Cast:
Richard Dean Anderson as Angus MacGyver
Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton
Occasional Cast:
John Anderson as Harry Jackson (1985-1990)
Teri Hatcher as Penny Parker (1986-1990)
Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton (1986-1992)
Michael Des Barres as Murdoc (1987-1991)
Elyssa Davalos as Nikki Carpenter (1987-1988)
Created by: Lee David Zlotoff
Executive Producers: Henry Winkler, John Rich, and Stephen
Downing
Supervising Producer: Michael Greenburg
Music by: Randy Edelman, Dennis McCarthy, Ken Harrison
A Henry Winkler/John Rich production in
association with Paramount
Broadcast on ABC Television
First telecast: September 29, 1985
Last telecast: August 8, 1992
Richard Dean Anderson is best known for his role as MacGyver for seven seasons on ABC. Using science and his wits, rather than violence, MacGyver could solve almost any problem. The action-adventure format addressed social issues as well, and MacGyver became a role model praised by critics, parents, and teachers alike. Shot for the first two years in Los Angeles, the production moved north to Vancouver for the next four years before returning to Los Angeles in its final season. MacGyver continues to enjoy tremendous popularity around the world.
Excerpt from:
Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh. The Complete Directory to Prime
Time Network And Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. 6th ed. New
York: Ballantine Books, 1995.
MACGYVER
Actor Henry Winkler was co-producer of this action-adventure series about a rugged, handsome hero who preferred to use paper clips and candy bars rather than more conventional weapons. MacGyver was a former Special Forces agent now working for the Phoenix Foundation, a "think tank" dedicated to righting wrongs and defeating bad guys around the world. A clever fellow, he often slipped past the enemy's defenses and undermined their foul plans with ingenuity rather than brute force, using tidbits of scientific knowledge and ordinary items that happened to be laying around; for example, the paper clip might be used to short-circuit a nuclear missile, the candy bar to stop an acid leak, or a cold capsule to ignite a makeshift bomb, all just in the nick of time. MacGyver could work wonders with the contents of a lady's handbag! His assignments came from Peter Thornton, the Director of Field Operations for the Foundation.
In later seasons the series became increasingly issue-oriented, tackling such subjects as Thornton's blindness, the environment, and teenage runaways. Introducing Mac to the latter subject was his teenage friend Lisa, played by Mayim Bialik on a few occasions. Another infrequently seen but memorable character was MacGyver's nemesis, the evil Murdoc (played by Michael Des Barres). Nikki was MacGyver's brief romantic interest, and Dalton his ne'er-do-well friend.
Like many TV heroes (Columbo, Quincy, etc.), MacGyver had no first name -- until the last season when, in a dream sequence, he was transported back to medieval times to find his ancestors. There written in flame on a castle wall, was his name: Angus! "Oh," Cooed a maiden, "it's a beautiful name." "Maybe in your time," he replied ruefully, "but where I come from... "
In the last regular episode, MacGyver discovered the son he never knew he had -- a young man named Sean "Sam" Malloy (Dalton James) -- and the two got on their motorcycles and rode off into the sunset to bond.
Excerpt from:
TV Guide
Fall Preview Issue
September 14, 1985
MACGYVER
Got a light? Thanks. You wouldn't happen to have a paper clip, would you? Or maybe a chocolate bar? If this series catches on, we'll all be looking twice at mundane items like those. That's because our hero, MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson), is not only a survival expert but a scientific prodigy as well -- sort of a Mr. Wizard with dimples. When an American pilot is shot down in the Himalayas or scientists are trapped in an underground research lab, the experts call on MacGyver, a former Special Forces agent, to save the day. He'll use that paper clip to short-circuit a nuclear missle; with the chocolate, he'll stop an acid leak. It may be just a Snickers bar to you and me, but MacGyver sees it as a handy hunk of disaccharide that will turn nice and gummy. No doubt the lovely damsels he rescues each week will see MacGyver as rather a handy hunk himself.
