M*A*S*H Tv on DVD (1 Viewer)

[MikeAW]

Just picked up the DVD issue of M*A*S*H's first season...24 shows...and the quality, of coarse is Astounding !!!!

You are first blown away by the picture quality which is a VAST improvement of the "dubbed/copied" down-who-knows-how- many-generations shows, that are presently in broadcast syndication! Outside of some faintly noticable black speckles from original film negatives, you can actually discern the fishing flies on Henry's hat! Small sacrifice to enjoy the rich colors, that probably weren't even apparent in the first viewings outside of viewing them directly from the Tv network film chain...and on the first showing only ! Not only that, but you get to see the ENTIRE ORIGINAL program, not the cutting room floor-syndicated version !

One of the interesting features I would love to try out is the ability to turn off the laugh track. It's a seemingly cheesy thing for a DVD, but I'm fascinated to view the shows and see what the effect is on it.

Can't wait to enjoy the rest of the first episodes...and I don't have to wait for FX to put them on !!!

There is an insert announcing that Season Two will be released in May 2001...can't wait !

 

[John Berggren]

I ooopsed, I was going to pick up the movie and series today at Best Buy with the sales price and a coupon, but I forgot. Looks like I'll lose out...

 

[LarryDavenport]

I'll pick up the movie and the first 3 seasons (up until Henry leaves). Beyond that there are few classics in my book (it became a little too preachy).

 

[Jordan_E]

I can find a few gems in the Potter/BJ/Winchester episodes, especially the one where it covers an entire year at the 4077th. You have to admit, they were able to stretch network TV more in those latter episodes than most anything else from those days, ie the "POV" episode, the "real time" episode, black and white "interview" best of episodes. Probably because I watch them all on FX and drive my wife insane that I tend to give those episodes more slack than the usual MASH fan.

 

[MikeAW]

It was sad when Larry Gelbart left the series...along with McClain Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, and Larry Linville.

Alan Alda killed the show with his special brand of Left Coast, whiny, Anti-War Liberal polictical consciousness, that took the humor out of it..completely. It became a Message Show. Mike Farrell and his seemingly likeminded politics, sealed it's fate in becoming...Alda's idea of ...ahem..."serious" and "meaningful". I guess people wanted that pap then....it just doesn't age as well as the original humor.

Like the man said, if you want to send a message, go to Western Union!

 

[LarryDavenport]

I don't want to get into a political diatribe. Yes there are gems in the post Wayne Rogers/MacLean Stephenson years (the newsreal episodes come to mind) but for the same reason I haven't bought the X-Files on DVD, just because I like a few isolated episodes, doesn't mean I want to shell out around $100 for an entire season. Still, I am glad FOX is offering complete seasons on DVD.

I think the first few years of MASH (and All in the Family) were cutting edge TV, and by the time Hanry Potter joined the 4077, MASH had become just another (albeit good) sitcom.

 

[Coressel]

After watching the entire first season without the laugh track, I've decided that I'll definately buy Seasons 2 and 3, and in fact I'll get Season 4 too.

Some of my favorite episodes have become the "transitional" shows, especially when Henry and Trapper leave and BJ and Potter enter. The amount of change that takes place in those 3 or 4 parts is amazing. The writing in those particular shows is great, possibly because the writers were under pressure!

 

[ChaimKeller]

Have any of you guys watched every episode? I'm having serious trouble with Episode 8, called "Cowboy." It's never able to get past chapter 5. Has anyone else experienced this problem? It's not a problem for me on any of the other episodes I've watched.

 

[Coressel]

I have watched all of them, and had no problem with "Cowboy."

 

[Preston Durrer]

Perhaps I'm just not as picky as some, but IMHO any episode with Colonel Flagg is worth watching.

 

[MikeAW]

Chaim, I have to agree with you about "Cowboy"...it has a edge to it that's a bit unsettling...forced humor out of pathos, if you will...LOVE McClain Stevenson though...very deftly performed humor about the whole thing, and he holds things together....barely.

Preston, the Flagg character was right on target, serious, but way out there...and still believable.

I love the episode wherein Hawkeye is accused of being a Thief...great comic humor on Alda's part...the stovepipe scene with McClain Stevenson...it looks like Alda got genuinely carried away and is really laughing about it !

My favorite quote....Larry Linville/Frank Burns...in the episode where Henry's younger girlfriend vists the camp and comes on to Hawkeye, etc.

On the prospect of meeting and being introduced to the younger girl...Hotlips and Frank are disgusted, but promise to be civil to her. Frank, nervous at what to say after being introduced says..."it's nice, to be nice, to the nice"

There is ONE Potter episode I love greatly...the one where he and Charles share quarantine for the Mumps!

 

[ChaimKeller]

MikeAW, did you think I meant I couldn't bear to watch that episode? I'm saying my DVD has a problem...not me.

But you're the second one who has apparently had no trouble playing it through to the end, so either it's my system (although this problem doesn't afflict any of the other episodes I've watched so far, which is about half) or some kind of fluke with the disc.

I'll have to find someone else near me with a DVD player who can help me confirm which one it is.

 

[MikeAW]

Chaim...oooops !

I had a problem getting a good copy of the "Planet of the Apes" 4DVD set, Tv anthology, from my local Best Buy. It seems that they had 5copies in stock and ALL of them had the 4th DVD banging about inside it's case, like someone used them for hockey practice ! I gave up after a couple of weeks, and had to go to another store.

I don't know if that happened to anyone out there, but I guess it's just a packaging problem for that one set and the one store.