Too Many Cooks was the first episode of the eighth season of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H, also the 174th overall series episode. Directed by Charles S. Dubin, the episode was co-written by former executive producer Larry Gelbart and Dennis Koenig (who collaborated on the story & teleplay) W.C. Heinz, Richard Hooker, Ring Lardner, Jr.., who all were co-writers for the 1970 M*A*S*H* film, who were uncredited, also contributed as writers on the episode, which originally aired on September 17, 1979.