Club Name : MacGyver Description : A club dedicated to those who view 'Macgyver' as their role model. Macgyver has a great website where you can check out some video from his episodes. It is at www.macsyourman.com WHY I LIKE MACGYVER from http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Club/6285/ I really liked the fact that he was against guns, smoking, drugs, and drinking. All in all, MacGyver is a great show that provides plenty of action and entertainment, actual useful knowledge, and a positive role model who portrays good morals. He also was one of the most caring heroes on TV who took time to help others just because they needed help. He really had genuine compassion and kindness towards others. It really showed a human side to him. He was definitely a cool hero and those are all the reasons why I still love watching MacGyver today. MacGyver is an adventure television series about a laid-back, extremely resourceful secret agent, played by Richard Dean Anderson. The series was created by Lee David Zlotoff and executive produced by Henry Winkler and John Rich. It ran for seven seasons from September 29, 1985 to May 21, 1992 on the ABC network and filmed primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Of the 139 one-hour episodes, three had two parts. Additionally, two made-for-TV movies were produced in 1994. MacGyver's main asset is his practical application of scientific knowledge and inventive use of common items—along with his ever-present Swiss Army knife and duct tape and the usual coincidence of being locked up in a room full of useful materials. The clever solutions MacGyver implemented to seemingly intractable problems—often in life-or-death situations requiring him to improvise complex devices in a matter of minutes—were a major attraction of the show, which was praised for generating interest in engineering as well as providing entertaining storylines. All of MacGyver's exploits on the show were ostensibly vetted to be based on real scientific principles (even though, the creators acknowledged, in real life one would have to be extraordinarily lucky for most of MacGyver's ideas to succeed). In the few cases where MacGyver used household chemicals to create poisons, explosives or other things deemed too dangerous to be accurately described on television, details were intentionally altered or vague. The use of ordinary household items to jury rig devices shows an influence from The A-Team (though MacGyver eschewed firearms). The idea has entered U.S. popular culture; such constructions are referred to as "MacGyverisms". Characters Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver MacGyver Angus MacGyver (who insists on going exclusively by his last name) is a highly intelligent, optimistic action hero who prefers non-violent conflict resolution wherever possible. He refuses to carry or use a gun due to a childhood accident with a revolver that resulted in the death of a friend. The character is portrayed as an outspoken advocate of gun control. Even in cases where his improvised devices are used to attack hostile opponents, he is always doing so in self-defense and, if possible, subduing or disabling rather than killing. He is often suspicious of militaristic attitudes within the government; he sees his Phoenix Foundation employer as an alternative to the more conventional (and violent) means of law enforcement. He was born and raised in Minnesota on either January 23, 1951 (per his passport in "Everytime She Smiles") or March 23, 1951 (by working back from dates given in the episodes "Thin Ice", Passages, Friends, Runners, and "Phoenix Under Siege"). His Minnesota heritage explains why he speaks with a Minnesota accent. (Richard Dean Anderson himself was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 23 January 1950.) MacGyver lived his childhood in Mission City. Like Anderson, MacGyver was an avid hockey player as a child, and competed in his local hockey league, continuing to play the game as an adult. He graduated from Alexander Ramsey High School in Roseville, Minnesota. His character is a graduate of the fictitious Western Tech where he earned a degree in physics. MacGyver's first name remained a mystery until the final season; whenever he's asked about it, he says he dislikes his first name and changes the subject. Consequently, most of his friends and colleagues call him by his last name or simply "Mac." The script for the series pilot gave MacGyver's first name as "Stace", but this information did not appear in the finished episode, although it was mentioned in promotional material for the series. His