What’s going to happen now? On May 19, CBS revealed their new Fall Season schedule. The Friday 8pm slot goes to SWAT for a handful of episodes. Around midseason, SWAT will move to Sundays 10pm to replace SEAL Team (which in turn will be moved to Paramount+). The 8pm time slot will be filled with unscripted / reality shows.
International Season 5 Finale Promo (via AXN Asia)
At the moment, CBS airs two reruns of Magnum PI on Fridays, starting 8pm. Next month, the reruns will be dropped to make room for reality shows Celebrity Home Renovations (8pm) and Love Island (9pm) and Greatest AtHome Videos (9pm) in August. It’s safe to say that there won’t be anymore MacGyver reruns. Interestingly, CBS has reruns of cancelled show NCIS: New Orleans in the slot that will go to NCIS: Hawaii in Fall.
May and June are usually the months when scripts get written, edited and approved. While most Fall shows on the networks have already cast their leads, it’s still possible that former cast members of MacGyver will turn up as guest stars somewhere.
Episode 5×04: Banh Bao + Sterno + Drill + Burner + Mason (video screenshot via Levy Tran)
What are Cast and Crew up to? ICYMI: Last month, Lucas Till’s movie “Son of the South” premiered in Australia and New Zealand. While cinemas are opening again around the world, the movie might get some more theatrical release dates before blockbusters will fill up the schedules. For example, Filmstarts lists August 5 as starting date in German theatres (probably in limited capacity). Because it already had an official theatrical release, it won’t be allowed to run in festivals like Cannes or Venice, though.
Lucas got cast in “The Spook Who Sat by The Door” Pilot at FX; playing CIA Agent Graham Renfroe. They started filming on May 24; finishing up after 15 filming days on June 12. A day later, Director of Photography Isiah Donté Lee posted the only BtS photo of Lucas in his Instagram Stories.
Australian Promo for Son of the South (via South Magazine)
We don’t know how long it will take to get the news if the show has been ordered to series or not. While some fans were unhappy about Lucas not being available for MacGyver anymore, you need to remember that it’s not clear yet if his would would be a regular or even recurring role. And even if MacGyver gets un-cancelled or revived, it might take months or years for the showto go back into production.
While Justin Hires has been doing more comedy shows, podcasts (e.g. interviews with Tristin Mays and Henry Winkler for Patreon), releasing new music and filming music videos, we don’t know much about what the others have been up to. Levy Tran has been working on her martial arts skills (including a little misshap with a sword and a wall); the instagram videos of her instructor indicating that she is still in Atlanta.
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (via Sarah Downer)
In a recent Instagram post, Tristin Mays mentioned in the comments that she will be back in Atlanta in about two weeks. It’s not clear yet if she’ll just visit her home plant babies or if she’s booked for a project. Considering that there are several dozens projects being filmed in Georgia right now, it’s not unlikely that she got another job.
The Season 4 DVD In the US, the Season 4 DVD has been released on June 8. Sadly, there’s no bonus material on it; same as with Season 3. No love was put into the DVD design, either.
DVD Menu for Disc 1 of Season 4 (US-version, via Critical Blast)
There’s DVD release dates for Season 4 in several countries:
July 7 (Australia, New Zealand)
August 4 (Japan)
August 19 (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
So far, there’s no information about potential Bonus Features on international DVD versions; but let’s hope for the best. It would be a first for the German DVD versions to not have any Extras on it.
The #SaveMacGyver Movement The #SaveMacGyver Movement is still going strong; e.g. with “Operation Postcard” or with a worldwide Blood Drive.
BtS photo of Lucas Till on set (via Matthew Albright)
The official website gets updated regularly; so check here to keep up with news. In the meantime, fans have been creative with designing Season 6 posters, trailers or t-shirts and postcards.
Other MacGyver-related News In recent weeks, Costume Designer Sarah Downer has uploaded several BtS photos taken during costume fittings; e.g. of Henry Ian Cusick in his kilt (for Episode 5×12) plus a mood board for Russ Taylor, of Tristin Mays in dresses (for Episode 3×11), of Lucas Till (for Episode 5×11), of George Eads alone and in comparison with Tristin Mays (in a Metallica Shirt), of Levy Tran (for Season 4), of Justin Hires (Seasons 4 and 5) and of Meredith Eaton (Seasons 4 and 5).
Costume Fitting with George Eads (via Sarah Downer)
Here’s a short overview of MacGyver-related news in recent weeks you might have missed:
In Italy, Season 4 premiered on May 27 on Ray4. They will continue directly with Season 5 (starting next week).
In the UK, Season 5 premiered on May 30 on Sky One.
In the French-speaking region of Switzerland, Season 5 is currently airing on RTS.
In Germany, Season 5 will premiere on Thursday, July 8 on Sat.1.
No prestigious award, but like last year, the Reboot was the most popular show on SpoilerTV in May.
CBS split the MacGyver merch store into two seperate stores for the OG show (41 items) and the Reboot (15 items). They ship internationally now.
While the fans continue fighting for Season 6, former cast and crew are keeping busy with new projects or spending time with friends.
New Zealand Promo for Son of the South (via Stuff Entertainment)
(Minor Spoiler Alert: You might get spoilered about Season 6 storylines and characters by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided. For daily news and to join the discussion, you can find me on Twitter and on the MacGyverOnline Forums.)
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About the Season 6 Storylines (encore) ICYMI: Before the Season 5 Finale on April 30, Matt Mitovich had released an interview with Showrunner Monica Macer for TV Line; talking about tweaking the finale a bit and teasing the fans that some of the nanobots might have “survived”. She also adressed potential storylines for Season 6 if the show hadn’t been cancelled – e.g. the future of Mac and Desi, Desi and her “lost” fiancé, the “hero couple” and the fun of Mac, Russ and Bozer on a treasure hunt.
A few days later, TV Line added an article revealing that Season 6 would have delivered a baby. On May 15, Mitovich posted yet another article; this time elaborating on what would have led to the first kiss between Mac and Riley.
