Was McLean Stevenson bitter towards the end of his life - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 06-29-2017, 08:55 PM

I bring this up because I wonder if anybody else remember an interview (about a year before his passing) that he and Loretta Swit did together on the old fX show Breakfast Time show to promote a syndicated special they'd just done for First Alert about home security? The interview had barely started when Stevenson began ranting about the early hour, the stupid questions, the bad coffee, the puppet co-host and, generally, everything. Swit tried to defuse the situation, but Stevenson was having none of it. The host stopped the interview and threw to a commercial. When the show came back, Stevenson was wandering around the set, punching the walls. They finally got him out of there right after that.

Heenan Fan · 01-15-2019, 11:05 PM

I had never heard of McLean being bitter. This story surprises me. I would love to see the video clip though. I looked for it but can't find it. Maybe he was drunk?

Chocolate Moose · 01-16-2019, 10:53 AM

I also never heard that.

oldschool59 · 01-18-2019, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chocolate Moose

I also never heard that.

I also never heard of that. I remember reading a quote from MS regarding his popularity on MASH. He said, and I paraphrase, "I thought the audience loved McLean Stephenson, but they really loved Col Henry Blake."
He truly was Col Blake. Henry made the show for the first 3 years. That role was made for him. Or did he make Henry Blake? Something to ponder isn't it?

hifijohn · 06-25-2021, 03:53 AM

He left one of the most successful tv shows in history to star in one failure after another.yep, I would be pretty bitter too.

DEH55 · 10-12-2021, 10:59 AM

I bet it bothered him. He got a great offer from a rival network. His own show and he took the chance and it bombed. I have watched plenty of Maclean's appearance's on other shows after he left Mash and I didnt find him funny at all. Not at all. From hosting Xmas parades to the tonight show. Not funny. There is audio online of when he was guest hosting the tonight show and a plugs a appearance he will be making in Idaho I think. And he jokes something like "Yes folks I left Mash so I could host a golf tournament in Boise Idaho". I may be getting the state wrong but you get the idea.

rusty spike · 10-12-2021, 12:14 PM

He was horrible on the Match Game game show. He really thought up clunker answers that no one in their right mind would be able to match.

Then he would act annoyed that neither Gene nor the contestants were too dumb to match his marvelous response.

dougiezerts · 04-05-2022, 07:21 PM

Was Stevenson drunk, during the broadcast?

Duster76 · 04-06-2022, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougiezerts

Was Stevenson drunk, during the broadcast?

I think TMC misinterpreted or is deliberately misrepresenting what happened here. Breakfast Time was a send-up of shows like Today and Good Morning America. Segments that went off the rails were part of the fun, built into the design. Here's a piece of a review that appeared in an August 1995 edition of the LA Times:

" Breakfast Time” is masterfully choreographed chaos, two hours of grand nonsense directed at viewers who roll out of bed hungering for fun, not headlines".

Here's another description:

"A morning show on FX, full of laughs, craziness, "Road Warriors," interviews in bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, oh...and a co-host named Bob, who just so happens to be....a puppet"

Wacky things like an interview running amok were what the show was all about.

Yong Fang · 07-19-2022, 08:01 AM

Charles Nelson Reilly was the regular panelist no one could match and he was a regular.

Some have offered an opinion that if Stevenson would have stayed, MASH may not have lasted as long is it did because Stevenson wasnt a dramatic actor.

DEH55 · 02-20-2023, 12:19 AM

Did anyone see the episode of Match game where he is almost drooling over Loni Anderson. So not funny. Typical dirty old man schtick that he thought was funny. Wayne Rogers said Mclean was the funniest guy he knew. Really????? Gary Burghoff was terrible on Match Game too. Sort of creepy and not funny. They were better in character. Lol

06-29-2017, 08:55 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,612	Was McLean Stevenson bitter towards the end of his life I bring this up because I wonder if anybody else remember an interview (about a year before his passing) that he and Loretta Swit did together on the old fX show Breakfast Time show to promote a syndicated special they'd just done for First Alert about home security? The interview had barely started when Stevenson began ranting about the early hour, the stupid questions, the bad coffee, the puppet co-host and, generally, everything. Swit tried to defuse the situation, but Stevenson was having none of it. The host stopped the interview and threw to a commercial. When the show came back, Stevenson was wandering around the set, punching the walls. They finally got him out of there right after that.

01-16-2019, 10:53 AM	#3
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,900	I also never heard that.
	__________________ How long a minute is, depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.

07-19-2022, 08:01 AM	#10
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	Charles Nelson Reilly was the regular panelist no one could match and he was a regular. Some have offered an opinion that if Stevenson would have stayed, MASH may not have lasted as long is it did because Stevenson wasnt a dramatic actor.
	Last edited by Yong Fang; 11-02-2022 at 10:21 AM.

01-15-2019, 11:05 PM	#2
Heenan Fan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 19, 2016 Posts: 6,001	I had never heard of McLean being bitter. This story surprises me. I would love to see the video clip though. I looked for it but can't find it. Maybe he was drunk?

06-25-2021, 03:53 AM	#5
hifijohn Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 07, 2013 Posts: 209	He left one of the most successful tv shows in history to star in one failure after another.yep, I would be pretty bitter too.

10-12-2021, 10:59 AM	#6
DEH55 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 19, 2020 Posts: 322	I bet it bothered him. He got a great offer from a rival network. His own show and he took the chance and it bombed. I have watched plenty of Maclean's appearance's on other shows after he left Mash and I didnt find him funny at all. Not at all. From hosting Xmas parades to the tonight show. Not funny. There is audio online of when he was guest hosting the tonight show and a plugs a appearance he will be making in Idaho I think. And he jokes something like "Yes folks I left Mash so I could host a golf tournament in Boise Idaho". I may be getting the state wrong but you get the idea.

10-12-2021, 12:14 PM	#7
rusty spike Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 08, 2015 Location: Southwest Posts: 1,124	He was horrible on the Match Game game show. He really thought up clunker answers that no one in their right mind would be able to match. Then he would act annoyed that neither Gene nor the contestants were too dumb to match his marvelous response.

04-05-2022, 07:21 PM	#8
dougiezerts Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 20, 2012 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 204	Was Stevenson drunk, during the broadcast?

02-20-2023, 12:19 AM	#11
DEH55 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 19, 2020 Posts: 322	Did anyone see the episode of Match game where he is almost drooling over Loni Anderson. So not funny. Typical dirty old man schtick that he thought was funny. Wayne Rogers said Mclean was the funniest guy he knew. Really????? Gary Burghoff was terrible on Match Game too. Sort of creepy and not funny. They were better in character. Lol