M*A*S*H- a season by season discussion!

Not only that, but some good lines get buried underneath that stupid laugh track. Ever since I got the DVDs with the no laugh track option, I can't watch the show any other way.

 

Fortunately, when it was shown in the UK, it never had the laugh track (though I seem to recall one episode did - by mistake); I think I also recall Gelbart saying he would have preferred to have it shown without the laugh track, I've seen re-runs with the laugh track and I feel I was spoiled by seeing it without in the first place

 

Correct- CBS insisted on the laugh track, they compromised by not having a laugh track during any operating room scenes as per Gelbart's wishes.

Naturally, in the "O.R." episode from season 3 (which we'll get to momentarily) which is wholly set in the operating room, there's no laugh track. I think that's the only episode without a laugh track at all.

 

So, on that note...

The third season of M*A*S*H aired Tuesdays at 8:30–9:00 pm on CBS.

Cast
Actor Role
Alan Alda Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce
Wayne Rogers Capt. "Trapper" John MacIntyre
McLean Stevenson Lt. Col. Henry Blake
Loretta Swit Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan
Larry Linville Maj. Frank Burns
Gary Burghoff Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly

Episodes
49 1 "The General Flipped at Dawn" Larry Gelbart Jim Fritzell & Everett Greenbaum September 10, 1974 B-308
A crackpot General threatens to court-martial Hawkeye. Harry Morgan, who portrays the nutty General, would join the cast of M*A*S*H the following year as Colonel Sherman Potter.
50 2 "Rainbow Bridge" Hy Averback Larry Gelbart & Laurence Marks September 17, 1974 B-301
Hawkeye and Trapper must put their relaxation plans on hold to retrieve wounded American prisoners from the Chinese. Esteemed Japanese actor Mako portrays a Chinese officer involved in the transfer. Loudon Wainwright III makes his first of three appearances as guitar-playing Lieutenant Calvin Spalding.
51 3 "Officer of the Day" Hy Averback Laurence Marks September 24, 1974 B-307
Hawkeye is made Officer of the Day, and Colonel Flagg wants him to patch up a North Korean prisoner so that he can be executed.
52 4 "Iron Guts Kelly" Don Weis Larry Gelbart & Sid Dorfman October 1, 1974 B-304
General "Iron Guts" Kelly (James Gregory) dies whilst in bed with Hot Lips, but the General's aide (Keene Curtis) invents a more militarily meaningful way to mark Kelly's passing.
53 5 "O.R." Gene Reynolds Larry Gelbart & Laurence Marks October 8, 1974 B-306
The 4077th is overwhelmed with casualties. Note: This is the first episode without a laugh track. Gene Reynolds won the Primetime Emmy Award for directing this episode while Larry Gelbart and Laurence Marks won the Writers Guild Award.
54 6 "Springtime" Don Weis Linda Bloodworth & Mary Kay Place October 15, 1974 B-303
Spring is in the air at the 4077th, including marriage for Klinger. Alex Karras guest stars as one of Hawkeye's overly thankful patients.
55 7 "Check-Up" Don Weis Laurence Marks October 22, 1974 B-312
Trapper must undergo a medical checkup, and his condition could be his ticket home.
56 8 "Life With Father" Hy Averback Everett Greenbaum & Jim Fritzell October 29, 1974 B-302
Father Mulcahy tries to meet a request to perform a Jewish baptism, while Henry is worried that his wife's willingness to let him cheat on her may reflect her own guilty conscience, and Hawkeye and Trapper attempt to solve a puzzle to win a pony.
57 9 "Alcoholics Unanimous" Hy Averback Everett Greenbaum & Jim Fritzell November 12, 1974 B-314
As acting commanding officer, Frank dismantles the Swamp's gin mill and declares Prohibition at the 4077th. Hy Averback received Primetime Emmy and Directors Guild Award nominations for this episode.
58 10 "There is Nothing Like a Nurse" Hy Averback Larry Gelbart November 19, 1974 B-309
