MASH: GOODBYE, FAREWELL AND AMEN

News of the day:

• The Rittenhouse killings occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  The parade deaths this weekend were in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  The consensus seems to be that the Rittenhouse innocence verdict will mean more AR-15 rifles at protests and general outings, and further protect gun rights.

• 
  The Ahmaud Arbery trial jury will begin deliberating tomorrow.  If all three white assailants are set free by the 11 white and 1 black panel, all hell will break loose.  Clearly, the timing was orchestrated for colder weather to minimize the potential backlash.  The defense strategy seems to be angling for a mistrial or deadlock.

• BTS got all the big awards at the American Music Awards.  Their Butter won Favorite Pop Song.  Watch them perform this song last night.

This weekend I viewed a special showing of MASH:  Goodbye, Farewell and Amen (amazingly enough, you can watch the entire 2.5 hour movie if you click on that), the 1983 finale of the TV series:

Almost 40 years later, this finale remains not only the most-watched finale of all time, but the most-watched single TV series episode of all time, with over 100 million viewers – and that doesn’t include the viewers in California who had to watch it a month later due to a power outage the night of the original broadcast – and has only been surpassed in viewership by sporting events.

More:

In the United States, the episode drew 105.97 million total viewers^[4] and a total audience of 121.6 million,^[5]more than both Super Bowl XVII and the Roots miniseries. The episode surpassed the single-episode ratingsrecord that had been set by the Dallas episode that resolved the "Who Shot J.R.?" cliffhanger. From 1983 until 2010, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" remained the most watched television broadcast in American history,^[1]passed only in total viewership (but not in ratings or share) in February 2010 by Super Bowl XLIV. It still stands as the most-watched finale of any television series,^[4] as well as the most-watched episode.^[6]

Rotten Tomatoes audiences gave it a 96 rating.  With all the interviews, the program ran for three hours.  Most astonishingly of all, this is the first time I watched Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.  MASH ran for 8 years.  The Korean War?  Three years.  Here is the very final scene.

Two sequel attempts were made.  AfterMASH followed the postwar adventures of Colonel Potter, Max Klinger (who in the movie married his Korean girlfriend and remained in the country) and Father Mulcahy, while W*A*L*T*E*R was only a pilot starring Gary Burghoff as his MASH character.

But back to this finale, what were you doing that night?

On the night of February 28, 1983, the show’s network competition over its two and a half hour airtime included a made-for-television disaster movie titled The Night the Bridge Fell Down (this is the whole film, with Desi Arnaz Jr, James 

MacArthur and Leslie Nielsen) on NBC, a Frontline episode on gun control and then a Wagner-focused episode of Great Performances on PBS, and on ABC, the reality show That’s Incredible! followed by the broadcast premiere of the Richard Gere movie American Gigolo. On cable, HBO was showing Sharky’s Machine (Burt Reynolds) and Showtime had the hit movie Diner, and of course, there were other channels with old movies and other various programming. The biggest movies in theaters at the time were still Tootsie, Gandhi, and 48 HRS., all a few months into their release, and E.T. in its 39th week.

To complete the education, MASH stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. 

• Then, of course, the TV show was based on the 1970 film M*A*S*H, directed by Robert Altman, with Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye, Elliott Gould as Trapper, Sally Kellerman as Hotlips Houlihan and Robert Duvall as Frank Burns.  
• TV Hawkeye Alan Alda's father was a popular actor, Robert, and Sutherland's son is Kiefer Sutherland of 24.
• Who knows this bit of trivia:  Gary Burghoff is the only actor from this film that moved on to television, as Corporal Walter Radar O'Reilly. 

• 
  One more, Suicide is Painless, the theme song for both, was written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Michael Altman (lyrics)
• Director Robert Altman told Mandel he wanted the stupidest song ever written.
• Mandel failed, so Altman gave a try.
• Finally, he challenged his 14-year old son Michael, who took all of 5 minutes to get it done.
•  Film occupies #56 on AFI's 100 greatest movies.

Some fabulous meals this week, beginning with Shanghai soup dumpling and roast duck:

For the first time in a long time, I went out to lunch.  For admission to Hau Tree Lanai I had to use my phone to show that my vaccination and booster shots were completed, and clicked on their QR code in case I had to be traced.  Spinach Benedict with a bloody mary and beer.  The view of Waikiki was of course spectacular.

Times Market now sells Japanese wagyu beef, this one from Kagoshima, and I must have been the first person to make a purchase, for it took more than half an hour for the store to determine what was the price and how to work in a 15% discount.  The eventual price was $76.49/pound (from the regular $90/pound), which is cheaper than the $100/pound at Marukai and sometimes $150/pound at J-Shop.  To the left is the Times ad (wagyu is at the top), with the 15% off price, which expires on Thanksgiving Day.

While all this checking was going on I was standing next to a stand of Apothic Crush red wine, so bought a bottle:

California- A decadent red blend that combines red fruit flavors with notes of caramel and chocolate for a luscious yet velvety smooth wine experience. Blend of Petite Sirah and Pinot Noir.

I also enjoyed a luau of pork lau lau, chicken long rice, poi, rice, lomi-lomi salmon and poke.  The latter two were enhanced with kazunoko (herring roe), white and green onions and hot sauces.  Accompaniments of Aloha Beer, hot sake and green tea, and Old Pali Road Whisky.  You don't want to try this meal if you have a sodium problem.

Finally, last night, fresh shiitake mushrooms, pork tofu and ahi sashimi:

One word comes to mind....umami.  All that with a bottle of Prosecco, sake and green tea.  I've had fabulous eating weeks, but this combination was right up there with the best ones.

-