MacGyver Reboot Update #165

MacGyver the Musical premieres in Houston today. While the Opening Night is sold out, you can still get tickets for other showings.

Tristin Mays posing for a photoshoot (via Kevin Bennylee)

(For daily news and to discuss all the topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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About the Season 6 Storylines (encore)
ICYMI: Before the Season 5 Finale last year, Showrunner Monica Macer had done an interview for TV Line. She talked about potential storylines for the next season – e.g. the future of Mac, Riley and Desi, the “lost” fiancé and a treasure hunt. A few days later, TV Line added an article revealing that Season 6 would have delivered a baby. About a week later, another article revealed what would have led to the first kiss between Mac and Riley.

In June, ex-showrunner Peter Lenkov had posted an excerpt of his own “end game” on Instagram Stories; making it sound like it would have been the Series Finale. After a recent inquiry by a fan on Twitter, he re-posted several script pages in a “proper” Instagram post – which was conveniently used to publish yet another article on TV Line (since they know posts about MacGyver still generate a lot of traffic).

What are Cast and Crew up to?
Tristin Mays posted a few more photos and videos in recent weeks; e.g. of a photoshoot she did with boyfriend Marlon Webb, a photoshoot she did for her mom’s website Black History Matters or a video of her second ballet lesson.

Tristin Mays posing for a photoshoot (via Black History Matters)

On January 29, Henry Ian Cusick posted an Instagram Story taken at Phuket International Airport. We also got a new/old photo of Lucas Till out with friends.

Both Meredith Eaton and Levy Tran will guest-star in upcoming CBS shows. So far, we didn’t get to see any official material yet.

Reign Edwards posted about MacGyver Episode 2×16 (Hammock + Balcony) on Instagram Stories; revealing that her phone keeps making “celebration videos” of her TV weddings.

BtS Screenshot of MacGyver Episode 2×16: Hammock + Balcony (via Reign Edwards)

ICYMI: Distributor Star Invest France has started with the promotion for Son of the South. We also got a new BtS photo by Katie Zellner; featuring Lucas with Bob Zellner. It might take some time to get new promo, but I hope we get at least some new photos and interviews taken during the French festival premiere in Deauville last year.

CBS Pilot Season
CBS is often one of the last networks when announcing renewals and cancellations. So far, nobody of the former MacGyver cast and crew is officially attached to any CBS show in development. The only official pilot orders and pick-ups are for True Lies and a new legal drama.

BtS photo of Son of the South (via Katie Zellner)

ICYMI: Last year, Tristin had revealed being attached to the Flashdance TV Series in development for CBS (with Paramount+ as distributor). Back in 2020, Deadline reported that Tracy McMillan was set to write the script, with Angela Robinson directing and Lynda Obst executive producing. On Tuesday, CBS announced that the Reboot would be helmed by Justin Simien, who’s under an overall contract.

On IMDb, Simien is noted as director and writer of the pilot. I’m assuming the other women are not involved anymore; and with getting a completely new script and Simien bringing his own people on board, this move diminished Tristin’s chances getting the lead role.

Lucas Till (left) and Stefano Smith (right) out with friends (via Jabbar Cash)

The MacGyver Reboot is in syndication and seems to do well. There are still double reruns on CBS (WGCL) Atlanta (Saturday nights), for example.

Other MacGyver-related News
Production Designer Charlie Daboub (who had worked as Art Director on Season 2) posted a video of a familiar-looking “staged” plane on Instagram; revealing in a comment that it is indeed the Phoenix Foundation Jet that he “inherited” and updated to use in another CBS show.

On his website and on social media, you can find several designs and concept art for his first version and the version they actually built for the show.

Phoenix Foundation Jet Concept Art (via Charlie Daboub)

Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• Henry Ian Cusick will appear at Pensacon (Florida, February 18-20).
• Michael Des Barres did a podcast interview for On Screen & Beyond. It’s probably older, but was just uploaded this week.
• Of all interviews and clips that Justin Hires posted on the YouTube-account of his Urban Legendz Podcast, the interviews with Tristin Mays and Lucas Till are on Rank 2 (about 3530 hits) and Rank 3 (about 3430 hits) when sorting for most-watched videos.
• Meredith Eaton will reprise the character of Carol Wilson for CBS show NCIS. Her episode will presumably air on February 28.
• Levy Tran will guest-star in an upcoming episode of Magnum PI. Her episode will presumably air on March 4.

MacGyver Reboot Update #164

Rehearsals for the MacGyver Musical in Houston are underway. Meanwhile, the cast is still laying low.

Lucas Till spending time with family (via Dana Till)

(For daily news and to discuss all the topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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What are Cast and Crew up to?
ICYMI: On December 24, Tristin Mays and Marlon Webb released a short video called Baby It’s Cold Outside. And Tristin and Marlon kept themselves busy with being creative. On January 8, Tristin uploaded a Broadway Warm-up video. A day later, Marlon uploaded a dancing video (Omarion Variant).

BtS photo of Baby It’s Cold Outside (via Tristin Mays)

Tristin posted a few more photos and videos; e.g. a throwback to the The Lion King during her Broadway days as a kid. In the last week, she’s been quiet again; even pondering if she should deactivate her Twitter account.

Distributor Star Invest France released the French trailer for Lucas Till’s movie Son of the South; kicking off the promo for France. There was a press screening in Paris, so reviews should be out soon. The movie also screened at the “Festival International du Film Politique” in Carcassonne this week.

French Promo for Son of the South (via Stéphane Parphot)

The French theatrical release date has already been moved twice due to the pandemic, and daily covid case numbers are still rising. Whatever happens, I hope we get at least some new photos and interviews taken during the French festival premiere in Deauville last year.

Mama Till provided some more photos of Lucas; presenting her chrochet work.

ICYMI: TV Line revealed that Levy Tran will play a crime lord’s bodyguard named Tia Min in an upcoming episode of CBS show Magnum PI. I estimated her episode to be 4×13, but she isn’t listed in the press release. Considering that the show is going on hiatus during the Olympics, we might not get to watch her episode until the end of February or even March.

MacGyver The Musical Character Art (via Stages Houston)

In December, stunt double Reece Fleetwood did a short interview; also talking about doubling for George Eads on MacGyver.

“[Eads] told me the first day I worked, ‘Man, if you’re doubling me, you’re going to be busy because there’s a ton of action for my character and I’ve got a bum back and my shoulder is all whacked out,’” Fleetwood recalled. Eads was true to his word. Fleetwood was involved in loads of fights, falls, car chases and a scene with an explosion that ended up dislocating his shoulder. “I was stunt coordinating that day,” he said. “We were supposed to be running from an explosion and we were supposed to be behind a barricade before the explosion, but I told the director I thought it would look cooler if we weren’t quite behind the barricade.” Fleetwood was right about the shot, but it took him about a year to recover from the pain of that dislocated shoulder.