Excerpt from:
TV Guide
Review by Don Merrill
February 1, 1986
MACGYVER
MacGyver is sort of a modest James Bond, a resourceful Indiana Jones. Give him a Swiss knife and whatever he can scavenge in the immediate vicinity and he can wreck a convoy of baddies, bring down helicopters, rescue anyone from the strongest of strongholds. When all other means of solving problems are exhausted, a call goes out (you're never quite sure who's placing the call) for old Mac, and so far this season he hasn't found a deed so derring he couldn't do it.
The nice part about him is that he carries no weapons and when there's shooting going on, he's likely to be found running like mad, knitting spider webs into a bulletproof vest or manufacturing an escape car out of some handy paper clips. We exaggerate -- but not by much. Besides being terrific looking (our source for this is quite reliable), Richard Dean Anderson is just right as the brilliant, wry MacGyver, who starts his assignments with a knapsack he carries, "not for what I take but for what I find along the way." His part doesn't call for much heavy acting, but Anderson, a veteran of General Hospital and a couple of brief CBS prime-time series, manages to play it with just the right amount of tongue in his cheek. They know what they're doing: the writing is generally sharp, the directing on target and the special effects impressive.
Most adventure shows open with a "hook" -- exciting scenes from the episode designed to keep the viewer from switching channels. MacGyver begins with what the producers term an "opening gambit", which is a five or 10-minute mini-adventure featuring our hero. When that ends, the night's main story begins. It's an effective gimmick, serving both to increase the show's entertainment value and to tighten the main story.
Thus one program began with MacGyver in an auto junkyard interrupting the sale of missile secrets to espionage agents. He snags the valuable briefcase with one of those huge movable magnets, is captured by the agents, trussed up and tossed into the back seat of a car about to be flattened. He escapes through the trunk and, using available machinery, leaves the bad guys suspended about 50 feet in the air. Then come the opening credits and MacGyver is off to Burma to recover a canister of deadly poison that was lost when an Army cargo plane crashed near a village where the natives are slaves to an opium warlord. He not only recovers the canister but helps the villagers regain their freedom by using whatever items are lying about to defeat the warlord. In the final scene, MacGyver manages to tie a wire cable from the downed plane to the warlord's helicopter and reel it in. Nothing is taken too seriously. Early in the episode, when MacGyver is staked out in the hot sun by the warlord's soldiers, his voice is heard remarking, "My mom used to make great broiled chicken. I'm starting to feel real sympathetic about those chickens."
It's a charming adventure show, less violent than most, and just right for young people in its early-evening time on ABC's Wednesday schedule. By young, of course, we mean young at heart. Stay with it, ABC.
Angus MacGyver Is an Phoenix Foundation 'troubleshooter'. He used to work for the DXS, but when his boss Pete Thornton went to the Phoenix Foundation, he also made the change. MacGyver grew up with his grandfather and mother, after his grandmother and father died in a car-crash, when he was 9 years old. Mac's hate for guns dates back to when he was a teenager, and he and his friends 'played' with a gun, which ended in a tragedy. Mac has a lot of trouble starting a relationship with a woman, because he is afraid something bad wil happen to her as soon as they become very close, because that is what happened to all the people he loved; his father, his grandmother, his mother, and a few friends. Mac finds out he has a son, Sam (Sean Angus Malloy). Mac had a relationship with Kate Malloy about 20 years ago. Kate was killed before she could let him know about Sam. MacGyver also has a fosterchild Mac's mind is a wonder to many people, 'cause when he is in trouble, he can create something miraculeus out of anything ordinary. Mac has nobel ideas, and fights for justice. He loves the nature, and wildlife; and will stop anybody who wants to distroy this. Angus Macgyver is born on 23 March 1951 in Mission City, Minnesota.