Some fans were disappointed about these storylines; stating that they didn’t want another season in that case. If you’re one of these fans, remember that these are only ideas; not approved by the network yet.
Even if a show gets renewed, it could take months or even years until it’s going into production. It could be shipped to another network, for example. Also, the two OG MacGyver movies didn’t have any ties to the OG show storyline in the Season Finale.
Even if the show would stay on CBS, there’s no guarantee Season 6 would still have Macer as showrunner or the same writers who worked on Season 5. Some of the cast might be unavailable for filming. They might have a smaller budget; not bringing back all of the regular actors. They could do a spin-off instead of a continuation.
It’s still worth fighting for a renewal because anything can happen. And isn’t a movie or a handful of episodes for a webseries better than nothing? Lucas went through hell and fought so hard to get the cast and crew justice. Shouldn’t we at least try to give him a chance of playing the character again; no matter the storylines?
What’s going to happen now? On May 19, CBS revealed their new Fall Season schedule. There’s no premiere dates yet, but our favorite slot goes to SWAT for a handful of episodes. Around midseason, SWAT will move to Sundays 10pm to replace SEAL Team, which was renewed and will premiere in Fall as well, but will be moved to Paramount+ midseason to gather new subscribers.
A bit confusing? It is. For now, CBS hasn’t announced yet which unscripted / reality show will take over the Friday 8pm slot once SWAT has been moved. I can’t imagine it does Magnum PI any favors, though.
International Season 5 Finale Promo (via AXN Asia)
Starting tonight, CBS will air two reruns of Magnum PI on Fridays 8pm before going back to one rerun at 8pm so they have room for reality show Love Island at 9pm. Usually, they put reruns of an existing show to their new slot during hiatus, but maybe CBS has other plans for SWAT in late Summer.
For now, SWAT has two reruns on Wednesdays. Considering that CBS still has reruns of cancelled shows Mom and NCIS: New Orleans on the schedule while still not having set a release date for Summer Show Blood + Treasure, it seems like they’re a bit short on Summer hiatus material after cancelling 3 drama shows in total.
Episode 3×20: No-Go + High-Voltage + Rescue (via Matthew Albright)
The #SaveMacGyver Movement Here’s an update for the achievements of the #SaveMacGyver Movement during the last two weeks:
The petition to renew the show for another season hit the mark of 27’000 signatures on May 7. It lost about 3000 signatures (due to the website removing signatures without verified email address). It’s currently back at about 26’800 signatures as I’m writing this post.
A big package of 1 million paperclips have been sent to CBS Studios recently; meaning that fans sent so far about 1.45 million paperclips.
Fans keep sending e-mails and writing letters to CBS executives and calling the CBS offices; also contacting other networks and streaming companies to pick up the series. So far, about 260’000 requests have been made to Netflix.
The GoFundMe-Page to fund more promo (especially billboards, paperclips or press kits) is still up; standing at almost 9800 USD.
The 5 digital billboards in Los Angeles, New York (Time Square), Phoenix and Atlanta were up until end of May. There might be more coming soon.
The GoFundMe-Page named “Operation Cure Cancer” to collect money for cancer research is still up; standing at 1900 USD.
The official website gets updated regularly; so check here to keep up with news and learning about the movement and how to help.
Digital Billboard in Atlanta (via Samantha Hart)
What are Cast and Crew up to? Lucas Till’s movie “Son of the South” premiered in Australia and New Zealand on May 20. There was quite a bit of promo surrounding it, but mostly with Bob Zellner. While cinemas are opening again around the world, the movie might get some more theatrical release dates before the blockbusters will fill up the schedule. In Spain, it already premiered on TV.
As Variety reported on May 28, Lucas got cast in “The Spook Who Sat by The Door” Pilot at FX; playing CIA Agent Graham Renfroe. They started filming on May 24. While I have seen some posts about a hotel set, nice cars and night shoots, there were no BtS photos of the main cast yet.
Australian Promo for Son of the South (via Heritage Films)
While some fans might be discouraged about Lucas not being available for MacGyver anymore, you need to remember that it’s just a pilot for now. His character might have limited screentime, or it’s a recurring role for a handful of episodes only. The show might not get picked up to series or his character will be dropped. Remember the Unaired MacGyver Pilot that lost the entire cast besides the two leads after being ordered to series?
In any case, Lucas needs to keep his face on screens while he’s in demand and people remember him. He needs to connect with new directors, producers and actors not associated with CBS. Also, he’s way too talented to sit at home while waiting for CBS to do the right thing.
As stated above, anything can happen. It might take months or even years for MacGyver to continue. It’s worth noting that CBS show Criminal Minds got their revival a year after cancellation. And Original CSI will be continued as CSI: Vegas this Fall (with several of the original actors) 6 years after its Series Finale.
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (via Sarah Downer)
While Justin Hires has been back doing comedy shows and releasing new music, we don’t know much about what the others have been up to regarding work. Tristin Mays updated her IMDb page with more photos, but has no new project listed yet. Henry Ian Cusick is currently attached to several movies. Levy Tran has been working on her martial arts skills.
The Season 4 DVD In the US, the release date for the Season 4 DVD has been set for June 8. Critical Blast confirmed on Twitter that there are no Extras on the US-version. They were nice enough to add a photo of the back cover; adding confirmation that no love was put into the DVD design, either.
I feel that the back cover “art” has gotten worse with every new season. Considering that almost every CBS Fall show got their former season DVD released before the new season premiered, I’m not sure why it took them so long to put this simple DVD box together.
Season 4 DVD Cover for Australia (via JB Hifi)
There’s additional release dates for countries outside the US; e.g. July 7 in Australia, August 4 in Japan and August 19 in German-speaking countries. So far, there’s no information about potential Bonus Features on international DVD versions; but let’s hope for the best.
Other MacGyver-related News Costume Designer Sarah Downer has uploaded several BtS photos taken during costume fittings; e.g. of Henry Ian Cusick in his kilt (for Episode 5×12), of Tristin Mays (for Episode 3×11), of Lucas Till (for Episode 5×11), of George Eads or of Levy Tran.
Episode 5×12: Royalty + Marriage + Vivaah Sanskar + Zinc + Henna (via Sarah Downer)
Here’s a short overview of MacGyver-related news in recent weeks you might have missed:
In Italy, Season 4 premiered on May 27 on Ray4.
In the UK, Season 5 premiered on May 30 on Sky One.
CBS added face masks as merch items to their MacGyver store. They had 56 items in total before splitting the store into two seperate stores for the OG show (41 items) and the Reboot (15 items).
It’s been more than 3 years since I’ve started blogging about the MacGyver Reboot on this blog. Most people land here via Twitter or Tumblr, but some also by using search engines. The top 3 list of search terms is still pretty boring:
dashboardonfire
dashboard on fire
dashboard on fire wordpress
macgyver spoilers
dashboard on fire macgyver
Some search engines don’t reveal search terms anymore for privacy reasons. Google, for example, has been encrypting the vast majority of search terms since 2013. So WordPress often can’t specify which search terms were used by visitors who arrived at this site from a search engine. That’s why the majority on my list – over 8000 by now – are unknown search terms.
Excerpt of the search engine statistics (retrieved July 26, 2020)
It’s been a while since my last blog post about search terms. If you missed Part 1 (about cast, characters and locations search terms), you can find it here. If you missed Part 2 (regarding Isabel Lucas’ character of Olivia/Samantha Cage), you can find it there. For Part 3 (about cast and characters), you can go here.
There’s some more search terms I want to address in blog posts and maybe help the unknown searching beings to get answers for their questions. In this post, I’m going to look at some of the most used search terms since December 2018. At the moment, most of you are still looking for “missing” cast members.
(Minor Spoiler Alert: You will get spoilered about main characters and storylines by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided!)
what happened to leanna on macgyver
To recap: Reign Edwards plays Bozer’s girlfriend Leanna Martin. She joined back in S2 for a handful of episodes, leading to speculations that she would join Season 3 as a regular field agent; sort of a replacement for Isabel Lucas’ character Samantha Cage. She was listed as a recurring for the first three episodes of S3 – then she disappeared apart from a few mentions until she popped up again in Episode 3×09.
Episode 3×03: Bozer + Booze + Back to School (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
ICYMI: During her absence, Reign was filming a pilot project called “The Wilds” for Amazon Studios in New Zealand. She came back to set after she was done; getting appearances in a few more episodes (3×10, 3×11, 3×15 and 3×17). Despite her pilot getting picked up, it took a while for her to get back and film the series. So in theory, she could have filmed more episodes for MacGyver, but that didn’t happen.
Leanna was highlighted in Episode 3×01 as the field agent that can do everything (e.g. flying a helicopter) and has excellent fighting skills, similar to Samantha Cage (and later Levy Tran’s character of Desi). But besides Episode 3×09 (that depicted her as being a bit of a neat freak, at least when it comes to refrigerators) and 3×11 (that had her being insecure about moving in with Bozer), there wasn’t much character development for her.
Screenshot of a Deleted Scene for Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack
In an earlier blog post two years ago, I had assumed that Leanna and Bozer would break up or that Leanna would be assigned to another longterm mission if Reign’s series was picked up. That did in fact happen, but it wasn’t all too clear. In Episode 4×01, it was only mentioned in passing that Bozer had lost Leanna to a mission.
If you’re one of the lucky people having access to an international Season 3 DVD release, you get to watch a Deleted Scene of Episode 3×11 in which Bozer preps the apartment he had planned to move in with Leanna; waiting for her arrival to enjoy some cozy time together. Instead, it’s Matty arriving, handing Bozer a phone and advising him to make a “last” phone call with Leanna because she was just appointed to continue the undercover mission that Matty’s ex-husband Ethan had been assigned to; taking his place in the S-Company.
Screenshot of a Deleted Scene for Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack
It’s possible they cut this scene because they realized that Reign is able to do more episodes. In the end, she didn’t have much to do in Episodes 3×15 or 3×17, though – probably because they needed the added screentime for Desi who happens to have the exact same skills as Leanna. Whatever the reason, writing a recurring character out off-screen without much explanation so they don’t have to deal with the fall-out or heartbreak for Bozer was rather cheap.
Similar search terms:
what happened to bozer’s girlfriend on macgyver
did reign edwards leave macgyver
why did reign edwards leave macgyver
where can i buy upcoming episode scripts
Well, I really don’t know about this stuff. Maybe if you bribed one of the writers? *ahem*
Script Title Page of Episode 4×16: Jack + Kinematics + MgKNO3 + GTO (via Anabelle Acosta)
I don’t even know how to get episode scripts of episodes that have already been aired. Apart from pilot scripts, episode scripts don’t seem to circulate online (although some can be bought via Ebay and similar platforms). If you’re looking for the MacGyver Reboot Pilot script, just try Google again. You won’t need to pay any money for it.
Similar search terms:
macgyver unaired pilot script free online
mcgayver movie script
macgyver 2016 script
macgyver reboot script
new macgyver scripts
BtS picture of the Teaser Promo (via Lucas Till)
lucas till paperclip
Not sure what to make of this one. Lucas Till aka MacGyver sure likes his paperclips, though. I hope we’ll get to see some more outtakes of the Teaser Promo Trailers or more info on the paperclip art one day.
india batson
India Batson was one of the guest stars that appeared in a Deleted Scene of the Pilot Episode, aptly named “Baywatch with Tanks”. Her character was named Tiffany. You can read more about that scene in this blog post.
BtS picture on set of Episode 1×01: The Rising (via India Batson)
was mcguiver filmed in Chernobyl
I’m assuming this person is referring to Episode 2×17 (Bear Trap + Mob Boss), written by Nancy Kiu. Though the episode is set in Chernobyl, the cast filmed in Atlanta and Georgia Area only. While you can get access the area under supervision, the additional drone shots and inserts were probably aquired stock footage from an archive.
