M*A*S*H {MASH}: TEA AND EMPATHY (TV)
Summary
One in this series of comedy programs about the men and women of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M*A*S*H) stationed behind the lines during the Korean War.
In this episode, the team treats a group of wounded British soldiers, with young Johnson recognizing Hunnicuttas his former surgeon. The doctors are annoyed to hear that black-market thieves have raided their store of penicillin; Hawkeye finds that his patient has peritonitis from being given tea after receiving an abdominal injury. Major Ross then barges into the ward and dismisses the doctors' orders of rest as mere "mollycoddling," informing his men that they will be back in the field in no time. An annoyed Hawkeye soon ousts him from the hospital.
Elsewhere, another soldier confesses to Father Mulcahy that he was involved with the penicillin theft and stashed the goods in a nearby burned-out schoolhouse. Hunnicutt soon figures out that Johnson is addicted to morphine and resolves to help him through it. Mulcahy, unable to explain the situation to Potter without breaking his penitent's confidentiality, recruits Klinger to drive him out to the school, where they recover the penicillin and make a narrow escape from snipers. Winchester and Houlihan are caught in an awkward "embrace" as Mulcahy and Klinger return with the goods. When Ross returns, Hawkeye hurries to intervene, sure that he intends to haul his men out before they are fully recovered. Ross, however, merely delivers his letters and socializes with his soldiers; he explains to his soldiers that he purposefully adopts a casual tough-love attitude when his men are injured in order to encourage them that they will survive. Somewhat mollified, Hawkeye warns him about the tea issue, and Ross thanks the doctor for caring enough to speak up. Later, Hunnicutt is relieved when Johnson seems to beat his addiction. Hawkeye tries out some of Ross' methods on his own men. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 30, 1976 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:32
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:28510
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Korean War - Comedy
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1972-1983
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Burt Metcalfe … Producer
- Stanford Tischler … Associate Producer
- Don Weis … Director
- Larry Gelbart … Developed by
- Bill Idelson … Writer
- Johnny Mandel … Theme Music by
- Alan Alda … Cast, Capt. Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce
- Mike Farrell … Cast, Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt
- Harry Morgan … Cast, Col. Sherman T. Potter
- Loretta Swit … Cast, Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan
- David Ogden Stiers … Cast, Maj. Charles Winchester
- Gary Burghoff … Cast, Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly
- Jamie Farr … Cast, Cpl. Max Klinger
- William Christopher … Cast, Father Francis Mulcahy
- Bernard Fox … Cast, Major Ross
- Sal Viscuso … Cast, Corporal Benny Bryant
- Neil Thompson … Cast, Johnson
- Neil Hunt … Cast, Enright
- Chris Winfield … Cast, Whitefield
- Jay Pirelli … Cast, Michaels
- Chris Mulkey … Cast, Soldier