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Tubi is one of the best streaming services, and not just because it's free. Alright, maybe a huge upside is that it's free, but the streamer updates its catalog monthly and it just keeps getting better. Imagine having all of your favorite classic productions in one place and not having to spend any money to stream the episodes back-to-back. It's like having your cake and eating it too! One of the shows on the streamer that has a following of generations of dedicated fans is Murder, She Wrote. The iconic murder mystery has 12 seasons of pure fictional murder-solving goodness, and it's available to stream now on Tubi.

Starring Angela Lansbury, Murder, She Wrote is setin the fictional, small town of Cabot Cove, which seems to have murders everywhere mystery author Jessica Fletcher appears. Fletcher is a highly praised author with best-selling novels who uses her crime-solving abilities to capture suspects...

Throughout 2025, we will continue to update this In Memoriam photo gallery with notable celebrity deaths from film, television, theater and music. Major entertainment figures honored in the 2025 gallery are double Oscar winner Gene Hackman, Emmy winner Loretta Swit, music legends Roberta Flack, Sam Moore, Sly Stone, Brian Wilson, and Peter Yarrow, sports announcer and actor Bob Uecker, and Oscar nominees actress Joan Plowright and director David Lynch.

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Books and TV shows have had a special relationship for over a century now. There have been countless TV adaptations of popular books, and even if we count this year (which isn’t over), there have been over seven or eight. While there have been many brilliant books that were adapted through the years, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the TV shows are also good, and that’s why we decided to compile a list of the absolute best TV shows that were based on books. As a side note, we also decided not to include Game of Thrones and Dexter, mainly because of how they ended.

True Blood Credit – HBO

True Blood is a fantasy horror drama series created by Alan Ball. Based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries by author Charlaine Harris, the HBO series is...

Betsy Gay, known for her roles in The Little Rascals franchise, passed away at the age of 96. Gay has reportedly made more than 40 on-screen appearances during her short-lived acting career. However, she later pursued a career in Western music after discovering her talent for yodeling. Her child actress career ended when she turned 13.

Gay was one of the few remaining cast members of Little Rascals, formerly known as Our Gang. Some of the major actors of the franchise, including Carl Switzer, Eugene Jackson, Ernie Morrison, Dickie Moore, Darla Hood, and Jack Davis had passed away.

Betsy Gay passes away: Who are the remaining Little Rascals actors who are alive today? Betsy Gay during an interview | Credits: Scv in the Movies/YouTube

Betsy Gay died on June 13 at the age of 96. Gay’s death was announced on Facebook by her friend Robert Satterfield (via Variety). Satterfield wrote on the social media platform,...

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Mash is a medical war comedy-drama series created by Larry Gelbart. Based on the 1968 novel by author Richard Hooker and its 1970 film adaptation by Ring Lardner Jr., the CBS series is set during the Korean War and it revolves around a group of military doctors as they defy orders and rely on humor to deal with the heartbreaking consequences of war. Mash stars Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Loretta Swit, Larry Linville, Gary Burghoff, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, Jamie Farr, William Christopher, and David Ogden Stiers. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, heartfelt drama, and likeable characters in Mash, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Bluestone 42 (Prime Video & Pluto TV) Credit – BBC Three

Bluestone 42 is a British sitcom series co-created by Richard Hurst and James Cary. The BBC Three series is set in Afghanistan,...

We can all agree that M*A*S*H remains one of the greatest shows ever, and even the outstanding ratings prove so. The acclaimed dramedy, developed by Larry Gelbart, premiered on CBS on September 17, 1972, and ended with a laudable finale titled "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" on February 28, 1983, which to date is the most-watched finale of any TV series. Much of the classic’s success can be attributed to the stellar cast ensemble, which originally featured Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Larry Linville, Loretta Swit, McLean Stevenson, Gary Burghoff, Jamie Farr, and William Christopher.

However, over the years, some changes were made to the original M*A*S*H cast, one of which was the replacement of Rogers after his sudden disappearance. He was popularly known for portraying "Trapper" John McIntyre in the show's first three seasons before Mike Farrell took over as B. J. Hunnicutt. Rogers was one of the...

