The Vietnam war did a lot to shift American attitudes towards war and their government. Specifically, the widespread protests that in part led to American pullouts extended the freedom of dissent a long way. Proof of that was the novel M*A*S*H, written by Richard Hooker, which wrapped a strong anti-war sentiment in absurdist humor. Two years later director Robert Altman premiered the movie based on the book in New York City.

On this day, January 25, in 1970, the film M*A*S*H (standing for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) opened in New York. The film became a critical and popular success: it was the third-biggest box office gross in 1970, and won numerous awards, including the Palme d’Or – the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Oscar for best screenplay.

Two years later, the film was adapted for the small screen. M*A*S*H the series ran for 251 episodes spanning 11 years, becoming one of the most successful television programs in history. Its popularity was partly the result of the same striking anti-war humor that pervaded the source material, but also for the emotional character development and complex storylines the series developed. Its season finale became one of the most-watched television programs in U.S. history, drawing in 125 million viewers (compare with 13 million who turned out for the finale of Lost and 12 million for Sopranos).