Looking Back at Season 1 (IX) – The Official Stills (Part 1)

I was always a bit puzzled about the release of the Official Stills for the MacGyver Reboot. (But maybe that’s just how it works with TV shows in the US – it’s not like I’m an expert on the subject.)

Sometimes we would get 20 Official Stills for an episode – another time only 3. Sometimes we would get 9, but all of them looking very similar. Or 6 out of them showing people standing around, looking at something we can’t see. The quality seemed to vary as well.

Overall there weren’t many in the bunch that would actually spark my interest, but it’s fun to look over them again, now that it’s been many months since I’ve seen the episodes for the first time.

I’m looking back at the Official Stills for each Episode; picking my favorites and writing down some of my thoughts. (Because I just can’t keep quiet, as you all know by now.)

Episode 1×01: The Rising (Still Photographer: Guy D’Alema, Jace Downs, Ron P. Jaffe)
It’s necessary to release a bunch of Official Stills for a Pilot Episode, of course. We got about 19 Official Stills via SpoilerTV and a few more via Getty Images. It’s difficult to judge stills when you don’t know all the characters yet, but I thought they had a good variety of different scenes – there was team bonding, running, disarming bombs, kissing and MacGyvering.

Episode 1×01: The Rising (via SpoilerTV)

MY FAVORITE: Probably the one with Mac and Jack doing some MacGyvering.

NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: No Still where we get to see the SAK? What a missed opportunity. Also, the only Still with Bozer in it seemed to be a weird choice.

Episode 1xo2: Metal Saw (Jace Downs)
For the second episode, we got about 12 Stills via SpoilerTV. Interestingly, 3 of them seem to be BtS pictures dressed as Stills.

Episode 1×02: Metal Saw (via SpoilerTV)

MY FAVORITE: MacGyver hanging out of the car window, holding a bottle. You just want to know what he’s going to do, right?

NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: The Stills are all taken from only two scenes – the Opening Gambit and Bozer talking with Riley. Again no SAK. And why didn’t they release a Still of guest star Amy Acker? She was mentioned in articles and used in the previews, so her appearance wasn’t exactly a surprise anymore.

Episode 1xo3: Awl (Guy D’Alema, Erika Doss, Jace Downs)
The third episode had about 13 Stills via SpoilerTV. Lots of them are close-up portraits pictures of the cast – except for Bozer, who’s nowhere to be found.

Episode 1×03: Awl (via SpoilerTV)

MY FAVORITE: Mac and Jack walking through fire – there must be something symbolic about that, no?

NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: The cast is very pretty to look at, but for such an action-heavy Opening Gambit, there’s only a single Still explicitly hinting at any action.

Episode 1xo4: Wire Cutter (Guy D’Alema, Erika Doss)
The episode with the first guest star that had also appeared in the Original Show. We got 9 Stills via SpoilerTV and an additional one (featuring the big Russian bomb) that was used in articles.

Episode 1×04: Wire Cutter (via SpoilerTV)

MY FAVORITE: One with guest star Elya Baskin of course.

NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: The Stills are a variety of different people and different scenes. So not disappointing at all. Although I still haven’t seen that SAK…

Episode 1xo5: Toothpick (Guy D’Alema, Jace Downs)
On the set of the fifth episode, they did many video interviews for regional TV promo and for print interviews that were released during the next few months. Yet, we only got 7 Official Stills via SpoilerTV.

Episode 1×05: Toothpick (via SpoilerTV)

MY FAVORITE: Not much to choose from. Probably the one of “Main Team Phoenix” standing there with Jack looking all banged up.

NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: I don’t like this episode all that much. Sadly, the Stills aren’t all that interesting, either. And there’s no SAK, but a phone. Hm.

 

(More coming soon.)

MacGyver Reboot Update #18

Disclaimer: My original guest-post was first published on The MacGyver Project on December 8, 2016. I made some minor changes (e.g. grammar or source corrections, link corrections, additional pictures) before re-posting it on my own blog for safe-keeping.

While CBS was taking a break and airing reruns, cast and crew were working on more episodes.

via MacGyver on CBS

(Spoiler Alert: To avoid spoilers, I won’t post any pictures that are too revealing, but you will get spoilered by reading this post or by clicking on the links provided!)

 

Getting into the Christmas Spirit
While cast and crew were working to wrap up more episodes before Christmas Break, the audience had to wait two weeks for new episodes. Meanwhile, CBS launched a new look for their shows on social media. The Reboot also got a new header and a new icon on November 28.

Additionally, CBS started a look back at some of their favorite tv-show-moments this year. The Reboot makes an appearance in their show-reels for “Stunts” and “Bromance“.

Working on Episodes 10, 11, 12 and 13
Executive Director Peter Lenkov shared a picture of MacGyver and Jack on a road trip and of Jack with a female character – a character who’s name Lenkov didn’t want to reveal yet. He did reveal that he had lunch with Henry Winkler, though. Also, Jack seems to drive a green minivan now.

Lucas Till shared another picture of MacGyver doing bad, bad things – this time of posing with terrorists. Lucas is also seen in a picture with Extra Lyman Chen, who complimented cast and crew as being one of the friendliest he had ever had the pleasure to work with. Chen is listed for Episode 11 and it looks like there are Ninja Swords involved.

via Lyman Chen

Tracy Spiridakos shared what Amy Acker and the rest of the cast is up to between set ups. Meanwhile, the script writers were busy playing with drones or testing handcuffs – hopefully for new MacGyverisms. Amiah Miller shared a picture of herself doing voice-over work for this week’s Episode 10.

A1 Management Group posted a short video of Sandrine Holt filming a scene in a hotel with a tactical team. They also shared pictures of the military guys having fun posing for pictures.

We got a first look at a glossy black helicopter (probably for Episode 13) and at the lady pilot (played by Zulay Henao) that will likely crash it. Feels like MacGyver and Jack will come to rescue her, though. The helicopter must have made quite an impression on set – several crew members (e.g. Cornell Willis or RoxPaul) and the grip crew shared pictures.

via Steven Serna

Lucky bypassers got to see cast and crew filming scenes with said helicopter on a rooftop in Downtown Atlanta on December 7. According to Todd Edwards who posted some pictures on Facebook, MacGyver gets beaten up, wrapped in blue tarp and tossed in – and then people start shooting at the chopper. Apparently the heavily armed “terrorists” looked so real that they scared the office workers in the building.

