CBS is rebooting MacGyver.
They just released a Trailer last week.
I mentioned this in an earlier post: MacGyver was one of my childhood heroes. As such I have mixed feelings about the whole reboot thing. But I'm trying to keep an open mind.
Richard Dean Anderson played Mac for seven seasons. The newcomer, Lucas Till, has seven years worth of RDA's shadow to overcome. And a haircut that looks like Harry Styles from One Direction. The Richard Dean Anderson mullet was awesome. Why does the MacGyver of the 21st century look like he belongs in a boy band? Hopefully Lucas Till will either get a new stylist, or wear a ponytail for most of the show. I could live with the ponytail.
I don't have a problem with the actor Lucas Till. True, I've only seen him in X-men: First Class, but I thought he was good in that movie.
Original series creator Lee David Zlotoff is involved in the new series to some degree, so that's promising.
So, aside from the hair, what are some concerns I have about the show?
Target audience. If this show is aimed at original fans or people who grew up with it because their parents liked it, well, reboot MacGyver will have to bend over backwards to appease these fans. If it's aimed primarily at a new audience, that's a different story. But it will have to win over people who have maybe never even heard of MacGyver and need to be convinced that he's the Bees Knees.
Original series MacGyver was a show that could be enjoyed by all ages, but I believe it may appeal most to young boys. Hopefully this show will keep it kid friendly. In this day and age, sex sells. 80's MacGyver had a girl of the week every week, but was always a perfect gentleman. Hopefully the show creators will keep that element from the original show, as I personally believe it's a key part of Mac's character.
Character: Speaking of Mac's character, Lucas Till comes across as a bit of a cocky showoff in this trailer. MacGyver isn't a showoff.
Supporting cast. One complaint I've seen online is how this show is adding so many new characters. In a way this makes sense. Modern audiences are used to seeing a core group of heroes and continuing storylines, rather than be introduced to new supporting characters with new problems each episode, then have the hero ride in like the Lone Ranger, and resolves everything in 45 minutes. But MacGyver did have a supporting cast. Peter Tornton was a regular, Jack Dalton, Penny Parker, and Nikki Carpenter were all recurring. Some people in online forums and comment sections are asking why not simply bring back these classic characters?
I see this logic, but on the other hand, do you really want to see a new actor playing Pete Tornton? Or Jack Dalton? As hard as MacGyver's shoes are to fill, it may be even harder for the quirky side characters like Jack Dalton or Penny Parker.
There's also the concern that having MacGyver leading a team of field experts on weekly missions could be a bit to much like all the police procedurals that are all over the place.
Humor. There's a joke right at the end of the trailer, where Mac asks, "Does anyone have a stick of gum?" Pause. "Or a cue tip?" Yes, it's funny. But it's also a joke at MacGyver's expense. Sometimes there's a fine line between a wink at the fans and self parody.
So, with all that wining out of the way, what did I like about the trailer?
The added backstory. This MacGyver escaped from terrorists using a little bit of nothing to make a homemade explosion and blow open his cell door. It looks a little bit like Iron Man's origin, and it brings Mac into 2016 nicely.
The part were he tricks the fingerprint scanner. This is something Mac did all the time on the original show.
That exploding arrow made from PVC pipe. THAT'S SO COOL ! ! !
The new logo. Yes this is a small thing, but it helps differentiate from the original show. I love the way Mac's iconic Swiss Army Knife becomes the V in MacGyver.
So, is this enough to convince me to watch the show? I honestly don't know yet. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I'm trying to keep an open mind. I may try out the first couple episodes. It will either be an enjoyable show, or it will cause me to weep over my RDA MacGyver DVDs. Because we'll always have Paris, right?
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