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Just watching M*A*S*H: 30th Anniversary Reunion on TV. One or two observations regarding this iconic programme:

• It's much better without the canned laughter soundtrack which is evident on the current/recent re-runs on cable TV. I don't need canned laughter to tell me when something is funny. A number of years ago a friend who was a TV sound engineer let me into a little trade secret where during live recordings they sometimes play soft canned laughter through the studio sound system to encourage (i.e. trick) the audience to laugh because the herd instinct is apparent in all of us. People don't realise it's canned laughter and think it's other audience members laughing, so they join in.
  

• Hotlips Houlihan (actress Loretta Swit) nowadays has obviously and unattractively had collagen implants in her lips. Nasty. Not quite as bad as those sported by the formerly lovely Leslie Ash, but bad enough.
  

• The theme tune, Suicide is Painless, as well as being a favourite of mine is one of the relatively limited number of tunes I could play on the guitar prior to my efforts on said instrument being curtailed by a musical accident when aged 17 whereby I successfully, and rather painfully, lost the tip of my left index finger while helping to build a church organ. Yes, really!

Anyway, the 30th anniversary programme was quite good.