This week, the crew had to endure a few days of shooting outside under heavy rain. Several crew members posted pictures of their muddy shoes or of themselves in wet gear.

Let’s get technical
Technical Consultant Rhett Allain wrote another piece on MacGyverisms – this time about “How to make an UV-light out of your phone’s LED flash” as seen in Episode 8 (Corkscrew). Additionally, he appeared on the “Lab Out Loud Podcast” on November 28, talking a bit about working on the show.

Allain also gave some insights for an article on Popular Science about “5 MacGyver Hacks you should try at home” (laser microphone, fire starter, soda bottle gas mask, DIY eye in the sky and Leyden jar battery) and “2 you really shouldn’t” (car battery arc welder and thermite lance). I honestly don’t remember some of these MacGvyerisms – so either I’m getting old and forgetful, they were from deleted scenes or the episodes haven’t aired yet.

Reruns of Episodes 3 and 4
During the break, CBS aired reruns of Episode 3 (Awl, 4.09 millions) on Friday and Episode 4 (Wire Cutter, 4.61 millions) on Sunday. For the occasion, script writer John Turman shared a new BtS-pic from Episode 4.

Episode 1×04: Wire Cutter (via John Turman)

I’ve been wondering why CBS chose these two episodes to draw new viewers in. To catch up on the backstories of the recurring female characters (mainly Nikki, but also Riley or Amy Acker’s character Sarah Adler), the pilot (The Rising) and Episode 2 (Metal Saw) would have probably made more sense – but the ratings of these two episodes are also the lowest on IMDb.

Stills and Press Releases
SpoilerTV provided us with press releases and/or official stills for Episode 10 (Pliers) and 11 (Scissors). They also revealed the title for Episode 12: “Screwdriver”. Stills and Synopsis for Episode 10 remind me a bit of the “Ugly Duckling” Episode of the original show.

Interestingly, Episode 11 will be directed by Stephen Herek. Many, many years ago, Herek had directed the unaired pilot episode for “Young MacGyver”. Considering how many people – mainly “Supernatural” Fans – are still commenting and being confused about Lucas looking like a young Jared Padalecki, I found this kinda funny.

Episode 1×10: Pliers (via SpoilerTV)

Sneak Peeks and Previews
We finally got a preview and three sneak peeks of Episode 10 (Pliers) on December 7. It seems like the storyline will focus a bit more on the friendship between MacGyver and Jack – or the so-called “bromance” that has been advertized endlessly in the promo cycle before the premiere of the Pilot Episode.

Cast, Crew and Character News
Central Casting Georgia has made some more casting calls; e.g. for men who’ve had tactical defense and gun training; for Mom, Dad, and a 6 year old blonde girl to portray a family and for a “short Caucasian female” between the height of 4′ 3″ to 4′ 11″. The agency stated that this would be a regular stand in gig, working until mid-March. So it seems like there will be a young recurring character – does New MacGyver have a half-sister, maybe?

As Matt Webb Mitovich revealed back in November, we will get to know more about Jack’s love life next year. This fits with the picture by Peter Lenkov and the synopsis for Episode 11, because we will meet Riley’s mother.

Fans getting inspired
The Reboot has already inspired many fans to share their art, stories, collages and videos; especially during the break. Because FanFictionNet counts the reboot within the same category as the original show, we only know the total amount of stories (379). On Archive of Our Own, the reboot has its own category and hit the story count of the magical 100 on December 6.

MacGyver Reboot Update #15

Disclaimer: My original guest-post was first published on The MacGyver Project on October 28, 2016. I made some minor changes (e.g. grammar or source corrections, link corrections, additional pictures) before re-posting it on my own blog for safe-keeping.

Seems there might be more updates to write than I had planned since the reboot has been picked up for a full season of 22 episodes!

Episode 1×06: Wrench (via SpoilerTV)

(Spoiler Alert: To avoid spoilers, I won’t post any pictures that are too revealing, but you will get spoilered by reading this post or by clicking on the links provided!)

Getting ready for more episodes
Cast and crew are still busy bees; producing more episodes than the 13 that they had initially planned to film: On October 17, we got the news that CBS has ordered a full season of 22 episodes.

While I’m not all that happy how the reboot is handling the characters and storylines, I think the full-season pick-up order is a good thing: Now we have the chance that the writers and producers listen to us to make the necessary changes for the rest of the season. We might have the chance to get a reboot that rightfully deserves its title. Also, the show will be picked up in other countries so that many more people get a chance to discover MacGyver – hopefully also the original show and therefore the talented RDA and his creation of a very likeable and humble hero, an awesome theme and some great TV show music along the way.

Working on Episodes 6, 7, 8 and 9
Executive Producer Peter Lenkov shared some tidbits on Instagram; e.g. a look at Episode 5 (Toothpick), Friday Night Editing (probably of Episode 6: Wrench) a First Look at Episode 7 (Can Opener) and Jack and MacGyver climbing a wall.

Episode 1×06: Wrench (via Emerson Brooks)

Episode 6 will reveal some more of MacGyver’s bomb defusal days. Emerson Brooks revealed that wearing a bomb defusal suit in a bright-lit studio in summer for 13 hours isn’t very fun. On October 21, he posted an additional picture of him doing voice-over work. Episode 7 will be set in prison. Many extras have posted prison set pictures during the last few weeks.

Cornell Willis shared a picture of another interesting looking set. Don Mosley revealed that some scenes in an upcoming episode will feature an US Embassy. Lucky Harmon will play an extremist on Episode 9. On October 27, cast and crew were seen filming in Piedmont Park.

According to Stand-In Briana Lamb, fall has come to the MacGyver set. She also posted a BtS picture of the battered rubber duckies that are usually seen in very well condition in MacGyver’s home. I’m still not sure if the duckies are an hommage to MacGyver or to Richard Dean Anderson (who is known to have a special bond with rubber duckies).

Episode 1×05: Toothpick (via Brian Durkin)

We got another example of the script writer’s way of visualization; this time on Episode 5. It’s good to know that you don’t need artistic skills on top of writing skills to write a script; so maybe there’s still hope for me (ahem).

