Episode Spotlight: That’s Show Biz

23 Comments

Every Monday, I spotlight a random episode of M*A*S*H, providing a brief review and asking readers to offer their thoughts.

“That’s Show Biz” (#215, 10×01)
Originally Broadcast: Monday, October 26th, 1981
Written by David Pollock & Elias Davis
Directed by Charles S. Dubin

Capsule Summary: A USO troupe spends a few days at the 4077th, providing entertainment while also causing some problems.

It’s a good thing this is an hour-long episode, because there is a lot going on as the five members of the visiting USO troupe interact with doctors and nurses at the 4077th. I think “That’s Show Biz” has a bad reputation among M*A*S*H fans. But with so many characters and storylines, there’s probably something for everyone to like, if they give the episode a chance.

It all starts when singer Marina Ryan arrives at the camp via helicopter. She needs to have her appendix removed. The rest of the USO troupe soon arrives: Brandy Doyle, Sarah Miller, Ellie Carlyle, and Fast Freddie Nichols. Brandy is a burlesque dancer, Sarah sings and plays guitar, Ellie plays the accordion and the piano and sings, and Fast Freddie is a comedian and acts as emcee.

Charles can’t stop laughing at Fast Eddie’s jokes, even though he knows they’re terrible. Hawkeye and B.J., on the other hand, can’t wait for the laughter to stop. Klinger is a huge fan of Eddie as well but fails miserably when given the chance to perform alongside his comedy idol. Klinger also annoys Eddie by constantly joking, an all-too-obvious comparison to the way Eddie annoys Hawkeye and B.J. Is there anybody out there who enjoys Fast Eddie and his jokes? I doubt it. He’s worse than Jackie Flash, the emcee in “Showtime” from Season 1.

Hawkeye soon realizes that Marina has fallen in love with him. He doesn’t encourage her, knowing nothing can happen between them. He doesn’t want to take advantage of her feelings and he’s also not the man she thinks he is. Their conversation takes a somber tone at the end:

Hawkeye: “I’ve seen too much ever to be wide-eyed again. We’re the wrong blood type. We don’t match. Innocence-positive and lechery-negative.”
Marina: “Let me stay. I’ll prove you’re wrong.”
Hawkeye: “No, no. It’s not worth the risk. Remember, you did ask me not to leave a scar.”

Would Hawkeye from Season 1 keep his distance from Marina? I’d like to think so, due to her age and the fact that she’s his patient. His storyline here is weak. Rather than fall for Hawkeye, why couldn’t Marina develop feelings for Private Nowicki instead? Maybe she convinces herself she can break him out of his shell. She does, the way the episode plays out, but what if she doesn’t? What if she fails and decides she has nothing to offer. Hawkeye has to convince her to stay in the USO and help other soldiers.

Margaret initially has doubts about Brandy but the two become fast friends. Brandy has her eyes on Colonel Potter. Potter is starstruck at first before realizing Brandy has more than friendship in mind. Neither of these storylines develop enough to make much of an impact. Potter and Brandy is vaguely reminiscent of “Lil” from Season 7.

Sarah is trying to find a pair of ballet shoes her brother had with him when he was killed. She asks Father Mulcahy for help. Margaret offers her support as well. This is one of the more interesting storylines and my favorite, if I had to pick. I also like Charles bonding with Ellie over their shared love of classical music. Both are thin, however, and I don’t know how they’d play out if expanded.

Ultimately, “That’s Show Biz” fails simply because there are too many characters and storylines. Cut out Eddie and Brandy and I think the episode improves dramatically. As is so often the case, the need to give most of the main characters substantial roles proves to be the episode’s downfall. Curiously, B.J. doesn’t have much to do in this episode. He stands around a lot and doesn’t like Eddie’s jokes, but that’s about it.

Still from the M*A*S*H episode That's Show Biz showing Klinger and Fast Eddie

Klinger flails during a comedy bit with Fast Eddie.

“That’s Show Biz” was the fifth and final hour-long episode of M*A*S*H. Although aired as the Season 10 premiere, it was produced during Season 9 as two half-hour episodes with production numbers Z419 and Z420.