Chicago – Loretta Swit was a notable presence on America’s TV screens from 1972 to 1983, in her role as Major Margaret Houlihan on M*A*S*H. The final episode of that show still holds the record for the largest regular series audience, with over 105 million TVs tuning in. Swit passed away on May 30th, 2025, at the age of 87.

Lorette Jane Szwed was born in New Jersey, and graduated from a secretarial school in the late 1950s, working in her early career for actor Elsa Maxwell and the United Nation ambassador from Ghana. At the same time she was studying acting and dance, and landed her first role in the Off-Broadway production of “An Enemy of the People” in 1961. She had many theater roles through the years, even while doing M*A*S*H, including a one-woman tour of “Shirley Valentine” for 20 years.

Loretta Swit in Chicago in 2019

Photo credit: Joe Arce...

Being a woman in the entertainment industry has never exactly been easy, even if you're a successful actor with some star power. One might think that things have changed since the days when network executives wouldn't allow Loretta Swit to leave "M*A*S*H" back in the 1970s, but unfortunately, it appears the world hasn't progressed all that much. Case in point: As the star of the TNT series "Animal Kingdom," actor Ellen Barkin had to carry a lot on her shoulders, and she eventually wanted to step away from the show. Apparently, though, she was forced to stick it out much longer than she desired.

In a 2023 interview with the Huffington Post, Barkin revealed that she wanted out of playing her role as Janine "Smurf" Cody, the complicated matriarch of the Cody crime family, but she wasn't allowed to depart "Animal Kingdom" for several years. It seemed like...

Loretta Swit, star of the hit TV series M*A*S*H, died on May 30 at the age of 87.

Her representative B. Harlan Boll said that the actress had died at her home in New York City from natural causes.

A star of screen and stage, Swit was best known for her role as Maj. Margaret Houlihan in the iconic TV series M*A*S*H, which ran on CBS from 1972 to 1983. Swit’s role as Houlihan earned her nominations for 10 Emmys (two of which she won) and four Golden Globes. The M*A*S*H series finale, which aired on February 28, 1983, had more than 100 million viewers – the most of any scripted TV series in history.

>In Memoriam Slideshow: 100 Great Celebrities Who Died In 2025Born Loretta Jane Szwed on November 4, 1937, Swit was raised in Passaic, New Jersey, and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts to build her acting and singing skills. After appearing in some theater, Swit moved to TV,...

The budding superheroes of Gen V are going back to school this fall: Season 2 of the Boys spinoff will premiere Wednesday, Sept. 17 on Prime Video with the first three episodes, TVLine has learned. Episodes will air weekly after that, leading up to the Oct. 22 season finale.

Prime Video has also released a teaser trailer for Season 2, which you can watch below. In Season 2, “as the rest of America adjusts to Homelander’s iron fist, back at Godolkin University, the mysterious new Dean preaches a curriculum that promises to make students more powerful than ever,” per the official synopsis. “Cate and Sam are celebrated heroes,...

Hollywood is paying tribute to Loretta Swit after news of her death was announced Friday.

According to a police report, the M*A*S*H star died of suspected natural causes at her home in New York City, her publicist, Harlan Boll, announced.

Swit appeared in all but 11 episodes of M*A*S*H during its 11-season run, earning two Emmys for her portrayal of Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan. Notably, she was nominated for 10 Emmys, one for every season she appeared in except season one. After her tenure in the medical war drama, she went on to star in several films, including Freebie and the Bean (1974), Race With the Devil (1975), S.O.B. (1981) and BoardHeads (1998).

Alan Alda, Swit’s longtime M*A*S*H co-star, paid tribute to her on X. “Loretta was a supremely talented actor. She deserved all her 10 Emmy nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it,” he wrote on Friday. “She...

Known for her Emmy-winning performance in the hit series M*A*S*H and for her incredible presence on television, the late actress Loretta Swit, who passed away at 87, was also admired for her candid reflections on personal choices, particularly regarding marriage and motherhood.

And on more than one occasion, the actress expressed her independent stance, often sharing that she never felt the need for either to define her, a belief she maintained throughout her life.

The late M*A*S*H star Loretta Swit’s stance on marriage

Loretta Swit, known for portraying Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan, was swift to address any conversations surrounding her life and career, as she did in an interview with The Toledo Blade in 1973.

