MAS*H
Summary
Classic sitcomMASHmay very well share a universe with another hit aesculapian drama . MASH’sseason 1 ratings were so wretched it was almost scratch , and it was only deliver after it rebounded during re - runs . Ultimately , MASHran for 11 seasonsand leave behind a major encroachment on video as a mass medium . As the days wore on , it became a loanblend of comedy and drama , mixing quips and clever pun with genuinely worked up scenes . It speaks to how declamatory a cultural shadow it will that no reboot attempt have been made since it ended in 1983 .
In the decades since , MASHhas act upon everything fromER- where Hawkeye whizz Alan Alda made legion Edgar Guest appearance - toScrubs . The showrunners behindMASHfamously wanted to drop the laugh cart track , but while CBS resist to allow this , they agreed not to use it during the surgery vista . The show ’s naturalistic attack to such sequences influenced many medical drama that followed too , includingScrubsand hit medical dramaSt Elsewhere .
Alan Alda ’s least favorite episode of MASH come from season 1 , and its quality underlines why the classical situation comedy came so close to being canceled .
St Elsewhere Directly References MASH’s BJ Hunnicutt
Dr Craig and BJ served together in Korea
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Cast
St. Elsewhere follows the staff and affected role of St. Eligius , a rundown teaching infirmary in Boston . The series , which publicise from 1982 to 1988 , portray the complex and often challenging lives of aesculapian professionals as they navigate both their personal and professional responsibleness . celebrated for its nuanced storytelling and character development , St. Elsewhere features an ensemble form include Ed Flanders , William Daniels , and Denzel Washington .
St Elsewhere(whose first season earned 85 % onRotten Tomatoes ) ran from 1982 to 1988 and feature other roles for future lead like Mark Harmon , David Morse and Denzel Washington . The serial rivet around a rundown Boston infirmary called St. Eligius and the staff that function there , include cantankerous heart operating surgeon Dr Mark Craig ( William Daniels ) . Despite his setaceous nature , Daniels is a beloved character from the show , andin the season 3 episode " Wyler , I Presume , " Craig miss a direct reference toMASH .
While treat a patient who has been shoot with volatile ammunition , Craig mentions he and " BJ " once bump a similar injury while he served in Korea . In the context of the show , this build how dangerous this injury is , butCraig ’s discarded reference to Mike Farrell ’s BJ Hunnicutt linksSt ElsewheretoMASHin a very clear way . Season 5 ’s " Brand New Bag " made this even well-defined , with Craig stating while playing with his toy trains that " I have n’t had this much fun since BJ Honeycutt and I closed the Kimchi Palace ! "
Custom image by Simone Ashmoore
St Elsewhere Shares A Universe With MASH And Many Other Shows
Wait, is MASH set in the same world as Cheers and Oz?!
SinceHomicide : living on the Streetscrossed over withLaw & Order , Chicago Hopeand basically every enfranchisement Dick Wolf has create , this makes the number of showsMASHis tied to even more gonzo .
The writer ofSt Elsewherehad a lot of play over the years tossing out references to other motion picture and TV shows . It ’s deserving noting thatno actors fromMASHactually appeared onSt Elsewhere , but there ca n’t have been too many BJ Hunnicutts stationed in Korea either . The BJ shout - out is fun , but the aesculapian play has ties to many other shows . The most obvious amount with season 3 sashay " sunniness , " whereSt Elsewherecrossed over withCheers .
This watch some doctor from the infirmary visiting the iconic watering hole , encountering Cliff ( John Ratzenberger ) , Carla ( Rhea Perlman ) and Norm ( George Wendt ) . It ’s a in truth freaky episode that fans ofCheersmust search out . St Elsewheretaking place in the same continuity asCheersalso links it toFrasierandWingstoo . A season 6 instalment of cop dramaHomicide : Life on the Streettitled " Mercy " saw Alfre Woodard reprising herSt Elsewhererole asDr Turner , while Ed Begley Jr. played Dr. Ehrlich once again inHomicide : The Moviea few years later .
St. Elsewhere follows the staff and patients of St. Eligius, a rundown teaching hospital in Boston. The series, which aired from 1982 to 1988, portrays the complex and often challenging lives of medical professionals as they navigate both their personal and professional responsibilities. Notable for its nuanced storytelling and character development, St. Elsewhere features an ensemble cast including Ed Flanders, William Daniels, and Denzel Washington.
OtherSt Elsewhereeaster eggs referenced shows likeBewitched , The FugitiveandThe Bob Newhart Show .
SinceHomicide : Life on the Streetscrossed over withLaw & Order , Chicago Hopeand basically every enfranchisement Dick Wolf has create , this constitute the routine of showsMASHis tangentially tied to even more bizarre . Perhapsthe most bizarre showSt Elsewhereis connected with is spunky prison house dramaOz , through the fictional company Weigert . This company come to run St. Eligius during season 6 , and would afterward take over the Oswald State Correctional Facility inOz .
How Does St Elsewhere’s Controversial Finale Impact MASH?
Welcome to the “Tommy Westphall” shared universe
St Elsewherecame to an end in 1988 with the fitly title closing curtain " The Last One . “This terminate with one of the most perplexing twists of any idiot box show , revealing the entirety ofSt Elsewherehas been a daydream inside the mind of Tommy Westphall(Chad Allen ) . Tommy is the autistic child of Ed Flanders ' Donald , but in the final scene , it is revealed that Donaldisn’ta Director of Medicine but a construction worker . Tommy is then shown playing with a snow globe carry a replica of St. Eligius inside .
The implication is that every time of year ofSt Elsewherehas been a fantasy of Tommy ’s , and this has lead to the " Tommy Westphall Universe " devotee theorythat bear on to rage online . This posits that every individual show connected toSt Elsewhere , includingMASHandCheers , is part of Tommy ’s elaborate fantasy . It ’s a fascinating theory to conceive about , but not one that needs to be taken too seriously either . Tommy may be imaginingSt Elsewhere’sending itself , and that ’s a meta rabbit hole it ’s good not to twig down .
Source : Rotten Tomatoes
MAS*H is a drama - comedy series do during the Korean War , centering on the life story of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they pilot the challenges of wartime medical service with humor and resilience .
St. Elsewhere follows the staff and patients of St. Eligius, a rundown teaching hospital in Boston. The series, which aired from 1982 to 1988, portrays the complex and often challenging lives of medical professionals as they navigate both their personal and professional responsibilities. Notable for its nuanced storytelling and character development, St. Elsewhere features an ensemble cast including Ed Flanders, William Daniels, and Denzel Washington.
