Mike Farrell Claims Executives Expected ‘M*A*S*H’ To Be Pulled Off Air

Prior to the debut of the two-hour special, M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, Mike Farrell told Fox News Digital of the executives’ skepticism about the success of the original show. Mike, who played the main character B.J. Hunnicutt said they thought the show would get canceled.

He also talked about the blend of top-notch comedy and drama that M*A*S*H offered, despite the challenge of striking a balance between both genres. “I remember a studio executive, or maybe a network executive, contacting us after a couple of the things we did, saying, ‘You’re going to knock yourselves off television with these things, people are expecting laughs,’” he recalled.

They wanted to address social issues

As much as the classic needed to be funny, it was also important that they portrayed real-life issues through the setting of an Army hospital during the Korean War. “We tried to provide the laughs, but we also wanted to provide a realistic situation,” Mike noted. “I remember coming to the understanding later that the show had become a social phenomenon, and not because it was a comedy and not because it was a drama, but because it was a situation that people understood.”

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M*A*S*H got positive reactions from viewers and quickly amassed its fanbase long after the final season in 1983. “Everybody understands having to leave home for some reason, and sometimes for a good reason, and leave their loved ones behind. And it struck a chord,” he continued. “We knew it was a terrifically popular show, but it took a while for us to understand, and maybe it was at the end of the show, we understood it would become a social phenomenon.”

Mike believes ‘M*A*S*H’s’ record cannot be beaten

The eleven-season show boasts 14 Emmy awards, and its finale remains the most-watched episode in TV history, with more than 105 million viewers tuned in. Mike insists there is “no way for the record to be broken today” due to the adoption of streaming services today. “But I’m happy to wear that crown. It’s not a bad thing,” he quipped.

He also added that even if the “ratings went in the tank the first year that I was there, I’ll wear that around my neck for the rest of my life.” He recalled being touched by how much impact the show made, which is a feeling the rest of the cast also shares. “I remember, I think my second season on the show, I had been in Southeast Asia and I met a guy and he was talking about how much the show meant to them,” he recounted.