Customer Reviews

M*A*S*H - TV Season Three - 3 Tape Boxed Set [VHS]

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The success of the 1970 film "MASH", which was directed by Robert Altman, inspired the production of one of the most successful and longest running TV series of all time: "M*A*S*H". While most of the main characters from the original film were portrayed in the TV series, only one of the film's actors reprised his role for the TV series: Gary Burghoff. Like the film, the show was about the men and women working in a fictitious U.S. Army "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital" (or MASH unit) known as the 4077th during the Korean War in the early 1950's. For the first three seasons, the U.S. Army personnel stationed at the 4077th included Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson, 1929-1996), Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville, 1939-2000), Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit), Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda), Capt. "Trapper John" McIntyre (Wayne Rogers), Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher, except for the first season pilot episode), Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) and Cpl. Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr).

As in the film, the TV show often demonstrated a lack of respect for the U.S. military by portraying many of its officers as being inept and incompetent. This was the formula used for Maj. Burns and Lt. Col. Henry Blake, but whereas Lt. Col. Blake had a very likeable personality, Maj. Burns wanted to see a more disciplined command and was often quite the little stool pigeon. Also, while being married and regarding himself as being a devout Christian, Maj. Burns maintained a romantic affair with Maj. Houlihan. (In the film, it was while Majors Burns & Houlihan were passionately kissing with the entire MASH unit listening to them that Maj. Houlihan earned the nickname "Hot Lips".) Whereas in the film Maj. Burns (played originally by Robert Duvall) was whisked away in a straightjacket, in the show, this never occurs; but the film's two primary characters and pranksters, Captains Hawkeye Pierce (played originally by Donald Sutherland) and Trapper John McIntyre (played originally by Elliott Gould), were portrayed equally well in the TV show. Though typically disrespectful of the Army, Hawkeye and Trapper were completely honest about themselves, which is probably the main reason why they despised the hypocritical Maj. Burns so much. And, as in the film, they both found Maj. Houlihan particularly attractive, but weren't particularly friendly towards her because, like Maj. Burns, she wanted to see greater military discipline. This often set Major Burns & Houlihan at odds with Hawkeye, Trapper and Lt. Col. Blake. So, with the officers preoccupied, it was essentially up to the 4077's lowly company clerk, Radar, to keep things running smoothly; but even with the interesting personalities among the officers, the MASH 4077th had the best rate of survival for any wounded soldiers treated there. Hawkeye was an especially gifted surgeon, as was Trapper; while Maj. Burns had probably barely made it through medical school. Father Mulcahy was polite and helpful, but Cpl. Klinger's main objective was to get a "Section 8" from the U.S. Army so that he'd be discharged. To get his precious "Section 8", Klinger wore women's dresses instead of his uniform. As a side note, the only major character from the film that was not included in the TV series was another doctor named Capt. Augustus Bedford 'Duke' Forrest (played originally by Tom Skerritt).

The third season of "M*A*S*H" that aired between 1974 and 1975 had the following 24 episodes:

1. "The General Flipped at Dawn". When crazy Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele (Harry Morgan, the future Col. Sherman T. Potter) pays a visit to the 4077th, Hawkeye must defend himself in a court martial with a song.

2. "Rainbow Bridge". Instead of traveling to Tokyo for some R&R, Hawkeye & Trapper join Frank, Radar and Klinger on a dangerous mission to a bridge to swap POW's with North Korean soldiers.

3. "Officer of the Day". The bumbling Col. Flagg (Edward Winter, 1937-2001) wants to take a wounded North Korean soldier for questioning, but officer of the day Hawkeye won't allow it in spite of the camp being in the temporary command of Frank & Margaret.

4. "Iron Guts Kelly". When General 'Iron Guts' Kelly (James Gregory, 1911-2002) dies in Margaret's tent, his assistant, Colonel Wortman (Keene Curtis, 1923-2002), insists on taking his body to the front for a more appropriate death in battle.

5. "O.R.". With a huge number of wounded, Hawkeye massages a wounded soldier's heart while Maj. Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus) pays a visit.

6. "Springtime". When Klinger's girlfriend in Toledo wants to marry him, Father Mulcahy performs a marriage ceremony over the radio.

7. "Check-Up". When Trapper gets an ulcer, he thinks it's his ticket home; but it doesn't work out that way.

