Fans of mid-80s network TV adventure shows probably hold MacGyver pretty close to their hearts, along with Magnum PI, Knight Rider, and probably Tom Sellick’s mustache, come to think of it. And in great news for TV executives, those same fans are now grownups with bank accounts, mortgages and children….and a desperate need for escapes from those things. Nostalgic escapes, preferably. And so it has come to pass that nostalgia has become synonymous with TV in particular these days, with practically every show from our collective childhood being revived in some form or another. They were bound to get around to MacGyver sooner or later, and the upcoming revival has apparently found its lead.
X-Men: First Class star Lucas Till has been announced as CBS’ new Angus MacGyver, filling the role made famous by Richard Dean Anderson. For those born after the 80s (and who don’t have access to retro tv channels), MacGyver follows the adventures of Angus MacGyver, a secret agent with a knack for thinking outside the box and solving problems using a variety of household objects. The casting process has apparently been ongoing, but CBS have found their man in the 25-year-old Till.
Till is just the latest name to join the project, which already boasts a writing staff including Paul Downs Colaizzo and Brett Mahoney. Henry Winkler will be serving as Executive Producer, as he did on the original series, joined by Michael Clear. Clear is actually the head of production at Atomic Monster, the production company started by Furious 7 and Saw director James Wan, who will be a part of the show’s Executive Producer lineup. The pilot will be directed by David Von Ancken, a TV veteran who’s sat behind the camera on shows including Heroes, CSI: NY, The Vampire Diaries and Californication. Till joins fellow castmembers Joshua Boone and CSI‘s George Eads.
When you look at it today, the original series can be fairly hokey, and the new show will presumably try and add some grit and realism to Mac’s adventures. But hopefully they still find room for the occasional jet-ski disguised as a coffin.
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Originally published March 21, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
