MacGyver | |
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Genre | Action-adventure |
Based on | MacGyver by Lee David Zlotoff |
Developed by | Peter M. Lenkov |
Showrunners |
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Starring | |
Theme music composer | Randy Edelman |
Composer | Keith Power |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 94 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production locations |
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Cinematography |
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Editor | Mark Manos |
Running time | 40–44 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | September 23, 2016 – April 30, 2021 |
Related | |
MacGyver (original series) (1985–1992) |
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series developed by Peter M. Lenkov that ran on CBS from September 23, 2016 to April 30, 2021, comprising five seasons and 94 episodes. The series stars Lucas Till as the title character, an undercover government agent who prefers to fight crime with ingenious feats of engineering rather than lethal force. It is a reboot of the original series of the same name created by Lee David Zlotoff, which aired from 1985 to 1992. CBS cancelled the show in April 2021; the series finale aired on April 30, 2021. [1]
MacGyver takes place in the same fictional universe as two other series, both also developed by Lenkov and both also reboots of earlier police shows: Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. The three shows have been collectively referred to as the "Lenkov-verse". [2]
Angus "Mac" MacGyver is a US government agent of a secret, privately funded US government intelligence agency (cloaked as a think tank) called the Phoenix Foundation, where he uses his extraordinary talent for problem solving and his extensive knowledge of science to save lives and, in some cases, prevent catastrophes. [3] "With skills that are only limited by his creativity, Mac saves the day using paper clips instead of pistols, birthday candles instead of bombs, and gum instead of guns." [4]
The episodes make frequent use of second-person narrative in the form of voice-overs provided by Lucas Till as Angus MacGyver. The commentary usually provides instructions or "tricks of the trade", as if for a training or orientation film.
In October 2015, the original series' executive producer, Henry Winkler, signed on to produce a remake series with James Wan and R. Scott Gemmill for CBS, [12] which owns the rights to MacGyver through its acquisition of the original Paramount Television. In February 2016, it was announced that CBS had greenlit production of a pilot episode written by Paul Downs Colaizzo and directed by Wan. [13] Wan pulled out from directing due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by David Von Ancken. [14]
In May 2016, the network picked up the series. Co-creator and executive producer Peter M. Lenkov would serve as the showrunner. [15] On May 18, 2016, CBS released a first video trailer for new series. [16] In June 2016, the network scrapped the original pilot, with Wan to direct a new pilot episode. [17] On June 21, 2016, CBS announced that the series would premiere on Friday, September 23, 2016. [18]
On October 17, 2016, CBS ordered a full season of 21 episodes. [19] On March 23, 2017, CBS renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on September 29, 2017. [20] [21] On May 9, 2019, it was announced that CBS renewed the series for a fourth season, [22] which premiered on February 7, 2020. [23] On November 6, 2019, it was announced that CBS had ordered an additional nine episodes in this fourth season, which would've brought the total to 22 episodes. [24] Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this total was reduced to 20 episodes, with six additional episodes being completely filmed before the production halt. However, producers and CBS later chose to conclude the season with the final episode of the CODEX story arc, which was scripted to fit within the original 13 episode order. [25] This decision came after MacGyver was renewed for a fifth season on May 6, 2020, [26] allowing the final six episodes filmed for season 4 to be moved to season 5. [27] The fifth season premiered on December 4, 2020. [28]
In March 2016, Lucas Till was announced as the new MacGyver, Joshua Boone as Gunner, MacGyver's best friend from high school, alongside former and longtime CSI star George Eads as Jack Dalton, who was originally named Lincoln, a man who could easily be written off as an eccentric conspiracy theorist but is a legitimate government employee with great capability for compassion. [29] Later cast were Addison Timlin as Mickey, an app developer who is aggressively progressive in her political views but who has a soft spot for MacGyver, and Michelle Krusiec as Agent Croix, Dalton's sister who works for the Department of Homeland Security. [30] However, the original pilot with this casting was scrapped by CBS in June 2016—a new pilot episode was ordered with only Till and Eads from the original cast continuing on to the revised version of the show. [17]
Around the same time the new pilot was ordered, Justin Hires was cast as Wilt Bozer, MacGyver's roommate who is an aspiring filmmaker. [31] In July 2016, Variety reported that Sandrine Holt had been cast as Patricia Thornton, an ex-field agent who was the director of operations for the Department of External Services, [32] and that Tristin Mays was cast as Riley Davis, a highly unpredictable computer hacker with a chip on her shoulder. [33] Lenkov and Wan said that same month that they wanted to cast Richard Dean Anderson, the original MacGyver actor, into the new show, stating "we’re all MacGyver fanatics so we’re hoping to get him on the show and have him be on this incarnation." [34]
On November 26, 2018, it was announced that George Eads was set to depart the series midway through the show's third season. According to creator Peter M. Lenkov, Eads had asked to be released from his contract for some time so he could spend more time with his young daughter who resides in Los Angeles; the series is filmed in Atlanta. Producers ultimately agreed with Eads being written out of the show but left the opportunity for him to return as a guest star in the future. His final episode aired on February 1, 2019. [35] [36] Eads' character was killed offscreen in the fifth season episode "Jack + Kinematics + Safe Cracker + MgKNO3 + GTO", ruling out any further opportunities for Eads to reprise the role.
