Lee David Zlotoff
Lee David Zlotoff is a producer, director and screenwriter best known as the creator of the TV series MacGyver. He started as a screenwriter writing for Hill Street Blues in 1981. He then became a producer of Remington Steele in 1982.
Zlotoff created MacGyver, which ran on ABC between 1985 and 1992 and was sold throughout the world. He then produced The Man from Snowy River TV series (Australian title: "Banjo Paterson's The Man from Snowy River" — American title: "Snowy River: The McGregor Saga"). The series was loosely based on the Banjo Patterson poem The Man from Snowy River
He also wrote and directed the 1996 film The Spitfire Grill, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
Zlotoff graduated Brooklyn Technical High School (1970) which provided a general technical/pre-engineering education. Here he studied pattern-making, machine shop, mechanical drawing, and foundry. In foundry class with Mr. Rubin, his step-V block mold was chosen for casting. While he, a classmate and Rubin were at the furnace making molten metal, a prankster student poured water down the sprue, thereby making the sand too wet, producing fantastic amounts of steam, and rendering Zlotoff's casting full of holes and useless. During high school, Zlotoff sometimes sported a "King Kong died for our sins" button, which elicited angry remarks from some students, causing Zlotoff to explain the "Christ-figure" metaphor to all who would listen. Zlotoff then went on to St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland.[1]
He also contributes to Make magazine[2].
At the 2008 Maker Faire, Zlotoff announced a big budget MacGyver movie was something he was interested in[3]. Also Zlotoff explained he had full control of the movie after obtaining the rights several years ago. There is still no confirmation of Richard Dean Anderson reprising his role.