Fox to Ring in New Year with MASH Special
By Movieguide® Contributor
MASH: THE COMEDY THAT CHANGED TELEVISION will kick off the New Year on Fox with a two-hour special on Jan. 1, 2024.
“A definitive look at the 14-time Emmy-winning television classic, the special centers around previously un-aired 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,” Deadline reported Wednesday.
Along with cast and producer interviews, fans will get to see never-before-released footage, photos and stories.
Dan Harrison, Fox’s EVP of Program Planning and Content Strategy, said, “M*A*S*H is among the most iconic sitcoms in the annals of television history. It’s a timeless show that comedically captures the 4077th medical corps and how they managed to maintain their sanity while saving lives on the front lines of the Korean War…Fox is proud to celebrate the landmark achievements of one of the best comedies ever created.”
Fox promises to honor deceased stars Larry Linville, Harry Morgan, McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, William Christopher, David Ogden Stiers and writer Larry Gelbart in the special.
TV Insider reported, “M*A*S*H’s two-and-a-half-hour series finale, which aired on CBS in 1983, remains the highest-rated telecast in television history, with an incredible 77 audience share and 60.2 rating. The show has never left the air, continuously running in syndication, on basic cable, and it is now available to stream on Hulu.”
Movieguide® recently reported on another upcoming holiday TV special, HOW GREAT THOU ART: A SACRED CELEBRATION:
PBS is getting in the Christmas spirit with HOW GREAT THOU ART: A SACRED CELEBRATION, a musical special featuring stars like Kristin Chenoweth and Patti LaBelle.
“Since a very early age, some of the music that has inspired me the most is from being raised in the church,” LaBelle said in a statement about the special. “That music created a foundation for my love of singing. And I have never lost that love and passion for this music. No matter your religion or beliefs, sacred music has the power to inspire, uplift, motivate, and comfort us. I am so grateful to share some of this inspiring music with you alongside my dear friends Kristin Chenoweth and Sandi Patty. I hope you will join us for this very special evening!”
In addition to LaBelle, Chenoweth and Patty, the PBS special features “a 25-piece ensemble of The American Pops Orchestra, and a robust combined choir from community groups and churches in the Washington, D.C. area,” per BroadwayWorld.
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