i've become ridiculously obsessed with watching re-runs of m*a*s*h.

[IWasBored]

this thread could go here, or it could go in the confessionals place. either way, it belongs in "zoo" something.

uh...let's see. being born in 1984, i wasn't around when it was actually on tv. i taped about half of the episodes during the span of a year or so when i was 13. favorite character then (8 years ago, when i was 13)? hawkeye. favorite character now? bj. favorite episode? i'll come back to you (me?) on that one.


i fully expect "trapper was better than bj" and "you're a kid, i remember when that show was on", and "go to hell, you suck and that show is always on [insert channel here] and i've never watched it" posts to follow. so bring them on.

 

[BluRmGrl]

Since I'm the first to reply to your thread, I'll be kind...
Nah, I am definately older than you - in '84, I was starting high school , so I'm actually old enough to remember the last few seasons of it's original broadcast, although I didn't watch the show at that time. It was about when I was in 3rd grade, I believe. I became a fan several years later.

I like the show, I don't have a preference between Trapper & BJ (maybe I'll get flamed for saying THAT! ), and I was actually watching an episode last night that I don't think I've ever seen before. The one where Hawkeye is sneezing uncontrollably - I had to leave before it was over though, so his cure is still a mystery to me.

Anyway, it was a wonderful show & I catch the re-runs any time I can!

 

[IWasBored]

i found that one (where hawkeye was sneezing uncontrolably) on a tape, but i screwed up programming the vcr and only half of it taped. so i have no idea how it ended

 

[BluRmGrl]

Damn! I really wanted to know, too, 'cuz that's one on the few episodes I've never seen. Oh well... I'll just have to catch it next time.

Tell me this since you brought up the Trapper/BJ argument.... who do you prefer at the helm? McLean Stevenson or Harry Morgan? (Again, I liked both but have a preference for Col. Potter.)

And what about the antagonist for Hawkeye & company? Winchester or .... ack!! Temporary Alzheimer's! .... Larry Linville's character?

 

[RavenBlue]

I think in the sneeze episode they brought in Sidney Freedman.. and they found out it was some psychological thing.

When I first started watching MASH, I thought Potter was the best. But then I saw the earlier episodes and I have to say I think Col.Blake is just a bit better. He is so funny... I hate how he died though

Winchester was more likeable than Frank, but Frank had his moments too. My brother keeps telling me there's an episode where he drives a tank into the mess hall... but I can't seem to find it. I think Winchester talked about it once. I do remember an episode where Frank had an anti-aircraft gun installed to shoot down five 0'clock Charlie.. and wound up shooting the old fuel cans instead.

 

[joyfulgirl]

It was a great show. I was there at the beginning , and it was a sad day when the show ended. I'm glad you're watching it, IWB! A bit of history with humor and compassion.

 

[MsMofoGone]

M.A.S.H. (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) The 4077th Cast ...

Alan Alda - Capt. Benjamin Franklin Pierce (Hawkeye)
Wayne Rogers - Capt. Trapper John McIntyre
Larry Linville - Maj. Frank Burns
Loretta Swit - Maj. Maragret Houlihan (Hot Lips)
Gary Burghoff - Cpl. Walter O'Reilly (Radar)
McLean Stevenson - Lt. Colonel Henry Blake
William Christopher - Father Francis Mulcahy
Jamie Farr - Cpl. Maxwell Klinger
Harry Morgan - Colonel Sherman Potter
Mike Farrell - Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt
David Ogden Stiers - Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester

Absolutely GREAT show ... an all-star cast that makes me laugh
continuously !!
A GREAT program that will remain a classic, since the reruns still air even now !!

 

[nbcrusader]

I think I watched so much MASH as a kid, I can remember what happens in each episode during reruns - to the point it is annoying to watch again.

 

[shari schultz]

Colonel Flagg episodes
I love M*A*S*H.........I have started purchasing the DVDs and watch it on TV whenever it is on..........IWB you are not alone in your obsession.