8. "Life With Father". Father Mulcahy performs a brist for the Korean-born son of a G.I. over the objections of Frank & Margaret while Henry worries about his wife back at home.

9. "Alcoholics Unanimous". When Henry goes to Tokyo, Frank is put in charge and denies alcohol to all 4077th personnel, but that won't necessarily stop Hawkeye, Trapper or even Margaret.

10. "There is Nothing Like a Nurse". The men go a bit stir-crazy when the nurses are ordered to evacuate, but an interesting home film of Frank's turns up.

11. "Adam's Ribs". Hawkeye is determined to get a take-out order of ribs from a Chicago restaurant named Adam's Ribs.

12. "A Full Rich Day". Hawkeye writes to his dad about various things going on in camp.

13. "Mad Dogs and Servicemen". When Radar gets bitten by a stray dog, he may have to undergo a painful series of rabies shots.

14. "Private Charles Lamb". When a Greek officer decides to reward the 4077th with a feast for taking care of his wounded men, Radar doesn't want the lamb that the officer sends to become dinner.

15. "Bombed". When the 4077th comes under fire and is inundated with wounded, Frank proposes to Margaret.

16. "Bulletin Board". Henry delivers a lecture in which Hawkeye & Trapper heckle him, and everyone enjoys a cookout with orphaned Korean children.

17. "The Consultant". When Dr. Borelli (Robert Alda, 1914-1986) pays a visit to the 4077th to demonstrate a new surgical technique, his drinking problem is revealed again to Hawkeye.

18. "House Arrest". After Hawkeye hits Frank, Frank presses charges; but Frank gets charges against himself when the woman (Mary Wickes, 1910-1995) who comes to investigate his claims accuses Frank of rape.

19. "Aid Station". Hawkeye, Margaret & Klinger come under fire after volunteering to work at an aid station on the front lines.

20. "Love and Marriage". Hawkeye & Trapper step in to prevent a GI from marrying a Korean girl that has TB.

21. "Big Mac". The camp goes nuts in trying to prepare for a visit from General Douglas MacArthur.

22. "Payday". When Frank buys two sets of pearls (a good strand and a cheap imitation), he gives one to Margaret; but she really wants the real strand for herself.

23. "White Gold". Col. Flagg shows up again, this time demanding penicillin to barter with.

24. "Abyssinia, Henry". Perhaps the most emotional "M*A*S*H" episode of all, Henry dies while en route to go back home to the states. This also turns out to be the final episode with Trapper.

Overall, I rate the third season of "M*A*S*H" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it. In its eleven years of production, "M*A*S*H" was one of the best TV shows of its day and remains one of the best TV shows of all time.

Some consider the third season the show's very best, full of humor but also more boldly playing with serious topics. The actors are really at home in their characters by this point, and the audience knows them inside and out, too. They no longer need to play gags over-the-top to work because we know them so well. And because we know they so well, the serious turns hit home.

Reams have been written about M.A.S.H.; offering accolades would just be repeating what has been said before. Among the most popular sitcoms ever made, the show still stands the test of time despite being a "period" show. The jokes still work, the characters are still charming and feel like old friends, and the show still more enjoyable than most of the shows that have come and gone since.

Like the other sets, this DVD collection is bare bones (though not poorly produced). We get the episodes spread out over several discs in a sturdy triple-case and a small booklet with info on each episode. That's it. No extras. No commentaries. No documentaries. Just the episodes.

And that is just fine, because the episodes are great. Good picture far quality, good sound, and an option to turn off the laugh track are about all we really need.

Even better is the price. Because this is so bare bones, we're paying only about $35 rather than the $50 or $70 so common with TV-on-DVD sets.

A no-brainer buy for M.A.S.H. fans.

I bought the first two M.A.S.H. seasons when they were released, and I was impressed by the quality of the video and audio transfer. The video was crisp and the sound was excellent. It is clear that they have gone back to the original masters, transferred them to digital and cleaned them up. It's kind of funny that with the advances in technology, the Mash episodes look better now than they did then. They also broke the laugh track out so you can turn it off. This isn't a big deal to me, but my wife likes it.

So the downside is that it is light on the extras such as commentary or, but I rarely bother with them anyway, so it's not a big deal for me. What I really want is what they have delivered: a great looking, great sounding copy of all those great old M.A.S.H. episodes.

