MacGyver remake comes to CBS (Lucas Till, George Eads)

[Christopher]

Blasphemy! LOL Seriously, the theme song is my one of my all time favorites. For me, it has become a classic like the knight rider theme, the A team theme or the airwolf theme.

I never liked the Knight Rider theme either, though the A-Team theme was good (Mike Post & Pete Carpenter's themes were usually quite good) and the Airwolf theme was the only thing I even remotely liked about that show. Although I preferred the early orchestral arrangement to the cheesy '80s-synth version they used later.)

 

[Kor]

Maybe he refuses to use a gun as a result of traumatic experiences during the war.

Kor

 

[Kirby]

To the new MacGyver: Get a haircut, hippie!

Actually, I'll totally watch this show until I realize that it sucks.

 

[Christopher]

Maybe he refuses to use a gun as a result of traumatic experiences during the war.

The original show did an episode that explained it in terms of a traumatic incident in MacGyver's teens in which a friend of his was killed by playing with a gun. Still, that's different from having been trained to fight and then giving it up.

Plus it feels like they're going for the whole "fighting terrorists" angle that's pretty much obligatory in modern action shows and that I feel has kind of worn out its welcome. I'd rather not see MacGyver turned into yet another show about a "clandestine agency" in the service of national security, which is exactly what they're doing. The original show was about that in the first season with the DXS, sure, but it quickly abandoned it in favor of the philanthropic Phoenix Foundation. I think most people who remember the show well would remember MacGyver more as a general do-gooder than a spy. So it seems ill-conceived to keep the Phoenix name but turn it into a DXS-like organization instead.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

It's been quite a while since I've seen the original show, but I remember most of the stories to be about something, the show was matter-driven. Whether it was environmental or social, their was commentary in the episodes. Even the comic book from a few years ago used a clean energy source as a MacGuffin. And, of course, MacGyver not using a gun and rarely (if ever, I'm not sure) lethal force was a matter in itself.

I'd like the new show to carry on with this, handling current issues in an intelligent way, but I'm not very optimistic.

 

[Christopher]

It's been quite a while since I've seen the original show,

The whole series is on Netflix streaming (except the revival movies, which are available on Netflix DVD rental).

but I remember most of the stories to be about something, the show was matter-driven. Whether it was environmental or social, their was commentary in the episodes.

Not so much at first, but over time, the show became increasingly driven by environmentalist and social causes, to the point of becoming preachy. I mean, I agreed with its politics, but it was still preachy as hell sometimes.

Even the comic book from a few years ago used a clean energy source as a MacGuffin. And, of course, MacGyver not using a gun and rarely (if ever, I'm not sure) lethal force was a matter in itself.

MacGyver didn't kill, as a rule, but there were instances where villains ended up dying through accident or their own machinations. Mac's nemesis Murdoc was one of those villains whose whole schtick was apparently dying at the end of every story and then inexplicably turning up alive again later, like Blofeld or the Joker.

 

[sojourner]

Anybody see the irony in complaining that this new MacGyver show will be focusing on a clandestine organization fighting terrorists in it's first season while noting that the original show did the same thing in it's first season?

 

[Aragorn]

MacGyver didn't kill, as a rule, but there were instances where villains ended up dying through accident or their own machinations. Mac's nemesis Murdoc was one of those villains whose whole schtick was apparently dying at the end of every story and then inexplicably turning up alive again later, like Blofeld or the Joker.

The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. had a villain named Pete (played by John Pyper-Ferguson) who was a one-off character they killed at the end of the pilot, but they liked him so much they kept bringing him back and killing him off with humorous explanations for why he's still alive, and then he pretty much stopped being a villain.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Hmm, I dunno. "Returns from war?" I suppose there's some precedent for that in the original, since the first season established that he'd been on a bomb defusing team in the Vietnam War. But I don't want to lose the idea of MacGyver as someone who refuses to use a gun. I suppose it's possible he could've been at war in a noncombatant capacity, but it remains to be seen.