The Newton Community Magazine, December 14, 2021

The #SaveMacGyver Movement
ICYMI: There’s another fundraiser going on. The official SaveMacGyver website and social media accounts get updated regularly; so check there to keep up with news.

Lucas Till spending time with family (via Dana Till)

CBS Midseason Ratings
Although SWAT lost in ratings since being pushed to their new time slot (Sundays, 10pm), it’s still doing well enough. Of the 20 scripted shows on the current CBS Fall schedule, Magnum PI still has the lowest demo of the previous Friday line-up (Rank 16), followed by Blue Bloods (Rank 14) and SWAT (Rank 12).

CBS is usually one of the “slower” networks when it comes to announcing renewals and cancellations. So far, it has cancelled Bull, which has the second-lowest demo of all current scripted CBS shows and a rather tumultous past behind the scenes.

Henry Ian Cusick for Pensacon

While CBS has several pilots in the works, none of the pilots have been ordered to series yet. So far, none of the former MacGyver cast and crew is officially attached to any CBS shows in development. If they are, we might hear either at the TCAs soon or the Upfronts (usually in May).

Other MacGyver-related News
ICYMI: On their list of “Most Popular Shows of 2021” at SpoilerTV, the MacGyver Reboot reached Rank 11. The Reboot also reached Rank 14 on their list of “Most Popular Shows and Articles on SpoilerTV in December 2021”.

At the moment, SpoilerTV will let you vote on your favorite Shows starting with “M”. So far, they haven’t deactivated their MacGyver Twitter Account (unlike for other former shows); knowing that the fandom is still very active and bringing traffic to their website.

MacGyver The Musical Promo (via Stages Houston)

Rehearsals for the MacGyver Musical in Houston started on January 3. Listen to this podcast episode (recorded in February 2020 before the Telluride workshop premiere) to listen to MacGyver-creator Lee David Zlotoff talking about how the musical came to be.

Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• Henry Ian Cusick will appear at Pensacon (Florida, February 18-20).
• Of all interviews and clips that Justin Hires posted on the YouTube-account of his Urban Legendz Podcast, the interviews with Tristin Mays and Lucas Till are on Rank 2 (about 3400 hits) and Rank 3 (about 3050 hits) when sorting for most-watched videos.
• Meredith Eaton will reprise the character of Carol Wilson for CBS show NCIS. Her episode (presumably 19×13) will air in February.

MacGyver Reboot Update #163

Rehearsals for the MacGyver Musical in Houston have started. Meanwhile, the cast seems to have mostly disappeared from social media this year.

Lucas Till spending time with family (via Dana Till)

(For daily news and to discuss all the topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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What are Cast and Crew up to?
On December 24, Tristin Mays and Marlon Webb released a short video called Baby It’s Cold Outside. A day later, Marlon uploaded a black-and-white-version on YouTube.

We got some BtS photos as well.

BtS photo of Tristin Mays in Baby It’s Cold Outside (via Tristin Mays)

Last year, Tristin talked to Justin Hires for the Urban Legendz Podcast; revealing that she’s been taking dance lessons again because she’s attached to the Flashdance TV Series that’s in development for Paramount and CBS (with Paramount+ as distributor). There haven’t been any updates on IMDb recently, but Tristin just started following pilot script writer Tracy McMillan on Instagram. Maybe a good sign?

We got several new photos of Lucas Till (curtesy of Mama Till); spending time with family on Christmas. Dana Till has been recuperating after surgery and thanked Lucas on Instagram for taking such good care of her in recent months.

Lucas Till spending time with family (via Dana Till)

ICYMI: Levy Tran filmed scenes for CBS show Magnum PI mid-December. We don’t have further information about episode number or airdate, but TV Line revealed that she will play Tia Min, a powerful crime lord’s formidable bodyguard.

While loyal to her boss, Min abides by her own code (and harbors a secret agenda). Circumstances will force Magnum to work with Min when his interests coincide with her employer’s.

TV Line

Many fans hoped she would return as her MacGyver character so that we might learn something about the fate of the other characters.

It’s a missed opportunity, but not the first time CBS brings in regular cast members of other CBS shows as guest stars (even if the two shows are in the same universe). It’s also standard for the guest stars. In fact, many of the guest-stars on MacGyver have turned up on other CBS shows recently.

BtS photo of Season 5 (via Alexandra Grey)

The #SaveMacGyver Movement
ICYMI: For New Years, we got some special messages by Tech Consultant Rhett Allain and by Emerson Brooks (Charlie Robinson). There’s also another fundraiser going on. The official SaveMacGyver website and social media accounts get updated regularly; so check there to keep up with news.

CBS Midseason Ratings
On January 2nd, SWAT aired the first episode in its new time slot (Sundays, 10pm). CBS made the midseason schedule change to make room for reality shows (Undercover Boss and Celebrity Big Brother) on Fridays.

Italian Promo for Son of the South (via Notorious Pictures)

SWAT did very well on Fridays; being the only scripted CBS show gaining in demo ratings this season (+14%) compared to last season and also being one of two shows gaining in audience numbers (+56%). For its first Sunday episode this season, the show lost 22% in demo and 26% in audience. It will be interesting to see if and how the Friday ratings for Magnum PI and Blue Bloods will be affected.

Other MacGyver-related News
On their list of “Most Popular Shows of 2021” at SpoilerTV, the MacGyver Reboot reached Rank 11. The Popularity score is based on a calculation of Page Views, Video Plays, Poll Votes, Comments, Facebook Likes and Tweets.

Rehearsals for MacGyver The Musical (via Mike Dorsey)

On their list of “Most Popular “What Did You Think Of” Polls of the Year at SpoilerTV”, the Season 5 Finale reached Rank 1. Several other episodes made the Top 30 as well:

• 5×04: Banh Bao + Sterno + Drill + Burner + Mason (Rank 4)
• 5×12: Royalty + Marriage + Vivaah Sanskar + Zinc + Henna (Rank 11)
• 5×14: H2O + Orthophosphates + Mission City + Corrosion + Origins (Rank 12)
• 5×11: C8H7ClO + Nano-Trackers + Resistance + Maldives + Mind Games (Rank 16)
• 5×09: Diamond + Quake + Carbon + Comms + Tower (Rank 28)

Despite airing the Season 5 Finale back in April 2021, the Reboot reached Rank 14 on their list of “Most Popular Shows and Articles on SpoilerTV in December 2021”.