first name was finally officially revealed in "Good Knight, MacGyver", in which he learns of a 7th century Scottish ancestor, Angus M'Iver, and admits that they share their first name; and repeated in the series finale, which introduces MacGyver's son, whose middle name is Angus. It is also revealed on the boxes of the MacGyver seasons. During seasons 4–7, the show revolved more around social issues such as guns and runaway teens than did the episodes in seasons 1–3, which were mostly about MacGyver's adventures working for the United States government, and then later the Phoenix Foundation. Supporting characters Notable recurring characters include: Pete Thornton (Dana Elcar) MacGyver's boss and best friend. Pete was an operative at the Department of External Services (DXS), also referred to mistakenly as DSX in several episodes, which is where he was impressed by Mac's ingenuity while tracking down Murdoc, an international assassin. When Pete took the position of Director of Operations at the Phoenix Foundation seven years later, he brought MacGyver into the program. Pete has a son named Michael. In the pilot episode, actor Dana Elcar played a completely different character named "Andy Colson". The Pete Thornton character didn't appear until episode 1.11, "Nightmares". Elcar appeared in the dream sequence/time travel episode "Good Knight, MacGyver" as King Arthur; whether this is because Pete is one of Arthur's distant descendants or because Mac subconsciously based his hallucination of Arthur on him is uncertain. In 1991, actor Dana Elcar began to develop glaucoma, a degenerative condition of the eyes that causes blindness. This condition was written into the show, and Elcar's character also developed the disease. A number of public service announcements were composed and shown at the end of many of the later episodes, encouraging viewers to get checked early and often for the condition. Dana Elcar died on June 6, 2005 in Ventura, CA due to complications from pneumonia. He was 78. Jack Dalton (Bruce McGill) An aviator and old friend of MacGyver's with a weakness for get-rich-quick schemes that invariably got him (and usually Mac) into trouble. He always wore a peaked cap and twitched an eye when lying. His phone number is given as JOATMON or 562-8666 (jack of all trades, master of none). Murdoc (Michael Des Barres) MacGyver's most commonly recurring opponent, a master assassin who never failed—except when MacGyver got involved. Murdoc is a master of disguise, as well as highly skilled and creative in the use of booby-traps. He is also very fond of heavy weapons, including flamethrowers, bazookas, and dynamite. Murdoc's professional signature for each hit is to take photographs of his victims at the moment of their deaths. His first appearance in the series was presented as his second run-in with MacGyver. Murdoc returned for revenge for their first encounter—to the surprise of MacGyver, as Murdoc had apparently been killed while escaping on that occasion. Murdoc's revenge scheme not only failed, but resulted in him being apparently killed again. This became a recurring theme: each of Murdoc's subsequent appearances ended in another "death", which we learn in a later episode that he had incredibly survived. Murdoc always screams "MACGYVER!" at the moment of his "death", except in the episode "Halloween Knights", where he and MacGyver act as allies. Murdoc is scared of snakes (as revealed in Halloween Knights). Murdoc was associated with the Homicide International Trust (HIT), an organization of assassins, until being excommunicated for his failures at MacGyver's hands. Penny Parker (Teri Hatcher) Penny Parker and MacGyver met in line in an airport in Bulgaria ("Every Time She Smiles") when she tried to smuggle some jewels out of the country in his pocket. Of little talent but with big dreams, her pursuit of a show business career got her into trouble more than once; she was sometimes used by Murdoc as the unwitting pawn in his plans to eliminate MacGyver. The Coltons (Della Reese, Cleavon Little, Richard Lawson, Cuba Gooding Jr.) A family of bounty hunters (Mama Colton, Frank, Jesse & Billy), introduced one at a time—the only episode in which more than one appeared was their collective final appearance in the final season, on which occasion they took over the episode entirely, relegating MacGyver to a cameo appearance. This episode, called "The Coltons", was actually intended as a pilot for a spin-off which would star the Coltons, but nothing ever came of it. Harry Jackson (John Anderson) Harry Jackson, MacGyver's grandfather, became MacGyver's "father" after