And as Lucas Till revealed: If you’re working hard on set, you deserve a Twitter Break every now and then. (Although, maybe he’s just hiding from the Girl Scouts that visited the set recently.)

Premieres of Episodes 4 and 5
We don’t see much BtS-material anymore from the main cast members. Mostly, they retweet or post stills or trailers for the upcoming episodes. George Eads’ official accounts are still disabled – I guess he wasn’t that fond of social media to begin with, but rather “pressured” into signing up for promotional reasons. Both Lucas Till and Tristin Mays shared a picture of themselves with Elya Baskin, though – he’s the first guest star of the original show and appeared on Episode 4 (Wire Cutter).

Episode 1×04: Wire Cutter (via Lucas Till)

Battlecat Stunts shared a short video and a picture of Episode 5. It’s quite impressive how smooth the “bad guys” drop from a rig onto a narrow train roof. Good thing I’m not a stuntwoman doing stuff like this on a daily basis; because this looks scary.

Ratings had been dropping since the premiere of the Pilot until Episode 4 (Wire Cutter, 7.44 million), but went up again for Episode 5 (Toothpick, 7.95 million). Overall, the ratings hold up for the preferred demographic group. Also, the Hashtag #MacGyver is still trending on Twitter every time an episode airs for the first time.

The previews for Episode 6 seem very action-driven and “Wrench” is the precursor of the well-advertized Halloween Episode of Hawaii 5-0, so it’s possible the ratings will rise some more this Friday.

Stills and Press Releases
SpoilerTV provided us with official stills and press releases for Episode 6 (Wrench) and 7 (Can Opener). Both episodes are directed by Alec Smight who has worked with George Eads before (on CSI: Las Vegas).

Episode 1×07: Can Opener (via SpoilerTV)

Sneak Peeks and Previews
We got several sneak peeks and previews of Episode 5.

The official preview for Episode 6 (that will be deleted like all the other previews on the official YT-Account, sigh) does make me curious, though. There seems to be potential for a storyline that might not be finished in a single episode, for an insight into Mac’s psyche and for a Murdoc-like villain. CBS also provided a sneak peek of one of the explosive stunts.

TVLine shared an exclusive clip of Mac trying to defuse a bomb in Episode 6. This clip needs a huge spoiler alert warning, though and it’s not the first time I wonder why CBS decides to hand out an entire MacGyverism scene.

Since it’s only a few days until Halloween, CBS wants to help us finding an appropriate costume – but you sure don’t have to be MacGyver to come up with this idea on your own…

via Briana Lamb

Cast, Crew and Character News
Central Casting Georgia has made several casting calls; e.g. for US Embassy Personnel, for a photo double and a hand double and for a mother with a 2 or 3-year-old daughter.

Rhett Allain is the Technical Consultant for the reboot. He published an article on October 16, explaining how and why the body-bag-freefall-stunt in Episode 3 (Awl) would work.

I don’t remember if I’ve already mentioned this, but another well-known character name of the original show will pop up in today’s Episode 6: Charlie Robinson from “Countdown” (Season 1), this time played by Emerson Brooks.

MacGyver Reboot Update #14

Disclaimer: My original guest-post was first published on The MacGyver Project on October 14, 2016. I made some minor changes (e.g. grammar or source corrections, link corrections, additional pictures) before re-posting it on my own blog for safe-keeping.

Episodes 2 and 3 generated a lot of buzz on social media although ratings have dropped since the premiere of the pilot episode. The first guest star from the original show will make an appearance on Episode 4 and New Murdoc has been cast!

Episode 1×04: Wire Cutter (via SpoilerTV)

(Spoiler Alert: To avoid spoilers, I won’t post any pictures that are too revealing, but you will get spoilered by reading this post or by clicking on the links provided!)

Working on Episodes 5, 6 and 7
Cast and crew are busy bees and don’t have much time to post on social media anymore.

On October 4, Executive Producer Peter Lenkov provided a sneak peek of the editing process on Episode 5 and a first look at Episode 6. He also revealed that one episode they’re currently working on has MacGyver and Wilt on a camping trip.

Stand-In Briana Lamb shared pictures of her while rehearsing with George Eads. George’s Stand-In Mikey Leo informed us that they had a snake wrangler on set on October 6.

Extras Paul Trujillo and Terence Goffer shared pictures of working on a prison set while writer John Turman showed us Jack Dalton’s car. A very nice vintage car. I hope they don’t take it apart again… but I guess when MacGyver and Bad Guys are involved, you never know.

Of course, there’s also work to be done behind the set. Lucas Till shared the fun of doing voice-over on Episode 3 (Awl). Just before the episode premiered on October 7, he posted several BtS-pictures on his Twitter-Account; e.g. of MacGyver and Wilt working on Wilt’s movie.

via Nancy Kiu

Nancy Kiu revealed how the writers visualize escape sequences (presumably for Episode 2).

Keith Power shared sound-bite-videos on Instagram; e.g. of playing and recording drums or a variation of the Phoenix Foundation Theme. I think this theme sounds great and I’m a bit miffed that I don’t remember it at all in any of the episodes that have aired so far – probably because I’m not happy with the reboot’s music or the sound overall since the score and huge portions of dialogue constantly drown within the too-loud-soundtrack-songs.

Premiere of Episodes 2 and 3
While almost 11 million people had been watching the pilot episode on September 23, the ratings have been dropping for Episode 2 (Metal Saw, 9.1 million) and Episode 3 (Awl, 8.1 million). The ratings are still strong overall, though and the Hashtag #MacGyver trended on Twitter both times the episodes premiered.

via Brandon Willer

The writers kept live-tweeting and providing some more pictures; e.g. a closer look of the photo on Jack’s Driver’s License or the Pizza Box from Zlotoff’s Pizzeria.

Let the Promo continue: Stills and Press Releases
SpoilerTV provided us with official stills and/or press releases for Episode 4 (Wire Cutter) and 5 (Toothpick). They also revealed the title for Episode 8: Corkscrew.

Additionally, we got another still of the Russian Bomb for Episode 4. On October 5, CBS posted more BtS-Photos on their website.

