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M*A*S*H, 30 years later

Sep 30th, 2002
by Charles Kuffner.

Would M*A*S*H have been able to survive its early ratings problems if it came along today? Would it even have gotten onto network TV? Larry Gelbart doesn’t think so.

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3 Comments

  1. arseblogger says:
    October 1, 2002 at 7:11 am

    Why is it whenever you see M*A*S*H now, it has a terrible canned laughter track?

    It never used to, did it?

  2. Charles Kuffner says:
    October 1, 2002 at 8:23 am

    The first few seasons of M*A*S*H did feature a laugh track. I believe (tho’ I could be wrong) that the producers were eventually able to dump it. You’re right, it’s jarringly out of place, but most sitcoms were filmed before a studio audience back then, so a comedy without any laughter was considered unusual.

  3. arseblogger says:
    October 1, 2002 at 6:00 pm

    It’s just a different programme altogether when it has the canned laughter. It makes Alan Alda even more annoying.

    In 20 years time we’ll probably be watching re-runs of ‘6 feet under’ with a laugh track.