MacGyver Reboot Update #200

While the news flow has been slower than ever (at least that’s what it feels like), we did get some exciting news regarding the main MacGyver cast.

Welcome to Levy (via Levy Tran)

(For more material and to discuss your favourite topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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The Abandons with Lucas Till
Lucas has boarded Netflix’ western series The Abandon. Season 1 has ten episodes and is filmed in Calgary and Oregon. According to Deadline, Lucas’ character name is Garret Van Ness. Main star Gillian Anderson plays Constance Van Ness, the matriarch of the wealthy Van Ness family. Aisling Franciosi will play Trisha Van Ness; so possibly the sister or wife of Lucas’ character.

Filming was delayed for almost a year due to the SAG-Aftra strike. The filming dates for Calgary listed on the official IATSE Local 212 website says May 14 to October 15. In recent weeks, several of Lucas’ future cast mates uploaded Insta stories of “Cowboy Camp”; training for horse riding and bull catching. We don’t know if Lucas did a refresher course too (as he has done horse riding training for the role in Hannah Montana many years ago and did horse scenes for Season 2 of MacGyver).

BtS photo of Justin Hires in Half Baked: Totally High (via Michael Tiddes)

Half Baked: Totally High with Justin Hires
Several years ago, Justin Hires wrote the first draft of a script for a sequel to stoner-movie Half Baked. They announced a straight-to-video-release for April 16, so there wasn’t any promo. You can also stream it on Tubi in the US. Justin has a cameo as a character named Curtis.

It’s not clear how much of his original script was changed in the rewrites. In a podcast episode last year, Justin hinted at wanting a producer credit the next time he sells a script because it would give him more creative control.

What are Cast and Crew up to?
Due to the SAG strike last year, the season orders for TV shows were much shorter this time. “Fall Season” (pushed to midseason) is almost over; and the studios have started ordering pilots for the next season. As far as I know, there haven’t been any official TV show casting news for the rest of the regular main cast.

Levy Tran taping an episode for the Reel Rolling Podcast (via Levy Tran)

On March 3, Levy Tran posted an Instagram Story about her reading a book. It looked like she was inside a trailer. She has been tagged twice in Instagram posts regarding action comedy Trouble Man, which was filmed in Atlanta last November. She’s not listed yet on IMDb, though.

A few months ago, I noticed that Levy had started following several AA accounts on Instagram. On April 3, she talked about her struggles with alcohol on the Reel Rolling Podcast.

She revealed that her audition scene for MacGyver was of Desi eating potato chips and that she was so nervous that the chips stuck in her dry mouth in a way that she couldn’t deliver the lines properly. The character was initially to be a guest-star role and she got offered a series regular role a few episodes in.

Levy stated that she has been auditioning a lot lately, but that it’s hard to book a job. Nevertheless, she seems happy; recently posting several photos with family, Carlos and boyfriend Mark celebrating her birthday.

George Eads and ex-wife Monika Casey enjoying a night out (via Fortune Feimster)

We got a rare sighting of George Eads who visited a comedy show of Fortune Feimster (FUBAR).

Henry Ian Cusick has been working on several things. Episode 2×01 of The Wingfeather Saga was released on April 5. According to TV Insider, he will be in the Season 3 Finale turned Series Finale of NCIS: Hawaii (the first episode of the two-parter airing tomorrow). The show got cancelled this week, but maybe his character might pop up in one of the other NCIS shows still on air.

Tristin Mays continued streaming on Twitch every now and then; with the breaks in between getting longer. In one of her streams, Tristin revealed that she’s writing a TV series and working on projects she can’t talk about yet. She also started playing the guitar again.

Video screenshot of Tristin Mays streaming on Twitch (March 13, 2024)

ICYMI: Tristin has moved back to LA a few months ago. Her Atlanta residence had been listed as available to rent since February 15; with the price being reduced before the listing was removed on April 17. Justin Hires just sold his house in Atlanta.

Wedding and Baby News for Lucas Till?
Last June, Lucas Till‘s then-girlfriend Skyler Samuels flashed an engagement ring while doing promo for her new movie of the Aurora Teagarden Series. Due to the SAG strike, Skyler got out of having to do the promo circuit for “The Meg 2” and pretty much disappeared off social media. In a photo posted by her brother back in August, I had a hunch she might be pregnant (as her face looked a bit fuller than usually).

In Episode 43 for the Wizards of Waverly Place Podcast (uploaded on March 4), Skyler referred to Lucas as her “now-husband”. One of the podcast hosts stated she was “glowing”. Skyler recently filmed the next two installments of Aurora Teagarden on Vancouver Island. When director Jessica Harmon posted an Instagram Story of Skyler and a co-star on set with the caption “Two new moms trying to make it to lunch”, that already raised eyebrows.

Proud Mama Skyler and baby (via Skyler Samuels)

Skyler was recently announced as the new brand ambassador for Charles & Colvard; a jewelry company that specializes in lab-grown diamonds. The first campaign video released for Mother’s Day promo has her interact with a baby; and the fact that the campaign was most likely filmed in their own farmhouse sent the fandom in a hubbubb of speculations, questions and excitement.

On April 21, Skyler posted photos of her with the baby; taken for the official photoshoot. Dedicating the post to “all my fellow mamas out there” was as good as confirmation that this wasn’t just the usual “stunt baby”. This week, People Magazine posted an online article about it. Charles & Colvard linked to this post on an Insta story, which was reposted by both Skyler and Skyler’s mom. Interestingly, Skyler chose a cover for “Isn’t She Lovely” as the underlying music. So maybe a baby girl?

Mama Skyler and baby (via Skyler Samuels)

Upcoming Projects for the main MacGyver Cast
Several main cast members of the MacGyver Reboot have movies in post-production or projects listed as completed:

• 1 Million Followers with Henry Ian Cusick: Has one distributor listed, but still no release date.
• Bang with Tristin Mays
• Fluxx with Henry Ian Cusick: The film was screened at the Mammoth Film Festival last month.
• For Cory with Levy Tran
• Short Film Hopeless Romantic with Tristin Mays
• Jamojaya with Henry Ian Cusick: Has been screened at several festivals, but never got an US release date.
• The Comic Shop with Tristin Mays

Other MacGyver-related News
Ende of March, Original MacGyver Richard Dean Anderson was at Paris Comic Con. You can find photos of his panel and photo sessions here. The weekend of April 20 and 21, he was at Comic Con Holland. You can find the panel video and photos of the photo and autograph sessions here.

Richard Dean Anderson at Paris Comic Con (via Roster Con)

David Dastmalchian has been busy. Recently been cast in Apple TV series Murderbot, he filmed a two-parter of ABC series The Rookie and a new commercial for Titan Casket. This week, he started the podcast Grave Conversations where he talks to his guests while both are in a coffin.

The release date for the exclusive BluRay box set of the Original MacGyver series in Germany was pushed back from March 28 to May 16. You can find all information here.

Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• Richard Dean Anderson is scheduled to appear at some more conventions this year. The next ones are German Film and Comic Con (Dortmund, May 4 and May 5) and Basingstoke Comic Con (London, May 10 to 12). You can find his full schedule here.
• Henry Ian Cusick attended the 20th anniversary concert for LOST yesterday.
• The Collective with Lucas Till is available on several streaming services (e.g. Hulu and Paramount+ in the US); and the first official trailer by US distributor Quiver Distribution still gains views. It has almost 650’000 hits by now.

