MacGyver FAQ
MacGyver: The Show
MacGyver: The Character
MacGyver: The Actor
MacGyver: The Site
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MacGyver: The Site
MacGyver is an action/adventured television series, starring Richard Dean Anderson. MacGyver is a genius when it comes to improvisation. Using his extensive knowledge of chemistry and physics, along with experience with machinery of all types and plenty of imagination, he is able to get himself and his companions out of any kind of danger.
How long did the show run?
Seven years. 1985 to 1992.
Did "MacGyver" even win any awards?
Curiously, "MacGyver" never won an Emmy, but the show has earned honors for other aspects of its production.
Two first-season episodes, the pilot episode and "Thief of Budapest," won awards at the Second Annual Stuntman Awards for Best High Work and Best Specialty Stunt, respectively.
In 1989, Richard Dean Anderson and the executive producers of "MacGyver" - (Henry Winkler, John Rich, and Stephen Downing) – accepted awards from the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence. MacGyver Mailing List Subscriber Sparrow says that "at the reception was the unveiling of the episode 'The Gun,' produced in reaction to the murder of Rebecca Schaeffer, by a crazed fan."
In 1991, the show was honored at the first annual Environmental Media Awards for "Ongoing Commitment" to environmental concerns.
Another "honor": Also in 1991, the conservative Media Research Center named "MacGyver" one of the ten most "liberally biased" TV shows of the 1990-1991 season because of its focus on the environment, gun control, and foreign affairs.
The episode "Black Rhino" won a Genesis Award for animal awareness.
When can I watch MacGyver?
The best thing to do would be to check your local listings to see when MacGyver is on television, or if, like me, you really love MacGyver, the actual best thing to do would be to invest in the DVD set.
Are all of the MacGyver episodes on DVD?
Yes, all of the television episodes are on DVD, however, the two made-for-TV movies are not currently available.
When were the DVDs released?
The MacGyver DVDs were released between January 2005 and October 2006.
Below is a list.
Season One -- January 25, 2005
Season Two -- June 7, 2005
Season Three -- September 6, 2005
Season Four -- December 6, 2005
Season Five -- March 14, 2006
Season Six -- June 13, 2006
Season Seven -- October 24, 2006
MacGyver: The Character
MacGyver, the main character, is a genius when it comes to improvisation. Often armed with only a Swiss Army Knife, a roll of duct tape, and whatever materials happen to be lying around, MacGyver applies common sense and basic principles of science to imaginatively outwit his adversaries.
How old is MacGyver?
There is some dispute as to when MacGyver's birthday is, but the dates most commonly stated are March 23, 1950 or 1952, and January 23, 1951.
What is MacGyver's first name?
MacGyver's first name is Angus. This wasn't revealed until the seventh season two-part episode, "Good Knight MacGyver."
Where was MacGyver born and raised?
MacGyver was born and raised in Mission City, MN.
Why does MacGyver hate guns?
When he was a kid, he and his friends where playing with his father's handgun, when one of his friends took aim at a bird, MacGyver knocked the gun away to save the bird, but as the gun hit the ground it discharged and shot Jesse in the chest. He died from the wounds several minutes later despite MacGyver trying to save him. The full story is explained in detail in the Season Four episode “Blood Brothers.”
Didn’t MacGyver fire a rifle in the series premiere?
Yes he did. The producers hadn’t fully fleshed out the MacGyver character yet, and so in the scene where Mac and the rescued pilot are being chased by soldiers, we see Mac shooting at them.
Why doesn't MacGyver have a girlfriend?
MacGyver's most unusual trait is his fear of romantic commitment. This fear, which has stifled many a relationship, stems from his previous experiences. His father and his grandmother were killed in a car accident when he was twelve years old; his mother died of complications from a stroke when MacGyver was on assignment overseas. He worries that whomever he becomes close to will die, just like his parents and his grandmother did.
Despite his misgivings about commitment, MacGyver remains the eternal optimist. He firmly believes that the world can and will change for the better - one person at a time.
As for the production reason why MacGyver doesn't have a girlfriend: It seems that there are a lot of ladies out there who wanted MacGyver to remain an eligible bachelor. Case in point: Maria Romburg, introduced in "The Wall." The studio received such scathing fan responses that she only appeared in one more episode, "MacGyver’s Women."