his grandmother and real father were killed in a car accident. Seven years later, he left MacGyver. After another eighteen years (stated by MacGyver as "it's been six..seven...eighteen years"), Harry and MacGyver met again in the season one episode, "Target MacGyver", in which MacGyver and his grandfather worked together to defeat an assassin named Axminster (played by D'Mitch Davis). Harry died of a heart attack in the fifth season episode "Passages". Nikki Carpenter (Elyssa Davalos) Nikki Carpenter joined the Phoenix Foundation in the third season. She often had differences of opinion with MacGyver, although the two eventually came to respect each other as professionals. Mei Jan (Michele Chan) Initially calling herself Sue Ling, the name of MacGyver's foster daughter, Mei Jan enlisted MacGyver's help in completing her mission for the Chinese student movement. Wilt and Milt Bozer (Robin Mossley, Robert Donner) Wilt Bozer was MacGyver's neighbor at the marina. (Note: Wilt Bozer also appeared in MacGyver's two Western dreams in "Serenity" and "MacGyver's Women", where he had a brother named Milt. Milt only appeared in the Western dream sequences and was not mentioned in the show's regular continuity.) Sean Angus Malloy (Dalton James) Sean, known as Sam was introduced in the series finale as MacGyver's son from a past love named Kate Malloy. Sean was given Angus as his middle name from his mother as a dedication to MacGyver. Cynthia Wilson (Roxanne Reese) Introduced with her husband Booker (Michael D. Roberts) in "The Challenge" (which also had Cuba Gooding, Jr. as a guest star), Cynthia ran the Challenger's Club, a program for troubled inner-city teens. In episodes where Mac tries to help runaways or other youths, he invariably sends them to the Challenger's Club as a safe haven. Lisa Woodman (Mayim Bialik) A young girl that MacGyver originally meets at a Swiss boarding school, where she accidentally loses his trusty Swiss Army knife. She later returns and Mac helps her overcome a substance abuse problem. MacGyver's vehicles Throughout the series, MacGyver drove a number of vehicles; most frequently a brown Jeep Wrangler (YJ). Among the other vehicles he drove in the series were a Jeep Grand Wagoneer, a Jeep Cherokee Chief, a 1942 Chevrolet pick-up truck, a number of Ford Taurus (including a Silver 1989, a Twilight-Blue 1989, and a Brown 1991) and a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad willed to him by his grandfather Harry in the episode "Harry's Will". Influence on culture MacGyverisms The spontaneous inventions have come to be nicknamed MacGyverisms and even led to the verb, 'to MacGyver' or 'to MacGyver-ize'. This word was used in Richard Dean Anderson's project Stargate SG-1, in a postmodern moment in the first episode, when the character Samantha Carter (portrayed by Amanda Tapping) comments on the time and effort that had been required "to MacGyver" a replacement for the Stargate's long-lost control system In an outtake from another SG-1 episode, Tapping becomes 'upset' with Anderson over their characters' current predicament (being trapped under Antarctica), saying that she's stuck with MacGyver who should be able to get them out of there using string and bubble gum to create a nuclear reactor. Her remarks prompted laughter on the part of the crew, and apparent shock and disbelief on the part of Anderson. However, "MacGyverism" was used long before that, in a MacGyver episode. It was used by Joanne Remmings (played by Pamela Bowen) in the second-season episode #3 "Twice Stung", in which MacGyver must con a con man. (The episode title is a reference to The Sting, with Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Dana Elcar.) MacGyverism is a derivative of the "robinsonade" genre, named after Robinson Crusoe (1719). In this genre, the protagonist is suddenly isolated from the comforts of civilization and must improvise the means of his survival from the limited resources at hand. MacGyverism is also an example of bricolage, and MacGyver himself is the paradigm of a bricoleur ("a person who creates things from existing materials, is creative and resourceful"). In July 2005, the American International Press released a book of MacGyverisms from the television show, called 'The Unofficial MacGyver How-to Handbook' by Bret Terrill and Greg Dierkers. In South Korea, a Swiss Army knife is commonly called "Maekgaibeo kal" and in Indonesia and Malaysia, they are commonly called "Pisau MacGyver/Pisau Lipat MacGyver." (Kal and Pisau mean knife in Korean and Malay, respectively.) In Malaysia, the term "MacGyver knife" (English) is