[One socially conscious comedy] has created a format and an attitude of its own, which moves farther along the direction pointed by the Bunkers [in "All in the Family"]…. [There is a family structure in "M∗A∗S∗H," but] it is not a biological family. Rather, we have a set of characters forced into deep human relationships because they are serving in a field hospital, isolated from other groups. The central characters make their lives bearable by circumventing U.S. Army regulations. This, in itself, sets the tone of critical commentary. One of the characters portrays a pseudo-transvestite, hoping for a psychological discharge. Other characters openly engage in extramarital sex. Beneath the raucous humor lies the war in which they are directly involved, and some of the grimmest jokes take place in the operating room….

[The] characters are often in anguish over their inability to heal the...