Season 1 General Discussion
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:13 pm
Chai mentioned in another thread that Season One is an under-rated season, and I really have to agree.
Usually, the first season of any television show is classified as the show's best season, or one of the show's under-rated seasons; a lot of shows that run for quite a while that the quality deteriorates after a few years (like Bewitched or Andy Griffith for example), people hail the first season, but then you have shows like M*A*S*H, Seinfeld, Cheers that get better and fresher along the way, that people tend to ignore the first seasons.
Season One of M*A*S*H was a difficult one, because those were some big shoes to fill: turning a successful novel, and an even more successful movie, in a "watered-down" sitcom was not an easy task (and hasn't been successful before or since); network scrutiny, freelance writers, and an uncertainy of the future made that first season rocky, but it really had some very memorable moments.
Just about the only praise the cast and crew give Season One is "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" (1x17); the producers are quick to mention the flaws of the season: too many recurring characters, the use of the laugh track, weak writing, etc. Not only that, but three of what the cast/crew and most fans consider to be the worst episodes of the series are from that season: "Cowboy" (1x08), "Edwina" (1x13), and "Major Fred C. Dobbs" (1x22), none of which (except for maybe "Edwina") are really bad episodes, IMO.
What are you thoughts?
It's my understanding that CBS FORCED them to do the episode "Major Fred C. Dobbs" (1x22), because someone at the network read in an almanac that Korea was the fifth largest producer of gold in the world, and wanted the show to have a gold rush episode. Even Gary said in an interview, "Where the hell are they going to find gold paint in Korea?" Still, it wasn't the worst episode of that season, or of the series, in my mind. And I actually kind of like "The Moose" (1x05) myself... not sure why, I just do.
And yes, "Sticky Wicket" (1x21) (and actually, there was an episode of Hogan's Heroes with the same title) was a good one in adding the touch of drama they were wanting to do from day one, and you're right, we see that Hawkeye is dedicated, but it his patient he was dedicated to, or his ego? They were heading in the right direction well by then, though we know that CBS wanted it to be "just another sitcom", and we DID end up with some rather slapstick moments, some even silly as Larry Gelbart and Alan Alda have admitted.
And yes, really no other show has put together such a terrific ensemble, you really do believe i these characters, and you really do feel like you just know them all too well.
You are not alone Dani, I too love "To Market, To Market" (1x02) and "Dear Dad" (1x12)... matter of fact, wasn't that just the perfect first Christmas episode a show could have ever done?
And like I mentioned in another thread, if there was one of the axed Season One characters that should've stayed, it was Ugly John, because how many times after that season were they short a gas passer, or one of the surgeons had to sit in on the gas tanks?
Usually, the first season of any television show is classified as the show's best season, or one of the show's under-rated seasons; a lot of shows that run for quite a while that the quality deteriorates after a few years (like Bewitched or Andy Griffith for example), people hail the first season, but then you have shows like M*A*S*H, Seinfeld, Cheers that get better and fresher along the way, that people tend to ignore the first seasons.
Season One of M*A*S*H was a difficult one, because those were some big shoes to fill: turning a successful novel, and an even more successful movie, in a "watered-down" sitcom was not an easy task (and hasn't been successful before or since); network scrutiny, freelance writers, and an uncertainy of the future made that first season rocky, but it really had some very memorable moments.
Just about the only praise the cast and crew give Season One is "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" (1x17); the producers are quick to mention the flaws of the season: too many recurring characters, the use of the laugh track, weak writing, etc. Not only that, but three of what the cast/crew and most fans consider to be the worst episodes of the series are from that season: "Cowboy" (1x08), "Edwina" (1x13), and "Major Fred C. Dobbs" (1x22), none of which (except for maybe "Edwina") are really bad episodes, IMO.
What are you thoughts?
It's my understanding that CBS FORCED them to do the episode "Major Fred C. Dobbs" (1x22), because someone at the network read in an almanac that Korea was the fifth largest producer of gold in the world, and wanted the show to have a gold rush episode. Even Gary said in an interview, "Where the hell are they going to find gold paint in Korea?" Still, it wasn't the worst episode of that season, or of the series, in my mind. And I actually kind of like "The Moose" (1x05) myself... not sure why, I just do.
And yes, "Sticky Wicket" (1x21) (and actually, there was an episode of Hogan's Heroes with the same title) was a good one in adding the touch of drama they were wanting to do from day one, and you're right, we see that Hawkeye is dedicated, but it his patient he was dedicated to, or his ego? They were heading in the right direction well by then, though we know that CBS wanted it to be "just another sitcom", and we DID end up with some rather slapstick moments, some even silly as Larry Gelbart and Alan Alda have admitted.
And yes, really no other show has put together such a terrific ensemble, you really do believe i these characters, and you really do feel like you just know them all too well.
You are not alone Dani, I too love "To Market, To Market" (1x02) and "Dear Dad" (1x12)... matter of fact, wasn't that just the perfect first Christmas episode a show could have ever done?
And like I mentioned in another thread, if there was one of the axed Season One characters that should've stayed, it was Ugly John, because how many times after that season were they short a gas passer, or one of the surgeons had to sit in on the gas tanks?