Pete Thornton is Macgyver's boss and best friend. Pete
Thornton was a DXS chief, but became director of field
operations for the Phoenix Foundation a few years ago. He
is the boss of MacGyver, but he also became his best
friend. Pete is divorced, and has a son, Michael
Thornton. Pete loves fishing. MacGyver has a lot of
respect for his boss, who went blind due to glaucoma, but
doesn't let this get him down.
Murdoc is Macvyver's enemy number 1. He was an employee for HIT, (Homicide International Trust), but after a lot of failures thanks to MacGyver, he was thrown out of the organisation. This didn't help the 'relationship' between Murdoc and MacGyver. Murdoc is a master in disguising, and he also can immitate voices.
Jack Dalton is a childhood-friend of MacGyver. Jack is a
dreamer and always has a new plan to get rich over night.
Jack is the son of an pilot, and he is a pilot himself.
His mother gave him up for adoption, but just resently he
was reunited with his mother. Jack has the 'gift' to get
himself and MacGyver in a lot of trouble. You can always
see went Jack Dalton is Lying, than his eye(s) twitches.
Jack Dalton is a Pilot (Fly by Night).
Penny Parker is a good friend of MacGyver. When they met,
MacGyver immediately was in a lot of trouble. Penny wants
to become an actress or singer. This also gets her in a
lot of trouble. Although they are very close, they are
not lovers.
Harry Jackson Macgyver's grandfather, who helped raise him after his father and grandmother died in a car crash.
He is the son of MacGyver and
Kate Malloy, a photojournalist MacGyver was involved with
in his post-college years. After Kate was murdered by
Chinese soldiers, SAM vowed revenge on Chan, the general
who executed her. His chance for vengeance came when he
and his father confronted Chan on a freighter, but
MacGyver talked SAM out of killing Chan. SAM and MacGyver
set off on a motorcycle journey together at the end of
the series’ seven-year run.
DEXTER FILLMORE, MacGyver’s favorite
alias. He used this computer-geek identity to help bring
down a money launderer, to stop a plot to steal
top-secret Phoenix equipment, and to shut down a
counterfeit baseball memorabilia operation.
Frank,
Jesse, and Billy are the Colton brothers. Their mother,
affectionately known as Mama Colton,(Della Reese) is the
brains behind the operation. A recent addition to the
family has been Frog, a dog who was left behind when his
previous owner was forced to assume a new identity.
Deborah was hired by Knapp, a land
developer. Her goal: to get close to and influence
MacGyver, who was delaying one of Knapp’s projects
by voicing his concerns over the impact the project would
have on the local environment. She failed to sway him,
and she also failed to kill MacGyver. Two years later,
after serving a reduced sentence, Deborah again tried to
kill MacGyver. With his friends’ help, MacGyver
outwitted her, but she fell to her death after one last
attempt to kill him
One of the truly memorable villains of
"MacGyver." He was a serial killer before Lt.
Kate Murphy stopped him and testified against him during
his trial. From his cell at the state mental hospital in
Alameda, Zito carefully plotted his revenge, using fellow
prisoner Eric Cross as his weapon. MacGyver was able to
stop Cross after figuring out Zito’s elaborate plan.
Two years later, Zito targeted MacGyver, attempting to
teach him a "lesson in evil." Murphy was
seriously injured, but MacGyver bested Zito in a battle
of wits.
The Phoenix Foundation is a privately funded
research institute that involves itself in fostering
diplomatic relations, environmental studies, conservation
efforts, and technological innovation. Pete Thornton
became Director of Operations in 1987 and has been
instrumental in helping the Foundation gain worldwide
renown. The Foundation is well-respected by the media,
world governments, and the public.
A government agency that is similar in
many respects to the Central Intelligence Agency. Pete
Thornton worked at the DXS for many years as a field
operative, as did MacGyver, before both moved to the
Phoenix Foundation.
