Is TV better than it used to be?

[Blarg]

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I doubt there's one hospital show pre-St. Elsewhere that stands up anymore.

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MASH is pre-St. Elsewhere, no? Stands up.

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Not as well as you think. For one thing, it's not really a medical show, and two, the canned laughtrack is really, really, really annoying. If I were reissuing the show on DVD, I'd redo the soundtrack without the canned laughter, it'd be SOOOO much better. The other problem is the last few years of the show are virtually unwatchable. It's starts of really great, continues on at a decent mix of good and bad, and then becomes retitled "The World According to Alan Alda Starring Alan Alda, Written by Alan Alda, Directed by Alan Alda, and Conceived By Alan Alda. Did I Mention Alan Alda Is On This Show?".

No show can survive being hijacked by its star like that, no matter how good it started.

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Agree that that show became extremely awful some years before its end. It made the show more about Alan Alda than about anything else -- and he is one smarmy, mealy-mouthed guy.