Remembered both for being a show that lasted nearly four times as long as the war it was about as well as one of the few cases in which a critically acclaimed film was successfully adapted into a critically acclaimed television series, the military comedy drama M*A*S*H ran for 11 seasons, ending with one of the most watched events in the history of the medium. Featuring an ensemble cast that included
Alan Alda,
Loretta Swit, Harry Morgan, and
Jamie Farr and based on the
Robert Altman film of the same name, the show followed the often hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking day-to-day lives of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital staff during the Korean War. At the end of its run, after winning a slew of Emmy awards along with adulation from both critics and viewers, M*A*S*H concluded with "Goodbye, Farewell & Amen," a two-and-a-half hour series finale that became the single most watched episode of any television series ever. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide