On September 23rd, the reboot of MacGyver aired on CBS. The show will be put into a trial phase where the new series will consist of six episodes to get publicity and viewers.
The show is a reboot from the original MacGyver show in 1985-1992 that had a popular audience. The original show had an IMDb score of 7.7 stars out of 10 however after the series premier on Friday night the reboot earned the show an IMDb score of 4.5 stars out of 10.
The plot of the new revitalized version of the show is similar for both generations. It revolves around the main character Angus “Mac”Gyver (Lucas Till) hence the name MacGyver. MacGyver is a secret agent who relies solely on his mind and intuition on missions. In the new series MacGyver is accompanied by an entire team, unlike in the original where he acted more as a solo agent. This is where the two series start to differ from each other, but the theme of the show has very much stayed the same.
Other cast members include George Eads, Patricia Thornton, Sandrine Holt, Tristan Mays and Justin Hires.
When it comes to performance the show falls short. Matt Fowler (editor for IGN) gave the reboot a score of 4.5. Fowler also commented, “MacGyver is unnecessary, middling reboot that has little to offer. Lifting more than a few swerves from the mission impossible franchise, this new MacGyver somehow even manages to make the science gimmick dull”.
Macgyver took the spot for Fridays highest amount of viewers at 10.9 million followed by FOX’s new horror/drama The Exorcist with 2.9 million total viewers. Despite some bad reviews, MacGyver proved it has grabbed the attention of their audience with its successful amount of viewers.
Senior Kevin Pinkham stated, ” I thought the first episode was interesting, and that it was more attention grabbing than the older version of the show from the 90s. I would have to say that my favorite thing about the show was how MacGyver was like a reinvented James Bond. He was always caught up in the thrill of the heist and found himself in some sticky situations but managed to maneuver his way out of them.”
Its vital for a T.V. show to give that wow factor. Some viewers who may have been fans of the original series may not enjoy the show as much. New viewers to the show may have a more open view on it.
Overall, the reboot of MacGyver has stared off a bit rocky and earned itself some mixed reviews but the show does show potential. Its up to CBS to decide if they want to renew the show for a second season or give it the boot.
