After posting something on the general board about episodes imbedded in others, and the episode where they covered the whole year of 1951, I recalled something I'd considered earlier, and wanted to see if anyone else thought of it this way. Granted, I haven't seen the show in years, though it was once a favorite.

it's obvious that 11 years of episodes can't fit into a 3 year wr. This would require every episode to take only 3-4 days from start to resolution, and while M*A*S*H could have overlapping episodes easily at times, they can't all do that.

However, there is a logical explanation. Col. Blake was said to leave in what, Sept. of 1952 or so? And an episode early in season 4 gives the date as October of '52. This lets almost all of seasons 1-3, most of 4-5, and a little of the rest happen in one timeline, the Blake till '52 timeline.

In the others, Col. Blake, Trapper, and Frank all leave before 1950 ends. Why? Because the episode where they cover the whole of 1951 starts right at the beginning. In fact, I really think the writers wanted it that way as if to say, "We know this can't all happen, so we're figuring these people have been together since almost the start, and there is some other explanation in this timeline for the others' leaving early." (Col. Blake fans, take heart, maybe he survives in that "Charles in '50" TL.)

That's how I've come to view M*A*S*H. Same characters, but somehow, different things happen. Take the season three episode where Klinger, all the doctors but Col. Blake, and Margaret are at the front. ("Aid Station"?) that might be a good jumping off point for "Charles in '50" to start; say that's in November of '50 or so, and some things happen (don't know what) to cause Trapper to want to go home becuase of it, while Frank just goes crazy because he's secretly too scared of front-line duty. Col. blake gets transferred for some reason, and Potter, B.J., and Charles all come together.

That might mean that in "Blake till '52," Radar's Uncle Ed never dies, and he leaves witht he rest of them whent he war ends. Or, you might have some other ideas.

Edit: I just remembered Margaret got married. But, did she stay married? That kind of got forgotten...so I guess it's iffy which she got married in :-) Maybe *that* was in "Charles in '50" and Frank left some other way in "Blake till '52." Or, maybe there's room for her marriage in "Blake till '52" - all depends on how many episodes actually even mention her being married.

or, maybe you think it's more than 2 timelines, or you just think it's too convoluted to think that way :-)

That's very interesting

There are numerous discrepancies and errors regarding M*A*S*H's internal continuity. I don't worry about it. I just enjoy it and try not to think about it.

Oh. Another layer of complexity. Alternate universes in M*A*S*H. Oh!

But it IS a very interesting idea. Bravo.

PS. Perhaps if multiple timelines are allowed, so too might it be that the Korean War in TV-land was not the Korean war of received reality...

They deffinately changed the timeline; mainly i suppose because at the time M*A*S*H began, FEW sitcoms lasted more than 5 years,and they never likely expected that they would eventually need to stretch a 3 year span into 11 seasons. but, since the show lasted nearly 4 times as long as the real war; they actually had to "back up" in order to make enough room in the 3 year timeline for all the events and personel changes over a much longer true timespan (of the show). However as Dr Thong says:
There are numerous discrepancies and errors regarding M*A*S*H's internal continuity. I don't worry about it. I just enjoy it and try not to think about it. :)

I find this a little confusing more than interesting. Margaret's marriage was forgotten? What was the last ep she ever mentioned Donald Penobscott in?

I find this a little confusing more than interesting. Margaret's marriage was forgotten? What was the last ep she ever mentioned Donald Penobscott in?

It wasn't forgotten. She just didn't talk about it much after a certain point. After you get over someone, the last thing you want to do is keep bringing them up. Margaret moved on.

Besides, who's to say that she didn't talk about him off camera? Keep in mind we only saw 30 minute increments of their "lives.";)

I tried figuring out the whole timeline once, but I got a nosebleed so I stopped.

;)

The only way you can enjoy MASH is not to think about time lines. Because of this post I reviewed a couple of episodes of MASH from MY DVDs and found this involving Potter

In BJ's first episode if you watch the end where they list the cast they have this brief preview of Potters arrival and the PA announcer says that Potter takes command effective 1600 Sept 19 1952

Now jump to when Charles replaces Frank one of the episodes is MASH Olympics. The 1952 Summer Olympics ran from July 19- August 3 1952 which is a month BEFORE Potter arrived and Frank was still there when Potter arrived.

And then jump to season 9. They have the episode covering 1951 in one episode. Which means that Potter and Charles were then on December 31 1950 and that Radar was gone before then.

The Korean war started on June 25 1950. That means that All the original characters arrived at MASH, Henry Blake died, Trapper, Frank and Radar left. Plus BJ, Potter and Charles arrive at MASH within 6 months.

The best way to enjoy the show is to just ignore the time lines. You can't fit a three year war into a show that ran for 11 years But if you need to try to fit the show into a three year period I would suggest this

Year 1: Henry Blake in command

Year 2: Henry dies, BJ arrives and Potter takes command. Frank leaves and Charles arrives.

Year 3: Radar leaves. Klinger replaces Radar as company clerk

I've known for YEARS that the "MASH" timeline is so screwed up that the best way to enjoy it is to just put all thoughts of a timeline out of your head and just sit back and enjoy it.

Less analyzing, more enjoying!:talk: