MacGyver (1985 TV series)

*MacGyver*
MacGyver
	File:MacGyver intro.jpg The MacGyver Title Screen
Created by	Lee David Zlotoff
Starring	Richard Dean Anderson; Dana Elcar;
Country of origin	USA
No. of episodes	139 and two TV movies
Production
Running time	Approx. 60 minutes
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	September 29 1985 –; May 21 1992

MacGyver was an American adventure television series about a laid-back, extremely resourceful ex-secret agent named Angus "Mac" MacGyver, played by Richard Dean Anderson. The series was created by Lee David Zlotoff and executive produced by Henry Winkler. It ran from September 29 1985 to May 21 1992 on the ABC network. It was filmed primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Two made-for-TV movies were produced in 1994. In 2006 Richard Dean Anderson reprised his role as MacGyver in a Debit MasterCard Superbowl XL TV commercial.

MacGyver's main asset is his practical application of scientific knowledge and inventive use of common items – along with his ever-present Swiss Army knife and duct tape, and the usual coincidence of being locked up in a room full of useful materials. The clever solutions MacGyver implemented to seemingly intractable problems — often in life-or-death situations requiring him to improvise complex devices in a matter of minutes — were a major attraction of the show, which was often hailed for generating interest in basic science as well as providing entertaining storylines. All of Mac's exploits on the show were ostensibly vetted to be based on real scientific principles (even though, the creators acknowledged, in real life one would have to be extraordinarily lucky for most of MacGyver's ideas to succeed); in the rare cases where MacGyver used household chemicals to create poisons or explosives or other things deemed dangerous to describe accurately on television, details were intentionally fudged or altered.

The use of mundane items to build jury-rigged devices shows an influence from The A-Team (though MacGyver eschewed the use of firearms) and has entered U.S. popular culture and are referred to as "MacGyverisms".

MacGyver can also be used as a verb meaning to fix, repair, rig, solve, build, invent, or otherwise save the day, as MacGyver did.

Characters

MacGyver

Angus MacGyver is a highly intelligent action hero who prefers non-violent conflict resolution wherever possible, and refuses to carry or use a gun due to a childhood accident with a revolver that resulted in the death of a friend; the character is portrayed as an outspoken gun control advocate as well as being politically liberal in other respects. Even in cases where his improvised devices are used to attack hostile opponents, he is always shown doing so in self-defense and, if possible, subduing or disabling rather than killing. He is often suspicious of militaristic attitudes within the government; he sees his Phoenix Foundation employer as an alternative to the more conventional (and violent) means of law enforcement.

He was born and raised in Minnesota on either Jan 23, 1951 (per his Passport in Everytime She Smiles) or Mar. 23, 1951 (by working back from dates given in the episodes Thin Ice, Passages, Friends, Runners, & Phoenix under Siege). His Minnesota herritage explains why he speaks with a Minnesota accent. (Richard Dean Anderson himself was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota). MacGyver lived his childhood in Mission City. Like Anderson, MacGyver was an avid hockey player as a child, and competed in his local hockey league, continuing to play the game as an adult. He graduated from Alexander Ramsey High School in Roseville, Minnesota. His character is a graduate of a fictitious technical school called Western Tech where he earned a degree in physics.

MacGyver's first name is Angus and remained a mystery until the final season; whenever he's asked about it, he says he dislikes his first name and changes the subject. The script for the series pilot gave MacGyver's first name as "Stace", but this information did not appear in the finished episode, although it was mentioned in promotional material for the series. His first name was finally officially revealed in "Good Knight, MacGyver", in which he learns of a seventh-century Scottish ancestor, Angus M'Iver, and admits that they share their first name; and repeated in the series finale, which introduces MacGyver's son, whose middle name is Angus.

