Who developed M*A*S*H for television?

Larry Gelbart developed M*A*S*H for television.

Gelbart adapted the property into the CBS television series after the success of the 1970 film and Richard Hooker’s 1968 novel. He wrote the pilot and received the distinctive “Developed for Television by” credit, making him the canonical answer to this question. He also served as an executive producer and writer during the show’s formative seasons.

The series premiered on September 17, 1972, and followed medical personnel at the fictional 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. Although the setting was the 1950s, the series’ antiwar themes and mixture of comedy and drama resonated strongly with audiences during the Vietnam era.

Gene Reynolds was also an important creative partner and executive producer, which can cause confusion over the word “developed.” Burt Metcalfe later became a major producer, while Ken Levine was a writer. Those contributions do not replace Gelbart’s credited developer role.