by Jeffrey Miller

Created on: February 01, 2009

For the past couple of weeks my days in Korea have ended with me watching an episode of M*A*S*H. Kind of reminds me when I was back home and I also would watch a syndicated episode of the series in the evening long before shows like Friends and Seinfeld
took over the syndication block in the evening from 10:00-11:00pm.

Without question, if there were a Top Ten List of the best shows of the 70s, M*A*S*H would be at the top of that list. With a stellar cast and superb writing, the show epitomized what good television can be like.

At the same time, when I started to watch these episodes of M*A*S*H again it was the first time since I came to Korea that I have watched the show. It's been a real treat starting with the first episode from season one and watching the entire series again.

What I have always liked the most about the show was the caliber of writing that could humorous and philosophical at the same time. However, there was always that dark comedy underpinning that the writers continued to explore in many episodes whether it was the futility of war or the absurdity of it. Other times, the writing and the dialogue were just plain fun and entertaining.
Every time I make a phone call back to the States or even think about what is going on back home at any certain time, I often think about this dialogue exchange on M*A*S*H
between Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Radar (Gary Burghoff) in the season 2 episode, "Mail Call." In this episode, Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Trapper John (Wayne Rogers) play a joke on Frank regarding a phony stock tip (Frank was bragging how he was making money off the war from his stocks). When Frank finds out about this supposedly sweet stock tip (Pioneer Aviation) that Hawkeye is going to invest in, he wants to call his broker in New York immediately and buy the stock:

Frank: Corporal.

Radar: Yes, sir.

Frank: I want to make a stateside call. It's a New York number, Canal 7-9000.

Radar: Yes, sir. I'll get on it first thing tomorrow morning.

Frank: Well, I don't want it first thing in the morning. I want it first thing now!

Radar: Uh, well, I can't reach them now, sir. I'll be calling 'em yesterday.

Frank: That's ridiculous!

Radar: They're 16 hours behind us. Our today is their yesterday.

Frank: It's five o'clock in the afternoon!

Radar: Well, that's here, sir. Back there it's one o'clock yesterday morning. Everybody's gone to bed and said "See you tomorrow", which, by the time their tomorrow comes, will be our yesterday.

Frank: Isn't it 16 hours

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