MacGyver (2016 TV series)
MacGyver | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | |
Based on | MacGyver by Lee David Zlotoff |
Developed by | Peter M. Lenkov |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Randy Edelman |
Composer | Keith Power |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 36 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers | P. Todd Coe Peter M. Tassler |
Production locations | Marietta, Georgia Los Angeles, California (pilot) |
Cinematography | Gabriel Beristain |
Editor | Mark Manos |
Running time | 43 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | September 23, 2016 present | –
Related | |
MacGyver (1985) |
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series developed by Peter M. Lenkov and starring Lucas Till as the title character. It is a reboot of the ABC series of the same name created by Lee David Zlotoff, which aired from 1985 to 1992. The series premiered on September 23, 2016, on CBS.[1]
On October 17, 2016, CBS ordered a full season of 21 episodes.[2] On March 23, 2017, CBS renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on September 29, 2017.[3][4]
Plot
Angus "Mac" MacGyver is an operative of a secret U.S. government organization where he uses his extraordinary talent for problem solving and his extensive knowledge of science to save lives.[5] "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."[6]
Cast and characters
Main
- Lucas Till as Angus "Mac" MacGyver: A highly intelligent and incredibly resourceful U.S. operative who works for the Phoenix Foundation, a covert agency operating under the guise of a think tank. Trained as an EOD technician for the Army, Mac prefers to use non-lethal means to stop his enemies; he is never without his trusty Swiss Army knife and uses anything in his environment to his advantage.
- George Eads as Jack Dalton: Mac's partner in the field and a former Delta Force soldier. Jack's history with Mac goes back to his days in the Army and unlike Mac, he is not afraid to use guns in the field. He also has history with Riley, because he was once in a relationship with her mother and had an altercation with her abusive father. While mostly easy-going and laid-back, Jack can get serious when the situation calls for it and often calls upon his special forces training to help the team get out of a tight spot.
- Sandrine Holt as Patricia Thornton (Season 1, episodes 1–12): Initial Director of the Phoenix Foundation and, in Mac's own words, the most successful clandestine operative in U.S. history. By the book and serious most of the time, Thornton regularly assigns the team their missions. In the 12th episode, "Screwdriver", she is discovered to be a mole working for the Organization and arrested.
- Tristin Mays as Riley Davis: A tough-as-nails, sarcastic hacker who is hired by the Phoenix Foundation as their technical specialist. Riley was originally in prison for trying to hack the NSA in order to save her mother from a reclusive hacktivist group. She had a strained relationship with Jack because he vanished from her and her mother's lives after an altercation with her abusive father, but now views Jack as a father figure.
- Justin Hires as Wilt Bozer: Mac's best friend whom he has known since childhood. A struggling film director possessing several artistic talents (such as creating several lifelike prosthetic masks & facial prosthetics), Bozer is a source of comic relief and often helps Riley in exchange for earning the digits to her phone number.
- Meredith Eaton as Matilda "Matty" Webber (Season 1, episode 13–present): Thornton's replacement as Director of Operations at Phoenix Foundation and Jack's ex-boss from the CIA.
- Isabel Lucas as Samantha Cage (season 2–present), CIA officer and formerly of SASR 4th Squadron. After she is discharged from the CIA for her unsanctioned actions in the second season premiere, Matty recruits her into the Phoenix Foundation.
Recurring
- Tracy Spiridakos as Nikki Carpenter: An undercover CIA operative who formerly worked as a hacker for DXS until she faked her own death. She is also Mac's ex-girlfriend.
- Amy Acker as Sarah Adler: CIA operative and Jack's ex-girlfriend.
- David Dastmalchian as Murdoc: An assassin also known as Suspect 218 thought to have been sent by Nikki, but was later revealed to have been sent by Thornton.
- Kate Bond as Jill Morgan: A forensics expert at the Phoenix Foundation. The team members occasionally ask her for help on personal missions.
- Lauren Vélez as Cassandra Glover, a coordinator for Operative Training Center.
- Reign Edwards as Leanna Martin: A recruit for some Government Organization. Bozer meets and becomes good friends with Leanna at the Operative Training Center.
- William Baldwin as Elwood Davis, Riley's estranged father.
Production
Development
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,[7] 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.[8] Wan pulled out from directing due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by David Von Ancken.[9]
In May 2016, the network picked up the series. Co-creator and executive producer Peter M. Lenkov will serve as the showrunner.[10] On May 18, 2016, CBS released a first video trailer for new series.[11] In June 2016, the network scrapped the original pilot, with Wan to direct a new pilot episode.[12]
Casting
In March 2016, Lucas Till was announced as the new MacGyver, Joshua Boone as Gunner, MacGyver's best friend from high school, alongside with 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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[12]
Around the same time the new pilot was ordered, Justin Hires was cast as Wilt Bozer, MacGyver's roommate.[15] 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,[16] and that Tristin Mays was cast as Riley Davis, a highly unpredictable computer hacker with a chip on her shoulder.[17]
Episodes
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
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
On February 3, 2017, CBS announced that MacGyver would crossover with Hawaii Five-0 in a special episode ("Flashlight") which aired on March 10, 2017.[18]
International broadcast
In the United Kingdom, Sky acquired the rights to MacGyver, and the series commenced airing on Sky1 from February 8, 2017.[19] Fox Crime Turkey broadcasts serials a week after original run.[20] Veronica broadcasts the episodes in the Netherlands, a few weeks after US broadcast.[21] In Australia, the series airs on the Ten network.[22] The show also airs in Asia on AXN. The series premiered in Latin America on Universal Channel on October 27, 2017. In Germany the series premiered in June 2017 on Sat.1.