The men of the 4077th must cope without the nurses, who are evacuated due to the possibility of an enemy attack. Loudon Wainwright III makes his second of three appearances as the guitar-playing Lieutenant Calvin Spalding.
59 11 "Adam's Ribs" Gene Reynolds Laurence Marks November 26, 1974 B-316
Fed up with eating the same food day after day in the mess tent, Hawkeye hatches a plan to order spare ribs from a restaurant in Chicago. Loretta Swit and Larry Linville do not appear in this episode.
60 12 "A Full Rich Day" Gene Reynolds John D. Hess December 3, 1974 B-311
A kill-happy Turk and a missing corpse are the main focus of a typical day of insanity at the 4077th. Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler won the ACE Eddie Award for this episode.
61 13 "Mad Dogs and Servicemen" Hy Averback Linda Bloodworth & Mary Kay Place December 10, 1974 B-317
As the search goes on for a potentially rabid dog that has bitten Radar, the doctors suspect a patient suffering from paralysis (Michael O'Keefe) might have a psychological issue instead.
62 14 "Private Charles Lamb" Hy Averback Sid Dorfman December 31, 1974 B-310
A Greek colonel donates a baby lamb as the main course for an Easter barbecue, but Radar tries to protect it. Sid Dorfman received a Writers Guild Award nomination for this episode.
63 15 "Bombed" Hy Averback Jim Fritzell & Everett Greenbaum January 7, 1975 B-320
A wounded soldier arrives at the compound, booby-trapped, during heavy shelling; and Trapper and Margaret get locked in the supply closet together when an exploding shell jams the door. William Jurgensen received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for cinematography on this episode, and Hy Averback received a Directors Guild Award nomination.
64 16 "Bulletin Board" Alan Alda Larry Gelbart & Simon Muntner January 14, 1975 B-323
Henry Blake loses a patient and resists holding an outdoor picnic to benefit local orphans, but is revived by the activities even though casualties interrupt the fun. Alan Alda received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for directing this episode.
65 17 "The Consultant" Gene Reynolds Story by : Larry Gelbart
Teleplay by : Robert Klane January 21, 1975 B-318
In Tokyo for R&R, Hawkeye and Trapper meet a veteran doctor (Robert Alda) whom they challenge to visit the 4077th for a look at 'real action.' And then the veteran doctor does just that. Note: Robert Alda is Alan Alda's real father.
66 18 "House Arrest" Hy Averback Jim Fritzell & Everett Greenbaum February 4, 1975 B-315
Hawkeye is placed under house arrest for punching Frank, while Margaret is nervous about a meticulous visiting colonel (Mary Wickes) who turns out to be quite warm for Frank's form.
67 19 "Aid Station" William Jurgensen Larry Gelbart & Simon Muntner February 11, 1975 B-322
Hawkeye, Margaret, and Klinger are sent to a frontline aid station that is short-staffed and under heavy fire.
68 20 "Love and Marriage" Lee Philips Arthur Julian February 18, 1975 B-321
A skilled Korean medical assistant (Soon-Tek Oh) wants to see his pregnant wife; meanwhile, a GI (Dennis Dugan) wants to marry a girl from Rosie's bar, but not for good reasons.
69 21 "Big Mac" Don Weis Laurence Marks February 25, 1975 B-313
The 4077th is turned upside down by rumors of a visit from General Douglas MacArthur. Loudon Wainwright III makes his third and final appearance as the guitar-playing Lieutenant Calvin Spalding.
70 22 "Payday" Hy Averback Regier & Markowitz[a] March 4, 1975 B-305
It's Hawkeye's turn as pay officer, but a $10 oversight causes major trouble.
71 23 "White Gold" Hy Averback Larry Gelbart & Simon Muntner March 11, 1975 B-319
Colonel Flagg shows up when penicillin is stolen, but Hawkeye and Trapper soon learn the real reason for his arrival.
72 24 "Abyssinia, Henry" Larry Gelbart Everett Greenbaum & Jim Fritzell March 18, 1975 B-324
Henry Blake receives his discharge, and the doctors send him off in style. Note: This would be the last episode for both Blake and Trapper John McIntyre.