BtS photo of Tristin Mays in Baby It’s Cold Outside (via Marlon Webb)

Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• Rehearsals for the MacGyver Musical in Houston started this week.
• MacGyver guest star Ramon DeOcampo will guest-star in tonight’s episode of Magnum PI.
• Justin Hires released his third album on Christmas Day; including a new music video.
• Meredith Eaton will reprise the character of Carol Wilson for CBS show NCIS. Her episode (presumably 19×13) will air in February.

MacGyver Reboot Update #162

While some of the cast members are back on set, some are tending to their own projects.

Lucas Till spending time with family and friends (via Lavonda Barineau Till)

(For daily news and to discuss all the topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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What are Cast and Crew up to?
In November and December, Levy Tran filmed scenes for Expendables 4 in Bulgaria and Greece. On December 11, she popped up in Hawaii with her sister; stating that she’s working while also enjoying some time with family. She also provided us with a new Expendables BtS photo while wearing the blonde wig.

In her trailer while filming Expendables 4 (via Levy Tran)

While there were hints that she might be on the set of CBS show Magnum PI, she didn’t give us any confirmation until December 17. We don’t know yet if she will play her old MacGyver character or a new one.

Justin Hires did an interview with French-American Eclair Magazine for their December issue. He stated that he’s still friends with the cast of MacGyver because they felt like a real family on set and that he would love to resume the character of Wilt Bozer.

Justin Hires for Eclair Magazine (December Issue)

We got several new sightings of Lucas Till; spending time with family and friends for a birthday celebration.

On December 15, Season 5 writer Teresa Huang tweeted that she’s still depressed over the unexpected cancellation, but that she appreciates the love and the social media posts about the MacGyver Reboot.

Tristin Mays was mostly absent from social media in recent weeks – until she announced on December 15 that she had opened another Instagram account called The Disco Room.

Screenshot of Tristin Mays for Cameo (December 2021)

Two days later, she announced that she has joined Cameo; hinting at currently filming for a project. A few days later, she revealed that the project is called Baby It’s Cold Outside and will drop today (at least in my timezone).

Alexandra Grey posted several new BtS photos of Season 5. She stated that out of all characters she played on television, Parker has been the most rewarding.

ICYMI: Meredith Eaton will reprise the character of Carol Wilson for CBS show NCIS. Her episode (presumably 19×13) will air next year.

Tristin Mays and Marlon Webb in Baby It’s Cold Outside (Screenshot via Tristin Mays)

ICYMI: Back in November, Ex-Showrunner Peter Lenkov answered fan questions on Instagram Stories. He revealed that he’s working on a book about his career and that he will include conversations between him, Lucas Till and Lucas’ manager Tom Sullivan.

Ironically, Maureen Ryan tweeted on December 17 that she’s working on a book called Burn It Down; covering institutional power and abuse in the entertainment industry. Maureen was the writer who broke the story of Lenkov’s abuse against cast and crew in the Vanity Fair article (which was probably the nail in the coffin for Lenkov’s career at CBS; even before it was published).

Italian Promo for Son of the South (via Notorious Pictures)

The #SaveMacGyver Movement
ICYMI: Another round of digital billboards with a festive design had been launched in November. The locations were Orlando (FL), Westampton (NJ), San Antonio (TX), Houston (TX), Hawthorne (CA) and West Haven (CT).

The official SaveMacGyver website and social media accounts get updated regularly; so check there to keep up with news.

CBS Fall TV Season Ratings
Starting in January, SWAT will air on Sundays 10pm to make room for reality shows (Undercover Boss and Celebrity Big Brother) on the Friday midseason schedule. SWAT is the only scripted CBS show gaining in demo ratings this season (+14%) compared to last year and also one of only two shows gaining in audience numbers (+56%).

BtS photo of Season 5 (via Alexandra Grey)

Of the 19 scripted shows on the current CBS Fall schedule, Magnum PI reaches the lowest demo of the Friday line-up (Rank 15), followed by Blue Bloods (Rank 14) and SWAT (Rank 11).

Nielsen Ratings have been delayed for days and sometimes even weeks in recent months. They also admitted of still having problems delivering “real” numbers; undercounting audiences in the last two! years. In a recent interview with AdWeek, CBS Entertainment Kelly Kahl stated:

Perhaps somewhat ironically, we’re moving away from demos and going “back to the future” – counting and emphasizing total audience.

Kelly Kahl in AdWeek (December 2021)

Too bad they weren’t willing to do that for the MacGyver Reboot.

Holiday decorating… MacGyver-style (via CBS)

Other MacGyver-related News
On IMDbTV, the MacGyver Reboot has been in the Top 10 section for 79 days; hovering between Rank 5 and 6 in the last few weeks. Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• On December 24, there will be a rerun of The Christmas Sitter with Tristin Mays on ionTV.
• Justin Hires will release his new album on Christmas Day. A first music video has been dropped on his Patreon officially (and inofficially on YouTube).
• ICYMI: The design contest for the MacGyver Musical was extended to December 20. We don’t know yet when the winners will be announced.

MacGyver Reboot Update #161

While some of the cast members are back on set, some are attending red carpet events. And others have “disappeared”.

Houston Billboard (via Kemberlie)

(For daily news and to discuss all the topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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What are Cast and Crew up to?
The Reboot cast has more or less disappeared from social media in the last few weeks – only for most of them to show up again within days of each other.

Henry Ian Cusick had initially planned to attend German Comic Con in Dortmund this weekend. His appearance was cancelled (probably due to rising numbers of covid cases in Germany and its surrounding countries).

Levy Tran on set of Expendables 4 (via Cheung Lap Fung)

Levy Tran filmed more scenes for Expendables 4 in Bulgaria and in Greece. We recently got some new BtS photos of her wearing the blonde wig (e.g. by Cheung Lap Fung or by Alan Ng). On November 30, she posted from Bulgaria again; stating that she has two more days of filming before wrapping her character.

ICYMI: When fans lamented on missing her face on screen, Meredith Eaton teased on November 6 that we would see it again “soon”. On December 1st, she posted an Instagram video taken on the set of the CBS show NCIS. Apparently, she will reprise the character of Carol Wilson (who was on both NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans) in presumably Episode 19×13; written by NCIS-actor Brian Dietzen (who also provided a BtS photo).

Meredith Eaton on set of NCIS (via Brian Dietzen)

Meanwhile, Tristin Mays attended an LA screening this week for “Silent Night”, a film with Keira Knightley.

