TransporterBeam
Lieutenant Commander
Will AFTER MASH come onto DVD? Why wasn't it released yet ?
Will AfterMASH come onto DVD ?
- Thread starter TransporterBeam
- Start date
I wouldn't mind seeing it on DVD just out of morbid curiosity.
I'd rather they re-ran it on TV Land just once, so I can say I've seen it and move on with my life. From everything I've heard about the show, any price point is too high, apart from "free." 
The first season was very good, and had some real MASH moments, even if most of the supporting cast were sorry retreads of familiar MASH characters. Barbara Townsend, the actress who played Mildred, was both very close to the pic on Potter's desk (actually Morgan's RL wife) and close to fans' own image of her. Soon-Lee Klinger (ST alum Rosalind Chao) offered a funny sweet look into the immigrant experience. The three vets carried on and showed some real settling-in pains, particularly Max and the Padre, whose finale storylines carried over into the new show. Potter, now only an assistant administrator at the Vets' Hospital they all worked at, chafed at not being in charge, and having to answer to bureaucratic idiots. That part didn't work so well, IMHO. While it was meant to be a neat twist and show off a different side of Potter, I just kept waiting for the writers to wise up and put him back in charge. One very bright spot - Gary Burghoff made a very memorable guest appearance as Radar, leading to his unsold Pilot spinoff, W*A*L*T*E*R.
The first season was twenty-two episodes, the second only eight, but what a drop-off. Barbara Townsend was replaced as Mildred by a woman who played her as dim and shrewish and who looked like Potter's mother or aunt, even with HM's age. Klinger suddenly went from building a new life, back to the scams. Soon-Lee cried a lot, and also got dimmer. It was not the same show, and it would never have been the same as its parent. But a lot of potential was squandered. One final ep was never broadcast, though even it was not a finale by any means.
But put it on DVD. 30 eps for 19.99. Its neither the greatest nor the worst, and at a cheap price, it'll do something besides take up storage space in a vault.
The first season was twenty-two episodes, the second only eight, but what a drop-off. Barbara Townsend was replaced as Mildred by a woman who played her as dim and shrewish and who looked like Potter's mother or aunt, even with HM's age. Klinger suddenly went from building a new life, back to the scams. Soon-Lee cried a lot, and also got dimmer. It was not the same show, and it would never have been the same as its parent. But a lot of potential was squandered. One final ep was never broadcast, though even it was not a finale by any means.
But put it on DVD. 30 eps for 19.99. Its neither the greatest nor the worst, and at a cheap price, it'll do something besides take up storage space in a vault.
Yeah, I've heard the first season is worth checking out and then a dip in quality for the second. I didn't realize it was that bad, however.
Not to get into self-advert, but I've written MASH-fic, and was a monster on fine details. I wrote in the hows and whys of every contradiction except Radar reading Jan and Hank's wedding issue of Avengers. Then came AfterMASH S2. For the first and only time in all my efforts at fic, I gave in and used an out : A-MASH S2 was itself nothing but fanfic written by budding author Mildred Potter, who became upset when her friends and family didn't receive it well.
If you go to www.bestcareanywhere.net, it has some reviews and clips of A-MASH, including audiofiles of Radar's guest appearance in 'It Had To Be You', and his unsold pilot.
If you go to www.bestcareanywhere.net, it has some reviews and clips of A-MASH, including audiofiles of Radar's guest appearance in 'It Had To Be You', and his unsold pilot.
I was the hugest fan of MASH when it was on during its original run. I was fairly young but for some reason it grabbed me. Must've been the stellar quality. At any rate, after it ended I was thrilled to hear about AfterMASH. Watched it and was amazingly . . . dissappointed. It was just bad. And, I wanted to like it. I watched it until it was, mercifully, pulled from the air.
Mr Awe
Mr Awe
The characters didn't didn't look right being "indoors". I mean there was the Swamp and the Mess Tent and all, but the look of AfterMASH was just so dull and ordinary. And despite the fact Gelbart helped develop it as well, it just wasn't very special anymore, and domestic problems paled in comparison to being in a war zone, separated from loved ones back home.
And none of the new characters were particularly interesting, either.
--Ted
And none of the new characters were particularly interesting, either.
--Ted
Fellow MASH-fanatic and fic-writer Paul Gadzikowski once suggested that, if they were determined to have a fool placed over Potter at the VA Hospital, why not have it be Burns? Maybe he could have been humbled and humanized somewhat by divorce. And I disagree, TG. There was a story there, a way of doing this right. They just never caught what that might be.
I'm still surprised they didn't just tack 25 USD onto the Box Set and include A-MASH along with the 11 seasons.
Maybe if they had made it a series of two tv-movies per year, each focusing on someone different at home, ending in a true reunion.
I'm still surprised they didn't just tack 25 USD onto the Box Set and include A-MASH along with the 11 seasons.
Maybe if they had made it a series of two tv-movies per year, each focusing on someone different at home, ending in a true reunion.
Me, too. Maybe for the 50th Anniversary edition ... of course DVD's will be long gone by then. Probably isolinear chips or the like.
--Ted
I always found it kind of strange that they built in cliffhangers into the final episode to serve as a link to the new series. Basically everyone who wanted to do more TV had something happen to them and didn't just go home.
Although, from what I understand, AfterMASH didn't really pick up those cliffhangers.
Although, from what I understand, AfterMASH didn't really pick up those cliffhangers.
