AfterMASH Was Better Then The Original

[callmetootie]

This spin-off, was so much funnier then the original series. I remember episodes of MASH taht didn't let out a single laugh. AfterMASH is a rare show, but it aired in a marathon on FX in the mid-90's I think.

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Andrew Carden

[Dr. Thong]

Funnier than the original series?

I have to disagree on that one. While the last few seasons of MASH had fewer and fewer laughs, with most of the shows being on the serious side, the early years of the show (the Colonel Blake era) were an absolute riot for the most part. Larry Gelbart gave the show a great satirical and comedic edge.

But "After-MASH" was a bad idea: Take the three least interesting characters from a show and spin them off. It was highly improbable that Klinger would elect not to go home to live in Toledo.

In fact, the show was doing so badly, they overhauled the show for the second season, replacing a couple of cast members and resorting to putting Klinger back in drag.

If the show was so good, how come it had to resort to that?

I respect your opinion, but choose to heartily disagree

[callmetootie]

Well, it was said that the first time that Max was in drag on AfterMASH, got them a very good rating, but the times following disgusted people. The episodes that didn't have him in drag got the good ratings.

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Andrew Carden

[Austin Tripper]

after mash.. I remember that (ha ha ha)..

* hey what was the spin off of dukes of hazzard?? Enis?? right?.. was there another one also?

[DJM77]

Originally posted by Austin Tripper:
after mash.. I remember that (ha ha ha)..

* hey what was the spin off of dukes of hazzard?? Enis?? right?.. was there another one also?

Nah. Enos was the only spinoff of Dukes Of Hazzard.

[PPatters]

Few episodes of "M*A*S*H" didn't have laughs, but that was at the wish of the producers. Episodes like the clock episode did not use the laugh track because they were meant for their dramatic content more than their comedic content.

Now, I've never seen "AfterMASH", but if they had to resort to putting Klinger back in drag, well, then, you've got a major problem. I am sure it was a ratings ploy that, in the end, bombed.

[mashfan]

Originally posted by callmetootie
This spin-off, was so much funnier then the original series. I remember episodes of MASH taht didn't let out a single laugh. AfterMASH is a rare show, but it aired in a marathon on FX in the mid-90's I think.

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Andrew Carden

No, it wasn't. Yes it had some funny moments (the episode with Col. Flagg was pretty good) but for the most part, it was painful to watch.

They should have done what "Lou Grant" did; made the series a straight drama, instead of a "dramedy." They could have dealt with problems of returning vets: amputations, post traumatic stress, shell shock, etc. This would have tied directly into Gene Reynolds notion that MASH was a comment on the Vietnam war.

I agree with the casting of Harry Morgan and Bill Christopher, as Potter was an interseting character (with that much history, both world wars behind him, he could have brought a great perspective to some of the stories) and Bill Christopher was a needed spiritual presence. FR. Mulcahy also had the hearing loss, which was done in the MASH finale cleary as a setup for AfterMASH.

Klinger was the wrong casting. They tried to set him up as the common soldier coming home after the war. Problems:
He was clearly comic relief from the get go, even though MASH established later on that he was a competent corpsman.
He was a Muslim married to a Korean national, and there was no prejudice coming home? I don't buy it.

I think they should have gotten Allan Arbus as Sidney Freedman to come in. He could have been the real "fish out of water;" big city psychiatrist comes to small mid-west town to minister to the veterans.

The production was clearly rushed, also. The pilot and some of the early episodes could have stood some polishing. It's hard to believe Larry Gelbart took co-creator/consultant credit. His contribution was clearly non-evident.

I know this is long, but everyone who criticizes this show never does it constructively. It's always "That show should never have happened." The idea had potential, it was just never exploited. The main problem being they spun off a middle of the road show from a show that was never middle of the road even when it was mediocre.

Steve

[mashfan]

Originally posted by Dr. Thong
Funnier than the original series?

In fact, the show was doing so badly, they overhauled the show for the second season, replacing a couple of cast members and resorting to putting Klinger back in drag.

I heartily disagree with your disagree.