MacGyver Reboot Update #199

After waiting for months, we finally have some exciting news regarding the main MacGyver cast.

Official Still of Henry Ian Cusick in NCIS: Hawaii (via TV Insider)

(For more material and to discuss your favourite topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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The Abandons with Lucas Till
The Lucas Till and MacGyver fandoms have been in an excited frenzy since Netflix tweeted about Lucas boarding The Abandons alongside five more cast members. The western series has a 10 episodes order for Season 1 and is filmed in Calgary and Oregon. According to Deadline, Lucas’ character name is Garret Van Ness. Check out the premise in the press release:

The Abandons follows a group of diverse, outlier families pursuing their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, as a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society, unite their tribes to form a family and fight back. In this bloody process, “justice” is stretched beyond the boundaries of the law. The Abandons will explore that fine line between survival and law, the consequences of violence, and the corrosive power of secrets, as this family fights to keep their land.

Deadline, March 1, 2024

The main stars (announced almost a year ago) are Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey. Gillian Anderson will play Constance Van Ness, the matriarch of the wealthy Van Ness family. If the name of the latter actress sounds familiar: Many years ago, Lena Headey was in Original MacGyver Movie Trail to Doomsday.

According to IMDb, filming has already started (presumably in Oregon). Filming was delayed due to the SAG-Aftra strike, and I’ve seen different filming dates (March and June, May to August, May to October).

BtS Video Screenshot of Lucas Till and Don Johnson in The Collective (via Mike Braga)

The Collective with Lucas Till
The Collective continues to make the rounds on streaming services; and the first official trailer by US distributor Quiver Distribution still gains views. It hit half a million views on January 1st and has more than 601’000 hits by now. Interestingly, the comments have been deactivated a few months ago. According to Flixpatrol, the movie still shows up in the Top Ten of Amazon Prime every now and then; especially in African countries.

What are Cast and Crew up to?
Although the SAG strike ended last year, the studios have been rather slow in resuming production and the season orders are much shorter this year. There hasn’t been as much news regarding the MacGyver cast and crew as I had expected.

After more than 6 months, Levy Tran posted on Instagram again; telling us about her first Jiu Jitsu competition.

Levy Tran presenting her bronze medal (via Instagram)

ICYMI: Tristin Mays set up a Twitch account; streaming her first live-stream on January 1st. In one of her streams, Tristin revealed that she’s writing a TV series and working on projects she can’t talk about yet. She directed and filmed a short mental health video for Instagram; starring boyfriend Marlon.

While her first Twitch streams were done in her Atlanta residence, she moved the equipment to The Enchanted Manor in LA last month. Her Atlanta residence has been listed as available to rent since February 15. We don’t know yet if she’s moved back to LA permanently or if she has planned to staying longer there for a specific reason. Interestingly, her production company Black Sheep Productions has been registered and trademarked in the UK last November. She also set up a website for the company.

BtS photo while filming Rain Man (via Tristin Mays)

Upcoming Projects for the main MacGyver Cast
A few weeks ago, Henry Ian Cusick‘s character made another appearance on Episode 3×02 of NCIS: Hawaii. It’s possible that he will have another guest spot this season.

Several main cast members of the MacGyver Reboot have movies in post-production or projects listed as completed:

• 1 Million Followers with Henry Ian Cusick: Has one distributor listed, but no release date.
• Bang with Tristin Mays
• Fluxx with Henry Ian Cusick: The film was screened yesterday at the Mammoth Film Festival. We know two of the co-stars: Tyrese Gibson (The Collective) and Lucas Till’s friend and ex-roommate Mike Milligan.
• Half Baked: Totally High with Justin Hires: His character is named Curtis.
• Short Film Hopeless Romantic with Tristin Mays
• Jamojaya with Henry Ian Cusick: Has been screened at several festivals, but never got an US reelase date.
• The Comic Shop with Tristin Mays
• For Cory with Levy Tran

Other MacGyver-related News
ICYMI: Last year, Plaion Pictures revealed a mock-up box and a release date for the exclusive BluRay box set of the Original MacGyver series. The limited edition box will be released on March 28. You can find all information here.

Cover Preview for the German MacGyver BluRay Box (via Plaion)

Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• David Dastmalchian has been cast in Apple TV series Murderbot (filming will start this month in Toronto). He will also show up in a two-parter of ABC series The Rookie.
• Ben Wang (guest star in MacGyver Reboot Episode 5×04) has been cast as the lead in the new Karate Kid movie. Filming will start next month in Montreal.
• Richard Dean Anderson is scheduled to appear at several conventions this year. The next ones are GalaxyCon Richmond (March 15 to March 17), German Film and Comic Con (Dortmund, May 4 and May 5) and Basingstoke Comic Con (London, May 10 to 12). He will also visit Washington State Summer Con (Puyallup, June 21 to 23).

MacGyver Reboot Update #198

The SAG strike ended two months ago, but fans are still waiting for casting and project news.

Lucas Till and Y’lan Noel in The Spook Who Sat By The Door (via Scott P Murphy)

(For more material and to discuss your favourite topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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The Collective with Lucas Till
The Collective was released digitally and on DVD in German-speaking regions on December 14. If you want to treat yourself with an After-Christmas gift, you can order it here. Sadly, the only bonus material is the trailer; and there’s no subtitles available.

If you prefer streaming, it’s available on AppleTV, Amazon Prime, GooglePlay, Maxdome and Sky in Germany. If you’re in Switzerland, you can buy it via BlueTV, AppleTV or GooglePlay.

BluRay Cover for The Collective (via Amazon Germany)

The trailer with the most views on YouTube is still the first official trailer by US distributor Quiver Distribution. It hit half a million views on January 1st and has almost 530’000 hits by now.

According to Flixpatrol, it was on Rank 68 for Amazon Prime in 2023; being in the Top 10 for more than 128 days. The Collective is currently on Rank 93 for Amazon Prime in 2024.

What are Cast and Crew up to?
There hasn’t been much news regarding the MacGyver cast and crew. Although the SAG strike ended last year, neither Levy Tran nor Lucas Till went back online to promote their latest movies. Generally, most of them have been taking breaks on social media; some of them deactivate accounts temporarily or for good.

Lucas Till in The Collective (via Bryan Marchulaitis)

Tristin Mays did an interview for Ned’s Declassified Podcast Survival Guide. It was uploaded on December 20. She revealed that she only had to audition once for MacGyver to book the role, which is rather unusual for a series regular role.

Tristin finally released her Les Miserables Pirates Musical Short on December 24. You can catch a glimpse of Bianca Malinowski (who played rebooted Penny Parker in two episodes MacGyver). Tristin also set up a Twitch account; streaming her first live-stream on January 1st.

BtS photo preparing the costumes for the Pirates Musical Short (via Tristin Mays)

She recorded her second live-stream on January 5; playing some more Tomb Raider and chatting in between. Tristin revealed that she’s writing a TV series and that she has been sick just after catching Covid again. She also mentioned that while she’s in and out of LA, she still lives in Georgia.

