M*A*S*H Boned the Fish When... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 10-05-2013, 04:47 AM

http://www.bonethefish.com/viewtopics.php?103#

Quote:

M*A*S*H is an American television series developed by Larry Gelbart, adapted from the 1970 feature film MASH (which was itself based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, by Richard Hooker). The series is a medical drama/black comedy that was produced by 20th Television Fox for CBS. It follows a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War. M*A*S*H's title sequence featured an instrumental version of the song "Suicide Is Painless", which also appears in the original film. The show was created after an attempt to film the original book's sequel, MASH Goes To Maine, failed. It is the most well-known version of the MASH works.

Marvo301 · 10-05-2013, 03:14 PM

I don't think M*A*S*H ever boned the fish. In fact I think they were very successful in replacing departing cast members and evolving and keeping the show fresh.

Mr. Television · 10-05-2013, 03:22 PM

Yea I can't really say the show got really bad. I usually only watched it after football season so it stayed fresh for me.

Skywalker · 10-05-2013, 03:36 PM

When Frank Burns left and they turned Hotlips into a human being. Replacing Frank with Winchester was a bad move. The show shifted towards more drama and a lot less comedy. The series finale was great though, one of the best of all time.

Retro4Life · 10-05-2013, 04:04 PM

Never boned. Despite cast changes, I think the show actually got better over time. I never liked it as a straight comedy; always preferred the mix of comedy with drama as this made it more realistic. Without the drama, you have Hogan's Heroes, a comedy about war time. That never made much sense to me.

hifijohn · 11-17-2013, 04:30 PM

the first season with trapper and stevenson were the best that a comedy show can get, but when those two left it started going down hill,it tooka a big hit when frank burns left.so it never offical jumped the shark just a slow downward spiral.

Best Man · 01-26-2014, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skywalker

When Frank Burns left and they turned Hotlips into a human being. Replacing Frank with Winchester was a bad move. The show shifted towards more drama and a lot less comedy. The series finale was great though, one of the best of all time.

The series finale was propaganda. They put down Syngman Rhee (of South Korea) so quickly (when Klinger was on the phone to Hawk) it was almost subliminal stimuli. They never said a bad word about commie, North Korean leader(Kim II Sung) a man who killed 700,000 of his own North Koreans and Kim started the whole Korean War!!!!!!!!!

Will Dockery · 07-19-2014, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Never boned. Despite cast changes, I think the show actually got better over time. I never liked it as a straight comedy; always preferred the mix of comedy with drama as this made it more realistic. Without the drama, you have Hogan's Heroes, a comedy about war time. That never made much sense to me.

I recently read somewhere that one of the writers for early M*A*S*H actually had been a writer for Hogan's Heroes! I don't remember who, but according to the article he wrote as many episodes as Larry Gelbart the first season.

Is this a fact, anyone here who can verify?

Will Dockery · 09-07-2014, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

When B.J. arrived. Mike Farrell could suck the humor out of any scene.

Add to that the show's drift to becoming the "Alan Alda Soapbox", with views that contradict the original character of Hawkeye.

Mood Ring · 09-24-2014, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will Dockery

Add to that the show's drift to becoming the "Alan Alda Soapbox", with views that contradict the original character of Hawkeye.

Yes, but the producers/directors/writers gave him that soap-box. They are as much to blame as Alda is.

gopyle · 12-28-2014, 11:20 PM

Well, That whole "boned the fish" as a replacement for "jumped the shark" never made any sense to me.
I pretty much only like the first three seasons. Later seasons had some good stuff in the original run, but for me do not hold up to repeat viewing.
And later, without Larry Linville, the series really lost some more steam.

TV 123 · 03-06-2015, 12:25 PM

The best seasons for me are 1-4 and 6. Season 5 was Burns' lame duck season as he needed the support of Margaret, and to some extent Blake, to provide some worthy opposition to the main protagonists. Winchester restored the balance in season 6, but the show had run its course by season 7.

