M*A*S*H in the trailer it was rendered as "M*A*S*H". "M*A*S*H", a spin-off of the film, ran from 1972 to 1983, more than three times as long as the war it chronicled. It starred Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre. After the third season, Rogers left the show and was replaced by Mike Farrell as B. J. Hunnicutt. Another change was the addition of Harry Morgan as Colonel Sherman T. Potter, a veteran character actor and former Universal contract player, who replaced McLean Stevenson the same year. This series is the most popular and best-known version
Alan Alda left the series, Alda gained increasing control, and by the final seasons had become a producer and creative consultant. Under his watch, "M*A*S*H" retained its comedic foundation, but gradually assumed a somewhat more serious tone, openly addressing political issues. As a result, the 11 years of "M*A*S*H" are generally split into two eras: the Larry Gelbart/Gene Reynolds "comedy" years (1972–1977), and the Alan Alda "dramatic" years (1977–1983). Alda disagreed with this assessment. In a 2016 interview he stated, "I don't like to write political messages. I don't like plays that have political messages. I do not think I am responsible