Related: 10 TV Shows to Watch if You Liked ‘The Pitt’

“I’ve never married, but I’m not against the institution of marriage,” she said at the time. Swit further shared that though...

M*A*S*H star and Hollywood icon Alan Alda says "she created" her unforgettable role while discussing Loretta Swit's impact on the series.

Per Deadline, Alda offered up a touching tribute to the late Swit on social media, noting that his fellow M*A*S*H star was "a supremely talented actor" who "deserved all her 10 Emmy nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it." Alda explained, "She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions. We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character not as Hot Lips, but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here."

Based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel, Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, the long-running M*A*S*H television series...

Following Loretta Swit’s death at age 87 yesterday, May 30, her M*A*S*H costars are mourning her on social media, including Alan Alda, who played Capt. Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce on the comedy-drama series. “Loretta was a supremely talented actor,” Alda wrote in an X post about the Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan portrayer. “She deserved all her 10 Emmy nominations and her two wins. But more than acting her part, she created it. She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one-joke, sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions. We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character not as Hot Lips but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here.” 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection Jamie Farr, who played Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger on the show, also paid tribute to Swit. “I dearly loved Loretta!

Valerie Mahaffey, a veteran actress whose myriad TV roles included Northern Exposure (for which she won an Emmy), Desperate Housewives and Young Sheldon, died on Friday after a battle with cancer. She was 71.

“I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses,” her husband, actor Joseph Kell, told Variety. “She will be missed.”

More from TVLineM*A*S*H Star Loretta Swit Dead at 87: Alan Alda Pays Tribute to His 'Supremely Talented' Co-StarPhil Robertson, Duck Dynasty Star, Dead at 79Uche Ojeh, Husband of Today Co-Host Sheinelle Jones, Dead at 45 -...

Valerie Mahaffey, a veteran actress whose myriad TV roles included Northern Exposure (for which she won an Emmy), Desperate Housewives and Young Sheldon, died on Friday after a battle with cancer. She was 71.

“I have lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses,” her husband, actor Joseph Kell, told Variety. “She will be missed.”

More from TVLineM*A*S*H Star Loretta Swit Dead at 87: Alan Alda Pays Tribute to His 'Supremely Talented' Co-StarPhil Robertson, Duck Dynasty Star, Dead at 79Uche Ojeh, Husband of Today Co-Host Sheinelle Jones, Dead at 45 -...

Mash actress Loretta Swit died on May 30, 2025, from natural causes at the age of 97. She was at her home in New York City at the time of her death. Swit rose to prominence with her role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the war comedy-drama, Mash (stylized as M*A*S*H). She was one of the four cast members who remained throughout the eleven seasons of the show, and one of the two actors who appeared both in the pilot and the finale.

With Swit’s death, there are only a handful of members of the original Mash cast who are alive today. This includes the lead of the show from day one, Alan Alda, who played surgeon Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce. Alda is still active in the industry, last appearing in Tina Fey’s recent Netflix outing, The Four Seasons.

After Loretta Swit’s death, who are the...

Loretta Swit, whose quick wit and determination transformed Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan from a punchline into one of television’s most complex nurses, died Friday at her New York City home at age 87, according to publicist Harlan Boll.

The news set off a wave of online remembrances led by longtime co-star Alan Alda, who wrote on X that Swit “deserved every one of her 10 Emmy nominations and her two wins” and credited her with turning Houlihan “from a sexist stereotype into a real person—with real feelings and ambitions.”

Alda’s message was echoed by other surviving Mash* actors, who called Swit “the heartbeat of the 4077th” in posts collated by Parade magazine and Yahoo Entertainment. Fans added thousands of tributes, sharing clips of Houlihan confronting battlefield sexism—scenes Swit fought to include during script conferences throughout the show’s 11-season run.

Loretta was a supremely talented actor. She...

Alan Alda, who starred on CBS’ long-running comedy series M*A*S*H alongside Loretta Swit, spoke out Friday after the news of Swit’s death at age 87.

Swit, who played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H from 1972-1983, died at her home in New York City at age 87.

Alda played Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce also for the full run of the 14-time Emmy-winning show, which was based on Robert Altman’s 1970 feature film that starred Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye and Sally Kellerman as Hot Lips, the head nurse at the U.S. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital near the front lines of the Korean War.