On July 7, 2020, it was reported that Lenkov was fired from his role as executive producer and showrunner following an investigation into allegations that he created a hostile work environment. Lucas Till later told Vanity Fair about being verbally abused and body shamed by Lenkov, stating, "I've never worked this hard in my life, and I am fine with hard work. But the way Peter treats people is just unacceptable. I was suicidal that first year on the show, because of the way he made me feel. But the way he's treated the people around me — that's just my breaking point." [1] Executive producer Monica Macer replaced Lenkov as showrunner. [37]
On April 7, 2021, with three season 5 episodes remaining, CBS made the announcement that the fifth season would be the show's last, setting the series finale for April 30, 2021. [38]
Series regular Justin Hires thanked CBS for "employing me for 6 years" in a Twitter post following the cancellation, but then got in a possible dig, adding "We're still #1 in our time slot." [39] While confirming Hires' claim, author Jessica Rawden of Cinema Blend noted that MacGyver had seen a steady drop in viewers since George Eads exited in season 3. [39]
Authors | Dr. Rhett Allain Peter M. Lenkov (foreword) Lucas Till (introduction) |
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Language | English |
Publisher | Weldon Owen |
Publication date | September 17, 2019 |
Pages | 208 |
ISBN | 9781681884349 |
The Official MacGyver Survival Manual: 155 Ways to Save the Day is a book that gives instructions on how to "MacGyver" things as seen in MacGyver. The book was written by Dr. Rhett Allain, the show's resident physicist. The foreword was written by Peter M. Lenkov, and the introduction was written by Lucas Till. The Official MacGyver Survival Manual: 155 Ways to Save the Day was released on September 17, 2019. [40]
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
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First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 21 | September 23, 2016 | April 14, 2017 | |
2 | 23 | September 29, 2017 | May 4, 2018 | |
3 | 22 | September 28, 2018 | May 10, 2019 | |
4 | 13 | February 7, 2020 | May 8, 2020 | |
5 | 15 | December 4, 2020 | April 30, 2021 |
Crossover between | Episode(s) | Type | Actors crossing over | Date aired | |
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Series A | Series B | ||||
MacGyver | Hawaii Five-0 | "Flashlight" (MacGyver 1.18) | One-part crossover | Appearing in Series A: Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, Taylor Wily | March 10, 2017 |
The Phoenix Foundation team of MacGyver gets rerouted to Hawaii after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hits the coast of Hawaii. While aiding Detective Chin Ho Kelly and Officer Kono Kalakaua from Five-0 task force, they also have to deal with Chinese intelligence soldiers who use the earthquake to steal top-secret weaponry that the scientists are currently developing. | |||||
MacGyver | Hawaii Five-0 | SOS+ Hazmat + Ultrasound + Frequency + Malihini (MacGyver 5.8) | Guest appearance | Appearing in Series A: Jorge Garcia | February 12, 2021 [41] |
Season | Time slot (ET/PT) | Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) | ||
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Date | Viewers (in millions) | Date | Viewers (in millions) | ||||||
1 | Friday 8:00 pm | 21 | September 23, 2016 | 10.90 [42] | April 14, 2017 | 6.57 [43] | 2016–17 | 27 | 9.80 [44] |
2 | 23 | September 29, 2017 | 6.69 [45] | May 4, 2018 | 6.10 [46] | 2017–18 | 38 | 8.59 [47] | |
3 | 22 | September 28, 2018 | 5.77 [48] | May 10, 2019 | 5.47 [49] | 2018–19 | 48 | 7.70 [50] | |
4 | 13 | February 7, 2020 | 5.94 [51] | May 8, 2020 | 5.77 [52] | 2019–20 | 44 | 7.50 [53] | |
5 | 15 | December 4, 2020 | 4.90 [54] | April 30, 2021 | 4.48 [55] | 2020–21 | 44 | 5.90 [56] |
MacGyver received generally a mixed opinion from television critics, with many comparing it poorly to the original and some praising and criticizing CBS for making it an updated show. Rotten Tomatoes shows a 25% rating for Season 1, with the site's critical consensus reading, "Despite using spare parts from countless successful TV procedurals, the new MacGyver fails to cobble together a compelling show." [57] [58] Metacritic gives a score of 38 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [59]
USA Today wrote: "If... you're looking for something approaching the original's simple DIY charms—or, for that matter, something even marginally original—look elsewhere. What you're getting here is a factory-made retread that is less MacGyver than MacGyver: Impossible, with the title character now just one member of an impossible mission team.... MacGyver may not fully engage you, but at least it won't actively annoy you." [60]