Reception
Ratings
Season | Time slot (ET/PT) | Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Viewers (in millions) |
Date | Viewers (in millions) | ||||||
1 | Friday 8:00 pm | 21 | September 23, 2016 | 10.90[23] | April 14, 2017 | 6.57[24] | 2016–17 | 27 | 9.80[25] |
2 | 23 | September 29, 2017 | 6.69[26] | TBA | TBA | 2017–18 | TBA | TBA |
Critical response
MacGyver has received generally negative reviews from television critics, with many comparing it poorly to the original and some praising and criticizing CBS for making it an updated show. Variety wrote: "Lucas Till’s performance as the title character misses the mark completely; even when MacGyver explains the contraptions he builds on the fly via voiceovers, Till’s delivery is wooden and clunky. The writing doesn’t help — the pilot script is full of silly plot short-cuts and painfully cheesy lines — but there’s no getting around the fact that the new version of the character has very little appeal.... George Eads does what he can to bring a bit of energy to the MacGyver spy crew, but it’s a futile effort. MacGyver may know a lot about chemistry, but this unmemorable team has none."[27]
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."[28]
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."[29]
Rotten Tomatoes shows a 25% "rotten" rating with the sites critical consensus reading, "Despite using spare parts from countless successful TV procedurals, the new MacGyver fails to cobble together a compelling show."[30] Similarly, Metacritic shows a score of 38 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[31]
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".[32]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite New TV Drama | MacGyver | Nominated | [33] |
Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series, or Movie | Jeff Wolfe | Nominated | [34] |
References
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 21, 2016). "CBS Sets Fall 2016 Premiere Dates, Slates JonBenet Ramsey Limited Series". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ Stanhope, Kate (October 17, 2016). "'Bull,' 'Kevin Can Wait' and 'MacGyver' Grab Full-Season Pickups at CBS". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 23, 2017). "CBS Renews 5 Freshman & 11 Returning Series, Including 'MacGyver', 'Superior Donuts', 'Life In Pieces' & 'Hawaii Five-0'". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 1, 2017). "CBS Sets Fall 2017 Premiere Dates For 'Young Sheldon', '9 JKL' & Returning Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ "About MacGyver". CBS.
- ^ "The 7 Notorious Tools Of MacGyver's Trade". CBS.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 2, 2016). "'MacGyver' Series Remake Set At CBS, James Wan & Henry Winkler Producing". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 2, 2016). "'MacGyver' Reboot, Dr. Phil Drama 'Bull' Get CBS Pilot Orders". Deadline.com.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 14, 2016). "'MacGyver': What We Know About The Changes On Newly Picked Up CBS Series". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 13, 2016). "'Training Day', 'Bull', 'MacGyver', 'The Great Indoors', Matt LeBlanc Comedy & Jason Katims Drama Picked Up By CBS". Deadline.com.
- ^ "MacGyver First Look". CBS. May 18, 2016.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley (June 16, 2016). "James Wan to Direct CBS' Rebooted 'MacGyver' Pilot". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 21, 2016). "'X-Men's Lucas Till To Play MacGyver In CBS Reboot Pilot". Deadline.com.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 28, 2016). "'MacGyver': Addison Timlin & Michelle Krusiec Cast In CBS Pilot". Deadline.com.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 13, 2016). "'MacGyver': 'Rush Hour's Justin Hires Cast In CBS Series Reboot". Deadline.com.
- ^ Prudom, Laura (July 15, 2016). "'MacGyver' Casts Sandrine Holt as Series Regular". Variety.
- ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (July 27, 2016). "Tristin Mays Joins 'MacGyver' Completing Cast of CBS Reboot". Variety.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (February 3, 2017). "'Hawaii Five-0' to stage crossover with 'MacGyver'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (25 January 2017). "Sky Acquires 'MacGyver' Reboot & 'America's Next Top Model' For UK".
- ^ "MacGyver - FOXCRIME".
- ^ "MacGyver".
- ^ "Watch MacGyver - Channel TEN - Network Ten". tenplay. Network Ten. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- ^ Porter, Rick (September 26, 2016). "Friday final ratings: 'Hawaii Five-0' adjusts up, 'MacGyver' and 'Exorcist' hold". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Porter, Rick (April 17, 2017). "'Shark Tank' adjusts up, 'The Originals' adjusts down: Friday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ "Final 2016-17 TV Rankings: 'Sunday Night Football' Winning Streak Continues". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2017. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Porter, Rick (October 2, 2017). "'Hell's Kitchen' premiere adjusts up: Friday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ^ Ryan, Maureen (September 19, 2016). "TV Review: 'Lethal Weapon' and 'MacGyver'". Variety.com. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (September 22, 2016). "TV Review: New 'MacGyver' has too few tricks up its sleeve". USAToday.com. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- ^ Fowler, Matt (September 21, 2016). "MacGyver: "The Rising" Review". IGN.com. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- ^ "MacGyver: Season 1 – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=
(help) - ^ "MacGyver (2016) – Season 1 Reviews – Metacritic". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
- ^ Patterson, Stephen (September 26, 2016). "" 'MacGyver' Has All The Tools Needed For A Successful Reboot"". moviepilot.com. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards 2016: Full List of Winners". ETOnline. January 18, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Awards & Nominations". Primetime Emmy Awards. September 15, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
External links
![](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- 2016 American television series debuts
- 2010s American television series
- CBS network shows
- American action television series
- American adventure television series
- English-language television programs
- Television series reboots
- Television series by CBS Television Studios
- Television series by Lionsgate Television
- MacGyver
- Television shows set in Los Angeles
- Television shows filmed in Georgia (U.S. state)