Summary

• MASH thrived by embracing cast exits, creatively refreshing the show every few years.
• Trapper's exit allowed his replacement B.J. to shine, balancing Hawkeye's dynamic.
• Radar's departure during season 8 is one of MASH's most moving scenes.

MASH ran for 11 seasons, with its mixture of drama and comedy influencing other series for decades to come. The show was also held together by a terrific ensemble, led by Alan Alda as motormouthed surgeon Hawkeye.

Like any long-running show, several cast exited over the years to pursue different projects. By the time the finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" aired in 1983, the only original characters left from the movie were Hawkeye, Margaret (Loretta Swit) and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher). Losing major characters tends to hurt most shows, but the opposite happened with MASH; if anything, many of the new characters who arrived became just as popular.

MASH's Many Actor Exits Kept The Show Fresh

MASH embraced the challenge of losing key characters

MASH to have a laugh track either, but while CBS refused to drop it entirely, they agreed it should be left out of the surgery sequences.

Far from hurting the show, MASH's cast departures were used as a creative challenge that helped it to stay fresh over its decade and change on the air.

The tone became more serious over the years, so when actors decided to leave, MASH's creators used this as a unique challenge. They wisely opted not to replace exiting characters like Trapper or Frank Burns (Larry Linville) with copycat versions. This is what most sitcoms tend to do when characters leave, but the 1970s series used these departures as a chance to periodically refresh the cast dynamic.

For instance, the buffoonish Burns was replaced during season 6 with the highly educated and uptight Major Charles Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers). Charles and Burns were polar opposites, which created a different flavor in Charles's interactions with the other characters. Far from hurting the show, MASH's cast departures were used as a creative challenge that helped it to stay fresh over its decade and change on the air.

Major Blake's MASH Death Was A Groundbreaking TV Moment

MASH's most jaw-dropping twist came about due to McLean Stevenson wanting to leave

McLean Stevenson was the first notable actor to leave MASH, having become irritated with his character Major Blake being overshadowed by Alda's Hawkeye. Blake may not have been one of the leads, but he was a popular character regardless. The showrunners complied with Stevenson's wish to leave after season 3, but also used this as an excuse to wrongfoot viewers. Blake's final episode "Abyssinia, Henry" saw the Major being discharged and heading back to America.

In the final moments of the episode, Radar announces to the surgeons that Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan, and there were no survivors. The death of Blake during MASH season 3 caused shock and outrage among viewers since it was unheard of for a series to kill off a popular character during that time. The writers behind "Abyssinia, Henry" also kept the reveal of Blake's demise off the scripts, so Radar's announcement genuinely took the cast by surprise during filming.

Blake's sudden death also underlined the anti-war message of MASH, with audiences being made to feel the sting of the Major's loss. Decades on, viewers are somewhat accustomed to fan-favorite characters dying on shows like The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones, but it was a twist nobody saw coming in the 1970s. Blake was replaced by Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan), who formed a deep friendship with his staff but was more of an authority figure than his more laidback predecessor.

Frank Burns Exit Allowed MASH To Evolve Beyond Its Early Years

Larry Linville made the right choice by MASH with his departure

Major Burns was the widely despised second-in-command of the 4077th. In addition to being average as a surgeon, Frank was a bully, a hypocrite and despite considering himself a moral man, had an extended affair with Margaret despite being married. Naturally, his style was never going to mesh with Hawkeye and Trapper, with the sitcom making Burns an almost cartoonish antagonist for the duo. When MASH evolved from a sitcom to something more dramatic, Burns slowly began to feel out of place with the new tone.

Linville felt the same way, and sensing there was no way to either redeem or evolve Frank, decided to leave after season 5. As mentioned previously, Major Charles Winchester III replaced him soon after, with this new character having far more depth. Linville's Burns was enjoyably weasely and pathetic, but the actor was correct; the show had taken him as far as he could go, and Frank's exit helped complete MASH's dramedy transformation.

B.J. Was Always A Better Character Than Trapper

MASH's original double act was imbalanced

Hawkeye and "Trapper" John were the main characters of Altman's movie, with the chemistry between Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould powering the story. The series tried to recreate this dynamic with Alda and Rogers, and while they were a great double act, the writers soon gravitated toward Hawkeye. He was the breakout character with audiences, so over time, the bulk of the plotlines went to him while Trapper was sidelined. This was frustrating to Rogers, who had signed onto MASH with the understanding Hawkeye and Trapper were co-leads and equally important.

Like Stevenson, Rogers decided to leave MASH after season 3. While he was threatened with legal action, the actor realized he had never signed his original contract and was able to leave with zero repercussions. On the show, Trapper suddenly exits without saying goodbye to Hawkeye, which became a controversy among devotees. Regardless, Trapper's replacement B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) proved to be a boost to the series in the long run.

Where Trapper became Hawkeye Lite over time, B.J. was a more mature figure. He and Hawkeye still became besties with a similar worldview, but he was the more thoughtful and patient of the duo. That's not to say B.J. didn't take part in pranks and shenanigans though. B.J. and Hawkeye formed a deeper friendship over MASH's remaining series, and there's a reason the final "Goodbye" between them hits so hard in the finale.

After leaving MASH, Wayne Rogers played another doctor in sitcom House Calls, which lasted for three seasons.

Radar's Departure Became One Of MASH's Most Moving Scenes

One of MASH's few remaining OG characters said farewell in season 8

Gary Burghoff's Radar was the only cast holdover from the movie and was MASH's most loveable character. Radar is only supposed to be 18 or 19 when the show began, despite Burghoff being closer to 30 in the pilot. The actor decided to leave towards the end of the seventh season, with the sitcom dedicating a two-parter to his exit in season 8. By that point, Burghoff was closer to 40 and balding, which only made Radar's transition from boy to man during his time in Korea feel more potent.

The fittingly titled "Good-Bye Radar" saw the title character being sent home on a hardship discharge to look after his family farm, following his uncle's death. While the 4077th planned a goodbye party, an influx of wounded patients meant all the goodbyes were rushed and abrupt. Easily the most emotional moment comes when Hawkeye spots Radar peeking into surgery before he leaves, with Hawkeye giving the departing Corporal one of his rare salutes.

While he never returned to the original series after his exit, Gary Burghoff reprised Radar for both the sequel show AfterMASH and failed TV pilot W*A*L*T*E*R.

Radar returns the gesture, and as a sign of his maturity, leaves his trademark teddy bear behind at the camp. MASH didn't even try to replace Burghoff's Radar after he left, since the character was too distinct and beloved for a new character to take his place.