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M*A*S*H's McLean Stevenson didn't think kids should watch TV
He wanted kids to give up TV and turn the page to reading—even if it meant fewer kids were watching M*A*S*H.
M*A*S*H (1972) had a broad audience, including M*A*S*H moms, Army veterans, college students, and even kids. It was only natural for the whole family to sit down together and watch their favorite weekly series.
However, not all parents thought M*A*S*H was the best show for their kids to watch, including M*A*S*H's very own McLean Stevenson.
Stevenson was known for his character, Lt. Col. Henry Blake, who made his grand departure in season three.
According to a 1973 interview with The Province, Stevenson had been hard at work starting a new side hustle: trying to discourage children from watching TV. Not all TV, just some of it—his series included.
"My purpose was to try to explain to them a little of what TV is—and what it isn't," Stevenson said. "I told them that sometimes TV is pretend. It's fun to watch—it's entertainment. But it is not reality. I explained that it's not possible for some situations to even exist as we see them on the tube. We can accept them for fun—but not as truth."
This passion project stemmed from his deep concern that an entire generation would be raised under the gaurdianship of a TV set rather than by their parents.
"Parents are getting away with murder!" Stevenson said. "They can't cope, so they plop the kids in front of the set and let it be the babysitter. Every stimulation the kid needs is there in front of them. He doesn't even need to think."
That being said, we're not sure how Stevenson would react to today's reliance on TV and streaming. Even in the '70s, Stevenson wanted children, including his own, to grow up with a realistic understanding of how the world worked, not the fantasy TV often provides.
Another one of Stevenson's passion projects was encouraging kids to replace TV time with reading. As part of the program he was developing, he aimed for "each kid to give up TV for a half hour each week and read a book instead"
According to the interview, about 25,000 kids were part of his program, which had been introduced in multiple schools across the Midwest. He felt the need to protect his own children from the same mistakes he saw other parents making. And reading was a good start.
"Let's face it, being on a successful series gives me the opportunity to make myself heard," Stevenson said. "And I'm not putting down TV entirely. It's just that I want kids to start thinking and doing for themselves."
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