“Loretta was a supremely talented actor,” he posted on X. “She deserved all her 10 Emmy nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it. She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn...

Loretta Swit, who played the groundbreaking character Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the classic war comedy drama M*A*S*H, has died. As per Variety, the animal rights advocate and beloved actress passed away on Friday, May 30, at her home in New York City. Harlan Boll, Swit's representative, said the New York Police reported her time of death at 12:01 Pm due to natural causes. She was 87. The actress is also known for being on the game shows Match Game, and Pyramid.

Swit was a trailblazer, being one of the first actresses to have a prominent starring role in a production full of men. Her portrayal of the 4077th's Head Nurse and the highest-ranking female officer in the unit earned her Emmy nominations from 1974-1983 for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy. She won two of the prestigious awards in 1980 and 1982. Alongside Alan Alda, William Christopher,...

In the wake of M*A*S*H star Loretta Swit's death at the age of 87, some of her former costars have posted remembrances of the two-time Emmy winner.

Alan Alda, who played Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, celebrated Swit for her role in helping to shape "Hot Lips" into a character deeper than audiences were used to seeing on TV.

"Loretta was a supremely talented actor," the 89-year-old actor posted to X. "She deserved all her 10 Emmy nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it. She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person -- with real feelings and ambitions. We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character not as Hot Lips, but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here."

Loretta was a supremely talented actor.

Emmy-winning actress Loretta Swit, best known for her iconic portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H's 11 seasons, passed away on May 30 at the age of 87. Beyond her unforgettable role on the hit series, Swit leaves behind an incredible legacy, including an Emmy record that may never be broken.

From 1974 to 1983, Swit earned 10 consecutive Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy, Variety, or Music Series nominations for playing "Hot Lips" — the most consecutive bids ever in this category. This incredible streak also ties Swit with Rhea Perlman for the most nominations in the category overall. However, Swit’s achievement stands out because all 10 of her nominations were consecutive, while Perlman’s 10 nods for playing Carla Tortelli in Cheers were not; Perlman missed a nomination in 1992 before earning her 10th in 1993.

Swit's first of two wins came on her seventh try, but unfortunately she wasn't there to accept it.

M*A*S*H actress Loretta Swit, who portrayed Major Margaret Houlihan — better known by the other characters as "Hot Lips" — in the hit comedy series, died on Friday, May 30 at age 87. Swit won two Emmy Awards for her time as a military nurse in M*A*S*H, underscoring the actress' influence and the impact of her character's journey. M*A*S*H* ran for 11 seasons, with Swit appearing in all of them. As the series' only main female lead, she left a strong impression and is remembered fondly.

According to BBC, Swit's representative confirmed her death, and a coroner's report is allegedly forthcoming. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Swit was found in her home in New York not long after midnight, and that she is suspected to have died of natural causes. Swit leaves behind a lasting legacy both on- and off-screen, with her involvement in 240 episodes of...

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We have sad news from the world of television today, as Loretta Swit has passed away.

The actress — who portrayed Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the iconic sitcom M*A*S*H — was 87 years old.

News of Swit’s passing comes to us courtesy of her publicist, Harlan Boll, who noted that he spoke with Swit the previous evening and did not detect anything amiss.

Loretta Swit attends the Farm Sanctuary 25th Anniversary Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on May 14, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

No cause of death was given, but a police report obtained by USA Today indicated that Swit appeared to have died of natural causes.

Loretta Swit’s epic career spanned decades

Born in New Jersey in 1937, Swit moved to Los Angeles in 1970 to try and make it as an actress.

She quickly found work, appearing in small...

Gold Derby's top news stories for May 30, 2025.

Emmy winner Loretta Swit has died

The actress, who play Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the seminal television series M*A*S*H died on Friday at age of 87 at her home in New York City. Swit won two Emmy Awards for the role and was nominated 10 times in all for the series. She appeared in every season of M*A*S*H and 239 episodes in total, the second most of any actor, behind Alan Alda.

Simpsons composer Alf Clausen dead at 84

Two-time Emmy Award winner and 30-time nominee Alf Clausen, who made an indelible musical mark on the longest-running primetime scripted series in history, died May 29, after a decade-long battle with Progressive Supernuclear Palsy (PSP). The composer joined The Simpsons during its second season in 1990, writing some of its best known songs and parodies until 2017, when he was fired due to cost-saving measures, resulting in an uproar from fans.