According to a tweet by cast member Jason Antoon, Henry Ian Cusick‘s character will make another appearance on NCIS: Hawaii.

ICYMI: Production Designer Scott P Murphy uploaded several stills of Lucas Till in the unaired pilot for The Spook Who Sat By The Door to his website.

Levy Tran and Mark (via Levy Tran)

Upcoming Projects for the MacGyver Cast
Several main cast members of the MacGyver Reboot have movies in post-production or projects listed as completed. Sadly, none of them have release dates or distributors yet:

• 1 Million Followers with Henry Ian Cusick
• Bang with Tristin Mays
• Fluxx with Henry Ian Cusick: Filming wrapped wrapped last month. We know some of his co-stars: Tyrese Gibson (The Collective) and Lucas Till’s friend and ex-roommate Mike Milligan.
• Half Baked: Totally High with Justin Hires: News outlets reported a non-theatrical release and an R-rating.
• Short Film Hopeless Romantic with Tristin Mays
• Jamojaya with Henry Ian Cusick: Has been screened at several festivals.
• The Comic Shop with Tristin Mays
• For Cory with Levy Tran

Other MacGyver-related News
Rebooted Murdoc David Dastmalchian is the 8th most watched actor of 2023 on Letterboxd.

Mock-Up for the German MacGyver BluRay Box (via Plaion)

Back in December 2019, Koch Films teased OG MacGyver fans about the German release of an exclusive BluRay box set. CBS and the pandemic halted the production several times. In the meantime, Koch Films has been rebranded as Plaion Pictures. On December 12, Plaion revealed a mock-up box alongside its content and a release date: March 28 next year. Sadly, the box is rather pricy and the two TV movies are still missing as they weren’t able to get the rights from CBS. You can find all information here.

Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• ICYMI: Justin Hires took part of a talks how episode of Gimme Five; available on Tubi now (although IMDb lists a release date of August 12, 2022).
• David Dastmalchian has been cast in feature film Dust Bunny; acting alongside Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver.
• Richard Dean Anderson is scheduled to appear at German Film and Comic Con (Dortmund, May 4 and May 5) and at Basingstoke Comic Con (London, May 10 to 12).

MacGyver Reboot Update #197

The SAG strike has been over for a while now, but casting and project news are still slow.

Lucas Till and Y’lan Noel in The Spook Who Sat By The Door (via Scott P Murphy)

(For more material and to discuss your favourite topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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The Collective with Lucas Till
The Collective was released digitally and on DVD in Australia and New Zealand on November 8. The DVD and BluRay-Release for the German version is set for December 14. If you want to treat yourself with a little Christmas gift, you can pre-order it here. The only bonus material listed is the trailer; and it looks like there won’t be any subtitles available.

The German voice of Lucas was dubbed by Ozan Ünal, who also dubbed him in MacGyver. There’s a preview clip on YouTube and GooglePlay, and it should be available on iTunes and Sky in Germany. If you’re in Switzerland, you can buy it via BlueTV.

DVD Cover Preview for The Collective (via Amazon Germany)

The trailer used for the German streaming services is the international version that was released as the second trailer. The one with the most views on YouTube is still the first official trailer by US distributor Quiver Distribution. It has almost 460’000 hits by now.

With a limited release, it’s difficult to get numbers on how well it has been doing. Also, my usual source (Flixpatrol) is now restricting their information; providing certain data for Premium Users only. Before the restrictions, it has been listed in the Amazon Prime Top 10 in several categories (e.g. Rank 1 for more than 40 days in total, Rank 4 in calendar week 36, Rank 8 in September).

Lucas Till in The Collective (via Bryan Marchulaitis)

It’s currently on Rank 67 for Amazon Prime in 2023; being in the Top 10 for more than 108 days. The Collective also reached the Top Ten for iTunes in Argentina and Salvador and for GooglePlay in Paraguay.

Expend4bles with Levy Tran
Since the release of Expend4bles, Levy Tran gained several thousand new followers on Instagram, even though she didn’t post much. On November 13, she posted an Instagram story about attending several weddings with her (presumed) boyfriend Mark – only to deactivate the account on the next day. It has been back up since December 4, but she cleaned up her archive and unfollowed many accounts.

Levy Tran as Lash in an Expend4bles photo shoot (Japan Promo)

It’s unclear if she got harrassed online or if she had simply deactivated to focus on her martial arts training. According to Team Traven, she recently achieved the blue belt in Jiu Jitsu.

What are Cast and Crew up to?
Production Designer Scott P Murphy uploaded several stills of the unaired pilot for The Spook Who Sat By The Door on his website. Thankfully, three of them show Lucas Till. Although the project has been said to be in re-development, I haven’t heard any news about it. The status on the IMDb entry has been changed to “completed” on October 14.

Marlon Webb and Tristin Mays at the DREAM SCENARIO After Party in Los Angeles (Photo by Stewart Cook/Getty Images)

According to Tristin Mays, her Les Miserables Pirates Musical Short with Marlon Webb will be released on December 24. She also set up a Twitch account; teasing that her first stream will drop next week. On November 6, Tristin and Marlon attended a Special Screening of A24s Dream Scenario; a movie with Nicolas Cage.

Justin Hires mostly used his social media accounts to promote the Stand-Up Comedy Special he had uploaded on YouTube on October 31st. There’s still no news regarding the release of Half Baked 2: Totally High (that he wrote the script for).

German DVD Back Cover Preview for The Collective (via Videobuster)

ICYMI: Rebooted Murdoc David Dastmalchian is the new brand ambassador for Titan Casket, a company that sells caskets online and helps with end-of-life planning. David has also been cast in feature film Dust Bunny; acting alongside Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver. According to Collider, the story is about an eight-year-old girl who enlists the help of her intriguing neighbor to kill the monster under her bed that she believes ate her family.

NCIS: Hawaii started filming last week. We don’t have confirmation yet if Henry Ian Cusick will be back as character John Swift, but he’s currently sporting the right look for it. There haven’t been many news regarding the MacGyver crew, either. While some of the writers are back at work, others just lost their job as several shows got cancelled in the aftermath of the SAG strike (e.g. The Rookie: Feds).

Levy Tran presenting her blue belt (via Team Traven)

Other MacGyver-related News
Back in 2019, Koch Films teased OG MacGyver fans about the German release of an exclusive BluRay box set. CBS and the pandemic halted the production several times. In the meantime, Koch Films has been rebranded as Plaion Pictures. This week, Plaion has been teasing the reveal of their next exclusive item in a live stream on December 12; providing several hints towards MacGyver.

Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• Richard Dean Anderson attended Comic Con Brussels (November 4 and 5) and Hero Festival in Marseille (November 11 and 12). He is scheduled to appear at Basingstoke Comic Con (London, May 10 to 12, 2024).
• Kate Bond (who played Jill on the MacGyver Reboot) was a guest star in the latest episode of Magnum PI. Episode 5×17: Consciousness of Guilt was co-written by her husband David Slack.

MacGyver Reboot Update #196

The writers are back at work. Meanwhile, fans are waiting for the SAG strike to be over, too.

Levy Tran in Expend4bles (via CSFD)

(For more material and to discuss your favourite topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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The Collective with Lucas Till
The Collective was released digitally in the Netherlands and Belgium on September 21. The release date for Australia and New Zealand has been set for November 8. I haven’t found any information regarding release dates for Italy, France or Spain.