As HIT employee Murdoc says, Homicide
International Trust is sort of like an
"international Murder Incorporated." HIT was
once headed by Nicholas Helman, who used his exclusive
Helman Club as a front for HIT's activities. Helman was
killed in a confrontation with Murdoc. HIT quickly
recovered from this incident, even offering to reinstate
Murdoc as an employee. The governing body of HIT is a
group of men and women known only as The Board.
The
Boys and Girls Club where MacGyver spends much of his
free time. The Club's original director, Booker Wilson
and his wife Cynthia.
The history of the modern swiss Army knife, begins in 1884, when Karl Elsnr, a Swiss cutler, discoverd that knives issued to members of the Swiss Army were made in Germany. Thinking that it would be more appropriate for the Swiss Army to carry Swiss-made knives, he formed the Association of Swiss Master Cutlers in 1981. That same year he developed a pocketknife that contained a blade, a screwdriver, a can opener, and a hole punch. He called this knife the Soldier's knife, beginning the tradition of giving the knives model names rather than model numbers. In 1897 Elsener discovered a way to use one spring to attach blades to both the back and the front of the knife, thus enabling him to add more implements to his knife and called it the Officer's knife. Even today, the knives issued to Swiss Officers have corkscrews, while those issued to non-officers do not.
The swiss Army has traditionally split its orders for knives between the company that Elsener founded, Victorinox, Which is based in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, and the Wenger company, which is based in French-speaking Switzerland. The knives purchased by the Swiss Army do not have familiar red plastic handle, but one of a quilted gray aluminum. A small red shield with a white cross in it appears on the side of each knife.
The popular red knives are currently made by both Victorinox and Wengler for commercial use. The vast majority of thes knives are sold in the United States, where they were first introduced by soldiers returning from World War II.
You're watching the latest episode of Macgyver. The hero is again trapped in an impossible situation with no visible means of escape, and you think, I wonder how Mac is going to get out of this one.!! Enter germologist John Koivaula, a man with an all-round scientific knowledge. He knows what will happen next, because he is the show's scientific consultant. He is the one who dreams up about 90 percent of the "Macgyverims", the scientifically feasible special effects that allow Macgyver to defeat criminals and solve mysteries without the use of violence or weaponry.
The job of the show's writers is to create a believable storyline. They will call me any time, day or night, and say something like, Macgyver is in a basement without doors or windows. How do we write him out of this one?? While this may seem challenging, Koivula usually comes up with a scientific solution right away. However, there have been instances when he's had to research the problem. "but I'm happy to say I haven't been stumped yet" say Koivula. Of course, Koivula is careful to omit at least one key element in the tv recipe for certain Macgyverisms, the ones that are dangerous. The producers as well as the creative staff have a feeling of responsibility to their audience, particulary the large number of young vieuwers.
Occasionally, the writers, in tandem with Koivula, have to stretch the limits of scientific credibility in order to fit into the parameters of a given storyline. In the premiere episode, Macgyver stopped a sulfuric acid leak with a couple of chocolate bars. While it is true that the sugar in the chocolate will react with sulfuric acid to create a sticky glue, a couple of bars would not be nearly enough to stop the leak.
Sometimes an episode will already be in production and the "Macgyverisms" which worked in theory, will not translate well onto the screen. Then the show's special effects expert, Henry Millar, stept in to decide whether or not Koivula's "Macgyverisms' is technically feasible. If the problem cannot be worked out, Koivula stands ready to deliver Macgyver from his enemies in some other way.
In one episode, while locked in the laboratory of the Phoenix Foundation, Macgyver takes exercise purry and presses it into the lock. He then pours liquid nitrogen in the lock which freezes the putty, forming a key that unlock the door. As the episode ends, Pete Thornton, Phoenix Foundation, congratulates Macgyver on another job well done, which wouldn't have been possible without the expertise of John Koivula, the real Macgyver.
