If you grew up from 1985 to 1992, then the original MacGyver was a staple in our homes. Richard Dean Anderson played Angus MacGyver. For years he went on adventures where he solved problems often with nothing other than his wits and a couple of small items like a paperclip and a pocket knife. The solution-oriented genius of this show was something we looked forward to for years. Fans were disappointed, to say the least when the show ended. Then in 2016, we learned there was to be a reboot. The very talented Lee David Zlotoff has been an admirable and capable choice to replace Anderson in the reboot. We were thrilled to see the show, and we’ve been watching it ever since. When CBS announced, they’d picked up a fourth season we were jubilant. The further adventures of MacGyver is a little bit like an American Dr. Who. He won’t carry a gun, always tries for a peaceful resolution and he’s utterly brilliant at working things out with just his knowledge and whatever comes to hand. We were looking forward to another action-packed season with young Angus. Then something strange happened.
Where’s MacGyver?
The new season was supposed to begin airing on September 27th. However, when the fall-winter schedule came out, there was no place for our favorite genius reboot anywhere. In its place, Magnum PI and Hawaii 5-0, which are both fantastic reboots in their own right. No disrespect is intended to Magnum PI or Hawaii 5-0. We loved these classic staples of our TV watching youth, and we’re glad they’ve come back for a new generation as well. Yet we find fans like ourselves asking where the show we were promised has gotten off to. Has MacGyver been dropped? Is it canceled after we had our hopes up so high for more adventures? Surely CBS wouldn’t just tease us like this and pull a bait and switch, would they?
As it turns out this season’s lineup seems to be headed in a different direction for a short while. The shows CBS has slated for our fall and winter viewing are, at least temporarily, going to be filled with different programming. The good news is that MacGyver hasn’t been canceled, but it’s not running on schedule either. Though it might reappear mid-season, it’s also possible that the show won’t be back until 2020. We waited over twenty years for the reboot, so a little longer for season four isn’t a huge problem.
Mack Gyver isn’t the first show to face delays. Westworld and Game of Thrones on HBO have both seen production delays. Audiences who truly adore a show will wait until they wrap up filming, but everyone seems a bit confused. Why the delay?
What’s The Holdup?
As fantastic as the new MacGyver has been, the show is not without its problems. Fortunately for viewers, they seem to be entirely behind the scenes issues, and the show’s producers are working it out. MacGyver will go forward. Unfortunately, a hiccup in production due to losing a cast member is probably the cause of the slow-down.
George Eads
Playing the role of Jack Dalton, Mac’s wild and occasionally hilarious best friend isn’t easy. Getting to play out every ridiculous get rich scheme you can imagine, look cool flying planes and make a pass at any attractive woman who passes through your on-screen life has to be a blast. Filling the shoes of Bruce McGill should have been something that was a lot more fun for George Eads. As it turns out, things didn’t quite work out that way.
There were some rumors that George disliked the way the character was written for him to play, but those turned out to be unfounded. Additionally, there have been rumors of an ‘altercation,’ or some conflicts with the production team that went unidentified, but we found no real supporting details for that story either. What is certain is that George left and that spending more time with his young daughter was among the reasons. Of course, we’ve known since February that he was gone.
Levy Tran
Taking over the traditional “Jack” spot MacGyver cast Levy Tran as Desi. This gorgeous bombastic dynamo is often best remembered from her role as a race car driver in Fast and Furious 7. She’s a tattooed model and a practitioner of martial arts among her many talents. Per the storyline, she worked with Jack (off-screen) and is filling his spot if not his role exactly. We’ve certainly enjoyed seeing her on the show thus far and look forward to getting a whole lot more Desi in the future. Perhaps the delays in filming are due to reworking the plotlines and scripts to make it work better with the current lineup including Levy instead of George. We haven’t been able to dig up any other details, so it’s our best guess. Regardless, the show clearly benefits from having another dynamic female co-star on the cast, and we’re glad she took the part.
The Other Problem
Season three had another major issue that could be part of what’s holding the filming back. Though it barely made a blip in the news, there was a significant accident on set during the filming of a car stunt. Stunt coordinator Justin Sundquist was injured and hospitalized as a result. The police even investigated the issue to make sure there was no external cause. While it’s not unusual for a stunt person to be injured doing their hazardous job, having the stunt coordinator laid up in a hospital bed is bound to cause a ripple effect for more than a single episode.
Final Thoughts
With any luck, the show will be back on track ASAP at the midseason mark. That’s the tentative plan according to Popculture.com. In the meantime we know fans will be waiting with bated breath, and hopefully enjoying Magnum PI and Hawaii 5-0 with the same level of nostalgia. What do you think of the cast changing mid-season? Are you happy with Desi or do you think they should have enforced Jacks’ contract? Let us know in the comments below.
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