It lasted eleven seasons and almost 125 million people watched the final episode, setting a record for the largest TV audience ever at that time. The show, of course, was M*A*S*H, CBS's comedic behind-the-scenes look at an Army surgical unit during the Korean War. M*A*S*H had lots of unforgettable characters, Trapper John, Hot Lips Houlihan, Radar, Klinger, but one of the most intriguing was wisecracking surgeon Hawkeye Pierce played by Alan Alda. A pacifist, Alda almost turned down the role of Hawkeye, signing on, as the story goes, only six hours before the pilot began filming. He was afraid the war would be a "backdrop for lighthearted high jinks." Instead, he "wanted to show that war was a bad place to be" and so, in keeping it real, Alda reportedly had built into his contract that every episode must contain one surgery/operating room scene. Alda's role on M*A*S*H wasn't limited to acting (though he won two Emmys for his portrayal of Hawkeye). He also went on to write and direct several episodes and was rewarded with an Emmy for both jobs - making Alda the only person to win an Emmy for writing, directing and acting. Alda would co-write and direct the final episode of M*A*S*H, where we last saw Hawkeye recovering from a nervous breakdown. And in 2002, Alda gathered the troops one more time, directing a M*A*S*H 30th reunion show.