M*A*S*H
originally aired on CBS
M*A*S*H (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American war comedy drama television series that aired on CBS from September 17, 1972, to February 28, 1983. It was developed by Larry Gelbart as the first original spin-off series adapted from the 1970 feature film, which, in turn, was based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The ensemble cast originally featured Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers as surgeons Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Trapper" John McIntyre. The show's title sequence features an instrumental version of "Suicide Is Painless"
The series is usually categorized as a situation comedy, though it has also been described as a "dark comedy" or a "dramedy" because of the often dramatic subject matter. The show is an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a U.S. Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) in the Korean War (1950–53)