As far as I know, the only time some main cast members actually travelled to another country to film scenes was for Episode 1×18 (Flashlight), the crossover episode with Hawaii Five-0. A TV show like MacGyver has a decent budget, but it’s simply not that big to do all the oversea travelling required for filming on location. To save money, many TV shows set in California are either filmed in Vancouver or in Atlanta.
Similar search terms:
where was the bear traps and mob boss macgyver episode filmed
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 3×14: Father + Bride + Betrayal (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
If you missed Part 1 (Episodes 3×01 to 3×05), you can find the post here. For Part 2 (Episodes 3×06 to 3×10), you can visit here.
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (Still Photographer: Guy D’Alema) For Episode 3×11, we got 11 Official Stills. They all feature the main mission – or rather the memory of a main mission – with Mac and Jack.
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
MY FAVORITE: To me, Guy D’Alema is the best of the bunch of Still Photographers they have been using for Official Stills. My favorite Still of this episode is the perfect example – he chooses interesting angles. Even when he takes photos of the same scene, they don’t all look the same.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: Nothing downright disappointing. I wouldn’t have minded an additional Still of the B-storyline with Riley, Leanna and Bozer, though. Or of the current storyline of Mac and Jack being held prisoner.
Episode 3×12: Fence + Suitcase + Americium-241 (Richard DuCree) For Episode 3×12, we got 13 Stills of the team involved in the main mission. For once, the photos featured the team in different constellations.
Episode 3×12: Fence + Suitcase + Americium-241 (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
MY FAVORITE: The one with Bozer, Mac and Riley. We didn’t get many Stills of the “core” team this season. The cast appears usually in pairs or alone in the Still photos; not as a group.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: Not having a Still with Jack to choose from is always disappointing.
Episode 3×13: Wilderness + Training + Survival(Guy D’Alema)
Episode 3×13 delivered 9 Official Stills; all of them featuring MacGyver and the main mission.
Episode 3×13: Wilderness + Training + Survival (Official Still via CBS Press Express)
MY FAVORITE: It’s Mac doing some MacGyvering. What else do you need?
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: It’s nice to see Mac doing his thing out in the wild, so nothing disappointing here.
Episode 3×14: Father + Bride + Betrayal (Guy D’Alema) We got 9 Stills for this episode; all of them of the main cast.
Episode 3×14: Father + Bride + Betrayal (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
MY FAVORITE: MacRiley! As a runner-up, we have Mac and Jack contemplating food at the top of this post.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: Pretty people in pretty clothes looking pretty. But it’s the last episode with Jack *sniff*. And there’s not even a group photo of them all dolled up.
Episode 3×15: K9 + Smugglers + New Recruit (Jace Downs)
This episode delivered 12 Official Stills. The new recurring cast member got 2 Stills all for herself and the guest star is in several of them as well.
Episode 3×15: K9 + Smugglers + New Recruit (Official Still via CBS)
MY FAVORITE: Pretty people looking fierce.
NOW THAT’S DISAPPOINTING: No close-up Still of the canine guest star. He’s cute and deserves to have his own portrait.
Cast and crew keep filming in the rainy cold and the muddy forest. We’ve glimpsed another familiar face and we’ll get to enjoy a new episode that takes place in the woods tonight!
Episode 3×13: Wilderness + Training + Survival (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
(Spoiler Alert: You will get spoilered about characters and storylines in Season 3 by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided!)
About Episodes 3×11 and 3×12 Despite the show coming back after a hiatus of several weeks, CBS didn’t provide any special promo for Episode 3×11. Justin Hires uploaded some more BtS photos of the B-storyline in advance, but most of the guest-stars posted material after the show had aired. The main cast didn’t even get to watch the episode because they were still filming.
Nevertheless, the episode caused quite a chatter on social media. The hashtag #MacGyver trended for almost an hour nation-wide in the top ten (as the only primetime TV show, actually).
BtS photo of Episode 3×12: Fence + Suitcase + Americium-241 (via Lucas Till)
After 3 episodes without any special promo, CBS took pity and provided 3 Sneak Peeks for Episode 3×12 on January 10. Meredith Eaton provided a new BtS photo of her with Bridget Regan when filming in the car. Justin Hires posted a photo of him posing at the airport, despite the rain and cold on that day. Lucas Till also found some time to post a few more BtS photos via Instagram Live Stories.
Let’s take a look at the recent ratings. To recap: Episode 3×10 (Matty + Ethan + Fidelity) on December 7 had an audience of 6.359 million live-viewers with a demo of 0.7. It added 1.611 million viewers (+25%) in the +7 Days ratings, reaching a total of 7.974 million viewers and a demo of 1.08 (+50%).
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Episode 3×11 (Mac + Fallout + Jack) aired on January 4. It got 6.416 million live-viewers with a demo of 0.7, again beating Last Man Standing in audience numbers and winning the 8pm time slot. In the +7 Days ratings, it added 1.655 million viewers (+26%), reaching a total of 8.074 million viewers and a demo of 1.05 (+48%).
Episode 3×12 (Fence + Suitcase + Americium-241) managed to attract 6.577 million live-viewers and a demo of 0.7. While the preliminary demo of 0.8 was adjusted down in the final ratings, it’s still the episode with the highest audience number this season so far. Again, the hashtag #MacGyver trended for almost an hour nation-wide in the top ten (on rank 6), just behind #Blindspot.
Episode 3×12: Fence + Suitcase + Americium-241 (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
About the Season 3 Ratings
At the moment, the MacGyver Reboot has an average of 6.157 millions live-viewers with a demo-rating of 0.71. Compared to all scripted shows on CBS, the Reboot is at rank 20 (of 21) in demo and at rank 14 (of 21) in audience. Let’s take a look at some other CBS crime-action shows in the same range: Magnum PI is at 5.898 million live-viewers per episode with a 0.86 demo-rating on average. SEAL Team is at 5.584 millions / 0.85 in demo on average and SWAT at 5.338 / 0.77.
Don’t fret: The show might gain some ranks once the new Spring/Summer line-up has started. Last year, it ended on rank 19 resp. 11 (out of 26 scripted shows). Considering it only needs another season to reach syndication, all prediction sites still lock it as a sure renewal for Season 4. In fact, there’s a website that claimed on December 30 that the show has already been renewed.