The US-Version of the DVD was released on September 19. For the Netherlands and Belgium, there’s a DVD- and BluRay version with a different cover (released on October 11). The DVD and BluRay-Release for the German version has been set for December 14. The only extra listed so far is the trailer.

Official Still of Lucas Till in The Collective (via Pathé Thuis)

The trailer with the most views on YouTube is the official trailer by US distributor Quiver Distribution; reaching 300’000 hits on August 30. It has almost 387’000 hits by now.

With a limited release, it’s difficult to get numbers on how well it has been doing. Also, my usual source (Flixpatrol) started restricting their information last month; only providing certain data for Premium Users now. Before the restrictions, it has been listed in the Amazon Prime Top 10 in several categories (e.g. Rank 1 for more than 40 days in total, Rank 4 in calendar week 36, Rank 8 in September).

It’s currently on Rank 32 for October and on Rank 66 for 2023; being in the Top 10 for more than 60 days.

Levy Tran as Lash in an Expend4bles photo shoot (via Line Today)

Expend4bles with Levy Tran
Action movie Expend4bles with Levy Tran has been released internationally last month. Sadly, Levy couldn’t promote it due to the SAG strike. That’s why there were only a handful of video interviews (pre-recorded on set last year). She attended a screening with some of her Ju Jitsu friends in Atlanta.

Since the release, she has gained several thousand new followers on Instagram, even though she doesn’t post much. Otherwise, she’s been back in martial arts training.

What are Cast and Crew up to?
Justin Hires posted a teaser trailer for his Stand-Up Comedy Special that will hit YouTube on October 31st. You can subscribe to his email-list to watch it early.

Screenshot of Justin Hires and Henry Ian Cusick for the Urban Legendz Podcast (via YouTube)

Justin also did a new episode for his Urban Legendz Podcast; this time with Henry Ian Cusick. They talked about MacGyver and the cancellation, about Ian leaving social media and what they’ve been up to lately. When Ian asked for any news regarding Lucas Till, Justin said he would tell him in private afterwards, but that he is doing very well.

MacGyver was the most fun I’ve ever had on a show.

Henry Ian Cusick; Urban Legendz Podcast, September 24, 2023

Rebooted Murdoc David Dastmalchian is the new brand ambassador for Titan Casket, a company that sells caskets online and also helps with end-of-life planning. David will appear in marketing materials and be the face of the company.

In recent weeks, David attended several conventions and carpet events; promoting his upcoming Count Crowley comic (to be released on November 8). On November 12, he will take part in the T21 Walk by the Down Syndrome Association Los Angeles.

David Dastmalchian attends Knott’s Scary Farm 50th Anniversary (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)

Otherwise, there haven’t been many sightings of the MacGyver cast and crew:

• David Dastmalchian and Tate Donovan volunteered at the local food bank in LA a few weeks ago.
• Meredith Eaton added another puppy to her household.
• Tristin Mays helped her mother with some painting events for Halloween.

After the writers strike was over, some of the MacGyver writers joined the SAG picketing sites in LA; e.g. Teresa Huang. As she posted on Instagram, she was back at work by October 10. She continues holding free crash courses for Assistant Writers.

Levy Tran in Expend4bles (via Aktualne)

Other MacGyver-related News
Dick Butkus passed away this month. The NFL star played character Earl Dent in several episodes of Original MacGyver.

Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• Richard Dean Anderson is scheduled to appear at Comic Con Brussels (Belgium, November 4 and 5), at Hero Festival (Marseille, November 11 and 12) and at Basingstoke Comic Con (London, May 10 to 12, 2024).
• Kate Bond (who played Jill on the MacGyver Reboot) is listed as a guest star for an upcoming episode of Magnum PI. Episode 5×17: Consciousness of Guilt was co-written by her husband David Slack.
• Executive Producer Henry Winkler will start his book tour on October 31 in New York. Several event stops have already been sold out.
• Ex-Showrunner Peter Lenkov is attached to write the script for Demolition Man 2.

MacGyver Reboot Update #195

The Collective will be released in the Netherlands and Belgium next week. Meanwhile, fans are waiting for their favorite actors to pop up on social media soon.

Official Still of Lucas Till in The Collective (via Pathé Thuis)

(For more material and to discuss your favourite topics, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)

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The Collective with Lucas Till
Since August 4, The Collective has been released in several countries. Turkey had an official premiere event for the cinematic release; with goodies (e.g. tote bags) for the attending guests. The movie aired on 89 screens on opening weekend and made about 6’800 USD in box office.

The trailer with the most views on YouTube is the official trailer by US distributor Quiver Distribution; reaching 300’000 hits on August 30. It has almost 345’000 hits at the moment.

BtS photo of Mercedes Varnado and Lucas Till in The Collective (via Frankie Tarr)

With a limited release, it’s difficult to get numbers on how well it has been doing. It has been listed in the Amazon Prime Top 10, though:

• Rank 1 in several African countries; e.g. South Africa (29 days in total, six consecutive days on Rank 1), Zimbabwe or Kenya (each 25 days in total).
• Rank 4 in calendar week 36
• Rank 9 in calendar week 37
• currently Rank 5 in September

How to watch The Collective with Lucas Till?
US distributor Quiver Distribution lists several streaming services on their website: AppleTV, Amazon, Vudu-Fandango, Microsoft, Google Play, Comcast, Spectrum, Cox, DirecTV, Dish and Verizon. Other sites also list Hoopla and YouTube.

Blu Ray Cover Preview for The Collective in the Netherlands (via Bol)

There aren’t release dates for all the countries with distributors yet, but it will premiere digitally on September 21 in the Netherlands and Belgium. I haven’t found any information regarding release dates for Germany, Italy or Spain. France doesn’t seem to have a distributor listed yet.

The US-Version of the DVD will be released on September 19. Checking the backcover preview, it doesn’t look like there’s any bonus material included. For the Netherlands and Belgium, there’s also a Blu Ray version with a different cover preview (to be released in November). There’s no information about any bonus material as there’s no back cover preview yet.

Levy Tran in Expend4bles (via Ropa Carlo)

The Promo that was (Encore)
We got many interviews with director Tom DeNucci for smaller outlets. Sadly, we didn’t get any promo by the cast due to the SAG-AFTRA strike rules.

On August 8, Tom DeNucci did a podcast episode about the movie, but he didn’t reveal much more than he already had in the interviews. Nevertheless, the episode is his second most-watched of all the podcast episodes (about 61) so far. He also mentioned in his latest podcast episode that he would love to do a sequel.

DeNucci made an appearance at the Brimfield Comic Con (September 5 to 10). He hasn’t posted any new material lately.

David Dastmalchian volunteering at the local food bank (via Box Lunch)

What are Cast and Crew up to?
There haven’t been many sightings of the MacGyver cast:

• Rebooted Murdoc David Dastmalchian volunteered at the local food bank in LA a few days ago.
• Henry Ian Cusick attended DragonCon in Atlanta (August 31 to September 4).
• Justin Hires continued with Comedy Stand-Up appearances and recording podcast episodes. Filming his Stand-Up Special in New York fell through.

