M*A*S*H - Season Four (Collector's Edition)

Rating:
Summary: M*A*S*H Is Number One of All Time! DVD Extras Someday?
Review: Other than M*A*S*H, there's only one other show I can watch repeatedly, and still laugh outloud I (Frasier).

For the episodes themselves, M*A*S*H has never been better, more convenient, and funnier (thanks to long edited scenes rarely seen in syndicated TV)! It's almost like seeing it for the first time. I was surprised to notice that many episodes had close to five (5) minutes edited out in Syndication.

One allure of DVD's, in addition to the Sound and Picture Quality, are the "Extras". Other than the ability to take out the laugh tracks (Yes!), this has none. There are no cast interviews, no bloopers, no Director's/Producers/Writers Commentary, not even Cast Biographies. Even the insert is rather plan and has nothing extra to it. The episode description look as though they were written by some one who hadn't even watched the show. I was hoping for more when the DVD's came out. Like the book "Complete Book of M*A*S*H" was not complete in it's fullest sense by leaving out that which would have made it truly complete (the secondary story lines, etc.), this is not complete in the DVD's fullest sense...the extras we've all come to expect in them. In that respect I am disappointed. But I am not disappointed in having a whole season on only 3 DVD's! I am not disappointed in the quality of the sound and picture (much better than the Video's from Columbia House and the Broadcast versions).

This season introduces us to the series most significant new characters: Harry Morgan as Col. Sherman T. Potter (regular Army -- God help us all!!), and Mike Farrel as Cpt. BJ Honnicutt. While I enjoyed the first three seasons, personally, I like Potter much better than Blake, and BJ more so than Trapper, who had become rather boring (no fault of Wayne Rogers). So this season I think the show simply got much better, both in comedy and in Drama, something it mixed better than any show before or since.

My only other complaint is with their painfully slow release schedule of only two seasons per year. At this rate, it's going to be the end of 2006 before the whole series is available.

Rating:
Summary: Fourth Season--Still too Slow Releasing Them
Review: There is little to add to any previous praises for this set, but that never stopped me before. MASH is without a doubt my favorite TV series ever. I put it above "The Andy Griffith Show" and "All in the Family" (other personal favorites), as one the finest sitcoms ever put on TV, and there are many fine ones.

The movie was a tremendous picture, IMHO, and the TV series was even better. Why? Many reasons including cast, writing, chance to expand on the characters more each week, and overall just plain great TV. I won't list all the characters and bore you with stuff you probably know better than I, but it suffices to say, the series was put together with complimenting, professional personalities. I have seen every episode, in reruns--several times over, even before this series of DVDs began to come out. Each time I watch one, I almost feel as if I am back in very familiar surroundings with close friends. Weird?? I suppose, but each time I watch any episode, even though I have seen it several times before, I enjoy it more.

My only complaint is, and many others have said the same thing, it is taking a very long time to get the series out--almost six months or more between each of the seasons. I am an old man and would like to get them all before I am gone. Please! I hope they don't stop this series before completion, as sometimes happens.

If you like "MASH", the TV series, as I do, this is a must.



Rating:
Summary: MASH
Review: I liked MASH better with Harry Morgan and Mike Farrell then McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers. I like the jokes better with Mike Farrell and Harry Morgan. Especially when Harry Morgan shows up as Col. Potter. The scene that broke him in was after surgery he said. "Boy, I sure could use a belt." Ever since then he is always blasted. Now he is a cool C.O. I even like the words that he says. Like when Radar gives him a horse for the Col's. Birthday and Col. Potter almost falls and Major Burns thats disgusting and potter say, "Son, that's a tiptoe throught the Tulips. Cause Col. Potter loves horses. So you should buy MASH seasons with only Col. Sherman T. Potter he is funnier then Lt. Col. Henry Blake.