And the idea of a "clandestine" Phoenix Foundation bugs me. It's like they're trying to conflate the Foundation with the DXS, the intelligence agency Mac and Pete worked for in the first season. I prefer the idea of Phoenix as an openly philanthropic think tank, using Science to save the world and fight poverty and hunger and aid law enforcement and so on. And losing Pete Thornton and giving Mac a partner/team... I dunno. Part of the charm of the original was that Mac was a lone hero who tended to make friends as he went and had an ever-growing supporting cast of oddball allies, often ones who drove him crazy, like Jack Dalton and Penny Parker. I wonder if we'll see updated versions of them, or of Mac's archnemesis Murdoc. (Ooh, how about getting Mark Sheppard to play his father's character Dr. Zito?)

Overall, it seems a little self-conscious about "Hey, look how MacGyver we are!" Like, they took the idea of the famous mullet and went twice as long. And the bit at the end there, "Anyone got any bubblegum, wink wink nudge nudge?" Trying too hard. It seems they've embraced and leaned heavily on the surface elements that everyone recognizes, but not bothered to stay very true to the more in-depth elements of the series. (Cute having the "V" in the logo be a Swiss Army knife, though.)

The original show did an episode that explained it in terms of a traumatic incident in MacGyver's teens in which a friend of his was killed by playing with a gun. Still, that's different from having been trained to fight and then giving it up.

Plus it feels like they're going for the whole "fighting terrorists" angle that's pretty much obligatory in modern action shows and that I feel has kind of worn out its welcome. I'd rather not see MacGyver turned into yet another show about a "clandestine agency" in the service of national security, which is exactly what they're doing. The original show was about that in the first season with the DXS, sure, but it quickly abandoned it in favor of the philanthropic Phoenix Foundation. I think most people who remember the show well would remember MacGyver more as a general do-gooder than a spy. So it seems ill-conceived to keep the Phoenix name but turn it into a DXS-like organization instead.

So, to sum up:

- You don't like that he might have once have been trained to use guns in the military, because that detracts from the character for some reason (even though he was a Vietnam vet in the original too, as you pointed out), and think that means that he'll probably be toting guns on the show even though the trailer doesn't show him shooting a gun at all. Maybe his experiences in the military might have influenced his decision not to use guns.

- You think the show is being too cutesy by trying to imitate the original, then you spend the rest of your time saying how it doesn't follow the formula of the original, which disappoints you, then you spend the rest of that time pointing out that it actually does mimic the original with the secret intelligence agency in the first season but you don't like it anyway. Plus, maybe they're combining the elements of the Phoenix Foundation and the DXS into one.

- You don't like that Mac is fighting terrorists, even though he's only mentioned as fighting terrorists in the context of the one time he escaped from them IronMan style, and even though on the original show MacGyver fought terrorists in multiple episodes.

- You get really carried away about people misspelling a fictional character's last name.

 

[Tosk]

If you play the audio from the theme song and mute the trailer it instantly looks better.

 

[Christopher]

The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. had a villain named Pete (played by John Pyper-Ferguson) who was a one-off character they killed at the end of the pilot, but they liked him so much they kept bringing him back and killing him off with humorous explanations for why he's still alive, and then he pretty much stopped being a villain.

No, I rewatched that not too long ago, and I only recall Pete returning from the dead once. (Unfortunately the DVDs have the episodes out of order, so that the episode where Pete first returns and explains his survival comes after a later Pete episode -- and on a different disk, too, which sucks renting them one by one from Netflix.) After that first time, they knew they'd want to keep him around, so they didn't kill him off again.

- You don't like that he might have once have been trained to use guns in the military, because that detracts from the character for some reason (even though he was a Vietnam vet in the original too, as you pointed out)

He was a vet in a single first-season episode, but I'm not sure if that was kept in continuity as the later seasons revised the concept. And he was only established there as on a bomb-disposal unit.

, and think that means that he'll probably be toting guns on the show even though the trailer doesn't show him shooting a gun at all.