The US release date for Expend4bles (aka The Expendables 4) is set for September 22, but Levy Tran probably can’t promote it (unless they pre-recorded some stuff on set).

It’s a pity that after Secret Headquarters, another big movie with Levy falls through regarding promo (last time due to Paramount pushing the movie to streaming instead of the cinematic released they had initially planned, this time due to the strike).

Levy Tran as Lash in an Expend4bles photo shoot (via Line Today)

ICYMI: A new credit has been added to the IMDb page of Tristin Mays recently: Short Film Hopeless Romantic, which was filmed in March 2022. It was screened at Climax Film Festival in November 2022). She postd a few photos from a Beyoncé concert but otherwise, she wasn’t as active on social media as usual.

Maureen Ryan is still doing interviews for her book Burn It Down. She mentioned Lucas Till in an interview with Adam Conover:

He actually said to me in our very first conversation: “I don’t care if I never work again. I cannot take the work environment my colleagues are being put through.” And then it came out what that work environment was doing to him.

Hollywood’s Toxic Underbelly with Maureen Ryan, August 23, 2023

There were some more sightings of MacGyver writers, cast and crew members and guest stars at the picketing sites in LA and NY though; e.g. Teresa Huang, Kate Bond, David Slack, Joy Sunday, Alexandra Grey, Tate Donovan or Jeri Ryan.

Levy in Ju Jitsu class (via Elen Catiuce)

Other MacGyver-related News
Other MacGyver-related news you might have missed:

• Movie Million Followers with Henry Ian Cusick was shopped at TIFF (Toronto Film Festival, September 7 to 17).
• Richard Dean Anderson is scheduled to appear at Comic Con Brussels (Belgium, November 4 and 5), at Hero Festival (Marseille, November 11 and 12) and at Basingstoke Comic Con (London, May 10 to 12, 2024).
• Another volume of David Dastmalchians comic series Count Crowley hits stores on November 8. Unlike with movie projects, he’s allowed to promote the comic.
• Kate Bond (who played Jill on the MacGyver Reboot) is listed as a guest star for an upcoming episode of Magnum PI. Episode 5×17: Consciousness of Guilt was co-written by her husband David Slack.

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 #69

Murdoc is back in tonight’s Episode 3×06. We also got a glimpse at Episode 3×07 and apparently, there were MacGyver cookies on set!

BtS photo of Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (via Carlos Bernard)

(Spoiler Alert: You will get spoilered about main characters and storylines in Season 3 by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided!)

 

About Episodes 3×04 and 3×05
Shortly before the episodes aired, some of the cast and crew posted “old” photos and videos taken when filming the episodes back in August; e.g. Tiffany Denise Hobbs (for 3×04) or Adela Tirado and Tucker Meek (both for 3×05). Matthew Albright posted a few BtS photos of the stunt scene on the truck of Episode 3×04.

BtS photo of Episode 3×04: Guts + Fuel + Hope (via Matthew Albright)

For both episodes, CBS didn’t release any Sneak Peeks. Fans felt cheated on, especially because Hawaii Five-0 got 4 Sneak Peeks for Episode 9×04 two weeks ago and 3 in total for 9×05 last week while Blue Bloods got 3 clips for each episode. Also, they took their sweet time to upload the clips from Episode 3×05 onto YouTube. Usually, they’re up just after the episode aired. This time, we had to wait until Tuesday.

To recap:  Episode 3×03 (Bozer + Booze + Back to School) had garned an audience of 6.155 milllion live-viewers and a demo of 0.8. In the +7 Days ratings, it added another 1.537 million viewers (+25%), reaching a total of 7.696 million viewers when including DVR.

Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (Official Still via SpoilerTV)

Episode 3×04 (Guts + Fuel + Hope) reached 6.008 million live-viewers and a demo 0.7 in the demo-group of 18-49-year-olds, so losing a bit in both audience and demo when compared to Episode 3×03. In the +7 Days ratings, it added 1.571 million viewers (+26%), reaching a total of 7.583 million viewers and a demo of 1.07 (+55%) when including DVR.

Episode 3×05 (Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family) had tough competition; the World Series being on at the same time. While the demo-rating dropped to a 0.6, it still managed a live-viewers audience of 5.894 millions. In the +3 Days ratings, it added 1.26 million viewers (+21%), reaching a total of 7.157 million viewers and a demo of 0.94 (+47%) when including the DVR numbers available so far.

Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (via Adela Tirado)

While the demo ratings aren’t as good as CBS likes them, the Reboot still holds up pretty well against some of the other CBS action dramas; especially in audience numbers. For comparison: Magnum PI is at 6.21 millions / 0.92 demo (Monday) after airing six episodes so far, SEAL Team at 5.32 / 0.82 (Wednesday, 5 episodes) and SWAT at 5.23 / 0.72 (Thursday, 5 episodes).

What you need to know about Episode 3×06
The episode airing tonight is titled “Murdoc + MacGyver + Murdoc”, directed by Stephen Herek.

Episode 3×06: Murdoc + MacGyver + Murdoc (Official Still via SpoilerTV)

In case you missed the Synopsis:

Murdoc (David Dastmalchian) abducts MacGyver’s girlfriend, Nasha (Sibongile Mlambo), to force Mac to help him rescue his son, Cassian (Brady Bond), from a kidnapper. Also, a dangerous individual from Murdoc’s personal life shows up, giving Mac a glimpse into the villain’s past

They released 13 Official Stills in total – all of them featuring MacGyver, Murdoc, Cassian and Sarah Sokolovic as Amber. Yesterday, David Dastmalchian tweeted a funny GIF of Murdoc pushing MacGyver on an office chair.

Again, no special promo by CBS as I’m typing up this blog post – contrary to Blue Bloods and Hawaii Five-0 that both got Sneak Peeks yesterday; H50 another exclusive clip via TV Line today. So far, Executive Producer and Showrunner Peter Lenkov stayed quiet as well. In fact, besides a re-post of Lucas Till, he hasn’t posted anything MacGyver-related on Instagram since October 5.

Episode 3×06: Murdoc + MacGyver + Murdoc (Official Still via SpoilerTV)

Season 3 Overview: Episodes 3×07 to 3×11
It’s easy to loose track of the upcoming episodes. So let’s do a short recap of all the important information for the next weeks:

• 3×07: Scavengers + Hard Drive + Dragonfly (November 9)
  Guest appearances by Joy Sunday and Ric Reitz. Check out the Official Stills and the Press Release here.
• 3×08: Revenge + Catacombs + Le Fantome (November 16)
  Directed by Lily Mariye. Guest appearances by Holland Roden, Emerson Brooks (as Charlie Robinson) and Sean C. Michael (as the Ghost). Check out the Press Release here.
• 3×09: Specimen 234 + PAPR + Outbreak (November 30)
  Directed by Michael Martinez. Guest appearance by Lance Gross (Billy Colton).
• 3×10: tba (December 7)
  Partially filmed in a prison location. Otherwise top secret, apparently.
• 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (tbd)
  Directed by Carlos Bernard. Guest appearances by Shani Atias and Doug Savant.