Loretta Swit, the Emmy-winning actress best known for her iconic role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the long-running television series M*A*S*H, is dead. She was 87.

Born on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, Swit’s career spanned television, film, and the stage, but her portrayal of the fiercely independent and compassionate army nurse during the Korean War made her a household name. She was part of M*A*S*H since the first episode debuted in 1972 and remained a central figure throughout the show’s 11-season run, winning two Emmy Awards and millions of fans. Along with Alan Alda, Swit was the only original actor to appear in both the pilot episode and the finale. Sally Kellerman, the actress who played Houlihan in Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H movie, died in 2022.

“[Houlihan] was [unique] at the time and in her time, which was the ’50s, when [the Korean War] was happening,” Swit said in a 2004 interview.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that stage and screen actress Loretta Swit has died at age 87. She passed away on May 30th, 2025, at her home in New York City. Swit is best known for her role as Major Margaret Houlihan on the television series, M*A*S*H. However, she is no stranger to the stage, making her Broadway debut in Same Time, Next Year opposite Ted Bessell. She also toured with two illustrious “Mames,” Susan Hayward and Celeste Holm, playing the title role of Mame herself years later in New York and Pennsylvania. She has appeared in over 1,200 performances of Shirley Valentine - a role for which she won Chicago's most prestigious...

Loretta Swit, two-time Emmy winner and “M*A*S*H” actress, has died at age 87, TheWrap has learned.

Swit died on Friday in her Manhattan home, though no cause of death has been given.

“Loretta Swit’s portrayal of Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan was groundbreaking – bringing heart, humor and strength to one of television comedy’s most enduring roles,” National Comedy Center executive director Journey Gunderson said in a statement to TheWrap. “Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility and passion.”

Swit was born on Nov. 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, where she attended and graduated from Pope Pius Xii High School. Staying on the East Coast, she went on to study drama with actor and theater director Gene Frankel in Manhattan. She also trained as a singer at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

The late star began her...

Loretta Swit, who won two Emmys playing “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the classic CBS sitcom M*A*S*H, has died at the age of 87, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Swit died just after midnight on Friday of suspected natural causes at her New York City home, her publicist Harlan Boll says.

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A native of New Jersey, Swit trained as an actor, dancer and singer, landing early...

Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the hit comedy series M*A*S*H, died today at her home in New York City. She was 87.

Her death was announced by her representative Harlan Boll, who said a New York City police report indicates Swit died just after noon today of suspected natural causes.

Swit was a mainstay on the classic and beloved comedy series for its entire 11-year run, nominated for Emmy Awards every year from 1974-83, winning in 1980 and 1982.

Born Loretta Jane Szwed on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, studied drama in New York City with Gene Frankel, the noted theater director and acting teacher. Swit appeared in Off Broadway productions throughout the 1960s, and in 1967 toured with the national company of the comedy Any Wednesday.

Swit made her TV debut in 1969 on Hawaii Five-o, with subsequent credits including Mannix, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and The Bold Ones,...

Loretta Swit, M*A*S*H's Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, has died at the age of 87. In addition to her acting career, which earned her two Emmy Awards, Swit was also a noted animal activist. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Swit died at home of natural causes on Friday morning.

Swit was born Loretta Jane Szwed in Passaic, New Jersey, on November 4, 1937. She studied drama in New York and made her stage debut in the 1960s, appearing in a number of Broadway and off-Broadway productions. She relocated to Hollywood in 1969, and made her on-screen debut in a 1969 episode of Hawaii Five-o as the ill-fated bride of a soldier. She made guest appearances on a number of contemporary series, including Mission: Impossible, Mannix, and Gunsmoke, before landing the role that would make her a TV legend.

Who Is Margaret Houlihan?

M*A*S*H was a TV adaptation of the popular...

Actress Loretta Swit, best known for her role as fan favorite character Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the beloved TV series M*A*S*H, has passed away. She was 87 years old.

