Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I watched the few episodes of this that were aired because I was a fan of war films. I was also a fan of MASH (the film & the series) & BARNEY MILLER & thought this was going to have the same feel of those Boy was I wrong. Even at the tender age of 16 I recognized it as crap. It was basically the lamest kind of work place sitcom, that just happened to be set in Saigon. For a very long time I thought I had imagined this show. I had never met anyone else who remembered it. It wasn't until years after IMDb appeared that I realized I could look it up. Not only did I discover it actually existed, but that Laurence Fishburne & Bill Paxton were major characters. I seem to remember that the best part of the show was the opening credits. I'll have to check if someone as OCD as myself (but more computer savvy) has tracked it down & put it on YouTube.

I considered this show to be extremely offensive and refused to watch it after its pilot episode. What turned me off were the cheerful armed forces broadcasters talking about what a great guy then-president LBJ was. Those of us of draft age who lived through the Vietnam era hated LBJ for not keeping his promise to get American troops out of Vietnam while instead escalating US involvement sending many thousands of our guys to their deaths with no plan to win. At least on M*A*S*H there was no phony gung-ho attitude about the Korean War by those doctors (except Frank Burns). The Six O'Clock Follies was an insult to those of us who remember public opinion of the Vietnam war and the controversy it caused at home with numerous protests and demonstrations on our public streets and college campuses. Thank goodness this program suffered an early cancellation, a mercy killing perhaps thus making it ineligible for syndication.

This is one of the greatest shows that no one ever saw! It was halfway between M*A*S*H and China Beach. I think it just came on too soon. It dealt with issues of Vietnam vets before anyone wanted to hear about them. Years later, when "Good Morning, Vietnam!" came out, people were finally ready to laugh and cry about the war.I was still a kid when it came on, but even so, I could appreciate it, because the acting was so good. One minute something funny was on, the next minute, someone was struggling with survivors' guilt. Maybe some day there will be a show like this for the war in Iraq. A mix of laughter and tears might help those vets, too.