 

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Justin Hires)

As predicted, there’s no episode on November 23 due to Thanksgiving and Black Friday. They will air Holiday Specials at 8pm, followed by an episode of Magnum and a rerun of Hawaii Five-0. Initially, they have planned to air MacGyver reruns (we don’t know yet which episodes) on December 21 and 28. At the moment, the rerun on December 21 has been scrapped, along with the episode premiere on December 14. This means that Episode 3×11 – which was planned as the Christmas Episode being the Mid-season-Finale – will probably air AFTER Christmas (unless they can swap two episodes).

The episode title (Mac + Fallout + Jack) – revealed by Justin Hires – sure sounds ominous. I smell a cliffhanger-y plot twist. Fans might not mind that they don’t have to wait after a cliffhanger, but it will be a bit unusual to see a Christmas Episode in January. (It’s worth noting that the premiere for H50 has been scrapped as well while they got to keep the rerun on December 21.)

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Meredith Eaton)

Working on Episodes 3×10 and 3×11
Again, there were almost no BtS photos being uploaded in recent weeks. Cast and Crew rely mainly on temporary videos now – but every now and then, someone feels like teasing the fans a bit.

In recent weeks, they filmed an upscale event at a mansion and put Lucas Till in a Hazmat Suit. They also filmed in and around a pretty creepy prison set and decorated several streets to look like Christmas time; presumably for filming the Midseason Finale Episode.

As Meredith Eaton revealed, Matty is taking out the big guns now. It’s not clear yet if she just wanted a photo of a prop gun or if Matty will be part of a storyline involving handling deadly weapons. She looks a lot more friendly on the photo with Tristin Mays. Bozer will be wearing a tux again in an upcoming episode and seems to have taken part in a “planking competition“.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Justin Hires)

On October 26, Lucas Till uploaded a short story that has him looking as if MacGyver did get into a fist fight again. According to Steven Serna, they had filmed a car crash scene that day, so maybe Mac had been involved in that – it would fit the Instagram Story that Lucas had uploaded on Halloween; showing him with bruises while sitting in the car. There are (fake) glass splinters on his clothes and in the reflection, it looks like the side-window is smashed.

The 2nd unit had to work on Saturday last week, while it seemed like the main cast had the day off.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via David Dastmalchian)

On October 30, the crew did the “dress like a co-worker” day again before fully embracing Halloween and showing up again in costume on the next day. They filmed some sort of ballroom gala scene where Meredith Eaton got to dress up while Reign Edwards, Tristin Mays and Justin Hires were delegated to staff; serving food and drinks.

Tristin and Reign later donned little black dresses while Justin looked like he was playing a designer. We can assume this will be another undercover mission. Interestingly, there were no sightings of Lucas Till or George Eads in the last 2 days.

While having a grueling schedule, they also get nice surprises every now and then. As Lucas Till revealed, one of the owners of a house location invited Cast and Crew to taste MacGyver cookies.

MacGyver cookies (via Lucas Till)

Cast, Crew and Character News
A photo by Carlos Bernard, director of Episode 3×11, revealed Doug Savant and Seamus Patrick Dever as guest-stars. Central Casting Georgia had posted Casting Calls for Stand-Ins for Jimmy Gonzalez, for Shani Atias and for Sarah Al-Sherri.

Additionally, they had Casting Calls for Photo Doubles and for Small European Cars. They’ve also been looking for Extras; e.g. for a Hispanic Priest, for Inmates, for male actors for a Make-Up-Test, a female Nurse, a male Tech, for Market and Café Patrons, a Ghana Guard, an Asian Guard, for more guards, a Middle Eastern male actor for a Photo Shoot, a man with lots of tattoos and for women for a Beatiful Entourage.

Tristin Mays for the NYSFE Fall Issue (via NYSFE Magazine)

Other MacGyver-related News
In case you missed it:

• Tristin Mays is on the cover of the Fall Issue for NYSFE Magazine. There’s an interview and a photospread inside. You can order either the printed version or a digital copy on their website.
• Season 1 of Original MacGyver was released on BluRay this Tuesday.
• Season 3 of the Reboot is being dubbed into French at the moment. As Gil Darnell revealed in an Instagram Story on Wednesday, he dubbed his own character in Episode 3×01.

MacGyver Reboot Update #63

Filming for Season 3 started six weeks ago. We have lots of BtS photos and videos, news about Original MacGyver on BluRay and the Press Release plus Official Stills for the Season 3 Premiere Episode!

Episode 3×01: Improvise (Official Still via SpoilerTV)

(Spoiler Alert: You will get spoilered about main characters and storylines in Season 3 by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided!)

 

News about Episode 3×01
Executive Producer Peter Lenkov posted a first teaser for Episode 3×01 (Improvise) on August 4; revealing MacGyver’s new love interest. He later deleted the post, but of course it’s already been re-tweeted and re-posted on Tumblr and Instagram many times. On August 13, he posted another short video of Lucas and George; tagging it with “Dynamic Duo“.

I predicted that if the promo schedule follows the one for Season 2 last year, we should get a first Official Still for the Season 3 Premiere in about a week. Luckily, CBS delivered earlier than expected: Yesterday, we got the Press Release plus several Official Stills via SpoilerTV.

Episode 3×01: Improvise (Official Still via SpoilerTV)

Interestingly, the Press Release lists also David Dastmalchian as Murdoc under the recurring cast. We already knew he will show up quickly in 3×01, but now it looks like he will have several appearances this season as a recurring charater; despite David’s heavy schedule with being attached to so many other projects.

News about Episode 3×02
In total, filming for Episode 3×02 (Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship) took about 9 days on various sets. It looks like we will see Jack undercover and meeting up with his former Delta Force Team.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Tristin Mays)

On August 16, Peter Lenkov uploaded a short video out of the editing room, featuring Mac and Jack with Team Delta on a chopper. He soon deleted that clip, probably because it was a tad spoilery. He also uploaded a few Instagram Live Stories during the editing process; showing Tristin Mays and Reign Edwards all dolled up in little, colorful dresses, probably undercover at some cocktail party.

News about Episode 3×03
On August 10, cast and crew finished Episode 3×03 (Bozer + Booze + Back to School), directed by Tessa Blake. According to BtS photos and Instagram Live Stories, Team Phoenix goes undercover at a College, with all the typical elements of College-themed movies (e.g. getting into trouble with Campus Security, playing Beer Pong and attending a Frat Party.

BtS of Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via Justin Hires)

Justin Hires stated the episode was a lot of fun to film and provided several BtS photos (e.g. of him posing with Lucas and Tristin or of Bozer being pensive or running from danger). Both Meredith Eaton and George Eads haven’t been seen on set for this and the next episode much, but Peter Lenkov assured some worrying fans that George is still on the show.

In case you missed it: Two weeks ago, Justin Hires did a Live Video on Instagram, inviting Lucas to join in. They talked about the upcoming season; giving up some interesting details.

BtS photo of Episode 3×04 (via Guy D’Alema)

Working on Episode 3×04 (and possibly 3×05)
Since they started filming Episode 3×04 on a Friday (August 10), Cornell Willis kept up with the tradition of “Tie Friday”. We still don’t have a title for it, but it’s directed by “Robocop” Peter Weller.