Per Variety, Swit died on Friday at her home in New York City. According to her rep, Harlan Boll, her death was reported to be at 12:01 p.m. due to "suspected natural causes." No other information about the circumstances of her passing were revealed. Her death came just three days after she shared a post on Instagram to pay tribute to real-life fallen soldiers.

Posting an image of her M*A*S*H character, Swit said, "With loving gratitude they served and protected and gave their lives. Rest In Peace. God is nigh." This followed another recent post Swit made two days prior, which acknowledged co-star Gary Burghoff's birthday with several images of the actor,...

Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on seminal TV comedy “Mash,” died Friday at her home in New York City. She was 87.

Her rep Harlan Boll said she died of natural causes.

For her work on “Mash” Swit was Emmy nominated for outstanding performance by a supporting actress in a comedy every year from 1974-83, winning the Emmy in 1980 and 1982.

Her “Mash” co-star Alan Alda remembered her on X, writing “Loretta was a supremely talented actor. She deserved all her 10 Emmy nominations and her 2 wins. But more than acting her part, she created it. She worked hard In showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions. We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character not as Hot Lips, but as Margaret. Loretta made the most of her time here.

Loretta Swit, the actress and animal activist forever known for her pioneering turn as the disciplined Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the acclaimed CBS sitcom M*A*S*H, has died. She was 87.

According to a police report, Swit died just after midnight Friday of suspected natural causes at her home in New York City, her publicist, Harlan Boll, announced.

Swit won two Emmys for her portrayal of the Army nurse — she was nominated 10 times, every year the show was on the air except the first — and appeared on 240 of the series’ 251 episodes during its sensational 11-season run.

Adapting the character from Sally Kellerman‘s film portrayal of the lusty powerhouse, Swit was one of only two actors (along with Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce) to have a role in both the pilot and series finale of M*A*S*H.

That finale, which aired Feb. 28, 1983, attracted a record of nearly 106 million viewers, and a...

Cheers star George Wendt died from cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced on Thursday.

Wendt, known for his iconic role as barfly Norm on the hit NBC sitcom, died on May 20 at his Los Angeles home at the age of 76. In addition to cardiac arrest, the report cited congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease and hypertension as underlying causes, with end-stage renal disease and hyperlipidemia listed as significant contributing conditions, according to TMZ.

More from TVLineValerie Mahaffey, of Northern Exposure and Young Sheldon, Dead at 71M*A*S*H Star Loretta Swit Dead at 87:...

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Pulse is a medical drama series created by Zoe Robyn. The Netflix series is set in the extremely chaotic and busy Miami trauma center. It follows the personal and professional lives of doctors and hospital staff as they treat injured people during a destructive hurricane. Pulse stars Willa Fitzgerald, Colin Woodell, Justina Machado, Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher, Daniela Nieves, Chelsea Muirhead, and Jessy Yates. So, if you loved the intense medical drama, swoon-worthy romance, and compelling characters in Pulse, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Pitt (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Max

The Pitt is a medical drama series created by R. Scott Gemmill. The Max series is set in the emergency ward of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital, and it follows a group of doctors, nurses, and medical interns during an intense 15-hour long shift.

M*A*S*H remains one of the most iconic series of all time, with equally iconic episodes. The series introduced many beloved characters, like Dr. Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda), Major Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit), and Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr). M*A*S*H combined heartbreaking and dramatic stories with humor and fun character-driven stories. The series was ahead of its time and featured memorable stories that have stood the test of time.

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Going Dutch is a comedy series created by Joel Church-Cooper. The Fox series follows Colonel Patrick Quinn, an arrogant and narcissistic man who is reassigned to the “least important Army base in the world” after an offensive rant. When he gets there, he discovers that his estranged daughter is already there. Going Dutch stars Denis Leary, Taylor Misiak, Danny Pudi, Lacy Mosley, and Hal Cumpston. So, if you loved the military humor, hilarious comedy, and compelling characters in Going Dutch, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Enlisted (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Fox

Enlisted is a military fiction comedy series created by Kevin Biegel. The Fox series revolves around three brothers who are soldiers in the US Army as they serve their nation by taking care of those who are left behind after the soldiers deploy.