 

[Lila64]

It was a great show. Well written and still stands the test of time. I remember as a kid a certain episode with Col. Blake (Maclean Stevenson). Klinger goes in trying to get a discharge home because someone in the family is sick. So Blake pulls out a file, and it has a lot of other 'excuses', like Mother's sister's brother died; Cousin Joe's daughter; Mom's second cousin on her father's side, etc. Hopefully you get the pic. I remember as a kid laughing so hard at that episode I was in tears. I know, you had to be there, but it was great. One of the all-time best shows. Glad to hear you have discovered them!

 

[misfit toys]

I still watch reruns every night, and it still makes me laugh.

I think in the sneeze episode they brought in Sidney Freedman.. and they found out it was some psychological thing.

Yes, it was. A wounded soldier had been brought in who was soaking wet. The musty, wet smell brought back a memory for Hawkeye, only to his subconscious. His cousin (?) had knocked him out of a boat when they were younger, even though Hawkeye couldn't swim. The smell triggered the sneezing, because Hawkeye remembered loving the cousin, but he repressed that he had purposely dumped him in the lake.

 

[U2dork]

I loved Mash so much as a kid that my parents bought me the Mash Trivial Pursuit game. No one wanted to play with me 'cause I knew all of the answers. I've gone prematurely senile so I can't remember many of the questions anymore.

 

[u2popmofo]

Here's some trivia for you, my dad actually wrote a quiz book on MASH. So yeah, I've seen my fair share of episodes.....

 

[RavenBlue]

That's really neat mofo!

One of my favourite ep's is when they invent this make believe Captain named Tuttle and then donate his payroll to charity. Even a general comes and gives him a medal (I think) without ever even meeting the guy!

 

[IWasBored]

Damn! I really wanted to know, too, 'cuz that's one on the few episodes I've never seen. Oh well... I'll just have to catch it next time.

Tell me this since you brought up the Trapper/BJ argument.... who do you prefer at the helm? McLean Stevenson or Harry Morgan? (Again, I liked both but have a preference for Col. Potter.)

And what about the antagonist for Hawkeye & company? Winchester or .... ack!! Temporary Alzheimer's! .... Larry Linville's character?

potter, for pretty much the same reason i prefer bj, although i don't hate blake's character. stevenson did a good job, he was funny. i randomly started watching late-night re-runs when i was 13 years old, and FOX was right in the middle of season 4 when i happened to turn on the tv, so i'd never seen any of the earlier episodes until i'd gotten very used to bj and col. potter. backwards, yes.

i thought charles was funnier than frank.

 

[IWasBored]

Colonel Flagg episodes
I love M*A*S*H.........I have started purchasing the DVDs and watch it on TV whenever it is on..........IWB you are not alone in your obsession.

flagg is hilarious.

"don't play dumb, you're not as good at it as i am."


he's the wind, you know.

 

[BAW]

I think I watched so much MASH as a kid, I can remember what happens in each episode during reruns - to the point it is annoying to watch again.

Me too. My mom was OBSESSED with it. She would watch the first run episodes and every single re-run. I bought her a MASH box set for her last birthday!




We used to make up nonsense lyrics for the theme song together...da, da, da....in the horny, morning dog

 

[fah]

I remember watching MASH on tv in the 70's

I can't pick a favourite character or episode One of the best things about the show was the number of cast changes. I think it kept the show fresh

 

[BonosSaint]

I remember when I learned the name of the theme song was "Suicide is Painless," and it kind of stopped me in my tracks.
I thought more when I watched it after that.

I enjoyed it because the humor was dark and there was a certain futility and sadness about it.

 

[Bono's shades]

I watched the first-run episodes when I was a kid. My father loved the show too, and we used to play the MASH trivia game when it came out!

My favorite episodes are probably the Col. Flagg ones. The saddest one was when Col. Blake died. What really gets me was how he was talking about how happy he was to be going home earlier in the episode. It's so hard to watch that knowing what's going to happen.

 

[misfit toys]

The saddest one was when Col. Blake died. What really gets me was how he was talking about how happy he was to be going home earlier in the episode. It's so hard to watch that knowing what's going to happen.

True, but I think it's one of television's best moments. What makes it even more hearbreaking is those are honest emotions. No one knew what Radar was going to say at the end except him.

 

[GibsonGirl]

I love MASH! I watch reruns every day. Luckily, on the program I watch them on, you get a full hour - two back to back episodes! It's fantastic. I only wish I could have seen it when it was actually new...being born in 1987 didn't help at all.

