Television Programs Pay Tribute To Memorial Day
on the CBS television network It won a slew of Emmy-awards and was one of the first comedies to effectively blend serious drama with humor.
One of the best dramatic elements of M*A*S*H was the fact that each episode did not always end happily. The doctors in the hospital unit sometimes lost patients. The series often dealt with dark humor and satire. As it went on, however, it dealt with death and the horrors of war. One of the main characters from the series (Colonel Henry Blake) dies after being shot down on his way home from the war.
M*A*S*H is rerun constantly on stations and cable networks throughout the country. A video collection appropriately entitled M*A*S*H: The Collector1s Edition is also available. Each cassette contains three full-length episodes. Not every episode deals with death, but the ones that do are some of the most poignant ever on television.
VIETNAM: THE SPECIAL COLLECTOR1S EDITION, originally aired 1988 Documentaries have been one of the most effective ways that television has attempted to tell the harrowing stories of war. One of the most effective such documentaries was a PBS series entitled VIETNAM: THE SPECIAL COLLECTOR1S EDITION. The six-part series took six years to produce and won a total of six Emmy awards. At thirteen hours in length, it is one of the most complete documentaries on the Vietnam War ever attempted.
Though each episode is worth viewing, two episodes are particularly effective at documenting the horrors suffered by American serviceman.
Episode four covers the 77-day siege of Khe Sahn and the Tet offensive. It also shows how the intensity of these battles helped to increase anti-war sentiment at home.
Episode five shows the battlefield conditions that American soldiers had to endure. It also focuses on soldiering and morale and the controversy surrounding America1s POWs, some of which still have yet to be accounted for.
FINAL THOUGHTS: There you have it, our look at some of the best programs ever shown on U.S. television which related to soliders and Memorial Day. Is it a complete list? Hardly. However, it does give you a broad perspective of some of the many regular series, mini-series and documentaries which have aired over the years.
For a list of recommended Memorial Day related programs airing over the Memorial Day weekend please check out my weekly column on U.S. Television which will appear on May 28th. It can be found at http://www.suite101.com/article/851.
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