I’ve always been a bit puzzled about the release of the Official Stills. Maybe that’s just how it works with TV shows in general, but: Sometimes we get 12 Official Stills for an episode – another time only 5 or none. Sometimes all of them look very similar, sometimes the main cast seems missing.
Episode 3×04: Guts + Fuel + Hope (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
As with Seasons 1 and 2, I’m looking back at the Official Stills for each episode of Season 3; picking my favorites and writing down some of my thoughts. (Because I just can’t keep quiet, as you all know by now.)
Episode 3×01: Improvise (Still Photographer: Guy D’Alema)
For the Premiere of Season 3, we got 6 Official Stills. Taken together, they feature all the agents on the main mission.
Episode 3×01: Improvise (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
MY FAVORITE: The one with Mac and Jack, of course.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: Pretty people in nice colors, so nothing downright disappointing. A few more Stills for the Season Premiere would have been nice, but we got at least one more than back for the Season 2 Premiere.
Episode 3×02: Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship (Jace Downs)
For the second episode of Season 3, we got 8 Stills of the people involved in the main mission.
Episode 3×02: Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
MY FAVORITE: Definitely the “Dalton’s Heroes” shot.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: Pretty looking people at an airport. While that’s not bad per se, it isn’t the most exciting scene to sell an action-adventure show – especially not an episode featuring an A storyline with military guys and firefights.
Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (Jace Downs/Annette Brown)
The third episode delivered the Official Stills in two servings. The first bunch consisted of 6 Stills. Later, they added 8 more that showed a bit more action.
Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
MY FAVORITE: Mac in the midst of a MacGyverism, of course. It’s nice to see the “youngsters” together on a mission for once.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: 14 Stills of good-looking people could be worse, but it would have been nice to see a teaser photo of the B storyline with Jack and Billy Colton.
Episode 3×04: Guts + Fuel + Hope (Guy D’Alema)
We got 10 Stills for this episode,. All of them feature Mac and Riley on the road with the guest-star.
Episode 3×04: Guts + Fuel + Hope (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
MY FAVORITE: MacGyver looking all competent can never be wrong.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: Pretty people in color-coordinated clothes on a color-coordinated outdoor set. For me, not disappointing at all.
Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (CBS)
Apparently, they had no extra Still Photographer on set for the Halloween Episode. I’ve always wondered why the Still photos looked so different in quality and why the colors looked washed out. I’m assuming they took screenshots while editing.
Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
MY FAVORITE: Riley and Bozer trying to look all innocent. Even without knowing anything about the B storyline, you know they’re anything but innocent.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: It’s a Halloween Episode and no Still Photographer and no scary costumes. Though there IS at least a kid in costume and he’s cute.
Episode 3×04 premieres today and we also already got a glimpse at Episodes 3×05, 3×06 and 3×07! Sadly, still no Sneak Peeks for tonight’s episode.
Episode 3×04: Guts + Fuel + Hope (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!)
About Episodes 3×02 and 3×03
Shortly before the episodes aired, some of the cast and crew posted “old” photos and videos taken when filming the episodes back in July and August; e.g. Jesse C. Boyd with Team Delta, Jessejames Locorriere with Team Phoenix at College or Tessa Blake (director of Episode 3×03) with Meredith Eaton and with George Eads.
BtS photo of Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via Jessejames Locorriere)
For Episode 3×03, CBS added more Stills on October 9; making it 14 Stills in total. Interestingly, they were all photos of the Team Phoenix College Kids, so no Jack or Matty at all. Maybe they wanted to make up for the delay on the Sneak Peeks for Episode 3×02, so they added more Stills and uploaded the 3 Sneak Peeks earlier than usual.
To recap: Episode 3×01 had attracted an audience of 5.771 million live-viewers with a 0.7 rating in the important demo group of 18-49 year olds. Compared to the Season 2 Premiere, they lost 0.1 in demo and about 920’000 viewers, which is less than most of the other CBS action drama shows. In the Live +7 days ratings, it gained another 1.8 million viewers, making it 7.60 million viewers in total when including DVR ratings.
Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
While the ratings aren’t as good as for H50 or BB, the Reboot still holds up pretty well against some of the other CBS action dramas. For comparison: Magnum PI is at 6.48 millions / 0.98 demo (Monday) after airing four episodes so far, SEAL Team at 5.29 / 0.83 (Wednesday, 3 episodes) and SWAT at 5.18 / 0.73 (Thursday, 4 episodes).
BtS photo of Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via Tessa Blake)
What you need to know about Episode 3×04
The episode airing tonight is titled “Guts + Fuel + Hope”. It’s the first episode written by Rob Pearlstein (who had previously worked on Scorpion) and was directed by Peter Weller. In case you missed the Synopsis:
MacGyver and Riley, with the help of Vasil (C. Thomas Howell), a distraught father, must find a way to drive a tanker filled with liquid oxygen through a region occupied by rebels and deliver it to a children’s hospital before they run out. Also, Riley helps MacGyver decide whether or not to allow his father back into his life.
For this episode, Tate Donovan as Oversight is listed in the recurring cast. They added additional Stills on October 9, but even though they uploaded several Sneak Peeks for both Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods yesterday, there are still no Sneak Peeks for MacGyver as I’m finishing up this blog post.
Episode 3×04: Guts + Fuel + Hope (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
At least Tristin Mays was nice enough to upload a little BtS video of her doing an action scene; driving the truck and fending off bad guys at the same time.
Executive Producer Peter Lenkov has been quiet regarding MacGyver as well (in fact, his last Instagram post related to the MacGyver Reboot is from October 5, so 2 weeks ago while there was no shortage of postings for Magnum and H50).
Maybe there are mixed feelings regarding this episode since there’s still an ongoing investigation of the accident with Stunt Coordinator Justin Sundquist, but since they’ve decided to finish and air the episode, it should also get proper promotion.
Episode 3×04: Guts + Fuel + Hope (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Season 3 Overview: Episodes 3×05 to 3×09 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:
3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (October 26) Halloween Episode, directed by Eagle Egilsson. Guest appearances by Tate Donovan (as Oversight) and Sibongile Mlambo (Nasha). They added Official Stills on Tuesday. You can check them out here.
3×06: Murdoc + MacGyver + Murdoc (November 2)
Directed by Stephen Herek. Guest appearances by Sibongile Mlambo (Nasha), David Dastmalchian (Murdoc) and Brady Bond (Cassian). See the Press Release here.
3×07: Scavengers + Hard Drive + Dragonfly (November 9)
Guest appearance by Joy Sunday.
3×08: tba (November 16)
Guest appearances by Holland Roden and Emerson Brooks (Charlie Robinson).
3×09: Specimen 234 + PAPR + Outbreak (tbd)
Directed by Michael Martinez. Guest appearance by Lance Gross (Billy Colton).
It looks like the fans get at least 8 weeks of uninterrupted fun. There might be no episode on November 23rd, though (due to Thanksgiving).
BtS photo of Episode 3×02: Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship (via Kikey Castillo)
Working on Episodes 3×09 and 3×10
On October 4, production had started on Episode 3×09. It’s titled “Specimen 234 + PAPR + Outbreak”, written by Lindsey Allen and directed by Michael Martinez. Lance Gross was back on set as Billy Colton; uploading a few BtS videos as Short Stories on Instagram.
There’s almost no BtS photos being uploaded now; but mainly temporary videos. They filmed an upscale event at a mansion and put Lucas Till in a Hazmat Suit. Though not listed in the credits so far, Lucas’ brother Nick was on set as well. They also filmed several days inside the War Room Set or outside. Last night, they filmed stunt scenes on a prison set and there should be another overnight shoot today. They’ve also decorated some streets to look like it’s already Christmas time.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Meredith Eaton)
Meanwhile, Justin Hires keeps on giving us BtS photos from already filmed episodes; e.g. of 3×08 with Holland Roden and of the Team in their Sunday Attire.
Peter Lenkov promised to post more photos of George Eads, but so far he hasn’t delivered. Since George had deleted his Instagram account recently and hasn’t been seen on set very often in the last few weeks, fans still keep asking about him. Justin Hires was nice enough to make sure to include him in his recent Snapchat videos.
