The cast of M*A*S*H looks back on TV shows legacy in Fox special airing tonight, May 27
Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff, Loretta Swit and more talk about the legacy of M*A*S*H 40 years after it ended.

A lot of shows today can tout that they have good ratings, but nothing can truly compare to the audience that the M*A*S*H had on a weekly basis. Of course it was a different time, but the M*A*S*H series finale was watched by 105.97 million viewers live; looking at the 2023 most-watched TV shows, only the Super Bowl received those kinds of numbers.
The M*A*S*H finale aired in 1983, and now more than 40 years later the stars of the show are speaking about its legacy with a special broadcast airing Monday, May 27, at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox.
M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television is a two-hour special featuring Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Wayne Rogers and Loretta Swit, as well as series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe discussing the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters. There will also be rare and never-before-seen footage and photos from the series, as well as special tributes to members of the cast and creative team that have passed away.
For those not as familiar with M*A*S*H, the TV series is based off the 1970 movie of the same name and follows a staff of an Army Hospital during the Korean War who find that laughter is the best medicine when dealing with the realities of their situation. Running for 11 seasons, the show won 14 Emmys. For ourselves, we ranked it in our top 10 of the 100 best TV shows of all time.
In order to watch the special, you must have access to Fox. The good news is that anyone with a traditional pay-TV subscription or a TV antenna gets the channel automatically. If you’ve moved on from these old school TV options than live TV streaming services that also offer Fox can do the trick, including Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
If before or after the special you want to try and watch any episodes of M*A*S*H, all 11 seasons of the comedy are currently streaming on Hulu for US subscribers.
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Michael Balderston is What to Watch’s assistant managing editor and lead movie writer, covering movies coming to theaters, writing movie reviews and highlighting new and classic movies on streaming services; he also covers a range of TV shows, including those in the Taylor Sheridan universe, Slow Horses, Only Murders in the Building, Jeopardy!, Saturday Night Live and more, as well as the best ways to watch some major US sporting events.
Based outside of Washington, D.C., Michael's previous experience includes writing for Awards Circuit, TV Technology and The Wrap.
Michael’s favorite movie of all time is Casablanca, while his favorite TV show is Seinfeld. Some 2025 favorites include One of Them Days and Black Bag for movies, and The Pitt on TV. Follow on Letterboxd to keep up with what I'm watching.