Lucas Till seems to have disappeared; at least from social media. There have been no sightings for Thanksgiving festivities with the family, either.

ICYMI: Ex-Showrunner Peter Lenkov started answering fan questions on Instagram Stories. While he shares some interesting character and storyline tidbits every now and then, he also throws shade at both Lucas Till and Meredith Eaton.

Tristin Mays at the LA screening for Silent Night (via Getty Images)

Here’s a few of his answers regarding the MacGyver Reboot:

• His intended endgame was Mac and Riley.
• If George Eads hadn’t left, Jack’s storyline would have included more military flashbacks and finally meeting Bruce Willis.
• He had been looking for a co-showrunner to hand the show over to since Season 4.

When asked about the character of Samantha Cage, he evaded an answer; stating that “it’s a secret” why she was written out of the show.

Peter Lenkov Q&A (via Instagram Stories)

The #SaveMacGyver Movement
Another round of digital billboards has been launched last month. The locations are Orlando (FL), Westampton (NJ), San Antonio (TX), Houston (TX), Hawthorne (CA) and West Haven (CT). We got a first glance at the Houston billboard on November 30.

If you manage to be in the area, go snap a picture and share. The official SaveMacGyver website and social media accounts get updated regularly; so check there to keep up with news and to find out about the exact locations of the billboards.

Tech Consultant Rhett Allain for MacGyver Con (Screenshot via SaveMacGyverHQ)

CBS Fall TV Season Ratings
There were several reruns lately. For now, there are two more episodes of SWAT on Fridays 8pm. Starting in January, SWAT will air on Sundays 10pm to make room for reality shows (Undercover Boss and Celebrity Big Brother) on the midseason schedule.

Fun Fact: SWAT is still the only scripted CBS show gaining in demo ratings this season (+8%) compared to last year and also one of only two shows gaining in audience ratings (the other one is comedy United States of Al which gained 1% in viewer numbers).

Storyboard excerpt of Episode 5×06: Quarantine + N95 + Landline + Telescope + Social Distance (via Jasmine Alexia)

Of the 19 scripted shows on the current CBS Fall schedule, Magnum PI reaches the lowest demo of the Friday line-up (Rank 16), followed by Blue Bloods (Rank 14) and SWAT (Rank 13). They still seem to favor the latter shows for promo while neglecting Magnum.

Other MacGyver-related News
On IMDbTV, the MacGyver Reboot has been in the Top 10 section for 70 days; hovering between Rank 5 and 6 in the last few weeks.

MacGyver The Musical Design Contest (via the official MacGyver Instagram)

Other MacGyver-related news in recent weeks you might have missed:

• In Italy, Son of the South was released yesterday. Due to rising numbers of covid cases in Europe, access to cinemas will be limited soon if you’re not vaccinated.
• The Season 5 Finale will premiere on Swiss FreeTV tonight. There are still reruns of earlier seasons on German, Austrian and Swiss TV.
• ICYMI: The design contest for the MacGyver Musical is still running. You can win over 2500 US Dollars in cash prizes. If interested, check the entry information here.

MacGyver Reboot Update #160

While it’s been rather quiet regarding the cast, ex-showrunner Peter Lenkov sure stirred things up in the last few days.

Training during a filming break for Expendables 4 (via Levy Tran)

(For daily news and to discuss all the topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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What are Cast and Crew up to?
ICYMI: Sadly, it looks like FX has passed on The Spook who sat by the Door, the pilot for a series that Lucas Till has filmed in Baltimore back in May. There has been no official news about it and no information if the series is going to be shopped somewhere else.

Levy Tran filmed more scenes for Expendables 4 in Sofia (Bulgaria). On November 8, she posted a workout video; hinting that she’s staying in Greece. I’m curious where she’ll pop up next.

When fans lamented on missing her face on screen, Meredith Eaton teased on November 6 that we would see it again “soon”. There has been no signs on what she’s working right now. Interestingly, she recently started following the official Instagram account for The Good Doctor. The ABC series is filmed in Vancouver, so it’s possible that Meredith might make a guest appearance (in person or on screen). Of course, “soon” in fandom time can mean anything from two weeks to two years.

ICYMI: Tristin Mays got into the Halloween Spirit a few days early; filming a short clip tackling crow problems. She has more or less disappeared from social media since then.

Tristin Mays for Halloween 2021 (via Tristin Mays)

Last weekend, a clean-shaven Henry Ian Cusick attended Liverpool Comic Con. Next month, he will attend German Comic Con in Dortmund (3.-5. December). You can book your autograph signing or photo op here. According to IMDb, he’s attached to 7 upcoming projects.

Justin Hires keeps doing stand-up-comedy-shows, podcasts and working on his music. His new album will be released on Christmas.

Last week, Ex-Showrunner Peter Lenkov started answering fan questions on Instagram Stories. While he shared some interesting tidbits over several days, he also got a lot of heat from both Hawaii Five-0 and MacGyver fans. He tagged Lucas Till in several of the posts; also throwing subtle (and not so subtle) shade at both Lucas and at MacGyver co-star Meredith Eaton.

ICYMI; here’s a few of his answers regarding the MacGyver Reboot, the characters and the storylines:

• His intended endgame was Mac and Riley.
• His favorite characters were Murdoc, Riley and Bozer.
• The Codex storyline was the idea of co-showrunner Terry Matalas. Lenkov believes that Codex would have come back at some point (though he hasn’t watched Season 5).
• If George Eads hadn’t left, Jack’s storyline would have included more military flashbacks and finally meeting Bruce Willis.

Lenkov also stated that even if the show had continued, he wouldn’t be showrunning anymore because he had been looking for a co-showrunner to hand the show over to since Season 4.

International Season 5 Promo (via FOX Spain)

Here’s a few of his answers regarding the Reboot cast:

• He’s working on a book that will include details about his “relationship” with Lucas Till. The book should be released next year.
• According to Lenkov, Lucas struggled with being the Number 1 on the call sheet and showed some “questionable behavior” (without elaborating). Lenkov added that he ignored said behaviour to keep the show going.
• He’s harrassed regularly by Lucas Till fans (which seems odd, considering he blocked most of them on social media months ago).
• He claims that Mac and Riley didn’t date because Lucas didn’t support the storyline.
• There were several reasons for George Eads leaving; one reason being to spend more time with his daughter.
• He offered Meredith Eaton to write in a cane after her hip surgery (while not revealing if she declined the offer) and claims that all scenes in the script had Matty sitting. He brushed off accusations regarding Meredith because he wasn’t the director of said episode.
• While he admitted on being a tough boss, he claims that Lucas wasn’t prepared for the amount of work that is required for being a lead actor on a TV show.
• He calls Ian a “breath of fresh air” who should have his own TV show and recalls finding Tristin on YouTube and immediately knowing he wanted to cast her.

