M*A*S*H premiered 50 years ago

[MightyGiants]

[ozzie]

I loved that show and still watch it in reruns. One of the best IMO.

[MightyGiants]

I loved that show and still watch it in reruns. One of the best IMO.

I grew up watching this show and I think it shaped the person I am today.

[LennG]

From the movie to the TV show (Radar was the only one who made it into both), I watched this show faithfully from season 1, episode 1, right until it ended with possibly the best ending ever for a TV show. I was such a fan that when it ended, my wife bought me a book that contained the synopsis of every episode, cast, crew, and storyline.

Truly one of a kind show, that was so good it was able to overcome and probably got better when a couple of the maoin stars left and more stars left a few years later. I Loved McClean Stevenson as Col Blake, but when Harry Morgan came on in his place, I believe the show got better. Same for when Frank Burns left and Winchester came on. Frank was great and Winchester, a completely different character, but also made the show go in a slightly different direction and it never missed a beat.

What was billed as a comedy, had many episodes where you wept instead of laughing. It had it all.

[ozzie]

I agree 100% Lenn. M*A*S*H was one of the only, if not THE only show to replace characters and manage to get better, IMO. All the original cast was superb, but the characters they brought in to fill those spots many times took the show in a whole different direction and I think that was one of the reasons for it's success. Instead of trying to replace Blake with clone, they went a different way with it, with hard nosed, military lifer, Potter.
Replace sniveling Frank Burns with confident and cultured Winchester. A new dynamic was brought in with each change. They succeeded where so many other shows have failed.