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The Pitt is a medical drama series created by R. Scott Gemmill. The Max series is set in the emergency room at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital and follows a group of doctors and nurses working an extremely tense 15-hour shift. The Pitt stars Noah Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Katherine Lanasa, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, and Shabana Azeez. So, if you loved the medical drama, compelling storylines, and complex characters, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

This Is Going to Hurt (AMC+ & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – BBC

This Is Going to Hurt is a British medical dark comedy-drama series created by Adam Kay. Based on Kay’s 2017 nonfiction book of the same name, the AMC series follows Adam Kay as he works as a junior doctor...

Jessica Fletcher may soon be back on the case, as a reboot of Murder, She Wrote is reportedly in the works. It's also been revealed that the role, famously played by Angela Lansbury in the original TV show, might be taken on by an acclaimed Oscar winner.

Per Deadline, Halloween and Freaky Friday star Jamie Lee Curtis is being eyed for the lead in a Murder, She Wrote movie that's now in the works at Universal Pictures. As of now, Curtis has not officially signed on, but she is reportedly "likely" to accept the role. The screenwriting duo behind 2021's Dumb Money – Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo – are writing the script for the Murder, She Wrote film. Lord Miller and Amy Pascal are producing.

Related Freakier Friday's Jamie Lee Curtis Explains Why Audiences Had to Wait 22 Years for a Sequel

Jamie Lee Curtis reveals why it took over...

The long-running Korean wartime sitcom "M*A*S*H" is something of a workplace comedy, but since it was set in the 1950s and aired in the 1970s, most of the main characters are men. "M*A*S*H" follows the antics of the personnel of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, especially surgeons Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda) and his best friend B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell). 

Nurses are mostly secondary characters who exist only to serve as romantic interests for the guys, though head nurse Major Margaret Houlihan, played by Loretta Swit, gets to have a pretty fantastic character arc. Swit was responsible for helping to shape Houlihan into a more fully-realized character and even pitched her best story arc herself, leading to Margaret becoming one of the most compelling characters in the whole series. She even had enough agency to shoot down a proposed plot that would have seen Margaret put petty...

There’s nothing quite like Rv horror. Inspired by an expanding national highway system and the proliferation of motor parks in the 1960s, this distinctive subgenre offers a unique blend of classic genre fare. Part home invasion, part road trip tale, part hicksploitation with a smidge of folk horror, the recreational vehicle becomes a home away from home and offers the illusion of safety while traversing strange locales. Jack Starrett’s Race with the Devil is arguably the first great entry in the Rv horror tradition, a criminally underseen film following two suburban couples on a road trip to hell.

Friends and business partners Frank (Warren Oates) and Roger (Peter Fonda) have just set out on an adventurous road trip from San Antonio, Texas to a ski vacation in Aspen, Colorado. Traveling in style, Frank shows off a brand new Rv with all the comforts of home: color television, microwave oven,...

A very special episode of Mash took place over the course of a whole year - and created a lot of continuity holes in the process. Mash ran for 11 seasons, and later series had to get downright experimental with certain episodes just to keep things interesting. Alan Alda's divisive "Dreams" was a horror-infused dive into the dreams (and nightmares) of the 4077th, while season 8's "Life Time" took place entirely in real-time.

Some of these efforts were more successful than others, but they often resulted in the most unique episodes too. Of course, another problem the show often ran into was the passage of time. The Korean War lasted for three years while Mash ran for eleven, which resulted in some big timeline errors towards the end. Mash's 200th episode decided to throw caution to the wind with its unique premise that had to break continuity into pieces to function.

There is a reason certain Christmas movies stand the test of time and return year after year, and also a reason the Hallmark-style factory-made product is easily forgotten. It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Christmas Story are pure examples of the former. They are perennials, classics.

In fact, that sweetly nostalgic 1983 A Christmas Story is what I thought of most when watching the latest entry in the genre, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which may not be the best Christmas movie ever, but it grabs your heart and makes you smile. It also is that increasingly rare so-called “faith based” film that doesn’t try to hit you on the head with a sermon. Instead, it manages to be thoroughly entertaining family fare that also uncovers the true, not commercial, meaning of the holiday. I wouldn’t be surprised if this Lionsgate release becomes a perennial itself.

