Lesley and Ben are happy to welcome new staff officer Rachel Collins to the Syndicated basecamp as we talk about M*A*S*H, the long running eleven season war workplace comedy set during the Korean War. We talk about the undeniable stage presence and authorial edge of Alan Alda, the narrative complexities of running a sitcom for eleven years, M*A*S*H’s rotating cast of a dozen recurring actors and how you make a war sitcom funny. We cover our first dark comedy and and our oldest show to date!

Plus we take a few moments away from active duty to talk about royalties, military equipment, Gary Burghoff, Frasier Crane and the Masked Singer. Plus, learn what a lullaby show is!

Syndicated with Lesley and Ben is a twice monthly podcast about television, genre and storytelling in which your hosts watch one episode of a new show and explore the history of television one episode at a time. From family room sitcoms to space exploration shows, reality TV to procedurals and game shows, we’re going to cover it all and give you the context you need to understand the wonderful world of television and the stories we love.Our Logo is by Terra Bosart, the theme song is by Mandra Sigma and the show is edited by Johnny Rinaldo.