my final review of these series in its entirety has been a long time coming indeed, this is mostly due to the length of it (11 seasons) and the fact that i was determined to watch them in order from a DVD so acquiring them all also took some time. however i have finally viewed all the episodes and what follows is a one mans review on what some considered to be the greatest TV show ever, even though he wasn't around when it was still the biggest thing on TV.
Spanning one book, a movie and eleven seasons on network television the MASH series has been watched by i'm willing to bet at least every person on the face of the earth at least once, and even if you didn't fully understand the significance of the war within the show most people could still find enjoyment in the jokes and situational gags in each episode. this isn't to say every episode was full of laughs, the show was about war and therefor there were more then a few episodes that made us frown and in some cases even shed a tear or two. the series ranks up there with such great shows as "all in the family" that were able to bring to light issues the world should deal with such as racism, violence, moral difficulty, and death but in a way that was easy to understand and accept.
I've spoken with others who have watched show when it was airing once a week and with those who watch it on the retro TV channel and all agree that it one show that was good till the last episode, on the subject of the last episode, that deserves a mention itself. The final episode (Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen) ran for two hours and was watched by nearly three fourths of the country when it originally aired. the finale was not what most people expected. yes all the characters go to go home, yes the war was over and there was no more death...but the ways in which some of these things happened might not be what you wanted. while most of the ending is happy quite a few of the characters story lines in this episode end on a bittersweet note. Charles no longer can bring himself to listen to his records, Klinger willingly remains in Korea even though he wanted nothing more then to go home, and Potter must part with his beloved horse. it's a finale that served the purpose of each episode before it, leaving us in a state of almost disbelief about how something that horrible could really happen in this day and age.
as i previously stated i never saw a single episode of this show when it originally aired but it still is my number one favorite show of all time, and in the reviewers opinion one of the best shows of all time as well thanks to its charm, wit, variety, comedy, seriousness, and sometimes just plain spookiness. i recommend those who read this attempt to find a way to watch said series, if you cant find the series the movie is just as good...and if you cant find either of those, the entire thing was based on a novel and in this day and age you really cant beat a good book.
Spanning one book, a movie and eleven seasons on network television the MASH series has been watched by i'm willing to bet at least every person on the face of the earth at least once, and even if you didn't fully understand the significance of the war within the show most people could still find enjoyment in the jokes and situational gags in each episode. this isn't to say every episode was full of laughs, the show was about war and therefor there were more then a few episodes that made us frown and in some cases even shed a tear or two. the series ranks up there with such great shows as "all in the family" that were able to bring to light issues the world should deal with such as racism, violence, moral difficulty, and death but in a way that was easy to understand and accept.
I've spoken with others who have watched show when it was airing once a week and with those who watch it on the retro TV channel and all agree that it one show that was good till the last episode, on the subject of the last episode, that deserves a mention itself. The final episode (Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen) ran for two hours and was watched by nearly three fourths of the country when it originally aired. the finale was not what most people expected. yes all the characters go to go home, yes the war was over and there was no more death...but the ways in which some of these things happened might not be what you wanted. while most of the ending is happy quite a few of the characters story lines in this episode end on a bittersweet note. Charles no longer can bring himself to listen to his records, Klinger willingly remains in Korea even though he wanted nothing more then to go home, and Potter must part with his beloved horse. it's a finale that served the purpose of each episode before it, leaving us in a state of almost disbelief about how something that horrible could really happen in this day and age.
as i previously stated i never saw a single episode of this show when it originally aired but it still is my number one favorite show of all time, and in the reviewers opinion one of the best shows of all time as well thanks to its charm, wit, variety, comedy, seriousness, and sometimes just plain spookiness. i recommend those who read this attempt to find a way to watch said series, if you cant find the series the movie is just as good...and if you cant find either of those, the entire thing was based on a novel and in this day and age you really cant beat a good book.