As for Trapper/BJ, I think I like BJ more. I fell in love with him when he first arrived at the 4077th...pissed out of his mind with Hawkeye. Poor Frank! Speaking of Frank, I liked him more than Winchester. Sure, Winchester was hilarious, but there was just something about that smarmy ol' Burnsy that you had to love.

 

[indra]

I love M*A*SH* and am old enough to have watched it from the beginning (although I was a bit young to get all the nuances during the first few years). I remember being so shocked and horrified when Henry was killed...that just didn't happen on TV then. Especially not in comedies. But MASH was a different kind of comedy. And it was really, really good.

I remember I hadn't seen an episode in years (and I haven't seen one in years now) and I caught one and was astounded at how funny and powerful it was. Now I want to go watch a MASH marathon!

Although I loved Blake and Trapper John, and Frank was certainly fun to laugh at, I found Potter, BJ, and Winchester far more rounded characters, so I like them better. Perhaps Blake and Trapper John would have become more rounded had they stayed throughout the whole series (as Hawkeye did). The character of Frank just wasn't very bright, so growth wasn't really possible.

 

[Axver]

I've come to really love M*A*S*H in the last few years. My mother had watched it a lot when I was little but I'd never really paid much attention, but when the re-runs began again, I decided to sit down and watch it. I actually missed the first one - the first episode I ever saw was the hysterical To Market, To Market (where they fly Henry's desk out of his office) and I've been hooked ever since.

The re-runs at the moment are well and truly in Potter/BJ/Winchester/no-Radar territory, but while I've been sick, I've gotten out my videos of the early part of the series. I've gained a new appreciation for Potter, BJ, and Winchester, who I'd come to take for granted. I think the comedy is more sophisticated with them; I actually like Winchester and think he's a wonderful character. I was delighted when Frank left as I found him offensive to my braincells, and all the more delighted to find an intelligent person replaced him!

 

[Bono's shades]

Frank Burns was the kind of guy you love to hate. I do remember having pity on him once or twice, but he just wasn't somebody you could respect because he was so dumb - arrogant and dumb is a horrible combination. Larry Linville was funny as hell though, and a fantastic actor. I can't recall anything else he's ever done, so I assume he got typecast and had trouble finding work, which is a real pity. He came to my college to speak once and he was the complete opposite of his character - a very intelligent, cool, well-spoken guy. I was sad when he died.

I don't think Winchester was quite as funny as Frank, but I liked the character better as a person. He was arrogant too, but at least he had some reasons to justify thinking rather highly of himself. And there were moments when he showed he really did have a big heart, like when he helped the soldier who was a concert pianist and lost use of one of his hands.

 

[fah]

Where are all the Margaret fans?

She was my favourite and I think along with Hawkeye one of the characters who grew the most in the show.

 

[RavenBlue]

I saw the tank episode last night on PRIME. Oh my god was it ever funny. Frank wanted to show-off to Margaret that he could drive a tank.. so he got in it and started chasing her with it and then couldn't figure out where the brake was. He rolled over the Womens shower (I wonder if this was a salute to the movie at all...) then to a tent where Hawkeye, BJ and a bunch of them were playing poker. It was funny watching them scramble out of the tent, and BJ did a somersault out. Then Colonel Potter went and stopped his jeep right in front of the tank and was yelling at poor Frank to stop.. but Frank plowed right over the jeep.. compacting it quite nicely.

 

[IWasBored]

fah, i'm sorry, i've always hated margaret.

i'm regretting this thread like i regret any band thread that goes well...in a good way, of course. i'm tempted to run to my dvds and tapes and watch anything and everything people mentioned, you know insteead of listening to every song or every band people mention. i'm such a nerd

massachusetts had its no sales tax holiday this past weekend, and my family was going to the mall, so i too the opportunity to save a couple bucks in tax on the season 4 dvd

 

[RavenBlue]

Oh the name of the Frank Tank episode is Hey, Doc .. if you wanted to see it. I think it's season four

 

[reptile]

Catch 22, right? The movie of the book which became MASH. Follow?
Hawkeye rules....Alan Alda was a big Groucho Marx fan and that comes through in spades with the Hawkeye character