As it happens, there are actually a couple small references to “M*A*S*H” in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” even outside of David Ogden Stiers’ guest star episode. One such easter egg comes in the remastered edition of Season 1, Episode 26, titled “The Neutral Zone.” As Claire Raymond (Gracie Harrison) searches up her family tree on an Enterprise monitor, the tree displays a list of names that mirror those of the main actors on “M*A*S*H.”
As it turns out, there’s a good reason for why “M*A*S*H” often gets referenced in the background across “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Michael Okuda, who served as a scenic artist and graphic designer on the original version series, as well as a consultant for its remastered edition, is actually a major fan of “M*A*S*H.” In a Q&A thread on the r/startrek subreddit, Okuda listed out “M*A*S*H” along with a number of other shows as some of his favorite non-“Star Trek” productions.
There are more “M*A*S*H” references in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” than just the ones laid out here. Perhaps “M*A*S*H” fans can challenge themselves to find them all on their next rewatch of the classic sci-fi series.