Biography from "Dana Elcar"
Dana Elcar portrays Pete Thornton on "Macgyver", A recurring guest-star when the one-hour series premiered in September, 1985, Elcar joined the permanent cast in 1986. As director of field operatiions for the Phoenix Foundation for Research, it is Thornton who assigns Macgyver the dangerous missions wich inspire Macgyver's unique scientific approach.
Born to Danish parents, Elcar was raised on a farm in Ferndale, Michigan where he and his siblings built a stage and recreated stories they heard on the radio. The young performer further developed his acting skills during his elementary and high school years, appearing in shool productions and competing in speech conttests and debates.
Upon graduating from high shool, Elcar enlisted in the Navy. During his two years or service, he originated a play-reding group in Argentia, New Foundland. The asiring Actor then enrolled in the University of Michigan, Where he created the Inter-arts Union, A club in wich students produced plays, Poetry, Opera and Musical concerts. The Inter-Arts Union soon grew into the arts Theatre club, a Reggional theathre that brought 25 plays to the stage within two-and-a half- years.
The summers after his freshman and sophomore years in college, Elcar studied acting with Sandy Meisner at the Neighborhood playhouse in New York. After his sophomore year, He elected not to return to college and remainde in New York to gain practical Experience in his Craft. While working off-broadway he drove an ambulance for one year and a cab for five. Among the plays he did at this time were "our Town" and "play for Bleeker Street". Written by Thornton Wilder, for the circle in the Square, and Harlod Pinter's "Dumb Waiter" and "The Collection".
Dana Elcar has appeared in some 350-400 tv segments, specials and Movies of the week, and starred in two TV-series, as Colonel Land in "Black Sheep", With Robert Conrad, and as the Captain in "Baretta", with Robert Blake., Macgyver marks his third series.
Michael Philip Des Barres was born in England on January 24, 1948. He was the only son of Philip and Irene Des Barres, who separated shortly after his birth. Michael grew up in the Surrey area and attended a boarding school. He later attended drama school and appeared in several plays before cutting a demo that won him the support of no less than Andrew Lloyd Webber. He also appeared in "To Sir, With Love," a hit movie in 1967, and "I, Monster," released in the early 1970's. At that point, he turned his attention to rock and roll, joining a band called Silverhead, which made two albums and toured the U.S. and Europe. Silverhead made an appearance in a film called "Arizonaslim," which was never released. That was where Michael met his future wife, co-star Pamela Miller, from southern California, on his 26th birthday, Jan 24, 1974. Pamela and Michael fell in love, and Michael began divorce proceedings against his wife, Wendy, in England. Two years later, the divorce was final. Pamela and Michael got married on Oct. 29, 1977. By this time, Michael was on his second band, Detective. In the mid-1970's, Detective recorded two albums and toured extensively, opening for major rock bands and even playing a 20 minute show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Still, Michael was not pleased with the group and he was hitting bottom. According to Pamela in her second book, "Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart," he would stay out for days, and one time he came home after having been hit by a car. He admitted his addictions to her in early 1978. Later in 1978, he got his first American acting job, a good-sized guest starring role on an episode of the sitcom "WKRP In Cincinnati." In September 1978, Pamela and Michael welcomed a son, Nicholas Dean. Michael continued to get minor acting jobs throughout the late 1970's and early 1980's, sometimes playing a rock singer, and acquired an agent after doing an episode of the Rockford Files. Sometime in the late 1970's, Detective broke up. In 1980, Michael released his first solo album, "I'm Only Human." Shortly after this, he joined A.A. and completely quit drinking and doing drugs, which he has said he did for his son. He continued to act, and in 1982, he teamed up with his friends Nigel Harrison, Clem Burke, Tony Sales and Steve Jones to form Chequered Past. He also teamed up with songwriter Holly Knight and wrote "Obsession," which was placed in a movie called "A Night In Heaven." Chequered Past released