It was the end of February and the beginning of March in 1983.
In sport, Martina Navratilova met Chris Evert for the 50th time in the final of the Carta Blanca-FCT Women's Invitational championship. Chris later conceded, "We've played 50 times too many. I have to find a chink in her armor."
At the bookstores Mistral's Daughter by Judith Krantz was the best-selling novel. In music, Michael Jackson's Billie Jean topped the Billboard chart. On the big screen, Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders based on S.E. Hinton's 1967 book premiered.
And the final episode of M*A*S*H went on air. Based on rough estimates, the "Goodbye, Farewell And Amen" episode drew the largest crowd at the time. About 8 out of every 10 TV sets switched on were watching the final episode of M*A*S*H. In all 125 million viewers or 50 million homes with TV were counted watching M*A*S*H.
Producer John Rappaport remarked, "We had exhausted a lot of material. It was taking longer and longer to come up with a joke and Burt Metcalfe would say we'd had that joke. How many times can you come up with a joke about bringing in a patient or about the bad food?"
"Putting it in perspective," John reasoned, "it’s still just a television show....To know that we have touched people's lives is a very rewarding experience. Nevertheless, our number one aim always was to provide entertainment."
For the week the last new episode of M*A*S*H was shown, the 5 most popular programs on prime time TV were:
1. M*A*S*H (watched in 50 million homes on Monday night)
2. Alice (watched in 26 million homes on Monday night)
3. 60 Minutes (watched in 22 million homes on Sunday night)
4. Dallas (watched in 21 million homes on Friday night)
5. Dynasty (watched in 19 million homes on Wednesday night)
5. Falcon Crest (watched in 19 million homes on Friday night)
Patrick Duffy played Bobby Ewing, "still very much the good guy of Dallas." On reflection, he acknowledged, "There are times when I wish he was more flawed, more human."
Both Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy had directed episodes of Dallas. Guest star Alexis Smith said, "they're both sensitive directors."
In sport, Martina Navratilova met Chris Evert for the 50th time in the final of the Carta Blanca-FCT Women's Invitational championship. Chris later conceded, "We've played 50 times too many. I have to find a chink in her armor."
At the bookstores Mistral's Daughter by Judith Krantz was the best-selling novel. In music, Michael Jackson's Billie Jean topped the Billboard chart. On the big screen, Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders based on S.E. Hinton's 1967 book premiered.
And the final episode of M*A*S*H went on air. Based on rough estimates, the "Goodbye, Farewell And Amen" episode drew the largest crowd at the time. About 8 out of every 10 TV sets switched on were watching the final episode of M*A*S*H. In all 125 million viewers or 50 million homes with TV were counted watching M*A*S*H.
Producer John Rappaport remarked, "We had exhausted a lot of material. It was taking longer and longer to come up with a joke and Burt Metcalfe would say we'd had that joke. How many times can you come up with a joke about bringing in a patient or about the bad food?"
"Putting it in perspective," John reasoned, "it’s still just a television show....To know that we have touched people's lives is a very rewarding experience. Nevertheless, our number one aim always was to provide entertainment."
For the week the last new episode of M*A*S*H was shown, the 5 most popular programs on prime time TV were:
1. M*A*S*H (watched in 50 million homes on Monday night)
2. Alice (watched in 26 million homes on Monday night)
3. 60 Minutes (watched in 22 million homes on Sunday night)
4. Dallas (watched in 21 million homes on Friday night)
5. Dynasty (watched in 19 million homes on Wednesday night)
5. Falcon Crest (watched in 19 million homes on Friday night)
Patrick Duffy played Bobby Ewing, "still very much the good guy of Dallas." On reflection, he acknowledged, "There are times when I wish he was more flawed, more human."
Both Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy had directed episodes of Dallas. Guest star Alexis Smith said, "they're both sensitive directors."