The 80sExchange http://www.80sxchange.com/80s_charts/83-84.html shows that AfterMASH ended No. 14 for the 83-84 season. Top twenty shows usually don't get retooled, unless the network was unhappy with the show in some way. It fell off the map, I think, because it was successful (it was in MASHes old time slot, Tuesdays at 9:00 PM) and the netowork moved it to an anchor position on another night (I believe on Saturdays) where it got clobbered.

So why was it retooled? Because there was no "Hawkeye." Jamie Farr has said on a couple of occasions that he thought he would move into the position that Alan Alda occupied on MASH. A ludicrous notion at best. They tried two male leads, Jay O. Saunders as Gene Pfiefer until episode 15, then David Aykroyd as Mark Boyer. Both of these characters were not defined enough. Boyer was particularly problematic. He was an ex-MASH doctor who had post traumatic stress. Since we never get to see any of the 4077th doctors post MASH except Potter, Boyer was supposed to replace Hawkeye, BJ or Charles.

It might have been better if Boyer came in to General General as a patient, and moved up to a full staff member. But the PTS was down played early on.

I do believe, however, if AfterMASH had remained in the MASH timeslot, the producers would have had an opportunity to work out the bugs.

Steve

[RLent]

I admit it, I liked AfterMash when it was on the air. It wasn't better than MASH, not by a long shot. But I guess I didn't want to let MASH go.

One of the difficulties was that the characters, both on MASH and AfterMash did not think or act like they were from the early 50's. This worked better on MASH, because it was more removed from the "reality" of civilian life at home. It is difficult to talk about the post Korean War experience with characters who don't think and act like they belong in that time period.

Klinger's wife was, to say the least, atypical of asian war brides of the time. The culture shock was phenomenal. European war brides also experienced culture shock, but it wasn't as large.

But I think the show had too much baggage to ever find its own way

[FBMcFLY]

The main reason this show tanked was because no one cared about the characters except Klinger, and he wasn't enough. Mulcahy was a joke. The writing was also very weak. It could of been sooooooo much better, but I still liked the show overall.

[TJL]

The original was far superior.

[FBMcFLY]

I agree. But you have to remember, even if AfterMash was an awesome show that ran 10 years, nothing is going to compare to the original. Especially a classic like M*A*S*H.

[90210 Dude]

Though I'm in the minority amongst my friends, I loved MASH but I have to admit, never knew about AfterMASH!!!! I wish they would start showing reruns, caz I never heard of it before until now! that is wicked, its like a whole a new show for me! Its kinda ironic for me though caz Colonel Potter and Klinger weren't exactly my favourites. Who Cares! more MASH!

[MASHMan]

"Mashfan", you don't know know how eerily on-the-mark you are with that first post of yours! In 2002, I spoke to Jamie Farr about the sequel series and your description is pretty much EXACTLY the concept he had had in mind when he was involved in the early genesis of "AfterMASH." In Jamie's words, he had hoped the series would be more like the classic Oscar-winning film "The Best Years of Our Lives", showing what happened to the veterans after they came home and the struggles and experiences they went through.

Jamie also confirmed to me that changes (poorly conceived ones, in my opinion) that occurred in the second season came by the orders of CBS in a (bad) attempt to make the series funnier than the first season.

Correction on your second post, though. "AfterMASH" took over the timeslot that had been vacated by "M*A*S*H", but it was MONDAY nights at 9 (Eastern/Pacific). Then after being bumped that spring by a new series called "Kate and Allie", "AfterMASH" returned in the summer on Sunday nights, where the reruns finished around the middle of the pack in the Nielsens. (It never aired on Saturday nights.) The second season premiere also aired on Sunday at 8:00 and finished in the top 10 programs for the week. Then the season's second episode aired two nights later in the sacrificial lamb timeslot opposite NBC's powerhouse series "The A-Team", forcing "AfterMASH"'s eventual "on hiatus" status in November of '84, the airing of the next-to-last episode on a Friday night in May of '85, and the abrupt pulling of the final episode that was supposed to air right after that.

[Scoobiedoo30]

I wish I could have seen this series