IGN's verdict was: "CBS' MacGyver is an unnecessary, middling reboot that has little to offer—its biggest sin being a bland hero and eye-rolling stakes. Lifting more than a few swerves from the Mission Impossible franchise, this new MacGyver somehow even manages to make the science gimmick dull." [61]
Movie Pilot was more positive, commending Till's performance, while noting that the show does a good job of "maintaining the essence of the original while appealing to a modern generation". [62]
Irish Film Critic stated being satisfied with the reboot: "Season 1 introduced us to the new characters and while it took some getting used to, after years of watching Richard Dean Anderson doing his thing, about halfway through season 1, I was finally able to accept Lucas Till as the new MacGyver. He is charming, charismatic, and when it calls for it, courageous, at times, putting his own life over that of everyone around him. The chemistry between the entire main cast is obvious and everyone has their own individual idiosyncrasies and character traits but never is it more evident than when they're all together. Over time, they have become a family as a result of their trials, tribulations, and missions and usually with the closing of each episode, they rendezvous at Mac and Bozer's place in the Hollywood Hills, share a laugh, have a beer, and generally, try to keep a positive outlook on what is to come. Exactly what a family is supposed to do." [63]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2017 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite New TV Drama | MacGyver | Nominated | [64] |
Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series, or Movie | Jeff Wolfe | Nominated | [65] | |
BMI Awards | — | Keith Power | Won | [66] | |
2018 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor: Action | Lucas Till | Nominated | |
2019 | Choice TV Show: Action | MacGyver | Won | [67] | |
Choice TV Actor: Action | Lucas Till | Nominated |
The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on February 27 and second season on September 18, 2018.[ citation needed ]
DVD Name | Episode number | Release date |
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MacGyver: Season 1 | 21 | February 27, 2018 |
MacGyver: Season 2 | 23 | September 18, 2018 |
MacGyver: Season 3 | 22 | January 14, 2020 |
MacGyver: Season 4 | 13 | June 8, 2021 |
MacGyver: The Complete Series | 94 | June 14, 2022 |
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff and starring Richard Dean Anderson as the title character. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The series follows the adventures of Angus MacGyver, a secret agent armed with remarkable scientific resourcefulness to solve any problem out in the field using any materials at hand.
George Coleman Eads III is an American actor, known for his role as Nick Stokes on the CBS police drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He later starred as Jack Dalton on the CBS action-adventure series MacGyver for three seasons.
Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series MacGyver. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot.
Murdoc is a fictional character that appears in the ABC television series MacGyver and in the CBS reboot series of the same name. In both portrayals, Murdoc is an assassin and frequent antagonist of both series.
Monica Macer is a writer and producer. She is credited as the showrunner and executive producer of the new Netflix comedy-drama series Gentefied.
Justin Hires is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Hires is known for portraying Detective James Carter on the CBS television series Rush Hour, Juario in 21 Jump Street, and Wilt Bozer in the 2016 reboot series of MacGyver.
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Magnum P.I. is an American action drama television series developed by Peter M. Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim. It stars Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, the titular private investigator and former Navy SEAL who solves crimes in Hawaii. It is a reboot of the original series of the same name created by Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson, which aired from 1980 to 1988. The series co-stars Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Amy Hill, and Tim Kang.
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series developed by Simon Kinberg, Jordan Peele, and Marco Ramirez, based on the original 1959 television series created by Rod Serling. Peele serves as narrator, in addition to executive producing through Monkeypaw Productions. The weekly series premiered on April 1, 2019, on CBS All Access, and was renewed for a second season halfway through its first set of 10 episodes. The second season was released in its entirety on June 25, 2020. In February 2021, the producers announced the series would not return for additional seasons.
The 2019–20 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2019 to August 2020. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2018–19 season.