The third season of "M*A*S*H" (1974-75) ranks among the finest in television history, with a vast array of creative talent in peak form. Happily, this DVD edition provides the long-awaited opportunity to eliminate the obtrusive laugh track with improved results. Season Three offers a wealth of classic episodes, including "The General Flipped at Dawn," "Adam's Ribs," "Private Charles Lamb," "Big Mac" and "Abyssinia, Henry." Though the departures of McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers did not affect the show's longevity, the serio-comic tone was notably altered with the addition of Harry Morgan and Mike Farrell to the ensemble. When Lt. Col. Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan, the anarchic spirit of "M*A*S*H" died with him.

I've been watching MASH as long as I can remember. My Mom used to call me downstairs to watch it with her and I've been watching it ever since. MASH on DVD is by far the best deal out there. Not because of the price but because you get to watch each episode the way it was intended to be seen, the way I remember watching them. It's amazing how much has been edited out to make room for commercials. Each episode is uncut and unedited. You now can see all the missing pieces.

The stunning picture quality is only one positive part of this amazing series release on DVD. The second aspect is the fact that the episodes are UN-CUT, allowing viewers to see sequences that haven't been seen since their original airdates. This also cleans up some severe jumps in the stories that local television stations were forced to make to allow more time for commercials in syndication. The only problem (and this is minor) is that you have to go through several screens after each episode in order to see the next episode. I wish that Fox would have added a "Play All" feature so you could go through and see more than one show at a time.

What can I say about a TV series that is already great. This by far is one of the best seasons. The season opener starts right out with a big laugh in "The General Flipped at Dawn". This is the episode that won Harry Morgan an Emmy and the role of Col Potter. You must see his interaction with Klinger! Of course you see two more appearances of Col Flagg, the infamous CIA agent, who never leaves. This is also the season that has Trap and Hawk (with Radar's help) looking to have ribs delivered from Chicago. And what a great episode when Gen Macarthur decides to visit and Klinger dresses up as the Statue of Liberty and the General salutes him! The season ends in a with the leaving of Lt Col Henry Blake. I am sure to be happy when they release this season and can't wait for the others! They're all a must buy!!!

Fox is doing a great job putting these DVD's out. After the first season it looked as if it would be a year till the next,but now they are coming out just right.
I must stress that these episodes are all uncut! Its great watching the parts that the televison has cut out. Every episode has a part that has been cut,and probally has'nt been seen scince it aired in the beginning.
Season 3 is just as good as all the rest,one of my all time fav's "Adams Rib's" caps it off for me. Unfortunately its also the end of Henry. One of the saddest episodes in the history of MASH.
As before,Fox is doing a brillant job putting these out.Season 4 is up next and I await full bird Colonel Sherman T. Potter with open arms!

If you were new to MASH and asked a fan which season best represented the series, most fans would point you towards season 3. By this point the writers and cast had mastered walking the fine line between humour and drama, and knew how to make you laugh while also exploring some of the deeper issues of life. There are a lot of standouts this season, including Hawkeye's craving for Adam's ribs, a supposedly dead soldier that comes back to life, General MacArthur's visit to the camp, and future cast member Harry Morgan's guest appearance as a crazy general. Two of the more serious episodes include a tension-filled prisoner exchange and a trip to an aid station at the front lines.

The one episode that most fans feel define this season is the season finale, where commanding officer Henry Blake goes home. However, I think there might actually be another episode that impresses me more, the oft-underrated "The Consultant." Guest-starring Alan Alda's father, the story revolves around a consultng doctor who shows up to demostrate a new medical procedure, only to become too drunk to operate when the time comes. While the premise could sound like a comedic episode, this is actually a very subtly done drama that shows MASH at its best. The lesson learned here is not one that gets shoved down the viewer's throats (like later MASH seasons), but is so deep yet understated that it'll take a rewind or two with the DVD remote to catch all the implications of the final scene.

By now it's obvious that each MASH season will be a bare-bones set, and maybe that's okay at least for the moment. Each set is affordable, the audio/video quality is above broadcast standards, and viewers can turn the laugh track off. For new and old fans alike, MASH season 3 is definitely a season to check out.

This 3 DVD set looks and sounds great. Season three is just excellent. While I love seasons one and two; season three is probably the pinnacle year for MASH. There are so many great episodes; practicably everyone of them are classics; No I take that back, every episode is a classic. It's wonderful to see these episodes the way they were meant to be seen, and not all cut up, like hey are on fx.I am in M.A.S.H Heaven.