The Creator of the MASH Sequel Series Hilariously Summed Up Why It Failed

The co-creator of MASH failed sequel AfterMASH once hilariously summed up why it bombed so completely. Despite MASH having run for 11 seasons, it was still a ratings hit for CBS when it ended. This led the network to give the green light to some MASH spin-offs, with AfterMASH being the first. This saw the return of characters such as Potter (Harry Morgan), Klinger (Jamie Farr) and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) working together at a veterans hospital after the war ended; the resulting series was a total disaster, as was the second failed spinoff, W*A*L*T*E*R.

It is easy to forget that the goodwill of MASH The innovative ending saw the sequel earn solid ratings in its first season. Yet, After MASH Ratings dropped so much that its final episode didn't even air, and it's now considered one of the worst TV series ideas of all time.. A big problem was that it lacked a big star like Alan Alda to lead, and none of the three leads – including audience favorite Klinger – were charismatic enough to maintain the audience's interest week after week.

AfterMASH creator blamed the spinoff's basic premise for its failure

Cheers' Ken Levine Had Harsh Words for His Own Show

Ken Levine is a TV writer who has worked on everything from MASH to The Simpsons and Health. Levine became attached to AfterMASH because he wanted to work alongside Larry Gelbart, the showrunner of MASH first four seasons. Gelbart also developed the concept for the sequel series and was heavily involved during the first season, with Levine and Gelbart being credited as After MASH co-creators. On your blog By Ken Levine, the writer confessed that the program was the worst thing he had ever been a part of and quickly summarized why the concept didn't work.

Take MASH's three weakest characters, place them in the hilarious confines of a Veterans Hospital, and you've got a recipe for classic comedy. I thought I would at least make a fortune from merchandising those AfterMASH action figures.

While Potter, Father Mulcahy, and Klinger are great characters, they work best as part of an ensemble. AfterMASH made the mistake of promoting the trio to leading rolesand they just weren't interesting enough for it to work. If the series had chosen a character like BJ (Mike Farrell) as the protagonist, it might have worked, but focusing on these three was a fatal mistake. The Veteran's hospital environment also didn't do much to provoke laughter and Levine believed AfterMASH would never have been produced if not for the franchise labeling (through By Ken Levine).

A period comedy set in a Veterans Affairs Hospital with no real stars and a patient population made up exclusively of elderly men? Not a chance in hell. Chuck Lorre couldn't sell that series.

AfterMASH should have been a straight drama

Larry Gelbart thinks AfterMASH trying to act like a sitcom was another problem

AfterMASH It has the seeds of being a better show, but as a comedy it's a failure. Why anyone involved thought a half-hour comedy set in a veterans hospital would work is a good question — and one that Gelbart later considered. Talking to FoundationINTERVIEWSthe showrunner said he fell in love with the premise, but also stated that he handled the project in the wrong way. Gelbart believes, in retrospect, that AfterMASH should have been a straight dramaand lasted a full hour per episode.

Gelbart even believes it was “a bad idea to populate it with MASH people.” The creator felt there was a powerful show to be made from this premise, but making it a sitcom with supporting players from MASH it was a fatal choice. As Levine stated above, probably the only reason the show was greenlit was why of your MASH connections, with CBS wanting to ride that gravy train for as long as possible.

The spinoff's failure was secretly a big thing for MASH

AfterMASH allowed the franchise to rest in peace

MASH should have ended with the 1983 finale, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”, which was a perfect send-off for all the characters. One good thing about AfterMASH and W*A*L*T*E*R (which didn't make it past the pilot episode), the flaw is what convinced CBS that the property was truly over. After the sequel was cancelled, the network made no further attempts to create new MASH spin-offs or branches. Fortunately, there were no efforts to reboot or remake MASH any.

MASH was a groundbreaking series that had a huge impact on many shows that followed. That's the main reason why a 50-year-old sitcom remains so beloved, while AfterMASH was largely forgotten and was never made available on home media or streaming. It was natural for the network to experiment with ways to keep the show alive, but it was doomed to fail without most of the main cast returning.

Returning to Levine's summary, AfterMASH made a completely wrong move with a promising concept. If it had been a simple medical drama that addressed an important issue, it might have worked. Like a sitcom populated by a castf MASH supporting players, their ultimate fate would always be early cancellation.

Source: By Ken Levine, By Ken Levine, FoundationINTERVIEWS