also commonly used. In Norway and in certain areas of Finland, duct tape is commonly known, to some degree, as "MacGyver-tape", though it is more used in a joking manner. In the media In 2006, MacGyver appeared in a MasterCard television commercial for Super Bowl XL. The spot poked fun at the character's inherent ability of using everyday objects to perform extraordinary feats: In it, he manages to cut the ropes binding him to a chair using a pine tree air freshener, uses an ordinary tube sock as the pulley for a zipline, and somehow repairs and hotwires a nonfunctional truck using a paper clip, ballpoint pen, rubber band, tweezers, nasal spray and a turkey baster. In contrast to previous MasterCard commercials showing people making somewhat extravagant purchases to accomplish some mundane task, MacGyver is here portrayed as escaping from some sort of deathtrap using less than $20 worth of common household items. The commercial ends by showing him purposefully buying an assortment of such things at a department store with his credit card (as a tongue-in-cheek explanation for how Mac seems to always have items he needs on hand no matter where he goes). It should be noted that although the commercial clearly indicates Richard Dean Anderson is portraying the role of MacGyver, he is never explicitly identified as such, possibly due to licensing issues related to the character. The series is referenced in many episodes of The Simpsons, primarily detailing Marge Simpson's sisters Patty and Selma's obsession with the show and their crush on the MacGyver character. The sisters' regular viewing of the show is an unalterable element of their daily schedule to the point of death as demonstrated in the episode "Black Widower". Anderson himself is an avid fan of The Simpsons, and even provided his voice for an episode of the show titled "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore", which first aired April 6, 2006. In the season one episode titled "Brian: Portrait of a Dog" from Family Guy, Peter writes a letter to Richard Dean Anderson asking him to save his dog using the enclosed items from the envelope: a rubber band, a paper clip and a straw. Anderson puts these together and hits himself in the eye with the rubber band. The New Zealand Sporting skit show 'Pulp Sport' has a running gag called 'Mc Kay-Ver' in which the MacGyver theme is played, and a prank involving sports presenter Hamish McKay is played out. This usually involves his office area, or something happening to his car. Trivia The first episode was directed by Alan Smithee, the pseudonym used when a director does not want to be credited. Christopher Judge appeared as a high-school student in season five's "Live and Learn", and would go on to co-star with Richard Dean Anderson in Stargate SG-1 as the alien team-member Teal'c. Throughout the series (and especially in earlier episodes) it was extremely dangerous to be an old friend of MacGyver, as many episodes had MacGyver getting involved in a plot because of the death of a close friend. MacGyver's producers had a tendency to use the same actor in multiple roles through the series. Some examples: Kai Wulff played "Stepan Frolov" in season one's "Every Time She Smiles", "Hans Visser" in season four's "Collision Course", "Ladysmith" in season five's "Black Rhino", and "Nicolas Von Leer" in season six's episode "Eye of Osiris". Gregory Sierra appeared in the season one episode "The Gauntlet", playing "General Antonio Vasquez", the season two episode "Jack of Lies", playing "Colonel Antunnez", and the season five episode "The Treasure of Manco", playing "Captain Diaz". Nana Visitor of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame appeared in the season one episode "Hellfire" as "Laura Farren", and in the season two episode "DOA: MacGyver" she appears again as "Carol Varnay". David Ackroyd appears in the season one episode "Trumbo's World" as "Mr. Trumbo", and in the season three episode "The Negotiator" as "Mr. Knapp". Elyssa Davalos played "Lisa Kohler/Kosov" in "Lost Love: Part 1 & 2" (Season 3), then just a few episodes later (in the same season) reappeared as Nikki Carpenter, a role which she reprised in several more episodes. MacGyver's Swiss Army Knife went through a few changes over the early episodes. His first and most often used knife was a "Spartan" model from Victorinox. In "Thief of Budapest" he gives it away; in the next episode he is using a "Traveler" model from Wenger. He is soon back to his "Spartan." At one point 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 "Lost Love pt. 1 and 2", the Recruit "GX-1", and the