'Hello Larry' Was The Crowning Jewel of Mclean Stevenson's Post M*A*S*H Career

[Brian Damage]

McLean Stevenson left M*A*S*H and starred in SIX, count 'em SIX, failed sitcoms. This is the only one of them I can honestly say I remember. LOL Why Did McLean Fail so badly as a sitcom star?

[robyrob]

i loved Hello Larry - even today its still holds up, for what it was.

the show wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was made out to be, but for most of its run it was the #1 joke on every talk show, late night show, and every comedian's act - it was just the "in thing" to make fun of, so everyone just assumed that the show was horrible.

i don't remember any of his other sitcoms after M*A*S*H but I am sure I checked em out.

[catlover79]

If Hello, Larry was the "crowning jewel" of his post-M*A*S*H career, how bad were the other shows? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: I remember one of the other shows he did was a very short-lived series version of Dirty Dancing. The less said about that, the better.

[MrCleveland]

It seemed like his character in M*A*S*H...Stevenson's career spun in...there was no surviving show.

[TVFactFan]

The McLean Steveson Show-1976

In the Beginning-1978


Hello Larry lasted longer probably because NBC connected the show to Different Strokes-lol

[Stuck In The '70's]

Hello Larry was a good show. It should have lasted longer. The only other post MASH show of his I ever saw was Condo and I liked that one too. He was sort of trying to be Archie Bunker in that one. lol

[70s show watcher]

im one of the biggest hello larry fans around i know that facts of life got better ratings but still there was no reason that nbc couldnt have found room for a third season of hello larry too

[70s show watcher]

i loved Hello Larry - even today its still holds up, for what it was.

the show wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was made out to be, but for most of its run it was the #1 joke on every talk show, late night show, and every comedian's act - it was just the "in thing" to make fun of, so everyone just assumed that the show was horrible.

i don't remember any of his other sitcoms after M*A*S*H but I am sure I checked em out.i agree it was no emmy winner but for what it was it was very well done

[TVFactFan]

I never had a real chance to sample the show and only saw the eps with the Diffrent Strokes cast.

[Tweety]

I don't remember too much about the show itself or any particular episode, but Kim Richards was in it, so it HAD to be good.

[Stuck In The '70's]

I don't remember too much about the show itself or any particular episode, but Kim Richards was in it, so it HAD to be good.
You got that right. lol

[old grouch]

Maybe his post-M*A*S*H career went nowhere was because he was better at being a supporting player than he was at being a star.

[Marvo301]

I always thought that McLean Stevenson's best moments on M*A*S*H were the dramatic ones. He probably should have done a Drama after leaving M*A*S*H instead of all those sitcoms.

[Tweety]

Maybe his post-M*A*S*H career went nowhere was because he was better at being a supporting player than he was at being a star.

I agree. I don't think he was ever a big enough star to carry a series as the lead person.

[catlover79]

I never had a real chance to sample the show and only saw the eps with the Diffrent Strokes cast.
Yeah, weren't Larry and Mr. Drummond old Army buddies or something like that?

[catlover79]

Maybe his post-M*A*S*H career went nowhere was because he was better at being a supporting player than he was at being a star.
That's a very good point. If he'd joined another ensemble show, maybe he could've revitalized his career.

[Marvo301]

Yeah, weren't Larry and Mr. Drummond old Army buddies or something like that?
Yes they were. Although I don't remember Mr. D being at the 4077th! :crazy:

[catlover79]

Yes they were. Although I don't remember Mr. D being at the 4077th! :crazy:
I think those scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. :crazy: :lol:

[70s show watcher]

Yes they were. Although I don't remember Mr. D being at the 4077th! :crazy:they did mention that they were both in korea though who knows maybe larry was really henry blake and didnt die after all he just ditched lorrane and the kids in bloomington went to california met marion got remarried and a whole other life without lorrane;s constant nagging and her werid mother

[TVFactFan]

Yeah, weren't Larry and Mr. Drummond old Army buddies or something like that?

Yup that was the connection

[Retro4Life]

Hello, Larry got a bad rap IMHO. It wasn't classic material, but honestly it was every bit as good as Diffrent Strokes or Facts of Life, it just didn't seem to have the backing of the network and it did suffer from all the overblown jokes about it.

I never saw the other Stevenson shows, but I really liked him and in retrospect I think his failure to score after MASH is really a tragedy. He was a really talented and likeable actor.

[TVFactFan]

Hello, Larry got a bad rap IMHO. It wasn't classic material, but honestly it was every bit as good as Diffrent Strokes or Facts of Life, it just didn't seem to have the backing of the network and it did suffer from all the overblown jokes about it.

I never saw the other Stevenson shows, but I really liked him and in retrospect I think his failure to score after MASH is really a tragedy. He was a really talented and likeable actor.


Hello Larry was defintely better than season 1of Facts of Life

[catlover79]

I never saw the other Stevenson shows, but I really liked him and in retrospect I think his failure to score after MASH is really a tragedy. He was a really talented and likeable actor.

It's a credit to Mr. Stevenson that he kept trying. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." That seemed to be his motto with TV, even though his shows tanked. You have to give him credit for not giving up.

[catlover79]

Yup that was the connection
Thanks, Sol!!!!

[rcbrad]

The "Mclean" sitcoms were really not that bad, in fact there have been hundreds of sitcoms that did not last long, that really were enjoyable to watch. Many shows just do not catch on. Most shows that replace the "failed" shows really do not do any better in the ratings than the shows they replaced.

The other sitcom that I remember was his first sitcom "The Mclean Stevenson Show" I really enjoyed that one much more than Hello Larry. Wish I could see it again!!!

[70s show watcher]

The "Mclean" sitcoms were really not that bad, in fact there have been hundreds of sitcoms that did not last long, that really were enjoyable to watch. Many shows just do not catch on. Most shows that replace the "failed" shows really do not do any better in the ratings than the shows they replaced.

The other sitcom that I remember was his first sitcom "The Mclean Stevenson Show" I really enjoyed that one much more than Hello Larry. Wish I could see it again!!!there was an ep on youtube a while back i dont know if its still there or not?

[TVFactFan]

there was an ep on youtube a while back i dont know if its still there or not?

I have an original NBC broadcast of the Mclean Stevenson Show from 12/1/76 with very good quality and all commercials. It aired after the CPO sharkey show that night

[70s show watcher]

I have an original NBC broadcast of the Mclean Stevenson Show from 12/1/76 with very good quality and all commercials. It aired after the CPO sharkey show that nightyou know what;s weird is the all the other nbc copies that are floating around the trading curcit have ether no commercoals at all or maybe 2 commercials and the rest cut out so its great that you have a full broadcast