BtS photo of Episode 3×13: Wilderness + Training + Survival (via Sailing Baylana
All you need to know about tonight’s Episode 3×13
Episode 3×13 is titled “Wilderness + Training + Survival”, written by Joshua Brown and Andrew Klein and directed by Brad Turner. Here’s the synopsis:
When MacGyver takes Riley and Bozer into the wilderness for a weekend of survival training, things take a turn when they run into a violent group of criminals who are searching the rugged backcountry for a lost crate of money. Also, Jack and Matty go on a road trip to place Matty’s ex-husband and his family in witness protection.
Many fans were pleasantly surprised to read that Jack will be in this episode since we never saw any indication for George being on set that week. On January 4, CBS released another 9 Official Stills. They all feature the A-storyline with MacGyver and the guest-stars traipsing around in the forest.
Episode 3×13: Wilderness + Training + Survival (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Before the episode aired, some of the guest stars (e.g. Justin Welborn) and the stunt crew (e.g. T Ryan Mooney) posted photos they took while on set. And just as I’m typing up on this blog post, they uploaded 3 Sneak Peeks onto the CBS Press Express media site. It’s a bit of a pity they decided to add them this late since there wasn’t even 6 hours left until the premiere. There will be even less time left for the fans to promote the videos after they’ve finally hit YouTube.
Season 3 Overview: Episodes 3×14 to 3×18 It’s easy to loose track of the upcoming episodes since it’s been quite a while since they filmed them. So let’s do a short recap of all the information we have so far for the next episodes:
3×14: Father + Bride + Betrayal (February 1)
Directed by Avi Youabian, written by Sophia Lopez. Guest appearance by Roberto Sanchez. Possibly George Ead’s last episode this season. You can see the first Official Still along with the press release here.
3×15: K9 + Smugglers + New Recruit (February 15)
Directed by Gabriel Beristain. Guest appearances by Presilah Nunez and dog Seven.
3×16: tba (February 22)
3×17: tba (March 1)
3×18: tba (March 8)
They already released the full schedule for the rest of the episodes, but there might be some more changes in the coming weeks. As expected, there will be a break for 3 weeks due to March Madness (Basketball).
Episode 3×14: Father + Bride + Betrayal (Official Still via CBS)
Also, it looks like they’ve scheduled 23 episodes although there was no notice about ordering an additional episode. There might be an extra timeslot for a rerun or re-scheduling when needed.
Working on Episodes 3×16 and 3×17
Filming for Episode 3×16 started on Friday, January 4. Madeline Grayson worked on several syringes as props while the cast filmed scenes in the War Room and on location. As Tristin Mays and some of the crew members revealed, Billy Baldwin (as Riley’s dad) was back on set at, filming in the appartement used as Riley’s living place and in the War Room with Meredith Eaton.
Despite the unfriendly conditions, the crew (e.g. Bruce Giglio or Erik Kerr) continued to upload photos and videos from set. Although he had the day off, Justin Hires took over the official Instagram account to upload Live Stories from set and to answer fan questions. He met up with Lucas on set and introduced us to Levy Tran, which has been on set since Episode 3×15.
The crew continued filming on Saturday, uploading photos and live stories of filming car chases (e.g. by Steven Serna) and of spiders hiding in the mudd. Even the cameras got muddy that day. On January 15, Justin filmed some scenes with Reign Edwards in Bozer’s old-school car. On Wednesday, production moved to film in the Atlanta Stadium, making use of a “refrigerated” set.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Peter Lenkov)
Showrunner Peter Lenkov revealed that he just handed in the script for another potential TV series project. Maybe he will post a bit more often now. He already made the fangirls happy by uploading an editing screenshot of a shirtless Lucas in Episode 3×15. (He soon deleted the photo again, but uploaded another one two days later that has stayed up so far.)
Other Cast, Crew and Character News We still don’t have any further information how Jack Dalton will be written out. George Eads was last seen on set for Episode 3×14, so this will probably be his last appearence.
Since IMDb still isn’t up to date, it’s difficult to find out about guest stars in episodes that didn’t have a Press Release yet. Justin Hires had uploaded a video on Snapchat that revealed that Tate Donovan (as MacGyver Senior) has been on set this week.
Other MacGyver-related News CBS will have a panel at the Paley-Fest LA. The panel for the 3 CBS shows helmed by Peter Lenkov will take place on March 23. Publicist Beth Haiken confirmed that besides Alex O’Loughlin (H50), Lucas Till for MacGyver and Jay Hernandez (Magnum PI), Lenkov will also attend. Tickets are already on sale, so take the chance if you want to enjoy this event up close and personal.
Announcement for the Lenkov-Panel at Paley Fest LA on March 23 (via CBS)
On Wednesday, Hey U Guys uploaded the interview with Lucas they did for the premiere of Season 3 in the UK. We already got a similar write-up before, but this is a bit longer with more soundbites.
Reminder: The Reboot is eligible for the “Best of TV Awards” held by Canada Graphs. Voting for Round 2 started on January 7. I don’t know if all categories will get another round or not, but the Reboot already made it into following categories for Round 2:
> Best Stunts (max. 5 selections, voting still open)
> Best Writing (max. 5 selections, open)
> Favorite TV Programme (max. 10 selections, open)
> Favorite TV Character (max. 20 selections, voting closed)
Christmas Hiatus is finally over. Cast and crew started filming again today. We’ve already glimpsed a familiar face and we’ll get to enjoy a new and intense episode tonight!
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
(Spoiler Alert: You will get spoilered about characters and storylines in Season 3 by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided!)
Working on Episode 3×15
Filming for Episode 3×15 (K9 + Smugglers + New Recruit) had started on December 10. They had a real dog (named Seven) on set, alongside a stuffed Stand-In lovingly carried around by the crew.