It’s interesting to note that while Lenkov is willing to publish written conversations between him and Lucas, he said he’s disappointed he can’t share the messages between him and Meredith Eaton. He’s also wise enough to not mention CBS in a negative way.

Episode 5×10: Diamond + Quake + Carbon + Comms + Tower (video screenshot via Levy Tran)

Considering that he keeps flip-flopping on answers, changes the narrative, avoids the f-word (as in “fired”) and keeps posting hinky statements and blatant lies, I’m not sure this book can be published without a hitch (aka a ton of revisions – which shouldn’t be a problem for a writer, huh).

Also, he tagged long-time friend Ingo Rademacher to back him up in saying he always supported Lucas. (Note that a few weeks ago, Rademacher lost his long-time gig of 25!! seasons on ABC soap General Hospital after not complying with the Covid Vaccine Mandate on set and posting anti-transgender memes.)

Lenkov will probably try to get more friends and ex-co-workers to back him up for the book, but I doubt that most of the people still supporting him are ready and/or willing to do so in public.

Lee David Zlotoff for MacGyver Con (Screenshot via SaveMacGyverHQ)

CBS Fall TV Season Ratings
On November 10, CBS released their midseason schedule. Surprisingly, they’re still going through with their initial idea; pulling off SWAT in January and shoving it to Sundays 10pm to make room for reality shows (Undercover Boss and Celebrity Big Brother).

Considering that SWAT is their only scripted show gaining in demo ratings this season compared to last year, this is a disappointing move for fans. But hey, at least the show isn’t cancelled.

Storyboard excerpt of Episode 5×06: Quarantine + N95 + Landline + Telescope + Social Distance (via Jasmine Alexia)

Of the 19 scripted shows on the current CBS Fall schedule, Magnum PI reaches the lowest demo of the Friday line-up (Rank 15), followed by Blue Bloods (Rank 14) and SWAT (Rank 13).

Other MacGyver-related News
On IMDbTV, the MacGyver Reboot has been in the Top 10 section for 55 days.

ICYMI: The official MacGyver website launched a design contest for the musical. You can win over 2500 US Dollars in cash prizes. If interested, check the entry information here. A few days ago, MacGyver-creator Lee David Zlotoff shared a short announcement.

MacGyver The Musical Design Contest (via the official MacGyver Instagram)

Last month, I finally found out which show is filmed in the Reboot’s former location (Mailing Avenue Stageworks): Ordinary Joe. Considering the ratings and the show not getting a backorder, it might be done after the first season.

Other MacGyver-related news in recent weeks you might have missed:

• Yesterday and today, Lucas Till’s movie Son of the South is screened in competition at the “Festival du Film d’Histoire de Pessac” in France. The release date has been pushed to March next year.
• Son of the South will be released December 2 in Italy. It’s possible the date gets pushed again if they have close cinemas due to rising numbers of covid cases in Europe.

MacGyver Reboot Update #159

It’s been rather quiet lately. Fans are still waiting for news regarding the reboot and project announcements for their favorite cast members.

Lucas Till in Tallahassee FL, October 2021 (via Rodney Carter)

(For daily news and to discuss all the topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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What are Cast and Crew up to?
We got a new Lucas Till sighting on October 29, thanks to family friend Rodney Carter. It was presumably taken on the day of the funeral of Lucas’ grandmother in Tallahassee (Florida).

Back in May, Lucas filmed a pilot for The Spook who sat by the Door in Baltimore. Sadly, it looks like FX has passed on the project. On October 28, executive producer Leigh Dana Jackson (who had written the pilot script) tweeted about being (understandably) disappointed.

This is a bummer; considering how excited Lucas was about the book the script is based on. To be fair, the news didn’t come totally unexpected with no updates since July, FX ordering more pilots and greenlighting shows lately plus one of the main actresses getting cast in another show a few weeks ago.

Since FX is listed as the distributor and not as the production company on IMDb, I thought Leigh and/or producing company Lee Daniels Entertainment might be able to take the project elsewhere. But as Leigh tweeted a few days later (by answering someone’s suggestion about pitching it to Netflix), the “studio” owns it. I’m not sure to which studio he was referring to, since 20th Television is also attached.

Levy Tran, Randy Couture and 50 Cent on set of Expendables 4 (via Levy Tran)

For now, it looks like the project is done unless FX sells it or revives it in a few years. But even if it gets made after all, it might be with a different cast and crew.

Less than 3 weeks after returning to Atlanta from London, Levy Tran has returned to Europe; presumably to film more scenes for Expendables 4. This time, she travelled to Sofia (Bulgaria). She posted a first BtS photo from the London set; showing off a new hair color (presumably a wig).

Tristin Mays and Marlon Webb for Halloween (via Tristin Mays)

Tristin Mays got into the Halloween Spirit a few days early; filming a short clip tackling crow problems. As Tristin stated, she made the costumes herself. She collaborated with Marlon Webb, who’s involved in the “Pirate Project” she did a few months ago. If I remember correctly, she had also designed some of the pirate costumes.

Henry Ian Cusick will attend German Comic Con in Dortmund (3.-5. December). You can book your autograph signing or photo op here. According to IMDb, he’s attached to 6 projects currently, but none of them have had updates recently. Two movies are already in post-production. The one with Peter Lenkov attached as producer has already been filmed last year and will probably be the next one being released.

International Season 5 Promo (via FOX Spain)

Justin Hires keeps doing stand-up-comedy-shows, podcasts and working on his music. He also invested some of his money; buying a multi-family property. He hinted at working on something, but there’s no official news yet.

While Sandrine Holt will make an appearanace on NCIS LA soon, I haven’t seen the rest of the cast in other projects yet.

The #SaveMacGyver Movement
ICYMI: For the MacGyver Con, a total of 5500 USD was raised for charity. The official SaveMacGyver website gets updated regularly; so check there to keep up with news or their social media accounts.

Sarah Downer for MacGyver Con (Screenshot via SaveMacGyverHQ)

CBS Fall TV Season Ratings
The better MacGyver looks in comparison to the shows on the current CBS schedule, in streaming numbers (e.g. on IMDbTV) and in syndication, the more appealing it is to do something with it. There is still money to be made by selling the rights, ordering more merchandize (e.g. books) or greenlight a Spin-Off.