What kind of degree does MacGyver have?
There’s no definitive answer to this question, so it continues to be a very controversial topic among MacGyver fans. In the “Flames End” episode, Amy mentions a science degree, but then immediately after that MacGyver talks about taking physics. So we still don’t really have an answer other than to say it was either a general science degree or a physics degree. We also know that he graduated from Western Tech.
What did MacGyver do before he met Pete?
MacGyver worked several odd jobs.
What kind of knife did MacGyver use?
His most commonly used knife was a "Tinker" model from Victorinox. But throughout the show he used several different models of both Victorinox and Wenger brands to match particular tools used in the episodes.
In one episode he uses an Orange Peeler blade; probably from a Victorinox "Executive." He may have used an older model "Explorer" from Victorinox later in the series. He also used the Sportsman in "Lost Love pt. 1 and 2", the Recruit in "GX-1", and the Climber in "Three for the Road." In "Tough Boys" he uses a Tinker (with the key ring removed) to unlock a large padlock.
He also had a couple of non-production models that were obviously modified for the series. In "Serenity," he has a knife with wood panels to stay in setting with the period of the episode. In "Strictly Business" he used a knife with the Victorinox shield on the back handle of the knife instead of the front. The knife seen in the opening of each episode is a Wenger, as noted by its long keychain
What kind of jackets did MacGyver wear?
The brown bomber jacket that MacGyver wore in the earlier seasons is specifically called a “Raider” style bomber jacket and can be purchased online from: http://www.flightsuits.com/leather_raider.html.
The black jacket with the orange interior is an MA-1 Flight Jacket. In the later seasons MacGyver added a US flag patch to the left sleeve of his jacket.
He also wore a Black leather jacket of unknown design and black leather “biker” style jacket.
MacGyver: The Actor
The now-famous tale of how he got the part goes something like this: Before he was to begin reading for the part, Richard had to stop to fish his glasses out of a bag. Henry Winkler, one of the show’s producers, recalls being so impressed by this simple, human act that they cast him on the spot.
For more information about Richard Dean Anderson, please read his biography on our Actor Biospage. For even more information, please visit http://www.rdanderson.com
MacGyver: The Website
A: Sorry, no. I'm just an avid fan who decided to make this site for other fans as well as for my own personal enjoyment.
Q: Your site looks like crap. You should change it.
A: I think not. I made the site the way I like it and it's staying that way until I decide otherwise. End of story.
Q: How do you know so much about the MacGyver? Do you have connections?
A: I know so much about MacGyver because I've watched EVERY single episode AND I pretty much memorize the content on every other MacGyver site I visit. Sadly, I don't have connections. I've never met the director, actors, or anyone directly involved in the making of MacGyver, though I someday wish to...I guess I better get a move on before some of them die. o_o
Q: A few of your pages have broken links. And I really wanted to look at those things. Since you update alot, can you fix that?
A: Yes, I can. I always want to know if anything on the site is broken, so if you let me know, I will fix it as soon as possible, and you can consider it doing me a huge favor. You can contact me on the Credits page.
Q: Why don't you host fanfiction?
A: I don't like fanfiction. I think the majority of it is lame. You can host your own MacGyver fanfiction site if you want, or you can write me a really great (300 or more word) essay on why I should...and maybe I'll change my mind. :-)
Q: You have a lot of stolen and uncredited content on this site.
A: If you see stuff on my site that is considered stolen and uncredited, I apologize. I find most of the information on this site from other sites and I memorize it or save it to my computer. Then when I am ready, I post it for everyone to read. Please let me know if something like this happens, and I will either credit you, or remove what is uncredited.
Q: Do you make any money off of this site?
A: The short answer is "no." The very small amount of money I receive from rare Google searches, ads or referrals is for my college fund and college fund only. I receive about 3 cents per click and I receive about 3 clicks a month. Yeah, that's pretty low...and I don't think I will be paying for college that way...maybe by the end of my four years I'll be able to pay for 1/10000000000000000000000000000000000 of my books. haha