CBS On ‘MacGyver’ Pilot Problems And Why They’re Still Sticking With The Property [TCA 2016]
CBS will present a panel on their newMacGyverseries later today and we have an interview with creators of the new series,James WanandPeter Lenkov. In his executive session beginning the day of Television Critics Association panels, CBS President of EntertainmentGlenn Gellaraddressed troubles and delays with the pilot. There is currently not a pilot available to screen, and the show premieres this fall.
“Look, I’ll say it this way,” Gellar began. “Every pilot goes through a retooling. Admittedly, this pilot probably went through a little more retooling than most do.”
Lucas Tillstars as a young Angus MacGyver, the character originated by Richard Dean Anderson in the series that ran seven seasons from 1985-1992.CSIveteranGeorge Eadsplays Jack Dalton, the role Bruce McGill had on the original series. A gender-flipped Patricia Thornton is played bySandrine Holt. Gellar said the cast and creatives made it worth making sureMacGyverworked.
“We had Lucas Till,” Gellar said. “We were thrilled to have George Eads back on CBS. We have an iconic franchise,MacGyver, and Peter Lenkov who said, ‘I will do this.’ He’s a phenomenal showrunner. He developedHawaii Five-0for us. Knowing we had these two actors and that IP and our faith in Peter, we felt we had more than enough to pick up the series and schedule it in front ofHawaii Five-0.”
MacGyverandHawaii Five-0will comprise CBS’s Friday night drama block. The original MacGyver was able to improvise scientific solutions to escape dangers. His name became a verb, as in “to MacGyver” your way out of trouble. Will Forte spoofed MacGyver in his MacGruber sketches on Saturday Night Live and eventual feature film. Early trailers show Till’s MacGyver escaping a terrorist prison and getting recruited by a task force to contribute his improvisational skills. Gellar assured the TCA that he wasn’t just trying to make fetch happen withMacGyver.
“It was much more than theMacGyvername,” Gellar said. “It was the actors, the auspices and it fits the time period. We had more than enough to schedule the show Fridays at 8:00. It’s the perfect show for its time slot.”