On August 13, Lenkov returned to Atlanta to visit the set, posting several photos and short videos. That day, they set up a big crane to film a scene involving what looks like a supertruck. On August 15, they filmed outside of a gas station. Tristin Mays joined in on the fun, posting her first Instagram photo from set since they started filming this season. A few days later, they put the truck into the studio in front of a green screen to film fighting scenes on top of it.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Lucas Till)

During the filming of Episode 3×03, the Costume Designers teased the fans with Instagram Short Stories of what looked like them creating a body cast. Fans kept speculating if this was part of some College prank or something more serious. On August 20, Lucas Till uploaded a photo that looks like he’s wearing the body cast over prison garb. Some fans actually worried about him being hurt or overheating in costume.

In another photo uploaded yesterday, Lucas stated that he utilized the suit to be a “Deep Air Diver” (DAD). I’m already curious what this MacGyverism will exactly be.

It looks like they’re already on filming Episode 3×05. This might turn out being a bit scarier than usual since they will film scenes with Hispanic and Mexican actors celebrating the “Day of the Dead” Festival today.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Justin Hires)

Meredith Eaton uploaded a nice photo and some Instagram Short Stories on August 21 when filming with Justin Hires in the War Room at Phoenix. Yesterday, they started filming at another interesting-looking real estate location, with the crew being attacked by mosquitoes. In the photo uploaded by Justin this morning, you can see Halloween decorations in the background.

Cast, Crew and Character News
The Press Release for Episode 3×01 (Improvise) lists 4 official recurring characters for Season 3: Kate Bond (as Jill), Reign Edwards (Leanna), Tate Donovan (Oversight) and David Dastmalchian (Murdoc).

Episode 3×01: Improvise (Official Still via SpoilerTV)

As we already know, Lance Gross as Billy Colton aka Riley’s boyfriend will appear in Episode 3×03. So far, none of the other characters of the Colton family have been seen on set. Tate Donovan wasn’t seen either, but Central Casting Georgia has been looking for Photo Doubles for Tate for August 16 and August 21. Also, Sibongile Mlambo is in Atlanta right now, though we don’t know if it’s for the Reboot or for another one of her many projects.

As always, Central Casting Georgia has been looking for Extras as well; e.g. for Hospital Kids, Diner Patrons, Rebel Drivers, Hispanic actors pretending to celebrate the Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico (some with their faces already painted when coming on set), for Parents and for Trick or Treaters, indicating that they’re filming the Halloween Episode. They’ve also had Casting Calls for Caucasian Bad Guys, a female Tech, a female Agent and for Stand-Ins for C. Thomas Howell (ET, The Amazing Spider-Man) and for Adela Tirado (Drive, General Hospital).

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Steven Serna)

Season 2, Original MacGyver and other MacGyver-related News
According to The Futon Critic, the only scheduled rerun in September is indeed the Season 2 Finale; airing just a week before the Season 3 Premiere on September 28.

Season 1 of Original MacGyver will be released on BluRay on October 30. There still isn’t any news yet if this BluRay will have any Extras or Special Features or if they have already planned a release date for Season 2. Amazon US states that the BluRay will be dubbed in French and German (with English, French and German subtitles available).

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Meredith Eaton)

As you probably read online, there was a severe accident on set this Monday. Stunt Coordinator Justin Sundquist was injured during a stunt that involved transferring from one vehicle to another. Apparently, he was conscious after the accident, but was put in a medically induced coma because of a head injury. Latest news was that he’s doing better (though still unconscious) and that the accident is being investigated.

Production hasn’t been stopped – but at the moment, I can’t even speculate what impact this might have. There might be changes in safety protocols, filming and/or broadcasting schedule, in scripts and maybe personnel changes within the stunt crew. Since it happened during filming with the 2nd unit (presumably for Episode 3×04), none of the main actors were on set. At the moment, cast and crew keep mum about it, probably advised to do so as long as the investigation is going on.

Lucas Till had uploaded a photo on Wednesday that shows him doing a stunt fall on a roof, but later deleted the photo once the news articles about the accident started flooding the news pages and social media.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Justin Hires)

MacGyver in Germany
The ratings for Season 2 in Germany are pretty steady now. Some episodes actually do better than their counterparts of Season 1 a year ago. Also, the second episode on 9.15pm does usually better than the one on 8.15pm. Interestingly, there are barely any tweets using #MacGyver or writing about the show when the episodes air; meaning that the audience is actually watching instead of tweeting about it.

To recap: Episode 2×09 (CD-Rom + Hoagie Foil) had a live-audience of 1.72 million viewers in total (3 years and older) and a demo of 9.5.

The next week, Episode 2×10 (War Room + Ship) also reached 1.72 million live-viewers (with a demo of 8.0), followed by Episode 2×11 (Bullet + Pen) with a whopping 1.93 million live-viewers and a demo of 9.7. So far, Episode 2×11 had the highest number of live-viewers (880’000) in the demo-group of 14-49-year-olds as well as the highest number of live-viewers in total.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Lucas Till)

Episode 2×12 (Mac + Jack) on August 20 reached an audience of 1.66 million live-viewers (with a demo of 9.2), while Episode 2×13 (CO2 Sensor + Tree Branch) scored with the second-highest number of live-viewers (1.87 millions) and with the best demo of Season 2 (10.2) so far.

The upcoming German Episode Titles:
2×14: Feuer und Flamme (literally translated: Fire and Flame, Mardi Gras Beads + Chair)
2×15: Gefährliche zweite Chancen (Dangerous second Chances, Murdoc + Handcuffs)
2×16: Flitterwochen (Honeymoon, Hammock + Balcony)
2×17: Atomarer Ausflug (Atomic Excursion, Bear Trap + Mob Boss)
2×18: Angriff in der Luft (Attack in the Air, Riley + Airplane)
2×19: Fälschungen und Lügner (Fakes and Liars, Benjamin Franklin + Grey Duffle)
2×20: Entführung im Wolkenkratzer (Kidnapping in a Skyscraper, Skyscraper – Power)
2×21: Ein Freund in Not (A Friend in Need, Wind + Water)
2×22: Area 51 (UFO + Area 51)

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Peter Lenkov)

On August 11, German Channel RTL Nitro started airing Original MacGyver again; showing two episodes each on Saturday and Sunday mornings with reruns of the same episodes in the afternoons. This is the 6th run of the show since 2014 on this channel, confirming that they still get enough ratings for a show premiereing more than 30 years ago. Pretty cool, huh.

MacGyver Reboot Update #62

Filming for Season 3 has started four weeks ago. We have lots of BtS photos, BtS videos and news about Original MacGyver on BluRay!

BtS of Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via Justin Hires)

(Spoiler Alert: You will get spoilered about main characters and storylines in Season 3 by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided!)

 

Working on Episode 3×01
The main cast started filming on Monday, July 9. Justin Hires is already excited for the Premiere, reminding us that the “countdown” continues. Interestingly, the cast and crew mostly post Instagram Short stories now instead of photos, meaning that it’s very easy to miss some of the news.

The Season 3 Premiere Episode is being edited at the moment. Executive Producer Peter Lenkov posted the first teaser on August 4; revealing MacGyver’s new love interest (and confirming my suspicions who it will be). Sadly, he later deleted the post. It’s not clear if he suddenly felt it was too spoilery or if there had been some derogatory comments. Mostly, people were surprised about Mac sporting a full beard.

