M*A*S*H Season 5 created by Larry Gelbart (1976-1977)
1 November 2006Another great season of this classic television show, with the new cast members already a major part of the show. And with a major change this season in the relationship between Frank Burns and Hot Lips Houlihan when she becomes engaged, which I found to be not quite as interesting as them being banded together. Frank alone was not the threat he once was, and just became more of a sad character.
Alan Alda plays Captain “Hawkeye” Pierce
Mike Farrell joins the cast as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt
Harry Morgan returns after a cameo as a crazy general as Colonel Sherman T. Potter
Loretta Switt plays Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan
Larry Linville plays Major Frank Burns
Gary Burghoff plays Corporal Walter “Radar O’Rielly
Jamie Farr plays reluctant Corporal Mazwell Q. Klingar
William Christopher plays Father Mulcahy
Some highlights of the season:
BUG OUT has the camp having to move with the enemy on it’s way, but Hawkeye, Hot Lips and Radar stay behind to stay with a patient who can’t be moved.
MARGARET’S ENGAGEMENT has Hot Lips getting engaged to a Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscott, which certainly rains a parade on Frank Burns.
LT. RADAR O’REILLY has Hawkeye and B.J. winning a promotion for Radar in a poker game, but he hates it when his friends no longer like him.
DEAR SIGMUND has the the return of Sidney Freedman who is observing the camp to deal with some of his own problems.
MUCLAHY’S WAR has the father going against orders and heading to the front, and saving a wounded soldiers life on the way.
THE COLONEL’S HORSE has both Margaret and Potter’s horse getting sick.
EXORCISM has a Korean priestess performing an exorcism on the camp.
END RUN has Radar meeting a soldier who was a football player for Ohio who lost his leg and wants to lose his wife.
The season ends with MARGARET’S MARRIAGE as Hot Lips fiancé shows up and they get married much to Frank’s chagrin.
•••
Such a great show all the way around. Great characters, writers and directors.
One Response to “M*A*S*H Season 5 created by Larry Gelbart (1976-1977)”
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November 1st, 2006 at 11:51 am
here from blogexplosion. Surprised you didn’t mention MOVIE TONIGHT. . . one of the best episodes ever, mostly plotless, but a nice story about how a group of strangers becomes a family, and how the prospect of simply watching an old movie brings so much joy to the war-weary characters. If you haven’t seen that one yet, I think you will really like it.