MacGyver (2016 TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | September 23, 2016 |
| Defunct | April 30, 2021 |
| Fate | Cancelled |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Television program |
MacGyver is an American action-adventure TV series created by Peter M. Lenkov that was broadcast on CBS from September 23, 2016, until April 30, 2021. The show ran for five seasons, totaling 94 episodes. The lead role of Angus "Mac" MacGyver is portrayed by Lucas Till, who plays a covert government agent known for employing innovative engineering tactics rather than resorting to deadly force. This series serves as a reimagining of the original 1985 program developed by Lee David Zlotoff. CBS announced the cancellation of the series in April 2021, with the final episode airing on April 30, 2021.
This MacGyver installment shares its fictional setting with two other reboots produced by Lenkov: Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I.. Collectively, these interconnected shows are referred to as the "Lenkov-verse".
Premise
Angus "Mac" MacGyver operates as a U.S. government agent affiliated with the Phoenix Foundation, a covert intelligence organization funded privately and operating under the guise of a think tank. He applies his outstanding scientific acumen and inventive problem-solving abilities to avert crises and save lives. Preferring ingenuity over weaponry, MacGyver frequently improvises solutions using common items such as paper clips or chewing gum.
Many episodes incorporate a second-person perspective through voice-over narration by Lucas Till as MacGyver, offering guidance or practical "trade secrets" reminiscent of instructional training videos.
Main
- Lucas Till portrays Angus "Mac" MacGyver, a highly skilled U.S. operative with deep knowledge in chemistry, physics, and engineering disciplines. Trained as an EOD technician, he favors non-lethal approaches and leverages his surroundings strategically. Throughout the series, he uncovers that his father, James MacGyver, leads the Phoenix Foundation. Although initially skeptical of authority figures and temporarily departing from the agency, he ultimately returns upon recognizing his significance to their mission.
- George Eads plays Jack Dalton (seasons 1–3), Mac's partner and ex-Delta Force soldier. Unlike Mac, Jack is comfortable employing firearms in their operations. His background includes connections to Riley’s family. Jack exits during season three to track terrorist Tiberius Kovac and is later confirmed deceased in action.
- Tristin Mays appears as Riley Davis, a talented hacker recruited by Phoenix to serve as their cyber expert. Previously incarcerated for NSA hacking attempts aimed at protecting her mother, she develops from a tense relationship with Jack into viewing him as a paternal figure.
- Sandrine Holt features as Patricia Thornton (season 1), who functions as Phoenix’s Director of Field Operations and a top clandestine agent. She assigns missions but is ultimately unmasked as a mole working for the Organization and apprehended.
- Justin Hires plays Wilt Bozer, Mac’s childhood friend turned Phoenix employee specializing in robotics and prosthetics. He provides comic relief and experiences romantic developments during operative training.
- Meredith Eaton portrays Matilda "Matty" Webber, who succeeds Thornton as Director of Operations and previously served as Jack’s CIA superior. She manages leadership responsibilities alongside personal challenges related to her undercover operative spouse.
- Isabel Lucas acts as Samantha Cage (season 2), a former CIA officer and SASR veteran recruited by Matty after being dismissed from the CIA. She survives an assassination attempt by Murdoc, one of Mac’s adversaries, before returning to Australia.
- Levy Tran appears as Desiree "Desi" Nguyen (seasons 4–5; recurring season 3), a proficient martial artist who replaces Jack at Phoenix. Initially estranged from Mac due to a brief past romance, their relationship rekindles during season five.
- Henry Ian Cusick plays Russell "Russ" Taylor (seasons 4–5), an ex-MI6 agent and former private military contractor skilled in propaganda, lie detection, and emotional intelligence. Affluent and accustomed to luxury, Russ aggressively pursues Codex following prior recruitment efforts by the organization.
Recurring
- Tracy Spiridakos portrays Nikki Carpenter (season 1), a covert CIA agent and former DXS hacker who staged her own death; she is Mac's former romantic partner.
