FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS*
Question 1: |
What does B.J. stand for? |
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Question 2: |
Why did Spearchucker disappear after a few episodes? |
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Question 3: |
Why is Henrys wife sometimes named Lorraine, and sometimes Mildred? |
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Question 4: |
Is it true, that Gary Burghoff has a deformed hand? |
(Note by the author: His hand is only in the pilot episode cleary visible. His two drum solos, by the way, are really played by him.) |
Question 5: |
What does "T" stand for in Sherman T. Potter? |
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Question 6: |
What does M*A*S*H stand for and why the "*"? |
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Question 7: |
What are the main differences between the camp in the series and a real MASH unit? |
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Question 8: |
What, according to General Steele, was the dying utterance of General Custer? |
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Question 9: |
Who is Sparky, and was he ever shown in an episode? |
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Question 10: |
What does "Abyssinia" mean? |
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Question 11: |
Does Radar O'Reilly's teddy bear have a name? |
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Question 12: |
In which occasions did Hawkeye salute? |
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Question 13: |
How many sex lectures were held by Henry? |
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Question 14: |
Who owns the faceless voice that does all the P.A. announcements? It usually isn't Radar or Klinger. |
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Question 15: |
The emotions in the O.R. scene of Abyssinia, Henry right after Henry's death looked so real! Why was that? |
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Question 16: |
How many episodes exist of M*A*S*H? |
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Question 17: |
In which episode did Richard Gere appear? |
Richard Gere did never appear in M*A*S*H, although this rumour is heard (or better read) a lot on the Internet |
Question 18: |
What is the name of Col. Potter's horse? |
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Question 19: |
Is the actress Terry Farrell (Star Trek DS9) related to Mike Farrell? |
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Question 20: |
Did any actors on the show serve in the Korean War? |
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Question 21: |
What brand of bra does Klinger wear and what size is it? |
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Question 22: |
What piece of music is Charles teaching the Chinese musicians in the last episode? |
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Question 23: |
What kind of helicopter is used in the opening credits? |
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Question 24: |
Which episode did Vic Tayback appear in? |
The IMDB (Internet Movie Database) claims he played in episode II/36 The Incubator. Paul Gadzikowski wrote this: "Then the IMDB is incorrect, or incomplete. According to information from Larry Gelbart when this subject came up about a month ago, Tayback was cast in the role of the supply sergeant and shot the scene, only for the staff to decide his interpretation of the character didn't work. The scene was reshot for air with another actor in the part." |
Question 25: |
What is the episode "A Smile, a Song and a Surprise"? |
There are some questions, such as "Why did Spearchucker leave?" or what is the name of that piece of music that Charles taught the Korean prisoners?", that come up regularly on the newsgroup. Some of the regulars started to refer to a mysterious episode containing the answers to all questions. "A Smile, a Song and a Surprise" is the legendary and mythical episode that includes all the unexplained details the series left unresolved (the name of the bear, why Spearchucker left, etc). It is broadcast once every four years to celebrate Leap Year and every year on April 1. "A Smile, a Song and a Surprise": For the only time in the series history, the lyrics are sung during the opening credits. Radar mentions his bear's name, although the secrecy surrounding filming required that Gary Burghoff record 947 names (some of those are Mozart, Teddy and Rosebud) for dubbing onto that episode. The name is redubbed for every rebroadcast. It is rumored that is the true reason for GB's departure from the show. After Radar left, Captain Tuttle looked after Radar's pets. Having found Klinger's discarded dresses, Tuttle decided to form a musical trio drag act with Captain Spaulding and Spearchucker. Their act was so bad they were driven out of camp. While many were busy in the mess tent for the big send-off for Spearchucker, Richard Gere's character was dying in post-op. In a delirious state, he informs Frank that his brother used to call him "Ferret Face"; in his last breath, he whisper the names that stand for B.J. As the body is loaded into the ambulance, Charles plays Mozart's Quintet for Clarinet and Strings with his reshaped instrument and the help of some local musicians. The episode was written by Vic Tayback and Larry Gelbart played the supply sergeant. |
Question 26: |
What does the "I" on Henry's pullover and cups mean? |
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* Compiled from the show's Executive Producer, Larry Gelbart.
Click on the "Flagg" for the Lyrics