As you would all know the new “reimagining” of MacGyver has aired. I didn’t even know the show was being remade until I saw the ad here in Aus just a few weeks before it started on in October.
Saturday nights are pretty bad for TV and channel ten decided to spruce it up by putting on the new series of Scorpion, followed by MacGyver, followed by the new series of Hawaii 5-0 which is a reboot I love.
Generally I hate remakes of shows and movies as for me the originals are usually the best. But Hawaii 5-0 is a fresh updated version. As for MacGyver, I completely get why there’s a big uproar from fans.
There are three things I didn’t like. And I mean didn’t like no mention of hate here.
1 – Needing to tell us he’s got a paperclip and other things. We know, we get it, no need to spell it out for us. Unless they thought they’d copy the new Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and do the whole 2.0 version, I didn’t see a need for it.
2 – The music. I don’t remember the original playing things like Creedence Clearwater songs! Weird!
3 – He’s way too young. It might be more believable if the actor looked older, because in the original, you got the sense that MacGyver had experience, and lots of it. And I mean life experience. The new MacGyver doesn’t have any. What did the character say, college, 2 years of MIT and a couple of years being trained by the military. So that’s what, 25-ish?
Way too young to have life experience.
And while it’s awesome that they kept character names etc, the show should probably have been tweaked and given a direction. As a whole, it was fine to sit down and watch, but to bank on a name already thirty years in the making is a bit too much for any show. And not all of them live up to their moniker.
And that now goes for Magnum which is being re-made by Eva Longoria’s company. Plus last year they tried Murder, She Wrote with Octavia Spencer.
Is Macgvyer better than the original? God no.
But for what it is, it’s perfectly watchable. For Gen Ys who have never watched the original, it will appeal to them. But I get what the haters are saying. This MacGyver is just not Richard Dean Anderson.
Plowing Through Life (Martha) says
I also just recently realized that there's a remake of MacGyver! Was there show ever popular when I was young. I haven't watched the new one. And I had no idea about the other remakes you've mentioned.
Adam says
I've never really watched the old one
L.J. Diva says
Adam, I didn't when it was originally on years ago, but I've definitely watched in repeats as it's always on here in Australia.