Why is B.J. sitting on a bicycle at the end of the episode while saying goodbye to Marina?

Where did Klinger get an accordion on such short notice?

The medic who helps Marina at the start of the episode, the pilot who brings her to the 4077th, and the wounded soldier who gives Hawkeye the ballet shoes are all uncredited.

Actress Amanda McBroom, who plays Ellie Carlyle, later composed several songs for Cop Rock. The short-lived musical/police drama aired on CBS ABC for 11 episodes during the 1990-1991 season.

23 Replies to “Episode Spotlight: That’s Show Biz”

  1. Probably one of my least favorite episodes, mainly because of Fast Freddy and Brandy. Both are annoying and over the top, and completely unfunny.

    I always wondered if Charles is really laughing at Fast Freddy or if he was doing it to mess with Hawkeye and BJ. The laughing just seems…off to me, but maybe that was just David trying to act like someone who’s laughing but trying not to.

    The story line with Sarah is good, although a pair of ballet shoes is a strange thing to have with you in combat. Soldier’s already carry a lot of stuff, and a pair of shoes that you can’t wear just seems like it’d take up too much space and is just awkward.

    It was definitely nice to see Hawkeye not be a huge turd with women for a change. I do not agree however about Season 1 Hawkeye acting the same, especially since he’d be 10 years younger then and closer to her age.

    1. About the ballet shoes, they were from his fiancé, who was a dancer. To expand on Amanda McBroom’s songwriting prowess, she also wrote the title song from the Bette Midler movie, “The Rose”.
      Aside from Marina’s storyline, nothing really stands out about this episode.

    2. Jeff Maxwell did an interview with the lady whose real life experience as a performer touring South Korea was the basis of the episode. The story about the ballet slippers actually happened.

  2. Rj,
    I noticed an interesting detail in this episode. Maybe even a “goof”!

    In the scene where Marina is talking to Nowiki for the first time, his bed is pulled out from the wall a good 18″. But when the camera switches to looking at him from the other direction, his bed is all the way against the wall. So during the conversation, both he and Marina are moving back and forth 😀

    I’m guessing they did this for filming, as his bed is the corner, and they couldn’t fit a camera on that corner while still fitting him head to toe into the shot.

    Let me know what you think!

  3. Just noticed, the 8063rd’s Chaplin is apparently named Charlie (revealed as Klinger hands off the phone to Father Mulcahy)

  4. Wonder why they had Klinger say “breakfast cereal” instead of the obvious brand “Rice Crispies”. They were allowed to use the brand name in “A Night at Rosie’s” with Hawkeye’s Breakfast of Ex Champions.

  5. This episode suffered from a common MASH problem during later seasons: laziness/fatigue. Instead of coming up with a new storyline, they decided to repeat a previous storyline from season 2 which wasn’t a very good one then either. Both episodes thought the audience would enjoy being treated to the entire USO show complete with entire songs and jokes. I’m sure the 80s audience loved tuning in to MASH only to find an old vaudeville act taken from the “naughty 90s” (1890s that is).

    As has been said already told biggest problem is Eddie and Brandi. Neither are funny but what’s worse is they’re both pathetic. Eddie is disappointed because he’s trying to get to a gig in Hoboken so he can finally make it. He’s well past his prime and I think deep down, he knows it. His jokes are hacky and his act is dated. Klinger found a kindred spirit in Freddy. They even sounded alike. The suspension of disbelief ran out when he got stage fright performing in the post op show. He’s always talking and laughing loudly in the camp trying to get attention. Not to mention all his scams are basically a performance to bilk people out of their money. Is it plausible that he would forget his lines and mess up the show? And as RJ said, considering they had such a hard time finding a harmonica, now he’s got an accordion? Klinger has become such a caricature and cartoony that his presence drags down the quality of the show. Jamie Farr said in an interview that he enjoyed doing more dramatic storylines even though he was there for comic relief. His dramatic acting isn’t much better as he comes off phony and insincere. And his nasal voice sounded more and more like Bea Arthur on Maude.

