November 5, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

“MacGyver” Reboot Premieres Tonight

“MacGyver” premieres at 8 p.m. tonight, finding a place on the CBS schedule thanks in part to the continued global familiarity of its 1985-92 ABC predecessor.

“Everyone knows what ‘MacGyver’ means,” CBS Entertainment President Glenn Geller told City News Service last month at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour. “It’s a verb. It’s used all over the world. It becomes part of the lexicon of how we speak that it felt like the perfect time to bring the show back.”

To executive producer Peter Lenkov, the resourceful 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver, “is very unique to the TV landscape.”

“This guy is a superhero whose superpower is his brain,”  said Lenkov, who was the showrunner for “Hawaii Five-0” when its reboot premiered on CBS in 2010. “He’s a cerebral hero. In the procedural landscape, everybody has a gun. He doesn’t have a gun.”

Lucas Till, best known for his portrayal of Havoc in the “X-Men” film franchise, stars as MacGyver, who creates a clandestine organization within the U.S. government in which he uses his extraordinary talents for unconventional problem-solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives.

The new version differs from the original in that MacGyver is part of a team, a change Lenkov said was made “to make it a little bit different.”

“I feel that TV shows nowadays are very character-driven, so I really wanted to sort of explore his character,” Lenkov said. “And how do you do that?  By really having him interact with people close to him.”

The other members of the Department of External Services team are maverick former CIA agent Jack Dalton (George Eads), former field agent-turned- director of operations Patricia Thornton (Sandrine Holt) and unpredictable computer hacker Riley Davis (Tristin Mays). The cast also includes Justin Hires as MacGyver’s ambitious roommate.

Like with the original version, Henry Winkler is part of the producing team for the new version of “MacGyver.”

“He gave me some good advice when we were prepping the pilot,” Lenkov said. “He’s letting us do our thing, but he’s definitely a presence in the show. We trade emails a lot.”

Lenkov said he has a role in mind for original series star Richard Dean Anderson, which he had discussed with his representatives.

Tonight’s episode, where MacGyver and Dalton join forces to recover a missing bioweapon that has the ability to kill hundreds of thousands of people with a single drop, was the second pilot filmed for the series.

Only Till and Lucas’ characters from the original pilot are part of the series, Lenkov said.

Lenkov called the first pilot “the most expensive dress rehearsal you can do” with a story that “just didn’t work.” None of its footage will be aired, Lenkov said.

“You got to see what worked and didn’t work,” Lenkov said. “CBS was smart because they knew that the franchise has value. They knew there was something there. They especially saw that when they saw Lucas and George together on screen.”

 

ABC

Related Posts

Legendary Music Icon Quincy Jones Dies at 91 in Bel Air

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Celebrated Musician, Producer Leaves an Indelible Legacy By Dolores Quintana Legendary musician, music producer, film and television producer, composer of...

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lays Off Longtime Archive and Library Staff

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Downsizing and Restructuring Continue, Affecting Employees with Decades of Service By Dolores Quintana Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture...

LA County Opens 526 New Vote Centers for Early Voting, Announces Conditional Voting for Unregistered Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro LA Offers Free Rides on Election Day to Help Residents Get to the Polls Los Angeles County opened an...

New Aviation/Century Station Opens, Linking Metro’s C and K Lines

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro’s Newest Station Paves the Way for Future LAX Transit Center The new Aviation/Century Station officially opened this week, marking...

H5N1 Detected in LA County Wastewater, Health Officials Urge Precautions for Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Los Angeles County Investigates Low-Level H5 Avian Flu Detected in Wastewater The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is...

Two Events in Culver City This Weekend: Bike Registration and Dance Performance

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Put the Brakes on Bicycle Theft and Enjoy an Evening of Dance and Interactive Art The Culver City Police Department...

All You Need to Know to Attend the Dodgers Victory Parade Tomorrow in DTLA

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

World Champions and LA’s Team to Greet Angelenos After Win of NY Yankees The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that their...

Beverly Hills City Government Agrees to a Stipulated Judgment After Blocking Abortion Clinic Opening

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

City to Implement Training, Oversight on Reproductive Rights Following Legal Settlement  California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a legal agreement...

Dia De Los Muertos 2024: Here’s Where To Celebrate The Holiday Tradition This Weekend

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Los Angeles Has a Variety of Ways to Explore Latino Culture and Honor Ancestors Starting just after Halloween, Dia de...

(Video) Downtown L.A. Reacts to World Series Victory

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Dodgers Are World Series Champs For The Eighth Time https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFtyDDKn/

Halloween Pre-Game Party Brings Chills and Spooky Thrills to The Rose Venice

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Enjoy Halloween With Festive Cocktails, Appetizers, and a Costume Contest The Rose Venice in Venice is set to host a...

(Video) Something About Her’s First Tea Time Was a Big Hit

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Next Date is November Third. Beautiful vibes, deciduous food and drink. Don’t miss it. @Something About Her @culvercitywlanews Something...

Something About Her Sandwich Shop Hosts Second Exclusive Tea Time on November 3

October 30, 2024

October 30, 2024

By Dolores Quintana West Hollywood’s Delightful Sandwich Spot by Vanderpump Rules Stars Has Tea Service Something About Her, the adorable...

Helms Bakery Reopens in Culver City After 55 Years, Welcoming Fans Old and New

October 30, 2024

October 30, 2024

Iconic West LA Bakery Returns With Pastries, Sandwiches, and Nostalgia After teasing Westside residents since January 2023 on Instagram, Helms...

Los Angeles Dodgers Win 2024 World Series in Thrilling Comeback Against Yankees

October 30, 2024

October 30, 2024

Dodgers Claims the Championship Title With a Stunning Victory The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series Champions as of 8:56...