According to IMDb, Episode 10 will be directed by Lee Rose (Grimm, Code Black). She will be the first female director so far – not just for the reboot, but for any MacGyver episode (if I remember correctly).

Episode 1×05: Toothpick (via SpoilerTV)

Let the Promo continue: Sneak Peeks and Previews
Peter Lenkov provided us with several short videos; e.g. of MacGyver and Jack trying to stop a runaway train (Episode 5), Thornton getting Riley field-ready or Jack singing Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push it” (Episode 4). The whole sequence of Jack showing off his karaoke skills can be found on TVLine.

CBS uploaded how-to-videos on YouTube; e.g. “How To Make An Electromagnet” or “How To See In The Dark“. The official MacGyver YouTube-Account is still a mystery to me, though: CBS keeps uploading Preview- and Sneak-Peeks-Videos – only to delete them a few hours later and maybe re-upload them (or not). I’m no marketing or promo expert, but I don’t think that’s how you do it. I guess they don’t really care about hits and people sharing the official video-links…

Let the Promo continue: Interviews
ET Online takes a look into the “Bromance” between MacGyver and Jack. Yahoo spoke to guest star Amy Acker while Collider did another interview with Lucas; talking about the challenges of filming an action show. Parade did an interview with George; the Military Times had a talk with Lucas and his father John.

Episode 1×04: Wire Cutter (via Omelete)

Cast, Crew and Character News
Central Casting Georgia has made a casting call for art patrons who “look like a million bucks” and for caucasian females in their 20s or 30s.

The first guest star from the original show will make an appearance on Episode 4 (Wire Cutter): Elya Baskin, who played political Russian prisoner “Demetri” (A Prisoner of Consience, Season 1) and defector Yuri Demetri aka “Biff” (Soft Touch, Season 2).

On October 11, Entertainment Weekly shared the news that David Dastmalchian (12 Monkeys, The Dark Knight) has been cast as Murdoc for at least one appearance. It will be interesting to see how David tackles this iconic role.

via Peter Lenkov

Sightings
It seems the cast is not tired yet of seeing each other off-set. Lucas and George watched some Georgia Tech Football on October 1, while Tristin Mays revealed on October 6 that she had joined George, Lucas and Tracy Spiridakos at a Baseball Game.

MacGyver Reboot Update #13

Disclaimer: My original guest-post was first published on The MacGyver Project on September 30, 2016. I made some minor changes (e.g. grammar or source corrections, link corrections, additional pictures) before re-posting it on my own blog for safe-keeping.

The Premiere of the MacGyver Reboot generated negative comments and reviews, but also great ratings and heavy traffic on social media. It also inspired people to create fan art.

via Briana Lamb

(Spoiler Alert: To avoid spoilers, I won’t post any too revealing pictures, but you will get spoilered by reading this post or by clicking on the links provided!)

Working on four Episodes
While promo continues and reviews and ratings are piling up, cast and crew are filming episodes 6 and 7 while working behind the scenes for episodes 4 and 5.

The filming crew has been shooting lots of interior scenes – which is why we didn’t get many pictures from bypassers this week. Or we did get pictures, but there wasn’t much to see.

An Instagram picture by James Grabowski revealed information for Episode 7 – it’s titled “Can Opener” and will be directed by Omar Madha (Scorpion, Grimm). According to IMDb, the still untitled Episode 6 is directed by Alec Smight (CSI: Las Vegas).

We also got some more information about the jobs being done behind the scenes; e.g. by Picturemill while creating the opening sequence or by Kevin Marshal Pinkney (Stand-In for Justin Hires). Aina Dumlao revealed on September 29 that she’s doing post work (probably ADR) back in California for Episode 4. Briana Lamb, Stand-In for Sandrine Holt, started “MacGyverMonday” to teach us some more about her stand-in work.

Executive Producer Peter Lenkov shared another editing picture; this time from Episode 5. He also treated us with pictures and clips from Episode 4.

CBS shared an interesting BtS-Video with Prop Master Kate Guanci.

Lucas Till revealed the secrets of his MacGyver Diet. Thanks to a video he posted on September 30, we finally know how they do “dirty work” – I mean, how they dirty up clothes for TV shows.

Premiere of the Pilot Episode
Despite the many negative and critical reviews of the pilot episode beforehand, people sure were curious to check it out for themselves. Almost 11 million people had been watching the premiere; making it Friday’s most watched show. Another 5.4 million had been tuning in for the rerun on Sunday.

The premiere was also a 4-minute-long topic on the Late Late Show with James Corden (extra Spoiler Alert!), practically overshadowing the presidential debate.

The script writers had been live tweeting through the event and will continue to do so for further episodes.

Let the Promo continue: Stills and Press Releases
SpoilerTV provided us with official stills and/or press releases for Episode 2 (Metal Saw), Episode 3 (Awl) and Episode 4 (Wire Cutter). The stills and press releases don’t reveal too much, but they sparked interest. It seems the reboot will continue to resemble first season storylines of the original show.

Let the Promo continue: Sneak Peeks and Previews
We got several previews and sneak peeks for Episode 2 – the official preview that aired after the pilot episode, one by TVLine, one by The Wrap and another one by MSN. I guess the last one has the scene where George Eads accidentally got punched for real (as had been revealed during promo cycle).

Someone at CBS had been a little over-excited and uploaded the first preview for Episode 3 on the official YouTube-Account on September 29. The video was deleted only hours later, but not before some fans had already seen and shared it.

Let the Promo continue: Interviews
During the days before the premiere, several interviews had been posted online. An interesting interview by Slash Film had Peter Lenkov and Pilot Episode Director James Wan talk about the new theme song. Most modern TV shows don’t have opening sequences anymore and Lenkov revealed that they practically had to fight for an opening sequence and a theme.

CBS had posted a short Q&A with James Wan. Wan spoke some more to Collider about directing the pilot episode while Lenkov praised the chemistry between Lucas and George in an interview with The Wrap.

Cast, Crew and Character News
Central Casting Georgia has made a casting call for guards and inmates. Artist LeShae Nash posted pictures of the interior set and the fire pit in MacGyver’s home she’s been working at.

Another old aquaintance from the original show will make his appearance on Episode 6: Charlie Robinson from Episode 1×14 (Countdown). Emerson Brooks tweeted a first picture of him on September 28, wearing a bomb defusal suit.

