M*A*S*H Encounter

Happy Monday Everyone. This post is for a few specific friends but I wanted to share it with all of you.

Sometimes in life we get unexpected opportunities that have significant meaning to you.

Last night, as I usually do on Sunday nights, at 9 o'clock I tuned into a Sirius XM radio program called "The Diner". Its a talk show hosted by Lou Simon where listeners call in to talk about their favorite music. Most of them are baby boomers like me who talk about songs from 50s thru the 80s but there's really no boundaries put on time frame or topics.

As a matter of fact the things discussed are sometimes unbelievably obscure or specific. For example, last night the topics were: bad or unnecessary rerecording of hit songs by other artists, songs that start with the artist singing right away, and hits that were recorded live in concert.

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I tuned in to Sirius XM channel 106 on my I-pad, with the intention of calling in for the first time this year.

I dialed my phone and got put in queue to talk on the air. While on hold I got a pleasant surprise. Lou invited a couple of listeners as guests into his Los Angeles studio. One of them was Ken Levine.

Most of you won't recognize that name but chances are if you watched TV sit coms in the 70s and 80s you've seen his name in the opening credits many times.

He's written episodes for Cheers, Fraiser, Wings, Almost Perfect, The Jeffersons and more. But the show I know him from is M*A*S*H.

Anyone who knows me, knows that it's my all-time favorite TV show by far. I own the entire series on DVD and watch it almost every time I find it airing anywhere on TV.

Along with his co-writer, David Isaacs, he wrote and edited many of the episodes for M*A*S*H's 5th & 6th seasons. Among them are some of my all-time favorites: The Merchant of Korea, The Smell of Music, The Billfold Syndrome, A Night At Rosies and my #1 favorite episode, Patent 4077.

I enjoyed listening to Lou, Mr. Levine, and the other in studio guest, writer and Billboard chart expert, Fred Bronson talk among themselves and to other callers while I was on hold for a little over an hour. Finally it was my turn to talk on the air.

Now this might not be a big deal but it meant a lot to me. As soon as I got on the air I addressed Ken Levine. I thanked him for writing Patent 4077 and A Night At Rosies. He thanked me and added that he and Isaacs wrote the "Rosies" episode over a single weekend.

I then went on to talk about some of the music related things I had originally called about. But without a doubt the most memorable thing for me about this

conversation was the opportunity to talk with Ken Levine.

I also learned from the show that he has his own podcast called "Hollywood and Levine". I have already subscribed to it and look forward to hearing what one of TV's best comedy writers ever has to say. I'm following him on Twitter and Instagram as well.

This story isn't what I had initially written to publish in this post, but I just had to share it while it is still on my mind.

If you are a fellow fan of the "4077th" I know you appreciate my experience.

Thanks for taking the time to read the YNN blog. Next time I will share with you a new and latest endeavor in regard to yet another of my fandoms. See you then. Have a good week.