There were reruns last week, but let’s take a look at the current Friday ratings.

• SWAT (Friday, 8pm) has an average demo of 0.45 (+8% compared to last year) in the important demo group of 18 to 49 year olds and 4.833 million live-viewers (+53%) per episode.
• Magnum PI (Friday, 9pm) premiered with a series low. This season, an average episode reaches a demo of 0.41 (-22%) and a live-audience of 5.216 million viewers (-7%).
• Blue Bloods (Friday, 10pm) keeps the tendency of a rather low demo with high live-audience numbers. At the moment, an episode manages 0.44 (-18%) in demo and an an audience of 6.076 million viewers (-6%) on average.

Of the 19 scripted shows, Magnum PI reaches the lowest demo of the Friday line-up (Rank 16), followed by Blue Bloods (Rank 14) and SWAT (Rank 13).

Urban Legendz Podcast Preview for Episode 41 (via Justin Hires)

As predicted early on, it looks like SWAT is the winner here; getting to keep it’s Friday slot instead of being pushed to Sundays 10pm. For now, CBS will air reruns on Sundays; starting with reruns of the pilot episodes of their rookie shows.

Other MacGyver-related News
CBS released a BluRay boxset of OG MacGyver on November 2. I didn’t see any official promo for it.

The MacGyver Reboot is quite popular on streaming services. Since IMDbTV made it available to stream in the US, it has been in the Top 10 section for 43 days.

MacGyver The Musical Key Art (via Stages Houston)

The Houston premiere for the second production of MacGyver The Musical has been set for February 2022. Casting for roles is underway (online submissions closed on October 22). Check the dates and book tickets here.

The official MacGyver website also launched a design contest for the musical. You can win over 2500 US Dollars in cash prizes. If interested, check the entry information here. Houston Stages already have key art, so maybe it’s for the next musical that should open in May. The location hasn’t been announced yet.

MacGyver The Musical Design Contest (via the official MacGyver website)

Other MacGyver-related news in recent weeks you might have missed:

• ICYMI: Back in May, Justin Hires recorded an episode with Lucas Till for his Urban Legendz Podcast, which he uploaded to his Patreon in June. It’s now officially up on YouTube.
• On November 18 and 19, Lucas Till’s movie Son of the South will be screened in competition at the “Festival du Film d’Histoire de Pessac” in France. The release date has been pushed to March next year.
• Son of the South will be released December 2 in Italy.

MacGyver Reboot Update #158

With a few sightings here and there, fans wait for news regarding the reboot and projects of their favorite cast and crew members.

Lucas Till attending a wedding, October 2021 (via Dana Till)

(For daily news and to discuss all the topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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What are Cast and Crew up to?
We got a new Lucas Till sighting in Atlanta on October 10, thanks to his mom. She posted a selfie with her sons; taken while attending a family wedding.

Tristin Mays got to meet her nephew for the first time recently; being completely smitten and fuelling the ideas of fans and fanfiction writers.

Tristin Mays meeting Campion, October 2021 (via Giselle Mays)

Levy Tran has returned to Atlanta after filming scenes for Expendables 4 in London. So far, I haven’t seen any BtS photos of her, but it looks like she got her hair cut shorter. Maybe she will film more scenes in another location? In the meantime, she’s endorsing the new sports brand collaboration by her martial arts trainers.

Otherwise, there’s still no casting news to write about. Justin Hires keeps doing stand-up-comedy-shows, podcasts and working on his music. Henry Ian Cusick will visit Comic Con Liverpool next month while Meredith Eaton is mostly off the social media grid.

International Season 5 Promo (via FOX Spain)

The #SaveMacGyver Movement
ICYMI: For the MacGyver Con, a total of 5500 USD was raised for charity.

The official SaveMacGyver website gets updated regularly; so check here to keep up with news.

Kate Bond for MacGyver Con (Screenshot via SaveMacGyverHQ)

CBS Fall TV Season Ratings
Why are the current CBS ratings of interest for MacGyver fans? The better MacGyver looks in comparison to the current schedule, in streaming numbers and in syndication, the more appealing the show looks to CBS. They might try to squeeze out a few more bucks by selling the rights, ordering more merchandize (e.g. books) or work on a Spin-Off.

• SWAT (Friday, 8pm) has an average demo of 0.45 (+7% compared to last year) in the important demo group of 18 to 49 year olds and 4.877 million live-viewers (+54%) per episode.

Verdict: The fate of SWAT depends on the co-producing network, but the future looks quite promising. The ratings improved a lot since the timeslot switch and it might end up being the winner of the Friday line-up.

• Magnum PI (Friday, 9pm) premiered with a series low. This season, an average episode reaches a demo of 0.40 (-24%) and a live-audience of 5.211 million viewers (-6%).

Verdict: The show still has a rather good audience number. Since it’s a co-production, it might depend on how long NBCU is willing to pay for it. Even if renewed, it could lose its Fall premiere and/or time slot next season.

• Veteran show Blue Bloods (Friday, 10pm) keeps its tendency of a rather low demo with high live-audience numbers. At the moment, an average episode manages 0.43 (-20%) in demo and an an audience of 6.084 million viewers (-6%).

Verdict: The loss of live-viewers compared to last season is marginal. Blue Bloods is old and expensive, but it has international and syndication deals in place.

Levy Tran for Hyperfly (via Kinetic Motions)

Other MacGyver-related News
The MacGyver Reboot is in syndication.

• There are double reruns on CW26 (Chicago area) on Saturdays (5-7pm local time) or on CBS (WGCL) Atlanta (12-2am).
• In the US, the Reboot is available to stream on IMDbTV. This week, it’s been in the Top Ten (Rank 7) every day.
• Fans have tweeted that the show will come to Netflix in Europe soon; e.g. to France.

ICYMI: Lucas Till’s movie Son of the South was released on DVD and BluRay last month in German-speaking regions. Contrary to the US version, the German version contains about 45 minutes of bonus material; including an interview with Lucas done remotely a few months ago.

The movie is currently available on Netflix in 17 countries (e.g. Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela); reaching the Top Ten this week in 15 of them.

MacGyver The Musical Key Art (via Stages Houston)

Other MacGyver-related news in recent weeks you might have missed:

• CBS will release a BluRay boxset of OG MacGyver on November 2. You can read up on all information here. I haven’t seen any advertizing so far.
• On November 18 and 19, Son of the South will be screened in competition at the “Festival du Film d’Histoire de Pessac” in France.
• The Houston premiere for the second production of MacGyver The Musical has been set for February 2022. Casting for roles is underway. Check the dates and book tickets here.

