If you’re like me, you’ve heard references to MacGyver your entire life. I have never seen an episode, but I am well-aware of his unconventional crime-stopping methods. Apparently, the guy was notorious for diffusing bombs with paper-clips or fighting evil with loose change and a piece of stale bubble gum. The appeal of MacGyver was that he could take only what was around him and save the day. I’m not sure how realistic all of that is, but apparently CBS thinks 2016 needs a little more ingenuity in its life. The MacGyver reboot is scheduled to air this fall on Friday evenings.
The original MacGyver aired from 1985-1992 with Richard Dean Anderson as the star. It was full of explosions, close-calls, and narrow escapes. The IMDB summary says,
“The adventures of a secret agent armed with almost infinite scientific resourcefulness.”
From the references I’ve heard over time, the show was more of a comedy than an action series, the running joke being, “What will MacGyver do next?” It seemed the more ridiculous the escape, the better. Upon watching the CBS trailer for the reboot, I believe the 2016 version is going to follow the same trend. The new MacGyver is Lucas Till, best known for his role as Havoc in the X-Men series.
He’s definitely a younger approach than the original MacGyver which I believe will give the show a different feel and potentially a different audience. Till’s approach to the character seems to focus more on his intellect rather than his rugged good looks and strength. Where Anderson portrayed MacGyver as an agent who had learned his tricks through time and experience, Till plays it as though he gets by with his genius and a lot of luck. Based on the trailer, there will still be plenty of explosions and near-death-experiences, though. Humor will also be a big part of the reboot. George Eads has been cast as Till's sidekick and proved to be the comedic relief throughout the trailer.
While I am still not sold on the validity of MacGyver's unending tricks and "infinite resources", I may give the reboot a try. The trailer was only a minute and a half, but I will admit it kept my attention. I may have even chuckled a bit. The original is rated 7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. It will be interesting to see how the next generation of MacGyver compares.
You can watch the trailer here:
