Discussion
Just bought the final series box set from Amazon.
Excellent TV series and a great Film.
For those who don't know by todays standards you would have to mix;
"West Wing" with "ER" with a dollop of "Friends" and set it againts the Korean War (Police Action
) and that is MASH 
I wasn't around when it first aired but watched it on the Paramount Comedy Channel and was hooked.
Excellent TV series and a great Film.
For those who don't know by todays standards you would have to mix;
"West Wing" with "ER" with a dollop of "Friends" and set it againts the Korean War (Police Action
) and that is MASH I wasn't around when it first aired but watched it on the Paramount Comedy Channel and was hooked.
A Brilliant show, one of my favourites.
Series 1-6 were the best, 7-11 seemed to drag it out too much, but the stories were slightly more harder hitting and you got some brilliant one like Dreams
Series 1 repeated the film/book too much, and once Burns had gone the overdone childness went, and stepped up as you had a swamp rat who was willing to join in rather than complain/report etc.
Series 1-6 were the best, 7-11 seemed to drag it out too much, but the stories were slightly more harder hitting and you got some brilliant one like Dreams
Series 1 repeated the film/book too much, and once Burns had gone the overdone childness went, and stepped up as you had a swamp rat who was willing to join in rather than complain/report etc.
Nobaccymaccy said:
But the TV series went on far too long and got less funny IMO.
You missed a comparison ( for the older ones among us )- F Troop with helicopters .
Blimey "F-Troop" - I'd almost forgotten about that.You missed a comparison ( for the older ones among us )- F Troop with helicopters .
Having said that, I can suddenly hear the theme tune. Now, where has that been lurking in my brain?
I catch the occasional one on Comedy Central. Certainly towards the end Alan Alda seemed to give all pretense of being in the army with regard to his haircut etc. Couple of really good episodes but towards the end it became all about cute Korean kids and how tormented poor Hawkeye had become.
However when I was young I didn't realise what a cute bum Hotlips had...
However when I was young I didn't realise what a cute bum Hotlips had...
Do you think that it was because you as the viewer could decide what was funnier?
I got into MASH during the very early 80's, probably about series 9 or 10. And i always recall thinking it was a dark funny (well I was 10) and there was no laugh track. I later watched repeats and the laugh track was included, and it put me off the show for a while.
I got into MASH during the very early 80's, probably about series 9 or 10. And i always recall thinking it was a dark funny (well I was 10) and there was no laugh track. I later watched repeats and the laugh track was included, and it put me off the show for a while.
DrTre said:
MASH is the first thing I think of when I hear/read people saying Americans can't do subtle humour/black humour/self effacing humour/ humour full stop.
Genius.
Of course they can. Genius.
MASH was at its best between 1972 and about 1978. It really gained momentum because the anti-war and anti-authoritarian views expressed chimed with a large portion of the American population during that period. Although set in the Korean War, it's sarcasm and humour was aimed squarely at America's involvement in Vietnam.
By the time it ended in 1983 America had changed a lot. Reagan was in power and the hatred for things miltary was beginning to diminish. One of Reagan's 1980 election calls was "Making America Great Again" and it became far less PC to be knocking military personnel. MASH ended at the right time.
MASH is one of the odd situations where a spin-off TV series from a movie was superior to the movie.
Eric Mc said:
MASH is one of the odd situations where a spin-off TV series from a movie was superior to the movie.
I agree with everything but that...I wouldn't like to pick one over the other, they're actually pretty different animals except for the "set up".Book's pretty good too, although I've not read the follow up(s?).
DrTre said:
Eric Mc said:
MASH is one of the odd situations where a spin-off TV series from a movie was superior to the movie.
I agree with everything but that...I wouldn't like to pick one over the other, they're actually pretty different animals except for the "set up".Book's pretty good too, although I've not read the follow up(s?).
What always amazed me is why the film theme tune wasn't released as a single (and went to No.1 in the charts) eleven years after the film itself was released.
Of course, because of the nature of the lyrics, the sung version of the theme was never used in the TV series.
DrTre said:
Eric Mc said:
MASH is one of the odd situations where a spin-off TV series from a movie was superior to the movie.
I agree with everything but that...I wouldn't like to pick one over the other, they're actually pretty different animals except for the "set up".DrTre said:
Book's pretty good too, although I've not read the follow up(s?).
Don't bother with the 'follow up' books unles it's MASH Goes to Maine the only true sequel, the rest just use charachters from the book/movie and put them is silly stories, they were purely a cash in, spent too much cash trying to locate them (only missing one now)Gassing Station | TV, Film, Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff