Richard Foronjy, who spent more than eight years in prison before he turned to acting and appeared in such films as Serpico, Midnight Run, Repo Man and Carlito’s Way, died Sunday, his family announced. He was 86.
Foronjy said he was arrested more than 20 times for “forgery, bank robbery, credit card rip-offs, assorted crimes and skullduggery … [guilty of] almost everything except drugs and homicide,” he said in a 1987 interview with Upi’s Vernon Scott.
The Brooklyn native was convicted only once, but that got him an 8½-year stretch in the New York prisons Sing Sing and Attica before he was released when he was 32.
In Hollywood, not surprisingly, Foronjy specialized in portraying cops and crooks.
He was a cop killer in his screen debut, Serpico (1973), and cops in The Morning After (1986) and Prince of the City (1981), all for Sidney Lumet. “I was especially good at playing cops, no doubt because I got to...
Foronjy said he was arrested more than 20 times for “forgery, bank robbery, credit card rip-offs, assorted crimes and skullduggery … [guilty of] almost everything except drugs and homicide,” he said in a 1987 interview with Upi’s Vernon Scott.
The Brooklyn native was convicted only once, but that got him an 8½-year stretch in the New York prisons Sing Sing and Attica before he was released when he was 32.
In Hollywood, not surprisingly, Foronjy specialized in portraying cops and crooks.
He was a cop killer in his screen debut, Serpico (1973), and cops in The Morning After (1986) and Prince of the City (1981), all for Sidney Lumet. “I was especially good at playing cops, no doubt because I got to...
- 5/21/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Before "Star Wars," there was "Thx 1138." A strange, dystopic science fiction movie packed with big ideas up to its eyeballs, "Thx 1138" is now mostly known as the feature directorial debut of one George Walton Lucas Jr. (though it also came back in conversation when the best episode of "Andor" paid homage to it). The future Lucasfilm founder originally created this story of repressed emotions and stymied sexuality as a student film, but by the time it was reimagined as a feature, it had gained backing from Warner Bros.
Lucas' American Zoetrope co-founder Francis Ford Coppola also had faith in the movie, and served as one of its producers. "Thx 1138" starred Robert Duvall, then already known for his work on stage and television, not to mention in films like "To Kill A Mockingbird," "M*A*S*H," and "True Grit." Future "Halloween" actor Donald Pleasence co-starred, along with a then-unknown actress named Maggie McOmie.
Lucas' American Zoetrope co-founder Francis Ford Coppola also had faith in the movie, and served as one of its producers. "Thx 1138" starred Robert Duvall, then already known for his work on stage and television, not to mention in films like "To Kill A Mockingbird," "M*A*S*H," and "True Grit." Future "Halloween" actor Donald Pleasence co-starred, along with a then-unknown actress named Maggie McOmie.
- 5/12/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Despite being one of the longest-running live-action sitcoms of all time, you don't hear much about "My Three Sons" anymore. The series ran for an impressive 12 seasons beginning in 1960, producing 380 episodes of wholesome sitcom scenarios during a decade of tremendous upheaval. "The real world was quite tumultuous and revolution was in the air," star Barry Livingston told CBS News in a 2009 retrospective, "and we were still eating Uncle Charley's cookies and having milk."
"My Three Sons" doesn't have the enduring legacy of more thought-provoking shows of the '60s and '70s, like "M*A*S*H" and "The Twilight Zone," nor is it typically mentioned in the same breath as all-time-great comedies like "I Love Lucy" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Despite the show's absence from most abridged versions of TV history, though, it still connected with audiences in its time: the series about a widower raising three sons as a...
"My Three Sons" doesn't have the enduring legacy of more thought-provoking shows of the '60s and '70s, like "M*A*S*H" and "The Twilight Zone," nor is it typically mentioned in the same breath as all-time-great comedies like "I Love Lucy" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Despite the show's absence from most abridged versions of TV history, though, it still connected with audiences in its time: the series about a widower raising three sons as a...
- 5/7/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Prior to creating the hit absurdist sitcom "Night Court," Reinhold Weege was a writer on "Barney Miller" and on "M*A*S*H," for which he received a grand reputation in American television. "Night Court," however, launched him into the stratosphere, as the show was part of the invaluable NBC Thursday night lineup that revolutionized television. "Night Court" came at the end of a block of programming that included "The Cosby Show" (which was responsible for saving "Night Court"), "Cheers," and "Family Ties," and the four sitcoms collectively buoyed the network to new heights. The series was nominated for 12 Emmys during its 1984 to 1992 run, with four wins going to star John Larroquette.
Despite the success of the show, Weege remained an affable, unglamorous, street-level bloke, flaunting his Chicago roots with pride. In the 2022 book "Barney Miller and the Files Of the Ol' One-Two" by Otto W. Bruno, Weege preferred presenting himself as low-fi and unassuming,...
Despite the success of the show, Weege remained an affable, unglamorous, street-level bloke, flaunting his Chicago roots with pride. In the 2022 book "Barney Miller and the Files Of the Ol' One-Two" by Otto W. Bruno, Weege preferred presenting himself as low-fi and unassuming,...
- 5/4/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga director George Miller is currently in Las Vegas attending CinemaCon where he has received an award for International Career Achievement in Filmmaking. During the Q&a, George Miller touched upon his influences and explained why Pinocchio is his favourite movie.
“It’s because it was one of the first stories I saw that ticked every box,” Miller explained. “When we watch a film, we watch it as a full human being. We watch it viscerally, emotionally, intellectually, mythologically, in every way. And the stories that seem to endure are those that basically have that richness right through all the storytelling.“
Miller continued, saying Pinocchio has “got surface charm, the journey of the character going from a wooden boy to a real boy, going through terrible temptations, getting very brutal, exciting, his father in the whale, and so on. It’s just about as epic a story as you can get.
“It’s because it was one of the first stories I saw that ticked every box,” Miller explained. “When we watch a film, we watch it as a full human being. We watch it viscerally, emotionally, intellectually, mythologically, in every way. And the stories that seem to endure are those that basically have that richness right through all the storytelling.“
Miller continued, saying Pinocchio has “got surface charm, the journey of the character going from a wooden boy to a real boy, going through terrible temptations, getting very brutal, exciting, his father in the whale, and so on. It’s just about as epic a story as you can get.
- 4/8/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
The Writers Guild of America West will present Designing Women and Evening Shade creator Linda Bloodworth Thomason with its highest honor — the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement. The award is presented to a Guild member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.” Designing Women star Jean Smart will present the statuette to Bloodworth Thomason at the Wgaw’s annual WGA Awards on April 14.