Climber "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 handles on it, to flow with the time setting 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. He seems to have used all of the slimmer models available at that time. The Tinker was (and still is) available in a slightly smaller model, which he may have used. The Sportsman, Tourist, and Spartan are virtually indistinguishable with the blades closed, so he may have used any one of these three, or only one. The knife seen in the opening of each episode was a Wenger, as noted by its long keychain. A cliffhanger ALF episode ends with a voiceover by ALF saying "Next week on ALF" followed by sequences of black and white stock footage of early 20th century automobiles crashing while performing various stunts. Suddenly the image freezes and ALF says "Whoops! Wrong tape! This is next week's MacGyver!" (this is obviously a spoof, since ALF was on rival network NBC, and they shared the same time slot). In 2003, the WB had a pilot for a possible new "Young MacGyver" series starring Jared Padalecki, but opted to pick up a new Tarzan series instead. M A C G Y V E R I S M S ------------------------------------------ Episode Tricks ------------------------------------------ 001 PILOT Disarmed missle with a paperclip Matches & rope got rifle to shoot itself Smashed pistol barrel to use as rocket thruster Kicked grate to test for hidden laser Lit cigarette with hidden laser Smoked cigarette to find hidden laser Used binocular eyepiece to catch laser beam Aimed laser beam at source to "kill" it Knotted fire hose to build up water pressure Used said hose to lift steel beam Tested heat on door with a stick (it caught fire) Milk Chocolate candy stops sulphuric acid leak Used shirt to filter gases Sodium metal & cold capsule explosive Flipped lights in morse code 002 CRUSHER/GOLDEN TRIANGLE Picked up thieves in car with heavy duty magnet Inflate raft to pop a flare Bamboo thing with alcohol & fire ash Winched a helicopter 003 PEGASUS/THIEF OF BUDAPEST Stole horse, got it picked up with helicopter Lightbulbs between boards simulate flat tire sound Weed Killer Bomb Magnifying Glass using hair & white wine Mess up traffic signal with credit card 004 MAP/GAUNTLET Used SAK to push key out of lock other side of door Key fell on map previously slid under door Slid map out with key on it Used map as pea shooter distraction Rolled map around bar to knock bad person Slid down sand dune on map Used map & duct tape to patch hole in hot air balloon Camera timer & "silly putty" explosive Noise: Duct tape, firecrackers, candle on church bell Hooked cable wire on car axle to stop car Used Kate Connally's compact as rear view mirror Threw Kate Connally on someone for distraction Made car go w/ belt thru steering wheel & stick shift 005 HEIST Distraction: String & paper clip women's dress zipper Buffed dice with powder soap on shoe shine machine Hid buffed dice in drink after winning (GOT CAUGHT!) Electric cord tied door handle shut Pushed bar cart by igniting CO2 tanks Magnet in Chris' shoe screws up roulette wheel Marked card with Chris' ring Picked lock with SAK (TWICE IN THIS EP!) Wired fuse box lights to alarm clock with hands Picked 2:10 as time because wires would touch Coat hanger & Mirror on camera to fool security camera After sneak in room, yank above device off w/string Found laser beam with cigar ashes Plastic tube used to "route" the laser Limbo'd under above tube Let bird out of cage to set off motion detector Faked musical notes with wine-filled crystal goblets Used piece of glass lamp for funnel "Funneled" diamonds down the drainpipe Fire ext. & car jack, I think USA left something out.. Put parachute on car Drove car out of plane at 20,000 feet 006 WHITEWATER/TRUMBO'S WORLD Used SAK to snitch towel off laundry line Moved shower pipe on fire, "hot water" Log lifted door out Kerosene soaked rope lit so bad guys can't follow Jumper Cable, generator, money makes arc welder Rope over post, twist to lift canoe off person Hose, metal pipe, gasoline = flame thrower Nitrate, cellulose, acid = nitro manite Melted garden hose spread on net = ant-repel suit Blew up ants with aforementioned nitro manite 007 LAST STAND Bike bars, rust, flare, used as torch Cotton, Engine Starter Fluid, fertilizer = bomb Wrap above in newspaper and duct tape Light bulb melt ice down a tube Above water went to door lock, froze, broke door Hung on for dear life on an airplane rudder Daveism-Knocked guy down with helicopter 008 HELLFIRE Used gum wrapper to fix fuse Tested nitroglycerin on barrel Fix truck with pen spring Drove truck with nitro