Why MASH's Original Creator Disliked The TV Show

[TMC]

https://screenrant.com/mash-creator-...v-show-reason/

Despite MASH being groundbreaking, the author of the novel it's based on, Richard Hooker is surprisingly not a fan, of his story's TV adaptation.

[Duster76]

The first three seasons were a little closer to Hooker's original vision. After that the show started to go off the rails, by the time we get to season 6 any sense of the original series was long gone, it was more a morality play than anything else. The thing is the show was very popular and has become arguably the most popular rerun series of the 70's, it's hard to argue with success.

[Babalu]

https://screenrant.com/mash-creator-...-his-depiction

“No one in their right mind would be pro-war but I operated on 1,000 or so wounded kids and I know more about war than a bunch of under-educated actors who go around blithering those sanctimonious, self-righteous noises.”

“If you’re going to start a war, you might as well play to win.”

Dr. H. Richard Hornberger Jr, I salute your service, your brains, and your sensibilities.

[Rich3]

True, but the actors did have Korean War experience in a few cases.

He has a right to complain about the direction the show took, but it was a lot more popular in the later years. It probably brought new fans to the original book and movie.

[icecream]

I don't like the raunchy M*A*S*H movie, only good part of it is the theme song with words at the beginning. TV show was miles better, in any era.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by Duster76

The first three seasons were a little closer to Hooker's original vision. After that the show started to go off the rails, by the time we get to season 6 any sense of the original series was long gone, it was more a morality play than anything else. The thing is the show was very popular and has become arguably the most popular rerun series of the 70's, it's hard to argue with success.

I have to say that as far as the television show evolved from the original novel and movie, it stayed much closer to the concept than Richard Hooker's dozen or so sequel novels did.

M*A*S*H Goes To Maine was the first sequel and was enjoyable and funny, Richard Hooker's "Aftermash."

Then came "M*A*S*H Goes To..." everywhere, at least a dozen novels with most of the original characters (none that were created for the television version, such as Klinger, Potter et al) and quite a few new characters in silly slapstick adventures. Hooker didn't like Henry Blake being killed off so he brought him back to life.

He didn't like Alan Alda's liberal stance so he made Hawkeye a conservative in the sequel novels.

These are hard to find now but are worth a read, but be aware some of them get pretty bizarre.

[forn]

From the article above:

“No one in their right mind would be pro-war but I operated on 1,000 or so wounded kids and I know more about war than a bunch of under-educated actors who go around blithering those sanctimonious, self-righteous noises.”

“If you’re going to start a war, you might as well play to win.”

I've said elsewhere I didn't like the show for many years, because I thought it was too sanctimonious and preachy. I mean okay, you're anti-war. Way to go out on a limb there.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by forn

From the article above:

I've said elsewhere I didn't like the show for many years, because I thought it was too sanctimonious and preachy. I mean okay, you're anti-war. Way to go out on a limb there.

Definitely not what the source material intended.

"This isn't a hospital, it's an insane asylum!," -Hot Lips Houlahan