason they did that was to show that; in a war anyone can be killed with little or no warning-even a nice guy like Henry Blake.

Also, this episode contains a mistake. When Radar says that Col. Blakes been discharged he says the Col. "got all his points". But the army had stopped using the point system after World War 2-and it was never used on doctors and officers.

there's been rumors over the years that the writers wrote McLean out of the show because they hated working with him, and that he was backstage when he heard Radar read that line, and got so mad that he stormed off the set, but they're both just that-rumors.

The reason they did that was to show that; in a war anyone can be killed with little or no warning-even a nice guy like Henry Blake.

Also, this episode contains a mistake. When Radar says that Col. Blakes been discharged he says the Col. "got all his points". But the army had stopped using the point system after World War 2-and it was never used on doctors and officers.
I do recall reading that McLean regretted leaving the show for years afterwards, but they handled his character's departure in a sadly realistic way.

there's been rumors over the years that the writers wrote McLean out of the show because they hated working with him, and that he was backstage when he heard Radar read that line, and got so mad that he stormed off the set, but they're both just that-rumors.

The reason they did that was to show that; in a war anyone can be killed with little or no warning-even a nice guy like Henry Blake.

Also, this episode contains a mistake. When Radar says that Col. Blakes been discharged he says the Col. "got all his points". But the army had stopped using the point system after World War 2-and it was never used on doctors and officers.
Yet they mentioned the points system several times on M*A*S*H. For example I remember one episode when Henry came into the swamp to inform the doctors that the Army had raised the number of points needed to be rotated home due to low recruitment numbers.

no, I think the scene you're reffering to is in the episode "PEACE ON US" (it's the one where Hawkeye drives to the peace talks in Seoul) and it was Col. Potter, not Blake.
I have the first 3 seasons (when it was good-before it became "THE ALAN ALDA SHOW"), I've watched them numerous times and there isn't a scene like that.

no, I think the scene you're reffering to is in the episode "PEACE ON US" (it's the one where Hawkeye drives to the peace talks in Seoul) and it was Col. Potter, not Blake.
I have the first 3 seasons (when it was good-before it became "THE ALAN ALDA SHOW"), I've watched them numerous times and there isn't a scene like that.

Was it "Peace On Us"? I thought it was a different one because I remember Hawkeye running into Margaret in the middle of the compound and while he's complaining about the points thing, she tells him that her husband Donald filed for divorce. I didn't think that was "Peace On Us" but I could be wrong.

Unfortunately, TV character deaths are no longer shocking.

Was it "Peace On Us"? I thought it was a different one because I remember Hawkeye running into Margaret in the middle of the compound and while he's complaining about the points thing, she tells him that her husband Donald filed for divorce. I didn't think that was "Peace On Us" but I could be wrong.
I'm pretty sure it was.

there's been rumors over the years that the writers wrote McLean out of the show because they hated working with him, and that he was backstage when he heard Radar read that line, and got so mad that he stormed off the set, but they're both just that-rumors.

The reason they did that was to show that; in a war anyone can be killed with little or no warning-even a nice guy like Henry Blake.

Also, this episode contains a mistake. When Radar says that Col. Blakes been discharged he says the Col. "got all his points". But the army had stopped using the point system after World War 2-and it was never used on doctors and officers.

I've heard that Blake was killed of in no small part to spite McLean Stevenson. McLean didn't have a lot of friends on set because he wouldn't do retakes.