Summary
One ofMASH’smost experimental episodes feels like a prototype for one of the 2000s biggest TV shows.MASHran for 11 seasonsin total, and by the time the finale aired in 1983, it had picked clean every storyline imaginable. It began recycling plot points and character arcs, eventually leading the cast to vote on ending the show before it ran out of steam. Despite being on the air for a decade, it was still a ratings hit for CBS, but the network respected the cast’s decision that it was time to shut down the 4077th.
Still, CBS tried to keep things going withvariousMASHspinoffs, none of which took off. In later seasons,more experimental episodes were peppered throughout to keep the showinteresting. One ofMASH’smost divisive episodes was “Dreams,“which depicts the bizarre dreams the main characters suffer when they have time to catch a nap. “Dreams” is borderline horror in tone, but while it’s genuinely creative, it’s almost entirely lacking in laughs and too abstract for its own good.
MASH’s “Life Time” Takes Place In Real-Time
“Life Time” gives the MASH unit exactly 20 minutes to save a life
“Life Time” takes place almost entirely in real time, which was an incredibly rare gimmick for television during this era.
One of the show’s most unique outings came with season 8’s “Life Time” This opens with Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and the gang playing cards before a helicopter brings in a badly wounded soldier. The unit realizes they have 20 minutes at best to perform surgery or this soldier will either die or be left paralyzed.“Life Time” then introduces a ticking clock that remains ticking throughout most of the episode, underling the time pressure they’re under.
The result is one ofMASH’smost intense episodes, since viewers are always aware of the ticking clock. “Life Time” takes place almost entirely in real time, which was an incredibly rare gimmick for television during this era. This has the effect of dropping viewers right into the middle of the surgery, where the team has to improvise solutions - such as dunking the soldier into Hawkeye’s canvas bath to reduce his temperature - on the fly.
Only 2 MASH Actors Appeared In The First & Last Episode Of The Show
MASH ran for 11 seasons and saw many characters come and go, with only two actors appearing in the first and final episodes of the show.
MASH’s"Life Time” is also a moving episode, with a subplot involving the team waiting on another young soldier to die so they can use his aorta for surgery. This dying soldier’s buddy Roberts (Kevin Brophy) is disgusted by this until he comes to understand at least in death, his friend can save a life. The final shot of the show is also a tearjerker.
24
Cast
24 follows CTU (Counter-Terrorism Unit) agent Jack Bauer as he contends with various threats to national and international security by any means necessary. With each season comprised of 24 episodes telling Bauer’s story in real-time, 24 brings the action to life one day at a time. Racing against the clock, Bauer is forced to make impossible decisions in the name of public service, bending his personal morals to get the job done.
The most famous show to use the real time format is24, which debuted in 2001. This followed Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer for nine seasons as he raced against time to stop terrorist attacks, with the24 episodes of a given season representing an hour within a full day. In a way,MASH’s"Life Time” feels like a rough prototype for24,from the visual of a clock counting to the constant sense of unease as time races by.
24star Kiefer Sutherland’s father Donald first played the role of “Hawkeye” Pierce in 1970’sMASHmovie.
Naturally,MASHis lacking in24’sgunfights or car chases, but “Life Time” was one of the first shows to deploy real timeas a storytelling device. Even when24arrived, real time was rarely used in movies or TV, outside the occasional example like the Johnny Depp thrillerNick of Time. It’s doubtful producers drew direct inspiration from “Life Time,” but the similarities are interesting to note. This includes incorporating commercial breaks into the time that’s passed, or inserting quiet character beats into the breathless main action, like B.J.’s (Mike Farrell) guilt over waiting for the soldier to die.
“Life Time” Is One Of MASH’s Most Experimental Episodes
MASH was always willing to take risks
If there’s one reasonMASHlasted so long, it was its willingness to take chances. The death of Henry Blake in season 3 was an epoch-changing moment for television, and while long-running shows can get lazy or stick rigidly to formula,MASHwas still producing episodes like “Life Time” or “Dreams” many seasons in.“Life Time” was co-written and directed by Alda himself, who later cited it (viaCNN) as one of his favorite episodesfrom the show.
It’s an intense, high-energy outing that sneaks some laughs in, even during some tense moments. It’s a shame the sitcom didn’t try real time again, since it adds so much to the unease throughout “Life Time.“24would perfect the real time format over 20 years later, but on reflection,MASHwalked so that Jack Bauer could (literally) run. There aren’t many other comparisons between the CBS sitcom and Kiefer Sutherland’s thriller, butMASH’suse of real time is yet another instance of how pioneering the series could be.
MAS*H
MAS*H is a drama-comedy series set during the Korean War, centering on the lives of the staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they navigate the challenges of wartime medical service with humor and resilience.
