The list below details the 16 scenes and also the variants which were used in later seasons. From season to season, one or more of these scenes would be changed, actor's credits would be added or removed, or a different arrangement of the theme music would be attempted. The opening sequence of M*A*S*H comprised a montage of up to 16 scenes, overlaid with actor's credits for the main cast, all done to the instrumental accompaniment of Suicide is Painless. 2 Changes in opening sequence by season.This special sequence will be detailed later in this article. But this was not used in syndication and so was forgotten until it came back in the Pilot episode on the DVD set. Indeed, experienced M*A*S*H viewers can identify the series season simply by watching the opening sequence.Ī special extended opening sequence, which few know about, was also used for the first broadcast of the Pilot episode. While the basic structure of the opening sequence remained largely the same during all of the eleven seasons, there were subtle changes from season to season, mostly to accommodate changes in the main cast. In spite of the chaos, every person on the chopper pad seems to know exactly what to do without being told. The sense of urgency is palpable, and the coordination is amazing. It contained some of the most memorable scenes of the series and captured the essence of what the show was all about - the choppers carrying wounded to be met by the MASH doctors, nurses and corpsmen running to the landing pad. This scene was edited in Season 8 to remove Radar after Gary Burghoff left the show.įor many fans of the M*A*S*H TV series, the opening sequence was M*A*S*H.

The helicopter is now for sale for an undisclosed price, and has been so for a while now.The iconic first scene of the opening sequence. It was saved from that life and once again brought back to its former glory. It also shows up in the second scene as it approaches the landing pad.Īllegedly the helicopter stayed on set and was used on various occasions “both as set dressing and in flying scenes.“ It is also the one shown in the final departure shot of the final episode, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” one that has been watched at the time by some 106 million people.Īfter it ended its filming career, the 47 moved on to a farm, where it was used for crop-dusting and counting cattle. The Bell is for sale and, according to the description, it is one of two such machines being shown in the opening scene (the one closest to the camera), where two of them are flying in formation. It then entered the private circuit and was completely rebuilt in 1973.

One of them is this example here, a 47-D1 made in 1951. Apparently, the helicopter was first used by the U.S. Since M*A*S*H was centered on medical care, there were quite a number of Bell helicopters featured in the series. They were used for a variety of purposes, from reconnaissance to medical evacuation. military deployed in Korea during the three-year war. The insect-like machines were Bell 47 helicopters, not unlike the ones the U.S. Oh, and let’s not forget the funky shaped helicopters that flew above the set.

It also created a series of icons back in the 1970s (some of them enduring to this day), like Hawkeye, Hot Lips, or Radar. The M*A*S*H TV series became a worldwide phenomenon thanks to the way it showed the grim realities of the Korean War, wrapping them in a package all of us could understand and react to.

Mash radar chopper gif