On February 28, 1983, a TV record was broken – which no one has yet to surpass. On the same day, the very last episode of the satirical military series “M*A*S*H”, based on the Robert Altman film of the same name, flashed across American screens.
It was the first (and so far only) time that as many as 105 million viewers tuned in to a fictional TV show. An impressive number that has not yet been surpassed – and at a time when linear television is becoming less and less important, it cannot be assumed that this will happen.
What is ‘M*A*S*H’ about?
“M*A*S*H” ran for 11 years and 256 episodes on CBS – longer than the Korean War, which the series is about. The final episode, entitled ‘Be well, farewell and amen’, describes the last days of the war on the basis of various individual fates. After the ceasefire is declared, the series’ protagonists hold a farewell party – before they all tearfully go their separate ways.
It was clear in advance that the final episode of such a long-running series would attract great interest from the public. A total of 30 ad units were sold for the two-hour episode, each lasting 30 seconds – costing advertisers a whopping $450,000 each!
Only the Super Bowl and the moon landing attracted more people
Until 2010, the finale of “M*A*S*H” remained not only the highest-rated series episode, but also the most-watched television program in American history. However, this record was challenged by the Super Bowl, which as a gigantic sporting and pop culture event has an absolutely special status. But aside from the Super Bowl, the moon landing on July 20, 1969, and the Cricket World Cup, no television event has managed to surpass the public’s interest in “M*A*S*H.”
In fact, only two other fictional films make the list of the thirty most-watched events on American television: the miniseries ‘Roots’ (1977) and the television film ‘The Day After’, both with 100 million viewers each. The days of such collective major TV events, which dominate headlines and conversations the next day, are of course long numbered. Against this background, the figures today are even more impressive.