McLean Stevenson had this grin. It was lopsided, a bit goofy, and made him look like a guy who just accidentally walked into a room he wasn't supposed to be in. For three years on MASH*, that look made him a legend. Then, he decided he wanted to be the star of the room, and everything changed.
Honestly, looking back at McLean Stevenson movies and tv shows, it is a wild ride of "what ifs." Most people only know the tragic exit of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake—the plane shot down over the Sea of Japan, the stunned silence of the operating room—but Stevenson’s career was a massive, messy, and occasionally brilliant puzzle before and after that moment. He wasn’t just a guy who made a bad career move. He was a genuinely funny writer and actor who became the ultimate cautionary tale for Hollywood ego.
The Early Days: Before the 4077th
Before the khakis and the fishing lures, Stevenson was actually carving out a really solid niche as a supporting player. He wasn't some overnight success. He worked the circuit. You've probably seen him in old reruns of The Doris Day Show (1969–1971) where he played Michael Nicholson, Doris’s boss. He was good at it. He had this natural timing that didn't feel like "acting."
He was also a writer. People forget that. He wrote for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Tim Conway Comedy Hour. He knew how jokes were built, which is probably why his delivery on MASH* felt so effortless. He wasn't just saying lines; he understood the mechanics of the laugh.
The MAS*H Years: The Peak
From 1972 to 1975, McLean Stevenson was the heart of the most popular show on television. Henry Blake was the father figure who didn't really want to be in charge, which made him the perfect foil for Hawkeye Pierce.
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He didn't just act in it; he was deeply involved. He even snagged an Emmy nomination for writing the episode "The Trial of Henry Blake." But the problem was, MASH* was an ensemble. Stevenson reportedly resented that Alan Alda was getting the spotlight (and the paycheck). He wanted to be "Number One" on the call sheet.
So, he left.
The producers did something unheard of at the time: they killed him off. They wanted to show the reality of war, sure, but they also wanted to make sure Henry Blake couldn't come back. It worked. It remains one of the most shocking moments in TV history.
The "McLean Stevenson Movies and TV Shows" Post-MAS*H Struggle
This is where the story gets kinda sad, or at least frustrating. Stevenson signed a massive deal with NBC. They promised him the world.
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First came The McLean Stevenson Show (1976). He played Mac Ferguson, a hardware store owner. It lasted 12 episodes. It wasn't that he wasn't funny; it was that the audience didn't want Mac Ferguson. They wanted Henry Blake.
Then came In the Beginning (1978). He played a conservative priest. It lasted nine episodes.
Then Hello, Larry (1979).
Hello, Larry is basically the poster child for "bad TV" in the late 70s. Johnny Carson used to roast it constantly on The Tonight Show. Stevenson played a radio host moving to Portland with his daughters. Despite the terrible reviews, it actually managed to limp along for 38 episodes because it was paired with Diff'rent Strokes. But it never caught fire. It felt forced.
A Quick Look at the Filmography
While he was mostly a TV guy, there are a few McLean Stevenson movies worth mentioning:
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- The Cat from Outer Space (1978): A classic Disney live-action flick. He plays Link, and honestly, it’s charming in a very "70s Disney" way.
- Win, Place or Steal (1975): A heist comedy that didn't do much.
- The Christian Licorice Store (1971): A weird, moody film from right before his big break.
Why It Never Quite Clicked Again
Stevenson once famously said, "The mistake was that I thought everybody in America loved McLean Stevenson. That was not the case. Everybody loved Henry Blake."
That’s a heavy realization.
He spent the 80s and early 90s as a frequent guest on Match Game and The Tonight Show (where he guest-hosted 58 times!). He was a great talk show guest—witty, self-deprecating, and quick. He eventually found a bit of a late-career groove in things like the Dirty Dancing TV series (1988) and a memorable guest spot on The Golden Girls as Stan Zbornak’s brother.
His final role was in the miniseries Tales of the City in 1993. He died in 1996, just one day before Roger Bowen—the actor who played Henry Blake in the original MASH* movie. Life has a strange sense of timing.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Retro TV Buffs
If you want to actually appreciate the man's work beyond the "he shouldn't have left" narrative, do this:
- Watch the MAS*H episode "The Trial of Henry Blake": He wrote it. It shows his brain worked as well as his face.
- Hunt down his Tonight Show appearances: This is where you see the "real" McLean. He was arguably a better host than he was a sitcom star.
- Check out The Cat from Outer Space: It’s pure nostalgia and shows his ability to play the "straight man" to a literal cat.
McLean Stevenson’s career is a reminder that being part of something legendary is often better than being the lead of something mediocre. But even with the "flops," he remains a fixture of a golden era of television that we'll never see again.