M*A*S*H - Season Two (Collector's Edition)

To rehash a bit of my introduction to the M*A*S*H series....When I was in college, M*A*S*H reruns came on at 10:30PM, right after the local news. Religiously, I would watch the news, then M*A*S*H, then study (like I supposed to)...and definitely in that order! Luckily, my M*A*S*H habit didn't interfere with my school work but truly, this is one of my fondest memories during my college days. Quite a routine indeed. At that time, when all we had were VCRs, I seriously considered attempting to record each show and create my own library of M*A*S*H episodes. Well, procrastination has paid off...in spades! 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has finally realized that the incredible syndication calls for this show could easily be capitalized on via DVD sales. This stroke of marketing genius will soothe the savage beast for many of us M*A*S*H-crazed zealots.I purchased Season One in January and my copy of Season Two arrived just this week (and, I'm happy to report, I've stayed up way too late and watched all three discs....nuts!). Consequently, I've been the fortunate beneficiary of two full seasons within a six-month period, something many other reviewers have mentioned. All-in-all, I agree that Fox should consider releasing as many as three seasons per year but I'm quite certain their marketing machine has determined that pent-up demand generates increased sales. Regardless, I'm thrilled that someone has finally seen the light relative to this classic series. Kudos to Fox.Season Two is, without doubt, one of my favorites. While Season One was sensational, Two has a more familiar feel to it. In other words, the actors were perhaps more comfortable within their respective characters than in Season One thus allowing them to stylize a bit more, less mechanical. . Regardless the minutae of difference, Two is smashing!While there are many episodes that still have me laughing out loud as I rewatch them, perhaps one of the very funniest in Two is "Deal Me Out." This episode has a variety of stories within including the infamous poker game. This is our first introduction to Flagg, played by Edward Winter, an incredibly funny addition to the M*A*S*H family. Frank refuses to operate on a wounded soldier who happens to be a CID officer. Frank's rationale? Another CID officer must be present during the operation in case the wounded man "tells a bunch of secrets." Hawkeye and Trapper look at the wounded soldier and determine that waiting could be fatal to the CID man. Any fan of this show will have some idea of the hijinxs and bellybusters that follow.The episodes by disc: DISC ONE - 1) Divided We Stand, 2) Five O'Clock Charlie (hilarious), 3) Radar's Report, 4) For the Good of the Outfit, 5) Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde, 6) Kim, 7) L.I.P., 8) The Trial of Henry Blake. DISC TWO - 1) Dear Dad...Three (the neverending letter), 2) The Sniper, 3) Carry On, Hawkeye, 4) The Incubator, 5) Deal Me Out (must see!), 6) Hot Lips and Empty Arms, 7) Officers Only, 8) Henry in Love. DISC THREE - 1)For Want of a Boot, 2) Operation Noselift, 3) The Chosen People, 4) As You Were, 5) Crisis, 6) George, 7) Mail Call, 8) A Smattering of Intelligence.The picture quality is absolutely incredible particularly given the technology available at the time of taping. As with Season One, the viewer has the option of watching with or without the laugh track. A nice feature only available on DVD.If you love the syndicated reruns, pick up BOTH seasons on DVD immediately.

Love Mash

awesome,thank you

For any MASH enthusiast, you really should invest in the original series on DVD. I have Season 1, Season 2, Season 3 and Season 4. You may want to tape episodes off the TV for playback, but you are missing all the great comedy nuggets that got left on the cutting room floor when they edited the original episodes to allow for commercials.Once you view the first UNCUT episode of MASH, you may never want to watch it on TV again. I plan to get all the seasons, because eventually, no TV or cable outlet will run these shows for a long time.The best way to buy MASH episodes is through Amazon. I had difficulty finding a new Season 2 MASH DVD set anywhere I shopped. I found it on Amazon.com and was pleasantly surprised. The price is right, too. At a music/video shop I sometimes shop when I look for hard to find items.[...].

Hitting its stride midway through Season One, "M*A*S*H" emerged as a well-oiled machine in the fall of 1973. Producers Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds maintain an ideal balance of irreverence and poignancy in classic episodes such as "Five O'Clock Charlie," "Radar's Report," "The Sniper" and "A Smattering of Intelligence." You could not ask for a better serio-comic ensemble than Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Loretta Swit, Larry Linville and Gary Burghoff — with memorable visits from Allan Arbus (as psychiatrist Sidney Freedman) and Edward Winter (the paranoid CIA operative Colonel Flagg). Though the second year was uniformly strong, the 4077th reached its creative apex in Season Three. After years of butchered syndication prints, all 24 episodes are gloriously uncut and the DVD enables you to dispense with the obtrusive laugh track.

Product was in great shape. No complaints. One of our old discs had worn out had worn out from overuse!

This DVD, as far as the episodes go, is great. I had never seen these episodes unedited before. So for those of you (which is probably most of us) who have been watching it in Syndication, you are in for a real treat. The picture and sound are, well, DVD quality! The original didn't look and sound this good!However, as far as the "packaging" and extras go, it leaves a LOT to be desired. The only extra to speak of is the ability to delete the laugh track. There are no bloopers, no cast interviews, no "behind the scenes" nor any other of the "extras" almost all DVD's come with. The insert is plain and boring. The episode descriptions are extremely limited, and look as though they were written by someone who had never even watched the show. There is little or no additional information about, for example guest cast or directors, etc.As for the release schedule, well, come on FOX ... get with the program. Your loyal M*A*S*H fans do not want to wait six or seven years for the last season to finally come out. Take a lesson from Paramount and how quickly they got the entire series of Star Trek: The Next Generation out on DVD. Make it your resolve to get out all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H by the end of 2003 and give us the DVD we really want.. no, deserve!And, make sure you include the final episode "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" as part of the package!