The multiple Emmy-nominated television creator-writer, director, and producer launched her career with an Emmy-nominated script on M*A*S*H* in 1973. She concurrently worked on M*A*S*H* and Mary Tyler Moore Show spinoff Rhoda before creating and producing her first series Filthy Rich in 1982. Filthy Rich would lay the groundwork for the creation of landmark comedy series Designing Women by bringing her together with actresses and collaborators Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, and Smart.
In addition to her work in television,...
The multiple Emmy-nominated television creator-writer, director, and producer launched her career with an Emmy-nominated script on M*A*S*H* in 1973. She concurrently worked on M*A*S*H* and Mary Tyler Moore Show spinoff Rhoda before creating and producing her first series Filthy Rich in 1982. Filthy Rich would lay the groundwork for the creation of landmark comedy series Designing Women by bringing her together with actresses and collaborators Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, and Smart.
In addition to her work in television,...
- 4/2/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
The 1962 sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies" was the first in show creator Paul Henning's unofficial Hooterville Trilogy, a triune that also included 1963's "Petticoat Junction," and 1965's "Green Acres." These three shows were among the most popular of their time and reflected a cultural clash between a growing class of cosmopolitan urbanites and "down home" rural Americans. Working thematically backward, "Green Acres" was about a pair of New Yorkers who move onto a farm, "Petticoat Junction" was about rural hotel owners who often butted heads with a rich railroad executive, and "The Beverly Hillbillies" was about rural characters moving to Beverly Hills. The Hooterville Trilogy was as sure a sign as any that schisms were forming in American society, and Henning was eager to address the injustice of the class divides, often sympathizing with his hillbillies and lambasting the wealthy.
The 1962 sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies" was the first in show creator Paul Henning's unofficial Hooterville Trilogy, a triune that also included 1963's "Petticoat Junction," and 1965's "Green Acres." These three shows were among the most popular of their time and reflected a cultural clash between a growing class of cosmopolitan urbanites and "down home" rural Americans. Working thematically backward, "Green Acres" was about a pair of New Yorkers who move onto a farm, "Petticoat Junction" was about rural hotel owners who often butted heads with a rich railroad executive, and "The Beverly Hillbillies" was about rural characters moving to Beverly Hills. The Hooterville Trilogy was as sure a sign as any that schisms were forming in American society, and Henning was eager to address the injustice of the class divides, often sympathizing with his hillbillies and lambasting the wealthy.
- 4/1/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The classic Korean War-set sitcom series "M*A*S*H" seems like it's almost universally beloved, but over the years it managed to collect its fair share of high-profile haters. Perhaps the most famous of all is director Robert Altman, who helmed the 1970 movie of the same name but absolutely loathed the television series. He made his dislike of the series very clear and even claimed that he hated everyone involved (which is a little harsh), saying some less-than-flattering things about the show's star, Alan Alda, who played Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce. He wasn't the only person involved with a previous version of "M*A*S*H" to absolutely abhor the dramedy series or even Alda, however, as the author of the book that inspired both the movie and series hated Hawkeye.
In an interview with Newsweek, author Richard Hornberger once said that the series "tramples on my memories" because he wrote the novel "Mash:...
In an interview with Newsweek, author Richard Hornberger once said that the series "tramples on my memories" because he wrote the novel "Mash:...
- 3/26/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
The classic sitcom series "M*A*S*H" was incredibly ahead of its time, managing to get quite a bit of mature material past network censors. Sometimes that material had to deal with the anti-war nature of the series and the difficult conditions the characters found themselves in, and sometimes that material was just bawdy. Seriously, there are a lot of sex jokes in "M*A*S*H" and quite a few people are knocking combat boots, but originally there was going to be even more sex, and more adultery. There's already an awful lot of adultery on "M*A*S*H," with several major characters cheating on their spouses, but the original plan would have taken that up several notches.
The adultery in "M*A*S*H" has a complicated legacy — the early seasons are a bit more laid-back with the characters' morals and there's quite a bit of marital infidelity, while...
The adultery in "M*A*S*H" has a complicated legacy — the early seasons are a bit more laid-back with the characters' morals and there's quite a bit of marital infidelity, while...
- 3/17/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
The classic sitcom series "M*A*S*H" was groundbreaking in a number of ways. It still holds the record for most-watched finale, pulling in 106 million viewers for the two-hour finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" in 1983. It helped create television dramedies, mixing the horrors of war with a whole lot of heartwarming humor. And perhaps most of all, it pushed the boundaries of what could be said and shown on television and helped promote some pretty progressive ideals. Unfortunately, behind-the-scenes there was a lot of fighting between series creator Larry Gelbart and the network censors, which might at least partially contributed to his leaving the series after the fourth season. (He also wanted more creative freedom and didn't want to let himself grow stagnant, so good on you, Gelbart!)
Most of the time, CBS just forced Gelbart and the other writers to make changes to the show's scripts in order to feel safe enough to air in primetime.
Most of the time, CBS just forced Gelbart and the other writers to make changes to the show's scripts in order to feel safe enough to air in primetime.
- 3/10/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Dan Wilcox, the Emmy-winning TV writer and producer whose work on the last four seasons of M*A*S*H included the acclaimed 1983 series finale that attracted a record 106 million viewers, has died. He was 82.
Wilcox died Feb. 14 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his niece Julie Merson announced.
A WGA member for more than 60 years and a guild board member since 2005, Wilcox won his Emmy in 1970 for Sesame Street, where he met Thad Mumford, who became his longtime writing partner. They worked together on M*A*S*H and received the 1980 WGA award for best episodic comedy.
They also wrote for What’s Happening!!, Alice, The Duck Factory, Good Times and the 1979 ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.
Wilcox was a writer and/or executive story editor on 36 episodes of M*A*S*H from 1979-83 as well as a producer, starting in 1981, on the CBS show’s last two seasons.
The native New Yorker...
Wilcox died Feb. 14 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his niece Julie Merson announced.
A WGA member for more than 60 years and a guild board member since 2005, Wilcox won his Emmy in 1970 for Sesame Street, where he met Thad Mumford, who became his longtime writing partner. They worked together on M*A*S*H and received the 1980 WGA award for best episodic comedy.
They also wrote for What’s Happening!!, Alice, The Duck Factory, Good Times and the 1979 ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.
Wilcox was a writer and/or executive story editor on 36 episodes of M*A*S*H from 1979-83 as well as a producer, starting in 1981, on the CBS show’s last two seasons.
The native New Yorker...
- 2/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The long-running Korean War sitcom series "M*A*S*H" was full of fun, fascinating characters, but the heart and soul of the series was Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce (portrayed by actor Alan Alda). The series balanced serious story beats with outrageous comedy, and that required a lead who could carry both with heart. To that end, Hawkeye was a complex character, a womanizer who drank dry gin martinis and played practical jokes but was also an excellent surgeon and loyal friend. Over the show's 11 seasons, he would fall in lust, fall in love, form a surprisingly deep friendship with head nurse Major Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit), and grow tremendously in his treatment of women, but in the beginning Alda had to figure out exactly how to play such a ladies' man. Thankfully, the terrific actor was able to improvise and improve the series from his very first scene, making Hawkeye a character...
