M*A*S*H

M*A*S*H – armeijan kenttäsairaala (1972) 

During its broadcast on the American television market, this sitcom was very popular, managing to empty entire streets despite the exceptionally high competition from other TV stations. The creators approached the subject differently than Altman, who directed a very raw and unpleasant anti-war film about the absurdities of war. The series M*A*S*H is clearly more mainstream, full of positively-tuned humor, with an emphasis on humanistic values while maintaining the original anti-war sentiment of the story. The series was successful practically everywhere it appeared, and as far as I know, it received exceptional reception, especially in Israel, where they have their own experiences with war, so why not at least laugh about it? For me, MASH was never a full-fledged cult show, and I was bothered by a certain slickness of the environment. Above all, the quality of the series declined over time, with later episodes sometimes even plagiarizing themselves. Overall impression: 75%. (14.05.2009)