In the world of entertainment, it’s often difficult for me to answer the question of favorites. What is my favorite movie or what is my favorite band? It’s difficult because I have such a wide range of tastes and it’s hard to narrow down a definitive answer. Except when it comes to sitcoms. Occasionally, I’m asked to name my favorite sitcom and I can answer that question without hesitation. My answer? M*A*S*H. I first remember sitting down to watch the premiere of the series in 1972, and never missed an episode all the way through its eleven year run. And when the evening of February 28, 1983 rolled around, I was there to watch the powerfully emotional two-hour finale. M*A*S*H was unusual in the fact that during the course of 251 episodes, there wasn’t a weak one in the bunch. The writing and acting were of a consistently high quality, and I honestly cannot think of a time the show ever stumbled. And I have to agree with the 299 votes that the series never ‘jumped the shark.’

(Note to the few people who commented on http://www.jumptheshark.com that they thought the show DID ‘jump’… you’re wrong…)

M*A*S*H also had the distinction of being one of the few movie-based television series that actually turned into a success. When Robert Altman’s film came out in 1970 (which in turn was based on the 1968 novel by Richard Hooker), no one would have thought that it could be turned into a series. As a matter of fact, I was actually surprised to find out that the series was almost cancelled during the first season due to low ratings. Thank God the network came to its senses.

Knowing that we often cater to a younger audience, many of whom might never have seen the show, here’s a brief synopsis of what you’ve missed. M*A*S*H was set in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital that was located a scant three miles from the battle lines of the Korean War in 1950. It was loosely based on a real life MASH unit 8055 and revolved around the daily routines of its staff (in the series, the 4077). On a day-to-day basis, everyone stationed there had to deal with all the horrors of war in the best way they knew how. For some it was humor, for others… detachment. The fact that the series could be hysterically funny one moment and gut-wrenchingly tragic the next was just one more reason it was so good. But this wasn’t the only thing that brought the show a sense of realism. There was also the revolving cast, only a handful remaining throughout the entire run.

When the series began, we had Dr. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce (Alan Alda) and Dr. 'Trapper' John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), Dr. Frank Burns (Larry Linville), and Lieutenant Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan (Loretta Swit). We also had camp commander, Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson), his company clerk Corporal Walter 'Radar' O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff), Corporal Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) and Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher), the kindly camp priest who looked out for an orphanage. McIntyre left after the third season and was replaced by Dr. B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell), as did Blake, who was replaced by Col. Sherman T. Potter (Harry Morgan). Then in the 6th Season, Frank Burns left and was replaced by Charles Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers).

The departure of McLean Stevenson’s Col. Blake is still to me, one of the defining moments in TV history. Up until that point, the series was still primarily known as a comedy, but in that one moment the realism and senselessness of war slapped us right in the face. Blake had become quite a beloved character as the somewhat bumbling foil to the antics of Pierce and McIntyre. In the final episode of the third season, 'Abyssinia Henry', Blake finally receives his discharge papers and gets to go home. The episode is somewhat celebratory in nature, with only a few tears for his leaving. But in the closing moments, Radar steps into the Operating Room and reads a message that Henry Blake’s plane was shot down… and that there were no survivors.

20th Century Fox has been releasing full season DVD sets for the last couple of years, and is just now up to the 11th and final season. And like the ones that came before, there are so many great episodes in this season that I’d almost have to mention them all, but instead I will call your attention to the aforementioned series finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen." It's one of those 'hits you right in the heart' episodes that M*A*S*H was always so good at, and a fitting ending to such a phenomenal series.

One of the things that always surprised me was that M*A*S*H undeniably had one of the finest casts of any TV series ever, yet only a handful of them found fame and fortune outside of the show. Alan Alda stayed on top with several great movie roles and more recently in TV's The West Wing, and of course David Ogden Stiers is constantly showing up in all manner of TV shows and has become a staple in the world of Feature Animation voiceover work. Even Mike Farrell had some success in a few telefilms and the TV series Providence, but that's it. If you name anyone else in the cast, you'll find a string of unsuccessful pilot series', appearances on The Love Boat, and the occasional game show. Why this happened is a mystery to me. These folks certainly deserved better.

On the bright side, at least fans of N*A*S*H can still enjoy these actor's best work by having all of the episodes available on DVD. I love it because I don’t have to sit up late at night and try to catch it during its endless airings. I can watch the ones I want, when I want. And even better, they are uncut and commercial-free! The only complaint I have is the surprising lack of extras. There is nothing, no commentaries, no featurettes, no deleted scenes. Just the episodes that make up the season. I know there were numerous specials that were shot for the show, but for some reason they aren’t ending up here. With each release, I kept hoping there would be a chance that might change, but since this is the final season and there are still no extras… I think I'll give up.

On a final note, Fox is also releasing a full series set of the show which offers all 11 seasons in one glorious package. Since I only own four of the seasons… I'm seriously thinking about snapping one of these puppies up!

Episodes:
Hey, Look Me Over
Trick or Treatment
Foreign Affairs
The Joker is Wild
Who Knew?
Bombshells
Settling Debts
The Moon is Not Blue
Run for the Money
U.N., The Night and the Music
Strange Bedfellows
Say No More
Friends and Enemies
Give and Take
As Time Goes By
Goodbye, Farewell and Amen

Starring: Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, Loretta Swit, David Ogden Stiers, Jamie Farr, William Christopher
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen, English Mono
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 11/7/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give MASH: Season 11 an A.