downhill w/o brakes 009 PRODIGAL Hot wire car with paper clip Used SAK to pick trunk lock Loosened lug nuts of bad guys car Used string to turn on saw Distraction: Drywall & wood chips thru a saw Drained radiator on bad guys car Soda, fizzies, dry ice simulated smoke Posed as tow truck driver to take Paulie Dropped car off truck in narrow alley to block chasers Used string & rod to trip someone Used SAK to pick ANOTHER lock Rod & electrical cord used as harpoon Telescope, camphor balls, cleaning fluid, cloth to "fire" the harpoon Went across harpooned cord with pulley and handles 010 KITCHEN MAGIC/TARGET MACGYVER Pick Lock with SAK (HO HUM!!!!!!) Stack pans on ice, heat w/Toaster Oven Spread cooking oil on floor Use hose as "trip wire" Cover "bad guys" with outdoor chaise Reeds under wood to "fake" breathing Blowdart, using reeds & anesthetic-type plant Decoy using a stuffed jacket Pine cones & pine pitch as "land mines" Used "loco weed" as anesthetic Grain dust down a funnel, light it Harry strung wire to use a "remote tripper" Sawed post halfway Harry used pine nuts as "blasting caps" 011 NIGHTMARES (even while drugged, Mac comes thru!) LISAISM-Alarm from string, goblet, silverware Gum wrapper fishing lure Hid evidence in concrete base of lamp post Water down belt into electrical outlet is "shocker" Cot springs & cot used to "sling shot" the door open TV tube, jumper cable, battery "shocked" bad guys Fire hose out window faked out bad guys Air out of tire with nail (That's not new....) Water jugs hung on rope, let go, WHAM Lit rope on fire to activate smoke alarm Hit iron bar on fire hydrant to make magnet 012 FUNERAL IN BERLIN/DEATHLOCK James Bond Trick! Casket becomes a jetski Held armor out to test for booby traps Metal bowl & electric juicer jam TV signals Batteries, wires, mixer, rubber band, cart move armor Vinegar & Baking Soda smoke screen Spread out metal duct pipe for "warning alarm" Rewired & disconnected "bad guys" TV signals Used mirror as periscope Got some "trigger" to squirt water at bad guy 013 FLAME'S END Notice hole is blown IN, not out, with magnesium oxide Cut wires to speed up time clock to open door Use a pistol as a wrench 014 COUNTDOWN Made a robot to open fridge and grab eggs Turned cargo net into a rapel line Dental probe coated with vasoline to go thru seal HOW TO DEFUSE THIS VACUUM BOMB: 1. Score neon tube with sharpening stone 2. Break at score, quickly plug w/cork 3. Slide neon tube SLOWLY thru silicon seal 4. Pop cork against sharp object inside bomb 5. Release of neon sucks phosphorus inside tube 6. Pull tube out, you will hear a BANG 7. Milk & dash of liquid oven cleaner in pastry tube 8. Remove cylinder seals, sniff for chemical content 9. Put milky stuff in each cylinder 10. After liquid clears, drain cylinders 11. AW MAN!!! secondary part activates!!!!!!! 12. Tell Pete you'll play golf (you HATE golf!) 13. Tell Pete to do some cross matches 14. Pete comes back and tells you who is VIKING 15. "Innocently" ask the bad guy which fuse to pull 16. Purposely do the exact opposite! 015 ENEMY WITHIN Fix brake line while car is in motion Nylon = adiphic acid, hexmethylene diamene, & iron Mirror, wires, spiral ash tray for hypnosis Candle holder, electric cord, rubber = "Heart starter" 016 EVERY TIME SHE SMILES Used coat rack to break wall Hooked coat wire on conveyor to break wall wire Rode on conveyor belt Speeded up merry-go-round Dropped rings in merry-go-round mesh gears The rings screwed up the gears and threw off bad guys Made gas from pest control, soap flakes, tile cleaner Fused with lard, newspaper, oven cleaner Placed above on cookie sheet with gas jet Jumped on oil truck Put hose on oil truck exhaust Mixed above with water for explosion 017 TO BE A MAN Rewired booby trap to prevent detonation Used satellite parts & plastic shield as hang glider Used Butane burner as torpedo Fixed gasket on manual water pump Hid under straw and knocked support down Fire Extinguisher, water, & spike; broke off boulder 018 UGLY DUCKLING Speaker & oscillator hurt bad guys ears "Kateism"-made transistor radio into SAR-SAT "Kateism"-jumper cables & battery burned off bars Cooled Hot bars with hydrocarbon spray can Cactus juice powered a transistor radio Triangulation: 2 radios, car antena, watch, wire, sun Headlight, mirror, binocular lens to fire gun Got missle to counteract another missle 019 SLOW DEATH No matter what, MacGyver will NOT miss a train! Made doll from handkerchief and sock Salt, Seltzer, green olives as distraction Moonshine & matches to force bad guys off Rewired starter on train to overload Lie Detector from Blood Pressure