Goodbye, farewell and amen is a television film that served as the 256th and final episode of the american television series mas h. What an estimated 100 million viewers saw that night was an ambitious two hours of television not counting commercials that tried to push the shows war. After nearly three bloody years of combat in korea and 11 years worth of tv time. Throughout the episode hawkeye fights hospitalization, but dr. I have seen goodbye, farewell and amen exactly once. The official final mash episode, goodbye, farewell and amen, was a twohour movie. The shows action derives from the grim work which the mash staff tries to forget by crazy afterhours antics. Goodbye, farewell, and amen tv series episode monster. Goodbye, farewell and amen was the instantclassic final installment of the longrunning tv series mash. It was originally spoken by sidney in the season 3 episode o. Goodbye, farewell and amen remains the king of tv series. Mashs best and worst qualities are apparent in the series finale, goodbye, farewell and amen, a quintuplelength episode that remains the highestrated single tv broadcast in history. Purchase mash goodbye, farewell, and amen from amazon. Metv, who shows two mash episodes every weekday night, only plays the movie once a year, on veterans day.
Closing out the series 11th season, the twohour episode first aired on cbs on february 28, 1983, ending the series original run. Season 11, episode 16 goodbye, farewell and amen first aired. Mash the final episode, goodbye, farewell, amen was the most watched tv serial ever watched when it aired. The final episode, goodbye, farewell and amen, became the mostwatched show in american television history with 106 million viewers. May 21, 2019 goodbye, farewell and amen remains the king of tv series finales the conclusion of mash is still the mostwatched tv series episode of all time. Plenty of laughter interspersed with a tear or two. Goodbye, farewell and amen goodbye, farewell and amen was the final episode of mash. With a frenzy of hype preceding it that resulted in over 100 million viewers tuning in, the two and a half hourlong series finale of mash. From the goodbye, farewell, and amen final episode of mash. Meanwhile the war is drawing to a close and the men and women of the 4077th prepare for peace and the return to normalcybut not until the war takes its final shots at them. Final episode of mash airs on february 28, 1983, the celebrated sitcom mash bows out after 11 seasons, airing a special twoandahalf hour episode watched by. With alan alda, mike farrell, harry morgan, loretta swit. The final episode of mash, aired on february 28, 1973, was a country and generationuniting event.
While the numbers are impressive, what makes goodbye, farewell and amen endure is the emotions. Alan alda, who wrote the episode, made sure to include sidney freedmans trademark exit as his last line in the series. Then, we get to the very last and most emotional goodbye of all. The final episode of mash, the movielength goodbye, farewell, and amen, aired on februsuary 28th, 1983 following months of intense press coverage. Alda also directed the finale, one of 31 episodes he helmed. Mash goodbye, farewell, and amen tv episode 1983 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. This mash poster features all your favorite characters for a final remembrance of this long running television series. It was so moving, so eloquent, so well done, i feel like once was enough for me. During its 11year run mash received 14 emmy awards. Netflix has quietly added goodbye, farewell and amen to its streaming service today, meaning every single episode is now available for viewing on televisions, computers, and other devices. February 28, 1983 the series finale finds the staff of the 4077th going their separate ways when the war sputters to an end in the. Perhaps one day ill watch that final episode again, i dont know. One thing the media focused on was whether or not ratings for the last episode of mash would break records. Mllions of americans can recall tuning in at that exact moment to bid farewell to alan alda, loretta swit, jamie farr, wayne christopher mike farrell, gary burghoff and the rest of the cast of the most successful sitcom in history.
The final is a thankful farewell to those who survived the terrible and those who didnt. Alan alda this episode opens in a location weve never seenthe army psychiatric hospital where sidney freedman works. The reason was because mash was such a complete show. Due to its length, goodbye, farewell and amen is the episode of mash ive seen the fewest number of times.
It begins with hawkeye alda in a mental hospital after an incident. Im pretty sure i watched for the first time in 1999 when it aired on cable channel fx, likely as part of a holiday marathon. For answers to other clues of todays puzzle head back to the main page daily celebrity crossword answers page. The successful tv series mash ended its long history with this two hour finale. Winchesters touching moment mash goodbye, farewell. Sidney leaves the episode, and series, with a bit of doggerel he first uttered years earlier. February 28, 20 marked the 30th anniversary of the original airing of goodbye, farewell and amen, the final episode of mash. The sheer number of people that watched it in 1983 outweighs even the superbowl every year. This is an original 19721983 poster and not a more recent replica or reproduction. By 1983, numerous high profile television events had reached new ratings heights. Goodbye, farewell and amen the final episodes of the series which was set in korea during the war there in the early 50s, follows the antics of the medical staff of the 4077th mash, or mobile army surgical hospital. The twoandahalf hour series finale,goodbye, farewell, and amen was directed by alan alda and opens with hawkeye pierce in an army psychiatric hospital. The mash series was as funny 30 years later as when it first aired. The episodes plot chronicles the final days of the korean war at the 4077th mash.
Mash goodbye, farewell, and amen tv episode 1983 imdb. The episode was written by eight collaborators, including series star alan alda, who also directed. In the closing days of the korean war, the staff of the 4077 mash unit find themselves facing irrevocable changes in their lives. Army in korea so that military personnel could watch that episode, in spite of 14 hours timezone. Goodbye, farewell and amen chronicles the final days of the korean war at the 4077 mash, features a few story lines to show the wars effects on individual personnel of the unit and brings closure. The real final halfhour mash episode aired a week befo. Mash came to an end after 11 seasons 37 years ago today were you one of the roughly 106 million viewers who watched goodbye, farewell and amenthe movielength series finaleon monday, february 28th, 1983 the iconic goodbye from the end of goodbye, farewell and amen. Alan alda and loretta swit are the only actors in both the first and final episode its hard to believe considering the sprawling cast.