- 2/24/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
The final episode of the hit sitcom "M*A*S*H" is a massive achievement in television, not only because it drew the largest number of viewers for a prime-time television episode ever, but because it managed to wrap up each of its characters' seasons-long emotional arcs with aplomb. Well, except for one.
Actor Loretta Swit sometimes had a tricky time on "M*A*S*H," as she really had to fight for her character, Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, to be taken seriously. The first few seasons can be frustrating with regards to Margaret, as she's having an affair with married officer Frank Burns (Larry Linville), but she eventually grows into a complex, fascinating character with as much depth as any of the men.
In an interview with Yahoo, Swit shared that she wasn't entirely happy with the choices made for Margaret in the finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen." While the finale wrapped up everyone else's stories with neat bows,...
Actor Loretta Swit sometimes had a tricky time on "M*A*S*H," as she really had to fight for her character, Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, to be taken seriously. The first few seasons can be frustrating with regards to Margaret, as she's having an affair with married officer Frank Burns (Larry Linville), but she eventually grows into a complex, fascinating character with as much depth as any of the men.
In an interview with Yahoo, Swit shared that she wasn't entirely happy with the choices made for Margaret in the finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen." While the finale wrapped up everyone else's stories with neat bows,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Robert Altman was the iconoclastic filmmaker and one of the few directors to have an adjective made out of his name. Altman’s work was not limited to films — he began his career by directing episodic television shows (winning an Emmy for directing HBO’s “Tanner ’88”), as well as mounting numerous operas and other stage productions.
But Altman’s love was truly making films. To accomplish his signature overlapping dialogue, he designed innovative sound systems on which filmmakers still rely today. His sets were always a party (some would say a bacchanal), and actors clamored to work with him. Studios, however, would regularly butt heads with Altman, who would promise them a potentially commercial genre picture, then set out to subvert the familiar genre completely. The studios would largely hate it, but his fans would eat it up. Having finally achieved success in film in his 40s, he became a middle-aged wonder boy,...
But Altman’s love was truly making films. To accomplish his signature overlapping dialogue, he designed innovative sound systems on which filmmakers still rely today. His sets were always a party (some would say a bacchanal), and actors clamored to work with him. Studios, however, would regularly butt heads with Altman, who would promise them a potentially commercial genre picture, then set out to subvert the familiar genre completely. The studios would largely hate it, but his fans would eat it up. Having finally achieved success in film in his 40s, he became a middle-aged wonder boy,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The classic wartime sitcom series "M*A*S*H" was entirely fictional, but it was often inspired by real people and events. Heck, Alan Alda, who starred as Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce and also wrote, directed, and served as a consultant on the series, even served as an Army officer in Korea shortly after the war — though he was not in a medical unit. Not only that but Jamie Farr, who played the eccentric yet lovable Corporal Klinger, served during the Korean War and even wore his own dog tags on the show. Both of them helped bring some authenticity, but even then it was important for the series' head honchos to get a better understanding of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (Mash) life, which meant visiting the United States Army's 8055th, still stationed in South Korea at the time.
In the DVD commentary for "M*A*S*H" (via the book "TV's M...
In the DVD commentary for "M*A*S*H" (via the book "TV's M...
- 2/17/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
The New Hollywood revolution was raging in 1971, and studios were rapidly transitioning from old-school leadership to boat-rocking up-and-comers who seemed to have the pulse of the Baby Boomer-driven counterculture. The age of star-studded mega-musicals and old-fashioned oaters was over; movies didn't necessarily need a serrated edge to slash into the zeitgeist, but even a weepie like Arthur Hiller's "Love Story" boasted a lived-in verisimilitude. These films, shorn of backlot artifice, were happening in the real world.
Young moviegoers weren't the only ones craving authenticity. John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy" couldn't have been voted Best Picture of 1969 without significant support from gray-haired Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members. This was a film that plunged viewers into the seamiest iteration of New York City ever captured by a studio movie, that dealt with issues of sex work and homosexuality so unflinchingly that the MPAA (now known as MPA) gave it an X-rating.
Young moviegoers weren't the only ones craving authenticity. John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy" couldn't have been voted Best Picture of 1969 without significant support from gray-haired Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members. This was a film that plunged viewers into the seamiest iteration of New York City ever captured by a studio movie, that dealt with issues of sex work and homosexuality so unflinchingly that the MPAA (now known as MPA) gave it an X-rating.
- 2/16/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The second overtime game in Super Bowl history delivered a gigantic audience on Sunday — the biggest one in the history of total-viewer ratings, in fact.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers averaged 120 million viewers on CBS, by itself the largest telecast on record. Simulcasts on Nickelodeon, Univision, Paramount+ and other digital platforms pushed the total to 123.4 million. No other broadcast in American TV history — at least as measured by Nielsen — has drawn more people.
CBS says the Super Bowl was the most streamed ever; Paramount+’s portion of the audience is rolled into the 120 million viewers for the CBS telecast as they were showing the same feed. Univision averaged about 2.2 million viewers for its Spanish-language broadcast (a record for a Super Bowl broadcast in Spanish), which would put Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob-themed alternate telecast at 1.2 million.
The 123.4 million viewers are based on time zone-adjusted fast...
The Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers averaged 120 million viewers on CBS, by itself the largest telecast on record. Simulcasts on Nickelodeon, Univision, Paramount+ and other digital platforms pushed the total to 123.4 million. No other broadcast in American TV history — at least as measured by Nielsen — has drawn more people.
CBS says the Super Bowl was the most streamed ever; Paramount+’s portion of the audience is rolled into the 120 million viewers for the CBS telecast as they were showing the same feed. Univision averaged about 2.2 million viewers for its Spanish-language broadcast (a record for a Super Bowl broadcast in Spanish), which would put Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob-themed alternate telecast at 1.2 million.
The 123.4 million viewers are based on time zone-adjusted fast...
- 2/13/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On February 28, 1983, CBS aired "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," the two-and-a-half hour series finale of the beloved Korean War drama M*A*S*H.
With its 11-season run, M*A*S*H lasted nearly four times as long as the military conflict it depicted, but the show never experienced the viewership erosion so common to aging series these days.
Far from it, in fact.
In an astonishing feat that's still a source of awe nearly 41 years later, the M*A*S*H finale pulled in a whopping 106 million viewers.
To put that in perspective, only about 99 million Americans tuned in to watch Super Bowl Lvi on NBC in 2022.
And that was up from the previous year when a paltry -- by Super Bowl standards -- 92 million viewers tuned in to watch CBS' live broadcast of the big game.
The big game rebounded last year, as 112 million people saw Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs edge out...