If there’s one thing the world needs, it’s yet another Christmas movie. That probably sounds sarcastic, but I mean it. The endless deluge of Christmas films, year after year, has watered the holiday down into a genial but middling medley of cozy trappings and tropes. The Hallmark Channel bears a lot of the blame for this, pumping out hundreds of blandly reassuring holiday films in rapid succession, all with the same four or five plots and (slightly) different casting.

Ironically, this overwhelming wave of (hopefully) well-intentioned Christmas movies has led to a situation not unlike the one found in “A Charlie Brown Christmas Special.” This holiday has been overly commercialized for so long now that it’s hard to remember it any other way, and the actual message of the season has been lost in the flood of corporate cash-ins.

At the end of the “Charle Brown Christmas,...

There's a good reason Loretta Swit's Margaret looks so moved during her final scene in Mash. The CBS sitcom Mash ran for 11 seasons in total, and arguably no character changed the most during that run than Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan. She was the sworn enemy of Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Trapper (Wayne Rogers) during the early years and was involved in an affair with the weaselly Frank Burns (Larry Linville). Loretta Swit's favorite Mash episode "The Nurses" featured an emotional breakthrough for her character - which came about from the actress' demand that Houlihan get some proper character development.

Alda and Swit were the only actors to appear in the first and final episodes too. It can't be undersold what a major event the sitcom's finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" truly was back in 1983. Mash's finale is the most-watched scripted episode in TV history, with over 100 million viewers...

Mash's most hated character left the series during a time when the better option would have been to give him some redemption. Many actors exited Mash during its run, which in hindsight, actually helped keep the show on the air. The death of McLean Stevenson's Blake in Mash season 3 changed the series forever, pushing it in a more dramatic direction in later seasons. It helped that Blake's replacement Potter (Harry Morgan) was the total opposite of his predecessor, which shook up the formula.

The showrunners made a choice early on that once an actor left, their replacements would be totally different. When Larry Linville exited as Frank Burns following the fifth series, the weaselly second-in-command was replaced by the snobbish Charles (David Ogden Stiers). The latter was again the polar opposite of Frank; a great surgeon, an intellectual and a professional. In a sense, Frank leaving Mash completed the show's dramedy evolution,...

"M*A*S*H" is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, but it wouldn't have ever been the same without star Alan Alda. While the show was ostensibly an ensemble series, Alda's Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce ended up being the central character and Alda took on a bigger role behind-the-scenes by writing and directing episodes. Alda's influence really shaped "M*A*S*H," pushing it to be the progressive, heartwarming, hilarious series that it was. While that irritated the heck out of the rather conservative-leaning author who wrote the original book that the series was loosely based on, it ended up making the show a lot better. Alda is pretty much beloved otherwise — even co-stars like Wayne Rogers and McLean Stevenson, who left the series because they felt like they were playing second fiddle to Alda's Hawkeye, were generally complimentary about their charismatic co-star. There...

A season 2 episode of Mash managed to sneak a big f-bomb right by censors and audiences - until high definition arrived. Mash ran for 11 seasons, and it's fair to say it got considerably more dramatic in its later years. The show was often at its best with a mix of comedy and drama, but it's undeniable that the early seasons were more fun. The sitcom was still finding its feet during these first few years, and while it toned down the gore and dark humor of Robert Altman's 1970 movie, it felt closer in tone to the film.

Like the latter, the series originally revolved around the antics of surgeons Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Trapper (Wayne Rogers). When Trapper's role began to get downgraded in favor of Hawkeye, Rogers was one of the first Mash actors to exit the show. Also leaving the party early was McLean Stevenson, who, despite...

When one Mash cast member refused to return for the show's spinoff, a jaw-dropping replacement idea was suggested. Mash ran for 11 seasons between 1972 and 1983 and proved groundbreaking for many reasons. From the shocking death of Henry Blake to the record-breaking finale, the impact and legacy of the show are still being felt. It was a Mash cast vote that ended the show, with the ensemble sensing during the tenth season it was time to wrap things up before the quality took a serious nosedive.

Of course, Mash was still a solid ratings success, and CBS wanted to keep it running. It was then suggested that the actors who voted to keep it on the air should front a spinoff instead. On paper, this sounded like a solid pitch, but in reality, AfterMASH was a disaster. Taking place in a Veteran's Hospital, the spinoff may have been better served as a drama instead of a sitcom,...