Summary
There was oneMASHcharacter who, despite appearing in every season, was never actually seen onscreen.Many actors exitedMASHduring its decade-plus on the air, which had the unexpected benefit of occasionally refreshing the cast dynamic.The shock death of Henry Blake inMASHseason 3led to him being replaced by Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan), who became a beloved figure in his own right. Just like any other long-running series, the show’s later seasons became increasingly reliant on recycled storylines or character arcs to keep going.
It was the right call for the CBS sitcom to wrap up by season 11, withMASH’sfinale being the most-watched scripted TV episodein history. A lot changed over the 11 years it aired, and only three characters who appeared in the pilot made it all the way to the finale: Hawkeye (Alan Alda), Margaret (Loretta Swit) and Father Mulcahy (William Christopher). Jamie Farr’s Klinger was also only intended to appear in one episode, but the character proved so popular he became part of the cast.Farr also voiced the P.A. Announcer in the show’s pilotepisode in 1972.
MASH’s P.A. System Announcer “Tony” Was Never Revealed Onscreen
Who is MASH’s Tony anyway?
Farr went uncredited for his work, and later made the switch to Klinger with the show’s fourth episode “Chief Surgeon Who?” Of course, the 4077th continued to have an announcer, alerting the camp to “Incoming wounded” or other updates; he even threw out the occasional gag or quip.MASHseason 3 episode “A Full Rich Day” named the P.A. Announcer “Tony,“which was the only time the character was referred to by name.
Jamie Farr, William Christopher and Harry Morgan would later front the short-lived spinoffAfterMASH.
That’s because, despite appearing across every season, Tony the P.A. Announcernevermade an onscreen appearance. Just like the 1970 movie that proceeded the CBS spinoff, the announcer remained offscreen throughout. Given howMASHseemingly mined every possible storyline across its many years on the air, it’s impressive the writers never dedicated an episode to revealing who Tony is. That said,never showing Tony’s face just added to his mystique.
There Were Two Main P.A. Voice Actors On MASH
The two Tony’s on MASH
Across the various seasons,MASHhad two actors voice the announcer: Todd Susman and Sal Viscuso.
Farr was technically the first “Tony,” though he didn’t stick with the role for long. Other characters onMASHcould be heard speaking over the P.A. system too, with the most prominent being Radar (Gary Burghoff). If anybody should have interacted with Tony, it would have been Radar, considering he was the company clerk and worked from the camp office where the P.A. system was housed. If the two characters are friends, this is also never depicted onscreen.
Across the various seasons,MASHhad two actors voice the announcer: Todd Susman and Sal Viscuso.Susman also appeared onscreen as Private Baker during season 2episode “Operation Noselift.” In the episode, Baker is self-conscious about his large nose and wants a nose job, even though it’s against the rules. Susman is a jobbing actor who later appeared in everything fromBeverly Hills Cop 2to many episodes ofOrange Is the New Black. Susman also reprised his P.A. voiceover for an episode ofFuturamathat parodiedMASH.
The 1 Character To Appear In Every MASH TV Franchise Show (Not Hawkeye)
MASH received some spinoffs after it ended, but only one cast member can claim the honor of having appeared in every entry in the TV franchise.
Susman voiced theMASHannouncer for 47 episodes, while Sal Viscuso played “Tony” for an estimated 40 episodesof the show. Viscuso continues to work to this day, appearing on series such asStation 19andLaw & Order True Crime. OnMASH, Viscuso played three roles in different episodes, including Sergeant McGill in season 5’s “Post Op” and Corporal Bryant in “Tea and Empathy.”
MASH’s Fans Suspect They Know The P.A. Announcer’s Identity
Is Private Baker really “Tony?”
Any show as beloved asMASHwill have a dedicated fanbase digging into the minutiae. This is the case with Tony, withsome devotees believe the reason “Tony” sounds like Todd Susman’s Private Baker is because heisBaker. There’s some evidence to support this, and while Baker is never seen again after his season 2 appearance, he is established as part of the 4077th. It’s a solid theory, but it comes with some logic holes.
Private Baker’s first name is listed as Danny, and the series provides such little information on the P.A. Announcer that it’s doubtful anyone involved with the show thought about it that deeply. It is possible Private Baker manned the P.A. system on certain days while Sal Viscuso’s Tony took over on others. This is overthinking things, though, since the character was meant to be a mystery by design.MASHwriter Ken Levine once addressed a fan question about this topic on his blogBy Ken Levine, and he summed up the show’s approach to the P.A. Announcer the best.
The concept was taken from the movie. I think it just added to the strangeness of the place. I liked it actually.
MAS*H
Cast
MAS*H is a drama-comedy series set during the Korean War, centering on the lives of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they navigate the challenges of wartime medical service with humor and resilience.