With its 11-season run, M*A*S*H lasted nearly four times as long as the military conflict it depicted, but the show never experienced the viewership erosion so common to aging series these days.
Far from it, in fact.
In an astonishing feat that's still a source of awe nearly 41 years later, the M*A*S*H finale pulled in a whopping 106 million viewers.
To put that in perspective, only about 99 million Americans tuned in to watch Super Bowl Lvi on NBC in 2022.
And that was up from the previous year when a paltry -- by Super Bowl standards -- 92 million viewers tuned in to watch CBS' live broadcast of the big game.
The big game rebounded last year, as 112 million people saw Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs edge out...
- 2/10/2024
- by Tyler Johnson
- TVfanatic
The groundbreaking television sitcom version of "M*A*S*H" may have been centered on the Korean War, but it famously ran for 11 years, over three times as long as the war. Like a lot of series, the length of its run led to significant tonal shifts as writers and actors left the show and new creatives came on. In particular, "M*A*S*H" went from an acidic, satirical portrait of military cynicism at a mobile surgical unit (the 4077th) to a much more earnestly anti-war show.
You can trace a lot of those changes in the ways the series' characters changed and developed. In the first half of the show, most of the folk who work at the 4077th are either bureaucratic blowhards like Majors Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit) or nihilistic, hedonist heroes like "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda). Surrounded by war and death, the characters had extremes to lean into,...
You can trace a lot of those changes in the ways the series' characters changed and developed. In the first half of the show, most of the folk who work at the 4077th are either bureaucratic blowhards like Majors Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit) or nihilistic, hedonist heroes like "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda). Surrounded by war and death, the characters had extremes to lean into,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
The 75th Primetime Emmys was a somewhat predictable affair, with "Succession," "The Bear" and "Beef" winning nearly everything, but there was one creative choice that made it stand clearly above the Emmys of the past few years. The theme this time around was honoring the most beloved shows in TV history, which made for a far more interesting transition between awards than the usual random comedy schticks.
This year included the reunion of Jon Cryer and Holland Taylor from "Two and a Half Men," a speech from Arsenio Hall of "The Arsenio Hall Show," and another speech by Carol Burnett from "The Carol Burnett Show." We got an extended homage to "The Twilight Zone," as well as references to "Taxi," "Dynasty," and "Mad Men." There were also cast reunions for ongoing shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Considering how long they've been going on and the impact...
This year included the reunion of Jon Cryer and Holland Taylor from "Two and a Half Men," a speech from Arsenio Hall of "The Arsenio Hall Show," and another speech by Carol Burnett from "The Carol Burnett Show." We got an extended homage to "The Twilight Zone," as well as references to "Taxi," "Dynasty," and "Mad Men." There were also cast reunions for ongoing shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Considering how long they've been going on and the impact...
- 1/16/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Now that the age of superheroes is ending, video game adaptations are the new cinematic frontier. We've seen TV adaptations like "Arcane" and "The Last of Us" receive critical acclaim, while big-screen adaptations like the "Sonic the Hedgehog" movies have proved to be huge commercial hits. The next highly anticipated TV adaptation of a beloved video game franchise is "Fallout," co-created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy ("Westworld") with Geneva Robertson-Dworet ("Tomb Raider") and Graham Wagner ("Portlandia") serving as showrunners.
"Fallout" takes place in 2296, 219 years after a great nuclear war that annihilated mankind. The survivors took refuge in underground bunkers known as Vaults. Those who leave the vaults encounter a dangerously hostile and brutal wasteland that, despite some elements of advanced technology, retains the aesthetics of 1950s Americana. It's a retrofuturistic story set hundreds of years in the future, featuring mutated monsters and intelligent (and somehow hot) ghouls. But to...
"Fallout" takes place in 2296, 219 years after a great nuclear war that annihilated mankind. The survivors took refuge in underground bunkers known as Vaults. Those who leave the vaults encounter a dangerously hostile and brutal wasteland that, despite some elements of advanced technology, retains the aesthetics of 1950s Americana. It's a retrofuturistic story set hundreds of years in the future, featuring mutated monsters and intelligent (and somehow hot) ghouls. But to...
- 1/15/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
On May 20, 1993, NBC's ultra-successful sitcom "Cheers" aired its finale episode, and it was almost instantly entered into the history books. Approximately 93 million people nationwide tuned in to watch the episode in 42.4 million homes, and untold thousands more watched it in bars across the country. Those numbers were good enough to make it the second highest-watched program in TV history, according to The L.A. Times — only the series finale of "M*A*S*H" scored more viewers.
That same night, 15 million people tuned into "The Tonight Show," which went on the road to the Bull & Finch Bar in Boston, which served as the exterior of the bar in the show, and host Jay Leno interviewed cast members Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, and George Wendt.
Well, at least he tried to interview them.
As "Cheers" writer Ken Levine remembered in a 2013 article for Vulture, "The [series finale] ended at eleven.
That same night, 15 million people tuned into "The Tonight Show," which went on the road to the Bull & Finch Bar in Boston, which served as the exterior of the bar in the show, and host Jay Leno interviewed cast members Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, and George Wendt.
Well, at least he tried to interview them.
As "Cheers" writer Ken Levine remembered in a 2013 article for Vulture, "The [series finale] ended at eleven.
- 1/14/2024
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
Ahead of the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, the Television Academy has compiled a list of the 75 Most Impactful TV Moments.
In collaboration with a group of academic professionals, the Television Academy scoured eight decades on television in search of the moments that have made the most impact on viewers, the industry and culture.
Chosen were classic moments (from the late 1940s until the 2020s) of TV’s most beloved programs, as well as news events that brought the U.S. and the world together to watch them in real time. Many of the selected televised events influenced politics and shifted the common wisdom about race, Lgtbq+ representation and more.
At the top of the list is the Apollo 11 moon landing, followed by coverage of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade center and the Beatles’ 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
You can read the entire list here and watch a video compilation above.
In collaboration with a group of academic professionals, the Television Academy scoured eight decades on television in search of the moments that have made the most impact on viewers, the industry and culture.
Chosen were classic moments (from the late 1940s until the 2020s) of TV’s most beloved programs, as well as news events that brought the U.S. and the world together to watch them in real time. Many of the selected televised events influenced politics and shifted the common wisdom about race, Lgtbq+ representation and more.
At the top of the list is the Apollo 11 moon landing, followed by coverage of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade center and the Beatles’ 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
You can read the entire list here and watch a video compilation above.
- 1/12/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
What do "Happy Days" and "M*A*S*H" have in common? Well, for one thing, they're both era-defining TV shows of the 1970s that took place in the 1950s. "M*A*S*H" was set during the Korean War (even if its satirical target was the more recent Vietnam War), which unfolded from 1950 to 1953. It's a well-known joke that thanks to its 11-season run (1972 to 1983), the series lasted longer than the war it was set in.
