bluetoast

Why not go to a classic, after seeing all of the main Netflix/AMC/HBO staples. Plus, as a reader of Ken Levine's blog, he discusses it a lot as a former writer.

Aside from knowing who Radar and Hawkeye are, as well as that Sea of Japan scene, I really don't know much about the characters or plotlines. Looking forward to the...wow 200+ episodes.

People who've seen the show, does it remain consistent throughout? I know it takes a more serious tone in season 5 onwards. Right now, after three episodes, I'm enjoying it, but Hawkeye is basically Groucho Marx in Duck Soup. Not that that's a bad thing.

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Abob Teff

You are in for a treat, my friend!

It is pretty consistent, until it is not.

Not a required watch before watching the show, but see the movie if you have not.

The Infidel

I don't know if it can be done online, but if you're able to, turn off the laugh track. This show is so much more enjoyable if that distraction is just done away with.

The Cow

One of my favorites of all time. I've seen them all many, many times, and I'll watch them many, many times more I'm sure.

Count Dooku

One of TV's all-time great shows. I've seen every episode of the first 150 several times. Hadn't watched an episode in a long time then watched a few on ME TV just last week. Still great.

In all seriousness, settle in for the first 150 of the series. Great mix of drama and comedy week after week.
150-180 are still very much recommended.
At that point, you may want to come back and ask for some guidance through 180-250.

Once they started producing episodes in the 1980s, the show really lost whatever teeth it once had. The rough edges have been sanded off all the characters, and the stories are much more in the vein of a workplace comedy that happens to be set during wartime.

Not to say there still aren't some gems, but those are few and far between post-200.

devilshalo

Not too mention a handful of episodes that feel like recaps.

whotony

What do you mean by consistent?

Abob Teff

It brings teh funnees.

bluetoast

And two episodes later, if turns out Hawkeye dresses and acts like Groucho for the movie showing off the unit.

Double_Oh_7

The Hot Lips era is great. Once they start calling her Margaret, the show gets more pretentious and preachy.

Quack

This for me too.

GoldenJCJ

Still one of my favorite shows ever. I was too young to watch the show when it originally aired but really got into it when FX Channel was new and basically played it nonstop 10 or 15 years ago.

I'm one of the few who actual prefers the more serious BJ/Windhester era episodes over the Trapper John/Burns era. They're all wonderful though. I think Hot Lips suffered the most from the changes over time. Her character went from interesting to bland as the series went on.

TGM

This is my all time favorite show.

Hawkeye is God.
Trapper > BJ
Winchester > Burns
cross dressing Klinger > Klinger

but all in all, just a great, great show.

SatoshiNak

I agree, I prefer that era more myself. What a great, great show. I still remember that night in 83, sadly watching the end of one of the greatest shows in television history.

andicus

Indeed! That's what I love about the DVD set.

What I hate about the DVD set is that my wife has watched it, beginning to end, at least 5 times in the last few years. I've had to beg her, 'please don't make me hate this show.'

Wiseguy70005

I prefer the middle years. I didn't watch M*A*S*H regularly during the first seasons (but have since seen theme in reruns) and started watching regularly in 1975. I watched through to the end but after BJ grew the moustache, the writing got preachy and just wasn't as funny as before and more groan-inducing (it seemed that every line uttered by Hawkeye or BJ had to have some stupid pun in it and Klinger had to shout almost every line.)

So, my favorite years: 1975-78
Good years: 1972-75
Least favorite years: 1978-83

My sister is a big M*A*S*H fan and has the complete series on DVD. She likes all the years equally. My theory is that if you can't recognize the bad episodes (all series have them) then you can't fully appreciate the good ones.

Michael Corvin

It's reached that point with my sister. Every time I go over to visit, MASH is on. She litters everyone's fb feed with MASH stuff. She's in her early 30's so I'm glad she found a show before her time and enjoys the shit out of it. That's pretty rare. She's also huge on I Love Lucy. I like that.

That being said...I appreciate the show. I enjoy the show. I doubt I've seen them all, but she's ruined it for me. I don't want to hear about MASH ever again.

And yes, the DVDs with the laugh track removed are fantastic.

milo bloom

I fondly remember watching this with my dad when I was little, and he probably wouldn't be happy to learn it helped push me down the path of a being a tree-hugging liberal (that, and the socialist Star Trek too).

Re-watching the series via DVD with the wife was quite a treat. It does start to lose steam towards the end... but then that finale. Wow. That's all I can say.

And if you can, turn off the laugh track.

Cardsfan111

Following this thread with interest.

I stayed away from the show for a long time, then watched the 3rd or 4th season (had bought it cheap) about a year ago. Like it so much that I bought a used copy of the complete series.

Now I'm anxious to begin the journey. And sounds like I'll certainly be doing so without the laugh track.

andicus

I really enjoy the show, too. It's just way too much of a good thing. I'll also find her watching it on the History Channel, where you can't kill the laugh track.

I guess it's not limited to M*A*S*H, either. She'll watch movies over and over. In her defense, it's often just background noise, while she's doing something else, but it would (and does) still drive me crazy. I guess she gets her moneys worth from her media.

Wiseguy70005

What's the big deal about laugh tracks? Usually DVD collectors want to see episodes as they were originally shown. This includes:

Aired order instead of production order even when the aired order makes no sense (see the final seasons of the original Mission: Impossible and The Wild Wild West. The agents get switched back and forth.)

Hour broadcasts (not episodes) kept as hour broadcasts rather than broken into 2-parters as they are sometimes shown in network reruns (unedited, just in 2 parts.) This has the effect of negating accurate episode counts. There are 255 half-hour episodes of M*A*S*H. This is a fact. How many times have you seen the inaccurate number 251? Besides, every half hour of M*A*S*H has its own production code.

Well, the episodes were originally broadcast with a laugh track. So, if you agree with above "original broadcasts" then you should agree with a laugh track also. Besides, I can think of more important things to worry about than laugh tracks (like edited episodes*).

*Our Finest Hour. They did break this in 2 parts but only because the original reportedly wasn't in good enough condition to use. Unfortunately, they used the edited syndication version with some scenes missing. Why couldn't they just go back to the original episodes and copy the missing scenes from them?

The Infidel

Canned laugh tracks, regardless of the show, have always had a huge stigma going for them. And M*A*S*H went on for so many seasons that the constant repetition of the same laughter over and over and over became extremely grating, and honestly took away from real enjoyment of the show. It's such a huge issue with this particular show that there's an entire paragraph about it on the Wikipedia page. Trust me, it's so much better to watch without it.

Look at it this way, the creators never wanted the laugh track to begin with. So consider watching it without the laugh track to be a Director's Cut.

Michael Corvin

Well said Infidel. The fact M*A*S*H took place during war alone should tell you the laugh track needs to go. Catching the show in syndication after watching the 'laugh track free' version is cringe worthy.

As for aired order/production order, this one shouldn't even be a debate. Aired order seems to be typically chosen by executives to make a bigger splash on the audience. Firefly and Undeclared are ridiculous in 'air order.' The writers/creators had arcs to tell so to shuffle around episodes makes little sense. There's no way I watch either series out of production order.

bluetoast

I'm watching on Netflix, so I can't turn it off. Also, the entire show will take up 5.3 days of time...I guess it's best not to think about it in those terms and just watch it over time.

Astrofan

There's no laugh track on the DVD set?