Babalu · 03-14-2015, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will Dockery

Add to that the show's drift to becoming the "Alan Alda Soapbox", with views that contradict the original character of Hawkeye.

The whole show was a soap box. Much like the rest of TV which is why I outgrew it and come here instead of watching current TV.

Race's Girl · 08-06-2015, 08:46 AM

That mustache so didn't go on B.J

scrapple · 08-17-2015, 09:17 PM

I was SO tempted to vote for "too preachy", but I just had to go for "BJ replaces Trapper". Mike Farrell had to be the least funny actor ever to appear in a comedy show.

View Poll Results: Boned When...
Never boned the fish	5	17.86%
Too Preachy - Drama and Anti-War Speeches Replace Comedy	10	35.71%
Exit Stage Left...Wayne Rogers - BJ Hunnicut Replaces Trapper John	4	14.29%
Death - Abysinnia...Henry Blake...RIP	1	3.57%
Exit Stage Left...Radar - Heart of The Show	3	10.71%
B.J. Grows Moustache - '70s Moustache in '50s Army	2	7.14%
Klinger Stops Wearing Dresses - Original Zaniness Gone	0	0%
Exit Stage Right: Frank Burns - Needs Straight Man And Ally For Hotlips.	2	7.14%
Margaret's Engagement - Lt Col Donald Penobscott...Mr Hot Lips	1	3.57%
Finale - Dead baby	0	0%
Voters: 28. You may not vote on this poll

10-05-2013, 03:14 PM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,460	I don't think MAS*H ever boned the fish. In fact I think they were very successful in replacing departing cast members and evolving and keeping the show fresh.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

10-05-2013, 03:22 PM	#3
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	Yea I can't really say the show got really bad. I usually only watched it after football season so it stayed fresh for me.
	__________________ Sonny

10-05-2013, 04:04 PM	#5
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Never boned. Despite cast changes, I think the show actually got better over time. I never liked it as a straight comedy; always preferred the mix of comedy with drama as this made it more realistic. Without the drama, you have Hogan's Heroes, a comedy about war time. That never made much sense to me.
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

11-17-2013, 04:30 PM	#6
hifijohn Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 07, 2013 Posts: 209	stevensen and trapper the first season with trapper and stevenson were the best that a comedy show can get, but when those two left it started going down hill,it tooka a big hit when frank burns left.so it never offical jumped the shark just a slow downward spiral.

10-05-2013, 03:36 PM	#4
Skywalker Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2003 Posts: 14,204	When Frank Burns left and they turned Hotlips into a human being. Replacing Frank with Winchester was a bad move. The show shifted towards more drama and a lot less comedy. The series finale was great though, one of the best of all time.

12-28-2014, 11:20 PM	#11
gopyle Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 22, 2011 Posts: 235	Well, That whole "boned the fish" as a replacement for "jumped the shark" never made any sense to me. I pretty much only like the first three seasons. Later seasons had some good stuff in the original run, but for me do not hold up to repeat viewing. And later, without Larry Linville, the series really lost some more steam.

03-06-2015, 12:25 PM	#12
TV 123 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 18, 2015 Location: United States Posts: 28	The best seasons for me are 1-4 and 6. Season 5 was Burns' lame duck season as he needed the support of Margaret, and to some extent Blake, to provide some worthy opposition to the main protagonists. Winchester restored the balance in season 6, but the show had run its course by season 7.

08-06-2015, 08:46 AM	#14
Race's Girl Miss Tremendous Forum Celebrity Join Date: Jan 26, 2005 Location: On Fonzie's bike in front of Arnold's Posts: 23,460	That mustache so didn't go on B.J
	__________________ Girls rock so there, boys.

08-17-2015, 09:17 PM	#15
scrapple Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 03, 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 259	I was SO tempted to vote for "too preachy", but I just had to go for "BJ replaces Trapper". Mike Farrell had to be the least funny actor ever to appear in a comedy show.