Supporting characters

Other notable recurring characters include:

Pete Thornton (Dana Elcar): MacGyver's boss and best friend. Pete was an operative at the Department of External Services (DXS), which is where he was impressed by Mac's ingenuity while tracking down Murdoc, an international assassin. When Pete took the position of Director of Operations at the Phoenix Foundation seven years later, he brought MacGyver into the program.; Pete has a son named Michael, from a previous marriage.; In the pilot episode, actor Dana Elcar played a completely different character named "Andy Colson". The Pete Thornton character didn't appear until episode 1.11, "Nightmares".; Elcar appeared in the dream sequence/time travel episode "Good Knight, MacGyver" as King Arthur; whether this is because Pete is one of Arthur's distant descendants or because Mac subconsciously based his hallucination of Arthur on him is uncertain.; In 1991, actor Dana Elcar began to develop glaucoma, a degenerative condition of the eyes that causes blindness. This condition was written into the show, and Elcar's character also developed the disease. A number of public service announcements were composed and shown at the end of many of the later episodes, encouraging viewers to get checked early and often for the condition.; Sadly, Dana Elcar died on June 6, 2005 in Ventura, CA due to complications from pneumonia. He was 78.

Jack Dalton (Bruce McGill): An aviator and old friend of MacGyver's with a weakness for get-rich-quick schemes that invariably got him (and usually Mac) into trouble. He always wore a peaked cap and twitched an eye when lying.

Murdoc (Michael Des Barres): MacGyver's most commonly recurring opponent, a master assassin who never failed--except when MacGyver got involved. His first appearance in the series was presented as his second run-in with MacGyver. Murdoc returned for revenge for their first encounter--to the surprise of MacGyver, as Murdoc had apparently been killed while escaping on that occasion. Murdoc's revenge scheme not only failed, but resulted in him being apparently killed again. This became a recurring theme: each of Murdoc's subsequent appearances ended in another "death", in which-- at the moment of his "death", he always screams "MACGYVER!" (Note the exception made in episode 89 "Halloween Knights", when he dies without screaming that phrase). Then, in a later episode, we invariably learn he had once again incredibly survived.; Murdoc was associated with the Homicide International Trust (HIT), an organization of assassins, until being excommunicated for his failures at MacGyver's hands.

Penny Parker (Teri Hatcher): Penny Parker and MacGyver met in line in an airport in Bulgaria ("Every Time She Smiles") when she tried to smuggle some jewels out of the country in his pocket. Of little talent but with big dreams, her pursuit of a show business career got her into trouble more than once; she was sometimes used by Murdoc as the unwitting pawn in his plans to eliminate MacGyver.

The Coltons (Della Reese, Cleavon Little, Richard Lawson, Cuba Gooding Jr.): A family of bounty hunters (Mama Colton, Frank, Jesse & Billy), introduced one at a time - the only episode in which more than one appeared was their collective final appearance in the final season, on which occasion they took over the episode entirely, relegating MacGyver to a cameo appearance. This episode, called "The Coltons", was actually intended as a pilot for a spin-off which would star the Coltons, but nothing ever came of it.

Harry Jackson (John Anderson): Harry Jackson, MacGyver's grandfather, became MacGyver's "father" after his grandmother and real father were killed in a car accident. Seven years later, he left MacGyver. After another sixteen years, Harry and MacGyver met again in the season one episode, "Target MacGyver", in which MacGyver and his grandfather worked together to defeat an assassin named Axminster (played by D'Mitch Davis). Sometime between the fifth season episode "Passages" and the sixth season episode "Harry's Will", Harry died of a heart attack.

Nikki Carpenter (Elyssa Davalos): Nikki Carpenter joined the Phoenix Foundation in the third season.

Mei Jan (Michele Chan): Initially calling herself Sue Ling, the name of MacGyver's foster daughter, Mei Jan enlisted MacGyver's help in completing her mission for the Chinese student movement.

Wilt and Milt Bozer (Robin Mossley, Robert Donner): Milt Bozer's brother, Wilt, was MacGyver's neighbor at the marina.

MacGyver's vehicles

File:Mac jeep.jpg

MacGyver and his trademark Jeep, about which very little is known.

