Discussing March’s Poll

4 Comments

Last month’s poll asked “Have you seen any episodes of AfterMASH?” and of the 175+ responses, 60% said yes and 40% said no. I suppose I should not be surprised that so many people visiting a website dedicated to M*A*S*H have seen at least one episode of the spin-off. But I really did not expect so many people to have seen AfterMASH. Personally, while I have copies of almost every episode, I have only seen a handful — enough to be familiar with the show so I could write an article about it. I just have no interest in watching it, to be honest.

So, for those who have seen episodes of AfterMASH, what are your thoughts? Were there any redeeming qualities or was it nothing but a poor continuation/imitation of M*A*S*H? For those who haven’t seen the show, do you want to?

4 Replies to “Discussing March’s Poll”

  1. I’ve read about the show and seen snippets of it on YouTube. Honestly as big a fan of Larry Gelbart as I am, it doesn’t do anything for me. I love M*A*S*H for a lot of reasons the least of which was the chemistry between the cast members and the situation they were put in. War isn’t pleasant and that’s the message we got from the 11 years we watched the show. The war was the protagonist which drove forward the show and the change in the cast and characters.

    AfterMASH just doesn’t resonate with me. I do like Col. Potter, Klinger and the Father but not enough to watch them lead their lives after the war. Sorry, but I don’t think I will watch this show…ever.

  2. I have seen the entire series. After the serious nature of M*A*S*H, it did not feel right to return to slap-stick comedy. D’Angelo’s character did not work. The resident doctor Pfeiffer was okay and his replacement, Dr. Boyer, was an interesting idea, but it came too late in the series when everything else had gone to hell.

    It felt like the show was thrown together quickly after the filming of M*A*S*H was completed and was rushed to be ready for the fall of 1983. All that said, the first season was not that bad — at first. The first few episodes were okay. Potter settling in to work in the hospital, Klinger settling in to civilian life, and Father Mulcahy overcoming his hearing problem. It would have been better had they focused more on Klinger’s struggles, particularly having a Korean wife (the racism hinted at in an early episode). They should have focused more on the patient’s struggle to overcome injuries and readjust. They tried this a few times, but failed. The show’s second season was nightmare. The cast changes only made the show worse and putting Klinger back in a dress did not work. It was okay when he was trying to get out of the Army because it made a statement. Him doing it to avoid being tried for a crime he committed does not work. The show’s creators ruined the show in the second season. Who knows, it could have have improved had the network not interfered (and changed nights).

    The one redeeming quality was the episode “Fallout.” Gelbart was nominated for an Emmy for this episode. It was about a soldier who had been present at atomic tests and developed leukemia as a result of radiation. Dr. Pfeiffer tired to get the VA to recognize the connection between radiation and leukemia, but they refused, despite several studies which indicated the connection. It was actually a really good episode. Again, if they had more like it where the focus was on one or two of the patients, it might have been a better series.

    Well, that was longer than I intended! I still wach AfterMASH occasionally, but only season one.

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