Product Description

Time hangs heavy on the hands of the Americans who staff the fictional Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the dispiriting Korean conflict. Fortunately for them-and for millions who wouldn't miss a minute of their weekly antics-wry resignation and a gift for finding laughs and courage in unlikely situations save the day. But this is war, after all, and during this third season of the '70s smash, some of the old hands are transferred from the 4077th to other posts. Those who remain must adjust to new personnel and battlefield perils. 10-1/2 hours on 3 DVDs.

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In honoring M*A*S*H's third season with the prestigious Peabody Award, the judges praised this series "for the depth of its humor and the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and, as well, to offer a profound statement on the nature of war." Contained on three discs, season three comprises several benchmark episodes illustrative of what the Peabody judges called "television of high purpose." In "Rainbow Bridge," Hawkeye (Alan Alda), Trapper (Wayne Rogers), Radar (Gary Burghoff), Klinger (Jamie Farr), and an opportunistic Frank Burns (Larry Linville) participate in a swap with the North Koreans of wounded POWs. In "The Consultant," Robert Alda (Alan's dad) guest stars as a visiting doctor who cracks under the pressure of operating so close to the front. And the shocking season finale, "Abyssinia, Henry," took a page from Mister Roberts and killed off commanding officer Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson), who was en route home.

M*A*S*H's sense of humor did not go AWOL. The season opener, "The General Flipped at Dawn," earned guest star Harry Morgan an Emmy nomination for his performance as a certifiable general and paved the way for Morgan to join the cast in season four. "Adam's Ribs" is a classic episode in which Hawkeye orders out to Chicago for a very special delivery of spare ribs. In "Iron Guts Kelly," the war's "greatest fighting general" gets a little too gung-ho and perishes in Margaret's (Loretta Swit) tent. Because of its wartime setting and life-and-death struggles, this is that rare sitcom that may actually play better without a laugh track, an option this set offers. To paraphrase the title of one episode, this was a full, rich season that offered each member of one of television's finest ensembles the opportunity to shine. But Alda, who was honored that year with a Golden Globe award, fully emerges as the series' star. --Donald Liebenson

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.5 x 1.25 inches; 5.6 ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Alan Alda, Don Weis, Gene Reynolds, Hy Averback, Larry Gelbart
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Collector's Edition, Box set, Full Screen, NTSC, DVD
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 10 hours and 12 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ February 18, 2003
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Loretta Swit, Larry Linville
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 1.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0), French (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
• Writers ‏ : ‎ Arthur Julian
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3