The 2nd Unit worked on Sunday (December 16) as well; probably to make sure they could finish the episode and leave for Christmas Hiatus on time. They filmed a fire stunt with dog Seven and had a car crashing through a garage door on the next day.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Bruce Giglio)
According to Executive Producer Peter Lenkov, he had planned to visit Atlanta on December 17, but we never saw any proof that he had actually been there. Justin Hires was already back in LA, but kept uploading BtS photos; e.g of him and George Eads while filming Episode 3×14 – the same episode that director Avi Youabian was editing on that day at the Paramount Studios.
On December 19, they had a little Wrap Party with Special Guest Grinch (aka Co-Executive Producer Jeff Downer). Of the main cast, it looks like it was only Lucas Till and Tristin Mays attending. Lucas was still in costume; posing for photos with Mike Martinez.
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
After wrapping up, cast and crew enjoyed the filming hiatus; spending time with family or enjoying a short holiday. Justin Hires postes some new BtS photos, as did Meredith Eaton via Instagram Short Stories. Otherwise, it was pretty quiet during the hiatus.
Technical Consultant Rhett Allain wrote several more science notes blog posts about the MacHacks used in Season 1: One for Episode 1×07 (Can Opener), one for Episode 1×08 (Corkscrew) and one for Episode 1×09 (Chisel); adding videos with it as well.
BtS photo of Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (via Erik Kerr)
All you need to know about tonight’s Episode 3×11
Episode 3×11 is titled “Mac + Fallout + Jack”, written by Jim Adler and directed by Carlos Bernard (who also directed Episode 2×11: Bullet + Pen). Here’s the Synopsis:
Mac and Jack hit the road for a weekend of relaxation in Las Vegas, but their mini-vacation is cut short when someone from their past abducts them and locks them in a concrete room. Also, Matty tasks Riley, Bozer and Leanna with stealing a diamond encoded with terrorist intel from a princess (Shani Atias) in Milan.
On December 18. CBS released 11 Official Stills in total. They all feature the A-storyline with Mac and Jack. On December 29, the preview was uploaded on YouTube. It’s quite dark and feels like an hommage to James Wan’s horror thriller “SAW”, so it sparked a lot of discussions among fans.
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Yesterday, they uploaded a different preview onto Instagram, that is a bit less dark but not less menacing or threatening, confirming speculations by fans that the kidnapping will happen via car crash.
Back in December, Erik Kerr had posted a BtS photo of the prop rockets. Yesterday, director Carlos Bernard re-posted the BtS photo of George Eads and Lucas Till with Doug Savant and Seamus Patrick Dever. Otherwise, we almost have no BtS photos of the A-storyline with Mac and Jack.
Justin Hires provided some more BtS photos of the B-storyline that involves him, guest-star Shani Atias and a lot of other pretty actresses in what looks like a modelling setting. As Jonathan Horne revealed, he will play a designer named Marco.
Episode 3×13: Wilderness + Training + Survival (Official Still via CBS Press Express)
Season 3 Overview: Episodes 3×12 to 3×16 It’s easy to loose track of the upcoming episodes since it’s been quite a while since they filmed them. So let’s do a short recap of all the information we have so far for the next episodes:
3×12: Fence + Suitcase + Americium-241 (January 11)
Directed by Ron Underwood. Guest appearance by Bridget Regan. For the synopsis and the Official Stills, you can check up here.
3×13: Wilderness + Training + Survival (January 18)
Directed by Brad Turner. Guest appearances by Vanessa Garcia and Justin Welborn plus Brendan Hines as Matty’s Ex-Husband Ethan Reigns. See here for the Press Release and the Official Stills.
3×14: Father + Bride + Betrayal (February 1)
Directed by Avi Youabian. Guest appearance by Roberto Sanchez. Possibly George Ead’s last episode this season.
3×15: K9 + Smugglers + New Recruit (February 15)
Directed by Gabriel Beristain. Guest appearances by Presilah Nunez and dog Seven.
3×16: tba (February 22). Filming for this episode started today.
Apparently, CBS has already prepared for promo without George Eads when they introduced a new social media header this week.
New social media header for Season 3 (via CBS)
The photo was taken during the promo shoot for the official promo posters before the premiere of Season 1, back in August 2016. Interestingly, the original photo showed a bomb having been strapped onto MacGyver’s chest. The bomb is now hidden after digitally adding more ropes.
Working on Episode 3×16
Filming for this episode started today. Madeline Grayson already uploaded an Instagram Live Story early in the morning out of the costume-design-slash-prop-room, working on what looks like syringes. As Tristin Mays revealed, Billy Baldwin (as Riley’s dad) is back on set at this moment, presumably filming in the appartement that is used as Riley’s living place.
Episode 3×12: Fence + Suitcase + Americium-241 (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Other Cast, Crew and Character News News about George Eads leaving the show hit on November 26. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to announce it; with Deadline revealing that his character won’t be killed off for the possibility for him to return as a guest star.
So far, we don’t have any further information how Jack Dalton will be written out. After the preview for Episode 3×11 had been released, fans worried that Mac would have to kill Jack in order to save himself. But don’t be afraid: According to the Press Release revealed yesterday, Jack is also part of the B-storyline in Episode 3×13. George Eads was last seen on set for Episode 3×14, so this will probably be his last appearence.
BtS photo of Season 3 (via Justin Hires)
As it is, Justin Hires had posted a BtS photo on December 18, showing Jack and Bozer with Jack wearing a Military camo jacket. It’s possible that Jack will be called back into the Armed Forces – if it’s voluntarily or not remains to be seen.
Since IMDb still isn’t up to date, it’s difficult to find out about guest stars in episodes that didn’t have a Press Release yet. Before the Holiday Hiatus, Central Casting Georgia had posted Casting Calls for Photo Doubles and Stand-Ins (e.g. for Ashlee Heath and for a bald, African American man). They’ve also been looking for Extras; e.g. for a Phoenix Guard, Soldiers, an African American Military Man and Caucasian Agents.
Episode 3×12: Fence + Suitcase + Americium-241 (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Other MacGyver-related News On December 21, The Blast exclusively revealed that CBS is being sued by 2 parties because of the Reboot, claiming that they’re entitled to payments based on a deal dating from the original series. If you’re interested, you can read the full complaint by one suing party on here.
