MacGyver

From '85 to '92, MacGyver filled a necessary gap on television: that of the action-adventure hero. Basically MacGyver is the Indiana Jones of the 80's, which the show itself acknowledges (MacGyver goes on several archaeological expeditions, including one for the Holy Grail!). Added benefits were the hero's reliance on mechanical improvisations, his aversion to guns, and the large cast of supporting and recurring characters. The episodes tend to get a bit preachy with their "Message of the Week" in the 4-6th seasons, reflecting star Richard Dean Anderson's own personal beliefs.

As a kid, I was brought up with a couple of TV-heroes that I adored over all, and that I wanted to be just like. One of these heroes was special agent/survival-expert Angus MacGyver, a guy that, unlike other action-series heroes, didn't grab the nearest firearm when things got hot. For him, an used paper clip, the wrap from a bubblegum, a spring from the bottom of a rusty old bed and his trusty Swiss army knife (which has become MacGyver's trademark) would do the job.

The thing with MacGyver is that it's original. Rare to any other series today, it focuses on the brain instead of brute force, which is actually a good thing, considering that television today is heading for a more "brains-off, action-on"-attitude. Angus MacGyver hates weapons and therefore never uses them, but instead, combining limited resources, he finds simple and elegant ways of dealing with the problem at hand. And the best part is, that (atleast in theory) MacGyver's inventions would really work, making it even more fascinating (even though some of them are not to be recommended to try).

Admittably, some of the episodes may not feature the best acting according to modern-day standards, and some of the ideas and solutions may be slightly used up, but seeing as the series aired in the mid-80's, I don't find it in anyway disturbing, rather the opposite, I find MacGyver to be a true treasure among the TV-series of today, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys wit, humor and a good time spent getting surprised by the geniousness of MacGyver's contraptions!

MacGyver was so cool and inventive he had us all believing that we could get out of any jam with a paperclip and bubble gum. Everything he did was scientific and he was the closest thing to a cool scientist I'd ever seen. Even to this day, if someone does something creative with simple items I compare them to MacGyver.

When I think of the 80's, shows like the Dukes of Hazard, Dallas, The A Team and MacGyver bring back memories. They were fun and with the exception of Dallas, the three others all had one thing in common. They all solved things with very little violence. Even though it may seem that there was some, The A Team always made contraptions that would get them out of trouble, but no one died. The Dukes always fought their way out of trouble just long enough for Roscoe to come arrest the bad guys and with Mac, well he would just make a radio receiver out of a paperclip grass and a shoelace or he would make a dart gun out of bubble gum and toothpick. I honeslty believe that this this was the toughest man in the world. Put him up against the Terminator and he would have found a way to dismantle his CPU without ever touching it. He would make something to shut him down. And that's what was so pure about MacGyver. He never really used violence to solve problems, always his head. And he never got carried away either. He never panicked. He just stayed cool and he always managed to save the day. I love this show and I wish they would bring it back, even in sydication where I am, but we don't have it here and that is a shame because it is a great show and one that I miss.

This is still one of the greatest shows ever! I remember watching this show when I was a kid, and still try to catch the reruns. There are still classic MacGyver references made about building a bomb with a toothpick, some string, a stick of gum, and a few household chemicals if the right proportions. This was just a good show, not overly complicated, but with good values and likable characters. Richard Dean Anderson is likable as MacGyver with Dana Elcar as his boss and best friend. Always a classic!