On January 8th both the movie M*A*S*H and the first season of the TV will be released on DVD. The movie's features will include a director's commentary, AMC's "Backstory" about the movie, a new documentary called "Enlisted: The Story Behind M*A*S*H", a background documentary called "M*A*S*H: History Through the Lens", a 30th Anniversary cast reunion, film restoration featurette, an easter egg and a still gallery. It'll be a double disc set in widescreen anamorphic format.

The TV series first season set will be three discs. As I understand it, it will come with a feature that allow you to watch each ep without the laugh track.

I can't wait.

I love being able to turn off the laugh track. It's a feature that makes a great show even better!

Second season now available. Three DVD set.
That's a great idea-being able to ditch the laugh track. Not a cheap one, though-I would think the soundtrack from the episode would have to be re-mixed. Still, I hope it catches on.

Yeah, I'm about midway through disc two (if you can't tell from my posts). I haven't watched a single ep with the laugh track yet.

Season Two was supposed to be released in May. Season Three has a tentative release date of Winter 2003. Time it right and it could be a great birthday present for me.

Count me among those that turn off the laugh track! I really love that feature! I always found the laugh track to be insulting, it's like they are saying I'm to dumb to know where the jokes are.

One regret I have is that there are no commentary tracks of any sorts on these discs. At least there should be one from Alda or Larry Gelbart.

According to www.bestbuy.com the third season is scheduled to be released on February 18, 2003. That's just ten days from birthday. It'd be a rather nice birthday present, I'm thinking.

Any thoughts of where I can get MASH on DVD? (I just got a DVD player yesterday, I am I excited to seeing the uncut versions of the shows.

Best Buy, Wal Mart or Target should have them. Or Blockbuster Video. Really most any place that sells DVDS would be a good place to look. Do you have a Movie Trading Company in Houston? (They're all over the Dallas area.) Barnes and Noble, Border Books. If all else fails, you could go to www.bestbuy.com or www.amazon.com

If you've ever seen the eps uncut, you may be surprised to find you remember a scene that has long been deleted. I know I have been.

Me too!

I finally bought me a DVD player, and the disc I bought to go with it - one of the big reasons for the purchase, truth to tell - was Season Two, complete and uncut.

First off, I was absolutely stunned to discover how much had been lost to commercial time over the years. I mean, I knew some stuff was missing, but watching the uncut eps makes it clear that the syndicated eps have been reduced to bare skeletons of basic storylines - losing any number of hilarious incidental bits. (Henry's lectures, for example; you'd never realise it from reruns, but they were an actual running gag during the first few seasons. Then there's something as small as the moment in 'Henry in Love' when Blake mumurs bitterly 'Yeah, everyone likes Nancy...' and syndication cuts off his tiny perfect punch line: '...I honestly think even my wife'd like her.')

I'm also enjoying the 'no laugh track' option. I admit to being a bit discombobulated at first not having the punchlines marked off by laffs, but laffing yourself whenever you feel like it quickly becomes much more satisfying. (Albeit the actors' 'insert track here' pauses never do become less noticeable.)

There's also the matter of colour - turns out that not only are the syndie prints chopped to bits, they're also horribly faded. M*A*S*H, first-run, actually featured any number of bright primary colours (most noticeably in Klinger's outfits)...and for the first time I'm realising that Trapper's hair is actually sandy-blond as opposed to muddy brown. (Look, you guys have your priorities, I have mine. )

Hopefully when I get some extra time I'll able to post some of my ep-specific impressions...but for now, I'm just having a ball rediscovering these shows for what they really were, mini-sitcom masterpieces.

Not only will the 11th and final season be out on DVD this November, but Fox Studio is planning on getting us M*A*S*H to double-dip: They're releasing the entire series as a set with "All New Extras Not Available Anywhere Else!" Unless this set has the grand finale, "Goodbye, Farewell & Amen" and the 11th Season DVD set doesn't, I, for one, am not going to buy the Collector's Set.

Mule fritters!