    As for Brandi, she’s the worst of the lot. She struts around shaking her hips and winking at everyone trying to be sexy. It’s very embarrassing to watch an 80 year old stripper pretending to be Mae West. Early on, she laments to “Sherm” how it’s sad that none of the young soldiers even know who she is anymore. It seems like it’s better for their mental well-being that they haven’t seen a grandmother shaking her tassels at them. At one point, she and Margaret came strutting outside together popping their hips and dancing. It’s out of character for Margaret to act all bright eyed and naive with the “big star” in her tent. She’s way more worldly wise than to be impressed with a D-List star from 30 years ago.

    The way the soldiers were hooting and hollering when Brandi was winking and shaking her hips at them was odd. She made a joke about listening to music in the nude and they all cheered. Were they really turned on at the thought of an elderly lady’s naked body or were they just being kind? The war didn’t last THAT long.

    I do like when people come to the camp and touch the lives of people as it makes it interesting. I know the writers said they were trying to make the show more interesting in the final seasons because they were worried about becoming too formulaic. I just didn’t think it was necessary to do an hour on this storyline. Just wasn’t enough meat there to really hold interest.

  6. I think BJ is on the front of a rickshaw bicycle with nowicki in the back, assumedly he wanted to say goodbye in person.

    On another note, I found the Brandi and Potter storyline kinda heartwarming. Both are no longer spring chickens, and I think Brandi appreciated a true fan, While Sherman got a piece of a giddy youthful fantasy from when he was a Doughboy. The back and forth is more charming between these two as it’s more pally and less worn out than Hawkeye’s schtick, especially when you know that they’re too old and respectful to take it any further.

      1. I’m a Gwen Verdon fan and thought she was a delight as Brandy. Actually, the only storyline I think gets overplayed is Freddy in the Swamp. I like the rest (And I believe Amanda McBroom also wrote the title song for “The Rose “

  7. Hawkeye: You can say hell. This is Korea. If you can’t say hell in hell, where in hell can you say it?
    The back-and-forth between the characters jumps out at me. Furthermore, each USO troupe member had their chance to shine. Marina is kind of cute, Ellie is quick-witted especially when popping Winchester’s balloon of pomposity, Sarah is relatable, Brandy is kind of sleazy but the good kind, and Freddie is funny but groan-inducing.

    1. I love that line! “You can say hell. This is Korea. If you can’t say hell in hell, where in hell can you say it?”

      There were several great lines in this one.

  8. About a month ago … Tue 9 Feb 2021 … this Show Biz Episode aired on MeTV

    7pm (East USA) was 1st Half, then Part 2 at 7:30 … got it ? (good) … NOW

    Part 2 Opening Intro when Helicopters Fly Over

    Started with Radar Looking UP (GOT THAT?)
    Yea, like in the Old Days when he was still ‘on’
    But he ‘gone’ by time this Episode Play (dig?)
    AND Gary’s name listed in the Cast Credits

    Anyone else see this ?
    And if did (or not) anyone explain ?
    … and/or find clip/shot/etc ? (as proof)

    Did look around on uTube and DVDs (etc)
    But all show as One Continuous Episode
    (aka, no split eps 1+2 ran them together )

    …. on and on, could contact MeTV, ask them how/why
    But me not good at that (maybe one of you do it ? … ty)

    So, again … anyone else see that on MeTV
    Or anywhere else ? … or any idea/etc about this SNAFU ?

    …. thanks for ‘help’

    (and tia for answer/reply/thoughts)

  9. Wow, people on her are awfully critical of this episode. I just watched it and thought it was fine. Yeah, Fast Eddie’s jokes are childish, unfunny and ridiculous but I have to put myself in the mind of the 1950s. The only thing I didn’t like was Brandi. My dislike had more to do with how the actress portrayed her and her age, which made some of her scenes uncomfortable, and not so much the character in general. I did not like her constant winking, and weird smiles, and hip shaking. I didn’t find any of the stories weak as the writer did. It’s a sitcom for crying out loud.

  10. What unique ways the members of the USO complement “our” main characters traits.

    Hawkeye’s concern for patients, we’ve come to love, is parallel to Marina’s instant concern for B.J.’s patient (and poker with the wounded!), except hers is demonstrated in a sweet sweet sweet fashion.
    B.J. “I’d like to prescribe a few minutes with her to every kid that comes through here.”