Girls Rock Science
Will Riley Davis do more than just hacking in later episodes? Tristin Mays visited the “Girls Rock Science” weekend at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Science Center. Besides learning more about water pollution at the exhibits, she also posed for fan pictures.

MacGyver Reboot Update #12

Disclaimer: My original guest-post was first published on The MacGyver Project on September 23, 2016. I made some minor changes (e.g. grammar or source corrections, link corrections, additional pictures) before re-posting it on my own blog for safe-keeping.

Only hours until the Premiere! Filming continues while the reviews for the Pilot Episode are piling up. And we got the new Opening Title Sequence to go along with the new Opening Theme!

(Spoiler Alert: To avoid spoilers, I won’t post any too revealing pictures, but you will get spoilered by reading this post or by clicking on the links provided; especially on the links to the reviews!)

Working on Episodes 2, 5 and 6 (I think)
I kind of lost sight of what episodes the crew is working on right now – there’s so much going on! While the promo continued at full speed, we didn’t get that many pictures as in the weeks before. Some showed a new set or set equipment like this fog horn.

On September 17, the crew set up at the Pullman Rail Yard, probably to film more scenes for Episode 5. They also shot more train scenes back at the Southeastern Railway Museum. On September 20, the crew worked in Downtown Atlanta, masquerading the city as New York. The fleet included NY Police Cars and Taxis. Meanwhile, G-Rod did some ADR (automated dialogue replacement) for Episode 2.

Chris Payne Gilbert shared a nice pic of George Eads preparing his lines. Lucas Till posted an interesting picture of himself “wreaking havoc”. MacGyver shooting an automated weapon? *gasp*. Lucas was quick to add that New MacGyver still doesn’t use guns. My guess is this is a BtS from the Pilot Episode where we get to see bikini-clad women shooting Ninjas off a tank. (You will know soon why that is.) On the same day, Lucas shared a picture of his bomb-defusal suit – and he wasn’t the only one following the dresscode.

Script Writer Brian Durkin sent greetings from the Writer’s Office and revealed what bike he’s riding at the moment.

On September 22, Aina Dumlao shared the news that she’s back on set – watching MacGyver episodes in her trailer. There’s worse homework than watching original MacGyver, right?

Let the Promo continue: Sneak Peeks and Refreshers
Promo is still hitting the state fairs – recently in Oklahoma. But the main promo consists of previews and sneak peek videos.

CBS distributed many videos to various outlets this week. To list a few: We got to see a BtS-Video of the stunt work with Stunt Coordinator Jeff Wolfe. One video let us “get to know the stars” a bit better while ET Canada shared another Featurette with short interviews on set.

CBS also helped us to freshen up our knowledge about MacGyver’s 7 Notorious Tools (as if we wouldn’t remember) and to decide which episodes of classic MacGyver to watch before the premiere – the cast and crew’s favorites, of course: “Trumbo’s World” (Lucas), “The Heist” (Tristin Mays) and “Partners” (James Wan).

Let the Promo continue: Theme and Title Opening Sequence
On September 18, Executive Producer Peter Lenkov revealed that the Orchestra was scoring the pilot plus recording the new theme. He even provided little videos to listen in. How exciting!

On September 20, Yahoo! posted an amazing fake title opening sequence they had edited together for fun. It’s actually a recreation of the original title sequence that many people mistook as the real deal. Only hours later, Entertainment Weekly posted the official new title sequence – and squashed the excitement of many fans.

I’m glad the reboot gets a “real” opening sequence (and not just the title for five seconds like other modern TV shows). I love that they kept the focus on MacGyver’s hands instead of the character’s faces. I kinda like the music although it sure isn’t as memorable as the original. But this opening is not as much fun as it could have been – especially not if you compare it to Yahoo’s fan-made title sequence *sigh*.

Let the Promo continue: Reviews and Interviews
Several reviews of the Pilot Episode have made the rounds now and they keep coming in. Some are quite harsh; e.g. the reviews by Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. Others are more “meh” about it; e.g. Collider or USA Today. I liked the review by Your Entertainment Corner – it is critical, but fair and rather points out the strong and weak points instead of just bashing on it. Another very nice one is the review by Cinemablend which comments some more on the characters and the performances.

On September 21, Eric Goldman shared an interview with James Wan about the reboot in general and shooting the pilot. Peter Lenkov talked with TV Guide about how to keep the spirit of the original. Front Row Features posted an interview with Lucas and George.

As Justin Hires reveals, press days and doing interview rounds for TV is hard work, but can also be very fun and practical. With the help of journalists at Yahoo and TV Guide, the cast managed to escape one of the famous Escape Rooms. Of course they did; it’s MacGyver!

Cast and Character News
Central Casting Georgia has made more casting calls; e.g. for onlookers of a crime scene, for people to work in flashback scenes to the 1970’s, for a SWAT guy and for downscale and dented neighborhood cars.

On September 17, Peter Lenkov granted us a first look at Penny Parker. Justin Hires posted a new picture of his character Wilt with MacGyver. While sharing his Favorite Classic MacGyver Moment, James Wan confirmed that Murdoc will be a character in the reboot.

India Batson shared the news that her scene as Tiffany was cut from the pilot episode. Seems like some of the bikini-babes didn’t fulfill their Shooting-Ninjas-off-Tanks-quota. Hopefully, there’s DVD extras for people who were looking forward to see her.

On September 22, SpoilerTV revealed the press release for Episode 3 (“Awl”): Team MacGyver will travel to Malaysia to extract a terrorist groups’ money man who holds key intel to an impending attack.

What is my opinion on this?
As I stated in my very first blog post about the reboot, I’m not a fan of reboots or remakes in general and I don’t like that many of the shows on TV right now. This so-called reimagination sure has its flaws and problems. Some of them because the reboot is set in modern times, others because of the creation and background stories of certain characters. I’m also not very fond of the Team MacGyver concept because it’s the typical team formula you get to see on television all the time.

Of course, it’s not that easy to satisfy fans of the old show. Yet I do think this reboot can be fun if you don’t compare it too much to the original and to the iconic character that Richard Dean Anderson created over the course of 7 seasons. It’s a good thing that a new generation will also get to see a hero like MacGyver, even if he’s different.