Screenshots of Peter Lenkov’s Teaser Video for Episode 3×01: Improvise (via TheHemingwayGoldfish on Tumblr)

Due to Lucas Till’s birthday today, Lenkov posted another photo of this episode; a screenshot fresh out of the editing room. Costume Designer Sarah Downer posted a few photos and a video to show how they made the Nigerian village background actors’ costumes look authentic.

It might be a while until we see some Official Stills, though. Last year, the Stills for Episode 2×01 (DIY or DIE) were revealed on August 31, along with the Press Release. The first Teaser Trailer aired on September 8.

Based on the BtS photos and spoilers we’ve seen so far, I put together a short overview how the storyline of this episode might go in my opinion – before we get the first Press Release that will give us more information and “ruin” some of the fun of guessing the plot. You can check it out on Tumblr or in the MacGyverOnline Forums.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Meredith Eaton)

Working on Episode 3×02
In total, filming for Episode 3×02 (Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship) took about 9 days on various sets. Last week, they finished the episode on outside locations; doing stunt scenes involving gun shots, explosions and hostages. It looks like we will see Jack undercover and meeting up with his former Delta Force Team.

Lucas’ brother Nick was on set for this episode as well, and of course George and big brother Lucas found time to make fun of him falling asleep during a particularly hot day.

George Eads and Lucas Till on set of Episode 3×02: Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship (via Nick Till)

Both George Eads and Matt Skollar posted some more BtS photos of the same scene that Executive Producer Peter Lenkov had uploaded a video of a few days earlier.

They also filmed scenes on a set either dressed up as a toy store. Meredith Eaton shared a nice BtS photo of Matty in the Phoenix Jet.

Working on Episode 3×03
On July 31, cast and crew started working on Episode 3×03, directed by Tessa Blake. As Justin Hires revealed, the title is “Bozer + Booze + Back to School”, written by Nancy Kiu. According to BtS photos and Justin’s Instagram Live Stories, Team Phoenix goes undercover at a College, gets into trouble with Campus Security and plays some Beer Pong in preparation. Also, Lance Gross as Billy Colton is part of this episode.

BtS of Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via Justin Hires)

Cast and crew have been filming at Emory University on August 3rd. Some students (e.g. Christy Mayfield), but also some of the extras (e.g. Jamal Moore who already worked on Episode 2×06) posted photos or Instagram Live Stories. Justin Hires provided several group photos of Team Phoenix on Campus or videos; e.g. of the three “Lucases” they had on set that day. They also filmed a night scene on the same date with George Eads doing some running though narrow streets.

Meanwhile, the Costume Designers teased the fans with Instagram Short Stories of what looks like them creating a body cast. We’ll see if this is part of some kind of College prank or something more serious.

BtS of Episode 3×02: Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship (via George Eads)

On Monday, they filmed a scene on a roof; Wednesday was another night shoot with scenes of a Frat Party (DJ and Beer included) at Madea House. Yesterday, Justin Hires revealed that they were finishing the episode that day, meaning it took 8 days to film the third episode of this season. After battling wind and heavy rain in the morning, they set up at a mansion with an indoor pool – only to get delayed in the afternoon again due to heavy rain and lightning.

While waiting for another night shoot, Justin Hires did a Live Video on Instagram, later inviting Lucas to join in. They talked about the upcoming season; giving up some interesting details.

BtS photo of Season 3 (via Han Soto)

Cast, Crew and Character News
As we already know, Lance Gross as Billy Colton aka Riley’s boyfriend will appear in Episode 3×03. So far, neither Tate Donovan nor any other characters of the Colton family have been seen on set. Central Casting Georgia has been looking for Stand-Ins for Ilia Volok and Donald Watkins.

As always, Central Casting Georgia has been looking for Extras as well; e.g. for a male Security Guard, for Office Workers, for a DJ (with his own equipment), College Students with bikes, skates or a scooter, College Dorm Girls, College Party Students and for “College Bros”. They’ve also had Casting Calls for a Hospital Scene with Doctors, Nurses, Grandparents, Moms, Dads and Kids plus the obligatory Casting Calls for Techs, Agents, Stand-Ins and Photo Doubles.

BtS of Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via Justin Hires)

Season 2 News
According to The Futon Critic, CBS has dropped one of the initially 2 scheduled reruns in September. As of today, there’s only one rerun left on September 21, a week before the Season 3 Premiere. There’s still no further information about what episode they will air, so I’m assuming it will be the Season 2 Finale.

Furthermore, Season 2 just had its premiere in Japan on August 8.

Original MacGyver News
We got notice on Monday that Original MacGyver Season 1 will actually be released on BluRay on October 30. Sadly, they changed the logo font; matching it with the DVD Complete Collection Box. There isn’t any news yet if this BluRay will also have any Extras or Special Features.

Cover Art for Original MacGyver Season 1 on BluRay (via CBS)

MacGyver in Germany
After the Season 2 premiere in Germany with rather disappointing ratings, the ratings improved and are pretty steady now. Some episodes actually did better than their counterparts of Season 1 a year ago. Also, the second episode on 9.15pm does better than the one on 8.15pm. 

To recap: Episode 2×05 (Skull + Electromagnet) reached 1.65 million live-viewers in total (all viewers older than 3 years) with a demo-rating of 8.9 while Episode 2×06 (Jet Engine + Pickup Truck) snagged 1.83 milllion live-viewers in (with the same demo).

Episode 3×01: Improvise (via Peter Lenkov)

Episode 2×07 (Duct Tape + Jack) had an audience of 1.66 million live-viewers with a demo of 9.8. Instead of a second Season-2-Episode, they aired an episode out of Season 1 they had initially skipped over last year. Episode 1×19 (Compass) garnered a bit of a lower demo (7.5), but more viewers (1.75 million) in total.

Episode 2×08 (Packing Peanuts + Fire) reached 1.58 million live viewers (with a demo of 8.4), followed by Episode 2×09 (CD-Rom + Hoagie Foil) having a live-audience of 1.72 million viewers in total and a demo of 9.5. So far, Episode 2×09 had the highest number of live-viewers (760’000) in the demo-group of 14-49-year-olds.

BtS screenshots via Instagram of Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via Justin Hires, Jordan Lee)

The upcoming German Episode Titles:
2×10: Verloren im Eis (literally translated: Lost in Ice; War Room + Ship)
2×11: Unter Mordverdacht (Under Suspicion of Murder; Bullet + Pen)
2×12: Wiedersehen mit einem Geist (Reunion with a Ghost; Mac + Jack)
2×13: Angriffsziel: Pentagon (Target: Pentagon, CO2 Sensor + Tree Branch)
2×14: Feuer und Flamme (Fire and Flame, Mardi Gras Beads + Chair)
2×15: Gefährliche zweite Chancen (Dangerous second Chances, Murdoc + Handcuffs)
2×16: Flitterwochen (Honeymoon, Hammock + Balcony)
2×17: Atomarer Ausflug (Atomic Excursion, Bear Trap + Mob Boss)
2×18: Angriff in der Luft (Attack in the Air, Riley + Airplane)

In other news, German Channel RTL Nitro will start airing Original MacGyver again, starting tomorrow with the Pilot Episode and Episode 1×02.