M*A*S*H

TV Milestones

by David Scott Diffrient

Few American television series are as deeply entrenched in twentieth-century popular culture as M*A*S*H, a Korean War medical comedy characterized by its dark tone and finesse in tackling serious social and political issues. By the end of its run, M*A*S*H had been a mainstream hit for several seasons and won fourteen Emmys, leading it to be called "the most popular pre-Seinfeld series in television history." In this comprehensive study of M*A*S*H, David Scott Diffrient analyzes the series' contextual issues―such as its creation, reception, and circulation―as well as textual issues like its formal innovations, narrative strategies, and themes.

While numerous episode summaries, cast interviews, trivia books, and even recipe guides have been inspired by M*A*S*H, only one other scholarly study of the series exists. Diffrient breaks new ground by fully addressing the wealth of complexities and contradictions in the series and exploring how they are rooted in the cultural ethos of the Vietnam War era. He examines the origins of M*A*S*H and the history surrounding its original broadcast, eventual syndication, and its reception, and he unpacks its narrative strategies, thematic motifs, and questions of identity and identification. In particular, Diffrient explores how the series was able to transcend the traditional boundaries of the sitcom and tackle issues like racial injustices, gender biases, bureaucratic mismanagement, and military snafus.

In his exhaustive analysis, Diffrient draws extensively on archival materials including original scripts, memos, and personal correspondence of the show's writers. He also considers the show's links to antiwar fiction and its influential and critically overlooked representation of Koreans and the Korean War. Students and teachers of film and television studies, as well as readers interested in M*A*S*H will enjoy this installment in the TV Milestones Series.

Genres: Nonfiction

168 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2008

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at a conference because I am a big fan of the show. The 3-star rating shouldn’t indicate much about the text’s quality, because it was interesting and well put together. The rating is really about my hopes for the book (and the series) to be more like the TV version of those for albums and video games - more of the writer brought in to eliminate the scholarly distance.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book on a great show. Diffrient is a good writer who has done his homework. His understanding of television and cinema is helpful for his analyses. His cultural and historical background of the show is the strongest part of the book. He also presents analyses of a number of episodes, being particular attuned to critical issues like gender and race. Still, the book takes a downturn in the latter chapters, which are jam packed with analyses of many episodes. I don’t have much to complain here, I suppose I was hoping for an argument that’s more novel about the show. Still, a good book.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I read this for a university essay I really enjoy it. It was interesting to read about MASH in an academic critical light, which for me, bought more to the TV show - definitely want to watch more of it soon, once this essay is out of the way I suppose!

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting a wide range of perspectives on M*A*S*H, since it's one of my favorite TV shoes. This book takes a more academic approach to the show---interesting.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely only one to read if you're a big fan of M*A*S*H. Otherwise, you will be bored to tears. If you're me, however, you'll be mentally saying, "Yeah, I remember that episode."