MAS*H
Summary
There was oneMASHcharacter who , despite appear in every time of year , was never in reality seen onscreen . Many actors exitedMASHduring its tenner - plus on the air , which had the unexpected welfare of occasionally review the cast dynamic . The shock death of Henry Blake inMASHseason 3led to him being replace by Colonel Potter ( Harry Morgan ) , who became a beloved figure in his own right . Just like any other long - go series , the show ’s later seasons became increasingly reliant on recycled plot line or character arc to keep croak .
It was the proper call for the CBS sitcom to wrap up by time of year 11 , withMASH’sfinale being the most - watched scripted TV episodein history . A lot changed over the 11 long time it aired , and only three part who appeared in the pilot made it all the way to the finis : Hawkeye ( Alan Alda ) , Margaret ( Loretta Swit ) and Father Mulcahy ( William Christopher ) . Jamie Farr ’s Klinger was also only designate to appear in one episode , but the fibre proved so popular he became part of the cast . Farr also voiced the P.A. Announcer in the show ’s pilotepisode in 1972 .
MASH’s P.A. System Announcer “Tony” Was Never Revealed Onscreen
Who is MASH’s Tony anyway?
Farr went uncredited for his piece of work , and later made the switch to Klinger with the show ’s fourth sequence " Chief Surgeon Who ? " Of course , the 4077th retain to have an announcer , alerting the camp to " Incoming wounded " or other updates ; he even threw out the occasional gag or quip . MASHseason 3 episode " A Full Rich Day " identify the P.A. Announcer " Tony,“which was the only clip the fibre was referred to by name .
Jamie Farr , William Christopher and Harry Morgan would later front the curtly - lived spinoffAfterMASH .
That ’s because , despite appear across every season , Tony the P.A. Announcernevermade an onscreen visual aspect . Just like the 1970 film that proceeded the CBS spinoff , the announcer rest offscreen throughout . Given howMASHseemingly mine every potential plot line across its many years on the air , it ’s telling the author never dedicated an episode to revealing who Tony is . That said , never showing Tony ’s face just added to his mystique .
There Were Two Main P.A. Voice Actors On MASH
The two Tony’s on MASH
Across the various seasons , MASHhad two actors voice the announcer : Todd Susman and Sal Viscuso .
Farr was technically the first " Tony , " though he did n’t stick by with the role for long . Other eccentric onMASHcould be heard speaking over the P.A. system too , with the most prominent being Radar ( Gary Burghoff ) . If anybody should have interact with Tony , it would have been Radar , considering he was the company clerk and work from the camp office where the P.A. system was house . If the two characters are friends , this is also never depict onscreen .
Across the various seasons , MASHhad two thespian voice the announcer : Todd Susman and Sal Viscuso . Susman also appeared onscreen as Private Baker during time of year 2episode " Operation Noselift . " In the episode , Baker is self - witting about his big nozzle and wants a nose job , even though it ’s against the rules . Susman is a jobbing actor who later appeared in everything fromBeverly Hills Cop 2to many episodes ofOrange Is the New Black . Susman also reprised his P.A. voiceover for an episode ofFuturamathat parodiedMASH .
MASH received some spinoffs after it ended , but only one cast member can claim the award of having appear in every entering in the TV franchise .
Susman voiced theMASHannouncer for 47 episodes , while Sal Viscuso playact " Tony " for an estimated 40 episodesof the show . Viscuso go along to work to this day , appear on serial such asStation 19andLaw & Order True Crime . OnMASH , Viscuso played three role in unlike episodes , including Sergeant McGill in time of year 5 ’s " Post Op " and Corporal Bryant in " Tea and Empathy . "
MASH’s Fans Suspect They Know The P.A. Announcer’s Identity
Is Private Baker really “Tony?”
Any show as beloved asMASHwill have a dedicated fanbase digging into the minutiae . This is the case with Tony , withsome buff believe the reason " Tony " vocalize like Todd Susman ’s Private Baker is because heisBaker . There ’s some grounds to corroborate this , and while Baker is never seen again after his time of year 2 coming into court , he is established as part of the 4077th . It ’s a solid hypothesis , but it comes with some logic holes .
Private Baker ’s first name is list as Danny , and the series provide such trivial entropy on the P.A. Announcer that it ’s tentative anyone involved with the show call up about it that deeply . It is potential Private Baker manned the P.A. organization on certain days while Sal Viscuso ’s Tony use up over on others . This is overthinking thing , though , since the fictitious character was meant to be a mystery by design . MASHwriter Ken Levine once addressed a fan question about this issue on his blogBy Ken Levine , and he summed up the show ’s approach to the P.A. Announcer the good .
The construct was consume from the moving-picture show . I consider it just bring to the foreignness of the place . I care it actually .
MASH is a drama-comedy series set during the Korean War, centering on the lives of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they navigate the challenges of wartime medical service with humor and resilience.*
Source : By Ken Levine
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MAS*H is a drama - comedy serial typeset during the Korean War , focus on on the life of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they voyage the challenge of wartime aesculapian help with humor and resilience .