Cast, Crew and Character News Reign Edwards wrapped the pilot for “The Wilds” in New Zealand. Just a few days after arriving back in LA, she was on set again to film scenes for Episode 3×09.
Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Central Casting Georgia had posted Casting Calls for Stand-Ins for Amaris Merlin and for Sendhil Ramamurthy. Additionally, they had several Calls for Photo Doubles and for Small European Cars. They’ve also been looking for Extras; e.g. for Lab Techs, Scientists, Guards, European Police, Hazmat Men, a Phoenix Driver, for people attending an Upscale Event, Airport Security, or for Prison Inmates and for Prison Guards.
Other MacGyver-related News
In case you missed it:
Tomorrow (8pm), there will be a rerun of the Michael Jackson Halloween Special on CBS with the voices of Lucas Till and George Eads.
Season 1 of Original MacGyver is still set to be released on BluRay on October 30. CBS even started doing promo for it, although we still have no information if there will be Extras or not.
While Cast and Crew work 15-hours-days and more, they still find some time for other projects. Tristin Mays did a photoshoot last month. She will be on the cover of the Fall Issue for NYSFE Magazine, released on October 27. According to online posts, there should also be an interview where she talks about the MacGyver Reboot. You can pre-order the magazine here.
Tristin Mays on the cover of NYSFE Magazine
MacGyver in Germany On average, every Season 2 episode had about 1.73 milllion live-viewers and a demo-rating of 8.62. This is less than Season 1 (1.79 million live-viewers, demo 10.0), but enough to make the network happy. Also, they still air reruns of Season 1 on Monday night.
There’s still a serious and concerning lack of promo… but on the other hand, only 7 days left until the Season 3 Premiere!
BtS Photo of Season 3 (via Peter Lenkov)
(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!)
What you need to know about the Season 3 Premiere
It’s gotten pretty quiet during the last few weeks. There was almost no BtS stuff to find for a while as if the production had gone undercover, and fans started complaining about the lack of promo so shortly before the Season Premiere. Sadly, CBS left it upon the cast, the crew and the fans to promote the upcoming Season 3 and the DVD release of Season 2 on social media.
We do have Press Releases for the first three episodes, though. On August 23, we got the Synopsis plus 6 Official Stills for Episode 3×01 (Improvise) via SpoilerTV.
Season 3 preview by TV Guide (via Peter Lenkov)
On September 11, Executive Producer Peter Lenkov posted a snippet from TV Guide that left us a few hints about the upcoming season. Other sites had Fall TV previews as well; e.g. E!Online or Entertainment Weekly.
News about Episodes 3×02 to 3×05 Episode 3×02 (Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship) was directed by Duane Clark. CBS released a first Official Still along with the Press Release on September 13. As expected, it centers around Jack and his old Delta Buddies. On September 17, SpoilerTV added 7 more Stills. The photos were all taken when Lucas Till and George Eads filmed at an airport, so the other Team Phoenix members are absent.
Episode 3×02: Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship (Official Still via CBS)
Justin Hires’ favorite Episode 3×03 (Bozer + Booze + Back to School) was directed by Tessa Blake and follows the storyline of Team Phoenix going undercover on a college campus. Justin upladed more photos from the episode; showing us the “weekend whip“. Yesterday, CBS revealed the Synopsis along with a first Official Still.
Episode 3×04 was directed by Peter Weller, but there’s still no title or an entry on IMDb. I was concerned that the episode gets dropped due to the accident that happened during production, but it looks like they were back at filming a few extra scenes or inserts on September 16.
Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via CBS Press Express)
The Halloween Episode 3×05 (Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family) is set in Mexico and was directed by Eagle Egilsson. Cast and Crew filmed scenes for a “Day of the Dead” Festival for several days.
Working on Episode 3×06 After Labor Day weekend, Cast and Crew continued working on Episode 3×06. They filmed at an airport and in the streets of Atlanta. The Casting Calls imply that one of the locations is a bank in Bogota, Colombia.