- Amy Acker appears as Sarah Adler (season 1), a CIA operative and Jack's past girlfriend.
- David Dastmalchian plays Murdoc (seasons 1–3 & 5), a highly skilled assassin initially assigned to eliminate Mac, who becomes obsessed with him and the Phoenix Foundation after numerous unsuccessful attempts.
- Aina Dumlao features as Andie Lee (seasons 1–2), the personal assistant to Patricia Thornton, Director of Field Operations for both DXS and the Phoenix Foundation; she continued in this role under Matty Webber following Thornton’s treason arrest.
- Kate Bond takes on the role of Jill Morgan, forensic expert at the Phoenix Foundation; she led a task force targeting Murdoc in season 3 before being killed by him.
- Lauren Vélez plays Cassandra Glover (season 2), coordinator at the Operative Training Center.
- Reign Edwards appears as Leanna Martin (seasons 2–3), a recruit at the Operative Training Center and Bozer’s secret love interest; she later joins the Phoenix Foundation and is ultimately revealed to have died during a mission.
- William Baldwin portrays Elwood Davis (seasons 2–3), Riley's estranged father.
- Lance Gross acts as Billy Colton (seasons 1–3), a bounty hunter from the Colton family and Riley’s former romantic interest; their relationship ended due to infidelity.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph plays Mama Colton (seasons 1–3), matriarch of the Colton bounty hunting family.
- Emerson Brooks appears as Charlie Robinson (seasons 1–3), Mac's friend specializing in bomb disposal; he dies in season 3.
- Tate Donovan portrays James MacGyver/"Oversight" (seasons 2–4), Mac’s father who reconnected with him before succumbing to cancer after detonating explosives at Codex headquarters.
- Sibongile Mlambo features as Nasha (season 3), Mac’s former girlfriend from Nigeria.
- Brendan Hines acts as Ethan Reigns (season 3), Matty’s husband who went undercover deeply, marrying another woman to maintain his cover.
- Peter Weller appears as Elliot Mason (seasons 3–5), ex-special ops and FBI agent harboring resentment toward James MacGyver over his son’s death.
- Leonardo Nam portrays Aubrey (season 4), Riley’s brief romantic interest who ended their relationship upon discovering her true occupation.
- Jeri Ryan plays Gwendolyn "Gwen" Hayes (season 4), Mac’s aunt and former DXS agent now serving as a senior official within Codex.
- Amber Skye Noyes features as Scarlett (season 4), a soldier affiliated with Codex.
- Zach McGowan acts as Roman (seasons 4–5), another Codex soldier.
- Alexandra Grey appears as Parker Phillips (season 5), the latest engineer to join the Phoenix Foundation.
Notable guests
- Daniel Dae Kim guest stars as Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly, member of the Five-0 Task Force
- Grace Park appears as Officer Kono Kalakaua, part of the Five-0 Task Force
- Taylor Wily features as Kamekona Tupuola, businessman and confidential informant for Five-0
- Michael Des Barres reprises his role from the original MacGyver as Nicholas Helman, an assassin and Murdoc's mentor
- Sarah Sokolovic guest stars as Amber, Murdoc's ex-wife and mother of their child
- Sean Cameron Michael appears as The Ghost Bomber
- Presilah Nunez acts as ATF Agent Maria Ramirez, MacGyver's Army acquaintance and ATF K-9 handler
- Brian "Q" Quinn features as Dale, a restaurant customer assisting MacGyver
- James "Murr" Murray portrays a maitre'd during an undercover operation involving Mac and Desi
- Salvatore "Sal" Vulcano appears as Chef Salvatore, serving exotic dishes
- Joseph "Joe" Gatto plays Larry, bartender during an undercover scene
- Scottie Thompson appears as Ellen, Angus' deceased mother shown in dream and flashback sequences
- John Ales guest stars as Nikola Tesla
- Mark Boyd portrays Alexander Graham Bell
- Tom Thon appears as Thomas Edison
- Cuyle Carvin acts as DXS Agent Charles
- Sean Blakemore plays President Danny Linson
- Tobin Bell features as Leland
- Jorge Garcia guest stars as Jerry Ortega, former member of Five-0
- Bojana Novakovic appears as Anya Vitez
- Deepti Gupta plays Priya Chanani from the Ministry of Defense
- Ernie Hudson portrays Milton Bozer, Wilt's father
- Wendy Raquel Robinson acts as Lauretta Bozer, Wilt's mother
- Ben Wang features as Eli Brown, inventive genius and new agent at the Phoenix Foundation
Development
In October 2015, Henry Winkler, the executive producer of the original series, joined forces with James Wan and R. Scott Gemmill to develop a MacGyver reboot for CBS, which secured the rights through its acquisition of Paramount Television. By February 2016, CBS had greenlit a pilot penned by Paul Downs Colaizzo and initially directed by Wan; however, Wan stepped down due to scheduling conflicts and was succeeded by David Von Ancken.
