“M*A*S*H” turned 50 years old this past Saturday, folks.  It debuted on September 17, 1972, and ran for 11 seasons.  (The “M*A*S*H” feature film preceded it by two years — the movie was itself an adaptation of Richard Hooker’s 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors.)

So the show is as old as I am.  And that’s pretty old.

This show was an institution when I was growing up.  It was just one of those shows that seemed like it had always been there — like the original “Star Trek” (1966-1969).  It was beloved of my dad and older siblings, even if I was too young to fully appreciate it at the time.  Dear lord, did it make people laugh.