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The classic TV series M*A*S*H celebrates its 40th anniversary today.

Inspired by the 1970 Robert Altman film of the same name, M*A*S*H premiered September 17, 1972 and followed the staff of a hospital in South Korea during the Korean War. Its stars included Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, McLean Stevenson, Jamie Farr, Wayne Rogers and Harry Morgan.

M*A*S*H struggled in the ratings during its first season and was nearly cancelled. But when it signed off, in 1983, it set a record for the most-watched show in TV history. The series finale was seen by 105.97 million viewers, a record that stood until the 2010 Super Bowl telecast.

TV Land has been celebrating the 40th anniversary all month by broadcasting episodes of the show, including the pilot and three-hour series finale. The network also rebroadcast its 20th and 30th reunion specials.