pump & alarm clock 020 ESCAPE Ball, kerosene, newspaper, cotton = hot air balloon Spatula attached to ceiling fan simulates helicopters PCP & "volitle liquid" on clothes for explosive Wire, washtub, ice, PCP for timed explosive Tape recorder against microphone simulated sirens Emptied grenade powder on cement for explosive 021 A PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE Potato on tailpipe caused car to backfire Blanket, gas, rope, life jacket jammed boat gears Hanging bucket with mop slid thru simulated "mopping" Caulk & "hardening agent" got someone stuck on bucket 022 ASSASSIN Put board across exit "wheel gougers" to drive over 023 HUMAN FACTOR Got past security checkpoint hanging under car Newspaper, magnify glass, watch crystal = telescope Tightrope walked over laser trap floor Plaster dust & coat simulated handprint for sensor Mirror, mop, & pail redirected and shorted laser beam Used pants to hang on pipe over boiling water Magnets, matches, & paper shorted heat seeking robots Cut cable to stop fan from sucking out air Used wires to short fuses to start electrical overload Used overloaded sparking cable to destroy computer Opened mined door, hoping Pete had detonated mines 024 ERASER Rode ON elevator, instead of IN it Used wire to short a keypad combination lock Rewired car phone to lock car doors on incoming call Used metal tube, rag, & gas as tordedo Mirror image of guy shot, fake blood included Run foil between lips to simulate police siren 025 TWICE STUNG Fire hose attached to elevator broke door Flashlight battery & matches connect to floodlight reversed wiring to short out lock 026 WISH CHILD RC Toy used as distraction to "bad" teenager Watch crystal, firecracker to burst crate Rope & umbrella used as grappling hook Gunpowder & bandana in keyhole, hit door, burst lock Fire extinguisher smoke screen Block door with fire extinguisher pin 027 FINAL APPROACH Made parachute into tent Forced snake away with "fire smoke" Log bark used as water trough "Watered" mountain lion away with above trough Tube and earpiece from headset used as stethoscope Sighting tool from branches & earrings Got kids to make mud trough Hollowed log as "spare tire" on airplane 028 EAGLES Broke arrow to splint eagle's wing Used Pen as bird feeder ball bearing, propane stove & grinder blew up shed Used Bicycle inner tube as sling shot Hang glided eggs down from nest 029 JACK OF LIES Unscrewed lightbulb with cardboard tube "Sling shotted" an oxygen cylinder Plugged fuel leak with stick "Sneaked in" in a coffin Poured wine on battery to charge it up Hooked battery to rope and prop for snare 030 ROAD NOT TAKEN Baseball string tied to door as "alert system" Animal Fat & Kerosene in can as flare Made vines into a sling shot Rosary beads in sun made flame set sling shot off Used wire from broom as a saw Fertilizer and rag in can inside bamboo for rocket 031 SILENT WORLD Plastic trash bag, branch, made delayed starter Put snare outside front door 032 THREE FOR THE ROAD Used paper clip for fuse (didn't work!) Used convertible top cover to stop car Used convertible top to stop car Used Ball point pen case to fix fuel line Muffler, seat stuffing, gas, knob used as cannon Collected gas from tank with tail light cover Horn, handle, horseshoe, battery, wire is doorbell Made flowers from newspaper 033 PHOENIX UNDER SIEGE Electro magnet from dry cell, copper wire, iron pipe Create static electricity on wire, zap electric lock "Harryism"-rubbed ropes against chair to free feet "Harryism"-kicked phone buttons to say on 5th floor Disarmed a bomb with hockey ticket 034 FAMILY MATTER Sneaked directional watch under car Put coat on Oar, tied it to boat Float money in life jacket as "message" Wire & rope made remote starter for engine Explosive with gas can & oil soaked rag Bamboo bazookas filled with methane mud 035 SOFT TOUCH Wheel Chair Magnesium, rags, pipe shattered lock Roped someone with speaker wire 036 BIRTH DAY Made driving ramp with boards & barrels Lifted Jeep with boat crane Weight on fishing pole, knocked out someone Water soaked sail bag, signal flags, helium filled 037 PIRATES Shot polystyrene balls with vaccuum cleaner Bilge pump water into boat bumper (didn't work!) Compressed Gas under water burst boat hatch Kept mine trip wire taught with string Used nail to wedge button on land mine 038 OUT IN THE COLD The Parachute thru the ski pole trick! Squirted someone in face with packet of soy sauce Used water as magnifying lens on broken microscope Hid in dry clean bag on conveyer Electrified fence by putting wire against it 039 DALTON, JACK OF SPIES Released side car from