an album and toured, opening for Duran Duran at some of their shows, which gave them huge exposure, but they broke up in 1984. In 1985, the band Animotion covered "Obsession" and had a huge hit. It was also during this year that Michael began getting more meaty roles, including his first movie since the early 1970's, "Ghoulies," in which he played a satanist. During a visit to Don Johnson on one of his movie sets in Texas, Michael received the call to join the Power Station, and he did, stepping into a whirlwind of sudden success that unfortunately only lasted a few months, as Power Station disbanded after their summer tour. Still, this was probably the best thing he did for his musical career, as it made him a household name, and got him on stage at Live Aid in front of millions of people. In 1986, Michael released his second solo album, "Somebody Up There Likes Me," which had both Andy Taylor and Steve Jones helping him out, along with several other top notch musicians. The video for the song "Money Don't Come Easy" featured good friend Melanie Griffith. It was at this time that he participated in the Rock Against Drugs foundation. Soon after that came the role in Nightflyers and his first episode of MacGyver, "Partners." He would go on to play MacGyver's nemesis, Murdoc, in six more episodes over the next few years, and this remains his most well-known character. It was also during 1986 that Pamela published her book, "I'm With The Band." Michael and Pamela separated in 1987 or 1988. In 1988, Michael got his first lead role in a film, the arty "Midnight Cabaret." As Michael's career got busier and he began to travel more to different locations to make movies and television shows, he rented an apartment in Hollywood, and shared custody of his son. Michael and Pamela have remained friendly and appear together at many Los Angeles events. In the late 1980's and early 1990's, Michael worked steadily in both movies and television. He was a lead actor (morning DJ Jack Allen) in the 1991/92 season of "The New WKRP In Cincinnati" while also filming two episodes of "Roseanne" as Leon's male lover and appearing about once a year on "MacGyver" as Murdoc. Besides all of this, he appeared in several other TV shows and had major and minor roles in many movies. In 1994 he was in five movies and, among other TV roles, appeared as villain Lenny Stokes in an episode of "Lois and Clark" - a role which allowed him to sing and play guitar. In the late 1990's, Michael continues to act. He has been in over 40 television shows and made 15 movies, sometimes showcasing his musical talent and sometimes not. He has recently appeared in "Sliders," "Jag," "Roseanne" (a new episode), and several episodes of "Melrose Place," where he played the recurring role of Arthur Field. His most recent movie has been released on home video, called "Poison Ivy: The New Seduction," and in 1997 he completed work on another movie, "Me And Will," in which he plays a therapist in a rehab center. His current project is a television show in development about a rock star with several children, and he has also filmed guest appearances in 1998 episodes of "Hitz" and "Just Shoot Me." He has been singing occasionally at the Viper Room in Los Angeles - look for shows by Vince Lightning and the Spectaculars. Besides all that, he has a new band with Steve Jones, called "The Usual Susspects,".
Date of birth of Teri is 8 December 1964, Born and raised in the San Francisco area, Ms. Hatcher began
studying acting at the American Conservatory Theatre while pursuing an undergraduate degree in mathematics and engineering. Although she was planning to transfer to California Polytechnic Institute, she attended an open casting call -- as a favor to a friend who needed moral support -- and ended up in Hollywood. Went to Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, CA ('83 or '84) San Francisco 49ers cheerleader/dancer in 1984 Enjoys playing golf, Guest Appearances TV commercial for Bally's Total Fitness exercise clubs (1995) Seinfeld" (1990), Sidra (1993?) Tales from the Crypt" (1989), Quantum Leap , Star Trek: The Next Generation and plays Penny Parker in MACGYVER. Also she played in a Music video for Michael Bolton .." She played in "Capitol" and played the "'Love Boat' mermaid" Amy. She has appeared in numerous feature films, including "Tango & Cash,"
"Soapdish," and "The Big Picture." Hatcher currently co-stars opposite Dean Cain in "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman