M*A*S*H is one of the most beloved TV show all time — though old “ferret face” himself, Frank Burns, played by the talented Larry Linville, was rarely anyone’s favorite character. But did that dynamic also play out among the cast in real life?

M*A*S*H was based on a 1968 novel by Richard Hooker, who drew on his experiences as an army surgeon during the Korean War. That book was adapted into Robert Altman‘s 1970 film, which starred Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould, with Robert Duvall portraying a more menacing Frank Burns. Due to its dark humor and anti-war themes, the movie was a surprise commercial success. And in 1972, when the M*A*S*H TV series debuted on CBS, it forever changed television with its unique blend of comedy and drama.