On September 11, Meredith Eaton uploaded a new photo of Matty with MacGyver and Murdoc – in the interrogation room at Phoenix. Looks like Murdoc got caught again – or he let himself get caught, who knows. Meredith also revealed that Matty wears bracelets handcrafted by Lucas’ mother Dana Till.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Justin Hires)
Justin uploaded a photo of Bozer with a gun on his right and arm candy (George Eads aka Jack Dalton) on his left.
According to SpoilerTV, the episode is titled “Murdoc + MacGyver + Murdoc” and as Allen Theosky Rowe revealed, it is directed by Stephen Herek. Rowe posted a photo with his villainy friends in a car and labelled an earlier photo with “The Cleaner”. Sounds like an interesting enemy for Murdoc and/or the Phoenix Team.
Working on Episode 3×07
On September 12, production turned the streets of Atlanta into Ghana; filming in front of a bank again and recreating a street market. On the next day, they set up shop at a restaurant.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Steven Serna)
Steven Serna posted photos of a truck in front of green screens. The Stand-Ins suffered in “Hotlanta”; encountering bugs and butterflies while waiting under the canopy.
Justin Hires posted several photos of himself with cars – Bozer sitting on a car, Bozer sitting on the same car in a different position or Bozer leaning on a car. He also uploaded many Instagram Live Stories featuring the Stand-Ins; joking about his own Stand-In (Kevin Marshall Pinkney) looking nothing like him; contrary to Lucas’ Stand-In (Matthew Albright).
Meredith Eaton posted a photo of her with Lucas and George in the War Room. Peter Lenkov finally had found some time to post another team photo during a short break from filming in a junk yard.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Lucas Till)
They also filmed what looked like a car accident and nearby a lake. Cast and Crew were enamored with the location; posting lots and lots of photos of the lake or the blue sky with the fluffy white clouds. Meanwhile, Lucas Till made new friends of the animal kind. While this is reminiscent of the Original Show, I doubt the snake is part of the storyline – they regularly have a snake wrangler on set when filming in “grassy” and “foresty” locations. Interestingly, Justin Hires didn’t seem so fond of the snakes in the bucket.
This morning, the crew started filming in the War Room location; for once safe from the hot weather they filmed in all week. The posts by crew and extras reveal that the heavy schedule is starting to take its toll – after almost 60 days into production, many complain about being tired and post photos of their colleagues taking a nap whenever and wherever possible during breaks.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Meredith Eaton)
Cast, Crew and Character News In case you missed it: 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). Looking at the Press Releases for single episodes, both Episodes 3×02 and 3×03 only list Reign Edwards as recurring, though.
Reign started filming the pilot for “The Wilds” in New Zealand, so it’s not clear if and when she will be back on the show. For now, Episode 3×03 will be most likely her last appearance. Sibongile Mlambo had been in Atlanta again recently, and since she’s listed on Episode 3×06 on IMDb together with David Dastmalchian and Brady Bond (as Cassian), I’m assuming she might not be back again, either.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Allen Theosky Rowe)
Justin Hires joked about Joy Sunday playing Bozer’s sister, but since he also jokes about MacGyver (or everyone) dying in the episode they’re filming at the moment, I’m not sure if this is true or not.
Episode 3×02: Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Other MacGyver-related News
In case you missed it:
The Season 2 DVD of the Reboot was released in the US on September 18, and there’s even bonus material on it this time! Sadly, CBS didn’t do any promo for it.
Season 1 of Original MacGyver will be released on BluRay on October 30. (There still no info if there’s any Extras or Special Features.)
Original MacGyver fans post a lot on social media about both the MacGyver Funko Pop and the Escape Room Board Game
Executive Producer and Writer David Slack revealed that one of the CBS Executives had wanted MacGyver to carry a gun. Apparently, they had to fight to prevent that because they knew it would betray the core of the character.
As mentioned before, there was a severe accident on set on August 20; ending with Stunt Coordinator Justin Sundquist being injured and hospitalized. Latest news was that he’s doing better, but we haven’t heard anything further about Sundquist’s condition or the pending investigation.
