Is There a 'M*A*S*H' Time Capsule Buried on the CBS Lot?

May 2024 · 3 minute read

In the history of television, M*A*S*H earned its spot among the great shows, and one wonders if the cast tucked a little history away. What we’re talking about here is a time capsule. Did the cast members get together and put one down on the show’s California lot?

Let’s take a look at how this might have shaped up. Longtime fans know that the show’s legendary finale was titled Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen. It allowed cast members to put a bow on their tenure with M*A*S*H.

When it aired, ratings records were set. The show remains one of the most watched in television history.

‘M*A*S*H’ Almost Ended on Different Episode

But there was actually another episode slotted to be the final one. It was titled As Time Goes By with the plot being around a time capsule going into the ground. And this episode had a deep meaning to it for all those that were involved. This, of course, includes cast members.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mike Farrell said that the episode was an emotional one. It was this way, he said because the cast did “something (they) loved and were proud of.” Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt on the show, said this effort made the episode “extra special.”

This show’s crew got together to make a real-time capsule, according to Do You Remember. There is one buried on the lot and Farrell is good with that indeed. “Rather than leaving a time capsule in Korea, we should leave one on the lot,” Farrell said. “We found a great place near the commissary. One of our crew members, Jay King, went out late at night and dug a huge hole for it.”

In the time capsule, crew members and cast members put personal items in there. It connects to what each person’s character was on the show.

No one has been out working to dig it up at all. When the show ended its run, the buildings that were up on the lot came down.

M*A*S*H is still being shown in reruns across the United States. Fans can enjoy seeing their favorite episodes, whether from the early seasons or later ones. One thing the show was able to do is pretty seamlessly keep going with cast changes.

Wayne Rogers and McLean Stevenson, two core cast members in the show’s early seasons, left M*A*S*H. Rogers would later go on to appear in House Calls. Stevenson felt like he could have a solid career on his own as a standalone star. He went on to appear in Hello Larry, but it didn’t pick up great ratings.

Harry Morgan and Farrell joined the cast to replace these two actors. Morgan had previously been on the show in a different character. He fits nicely into the mix as Colonel Sherman Potter. Gary Burghoff also left before the series ended. What they did was take Jamie Farr’s Klinger character and move him into Burghoff’s Radar’s role. The Section 8 antics took a back seat to doing his clerk duties.

And these cast members left a piece of their hearts right in the time capsule. It’s still there and probably will be for a long time to come.

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