TV shows that were / are needlessly dragged on despite being "over."

[AngryOldDem]

64. Exactly!

"MASH"'s appeal -- beginning with the movie -- was always the antiestablishment theme, and how those in authority were often fools. Look at the early seasons of the show. You had Frank and Hot Lips (and I have NO problem with that name because it was another jab at how those "in charge" often didn't live what they preached); Colonel Flagg (one of the most hilarious characters ever on TV, IMO); and all the other generals and brass who came across as complete idiots. Even Klinger and his dresses sent the message about how basically idiotic war is.

But the show lost its way sometime during the years I mentioned above, and I'm not sure why it happened. It seemed as if everyone set out on a self-serving hell-bent mission to show us how bad war is. The result: An unfunny, plodding half-hour of sanctimony. About the only episodes from that time that were truly funny were the ones involving practical jokes, and those really didn't concern the war. Ironic.

The last, really good episode that I remember was when Col. Potter got the bottle of wine as the last survivor from his WWI tontine. That was some powerful acting and writing, reminiscent of the good old days.

Sorry to go on. But it kind of pisses me off, because the show was a staple of my late childhood into young adulthood - I was in 6th grade when it started and a college senior when it ended, and I hated to see such a show slide so far downhill. It did it's best work sending an anti-war message when it didn't try so damn hard to send an anti-war message.