Movies - TV
The Decision That ‘Cheapened’ M*A*S*H, According To Its Creator
By JEREMY SMITH
When “M*A*S*H” aired on CBS, the network insisted that the show had to have a laugh track. Creator Larry Gelbart had no choice but to accept this, but he did so reluctantly.
Gelbart explained, “The laugh track [...] is a holdover from radio days, when live people came into a studio and laughed out loud at live performances they saw the actors giving.”
Three-camera shows, such as “Happy Days,” were shot in front of a live studio audience, but that laughter felt more organic with that format.
“M*A*S*H,” however, was a single-camera show shot on a soundstage without an audience. Gelbart had to tell editors where to insert laugh tracks of varying intensity.
He said, “All of these laugh tracks are primarily, these days, of dead people. These are people who left a long time ago and are still laughing; only they don't know it.”
He added, “I always thought it cheapened the show. I always thought it was out of character with the show.” CBS came to agree and used it less over the last six seasons.