Don't put words in my mouth. I said nothing about any such assumption, because I have not made any such assumption.

Maybe his experiences in the military might have influenced his decision not to use guns.

Yes, of course, but I don't care for the assumption that the only way a fictional character can dislike violence is if they used to be violent and gave it up. That's kind of a cliche by this point. I'd just prefer it if MacGyver had never used guns at all, rather than having used them and giving them up. And I'm entitled to have a preference different from yours. As for the rest, I don't owe you a defense of my opinions. You're not the judge in a trailer-critiquing contest.

 

[Aragorn]

No, I rewatched that not too long ago, and I only recall Pete returning from the dead once. (Unfortunately the DVDs have the episodes out of order, so that the episode where Pete first returns and explains his survival comes after a later Pete episode -- and on a different disk, too, which sucks renting them one by one from Netflix.) After that first time, they knew they'd want to keep him around, so they didn't kill him off again.

He was killed off three times in seven episodes, but I know you're not going to believe me so I won't even bother anymore.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

He was a vet in a single first-season episode, but I'm not sure if that was kept in continuity as the later seasons revised the concept. And he was only established there as on a bomb-disposal unit.

Yes, and bomb disposal personnel train with using a rifle just like every other military recruit, and carry them into the field.

Don't put words in my mouth. I said nothing about any such assumption, because I have not made any such assumption.

You've made two posts expressing your concern about MacGyver using a gun despite there being zero indication of that being a feature of the show. Are you seriously upset that he might have once trained to use a gun in the military, and if so, why does that make him lesser as a character, or why does it make one lesser as a person?

Yes, of course, but I don't care for the assumption that the only way a fictional character can dislike violence is if they used to be violent and gave it up. That's kind of a cliche by this point.

Being trained to use a gun as part of your job does not inherently make one violent.

I'd just prefer it if MacGyver had never used guns at all, rather than having used them and giving them up. And I'm entitled to have a preference different from yours. As for the rest, I don't owe you a defense of my opinions. You're not the judge in a trailer-critiquing contest.

Physician, heal thyself. Any thread involving a show or movie you're watching (or even ones you haven't seen), and especially ones based on properties you were a fan of in the past, quickly become an exercise in you dominating the thread and cross-examining anyone who disagrees with your very narrow viewpoint on the way things should be done.

 

[Christopher]

He was killed off three times in seven episodes, but I know you're not going to believe me so I won't even bother anymore.

I always believe hard evidence. I was merely voicing an impression, but of course it's from memory so of course it can be fallible. All you have to do is give me the specifics to refresh my memory. I would appreciate that, in fact. As Twain said, "Supposing is good, finding out is better."

 

[The Wormhole]

They didn't even do the classic theme song.

I really don't expect the show to have the theme song mainly because 95% of shows on television today don't have opening sequences beyond the thirty second title card.

The irony is this show probably has a larger main cast than the original, but the original had a longer opening sequence.

 

[Owain Taggart]

That trailer was really bland. There's nothing in it that makes me want to see it. If the actor had been maybe about 10 years older, maybe. It just doesn't look very interesting.

Blasphemy! LOL Seriously, the theme song is my one of my all time favorites. For me, it has become a classic like the knight rider theme, the A team theme or the airwolf theme.

You forgot the Magnum P.I theme. I think they even used that one in a Revlon commercial recently.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I.. Uh.. But... It's.. A...

Yeah. I got nothin'.

 

[diankra]

That trailer was really bland. There's nothing in it that makes me want to see it. If the actor had been maybe about 10 years older, maybe. It just doesn't look very interesting.



You forgot the Magnum P.I theme. I think they even used that one in a Revlon commercial recently.

Which one? Oh, I know, but That One didn't get introduced till midway through season one.

 

[Owain Taggart]

The iconic one, of course. The original one they had shortly used was rather generic, but everyone remembers the iconic one.

 

[diankra]

Yes. No-one remembers that there was a first one, and as ITV4 loops round Magnum the original theme is very odd.