That's not the only historical incongruity in "M*A*S*H" — there's a small but telling one in season 4, episode 21, "The Novocaine Mutiny," as first noted in "TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book" by Ed Solomonson and Mark O'Neill. In this episode, Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) is left in command and predictably behaves like a tyrant. He begins searching officers' quarters for "stolen" (actually gambled) money. When he gets to Radar's (Gary Burghoff) office,...
That's not the only historical incongruity in "M*A*S*H" — there's a small but telling one in season 4, episode 21, "The Novocaine Mutiny," as first noted in "TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book" by Ed Solomonson and Mark O'Neill. In this episode, Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) is left in command and predictably behaves like a tyrant. He begins searching officers' quarters for "stolen" (actually gambled) money. When he gets to Radar's (Gary Burghoff) office,...
- 1/10/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
It's easy to forget that "M*A*S*H" was actually a period piece. The acclaimed sitcom was filmed in the '70s and borrowed liberally from compassionate discussions surrounding the Vietnam War, but it took place two decades earlier, in 1950s Korea. Despite anachronistic '70s mustaches, a timeline that reimagined the relatively short Korean War as near-endless, and the occasional not-retro-enough prop, the show still worked hard to bring a fairly accurate vision of the 1950s to life.
Sometimes, that meant referencing movies that were made in the 1930s and '40s, like "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Good Earth." In other instances, though, the series got ahead of itself, name-dropping movies that hadn't been released yet. The show's masterpiece series finale, the feature-length concluding story "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," apparently almost included a reference that straddled the line between anachronism and timeliness. According to The Hollywood Reporter's 35th-anniversary spotlight on the finale,...
Sometimes, that meant referencing movies that were made in the 1930s and '40s, like "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Good Earth." In other instances, though, the series got ahead of itself, name-dropping movies that hadn't been released yet. The show's masterpiece series finale, the feature-length concluding story "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," apparently almost included a reference that straddled the line between anachronism and timeliness. According to The Hollywood Reporter's 35th-anniversary spotlight on the finale,...
- 1/8/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Sudden success is a hell of a drug. Be it entertainment, sports, or certain, shockingly competitive sectors of the healthcare industry, you can count on numerous fast risers to get high on their own supply and take an ego-fueled torch to their career.
Television actors are especially susceptible to these vain slip-ups, and it's easy to understand why. Before the advent of prestige TV, the small-screen medium was, particularly for young-ish performers, viewed as a potential springboard to big-screen stardom. Sometimes it works out. Chevy Chase bolted from "Saturday Night Live" midway through its second season and instantly became a movie star on the strength of his work in Colin Higgins' sporadically hilarious "Foul Play" (even though he's far from the funniest element of the film). And sometimes you're David Caruso, who quit "NYPD Blue" to topline a pair of 1995 flops in Barbet Schroder's "Kiss of Death" (underrated) and William Friedkin's "Jade".
Generally,...
Television actors are especially susceptible to these vain slip-ups, and it's easy to understand why. Before the advent of prestige TV, the small-screen medium was, particularly for young-ish performers, viewed as a potential springboard to big-screen stardom. Sometimes it works out. Chevy Chase bolted from "Saturday Night Live" midway through its second season and instantly became a movie star on the strength of his work in Colin Higgins' sporadically hilarious "Foul Play" (even though he's far from the funniest element of the film). And sometimes you're David Caruso, who quit "NYPD Blue" to topline a pair of 1995 flops in Barbet Schroder's "Kiss of Death" (underrated) and William Friedkin's "Jade".
Generally,...
- 1/7/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Recently, more than half a century after its premiere, Fox released a retrospective special about the storied anti-war sitcom "M*A*S*H" that included rare and previously unseen interviews with the show's cast and crew. When they weren't reminiscing about their characters and opening up about cast changes over the years, former members of the fictional 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital discussed episodes of the show that broke the TV mold, pushing the medium beyond its established boundaries and yanking on viewers' heartstrings in unexpected ways.
Among the spotlighted episodes in "M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television" was "The Interview," the season 4 finale that saw the show briefly take the form of a black-and-white war documentary. The late writer and executive producer Burt Metcalfe said the experiment took inspiration from Edward R. Murrow's 1950s newsreel show "See It Now," which included interviews in Korea during the war. "We'd always had a...
Among the spotlighted episodes in "M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television" was "The Interview," the season 4 finale that saw the show briefly take the form of a black-and-white war documentary. The late writer and executive producer Burt Metcalfe said the experiment took inspiration from Edward R. Murrow's 1950s newsreel show "See It Now," which included interviews in Korea during the war. "We'd always had a...
- 1/7/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Harry Johnson, an actor who appeared on dozens of shows throughout his 40-year career, including Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Law & Order, has died. He was 81.
Johnson died Tuesday, his rep Jonathan Erickson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
“It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Atb Talent client Harry Johnson,” Atb Talent Agency shared in a statement. “With a career spanning over 40 years, Harry was a true talent and cherished member of the community. His impact on the entertainment industry will be remembered and celebrated. Our hearts go out to his friends and family, including Christiane, his wife of 15 years and stepchildren, Oliver and Penelope. May his memory be a blessing to all.”
Born on Dec. 27, 1942, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Johnson began his acting career in 1978, when he appeared in the pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica,...
Johnson died Tuesday, his rep Jonathan Erickson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
“It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Atb Talent client Harry Johnson,” Atb Talent Agency shared in a statement. “With a career spanning over 40 years, Harry was a true talent and cherished member of the community. His impact on the entertainment industry will be remembered and celebrated. Our hearts go out to his friends and family, including Christiane, his wife of 15 years and stepchildren, Oliver and Penelope. May his memory be a blessing to all.”
Born on Dec. 27, 1942, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Johnson began his acting career in 1978, when he appeared in the pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica,...
- 1/6/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Harry Johnson, an actor who starred in hit series such as Battlestar Galactica, Law & Order, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died after a long illness. He was 81. Johnson’s passing was confirmed by his wife, Christiane, who told Deadline he died on Tuesday, January 2, in Los Angeles, just six days after his 81st birthday. Born on December 27, 1942, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Johnson (often credited as Chip Johnson in the 1970s and 80s) got his start on the multi-part pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica in 1978. From there, he appeared in several classic TV series, including B.J. and the Bear, Quincy M.E., The Incredible Hulk, Days of Our Lives, Simon & Simon, M*A*S*H, The A-Team, and many more. Johnson continued to pop up across various TV shows throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including the likes of Jake and the Fatman, Party of Five, Melrose Place, Roswell, The Guardian, Judging Amy,...