The first season of the action-adventure series MacGyver premiered on September 23, 2016, on CBS, for the 2016–17 American television season. The series centers on the fictional Phoenix Foundation which is a covert organization masquerading as a think tank. The series stars Lucas Till, George Eads, Tristin Mays, and Justin Hires. Sandrine Holt was also cast in the series but departed in the twelfth episode, "Screwdriver". Meredith Eaton replaced Holt, Eaton debuted in the thirteenth episode, "Large Blade," and began receiving main billing in the eighteenth episode, "Flashlight". CBS announced the series on October 1, 2015. It was ordered to series on May 13, 2016, and received a full season order of twenty-two episodes on October 17, 2016. Only twenty-one episodes were produced when the season concluded on April 14, 2017. The season contained a fictional crossover with Hawaii Five-0 which occurred in episode eighteen.
The third season of the CBS action-adventure series MacGyver premiered on September 28, 2018 for the 2018–19 television season. The series centers on the fictional Phoenix Foundation which is a covert organization masquerading as a think tank. The series stars Lucas Till, George Eads, Tristin Mays, and Justin Hires. Eads departed in "Father + Bride + Betrayal". CBS announced the series on April 28, 2018 for a twenty-two episode third season. The season premiere, "Improvise", brought in 5.77 million viewers.
The fourth season of the CBS action-adventure series MacGyver premiered on February 7, 2020, as a mid-season replacement for the 2019–20 television season. CBS renewed the series for a fourth season in May 2019. The season contained thirteen episodes and concluded on May 8, 2020. The series continues to center on the fictional Phoenix Foundation which is a covert organization masquerading as a think tank. It stars Lucas Till, Tristin Mays, Justin Hires, Meredith Eaton, Levy Tran and Henry Ian Cusick.
The Lenkov-verse is a media franchise that consists of a group of three interconnected television reboots that share a fictional universe, and their related media. All three of the television series, Hawaii Five-0, MacGyver, and Magnum P.I., were developed by Peter M. Lenkov who also served as the showrunner on the series. They are each American crime dramas that aired on CBS. Hawaii Five-0 revolves around a task force, led by Steve McGarrett, that investigates crimes in Hawaii. MacGyver centers around Angus MacGyver who uses nonviolent methods to keep the world safe, with the help of a team of undercover government agents. Magnum P.I. follows private investigator Thomas Magnum, who solves crimes in Hawaii with the help of his friends. The universe is also connected to the so-called Bellisario-verse, which consists of the entire NCIS franchise and JAG, via two direct crossovers between Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: Los Angeles.
"The Rising" is the first episode of the first season of the 2016 reboot of MacGyver. It aired on September 23, 2016. The story for the episode was written by Peter M. Lenkov and Paul Downs Colaizzo. The teleplay was also written by Peter M. Lenkov. The episode was directed by James Wan.
The fifth and final season of the CBS action-adventure series MacGyver premiered on December 4, 2020 for the 2020–21 television season. CBS renewed the series for a fifth season in May 2020 and announced it would be the final season in April 2021. The season contained fifteen episodes and concluded on April 30, 2021. MacGyver, a remake of the 1985 series of the same name, centers on the fictional Phoenix Foundation which is a covert organization masquerading as a think tank. The series stars Lucas Till, Tristin Mays, Justin Hires, Meredith Eaton, Levy Tran and Henry Ian Cusick. Jorge Garcia appeared in the eighth episode of the season as his Hawaii Five-0 character.
The first season of the crime and action drama Magnum P.I. premiered on September 24, 2018, on CBS, for the 2018–19 United States network television schedule. The series is a remake of the 1980 series of the same name and centers on Thomas Magnum, a former Navy SEAL who works as a private investigator and solves mysteries with the help of his friends. The season stars Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, and Stephen Hill. Amy Hill and Tim Kang also appear in the series and joined in the series third episode. CBS first announced the series on October 20, 2017; it was initially given a thirteen episode order but an additional seven were ordered bringing the total to twenty. Multiple Hawaii Five-0 stars appeared as their Hawaii Five-0 characters in guest roles throughout the season in minor crossover events.
The third season of the crime and action drama Magnum P.I. premiered on December 4, 2020, on CBS, for the 2020–21 United States network television schedule. The series is a remake of the 1980 series of the same name and centers on Thomas Magnum, a former Navy SEAL who works as a private investigator and solves mysteries with his business partner Juliet Higgins and other friends. It stars Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Amy Hill, and Tim Kang. The season was ordered on May 8, 2020. It was later revealed that the season would only consist of 16 episodes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Multiple Hawaii Five-0 stars appeared as their Hawaii Five-0 characters in minor crossover events throughout the season and a possible crossover between the series and MacGyver was discussed by the writers. Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-0, and MacGyver are collectively referred to as the Lenkov-verse.