    The scene where Hawkeye is telling Marina she needs to go is so well done (where he gives a great description of himself). For that matter, all their scenes … from near the beginning “You show biz folks, always with the funny walks.“ “Direct me to the nearest threshold.” to the end “Break a leg.” “If I do, can you recommend a good doctor?”

    Charles and Ellie’s shared love for music had a rocky start and some good lines “I would like to dedicate this next tune to a really swell guy, with a head to match.”, then his cringing at the accordion music and, “Squeezing is a technic best suited to making orange juice, not music.” to a total face change and dancing to her music! Their goodbye lines were fun. Charles also appreciated Sarah’s voice (only demonstrated through his facial expressions.)

    I felt Charles’ inability to keep from laughing at the bad jokes was a demonstration of how well the members of the troupe were at boosting morale and connecting. They were all lively, upbeat, and entertaining (bad jokes and all) and if the point was to help morale, I think they were exceptional at.

    Brandy having been entertaining troops as long Potter has been in the Army was a great connections, I was left with the impression she was his introduction to a stripper, “back in the day”. Her kissing Potter goodbye was fun and “It’s just a handshake with lips.” Potter buttoning his top button is hilarious (as was his stammering around when he realized he’d invited her to his tent). Even their goodbye was fun, “… Mildred will cook us something special.”

    Brandy picking Father Mulcahy, Winchester and Potter during her song was the perfect three (everyone at the 4077 would think so).

    Sarah’s sweet innocent look and her search for ballet shoes is just like the seemly unimportant little things Father Mulcahy does all the time.
    Side note to Mulcahy, a perfectly delivered line, “Unless I’m mistaken that’s Brandy Doyle, the stripper.” was great.

    Freddie was just as sure as we were Klinger would shine under the spotlight, why it’s so funny when he freezes and forgets his lines.

    Margaret connections are more subtle and seem insignificant but add fun to Marina, Sarah, and Brandy.

    Fun:
    “I never thought I’d wind up as a carrier pigeon.” From the incoming wounded soldier as he hands Margaret the casualty report. Then near the end the ballet shoes getting to the 4077 by an incoming wounded soldier in much the same way.

    Hawkeye’s early threshold comment and Marina falling for him in a serious way.

    Many show biz comments throughout.

    B.J.’s seemly insignificant patient has several brief, but important, moments (making B.J. a big part, even if small).

    “Wars got his tongue.”

    “She open and closed in one night.”

    Utterly amazing how this all ties together by the end, every line had a purpose; all done in less than 50 minutes!

  11. I just saw this episode again and really liked several elements. A theme which shines through to me is the hospitality extended by the MASH ‘family’ to the ‘outsiders’ of the show-biz troupe. The moment when the troupe’s departure is delayed and they get extra time with the MASH family is a key to my understanding of the episode. In wartime, when there is so much chaos and friendships are often fleeting, who wouldn’t welcome a chance to spend more time with new friends? It is reminiscent of the moment when Mr. Tucker in the Andy Griffith episode ‘Man in a Hurry’ is all set to leave Mayberry after his car is finally repaired. He suddenly abandons his gruff insistence on getting to Charlotte in a hurry, and grabs the opportunity that arises to ‘stay awhile.’. There is a good reason why many people consider ‘Man in a Hurry’ to be the finest episode of TAGS.

    Everybody wants to make new friends and new connections with interesting people. It enriches our lives. I see the interactions of the characters in ‘That’s Show Biz’ as a confirmation of that human experience. When considered in that light, the title of the episode is a wonderful bit of ironic comedy!

  12. I could get fast Freddie Nichols’s jokes when introduced to Hawkeye. “Suit yourself” Yeah, that joke and others, a big percentage of the others. Can anyone clarify his jokes?

    1. It’s a play on words, “suit yourself/suture self, doc!” Suture referring to stitches used in surgery.

  13. I would love to know what that song is that Ellie played on the piano. The first song. Not the one Charles danced to.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.