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Did Harry Morgan (Sherman T. Potter) save MASH? In this video, I talk about whether or not Harry Morgan's addition to the cast helped save the show.

Interesting perspective.
I wish McClean Stevenson hadn't left.

While I prefer the earlier seasons, particularly the ones with Frank in them (the first 5 seasons), I think Harry Morgan did make a great contribution to the series and helped it.

While Henry was definitely zanier than Col.Potter, I hated the way everyone just walked all over him (especially Hawkeye and Trapper- but we were only supposed to boo Frank and Hot Lips for doing so).

Col.Potter added a stern but fair paternal element to the show and he could pal around with docs and enlisted folks BUT go toe-to-toe with the Big Brass and not get overwhelmed doing either

Yeah, I definitely think the first five years after Potter got there were the best but the last two seasons would have been best just skipped altogether!

i liked Harry in his early seasons but again like others on the show the acting changed. Later they had Potter getting really dramatic and yelling a lot.

I liked Col. Potter and felt like he helped revamp the show.... however, eventually, even Harry Morgan couldn't save the weird, maudlin Hawkeye-centered episodes. It was like Alan Alda had taken over the whole series.

McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers could not have pulled off all 11 seasons of M*A*S*H, and we wouldn't have had the record breaking series finale of course. Harry Morgan and Mike Farrell were perfect replacements, and replacing Larry Linville with David Ogden Stiers when they did was also a brilliant move.

Mash would not have lasted 11 years with the same cast. The changes refreshed the show. Although the show went 3 years too long. It's like Cheers. You could not do 11 years of Sam and Diane. The cast changes helped the show last.

i liked Harry in his early seasons but again like others on the show the acting changed. Later they had Potter getting really dramatic and yelling a lot.
I didn't like that, either.
Perhaps McLean Stevenson would've 'matured' as well.
I can't see the actor staying in the series longer than his 5 year contract, though. Same with Wayne Rodgers.

Mash would not have lasted 11 years with the same cast. The changes refreshed the show. Although the show went 3 years too long. It's like Cheers. You could not do 11 years of Sam and Diane. The cast changes helped the show last.
Not so sure about that.
Look at Mary Tyler Moore. It lasted 7 years before the producers shut it down, to prevent it declining as shows often do in their final years (like MASH).
Most of the cast remained to the end, the show held up.

Watching McLean Stevenson's acting, his comedic grimacing, his mannerisms, I believe he would've remained solid.