Season 3 International Promo (via FOX España)
Other countries are gearing up for the Season 3 premiere as well. Since they don’t have any material of Season 3 yet, they resorted to old material. Fox España used “new” international poster photoshoot material of Season 1; with MacGyver and Jack both tied up plus MacGyver hanging upside down. AXN Asia used Season 2 footage for their teaser trailer; adding the same poster in a pink color scheme instead.
MacGyver in Germany The ratings in Germany are still pretty stable. They had been dropping slightly, but then started to rise again. I’m already curious how well the Season Finale will do.
Episode 2×18 (Riley + Airplane) had 1.86 million live viewers with a demo of 8.4, followed by Episode 2×19 (Benjamin Franklin + Grey Duffle) with 1.92 million live viewers (marking the second-highest audience for Season 2 so far) and a demo of 9.3.
The upcoming German Episode Titles:
2×22: Area 51 (UFO + Area 51)
2×23: Das Wiedersehen (literally translated: The Reunion, MacGyver + MacGyver)
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Andrew Moore)
After airing the Season 2 Finale, Sat.1 will start airing reruns of S1 (Monday night, around 1am). Weirdly, they’ll skip the first two episodes, but I guess at least some reruns are better than nothing, right?
On August 11, German Channel RTL Nitro started airing Original MacGyver again; two episodes each on Saturday and Sunday mornings with reruns of the same episodes in the afternoons. Sadly, I don’t have any access to the ratings. Since the Original Show is rated FSK12 (meaning 12 years and older) here, they cut some scenes that were deemed too violent. (FSK12 movies/shows in Germany are only allowed to air uncut after 8pm while FSK16 is only allowed uncut after 10pm.)
Filming for Season 3 started two months ago. Only 3 weeks left for the Season Premiere!
Season 3 Header for Facebook and Twitter (via MacGyverCBS)
(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 Season 3
On August 23, we got the Synopsis plus several Official Stills for the Season Premiere (3×01: Improvise) via SpoilerTV. The Press Release lists David Dastmalchian as Murdoc with the recurring cast members. Otherwise, there wasn’t much news about the Season Premiere Episode, but if CBS follows last year’s schedule, we should get a trailer soon – maybe even tonight.
They already uploaded a new header for the official social media accounts. Sadly, they didn’t make an effort for new promo photos; simply taking the same Season 1 portraits of Lucas Till and George Eads and what looks like a set photo of Episode 2×13 (CO2 Sensor + Tree Branch). Also, CBS keeps promoting the Reboot as a buddy-show; not letting the other regular cast members being on the poster (contrary to Hawaii Five-0 and most of their other team shows).
BtS photo of Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (via Justin Hires)
News about Episodes 3×02 to 3×04 Not much to say about Episode 3×02 (Bravo Lead + Loyalty + Friendship), directed by Ericson Core. Back in August, Executive Producer Peter Lenkov had uploaded a few short videos out of the editing room. Otherwise, there’s no new BtS photos and no Official Stills yet.
Episode 3×03 (Bozer + Booze + Back to School) was directed by Tessa Blake and follows the storyline of Team Phoenix going undercover at a College. Judging by the number of his posts, this is Justin Hires’ favorite episode so far. He continues uploading more photos of him on set; e.g. with Lucas Till and Reign Edwards or of Bozer boozing up. As Peter Lenkov revealed today, he’s editing this episode at the moment.
Episode 3×01: Improvise (via SpoilerTV)
We still don’t have a title for Episode 3×04 and don’t know much about the storyline, but it was directed by “Robocop” Peter Weller. On August 20, Lucas Till had uploaded a photo that looks like he’s wearing a body cast over prison garb. In another photo uploaded a few days later, Lucas stated that he utilized the cast to be a “Deep Air Diver” (DAD). We haven’t seen any other photos of this episode in the last 2 weeks and I’m not sure if they actually ever got to finish filming after Stunt Coordinator Justin Sundquists accident on set (more about that further down).