The network officially ordered the series in May 2016, appointing co-creator and executive producer Peter M. Lenkov as showrunner. The first promotional trailer was unveiled on May 18, 2016. The following month, CBS decided to discard the original pilot and reinstated Wan to direct a new version. The show premiered on September 23, 2016.
On October 17, 2016, CBS committed to a full season consisting of 21 episodes. The show received a renewal for a second season in March 2017, which debuted on September 29, 2017. In May 2019, CBS extended the series for a fourth season that began airing on February 7, 2020. Although nine extra episodes were initially ordered for season four, the episode count was reduced to 20 due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; six completed episodes were postponed and incorporated into season five.
The fifth season renewal was announced on May 6, 2020, with its premiere taking place on December 4, 2020.
Casting
In March 2016, Lucas Till was cast as the new MacGyver. Alongside him were Joshua Boone as Gunner, MacGyver’s high school best friend, and George Eads—known from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation—as Jack Dalton, a skilled government operative often mistaken for an eccentric conspiracy theorist. Subsequent casting included Addison Timlin portraying Mickey, a politically minded app developer with affection for MacGyver, and Michelle Krusiec as Agent Croix, Dalton’s sister employed by the Department of Homeland Security. However, CBS discarded this initial pilot in June 2016 and commissioned a fresh version retaining only Till and Eads.
The revamped pilot introduced Justin Hires as Wilt Bozer, MacGyver’s roommate and aspiring filmmaker. In July 2016, Sandrine Holt joined the cast as Patricia Thornton, a former field agent now serving as director of operations at the Department of External Services. Tristin Mays was cast as Riley Davis, an expert yet unpredictable hacker. Both creators Lenkov and Wan expressed interest in involving Richard Dean Anderson—the original MacGyver actor—in the reboot.
On November 26, 2018, it was announced that George Eads would exit during the third season to prioritize time with his daughter in Los Angeles; filming takes place in Atlanta. Producers agreed to write out his character while allowing for possible guest appearances. His last episode aired on February 1, 2019. Subsequently, the character was killed offscreen in season five to prevent any future returns.
Lenkov's firing
On July 7, 2020, Peter M. Lenkov was dismissed from his roles as executive producer and showrunner following an investigation into claims of fostering a hostile work environment. Lucas Till disclosed to Vanity Fair that Lenkov subjected him to verbal abuse and body shaming, describing the behavior as unacceptable and deeply distressing. Monica Macer took over as showrunner after Lenkov’s departure.
Cancellation
On April 7, 2021, CBS revealed that the fifth season would conclude the series, with the final episode broadcast on April 30, 2021. Justin Hires, a main cast member, expressed gratitude to CBS for six years of collaboration and highlighted that the show maintained the top position in its time slot, despite a gradual decrease in viewership after George Eads exited during the third season.
