M*A*S*H Season Sets (1 Viewer)

[Chris:L]

Season Nine or Ten.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Two more months.. Two more months until the sixth season... I can hardly wait.

Well, I hate to extend your wait a bit, but Season 6 is actually rumored for June.

 

[Chris:L]

Four months... now I have too wait four more months.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Well, assuming the June date is correct, and assuming that Fox continues with a release every few months, then I'm afraid that we might only get seasons 6 and 7 in 2004, I was hoping to get 3 seasons this year and 3 the next, but if we only get 2 this year, we'll have to get 4 in 2005 not to drag it out in to 2006. Just a thought I had, I would like to have the complete run over with by the end of 2005.

They could always opt to speed up the release schedule like Warner has done with Friends, but that's a current show this isn't.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I was wondering what is the story behind McIntyre leaving. I mean was it at the last minute and a surprise? Why didn't they come up with a proper exit and didn't film anything?

 

[Chris:L]

Wayne Rogers left because he didn't like the way they were using Trapper in the show... and by Season Four they finally handed him a contract with things in it that he didn't like. So he told them he was leaving.

 

[Bill Williams]

Wayne Rogers left because he didn't like the way they were using Trapper in the show... and by Season Four they finally handed him a contract with things in it that he didn't like. So he told them he was leaving.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

Yes I have watched the DVDs. I mean contrary to the Blake situation, when they finished season three, they knew that Blake is leaving but I’m not sure if they knew that Trapper is leaving also. Looks like a last minute thing.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

I believe, but I'm not sure on this, that the departure of Wayne Rogers was in between seasons 3 and 4, and that's why they didn't plan some sort of send off for him in season 3. Of course, it could just be that they felt that the way they were going to say good bye to Henry was a big enough story on its own, no sense putting in Trapper as an after thought, I really don't know.

 

[Bill Williams]

That's exactly right, Casey. Where McLean Stevenson's departure was planned (the final denouement still smacks a hard punch to the gut after 30 years), Wayne Rogers' departure occurred between the third and fourth seasons, which necessitated the writers scrambling to write Trapper out of the show at the start of the fourth season.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I have just started season 5 right after season 4 and I’m on season premiere which is 50 minutes. First, the picture quality compared to all the episodes I have seen on season 4 is awful! What gives? Is it only this first episode or all the season 5?
Secondly, I have noticed that the season premiere of season 4 and 5 are 50 minutes. What other episodes are longer than 25 minutes?

 

[Chris:L]

The premiere episode to Season Six, Season Ten and the final episode of the show.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Any episode that shows up in sindication as a part 1 or a part 2 is combined in to the 50 minute episode as it originally aired.

I really like the Interview from season 5, and movie night which is one of my favorites from the series.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I have heard people here criticizing the few last seasons for getting preachy. I think I may have not seen the last season. The very last M*A*S*H episode I saw was about a fake grenade and people being scared by getting blown up with it. Anyway I don’t understand because some of the earlier episodes are also preachy. In fact I just finished season 4 and the last 2 episodes are full-preachy back to back. It includes the supposedly fan favorite “Interview”. I’m not criticizing, I actually like it when a sitcom gets serious and dramatic from time to time. How would you describe the last seasons? Are they really that preachy as some say?

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I really like the Interview from season 5

It's the last episode of season 4. I just saw it!

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Just saw this quote in a book of interviews with comedy writers called "And Here's the Kicker" where the Ricky Gervais writer/partner/producer Stephen Merchant (BBC The Office, and Extras) is talking about laugh tracks and I thought I'd pass this brilliant observation on re: the laugh track usage in M*A*S*H:
"M*A*S*H was shown with a laugh track in the States, and it never ceases to amaze me. In England, it was shown without it, and it remains on my Top 10 list of all-time great shows, But I've since watched repeats where the laugh track is included, and I hate the program. I think it's appalling. I think Hawkeye is a snide, sniveling wiseass. It's a completely different show. With the laughter, that character sounds like he's playing to the gallery. It makes him hateful. Without it, he becomes this lone voice in an insane world."
Thank God they released these Season Set (and complete series) DVDs in the U.S. with the option to turn off that track, because I think he's entirely right on.
Edited by Hollywoodaholic - 8/12/2009 at 02:14 pm GMT
Edited by Hollywoodaholic - 8/12/2009 at 02:15 pm GMT

 

[LeoA]

I'm a big fan of the series and own the complete thing on DVD and have never noticed the laugh track (So it has never bothered me on tv or these DVD's).
Did that Making of M*A*S*H special spoken about earlier in this thread ever get included in any of the DVD's? I only recall seeing in my DVD's the one with Shelley Long and the 30th anniversary reunion special they did a few years ago, but I haven't came close to having watched every disc yet.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

The MASH special was finally released for fans. 20th Century Fox released the bonus features along with the Series finale in a special thinpack two-disk set.

The laugh track on each episode is automatically triggered when you play each DVD. Sometimes you can notice the laughs, others you can't. The laugh track isn't as pronounced as some of the other DVD shows.

 

[LeoA]

Are you sure? Without actually getting up and getting the three disc out of the complete collection to check that I own, which were the contents of that package that was later released as a standalone product for those that had been buying the seperate season releases, this special wasn't there I don't think?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344019/

Also isn't mentioned in any of the news pieces at the TVShowsonDVD site.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/MASH/6895

However, it does seem like now that I've thought about it that I remember all three M*A*S*H specials I remember, being in the complete collection, so maybe its just an oversight.

Edit - The third special included is "M*A*S*H: Television's Serious Sitcom", I didn't recognize the name at first in that link. It was produced by A&E a few years ago. I'm almost certain the early special with narration by Mary Tyler Moore isn't in these three DVD's.

Also meant to mention that I watched an episode a few hours ago after posting, with the laugh track disabled, and there were several silent pauses where laughter was intended that seemed more noticeable to me than the laughter ever was. Seemed odd, I think I'll keep watching them like I always have since I was never bothered by the laugh track. Nice that the option is there though to please everyone.
Edited by LeoAmes - 8/12/2009 at 02:17 am GMT

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Leo,

Trust me on this. Fox Home Video did not include any bonus items on the original M*A*S*H boxed sets. The only content the individual season sets contained were the episodes, that's it. After the Martini's Complete Series set was released, TV Shows on DVD.com announced that Fox would release those bonus features in a new release that would include the series finale episode. Check out the announcements here:

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/MASH/6895
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/MASH/6984

You can order it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Farewell-Amen-Alan-Alda/dp/B000OT6V1E/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1250041804&sr=8-5