MASH: Season Three

Lynn’s Druthers Marathon, part 15



Data
Title: MASH: Season Three
Year: 1974-1975
Network: CBS
Episodes: 24, at 25 minutes each
Creators: Richard Hooker (novel); Larry Gelbart (developer)
Directors: Hy Averback (11 episodes), Don Weis (4), Gene Reynolds (4), Larry Gelbart (2), Alan Alda (1), William Jurgensen (1), Lee Philips (1)
Writers: Larry Gelbart (8 episodes), Jim Fritzell (6), Everett Greenbaum (6), Laurence Marks (6), Simon Muntner (3), Sid Dorfman (2), Linda Bloodworth (2), Mary Kay Place (2), Gary Markowitz (1), John W. Regier (1), John D. Hess (1), Robert Klane (1), Arthur Julian (1)
Starring: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Loretta Swit, Larry Linville, Gary Burghoff
Music: Johnny Mandel (theme); Lionel Newman (music supervisor)
I saw it: on video (have on DVD), over the past few weeks
Synopsis: hijinks in an army hospital

My reaction
Concept:
Story:
Characters:
Dialog:
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design:
Acting:
Music:
Subjective Rating: 7/10 (Good, ). The first couple seasons are pure sitcom (relatively intelligent, socially conscious sitcom, but still sitcom in tone). But right from the start of season three, the show is suddenly taking its subject matter seriously - still comedy the vast majority of the time, but not afraid to go a long time without laughs when it's called for. (Not that anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for 35 years doesn't know that MASH is like that, but I was surprised to see how abrupt the change was.)
Objective Rating (Average):