Book
The Official MacGyver Survival Manual: 155 Ways to Save the Day provides guidance on creating inventive solutions inspired by MacGyver. Authored by Dr. Rhett Allain, the series' in-house physicist, it includes a foreword written by Peter M. Lenkov and an introduction by Lucas Till. The publication date was September 17, 2019.
Crossovers
| Crossover between | Episode(s) | Type | Actors crossing over | Date aired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series A | Series B | ||||
| MacGyver | Hawaii Five-0 | "Flashlight" (MacGyver 1.18) |
Single-episode crossover | Appearing in Series A: Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, Taylor Wily | March 10, 2017 |
|
Following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, the Phoenix Foundation team from MacGyver collaborates with Detectives Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua of Hawaii Five-0, confronting Chinese intelligence agents exploiting the chaos to steal cutting-edge weaponry. | |||||
| MacGyver | Hawaii Five-0 | SOS+ Hazmat + Ultrasound + Frequency + Malihini (MacGyver 5.8) |
Guest appearance | Appearing in Series A: Jorge Garcia | February 12, 2021 |
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 | April 14, 2017 | 6.57 | 2016–17 | 27 | 9.80 |
| 2 | 23 | September 29, 2017 | 6.69 | May 4, 2018 | 6.10 | 2017–18 | 38 | 8.59 | |
| 3 | 22 | September 28, 2018 | 5.77 | May 10, 2019 | 5.47 | 2018–19 | 48 | 7.70 | |
| 4 | 13 | February 7, 2020 | 5.94 | May 8, 2020 | 5.77 | 2019–20 | 44 | 7.50 | |
| 5 | 15 | December 4, 2020 | 4.90 | April 30, 2021 | 4.48 | 2020–21 | 44 | 5.90 | |
Critical response
The reception of MacGyver was varied, with numerous reviewers drawing unfavorable comparisons to the original series, though some recognized CBS's attempt to update the show for contemporary audiences. Season 1 holds a 25% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which summarizes: "Despite assembling elements from numerous successful TV procedurals, the new MacGyver struggles to form an engaging series." On Metacritic, it earned a score of 38 out of 100, reflecting "generally unfavorable reviews."
According to USA Today, "If you seek the original's straightforward DIY appeal—or anything truly original—this is not it. Instead, it's a manufactured reboot where MacGyver functions as just one member of an implausible mission team... While it may not fully captivate, it also avoids being irritating."
IGN labeled the show as "an unnecessary and mediocre reboot featuring a dull protagonist and clichéd stakes," pointing out its heavy inspiration from the Mission Impossible franchise and the diminished emphasis on the science-based premise.
Conversely, Movie Pilot offered a more favorable assessment, commending Lucas Till's portrayal and the series' achievement in "preserving the core spirit of the original while resonating with a modern audience."
The Irish Film Critic expressed approval of the reboot, highlighting Till's engaging charm and charisma alongside the strong rapport among the principal cast. The review emphasized how the team transformed into a surrogate family through their shared missions, frequently concluding episodes with bonding moments at Mac and Bozer's Hollywood Hills residence—"precisely what defines a family."
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite New TV Drama | MacGyver | Template:Won | |
| Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series, or Movie | Jeff Wolfe | Template:Won | ||
| BMI Awards | N/A | Keith Power | Template:Won | ||
| 2018 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor: Action | Lucas Till | Template:Nom | |
| 2019 | Choice TV Show: Action | MacGyver | Template:Won | ||
| Choice TV Actor: Action | Lucas Till | Template:Won |
Home media
Region 1 DVD editions of the first season became available on February 27, 2018, with the second season following on September 18, 2018. A comprehensive UK box set containing all five seasons was released in 2022.
| DVD Name | Number of episodes | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| MacGyver: Season 1 | 21 | February 27, 2018 |
| MacGyver: Season 2 | 23 | September 18, 2018 |
| MacGyver: Season 3 | 22 | January 14, 2020 |
| MacGyver: Season 4 | 13 | June 8, 2021 |
| MacGyver: The Complete Series | 94 | June 14, 2022 |