- 1/5/2024
- TV Insider
Harry Johnson, an actor with scores of credits spanning 40 years that ranged from the original Battlestar Galactica to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, several Dick Wolf series and the famous “Harry & Louise” commercials, died January 2 of in Los Angeles after a long illness. He was 81.
His wife, Christiane, confirmed his passing to Deadline.
Born on December 27, 1942, in Plainfield, NJ, he often credited as Chip Johnson in the 1970s and ’80s and was among the last contract players for Universal Studios. Johnson began his screen career with the multi-part pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica in 1978 and went on to guest-star on dozens of TV series including M*A*S*H, Quincy M.E., The Incredible Hulk, Simon & Simon, The Greatest American Hero, Highway to Heaven, The A-Team, L.A. Law, Dynasty, Who’s the Boss?, Thirtysomething, Melrose Place, Party of Five, Roswell, Resurrection Blvd., Judging Amy, Days of Our Lives and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
He was...
His wife, Christiane, confirmed his passing to Deadline.
Born on December 27, 1942, in Plainfield, NJ, he often credited as Chip Johnson in the 1970s and ’80s and was among the last contract players for Universal Studios. Johnson began his screen career with the multi-part pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica in 1978 and went on to guest-star on dozens of TV series including M*A*S*H, Quincy M.E., The Incredible Hulk, Simon & Simon, The Greatest American Hero, Highway to Heaven, The A-Team, L.A. Law, Dynasty, Who’s the Boss?, Thirtysomething, Melrose Place, Party of Five, Roswell, Resurrection Blvd., Judging Amy, Days of Our Lives and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
He was...
- 1/5/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Over 50 years ago, the war dramedy series "M*A*S*H" broke new ground by transforming Robert Altman's film of the same name into what would become one of the most important television shows in history. Given the series' wartime background, for as funny as the show was, it was also deeply emotional and tackled some seriously harrowing subject matter. But what episode impacted the cast the most? In the new TV special "M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television," actor Mike Farrell (Captain B.J. Hunnicutt) talked about filming "Old Soldiers," getting choked up thinking about the gravity of the episode's meaning.
For those who have seen the episode, it's definitely one that packs an emotional wallop. Directed by Charles S. Durbin and written by Dennis Koenig, season 8, episode 18, "Old Soldiers," centered on Colonel Potter after he discovered that he was the last surviving member of his WWI veteran friend group. The...
For those who have seen the episode, it's definitely one that packs an emotional wallop. Directed by Charles S. Durbin and written by Dennis Koenig, season 8, episode 18, "Old Soldiers," centered on Colonel Potter after he discovered that he was the last surviving member of his WWI veteran friend group. The...
- 1/4/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Though it’s been off the air for more than 40 years, the legacy of the classic sitcom M*A*S*H” is still strong. In fact, the show’s finale still holds the record, even after all these years, for the most-watched scripted television episode ever. And, through syndication and streaming, the show’s audience continues to grow, too. M*A*S*H has always enjoyed a special relationship with its fans; speaking at Steel City Con a few years ago, Loretta Swit (who played Nurse “Hot Lips” Houlihan) talked about how she’d heard from one fan in particular whose life had literally been transformed by the show. (Click on the media bar below to hear Loretta Swit) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Loretta_Swit_MASH_Fans_.mp3
M*A*S*H is currently streaming on Hulu.
The post Loretta Swit: How Meaningful ‘M*A*S*H’ Could Be appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
M*A*S*H is currently streaming on Hulu.
The post Loretta Swit: How Meaningful ‘M*A*S*H’ Could Be appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 1/4/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Actors are a confounding creative breed. They can be wonderfully inventive one moment and then turn right around and surrender to their most vain impulses the next. Fortunately, most actors are eminently directable. They might put up a bit of a fight and insist that they know better than their director, but if the director has earned their trust, they'll eventually come to their senses and realize they aren't always the best judge of their own work.
It's also important to understand that, in most cases, actors aren't being difficult out of diva-like entitlement. They're the only person who's spending all of their time on- and off-set thinking about this specific character, so, of course, they're going to get protective every now and then -- especially if they're a television actor who's been playing the same part for multiple seasons. It's a well-meaning impulse and one that a sensitive director...
It's also important to understand that, in most cases, actors aren't being difficult out of diva-like entitlement. They're the only person who's spending all of their time on- and off-set thinking about this specific character, so, of course, they're going to get protective every now and then -- especially if they're a television actor who's been playing the same part for multiple seasons. It's a well-meaning impulse and one that a sensitive director...
- 1/3/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Long before streaming, DVRs, and even the popularity of VCRs, there were certain shows considered appointment television. Perhaps no other series fits the description more than M*A*S*H. Fox celebrated the landmark sitcom with M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, a reunion special executive-produced by John Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan. The two-hour show delved into what made the beloved series about the 4077th Medical Corps on the front lines of the Korean War strike such a cord. Many of the stars and important figures from M*A*S*H reflect on its historic 11-season run, 40 years after the series finale, still the most-watched telecast in history. Among them Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. “Trapper” John McIntyre) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips...
- 1/2/2024
- TV Insider
On Monday, Jan. 1, M*A*S*H fans are invited to ring in the new year with M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, a two-hour special airing on Fox and featuring new interviews with series vets Alan Alda (who played Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger) and Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), as well as the late Wayne Rogers (Capt. “Trapper” John McIntyre) and William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy).
M*A*S*H executive producers Gene Reynolds and...
M*A*S*H executive producers Gene Reynolds and...
- 1/2/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
By the late 1970s, "M*A*S*H" wasn't just a hit television series, it was an institution. This was the pre-cable age, when viewers's entertainment choices were mostly limited to whatever was on network television, so something as seemingly innocuous as a sitcom could drive cultural conversations. "I Love Lucy," "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "All in the Family" achieved such prominence, as did variety shows like "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and "Saturday Night Live."
So if you were a celebrity eager to become or remain relevant in the public eye, booking an appearance on one of these series was a capital idea. Failing that, just hanging around the set was a way of feeling like you still had juice. While "M*A*S*H" was one of the highest-rated television shows on the air, it was basically the Studio 54 of soundstages.
Read more: The Oppenheimer Supporting Character Guide: Your Guide To All 'Those...
So if you were a celebrity eager to become or remain relevant in the public eye, booking an appearance on one of these series was a capital idea. Failing that, just hanging around the set was a way of feeling like you still had juice. While "M*A*S*H" was one of the highest-rated television shows on the air, it was basically the Studio 54 of soundstages.
Read more: The Oppenheimer Supporting Character Guide: Your Guide To All 'Those...
- 12/30/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
"M*A*S*H" is famous for having some of the sharpest scripts in sitcom history, but even a TV giant can occasionally be improved with some ad-libbing. That was apparently the case in the third season episode "Love and Marriage," in which head surgeon Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and naive company clerk Radar (Gary Burghoff) help a local Korean woman deliver her baby.