MacGyver Reboot Update #147

No MacGyver at the CBS Upfronts. Meanwhile, the fans continue fighting for Season 6.

Digital Billboard in Los Angeles (via SaveMacGyver)

(Minor Spoiler Alert: You might get spoilered about Season 5 storylines and characters by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided. For daily news and to join the discussion, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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About the Season 5 Ratings
To recap: Season 4 had an average of 6.081 millions live-viewers per episode with a demo-rating of 0.67. Episode 4×08 airing on April 3 had the highest audience number (of 7.073 million life-viewers), Episode 4×07 airing on March 27 had the biggest demo (of 0.80).

On average, every Season 5 episode had an audience of 4.740 million live-viewers and a demo of 0.51. Compared to the other CBS scripted shows in the current TV Season (24 so far), it places Rank 15 in average audience numbers and demo per episode.

Audience Numbers Overview (graph by DashboardOnFire)

Episode 5×04 airing on January 8 had both the highest audience number (of 5.173 million live-viewers) and the highest demo (of 0.59).

Comparing the average ratings to last season, Season 5 lost about 22% in live-audience numbers and about 24% in demo. Comparing the average audience numbers with the other CBS crime/drama shows, only cancelled shows All Rise and NCIS: New Orleans had a bigger loss (minus 26.6% resp. 23.3%).

So when looking at the audience numbers only, the ratings weren’t stellar for CBS. But when comparing demo losses, MacGyver lost less in demo than NCIS, SEAL Team or SWAT (about minus 27%).

International Season 5 Finale Promo (via AXN Asia)

On May 7, fans were live-tweeting while having a Watch Party of episodes 3×22 and 4×01. At their peak, there were about 408 estimated tweets per hour using the hashtag #MacGyver and about 1044 estimated tweets per hour using the hashtag #SaveMacGyver. For comparison: #MagnumPI (Season Finale) got 206 estimated tweets per hour, #BlueBloods had 587.

On May 14, there was a Watch Party of episodes 4×02 and 4×03. There were about 261 estimated tweets per hour using the hashtag #MacGyver and about 721 estimated tweets per hour using the hashtag #SaveMacGyver. For comparison: The two-hour Season Finale of #BlueBloods had about 2300 estimated tweets per hour.

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (Nathan Bolster/CBS via KsiteTV)

About the Season 6 Storylines
Before the Season 5 Finale, Matt Mitovich had interviewed Showrunner Monica Macer for TV Line; talking about potential storylines for Season 6 if the show hadn’t been cancelled. A few days later, TV Line added another article revealing that Season 6 would have delivered a baby.

Juicy reveals bring clicks for websites. On May 15, Mitovich posted yet another article; this time elaborating on what would have led to the first kiss between Mac and Riley.

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (via Justin Hires)

What’s going to happen now?
Sadly, CBS doesn’t air reruns of cancelled shows, so all the pre-scheduled reruns have been “cancelled” as well. As predicted, the replacements haven’t been doing to well; dragging down the ratings of the Friday line-up.

On May 19, CBS revealed their new Fall schedule. Our favorite slot goes to SWAT for a handful of episodes. SWAT will then move to Sundays 10pm to replace SEAL Team, which will be then moved to CBS’ streaming canal Paramount+ (former CBS All Access). Depending on how many reruns they put in between, that might most likely happen for midseason. For now, CBS hasn’t announced yet which unscripted / reality show will take over the Friday 8pm slot.

BtS Photo of Season 5 (via Jordan Heir)

In my opinion, moving SWAT twice is a weird choice. Whatever will replace SWAT and no matter if SWAT does better than in its previous timeslot, I think the rest of the Friday line-up will suffer in ratings. But a Fall schedule isn’t set in stone. If SWAT does exceptionally well, they might keep it on Fridays 8pm. Or they might decide to pair Magnum PI with NCIS: Hawaii after all.

The #SaveMacGyver Movement
Here’s an update for the achievements of the #SaveMacGyver Movement during the last two weeks:

• The petition to renew the show for another season hit the mark of 27’000 signatures on May 7. It lost about 3000 signatures (due to the website eliminating signatures that hadn’t verified their email address). It’s currently back at about 26’000 signatures as I’m writing this post.
• A big package of 1 million paperclips have been sent to CBS Studios recently; meaning that fans sent them so far about 1.4 million paperclips.
• Fans keep sending e-mails and writing letters to CBS executives and calling the CBS offices; also contacting other networks and streaming companies to pick up the series.
• Some more online articles by news outlets have been published; e.g. by Phoenix New Times about the Phoenix billboard.
• The GoFundMe-Page to fund more promo (e.g. billboards, one million paperclips or online ads) is still up; standing at 7750 USD.
• The 5 digital billboards in Los Angeles, New York (Time Square), Phoenix and Atlanta will stay up until end of May.
• The GoFundMe-Page named “Operation Cure Cancer” to collect money for cancer research is still up; standing at 1770 USD.

The official website is still being updated regularly; so check here to keep up with news and learning about the movment and how to help.

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (via Justin Hires)

Several cast members of CBS shows have acknowledged the movement on social media; e.g. Eric Christian Olsen (NCIS: LA) or Michael Cudlitz (Clarice); encouraging fans to not give up.

What are Cast and Crew up to?
In recent years, we used to have some events in June to look forward to; e.g. the Corus Entertainment Upfronts in Toronto. The pandemic put a damper on all events last year. In theory, Season 5 would have a chance to be nominated for award shows (e.g. the Teen Choice Awards), but the pandemic might be a hindrance for this year as well.

BtS Photo of Season 5 (video screenshot via Levy Tran)

Henry Ian Cusick has a movie coming out soon; a project he filmed in Hawaii before they started filming for Season 5. Interestingly, former Showrunner Peter Lenkov is attached as producer.

Tate Donovan’s pilot for FOX didn’t get picked up, so James MacGyver would be available for another season (hint, hint).

Other MacGyver-related News
A few weeks ago, CBS added more merch items of the Original Show in their MacGyver store. They have now 52 items in total.

Episode 5×09: Rails + Pitons + Pulley + Pipe + Salt (via Matthew Albright)

Here’s a short overview of MacGyver-related news in recent weeks you might have missed:

• In the UK, Season 5 will premiere on May 30 on Sky One.
• The Season 4 DVD release date has been set for June 8. So far, there’s no information about any Bonus Features.
• There’s no release date yet for the Season 5 DVD.
• The Reboot was competing in the “Best of TV Awards 2020” held by Canada Graphs. It won Rank 3 in three categories: “Best Action or Drama Actor” (Lucas Till), “Favorite TV Program” and “Best Writing“. Tristin Mays won Rank 1 as “Best Action or Drama Actor Actress“.

