M*A*S*H was a classic that only got better as it progressed, with the first season being the worst of the 11. Only a few members of the cast, including Alan Alda, who directed up to thirty episodes, consistently remained on the show from its pilot until the finale in 1983.
Of the 251 MASH episodes, Alan’s least favorite was season one’s “Major Fred C. Dobbs,” where Larry Linville’s Frank Burns moves for a transfer away from Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre’s troubles. The plot became a mess with several contradictions that were more cringe than comedic.
Why did Alan Alda hate the season one episode?
As much as Alan and Wayne Roger’s characters would have loved for Frank and his lover Margaret to leave, it was not in their favor workload-wise. Hence, they hatched a plan to keep him around. In contrast, they also celebrated his transfer, which was ironic as they were also trying to keep him.
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The two surgeons had a silly idea of telling Frank that there was gold buried close to the camp, and he gets so caught up in the prank alongside Margaret that their greed gets the better of them. The episode is a supposed nod to 1948’s The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, where a similar incident happens with Humphrey Bogart’s Fred C. Dobbs.
‘Major Fred C. Dobbs’ almost got ‘M*A*S*H’ canceled
With the terrible ratings “Major Fred C. Dobbs” raked in, showrunners considered nipping M*A*S*H in the bud to avoid more of such. Thankfully, viewers gave the series a boost through re-runs ahead of season two, leading to reconsideration from CBS.
It could also be that CBS head William Paley contributed to the continuation of M*A*S*H because his wife loved the sitcom. Thankfully, M*A*S*H went on to become one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, setting a record for the biggest audience to watch a scripted series’ final episode.