In a 2018 retrospective by The Hollywood Reporter, Burghoff (who's one of a handful of 'M*A*S*H' actors still with us today) told the outlet he heavily improvised the episode's climactic scene. "There's an episode in which Hawkeye and I are alone on a moving bus with a pregnant Korean girl who suddenly gives birth," the actor recalled. "He tries to get Radar to help with the delivery. Radar comes totally unhinged."
By season 3, viewers had likely caught on that young Radar wasn't especially well-versed in the birds and the bees,...
In a 2018 retrospective by The Hollywood Reporter, Burghoff (who's one of a handful of 'M*A*S*H' actors still with us today) told the outlet he heavily improvised the episode's climactic scene. "There's an episode in which Hawkeye and I are alone on a moving bus with a pregnant Korean girl who suddenly gives birth," the actor recalled. "He tries to get Radar to help with the delivery. Radar comes totally unhinged."
By season 3, viewers had likely caught on that young Radar wasn't especially well-versed in the birds and the bees,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
The diameter of a regulation-size pool ball is 2.25 inches. The average human being can open their mouth between 1.4 and 2.2 inches. So if you're looking to insert the latter into the former, you'll need to be equipped with quite the gaping maw, especially if you're looking to get the billiards orb past your choppers. Why you'd want to do this in the first place is a question for the ages, one that would likely be asked by the admitting physician at your local psychiatric hospital.
One plausible circumstance for an individual to consider shoving a pool ball into their trap would be to win a bar bet. I've seen people do much dumber (and considerably more dangerous) things for as little as a shot of well whiskey. Also, I've seen the episode of "M*A*S*H" starring a pre-fame George Wendt attempting this feat, so you'd be an unoriginal moron to boot.
"M...
One plausible circumstance for an individual to consider shoving a pool ball into their trap would be to win a bar bet. I've seen people do much dumber (and considerably more dangerous) things for as little as a shot of well whiskey. Also, I've seen the episode of "M*A*S*H" starring a pre-fame George Wendt attempting this feat, so you'd be an unoriginal moron to boot.
"M...
- 12/28/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
When the final chopper lifted off from the 4077th, the iconic TV series ‘M*A*S*H’ left an indelible mark on television history. The show’s blend of humor and heart during wartime resonated with audiences, making its cast household names. But as the laughter faded and the set was packed away, what became of the talented actors who brought those cherished characters to life? Let’s explore the paths they’ve carved out since their days at the fictional Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Alan Alda’s Diverse Endeavors The man who once played the wisecracking Hawkeye Pierce, Alan Alda, has not slowed down since the...
- 12/27/2023
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Television enthusiasts, mark your calendars for a nostalgic trip down memory lane as Fox presents “M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television.” Airing at 8:00 Pm on Monday, January 1, 2024, this special celebration pays homage to the beloved and influential comedy that left an indelible mark on television history.
Featuring new interviews with cast members and producers, along with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos, and stories, the program promises an intimate and revealing look into the making of this iconic series. “M*A*S*H” remains a cultural touchstone, and this special is set to unravel the magic behind its enduring legacy.
Whether you’re a devoted fan or someone looking to explore the impact of groundbreaking television, this is an opportunity to relive the moments that made “M*A*S*H” a classic. Tune in at 8:00 Pm on Fox for a celebration of humor, camaraderie, and the comedy that changed television. It’s a...
Featuring new interviews with cast members and producers, along with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos, and stories, the program promises an intimate and revealing look into the making of this iconic series. “M*A*S*H” remains a cultural touchstone, and this special is set to unravel the magic behind its enduring legacy.
Whether you’re a devoted fan or someone looking to explore the impact of groundbreaking television, this is an opportunity to relive the moments that made “M*A*S*H” a classic. Tune in at 8:00 Pm on Fox for a celebration of humor, camaraderie, and the comedy that changed television. It’s a...
- 12/25/2023
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
On September 17, 1972, "M*A*S*H" (short for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) first aired on CBS, and went on to span 251 episodes over 11 years. The series featured an ensemble cast playing personnel in a US Mash in the Korean War and used dark comedy/satire to underline key issues and flesh out civilian attitudes toward the US Army. The camaraderie that the cast developed over years of filming together was clear on the screen; they were part of something so special that still resonates more than 36 years after its release.
The series finale of "M*A*S*H," titled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," chronicled the final days of the Korean War while also wrapping up the core characters' storylines. A ceasefire is called, prompting everyone in the Mash unit to celebrate the end of the war, where they spend one last party together before going their separate ways. While this marked the end of a long-running series,...
The series finale of "M*A*S*H," titled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," chronicled the final days of the Korean War while also wrapping up the core characters' storylines. A ceasefire is called, prompting everyone in the Mash unit to celebrate the end of the war, where they spend one last party together before going their separate ways. While this marked the end of a long-running series,...
- 12/25/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Brian De Palma's "Carrie" was the film that defined a generation. Its blend of coming-of-age themes, fantastical magic, and slasher-style bloodshed makes it a genre-bending film that time just can't seem to forget.
The 1976 horror tells the story of a sheltered girl who lives under her obsessively religious mother's tyrannical rule, a dictatorship made all the worse by the onset of Carrie's period. Her mother's frenzy combined with a cruel prank at the prom pushes the shy young girl to a mental break, complete with telekinetic powers. The Stephen King adaptation launched some incredibly notable careers, including John Travolta, who plays high school bully Billy Nolan. Sadly, not all of the cast has lived to see the end of 2023, including Piper Laurie, whose performance as Carrie's mother earned her one of three Oscar nominations in her lifetime.
Laurie passed away in October of 2023, but many of the other main cast members are alive,...
The 1976 horror tells the story of a sheltered girl who lives under her obsessively religious mother's tyrannical rule, a dictatorship made all the worse by the onset of Carrie's period. Her mother's frenzy combined with a cruel prank at the prom pushes the shy young girl to a mental break, complete with telekinetic powers. The Stephen King adaptation launched some incredibly notable careers, including John Travolta, who plays high school bully Billy Nolan. Sadly, not all of the cast has lived to see the end of 2023, including Piper Laurie, whose performance as Carrie's mother earned her one of three Oscar nominations in her lifetime.
Laurie passed away in October of 2023, but many of the other main cast members are alive,...
- 12/24/2023
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
For a television series that ranked in the Nielsen ratings' top ten for nine of its 11 seasons, "M*A*S*H" experienced a surprising amount of cast turnover. McLean Stevenson (Henry Blake) and Wayne Rogers (Trapper John McIntyre) departed after the third season, and these were huge losses (the manner in which Stevenson was written out of the show angered fans and CBS executives alike). But the producers deftly assuaged viewers concerns by promoting Jamie Farr's cross-dressing Corporal Klinger and hiring Harry Morgan to play the gruff but fair Colonel Sherman T. Potter.
