by Herbie J Pilato
The classic TV series M*A*S*H, which gave the world Alan Alda and a band of brilliant actors (and which was based on the 1970 Korean War medical-military feature film dramedy of the same name), originally aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983.
But it was never really the same after its second season. In other words, it wasn’t funny anymore; and in some sectors, it wasn’t considered even likable. It was a good show beyond its sophomore year, but it wasn’t the same show. It was like some kind of bizarro version of original self (which see Superman mythology); kind of like the less-than-worthy spin-off series (AfterM*A*S*H) it spawned after it ended.
So, what happened? Why did the series change? When did the show change? What were the changes?