Few American television series are as deeply entrenched in
twentieth-century popular culture as M*A*S*H, a Korean War medical
comedy characterized by its dark tone and finesse in tackling
serious social and political issues. By the end of its run, M*A*S*H
had been a mainstream hit for several seasons and won fourteen
Emmys, leading it to be called "the most popular pre-Seinfeld
series in television history." In this comprehensive study of
M*A*S*H, David Scott Diffrient analyzes the series' contextual
issues-such as its creation, reception, and circulation-as well as
textual issues like its formal innovations, narrative strategies,
and themes. While numerous episode summaries, cast interviews,
trivia books, and even recipe guides have been inspired by M*A*S*H,
only one other scholarly study of the series exists. Diffrient
breaks new ground by fully addressing the wealth of complexities
and contradictions in the series and exploring how they are rooted
in the cultural ethos of the Vietnam War era. He examines the
origins of M*A*S*H and the history surrounding its original
broadcast, eventual syndication, and its reception, and he unpacks
its narrative strategies, thematic motifs, and questions of
identity and identification. In particular, Diffrient explores how
the series was able to transcend the traditional boundaries of the
sitcom and tackle issues like racial injustices, gender biases,
bureaucratic mismanagement, and military snafus. In his exhaustive
analysis, Diffrient draws extensively on archival materials
including original scripts, memos, and personal correspondence of
the show's writers. He also considers the show's links to antiwar
fiction and its influential and critically overlooked
representation of Koreans and the Korean War. Students and teachers
of film and television studies, as well as readers interested in
M*A*S*H will enjoy this installment in the TV Milestones Series.
General
Imprint: |
Wayne State University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
TV Milestones Series |
Release date: |
September 2008 |
First published: |
October 2008 |
Authors: |
David Scott Diffrient
|
Dimensions: |
180 x 129 x 11mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
168 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8143-3347-1 |
Categories: |
Books >
Arts & Architecture >
Performing arts >
Television
|
LSN: |
0-8143-3347-8 |
Barcode: |
9780814333471 |
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