Briana Lamb – Stand-In in Season 1 (e.g. for Sandrine Holt, Amy Acker and others) – let herself being interviewed for a podcast episode, released on December 31st. At 1h 12min, she talks a few minutes about the experience of working on “MacGyver” and Lucas Till’s Pokemon obsession. She also talks about work as a Stand-In in general (she’s worked in over 50 productions) and the long gruelling hours the actors have to endure; most of them being overworked and missing their family.
With Sandrine Holt on Set of MacGyver Episode 1×08: Corkscrew (via Briana Lamb)
Mid-December, George Satsidis had added an excerpt of his recent interview with Lucas Till. Lucas talked about MacGyver being a dream role and how he filmed the “drone stunt” seen in Episode 3×10. Yesterday, GlobalNews Canada also uploaded a written interview, probably taken on that same press day. Lucas describes the Wine Bottle Rockets (in Episode 1×08: Corkscrew) as one of the most outlandish creation that MacGyver has made so far and how they only have a few minutes to prepare for the fight scenes.
Reminder: The Reboot was eligible for the “Best of TV Awards” held by Canada Graphs. Voting for Round 1 has closed and results will be announced soon. Voting for Round 2 will start January 7. I don’t know if all categories get another round or not, but I’m sure that at least some of the cast and crew made it for another round.
No episode tonight. Cast and Crew are still filming; getting some more work done before the well-deserved Christmas Hiatus. The show will be back on January 4.
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (Official Still via CBS)
(Spoiler Alert: You will get spoilered about characters and storylines in Season 3 by reading this post and its comments or by clicking on the links provided!)
About Episodes 3×09 and 3×10
Sadly, they didn’t release any Sneak Peeks for Episode 3×09 until 2 hours before the episode aired and no Sneak Peeks for Episode 3×10 at all – contrary to Blue Bloods (2 Sneak Peeks), Hawaii Five-0 (3 Sneak Peeks) or S.W.A.T. (7 Sneak Peeks) last week.
Considering that this was the midseason finale episode and one of the last episodes with George Eads (who is a fan favorite and the second lead actor), you’d think CBS would have promoted the episodes with Sneak Peeks as well. I think it would be worth to show the Jack Dalton fans that George is still on and to ensure they will keep watching once he’s gone; waiting to see if he back in another episode as a guest actor.
Episode 3×10: Matty + Ethan + Fidelity (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
For Episode 3×10, Matt Carter released a two-part interview with Meredith Eaton before and after the episode aired (see Part 1 here and Part 2 here). There was an additional interview snippet via TV Insider; warning us that we’ll need tissues. Meredith also had taken over the official CBS Instagram Account; answering fan questions on Live Stories sent in during the week.
Though not adding any Sneak Peeks, CBS at least posted a few new BtS photos. One shows 3 different MacGyvers (Lucas, his Stand-In Matt and thet Stunt Double), another one Reign Edwards while preparing for a fighting scene. Interestingly, both Meredith in her interview and CBS in the BtS photos omitted anything related to George Eads; as if he’s already a persona non grata.
As always, Technical Advisor Rhett Allain uploaded blog posts about the MacHacks in these episodes – e.g. about a Glycerol Lock Hack or about the Air Wedge in Episode 3×09 or about the Cricket Ball Flash Bang or the Water Cooler Bomb in Episode 3×10, providing some videos as well.
BtS photo of Episode 3×10: Matty + Ethan + Fidelity (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Let’s take a look at the recent ratings. To recap: Episode 3×08 (Revenge + Catacombs + Le Fantome) on November 16 got 6.203 million live-viewers with a demo of 0.7, beating Last Man Standing in audience numbers. Including the +7 Days ratings, it added 1.60 million viewers (+26%), reaching a total of 7.805 million viewers and a demo of 1.05 (+52%).
Episode 3×09 (Specimen 234 + PAPR + Outbreak) had aired on November 30. It got 6.276 million live-viewers and a demo of 0.7. It added 1.49 million viewers (+24%) in the +7 Days ratings, reaching a total of 7.772 million viewers and a demo of 1.07 (+47%).
Episode 3×10: Matty + Ethan + Fidelity (Official Still via SpoilerTV)
Episode 3×10 (Matty + Ethan + Fidelity) on December 7 had an audience of 6.359 million live-viewers with a demo of 0.7, again beating Last Man Standing in audience numbers. So far, it added 1.32 million viewers (+21%) in the +3 Days ratings, reaching a total of 7.687 million viewers and a demo of 1.01 (+41%).
About the Season 3 Ratings
We’ve already reached Christmas Hiatus for most CBS shows. At the moment, the MacGyver Reboot has an average of 6.089 millions live-viewers with a demo-rating of 0.71. For Season 2, Episodes 12, 13 and 14 (all airing in January) have been the episodes with the highest audience numbers. We have yet to see if George Eads exiting the show will affect the ratings; meaning they’ll drop instead of rising further before the usual drop when we’re nearing Summer temperatures. It’s a possibility, but shouldn’t hinder the Reboot to get a 4th season to reach syndication.
BtS photo of MacGyver Season 3 (via Justin Hires)
Compared to all CBS scripted shows this Fall TV Season, the Reboot is still at rank 19 (of 20) in demo and at rank 14 (of 20) in audience. Let’s take a look at some other CBS crime shows in the same ratings range, now that all have aired 10 episodes so far since their Fall Premiere: Showrunner Peter Lenkov’s rookie show Magnum PI is at 5.887 million live-viewers per episode with a 0.86 demo-rating on average. SEAL Team is at 5.516 millions / 0.85 in demo on average and SWAT at 5.216 / 0.74.
What you need to know about Episode 3×11
Episode 3×11 will air on January 4. It’s titled “Mac + Fallout + Jack “, written by Jim Adler and directed by Carlos Bernard (who also directed Episode 2×11: Bullet + Pen). Here’s the Synopsis:
Mac and Jack hit the road for a weekend of relaxation in Las Vegas, but their mini-vacation is cut short when someone from their past abducts them and locks them in a concrete room. Also, Matty tasks Riley, Bozer and Leanna with stealing a diamond encoded with terrorist intel from a princess in Milan.