Also, with the buzz going on on social media (Forbes states that along with “This is Us”, MacGyver gets the most buzz of all the fall tv premieres), it’s nice to see that so many people are fans of the old show. The reboot will inspire people to check out the original, regardless if they liked the new version or not.

MacGyver Reboot Update #10

Disclaimer: My original guest-post was first published on The MacGyver Project on September 6, 2016. I made some minor changes (e.g. grammar or source corrections, link corrections, additional pictures) before re-posting it on my own blog for safe-keeping.

Less than three weeks until the Premiere! Filming continues while the promo cycle goes on. The huge wall paintings ad is finished and garners lots of attention. Also, we got more preview trailers!

via Lucas Till

(Spoiler Alert: To avoid spoilers, I won’t post any revealing pictures, but you will get spoilered by reading this post or by clicking on the links provided!)

Working on Episodes 3, 4 and 5
Filming continued for Episodes 3 and 4 and they already started on Episode 5 (called “Toothpick“), directed by Bobby Roth (Revenge, Agents of Shield). On September 4, he shared a picture of him with Tristin Mays on set.

Several extras shared pictures of themselves in military gear; e.g. Derek Bosworth or Thomas Murphy. Stills Photographer Erika Doss revealed her own dresscode.

Extra Mark Stevens granted us another glimpse of the interior set with New MacGyver’s home. Hopefully, it’s not as dark as “Bunker City” like this picture that Lucas Till shared on September 1.

Location Scout Gonzo Rey showed a picture of him sitting on a “throne” on set – in fact, several of the cast and crew took turns to pose with the prop (apparently an old shroud from a commercial jet engine). Maybe they tried to distract us from the Russian nuclear bomb in the Lifecycle Building Center? Good thing the bomb is constantly guarded by May. 

via lbc_atlanta

Executive Producer Peter Lenkov didn’t share as many pictures recently – it seems he was busy editing Episode 2 and cutting the scenes with Amy Acker. On August 30, he posted a picture of “a man and his old school bomb”. On September 6, he shared two other pictures from set; one of them titled “train”.

On the other hand, George Eads finally discovered Instagram. He shared a picture of him between takes and granted us a look at the “War Wagon” (presumably from Episode 2). We also got a picture of him posing in front of the headstone of “Jack S. Dalton Sr.” and one with Extra Sonia Rockwell.

Let the Promo continue: Wall Painting
Mando shared a picture of the finished Wall Painting ad on Hotel Figueroa in LA. The Mural garnered quite some attention on social media; being posted from different angles.

via canyoncitysigns

Let the Promo continue: Preview Trailers
On August 29, Hot Bench released a preview video with new scenes. I have to say that while it looks nice at first, I don’t like it. I have to assume that it was put together by someone at CBS who doesn’t know the original show at all. I don’t know what audience they try to reach with this – I guess a younger one that likes this kind of music, but if the reboot is anything like this preview, it won’t work that way…

TV Promo 360 released another “inofficial” preview that explains the use and meaning of the verb “MacGyver” (=using limited resources to escape an impossible situation). If you want to see the other promo videos (that I posted about in the last update) in a better quality, you can check out SpoilerTV.

On September 1, we got a combo-video-promo for MacGyver and Hawaii Five-0 – MacGyver and McGarrett (or Mac and M(a)c, back to back) on Fridays.

via Mohamad M. Ali

Additionally, we also got a short video interview (probably from the TCAs) with George Eads and Lucas Till. George jokes about how his body is too old for all the action scenes and both say again that they would really like to have Richard Dean Anderson on the show.

Let the Promo continue: MacGyver on “Big Brother”
I didn’t know “Big Brother” is still a thing (since I can’t stand these type of shows and don’t keep up with them). Apparently, they had some MacGyver-themed contest going on and got Pizza afterwards – Pizza in interesting-looking Pizza Boxes. CBS is sure promoting the hell out of this reboot.

There will also be a special premiere screening at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Georgia on September 11. The invitation is made by the Georgia Departement of Defense, and John Till (Lucas Till’s father who’s a lieutenant colonel) will hold a meet and greet along with some of the cast and directors of the show.

via Twitter

Cast and Crew News
Central Casting Georgia has again made several casting calls; e.g. for a new hand double for MacGyver. We all know about Original MacGyver Richard Dean Anderson and his tendency to cut up his hands with the SAK on set. (He recently told the story of how he got the injury on Episode 2×10 (Three for the Road) at Armageddon Expo New Zealand in March – check the video at the 19-Minute-Mark if you want to hear the gory details.) Did New MacGyver’s old hand double already get into trouble? 

I guess it’s more likely that because they’re filming two or more episodes at the same time, they needed more hand doubles for the close-up scenes. Nonetheless, the casting call gave us another close look at the watch that New MacGyver is wearing. Looks good!

Casting Calls also included American Militia Separatists, Moroccan Pedestrians, German Commuters, Japanese Board Members, German Cars, a Caucasian Male in his Late 20’s-40’s with a neatly trimmed beard, German and African looking Men and Women to work in a train depot and a Caucasian Female with a 3 or 4 year old daughter.

via Central Casting Georgia / MacGyver Online

The Press Release for the Pilot Episode revealed that Tracy Spiridakos will play Nikki Carpenter. We already disscussed the possibility of Nikki Carpenter appearing in the Reboot (especially now that we know Penny Parker will also be back); but because I always assumed that Tracy will play the “Big Bad” betraying MacGyver, I never made the connection before. It will be interesting to see how this turns out. Somehow, I can’t imagine Original Nikki Carpenter being a “Big Bad”; at least not on purpose.

Sharing Filming Locations
It was revealed that shooting will continue at Atlanta City Hall on Wednesday, September 7 – it’s the same location where the new Spiderman-Movie was being filmed today. The scenes will involve simulated gunfire. More Action!

MacGyver Reboot Update #8

Disclaimer: My original guest-post was first published on The MacGyver Project on August 21, 2016. I made some minor changes (e.g. grammar or source corrections, link corrections, additional pictures) before re-posting it on my own blog for safe-keeping.

