Gary Burghoff once had a great idea for a Radar-focused episode of MASH that turned the character into a superhero, and a later outing recycled part of his idea. As is often pointed out in MASH trivia, Burghoff's Radar is the only actor from the movie to return for the show. Of course, the Robert Altman film was darker and more adult than the CBS sitcom was allowed to be. This can be reflected in the changes made to Radar himself; in the movie, he's a more cynical, opportunistic figure, while in the series, he's sweet and naive.
Radar's comic book fantasy saw him win the Korean WarMany actors on the series tried their hands at more creative roles; Alda penned many scripts and directed over 32 episodes, while co-stars David Ogden Stiers, Jamie Farr and McLean Stevenson all wrote or directed episodes. Despite staying with MASH for eight seasons, Burghoff never wrote or helmed an episode.
This wasn't for lack of trying, with Burghoff recounting in TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book (via MeTV) that he penned a Radar-centric outing called "Radar's Dream."
Sadly, Burghoff doesn't state which season he wrote "Radar's Dream" for, though since he gave it to original showrunner Larry Gelbart, it would have to been before the latter's exit at the end of series four. Burghoff states Gelbart initially agreed to make his script, but that somebody later put the "kibosh" on it
, with the actor believing this came down to how he was viewed among the crew.
"Radar's Dream" would have made for a unique MASH episodeOne of the reasons Gelbart ended up leaving MASH was due to the stress of coming up with unique ideas for episodes. "Radar's Dream" certainly would have shaken up the series formula, not to mention giving the titular character a showcase.
It appears Burghoff was never offered an official reason why his screenplay wasn't produced, but he did offer his own theory in the aforementioned TV" 's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book chat.
Alan Alda's "Dreams" remains a controversial outingWith 256 episodes, it stands to reason MASH would occasionally mix things up from the usual antics of the 4077th.
Season 4's "The Interview" is considered the best episode of the entire show, and follows a documentary crew interviewing the main characters about their wartime experiences. Other episodes, like the Alan Alda solo effort "Hawkeye," were considered much less successful. Arguably MASH's most divisive episode is season 8's "Dreams," where viewers get an insight into the disturbed dreams/nightmares of characters like Hawkeye or Margaret (Loretta Swit).