Throughout the series, MacGyver drove a number of vehicles; most frequently a Jeep Wrangler (YJ) of grayish-green color. (actual color unknown) Among the other vehicles he drove in the series were a Jeep Grand Wagoneer, a Jeep Cherokee Chief, a 1942 Chevrolet pick-up truck, and a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad willed to him by his grandfather Harry in the episode "Harry's Will".

Influence on culture

MacGyverisms

File:Saknife.jpg

MacGyver's ever-present Swiss Army knife was an important component of his unorthodox solutions.

The spontaneous inventions have come to be nicknamed MacGyverisms and even led to the verb, 'to MacGyver' or 'to MacGyver-ize'. This word was used in Richard Dean Anderson's project, Stargate SG-1, in a postmodern moment in the first episode, when the character Samantha Carter (portrayed by Amanda Tapping) comments on the time and effort that had been required "to MacGyver" a replacement for the Stargate's long-lost control system. However, "MacGyverism" was used long before that, in, appropriately enough, a MacGyver episode. It was used by Joanne Remmings (played by Pamela Bowen) in the second-season episode #3 "Twice Stung", in which MacGyver must con a con man. (The episode title is a reference to The Sting, with Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and, strangely enough, Dana Elcar.)

In the media

As of 2005, he is the subject of a hoax Presidential campaign, as a spin-off of a similar and popular hoax concerning actor Christopher Walken. The campaign started at the website MacGyver 2008.

In 2006, Anderson appeared in a Mastercard commercial for Super Bowl XL. The spot poked fun at the character's inherent ability of using everyday objects to perform extraordinary feats: In it, Mac manages to cut the ropes binding him to a chair using a pine tree air freshener, uses an ordinary tube sock as the pulley for a zipline, and somehow repairs and hotwires a nonfunctional truck using a paper clip, ballpoint pen, rubber band, tweezers, nasal spray and a turkey baster. In contrast to previous Mastercard commercials showing people making somewhat extravagant purchases to accomplish some mundane task, MacGyver is here portrayed as escaping from some sort of deathtrap using less than $20 worth of common household items -- the commercial ends by showing him purposely buying an assortment of such things at a department store with his credit card (as a tongue-in-cheek explanation for how Mac seems to always have items he needs on hand no matter where he goes).

MacGyver is frequently referenced - usually somewhat parodically - on The Simpsons, as being the favorite television show (and Richard Dean Anderson the frequent object of lust) for Patty and Selma Bouvier, Marge Simpson's sisters. In fact, he appeared in an episode of The Simpson's titled Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore, which first aired April 6, 2006.

Trivia

File:TVGuideMacGyver.jpg

MacGyver on the cover of TV Guide magazine.