The episode has a guest appearance by Shani Atias as princess Zahra. She continues to post BtS photos every now and then.
Episode 3×11: Mac + Fallout + Jack (via Peter Lenkov)
Erik Kerr posted a BtS photo of the prop rockets. Besides the editing photo by Lenkov a while ago, we don’t have much visual material of the A storyline with Mac and Jack yet.
Season 3 Overview: Episodes 3×12 to 3×16 It’s easy to loose track of the upcoming episodes and especially of the airdates since they’ve been scheduling them so much around. So let’s do a short recap of all the information we have so far for the next episodes:
3×12: tba (January 11)
Directed by Ron Underwood. Guest appearance by Bridget Regan.
3×13: tba (January 18)
Directed by Brad Turner. Guest appearances by Vanessa Garcia and Justin Welborn.
3×14: Father + Bride + Betrayal (February 1)
Directed by Avi Youabian. Guest appearance by Roberto Sanchez.
3×15: K9 + Smugglers + New Recruit (February 15)
Directed by Gabriel Beristain. Guest appearances by Presilah Nunez and dog Seven.
3×16: tba (February 22)
Sadly, it looks like the two initially planned reruns over Christmas hiatus have been scrapped. At least the fans don’t have to wait too long for the show to come back.
BtS photo of MacGyver Season 3 (via Anthony Dilio)
Working on Episodes 3×14 and 3×15
On November 28, production started on Episode 3×14. For several days, they filmed at a wedding location with the team all dressed up. Roberto Sanchez posted several photos from set; mostly while wearing a tux. He also revealed the episode title: “Father + Bride + Betrayal”.
Justin Hires posted several videos (e.g. with George Eads), but also some BtS photos (e.g. with Meredith Eaton or with George Eads, pitching a “Men in Black” Reboot). Director Avi Youabian posted a few Live Stories on Instagram. It seems that the entire episode is set on this location and the woods surrounding it.
Cast and Crew still mostly post temporary videos without revealing too much, though some crew members (e.g. Easton Harper) were nice enough to post a photo every now and then.
BtS photo of MacGyver Season 3 (via Justin Hires)
While the cast was still busy filming for 3×14, Gabriel Beristain was prepping for directing Episode 3×15. Filming for the episode titled “K9 + Smugglers + New Recruit” started on Monday. They had a real dog on set, but the crew mostly posted about the stuffed Stand-In; carrying it around and cradling it. Seems it’s their favorite Stand-In to work with.
On Wednesday, they started production early; setting up two big green screens and lighting some fire while filming between shipping containers and in the woods. Today, they escaped the rain; filming inside a mansion, including dog Seven. Lucas Till posted a photo of him and his brother Nick; recreating a similar photo from filming X-Men: First Class. Justin Hires uploaded another new BtS photo today, making all the fans happy that have been waiting for MacGyver’s brown leather jacket to make a comeback.
BtS photo of MacGyver Season 3 (via Avi Youabian)
ICYMI: About George Eads leaving the Reboot News about George Eads leaving the show hit on November 26. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to announce Eads’ exit; followed by various articles by other TV news outlets like TV Line or SpoilerTV. The news flooded Twitter and other social media for days.
For now, we don’t know for sure how or when the character of Jack Dalton will be written out. He was on set of Episode 3×14, but the BtS photos and videos didn’t reveal anything about the character’s fate. Deadline has some more information:
While Eads has been released from his series regular contract and his character Jack Dalton is being written out, I hear he is not being killed off, with the door left open for Eads to possibly return as a guest star.
If Episode 3×14 is indeed George’s last episode, you will have to tune in on February 1st to catch it. As Peter Lenkov revealed in an Instagram Live Story, he will visit the set on Monday. It’s not clear if this is one of the regular visits (he was just in Hawaii for Magnum and Hawaii Five-0 this week) or if it’s a special occasion regarding George’s exit.
BtS photo of MacGyver Season 3 (via Taraja Ramsess)
Other Cast, Crew and Character News
Reign Edwards has been back on set this week as Bozer’s girlfriend Leanna. Since IMDb isn’t up to date, it’s difficult to find out about guest stars. Anthony Dilio revealed he’s got a part in the show, but we don’t know yet in what episode or in what capacity.
Central Casting Georgia had posted Casting Calls for Photo Doubles and Stand-Ins (e.g. for Presilah Nunez, Levy Tran or Ryan Czerwonko, for a female Stand-In with red hair and for a kid actor). Fun Fact: Even dogs have a Stand-In on set – only of the stuffed, plushy kind. They’ve also been looking for Extras; e.g. for Masked Men, for Wedding Guests, a Photographer, Servers, a group of Smugglers and for Techs and Agents.
BtS photo of MacGyver Season 3 (via Andrew Moore)
Other MacGyver-related News George Satsidis added an excerpt of his recent interview with Lucas Till. Lucas talks about MacGyver being a dream role and how he filmed the “drone stunt” (we’ve just seen last Friday in Episode 3×10).
Reminder: The Reboot is still eligible for the “Best of TV Awards” held by Canada Graphs. At the moment, you can vote in the following categories:
Best Guest Actress (added by fans: Amy Smart)
Best Guest Actor (added by fans: Michael Des Barres)
Best Recurring Actress
Best Recurring Actor (already on the list: Tate Donovan)
In the first round, you can still vote as many times as you want and choose as many boxes to tick as you want. If the show is not available to choose from the list, you can add it into the “other” box (they will be added at the bottom of the list as soon as several votes have come in – usually takes a day or two).
BtS photo of MacGyver Season 3 (via Meredith Eaton)
Every Episode aired in 2018 is eligible, that means every guest actor/actress or recurring actor/actress starting with Episode 2×12; for example Kate Bond (Jill) and David Dastmalchian (Murdoc).
There will be several rounds with new categories added over time, so check in regularly.
Dashboard On Fire 