World Famous Comics: M*A*S*H - Martinis and Medicine Complete Collection
M*A*S*H - Martinis and Medicine Complete Collection
Starring: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Gary Burghoff, Larry Linville Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Number of Discs: 36 Number of Items: 36 Region Code: 1 Release Date: November 07, 2006 Running Time: 6695 minutes Theatrical Release Date: September 17, 1972
Product Description: Contains all eleven seasons of the television show M*A*S*H. Genre: Television Rating: NR Release Date: 7-NOV-2006 Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com: This M*A*S*H-tastic 36-disc collection is one for the television time capsule. It contains all 11 seasons of this multi-Emmy Award-winning series, PLUS Robert Altman's 1970 iconoclastic anti-war classic, PLUS two discs of special features, including two reunion specials and a series retrospective episode of A&E's Biography. As with the individual season sets, there are no new episode commentaries, a major disappointment. But M*A*S*H-ophiles will enjoy this set's other bonus features, including emotional behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of the last half-hour episode, "As Time Goes By," the inevitable bloopers, interviews with cast members as well as fans about their favorite episodes, a segment about the series' "Jocularity," a parade of PSAs (cut down on salt to avoid heart disease), and the text of an unproduced script penned by Alda for an episode titled, "Hawkeye on the Double." All of this material (except for a commemorative booklet) is available elsewhere in different configurations, but this space-saving (albeit ungainly packaged) box set collects them all under one tent.
Adapted for television by legendary comedy writer Larry Gelbart, the series has long since supplanted Altman's film in the public's consciousness. Life and death at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War doesn't seem like ripe fodder for a comedy series, but M*A*S*H masterfully balanced laughter and tears (less so in its later, more preachy seasons). It often does play better without a laugh track (a viewing option for all episodes). During its run, M*A*S*H survived several delicate operations, including the departure of Gelbart after season 4 and the loss of core ensemble members McLean Stevenson as Col. Henry Blake and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John (after season 3), Larry Linville as Frank Burns (after season 5) and Gary Burghoff (a veteran of the original film) as Radar (after season 8). The show thrived with the introduction of some new blood, Henry Morgan as "regular Army" Col. Potter and Mike Farrell as compassionate BJ (season 4) and David Ogden Stiers as elitist Charles Emerson Winchester III (season 6).
M*A*S*H was honored with the prestigious Peabody Award "for the depth of its humor and the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and, as well, to offer a profound statement on the nature of war." This was a sitcom that did not always leave you laughing, as witness the classic season 3 episode "Abyssinia, Henry." And throughout its run, M*A*S*H broke the sitcom mold with several episodes, including "The Interview" (season 4), in which Clete Roberts interviews the staff of the 4077th, "Point of View" (season 7), subjectively seen through the eyes of a wounded soldier and "Life Time" (season 8), which unfolds in real time. M*A*S*H boasted one of television's greatest ensembles, fully embodied characters who each became icons, most notably Alan Alda, who served with distinction as Hawkeye, the series' soul and conscience. But a special salute to Loretta Switt, whose Margaret Houlihan went from "Hot Lips" to nobody's pushover. From the "Pilot" to the feature-length finale, "Goodbye, Farewell & Amen," still the most-watched episode in history, this essential (but not so much if you bought the individual season sets) collection honors one of television's greatest half-hours. --Donald Liebenson
Perfect addition for M.A.S.H. collectors, but lousy packaging. The M.A.S.H. Martinis and Medicine collection is an excellent, all in one collection of all 11 seasons of the beloved TV series M.A.S.H., housed in a olive drab canvas covered storage book. The inclusion of the original movie, as well as the extended features brings this collection up to the level of collecting all 11 season releases, add the movie, and the Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen box with the extended features, but all kept orderly in a single binder. The problem is the binder itself, with no soft protective liner, the DVDs can get easily scratched. My own M&M box set is kept exclusively as a collectors item, and I keep the individual season sets for viewing. Just like the individual seasons, the first several seasons menus on the disks are missing the play all feature that the later seasons have. A pity Fox couldn't have updated those disks... Fox almost got this right, but missed the mark somewhat... I won't go into the series itself because if you are looking at M.A.S.H. DVD sets, you know what you are looking at... If you are a collector of all things M.A.S.H., this set is a must own...
M*A*S*H Complete Collection I highly recomend this product to anyone who wants to relive the excitment of the the T.V. series that caught the nation by storm. Well done and with lots of extra footage. The only drawback to this collection is the packaging. I went out and purchased a holder for the DVD's due to the fact that they were inserted into hard cardboard sleves that could damage the DVD's.
I love M*A*S*H! This is my favorite series. I dont pay for cable and dont usually get tv where I live. I watch this every day and love it. Anyone who loves this series needs this for their collection.
Martinis This is the best set to get if looking to buy the whole series. There were a few episodes that as a child missed and are not aired.
Nice collection-but a few problems First: It's nice to be able to get all eleven seasons (including the finale), the original movie, and two discs of bonus material.
However.
The binder for the discs is ungainly and doesn't protect the discs *at all*. In fact, it leaves them very susceptible to scratches. If you plan on watching these discs often, invest in individual cases in order to protect them.
Secondly, the bonus material is in need of clean-up. With all the ways older material can be digitally restored nowadays, having the bonus material cleaned up would be a good idea.
On the subject of digital cleanup, it's evident through long-term syndication that M*A*S*H is going to endure as popular viewing material. Cleaning up each episode digitally (especially visually, as some episodes have a lot of film tracks and pops) and presenting it in a high definition format would be fantastic for those people who have the higher-end television sets nowadays.
Finally, I'm rather annoyed that seasons 1-4 don't have a "Play All" function. If Fox ever gets around to doing a digital clean-up, I hope this gets remedied.
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