I've been watching a lot of M*A*S*H recently. The Hallmark Channel runs four episodes each weekday, from 5-7 PM and repeating the block from 11-1 AM. M*A*S*H was, of course, about the adventures of the 4077th mobile army surgical hosptial during the Korean War (and from the show, Korea apparently resembles a California State Park.)

M*A*S*H was an odd show. During it's 11 year run, it started as a dark comedy with dramatic overtones, and over the years the drama side kept creeping higher until it overwhelmed the show at the end.

(Not that drama itself is a bad thing. Let's face it, war and hospitals are two of the most dramatic settings possible, never mind combining the two. I would even argue the change in tone was somewhat necessary to the show--as much fun as the earlier slapstick episodes where, how long could you really go that route? Let's face it, Frank Burns is a somewhat one-note character. The issue is that by the end it wasn't *good* drama. The show just thumped you over the head with a "war is bad" message until you threw your hands up.)

Hallmark is currently cycling through the fourth season, so you should still tune in (season eight is generally regarded as the big drop off point). Unfortunately, if you're tuning in now you missed out on the first three seasons with Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) and Trapper John (Wayne Rogers).

Blake's final episode is still a huge stomach punch when you watch it today. Basically, Henry finds out he's going home, and the whole episode is basically one big party. Then we find out in the last scene that his plane was shot down over the sea of Japan, spun out, and there were no survivors. It still hurts watching it today, I can't imagine seeing it when it first aired 30 years ago.

Stevenson's starred in a series of flops like "Hello Larry" and "Condo," making his decision to leave the show the worst career decision ever until David Caruso came around.

Rogers also left after season three and had to be abruptly written out of the show. Curiously, the character of Trapper was ressurected a few years (played by a different actor) later in a drama (?), called "Trapper John MD." To complicate matters, Wayne Rogers was simultaneously playing a Trapper John-esque character on a show called "House Calls."

Just make sure you turn off the TV if "Bless You Hawkeye" is on. Maybe my least favorite half-hour of television ever.