Filming continues while Executive Producer Peter Lenkov works on perfecting the pilot episode. All week, people have been posting the billboard ads and posters over social media. Also, we got two new video clips!

 

via CBS

(Spoiler Alert: To avoid spoilers, I won’t post any revealing pictures, but you will get spoilered by reading this post or by clicking on the links provided!)

Working on Episodes 2 and 3
On August 15, StandIn James Grabowski was back on set for episode 1×03 and continued to work for interior filming. On the same day, Peter Lenkov shared a short video of MacGyver running like a gazelle. The sequence is probably from the pilot episode, filmed by Steven with a MacGyvered camera rig.

StandIn Mikey Leo showed us what staging and/or blocking looks like – complicated, I’d say. (As far as I know, staging and blocking is done before filming to ensure the correct distances and angles. The marks on the floor indicate the positions of the actors and the cameras. Every person has its own color; some actors actually prefer to have the same color on every production.) 

via Mikey Leo

Peter Lenkov continued to post several pictures of everyday items that might help MacGyver getting out of trouble – a paperclip (what do you see?), the SAK (better than a cape), a bobby pin (not just for hair) or duct tape (not just tape). He also praised the work of the directors of photography on the show.

Location Scout Gonzo Rey shared a picture of a creepy, but interesting new location while Chris Payne Gilbert teased us with a view of the door to Stage 6.

We know from earlier casting calls and Extra Joslyn Sky that there was supposed to be a scene of a Venezuelan Market in Episode 1×02. We might have been offered a glimpse of the set and a short chasing sequence by SkyDroneCinema.

On August 21, the agency of Jonathan Fritschi shared his picture on set while waiting for his take. The background is very interesting; but even more interesting is the floor. You’ll recognize it in this short action-sequence that SkyDroneCinema has posted over a week ago. It shows four armed guys storming the building and getting shot. Overall, lots of guns in Episode 2.

Henry Winkler in the Writer’s Room
August 17 was a big day for the Writing Team: Television Legend Henry Winkler (Executive Producer of the original show) paid a visit to the office on the Paramount Studio Lot in Hollywood. He also took time to pose for individual pictures; e.g. with Brian Durkin, Bret VandenBos and David Slack.

Let the Promo begin: Previews
On August 15, TVLine released two exclusive preview clips. The first one shows MacGyver keeping calm while planning a Houdini-esque escape because “he’s got this”. (It helps that he’s got a paperclip ready.)

via TVLine

While I don’t think the video captures the exact soul of the original show (or the inner spirit of Original MacGyver), this mini-clip still makes me laugh. It sure grabs your attention and peaks your curiosity if you don’t know what MacGyver is all about. I don’t know much about TV-Show-Marketing, but I think this is very well done to get new viewers to tune in on premiere day.

The second clip shows MacGyver in danger of plummeting off a skyscraper within the next few seconds. Of course, we don’t need to worry, because “he’s got this!” (Although we don’t get to see if he actually made it out unharmed.)

Let the Promo begin: Billboard Ads and Posters
People have been posting pictures of the billboard ads and posters all week. Many hadn’t heard about the reboot before and stated their confusion; asking if this was real or not. Others shared their dissatisfaction about the poster or the reboot in general. 

via Daily Billboard

Apparently, the key art was done by Little Giant Studios and shot by Brian Bowen Smith and crew. Byron Nickleberry revealed that Lucas had indeed been hanging with a parachute and that the shoot had been lots of fun. The Daily Billboard Blog showed a collection of the billboards from different angles. 

Let the Promo begin: Iowa State Fair
I was a bit confused when Andrew Bridgewater tweeted about MacGyver at the Iowa State Fair. A few hours later, KCCI News confirmed that CBS had set up for MacGyver Promo on the MidAmerican Energy Stage where people could win giveaways by playing a MacGyver Ring Toss Game. It looks like people were tossing duct tape rolls and paperclips instead of rings. Interesting form of promo to appeal to a young audience.

via KCCI News

Hot Environment
David Sutton shared some pictures about his work as a scenic painter. I guess this didn’t happen for the first time, but it seems some of his work just got burned to ashes on August 19. On purpose.

StandIn and Photodouble Russell Snipes had joked about it “being a little toasty at work today”. We soon got to see why as Peter Lenkov posted two pictures of Lucas Till and George Eads (or their stuntdoubles, hopefully) walking through a burning set. Definitely a hot scene. Chris Payne Gilbert revealed the dresscode that day – at least for the camera crew.

Cast and Crew News
An interesting character name popped up last week on IMDb on the cast list for Episode 1×04: Penny Parker. Soon, Bianca Malinowski (Halt and Catch Fire) confirmed the news herself; tagging Original Penny Teri Hatcher in her Instagram Post.

Carlos Guerrero recently wrapped his scenes on Episode 1×02 where he plays a ruthless killer named Alfredo. He shared a picture of him posing with Tristin Mays and Lucas on set. Extra Walter Tabayoyong just started shooting this week and shared a picture with Tristin.

via CBS

Central Casting Georgia has again made several casting calls; e.g. for men and women for a retirement home scene (elderly people and conservative staff members), for men who are physically fit, intimidating and who appear to be Turkish, for attractive and hip people who appear to be Serbian (for a club scene) and for a caucasian boy and a girl between the ages of 11-14 years with braces. Interestingly, both kids will have to lean in for an awkward kiss in a flashback sequence. Another one of MacGyver’s girlfriends, perhaps?

Writing, filming, editing
The crew continued filming at Underground Atlanta and MLK Downtown on Saturday. In between, the cast works on the script while Peter Lenkov is still editing the pilot episode to make it look perfect. I think we can all agree that the pressure to deliver a great premiere episode must be immense; so it’s probably quite satisfying that the reboot has already inspired people on social media to share their fan art.

MacGyver Reboot Update #7

Disclaimer: My original guest-post was first published on The MacGyver Project on August 14, 2016. I made some minor changes (e.g. grammar or source corrections, link corrections, additional pictures) before re-posting it on my own blog for safe-keeping.

Filming continues while the cast does the interview and photoshoot cycle at the TCA Press Tour in LA. Also, we got a brand new trailer, new stills and huge billboard ads!

via Getty Images

(Spoiler Alert: To avoid spoilers, I won’t post any revealing pictures, but you will get spoilered by reading this post or by clicking on the links provided!)