 

Season three definitely gives season 2 a run for its money as far as consistency goes. It does have it's weaker moments, though, IMO- I've never been a fan of "Iron Guts Kelly", "House Arrest" or "White Gold", for example.

"A Full Rich Day" is my favourite here, probably my third favourite episode of the series after "Lifetime" and "The Incubator", actually. For an episode with many great lines (some of which are missing in syndication), I've always loved the following exchange, when the supposedly missing soldier from Luxembourg finally turns up:

Hawkeye: "I thought you said he was dead..."
Trapper: "He got better."

Ah, doctor's humour!

My other favourites are the aforementioned "O.R.", "Adam's Ribs" (of course- one of the greatest M*A*S*H episodes of all time!) and "The Consultant" (because I enjoy seeing Hawkeye confronted about his boozing as much as I enjoy seeing him put in his place by a woman).

Thoughts on season 3? Favourite eps? Ones you hate? And let's not forget the legendary shocker ending:

"I have a message. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake's plane...was shot down...over the Sea Of Japan. It spun in...there were no survivors."

 

So many fabulous songs, uh, episodes. Probably easier to pick those I like less and they would be Iron Guts Kelly and House Arrest, funnily enough.

However, I'd go for OR, Officer of the Day, Adam's Ribs, Abyssinia, Henry, The Consultant, Bulletin Board, Full Rich Day, Rainbow Bridge...

 

Just goes to show that as formidable of comedy writers as Gelbart, Fritzell and Greenbaum were, they didn't knock it outta the park every time...

"Iron Guts Kelly" and "House Arrest" just have (IMO) silly -nicer to say than 'dumb'- premises story/plot wise. And they both have their moments where the boundaries of good taste are severely bent...

 

Since everyone involved in the show hated the laugh track and said it was only added by network order, I don't understand why they continued to leave it on for syndicated reruns and home video releases...once the series left CBS, there was no need to keep it.

 

By that point, as much as they hated it, the laugh track was probably considered part of the show, so in it stayed, right into syndication. They show M*A*S*H reruns two eps a night here on the History Channel...I can only handle watching it for about five minutes until, between the laugh track and cuts I think "Why am I watching this when I could be watching it on DVD uncut and laugh track free?"

 

I think the show could get a second life and find a new audience if it was remastered in HD without the laugh track...perhaps even in widescreen. Anyhow, it at least needs a HD transfer and I hope that's what the delay is getting it up on Hulu.

 

I don't think any S3 episode ever reaches the heights of masterpieces like "Crisis" or "Deal Me Out", but there is a remarkably consistent quality to the year overall.

To save time I'll list the turkeys:

= "The General Flipped At Dawn" isn't very good in the first place, and has a horrible ending

= I already made clear my dislike for the premise of "House Arrest"

I suppose "Big Mac" and "Adam's Ribs" are the cream of this season, but there are many episodes the come oh so close: "A Full Rich Day", "The Consultant", "Rainbow Bridge", "Officer of the Day", "Payday"...

FWIW I like "Iron Guts Kelly" and "Private Charles Lamb"

 

I recall reading a TV GUIDE article or blurb regarding the S3 episode "White Gold". It was about guest star Hilly Hicks being tabbed for a leading role in a sort-of spin-off of M*A*S*H.

The ultimate not-really-as-spin-off turned out to be ROLL OUT, a WWII sitcom that looked at race relations with the same satirical eye as M*A*S*H. The series came and went in 12 or 13 episodes and has never been heard from again, but Hilly Hicks got a return trip to M*A*S*H in a subsequent episode in S5, "Post-Op".