MacGyver's producers had an odd tendency to use the same actor in multiple roles through the series. Actor Kai Wulff played "Stepan Frolov" in season one's "Every Time She Smiles", "Hans Visser" in season four's "Collision Course", "Ladysmith" in season five's "Black Rhino", and "Nicolas Von Leer" in season six' episode "Eye of Osiris". Actor Gregory Sierra appeared in the season one episode "The Gauntlet", playing "General Antonio Vasquez", the season two episode "Jack of Lies", playing "Colonel Antunnez", and the season five episode "The Treasure of Manco", playing "Captain Diaz". Actress Nana Visitor of DS9 fame appeared in the season one episode "Hellfire" as "Laura Farren", and in the season two episode "DOA: Macgyver" she appears again as "Carol Varnay". Actor David Ackroyd appears in the season one episode "Trumbo's World" as "Mr. Trumbo", and in the season three episode "The Negotiator" as "Mr. Knapp". Actress Elyssa Davalos played "Lisa Kohler/Kosov" in Lost Love: Part 1 & 2 (Season 3), then just a few episodes later (in the same season) reappeared as Nikki Carpenter, a role which she reprised in several more episodes.
Christopher Judge, who costared in Stargate SG-1 along with Richard Dean Anderson, appeared in the season five episode "'Live and Learn" as a high school football player named "Deron".
Don S. Davis (also on Stargate SG-1) appeared on MacGyver multiple times, in the season three episodes "Blow Out" and "The Endangered", as a cement truck driver and Wyatt Porter, respectively. Additionally, he was Dana Elcar's stunt double.
Peter Jurasik, MacGyver's shortlived ornithologist friend from "Trumbo's world", became Londo Mollari on Babylon 5.
MacGyver's Swiss Army Knife went through a few changes over the early episodes. His first and most often used knife was a "Tinker" model from Victorinox. In "Thief of Budapest" he gives it away; in the next episode he is using a "Traveler" model from Wenger. He is soon back to his "Tinker." At one point he uses an Orange Peeler blade; probably from a Victorinox "Executive." He may have used an older model "Explorer" from Victorinox later in the series. He also used the Sportsman "Lost Love pt. 1 and 2", the Recruit "GX-1", and the Climber "Three for the Road." In "Tough Boys" he uses a Tinker (with the key ring removed) to unlock a large padlock. He also had a couple of non-production models that were obviously modified for the series. In "Serenity," he has a knife with wood handles on it, to flow with the time setting of the episode. In "Strictly Business" he used a knife with the Victorinox shield on the back handle of the knife instead of the front. He seems to have used all of the slimmer models available at that time. The Tinker was (and still is) available in a slightly smaller model, which he may have used. The Sportsman, Tourist, and Spartan are virtually indistinguishable with the blades closed, so he may have used any one of these three, or only one.
MacGyver is also known well for his incumbent "mullet" (short on the sides, long at the back) hairstyle which has spawned many popular sites which humour this particular subculture.
MacGyver, Miami Vice, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider are still extremely popular in many countries such as Indonesia, The Philippines, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary and Argentina and are regularly aired on prime-time slots.
In the season one episode titled "Brian: Portrait of a Dog" from Family Guy, Peter writes a letter to Richard Dean Anderson asking him to save his dog using the enclosed items from the envelope: a rubber band, a paper clip and a straw. Anderson puts these together and hits himself in the eye with the rubber band.
The theme song was written by Randy Edelman.
The series was heavily referenced in many episodes of The Simpsons, primarily detailing Patty and Selma's obsession with the show and crush on the character, with their regular viewings of the show an unalterable element of their daily schedule. In the episode "The Black Widower" Sideshow Bob plots to kill Bart's Aunt Selma by taking advantage of this rigidity of routine. The plan was foiled when Bart realised Selma's post-MacGyver cigarette (her only cigarette of the day, as well as after meals, since "quitting" for Bob) would ignite the gas left on by Bob. Coincidentally, Anderson is a fan of The Simpsons, as is his Stargate SG-1 character, Jack O'Neill.
Richard Dean Anderson appeared as himself in an episode of The Simpsons. When Patty and Selma discover he is no longer interested in MacGyver they quickly kidnap him and he is then forced to MacGyver his way out just to rekindle his interest in MacGyver.
Richard Dean Anderson's future Stargate SG-1 co-star Michael Shanks decided to become an actor after seeing an episode of MacGyver being filmed.
During the 2-hour pilot episode, MacGyver actually fires an AK-47 in the opening rescue sequence. His unwillingness to use guns was not yet included in the pilot, and instead became a staple of the show's subsequent episodes. (Although he refuses to fire on other people, MacGyver frequently triggers a weapon remotely, to act as a distraction for enemy guards or otherwise uses guns for inventive results.)
MacGyver apparently lives at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California.

DVD releases

#	US DVD release date	DVD cover	Tagline
1	January 25, 2005	File:MacGyver DVD Season 1.jpg	Always prepared for adventure
2	June 7, 2005	File:MacGyver DVD Season 2.jpg	His mind is the ultimate weapon
3	September 6, 2005	File:MacGyver DVD Season 3.jpg	Saving the day is all in a day's work
4	December 6, 2005	File:MacGyver DVD Season 4.jpg	He acts fast and thinks faster
5	March 14, 2006	File:Macgyver DVD Season 5.jpg	The right man when things go wrong
6	June 13, 2006	File:MacGyver DVD Season 6.jpg	Braver than most - smarter than the rest
7	TBA

External links