Dear Dad

"Dear Dad" was the 12th episode of the first season of the TV series M*A*S*H. It originally aired on December 17, 1972 and was repeated on May 20, 1973.

For the upcoming Indian film, see Dear Dad (film).
"Dear Dad"
M*A*S*H episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 12 (12th overall)
Directed byGene Reynolds
Written byLarry Gelbart
Production codeJ313
Original air dateDecember 17, 1972

Plot

Hawkeye writes home to his father during the Christmas season, relating a number of amusing and personal anecdotes including Radar's effort to mail home a jeep piece-by-piece, the monthly morality lecture, Trapper's local medical philanthropy, and the ongoing non-secret relationship between Frank and Hot Lips. Hawkeye dresses to play Santa Claus for the local children, but is required to go to the front line via helicopter to treat an emergency, which he does in-costume.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Themes

This episode was one of the first M*A*S*H episodes to challenge the traditional sitcom format by combining dramatic elements (specifically, the "war is hell" message) with comedic situations.[8]

David Reiss' 1983 book M*A*S*H notes that this is one of the episodes which uses gimmicky voiceovers, common in M*A*S*H.[7]

References
  1. Wittebols, James H. (2003). Watching M*A*S*H, Watching America. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 34–35. ISBN 0-7864-1701-3. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
  2. "Episode Guide". TV Guide. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  3. "The Classic Sitcoms Guide: M*A*S*H". classicsitcoms.com. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  4. "M*A*S*H: Season One (Collector's Edition) (1972)". Digitallyobsessed.com.
  5. Reiss, David S. (1983). M*A*S*H: the exclusive, inside story of TV's most popular show.
  6. Suzy, Kalter (1988). Complete Book of Mash. New York: H.N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-8083-5.
  7. David S. Reiss (1983). M*A*S*H. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-672-52762-3.
  8. Wittebols, pp. 34–35
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