MacGyver Reboot Update #146

No rerun of MacGyver tonight. Meanwhile, the fans continue fighting for Season 6.

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (via Justin Hires)

(Minor Spoiler Alert: You might get spoilered about Season 5 storylines and characters by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided. For daily news and to join the discussion, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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About the Premiere of Episode 5×15 (MAC509)
Last week was the premiere of Season 5 Finale Episode 5×15 (Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal), directed by David Straiton. We got 9 Official Stills and 6 Sneak Peeks in total; including two Exclusive Sneak Peeks: One by TV Line (Casino Sting) and one by TV Insider (Recovery Plot).

There was also an interview with Alexandra Grey (Parker) for Forbes. AXN Asia promoted the episode with a post about tried and tested MacHacks.

International Season 5 Finale Promo (via AXN Asia)

A few hours in advance, fans were live-tweeting while having a Watch Party of several episodes. At their peak, there were about 319 estimated tweets per hour using the hashtag #MacGyver and about 631 estimated tweets per hour using the hashtag #SaveMacGyver.

Before and during the episode aired, we got a lot of new/old BtS material; by the main cast (e.g. Meredith Eaton or by Justin Hires), by Showrunner Monica Macer or by the crew (e.g. Tari Segal).

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (via Tari Segal)

Several of the writers, producers plus cast members Lucas Till and Henry Ian Cusick joined the live-tweeting.

During the premiere, there were about 5200 estimated tweets per hour using the hashtag #MacGyver and about 6100 estimated tweets per hour using the hashtag #SaveMacGyver. For comparison: #MagnumPI had about 149 estimated tweets per hour and #BlueBloods about 2900.

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (Nathan Bolster/CBS via KsiteTV)

Matt Mitovich had interviewed Showrunner Monica Macer for TV Line; talking about potential storylines for Season 6 if the show hadn’t been cancelled. In an interview with Reel 360, Lucas Till talked about filming during a pandemic and revealed that he had auditioned 4 times for the role.

There were a few more articles later; e.g. by Just Jared or an episode recap by Deadline. On Sunday, TV Line added an article revealing that Season 6 would have delivered a baby. Yesterday, Tech Consultant Rhett Allain posted his blog entry about the MacGyverisms.

BtS Photo of Season 5 (video screenshot via Levy Tran)

To recap: Episode 5×14 two weeks ago got 4.329 million live-viewers with a demo of 0.48. Episode 5×15 had 4.479 live-million viewers with a demo of 0.45.

On average, a Season 5 episode had an audience of 4.740 million live-viewers and a demo of 0.51. Compared to the other CBS scripted shows in the current TV Season (24 so far), it places Rank 15 in average audience numbers per episode and Rank 15 (together with NCIS: New Orleans) in average demo.

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (via Monica Macer)

What’s going to happen now?
There were some reruns scheduled in the usual time slot before CBS pulled them off the schedule. In non-pandemic years, the MacGyver timeslot was often occupied with a reality show over Summer; but filming for non-scripted shows might still be delayed.

CBS doesn’t air reruns of cancelled shows, so I don’t expect to see them on the schedule again (unless the show gets renewed or revived).

For tonight, they will be airing a repeat of a show that just premiered on Wednesday (just before the Magnum PI Season Finale). Next week will be a Gayle King Special before the 2-hour-long Season Finale of Blue Bloods.

BtS Photo of Season 5 (video screenshot via Levy Tran)

The #SaveMacGyver Movement
Here’s an update for the achievements of the #SaveMacGyver Movement:

• the petition to renew the show for another season hit the mark of 25’000 signatures on May 4; standing at about 26’900 signatures as I’m writing this post
• more than 360’000 paperclips have been sent to the CBS Studios in LA and NY
• fans wrote a ton of e-mails and letters to CBS executives and called the CBS offices; also contacting other networks and streaming companies to pick up the series
• there’s an official website plus an Instagram account
• several online articles by news outlets; e.g. by ET Canada, Forbes, CNN, or CBS17
• a GoFundMe-Page to fund more promo (e.g. billboards, one million paperclips or online ads)
• digital billboards in LA (2), New York (Time Square), Phoenix and Atlanta
• a GoFundMe-Page named “Operation Cure Cancer” to collect money for cancer research

The fans put together a video with messages for the cast and crew and continue to tweet and re-tweet to keep the hashtags alive.

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (via Monica Macer)

Some cast members of other CBS shows have acknowledged the movement on social media; e.g. Eric Christian Olsen (NCIS: LA) or Michael Cudlitz (Clarice); encouraging fans to not give up.

What are Cast and Crew up to?
Casts and Crew kept posting BtS photos and Goodbye- and Thank-You-Posts on Social Media last week. Some also didn’t hold back on criticism; e.g. Lucas Till’s Stand-In Matthew Albright who revealed that it had been CBS to push for the love triangle and the teenage drama; in his opinion losing viewers in the process and killing the show.

As mentioned last week, Brad William Henke (Jonah Walsh in Episode 2×23) refused to sign the petition; stating that CBS had told him they were going to bring his character back in Season 3 for five episodes – and then nothing happened.

Episode 5×15: Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal (via Monica Macer)

On April 28, Meredith Eaton did an episode for Justin Hires’ “Urban Legendz Podcast”; available as a Patreon Exclusive. Levy Tran shared a Stunt Reel video of her favorite Stunt Scenes plus a Photo Dump video of all her seasons.

The writers are still active on social media as well. Alessia Costantini teased the fans that they had already decided about what would be MacGyver’s last paperclip art.

Other MacGyver-related News
The MacGyver Reboot made Rank 3 on SpoilerTV’s most popular shows for April. Last week, CBS added more merch items of the Original Show in their MacGyver store. They have now 52 items in total.

Episode 5×09: Rails + Pitons + Pulley + Pipe + Salt (via Matthew Albright)

Here’s a short overview of MacGyver-related news in recent weeks you might have missed:

• The Season 4 DVD release date has been set for June 8. So far, there’s no information about any Bonus Features.
• There’s no release date yet for the Season 5 DVD.
• The Reboot was competing in the “Best of TV Awards 2020” held by Canada Graphs. It won Rank 3 in three categories: “Best Action or Drama Actor” (Lucas Till), “Favorite TV Program” and “Best Writing“. Tristin Mays won Rank 1 as “Best Action or Drama Actor Actress“.