The next significant loss arrived at the end of the fifth season, when Larry Linville exited the series. This left the "M*A*S*H" team with the difficult task of finding an actor capable of playing a pompous walking bulls-eye on par with Linville's Frank Burns. Some of the show's biggest laughs erupted from the company's gleeful tormenting of the humorless surgeon.
The next significant loss arrived at the end of the fifth season, when Larry Linville exited the series. This left the "M*A*S*H" team with the difficult task of finding an actor capable of playing a pompous walking bulls-eye on par with Linville's Frank Burns. Some of the show's biggest laughs erupted from the company's gleeful tormenting of the humorless surgeon.
- 12/23/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Without hyperbole, "M*A*S*H" is one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Centered on the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, the anti-war comedy-drama became one of the most-watched shows in history and is continually revered by younger generations discovering it for the first time. The show boasted a phenomenal ensemble cast, with Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda) serving as the defacto main character. He's the chief surgeon after all, but he's also a bit of a lush. Then again, just about everyone on "M*A*S*H" drank from time to time. This is the show that gave us the iconic line, "War isn't Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse," so it isn't surprising that there'd be a bit of self-medicating happening. But a few years into the series' run, there was a noticeable shift in how...
- 12/17/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Comedic breaking: it's been around for pretty much as long as performances. Flip through classic TV channels and you'll find Rue McClanahan delivering her lines into the back of her hand to hide giggles in episodes of "The Golden Girls," Mary Tyler Moore barely suppressing her grin in"The Dick Van Dyke Show," and Horatio Sanz wiping away tears with Mickey Mouse waffles on "Saturday Night Live." Breaking seems like an unstoppable phenomenon, especially once more than one castmate well and truly gets the giggles, but it's also a surprisingly controversial one: for every person who laughs along with the actors, there seems to be another who thinks breaking is unfunny and unprofessional.
Larry Gelbart, who created the influential and long-running '70s sitcom "M*A*S*H," was apparently not into character breaks, and he told author Ed Solomonson that one actor in the show's ensemble cast did it more than any other.
Larry Gelbart, who created the influential and long-running '70s sitcom "M*A*S*H," was apparently not into character breaks, and he told author Ed Solomonson that one actor in the show's ensemble cast did it more than any other.
- 12/17/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
When Larry Gelbart brought "M*A*S*H" to television, he had dauntingly spacious shoes to fill. Robert Altman's 1970 film, based on a novel by Richard Hooker, was a New Hollywood sensation that mined the Korean War (an obvious Vietnam substitute) for edgy, hard R-rated laughs. It was the third-highest-grossing movie of the year and racked up five Academy Award nominations (including one for Best Picture). Matching the quality of the film was challenging enough. The biggest problem facing Gelbart was retaining the ribald tone, a tall order considering network television's conservative content standards in the early 1970s.
Gelbart's solution was to sand down the sharp misogynistic edges of the characters and embrace a more humanistic gallows sense of humor. The small-screen version of the 4077th was certainly mischievous, but they weren't mean-spirited. They would've never pulled the humiliating shower prank on Hot Lips from the film. Yes, there were extreme personality clashes,...
Gelbart's solution was to sand down the sharp misogynistic edges of the characters and embrace a more humanistic gallows sense of humor. The small-screen version of the 4077th was certainly mischievous, but they weren't mean-spirited. They would've never pulled the humiliating shower prank on Hot Lips from the film. Yes, there were extreme personality clashes,...
- 12/16/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Few shows in the history of broadcast television can ever claim they were as successful as "M*A*S*H." Based on Richard Hooker's book "Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors," and the Robert Altman film that previously adapted that same book, the series aired for 11 seasons on CBS from 1972 to 1983 totaling a whopping 256 episodes. Its series finale remains the most-watched finale of any TV series. Unfortunately, the spin-off "AfterMASH" couldn't recapture that same magic — and the show's creator thinks he knows why.
The spin-off series only lasted two seasons, with the second season having its run cut short after the ratings plummeted. It was a short-lived experiment that failed to live up to its predecessor. In "TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book," author Ed Solomonson spoke with "AfterMASH" co-creator Larry Gelbart, who also developed the original show. When asked about the spin-off, Gelbart first...
The spin-off series only lasted two seasons, with the second season having its run cut short after the ratings plummeted. It was a short-lived experiment that failed to live up to its predecessor. In "TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book," author Ed Solomonson spoke with "AfterMASH" co-creator Larry Gelbart, who also developed the original show. When asked about the spin-off, Gelbart first...
- 12/9/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
The 1970 movie "M*A*S*H" is quite a bit different than the television series it inspired, featuring even raunchier humor, darker themes, and more blood and gore. It's rated R and features all of the swearing, violence, and nudity that can come with that rating. The movie's famous nude scene features the late Sally Kellerman as Chief Nurse Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan taking a shower when the pranksters of the medical unit pull away the flaps of her tent, revealing her naked for all to see. While the scene plays pretty differently now than it did in 1970, at the time it was just a raunchy joke, and Kellerman was mostly game. The only problem was that she was really nervous about her first nude scene ever in a film, and that led to some problems with her performance. To take care of this nervousness, director Robert Altman decided to distract her with ... additional nudity!
- 12/9/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Fox is ringing in the new year by turning back the clock four decades.
The network announced Wednesday that on Jan. 1 it will air M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, a two-hour special featuring new interviews with surviving cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan), as well as EPs Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe.
More from TVLineJane Seymour Is Pitching a Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman RevivalMasked Singer's Sea Queen Revealed?...
The network announced Wednesday that on Jan. 1 it will air M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, a two-hour special featuring new interviews with surviving cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan), as well as EPs Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe.
More from TVLineJane Seymour Is Pitching a Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman RevivalMasked Singer's Sea Queen Revealed?...
- 12/6/2023
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Fox will celebrate Mash: The Comedy That Changed Television in a new two-hour special set to air Monday, January 1 at 8 pm on the network.
A definitive look at the 14-time Emmy-winning television classic, the special centers around new interviews with original cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. “Trapper” John McIntyre) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan) and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe.
“In these intimate, highly personal remembrances, the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters are revealed, alongside rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories,” according to Fox.
Writer/producer Larry Gelbart, as well as additional series stars Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns), Harry Morgan (Col. Sherman T. Potter), McLean Stevenson (Lt.
A definitive look at the 14-time Emmy-winning television classic, the special centers around new interviews with original cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter “Radar” O’Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. “Max” Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. “Trapper” John McIntyre) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan) and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe.
“In these intimate, highly personal remembrances, the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters are revealed, alongside rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories,” according to Fox.
Writer/producer Larry Gelbart, as well as additional series stars Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns), Harry Morgan (Col. Sherman T. Potter), McLean Stevenson (Lt.
- 12/6/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.