"MacGyver" (1985) TV series 1985-1992

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Creator:

Lee David Zlotoff

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | unknown

Release Date:

6 October 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

His mind is the ultimate weapon.

Plot:

The adventures of a secret agent armed with almost infinite scientific resourcefulness.

Plot Keywords:

Science | Gadget | Brains Over Brawn | Sobriety | Famous Theme

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Richard Dean Anderson	...	MacGyver (140 episodes, 1985-1994)
Dana Elcar	...	Pete Thornton / ... (93 episodes, 1985-1994)

Runtime:

45 min (139 episodes) | USA:60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (seasons 1-3) | Stereo (seasons 4-7)

Certification:

Brazil:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-18 (2005) (DVD) (self applied) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Henry Winkler/John Rich Productions

Trivia:

The "MacGyverisims" shown in the series are all based on scientific fact, but not all of the steps needed to create the experiment were shown. This was done to prevent children who were watching the show from duplicating the experiments themselves and possibly getting injured.

Quotes:

MacGyver: Egg whites are good for a lot of things - lemon meringue pie, angel food cake, and clogging up radiators.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Royal Pains: Pilot (#1.1)" (2009)

They don't make 'em like this anymore

This was the last good "adventure" series on the air, with the exception of the very short-lived Brisco County Jr. I was a teenager/young adult when this show was on, and I loved tuning in each week to watch MacGyver create his "MacGyverisms" or do battle with the ultimately evil Murdock. The first three seasons were the best, but the later episodes are still worth watching despite their preachiness. Certainly they were better written and acted than almost anything on TV today (X-Files being the exception). Even though MacGyver was a bit hypocritical at times (he abhorred guns but had no compunctions about blowing things up or knocking people out) and his tricks were not always scientifically feasible, we can forgive him because everything else about the show was so great.

Long live MacGyver, Pete, and the Phoenix Foundation, and thanks to TV Land for keeping this show on in syndication.