how long was mash on tv
M A S H* was on TV for about 11 years , airing from September 17, 1972, to February 28, 1983.
Basic timeline
- Original run: September 17, 1972 → February 28, 1983.
- Network: CBS in the United States.
- Length of run: 11 seasons over roughly a decade.
Episodes and length
- Total of 251 episodes were broadcast during those 11 seasons, plus a 2.5‑hour series finale.
- Some hour‑long episodes were later split into half‑hours in syndication, which is why some sources list 256 produced episodes.
Why it feels so long
- The show depicted a three‑year war but stretched that into 11 TV seasons, which makes many viewers remember it as “on forever.”
- Reruns and syndication kept M A S H* visible long after 1983, so for many households it felt like a constant TV presence.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.