We loved The Americans. It’s addicting!
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At the beginning of the pandemic when I desperately needed to be distracted from real life I was wishing I hadn’t already watched the Americans because it distracted me like few other shows have. Consequently I recommended it to several people at that time.
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After seeing the amazing Alan Alda on Colbert last night, I have an urge to get those MAS*H dvd’s out!!
He told a really funny story about end-to-end anastomosis (!). Sure it’s available online somewhere.
Didn’t this thread originally start with Broadchurch? H and I finally got around to watching the series - a bit slow at times, but very well done. Some amazing scenery. Great acting too.
Trying to figure out what our next binge should be…
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We rewatched MASH when my kids were in elementary school and thought it had aged quite well. (i.e. the doctors didn’t always treat the nurses well, but especially towards the end of the series, there was more awareness of the sexism and they got called out on it.) If anything the series gets almost a little too preachy in its last season or two.
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My sons got us all hooked on The Last Kingdom. Four seasons with a fifth season in the works. Saxons and Vikings.
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White Lotus on HBOmax is awesome!
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Early seasons are almost slapstick in their unsophisticated approach to the comedy. Then at some point it became a comedy with a few serious moments. By the end there were lots of serious moments. I read somewhere that Larry Gelbart required a surgery scene, however short, in every episode. The series quickly shed the McHale’s Navy “isn’t war fun?” vibe.
And as you say, the women were accorded more respect as the years went on. Hawkeye stopped referring to “Hotlips”, switching over to “Margaret”.
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MASH lasted 11 seasons but the real war only 2 years. They could put less and less real war in it because they’d already jumped over those battles.
I’m old enough to remember watching MASH during its original run (at least the last 4 seasons or so). I also remember it was a really big deal when the final episode aired. Crazy to think, more time has passed between now and the last episode of MASH than passed between the last episode and the end of the real Korean War.
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Just a heads up…Brooklyn 99 has two new episodes on tonight.
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If you have Amazon Prime, maybe take a look at detective shows DCI Banks or Silent Witness (20+ seasons - lots of material). We are enjoying both. Or for comedy, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.
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The MASH finale was in Feb. 1983. We had not yet bought a VCR nor could I afford one (were they even out by then?). I had tickets to a meaningless college basketball game that night. I chose to eat the tickets and watch the MASH finale. Today, things would be VERY different to be sure.
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I was in college when the finale of Mash came on.
I had a night course that evening. The professor cancelled class as he said I want to watch the finale and I know half of you will skip my class to watch it so class cancelled! So i watched it on my little 9 inch black and white tv. Thank goodness I have seen it again (though not often) in color on a bigger screen!
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106 million people in the US watched the last episode of MASH which, I believe, still is the record-holder for most-watched scripted show. With the plethora of options today, that record will likely never be broken
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I was in college in 1983, not much access to TV. I think I’ve since seen bits of the MASH finale, but not the whole episode. Someday I should.
I had a small baby who wouldn’t stay asleep that night; kept having to get up and down with her, so I missed some scenes along the way. Saw the crucial Hawkeye one though; has always stayed with me.
Just started watching Line of Duty and have finished Season 2. I pretty much agree with your assessments of Steve and Kate.
I wonder how many Yanks watching were scratching their heads trying to ascertain why DS (later DI) Cottan was called “Dot.” 
I love Ted Lasso!!
That is all.
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Dot Cotton is a character on the popular UK soap EastEnders