Maclean Stevenson had talent.
I just happened to be YouTubing it yesterday, and his decision to leave made some list of "bad career moves by actors".
Stevenson was quoted "I made the mistake of thinking America was in love with McLean Stevenson, when, in fact, it was in love with Henry Blake."
In Kelly's case, the "built-in audience" observation takes is the reason for a cookie-cutter blonde newsreader. Her mistake was being an LSM/FNC/agent lemming listening to the inevitability of HRC as the first female POTUS.
OTOH, being able to turn down a $100 million contract... /sarc
Maybe, but MASH got better after Colonel Blake went home and Colonel Potter took command.