Getting ready for the big Oscar show. I’m avoiding Hollywood Blvd. and Highland (as I do every other day as well). Filled out my Oscar ballot with a resolution to next year maybe see some of the movies I trash. My laptop is at the ready. Bring on the red carpet shows and let the narcissismfest begin! My Oscar review will follow early Monday morning.“Back in the day” as we “old schoolers” used to say, when I was working on MASH we designa
ted one episode a year as our “Oscar” show. Usually it was apparent which episode should receive this lofty distinction.You might remember that for many years the Oscars were held on Monday night. MASH was also on Mondays. So once a year we would go head-to-head with the Academy Awards and of course get slaughtered in the ratings.
That is where we put our “Oscar” show. It was the worst episode of the year and happily we were always able to bury it. In summer reruns it would air on July 4th – the lowest viewing weekend of the year.
So, if for no other reason…I’d like to thank the Academy.
For those of you can't get enough Oscar coverage, here's my review of last year's ceremony.
19 comments :
Rest up Mr. L, Sunday’s you’re night, and if you give us another mental image like “J-Lo’s asp,” everything else will be icing on the cake. The one thing I still regret is there’s never been a nomination for any of the six Texas Chainsaw Massacres. All I want is to see Gunnar Hansen walking down the carpet as Leatherface, and have Joan Rivers ask who he’s wearing.
So which MASH episodes were "OScar" worthy?
I would have been watching MASH. I've never quite understood the appeal of the Oscars. I mean, sure, if you're up for an award I can understand the interest. And I guess parents would be watching and a few of their friends who they had called up to brag that their child was up for an award.
But after that?
All I see is a really drawn-out stuffy dull awards ceremony. I genuinely don't get it. It's far quicker just to ask someone the winners afterwards if you actually care about that, something I stopped doing back when poxy Out of Africa won.
@Bitter Animator:
the appeal is to see people who "made it" in Hollywood in a situation much like an audition, a job interview, or anything else of the sort where you don't know the outcome. It's like a game show - 4 to 5 possible winners, and on top of that they are all famous. We can root for them, hate them, and in the end we want to see how they react to the wonderful news because no matter how much money you make, you can't buy an Academy Award, so most likely the people winning this thing will be genuinely happy, maybe just maybe showing some real emotions instead of acting (which they do on the red carpet, in other interviews you read et cetera).
I think it's great to watch. I hate that the Golden Globes got canned because I'm from germany and I like the international jury judging Hollywood instead of Hollywood giving awards to itself. Anyway, last year we won the foreign Oscar so I can't be that mad now ;-)
So I take it you didn't run the Clete Roberts faux-documentary episode that night, or Henry Blake's death.
Why did CBS bother? Most networks throw in the towel and air reruns. But then, I see that this evening, CBS, alone among the other networks, is fielding some fresh shows: a new episode of BIG BROTHER (That will CREAM The Oscars. It's food competition and eviction nominations night!) and a new-to-network episode of DEXTER. Last week a chacter called Dexter a "Motherlover". Ouch! I wonder what hilarious bowldlerization we'll get this week. "Fudge you, Shootpole!"
I stand corrected, VH1 is airing new episodes of CELEBRITY REHAB, FLAVOR OF LOVE 3, ROCK OF LOVE 2, SCOTT BAIO IS EMOTIONALLY STUNTED (or whatever it's called), and MY FAIR BRADY against The Oscars. Oh man, The Oscars are toast! We may even see some of the Oscar losers pop up on CELEBRITY REHAB after the ceremony ends.
Yes, old school here too...
I miss Billy Crystal. His monologue and the memorial segment were the only things worth tuning in for.
On the other hand, who cab ever forget "Uma...Oprah. Oprah...Uma"
what dave said.
i am with Dave...Which episodes were these?
i guess we could take the time to look it up, checking out dates and cross checking with oscar dates...
but i'd rather hear it from you
@ scott: a friend and i already tried and we couldn't come up with a solution. so, ken is the man to solve the mystery.
@scott too: here's the friend with the burning interest: which MASH Episodes weren't worthy enough and had to be buried?
Refering Date's and Oscarbroadcoasting didn't solve the problem. My detective-nerves are tickling.
Sorry gang,
Out of respect to the writers and directors of those episodes I'm going to keep them under my hat.
still, thank you for tickling our curiosity.
are you going to cover this year's oscars, too? because last year's entry is beyond hilarious.
Isn't that MASH reunion thing today?
A great story Ken...but..in the 70's, the Oscars(tm) were still being held the first/second week of April - before switching to February to avoid the Final Four...which means MASH was in reruns by the time the Oscar(tm) showed up...was this the worst episode repeated??
five nanoseconds on Google, and you can find ANYthing out!
All I can say is that after sitting through the crappiest Oscar telecast in my 36 (soon to be 37 years) of existance, I would have PAID to see the worst MASH episode ever lensed.
That was the most awkward Oscar telecast I've ever seen, it was like I was both Uma and Oprah and David Letterman was the host.
I love Jon Stewart, but please bring back Johnny Carson or Steve Martin to host. (Yeah, Johnny's dead, but he's still better than Whoopi or the last 38 times Billy Crystal shticked up the stage).
Yes the Oscars were in April but I ASSURE you we showed first run shows against them. We also made 25, 26 episodes a season.
Five seconds on Google and you can find out anything -- whether it's true or not.
I don't make up these stories.
For the madly curious, IMDb lists the broadcast dates of every Academy Awards here and every M*A*S*H here.
Of course, there are zero overlapping dates. The Internet lets us down once again.
Hey, how come I didn't get invited to the MASH reunion thing today?
Loved your review. I agreed with almost none of it, but I loved it just the same.
I always take them way too seriously - I grew up in a town of 1200 and dreamed of being a writer in Hollywood, give me a break. Anyway, if you want to read a sappy review from someone who really enjoyed the evening, here it is:
http://somehavehats.typepad.com/some_have_hats/2008/02/inspired-by-tod.html#comments
Even worse: I really liked Something Something Country. But (no pun intended) "Jesse James" was robbed.
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