I never cared for the "White Gold" episode, even though it was a Col. Flagg episode and had a couple of hilarious scenes. It all seemed like some gags in search of a coherent plot.

I DO like most of S3, as I do most of the series. Favorite has to be "Adam's Ribs". I remember that particular episode being one of the first I ever captured on a VHS tape back in 1978 and realized its replay value as we watched it over and over again.

 

The overuse of cheesy sitcomy incidental music in "White Gold" makes it almost unwatchable to me...sounds like a Get Smart episode.

 

I remember watching the series in syndication and the running order had changed. I always remember seeing "Bulletin Board" as the episode right before "Abyssinia Henry". Since Henry was so depressed in that episode it always made me sad because Henry would be gone in the very next episode. A false impression, perhaps.

 

What I recall most about MASH in syndication:

-- One of the strangest edits ever: a joke in "Deal Me Out" was cut, but the reaction from the laugh track was kept in. We got the existentially fascinating moment of people laughing at a joke that was never told.

-- The tag of "The Consultant" was cut, thus totally altering the point and impact of the entire episode.

 

I still occasionally use Cranston Lamont and Bernard Reznik as aliases...

 

Henry's Girlfriend. Not a great episode, but I suspect McLean liked it as he got some nice lines.

 

God bless your choo-choos...

 

I think season 3 was just about the best season of the series. Not only did we get two Col. Flagg episodes, but we had some other good ones like "Adam's Ribs" and "Springtime".

I'm surprised this season aired so out of production order on CBS. Most of the time when series are syndicated, they're shown in the same order they were originally shown on the network. With M A S H, for this season they aired in production order in syndication instead of broadcast order - which really confused me when I read the TV Guide listings and was thinking "this episode doesn't belong here".

The "OR" episode was the first without a laugh track, but it would lead to many more in the coming seasons. (Was there a laugh track used at all in the last season? The show was so dramatic by that point and it's been a while since I've seen them).

As another poster said, "The General Flipped at Dawn" is not a very strong episode. I'm surprised they used that as the season-opener. From what I can remember, season premieres weren't that big a deal back then - at least not what they'd become later. It seems that the November and February sweeps mattered the most.

I remember watching "Abyssinia Henry" with my family when it originally aired and were surprised by the final scene, but were NOT out-raged like some viewers reportedly were. I remember my mom saying "now they can't bring the character back".

Overall, a very strong season.

 

There was, but even the laugh track knew there wasn't much that was funny....

 

Despite what folks may remember, months before the finale it was widely reported that Henry would be killed, so it shouldn't have been a shock to anyone.

Clipping from The Des Moines Register - Newspapers.com

 

Henry's death was not a shock to me. I knew in advance just from reading newspapers and TV GUIDE. I expected it - and watched the episode to see how deftly it would be handled.

 

There seems to be a bit of consensus here as to which are the best season 3 eps and which are the worst. Thinking about it now, the highs are pretty high, but the lows are pretty low- not a lot of middle ground in season three, the episodes are either excellent or terrible

"White Gold" is probably one of my least favourite episodes of the entire series. It's just dumb IMO (and yeah the overuse of background music doesn't help either). Gelbart and Muntner were capable of writing much, much better than this.

I remember that as well- and I agree that "Bulletin Board" works well as the penultimate episode of the season. Poignant seeing all the principle characters having fun together before Henry (and Trapper's) departure.

Cutting off the actual ending of the episode in syndication altered more than a few early episodes- as already mentioned "Sometimes You Hear The Bullet" was affected the same way. I know there's more...

I remember when my wife and I watched the show (she'd never seen it before) when we got to "Abyssinia Henry" I just kept my mouth shut, but when Radar made the announcement my wife was like, "Wow- I can't believe they did that!" When I explained why they did it, though, she understood.

 

A full Rich Day is a great episode. The timing and cadence between Henry and Radar was at it's peak during this episode. Favorite line Henry to Radar "There 'll be no not finding him!".

 

Why didn't Trapper get a send-off episode?