abstract
| - For many fans of the M*A*S*H TV series, the opening sequence was M*A*S*H. It contained some of the most memorable scenes of the series and captured the essence of what the show was all about--the choppers carrying wounded to be met by the MASH doctors, nurses and corpsmen running to the landing pad. The sense of urgency is palpable, and the coordination is amazing. In spite of the chaos, every person on the chopper pad seems to know exactly what to do without being told. While the basic structure of the opening sequence remained largely the same during all of the eleven seasons, there were subtle changes from season to season, mostly to accommodate changes in the main cast. Indeed, experienced M*A*S*H viewers can identify the series season simply by watching the opening sequence. A special extended opening sequence, which few know about, was also used for the first broadcast of the Pilot episode. But this was not used in syndication and so was forgotten until it came back in the Pilot episode on the DVD set. This special sequence will be detailed later in this article.
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