 

Work, work, work
Cast and Crew were still filming for Episodes 1×02 and 1×03 last week; shooting on the Historic Oakland Cemetery, in Midtown Atlanta and Downtown near Hardy Ivy Park. Several bypassers caught them filming while walking through the park or were able to watch the set from above. The reboot also got some impressive new lighting installations for the interior sets. For the rest of the week, production seemed to move onto higher grounds. A sky scraper setting for New MacGyver’s work place, maybe?

We finally got some more information about the Ninja shooting, gun-wielding bikini babes on the tank. Turns out they’re actually The MacGyverettes! Of course, we still don’t know what this is all about – Opening Gambit? Mac working undercover on a movie set? Who knows. Seems we’re up for a big surprise (hopefully a good one).

While cast and crew are working long days and weekends, they still find the time to pose for fan pictures or joke around a little bit. Two lucky kids even got to meet the cast on set.

Let the Promo begin: Interviews, Stills and Billboard Ads
On August 9, IndieWire posted an interview with Executive Producer Peter Lenkov about rebooting beloved shows. Lenkov revealed his rules of remakes: 1) Honor the original property. 2) Dive even deeper into the characters that fans love. He said: “The secret sauce is what MacGyver does, and I’m hoping that becomes a thing where people the next day are talking about, ‘Can you believe he did that?’ I think the characters are different, and the original show was very plot-driven. Nowadays, we have to really look at why people are tuning in. They’re tuning in for the characters.”

On August 10, SpoilerTV released more promotional pictures for the Pilot Episode and the main cast.

via SpoilerTV

On August 11, someone spotted a new billboard ad from afar – which didn’t look very promising to me. The up-close-version of a new poster provided by Peter Lenkov on the same day revealed the new tag line: “No man has done more with less“. It looks slightly better up close, but this poster wouldn’t spark my curiosity enough to watch the pilot if I didn’t already have a clue what the show was all about. It also reminds me of the first poster for the Unaired Pilot that shall not be named.

via Peter Lenkov

On the other hand, it’s not so different from other posters for movies or TV shows. Some people might think it’s a little cheesy, but that only fit’s into some of the cheesier episodes of the original show. My problem is mainly that it doesn’t seem to bring across what Original MacGyver made him our favorite TV hero in the first place.

It seems they did invest quite some money for the upcoming promo, though. Besides another version of a huge billboard ad, there are Sightseeing Busses driving through Hollywood announcing the “New Fridays” on CBS. I’m already curious what else is coming.

Let the Promo begin: MacGyver at TCA
On August 11, the cast travelled to LA with Peter Lenkov and Pilot Episode Director James Wan to do the promo rounds at the Television Critics Association (TCA). The visit included a short interview panel, photoshoots, live video interviews (streamed on the official MacGyver on CBS Facebook page), press interviews and posing for pictures with the interviewers.

via Twitter

The panel wasn’t aired, but we got almost everything live on Twitter and shortly afterwards via Online Articles. Peter Lenkov started with a MacGyverism consisting of trying to power up his smartphone through a lemon. Apparently, he should have brought more lemons to make it work. (Or maybe a cactus from the Ugly Duckling episode? Maybe I should try this with my old-school cell phone since it’s not smart and only needs to be charged once a week anyway.)

We had already heard a lot of what was said at the San Diego ComicCon panel last month: It’s “Team MacGyver” now; MacGyver get’s a family and a “bromance”. Also, there definitely will be guns (although it won’t be MacGyver using them.) 

Thankfully, they also shared some new information: Since MacGyver’s first name is not a secret anymore, it will be used frequently in the reboot. They will incorporate the original theme, with a new theme in the main title sequence. They already have a role in mind for Richard Dean Anderson and (still) hope he says yes. Lucas Till admitted he cut his hair because of the negative reactions after shooting the Unaired Pilot (we probably won’t ever know if he wanted it cut or if the bosses made him do it). There’s a nod to Hawaii Five-0 in the pilot and Lenkov hopes they get to do a crossover eventually. The cast still does its homework and watches the MacGyver reruns in their trailers between takes.

via Getty Images

After they made everyone sing “Happy Birthday” to Lucas Till, the cast hit the TCA After Party before travelling back to Atlanta to pick up filming.

Let the Promo begin: The Trailer
On August 12, CBS unexpectedly dropped a new trailer. While it’s again restricted on YouTube for an US-only-audience, CBS TV Studios was nice enough to put it up on their Twitter Account and on Facebook so everyone can see it.

I’ve watched it several times now, but I’m still not sure what to think of it. For the reboot itself, I’m still hovering between excitement, annoyance and bracing myself for disappointment. As for the trailer, there’s a lot of action and we get to see every crew member of “Team MacGyver” – The Brains (MacGyver), The Muscle (Jack Dalton), The Boss (Patricia Thornton), The Best Friend (Wilt Bozer) and The Hacker (Riley Davis). Sadly, the introduction of the whole team in such a short time is why we don’t see very much of New MacGyver himself and what makes him tick. The trailer does peak my curiosity, but it doesn’t “feel” like MacGyver yet.

Cast and Crew News
TVLine provided more information about Amy Acker’s role; revealing her character’s name (Sarah Adler). They also confirmed our suspicions that she’s no damsel in distress that needs rescuing. According to Lenkov, she’s a “female version of George Eads’ Jack Dalton, and she’s pretty badass!”. 

via Proper Sightseeing

Sarah Mays shared a picture on Instagram that revealed her being part of the Make-Up-Departement. Several extras shared their excitement online; e.g. Aina Dumlao (as a character named Andie Lee), Steven Stokes (Background Actor) or Tyler Ellstein (StandIn). Also, the IMDb page is slowly filling up with more names for the first three episodes.

Filming, writing, cutting
Still many more episodes to shoot until December, and the premiere is only six weeks away. SpoilerTV has revealed that Episode 1×04 will be called “Wire Cutter”.

While the writers spend the nights on the studio lot working, Peter Lenkov apparently has had a long weekend of cutting to do. It’s good to see that everyone is so dedicated to this project; their energy sure adds to the curiosity and excitement for the fans of the old show.