The highest-rated series episode in TV history was the February, 1983 broadcast of what show (and what event)?

On the final night of February 1983, American life seemed to pause for the 2.5-hour television event, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen." This movie-length finale to the beloved series M*A*S*H concluded an 11-season run that had followed the doctors and nurses of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The episode's broadcast was a true cultural phenomenon, drawing an audience so massive that it shattered all previous records for a scripted television program.

The finale achieved an astonishing 60.2 rating, a number that remains unmatched by any other series episode. This figure is particularly impressive because a "rating" represents the percentage of all households in the country with a television set, not just those watching at the time. This means three out of every five American homes with a TV were tuned in to see Hawkeye and the gang say their final goodbyes.

In an era before DVRs, streaming services, or hundreds of cable channels, such appointment viewing created a shared national experience that is almost impossible to replicate today. The show had expertly blended comedy and drama for over a decade, endearing its characters to millions. Its finale's viewership even surpassed that of many Super Bowls, cementing its legacy as the undisputed king of television ratings.