Not quite true. The Padre's hearing problem was addressed, with some bureaucratic red tape thrown in for good measure. Max and Soon-Lee had big trouble finding her parents in Korea and then an apartment in the US, due to discrimination, leading Max to break the law.
But the others? Yeah. I mean, they were reffed as being written to, with Radar actually appearing and Sidney the intended recipient of a letter from Potter. Flagg made an appearance at Max's S2 trial, sadly more caricatured than ever. But I think those annual-or-better TV movies would have been really great, keeping it going without tying the actors' down. Alda could have done better than cameoing on his own 'Four Seasons' tv series. One meeting I would have relished : Bay Area native BJ finally meeting Bay Area emigre Trapper (Since TJMD took place in San Fran.)
SOT : Disney's The Cat From Outer Space features both CO's, Mac and Harry, with at least one scene seeming to ref MASH.
But the others? Yeah. I mean, they were reffed as being written to, with Radar actually appearing and Sidney the intended recipient of a letter from Potter. Flagg made an appearance at Max's S2 trial, sadly more caricatured than ever. But I think those annual-or-better TV movies would have been really great, keeping it going without tying the actors' down. Alda could have done better than cameoing on his own 'Four Seasons' tv series. One meeting I would have relished : Bay Area native BJ finally meeting Bay Area emigre Trapper (Since TJMD took place in San Fran.)
SOT : Disney's The Cat From Outer Space features both CO's, Mac and Harry, with at least one scene seeming to ref MASH.
Except that Trapper John M.D.'s producers had it legally declared a spinoff of the Altman movie rather than the TV series, to avoid paying royalties to the series' producers. So I doubt a crossover combining elements of the two shows would've been doable, outside of fanfic.
I never got into TJMD. I never got the point of setting it up as a M*A*S*H spinoff and making it almost completely unlike M*A*S*H. They could've given the lead character a different name and it wouldn't have affected the show at all, from what little I saw of it. I mean, at least when they spun Lou Grant off from supporting sitcom character to lead drama character, he was still recognizably the same guy, albeit somewhat less prone to wisecracks. I never understood what the point was in making a present-day drama about a fiftysomething chief of surgery and claiming he was the same character as a wacky young Korean War surgeon in a period sitcom and/or movie.
Well, they released "Tabitha" on dvd, so anything's possible! Seriously, if they do, it'll probably be in conjunction with the release of a special edition MASH dvd sometime in the future--similar to what they did with "Tabitha"--releasing it in conjunction with the "Bewitched" series coming out on dvd.
Seriously, if they do, it'll probably be in conjunction with the release of a special edition MASH dvd sometime in the future--similar to what they did with "Tabitha"--releasing it in conjunction with the "Bewitched" series coming out on dvd.
You know, I would have a certain morbid curiosity to see AfterMASH again after all this time--I was just a kid, maybe 11 or so, when it was on, and I don't recall being all that fond of it. I'm certain I would probably find it as disappointing as I did the first time out, but I'd give it a look.
For my money, being something of a purist (my interest in the MASH TV series drops off fairly sharply after the third season--without Henry and Trapper, it just don't work for me), I prefer Richard Hooker/Hornberger's novels for a look at what happened to the characters after Korea. Just the two by Hornberger himself, mind you, MASH Goes To Maine and MASHMania--the rest of the books, 'co-written' (probably just ghosted) by William E. Butterworth (aka W.E.B. Griffin) are pretty lousy and just silly. The Hornberger books continue the characters as he established them in the original novel, and with much the same tone--silly and irreverent, but with at least some underlying seriousness at times. Maine is interesting in that it goes into some detail regarding Hawkeye's trials in establishing a civilian surgical career and training as a thoracic surgeon; Mania presents an older, more curmudgeonly Hawkeye in middle age. Duke, Trapper, and Spearchucker get dragged along for the ride as well, and we meet some of the... colorful... figures of Hawkeye's Maine stomping grounds.
If you've ever read and enjoyed the first novel, I recommend grabbing these if you ever come across 'em. They seem to turn up in used bookstores with some regularity, usually pretty cheap.
For my money, being something of a purist (my interest in the MASH TV series drops off fairly sharply after the third season--without Henry and Trapper, it just don't work for me), I prefer Richard Hooker/Hornberger's novels for a look at what happened to the characters after Korea. Just the two by Hornberger himself, mind you, MASH Goes To Maine and MASHMania--the rest of the books, 'co-written' (probably just ghosted) by William E. Butterworth (aka W.E.B. Griffin) are pretty lousy and just silly. The Hornberger books continue the characters as he established them in the original novel, and with much the same tone--silly and irreverent, but with at least some underlying seriousness at times. Maine is interesting in that it goes into some detail regarding Hawkeye's trials in establishing a civilian surgical career and training as a thoracic surgeon; Mania presents an older, more curmudgeonly Hawkeye in middle age. Duke, Trapper, and Spearchucker get dragged along for the ride as well, and we meet some of the... colorful... figures of Hawkeye's Maine stomping grounds.
If you've ever read and enjoyed the first novel, I recommend grabbing these if you ever come across 'em. They seem to turn up in used bookstores with some regularity, usually pretty cheap.
Well, even Galactica 1980 was Shakespeare compared to this.
I've seen video dubs of AfterMASH listed on the site iOffer.com . Not sure about the quality (or legality) but the option is out there if you want to see it.
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