Working on Episode 3×05 On August 29, Justin Hires finally revealed the title for the episode: “Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family”. It’s the Halloween Episode, set in Mexico and directed by Eagle Egilsson (who also directed Episode 2×16).
BtS photo of Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (via Justin Hires)
In a photo uploaded by Justin on August 24, you can see Halloween decorations in the background. He also posted a nice photo with Tristin. It looks like they’re wearing a bit more comfortable Halloween costumes this season. This episode might turn out a bit scarier than usual since they filmed scenes for a “Day of the Dead” Festival – and we can assume that our favorite villain will be back. Nevertheless, the crew had fun filming these festival scenes, with the Costume Departement dressing up for the occasion and Lucas’ brother Nick working as well.
Last week, George Eads found some interest in Instagram again: On August 27, he posted a photo of Jack in Halloween costume, deeming it a Freddy/Jason Hybrid. On the next day, he uploaded photos of him with Lucas Till on the Mexican Festival set, hanging from a Jeep and standing on the streets of the empty set.
BtS photo of Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (via George Eads)
Working on Episode 3×06 Production shut down over the Labor Day weekend, and cast and crew members took the opportunity to spend some time at DragonCon or with their friends and families.
On Tuesday, they continued working on Episode 3×06. Interestingly, it’s gotten even more quiet. There was almost no BtS stuff to find this week, so it’s difficult to even guess what the storyline might be about. They filmed at an airport and in the streets of Atlanta. The Casting Calls imply that one of the locations is a bank in Bogota, Colombia.
Although production is sometimes spotted filming outside, I haven’t seen any photos of the cast posing with fans or visitors. It seems they are more careful about fans and by-passers catching a glimpse and als more careful about what the cast and crew reveals to people not involved in the production process.
Episode 3×01: Improvise (via SpoilerTV)
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). Since they had a Casting Call for a Photo Double for David for a make-up-test on August 28, it’s safe to assume that Murdoc will appear both in the Season Premiere and the Halloween Episode; maybe even in Episode 3×06 (since they had another Casting Call for a Photo Double yesterday).
It’s not clear how often the character of Leanna Martin will appear this season: Two weeks ago, Reign took a flight to Auckland, New Zealand. She’s filming a pilot for “The Wilds”, a series project for Amazon Studios and ABC Signature. As far as I know, Reign hasn’t been on set since Episode 3×03. Depending wether the pilot is picked up (she’s one of the female lead characters), it could mean that Bozer and the audience might have to say goodbye to Leanna for now – or welcome her later with a new hairstyle.
BtS photo of Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (via George Eads)
Season 1 of Original MacGyver will be released on BluRay on October 30. (There still no info if there’s any Extras or Special Features.)
The Original MacGyver Funko Pop Figure has been released in several countries; fans already having some fun with it.
MacGyver Funko Pop (via Jake)
As mentioned in my last post, there was a severe accident on set on August 20. Stunt Coordinator Justin Sundquist was injured during a stunt that involved transferring from one vehicle to another. 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 and got moved out of the ICU. The accident is still being investigated, and we haven’t heard anything further about Sundquist’s condition or about the impact on the episode they have been filming at the time.
MacGyver in Germany As mentioned last time, there are barely any tweets using #MacGyver or writing about the show when the episodes air. Nevertheless, the ratings in Germany were pretty stable at a high level, though they have started to drop slightly.
To recap: Episode 2×13 (CO2 Sensor + Tree Branch) scored with the second-highest number of live-viewers (1.87 millions) in total and with the best demo (10.2) in the targeted age-group (14-49 years old) of the 2nd Season so far.
BtS photo of Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (via Cornell Willis)
The upcoming German Episode Titles:
2×18: Angriff in der Luft (literally translated: 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)
2×23: Das Wiedersehen (The Reunion, MacGyver + MacGyver)
BtS photo of Episode 3×05: Dia de Muertos + Sicarios + Family (via Bruce Giglio)
On August 11, German Channel RTL Nitro started re-airing Original MacGyver again; showing two episodes each on Saturday and Sunday mornings with reruns of the same episodes in the afternoons.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dashboard On Fire 