Burt Metcalfe, producer known for Long Run on 'MASH', dies at 87

Burt Metcalfe, the famed television producer who worked on all 11 seasons of "MASH," died July 27 in Los Angeles. He was 87 years old.

Metcalfe was an actor-turned-director-producer who was recruited to work on "MASH" by director Gene Reynolds, who launched the serial adaptation of Robert Altman's 1970 dark comedy released by 20th Century Fox . Metcalfe started as associate producer and became showrunner for the show's final six seasons. He also directed 31 episodes of the series' 251 episodes.

Reynolds, who was with "MASH" during the 1976-77 season before taking over as CBS's "Lou Grant," died at age 96 in February 2020.

The adaptation of the CBS series defied low expectations for film adaptations and became a cornerstone of pop culture in the 1970s and early 80s. Set during the Korean War, Alan Alda starred as Colonel Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, a cynical surgeon with a heart of gold who helped lead a mobile emergency medical unit populated by colorful army characters.

"MASH" was an allegory for the Vietnam War that began when the latter conflict was still going on every night on the evening news and the strength of the anti-war movement was dividing the country. By the time "MASH" ended, with a series closer that still holds the Nielsen record for the most-watched series finale of all time, Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

"Burt Metcalfe is gone now. We all loved him. If you loved MASH, it's a big part of Burt's credit. He was a producer on every season and helmed the show for 7 years," said wrote Alda on Twitter. We were very close. We wrote together, directed together and inspired each other. He was such a good person."

A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewon, Metcalfe began his career in the 1950s and 1960s as an actor with guest shots on such series as 'The Ray Milland Show', 'Whirlybirds', 'Have Gun, Will Travel", "Death Valley Days" and "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis".

He was in the notable 1960 "Twilight Zone" episode "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street". He played a surfer alongside James Darren, Sandra Dee and Cliff Robertson in the 1959 film "Gidget".

Other 1960s TV credits as an actor include roles in 'Perry Mason', 'The Outer Limits', 'The Fugitive' and '12 O'Clock High'. He had a regular role in another television film adaptation, "Father of the Bride," which aired on CBS during the 1961-62 season.

(Pictured: 'MASH' stars Alan Alda, Mike Farrell and Loretta Swit alongside writer-producer Burt Metcalfe, second from right, at the 2009 TV Land Awards)

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