bike to go thru narrow alley Shoved motor bike at bad guys Distraction: Cannon and powder Hid inside crate Braced dump truck to stop sledge mechanism Used hooked bar to turn off sledge Goofed, turned on the dumper instead HUNG ON FOR DEAR LIFE while dump truck drove 040 PARTNERS Shoestring, wrench, door handle attached to gas pedal "Peteism" Pulled Mac off bed with displacement charge Oil can, pantihose, battery, exhaust blew off door 041 BUSHMASTER Used rock & string to make rifle shoot itself Sent mouse thru drain to get freon Used freon to shatter lock Put egg whites on radiator to clog holes in radiator 042 FRIENDS (just clips of old MacGyverisms) 043 DOA MACGYVER Slap 2X4 against concrete, sounds like a gun Muriadic Acid & Amonia make fog screen Made name plate into bicycle chain guard Kicked boat stand down to knock bad guy down Figured out, from conversation, coat was a bomb Stuffed said coat into jar, threw under bad guys' car 044 FOR LOVE OR MONEY Made fake blood from red wine and ketchup Carbon, oxygen, & glove smoke bomb in potatoe dish Nitro tablet & alcohol explosive Attached baling wire to ignition to "stun" Scared everyone with grenade with explosive removed 045} LOST LOVE (Two Part ep) 046} Rode down log carrier Entered building thru vent pipe Duct tape over latch so vent won't close Lowered himself with rope & carabriners Found hidden laser with climber's chalk Arnold Palmer's birthday unlocks combination lock Breathed on window, wrote numbers on vapor Hydraulic suctions, plastic tube, remote lift glass Used clamps for pressure to "fake out" weight lock Post-It note and rope for "distraction" to escape Kisses Lisa, pulls out her hair pin to pick handcuffs Used handcuffs to pick lock 047 BACK FROM THE DEAD Used fire hose to slide across high wire Used SAK to drop net on someone Threw spear at dial, steam pressure hit bad guys 048 GHOST SHIP Made oars from branch & tent bag Extracted water from stone with metal tube Fishing reel & line as trip wire, pole as slingshot Put ?? in pipe, flush water?????? 049 FIRE & ICE Attached hose to rake head, used as climbing rope Graphite from pencil to make fingerprints show up 050 GX-1 Pine needles between shirt layers for warmth Made shoes from duct tape and plastic mat Made hot air balloon from shed, tent, gas cylinders 051 JACK IN THE BOX Made acetylene from carbide & water Hooked bad guy up to cable, cable drug him to mud Put dynamite in suitcase 052 WIDOWMAKER Car antenae, jump cable, battery used as arc welder Belt & rope used to climb pole Cut phone wire to tap morse code Used a bracelet for above morse code 053 HELL WEEK "Rymanism"-Fix leak with gum Acedic Acid & Amonia smoke screen for motion detector Jam elevator with dustpan Difuse bomb by "cooking" mercury with wires 054 BLOW OUT Tear Gas: Hot water bottle, soda, vinegar, spices Hung dripping yellow paint under car Moved desk to displace weight for weight bomb Fill bomb truck with cement 055 KILL ZONE Used Transmitter from satellite as a radio Tubing, freon, & gas to seal silicon leak Hot wired an elevator to speed it up 056 EARLY RETIREMENT Steam Pressure Hose Smoke Screen 057 THIN ICE Replaced solenoid spring with flashlight spring 058 THE ODD TRIPLE Fire hose on the bad guys trick! used wine to wriggle out of having hands tied Nitro cannisters on wine cask to break down wall DALTONISM! Smoke flare in the suitcase 059 NEGOTIATOR Fire extinguisher to get rid of chase car Used jumper cables to zap Debra 060 SPOILERS Smoke screen 061 MASK OF THE WOLF Copper & zinc mixture to lift tomb door Used a hemp fuse for above 062 ROCK THE CRADLE Fixed plane landing gear while in mid air Built a baby crib from Hockey sticks Distract bad guys with a remote control plane Used Fire Hose on bad guys 063 ENDANGERED Matches & rum for diversion Took distributor cap from bad guys car (OLD TRICK!) Speared bandana across river to fool bad guys Forked branch, pegs, fishing line sling shot a dart Logs & limonite make pointing arrow Covered ranger with branches Rope, matches, and coat on vine simulated "approach" Flashlight barrel & cord used to shoot dart 064 MURDER'S SKY Hi-Fi speakers & cable simulate "sonar" Knocked out lights with window cleaner Hid behind paper "rock walls" 065 SECRET OF THE PARKER HOUSE Pencil Erasers & Clay on skull remade Aunt Betty Lit Candle detected draft to find secret door Pipe on pressure steamer to torpedo the wall 066 BLOOD BROTHERS Young Mac made a cart from a bicycle Drain Cleaner & Phenolphthalen Solution=fake blood 067 OUTSIDERS Used barrels to support "dirt tunnel" 068 ON A WING AND A PRAYER Threw lantern on crates for diversion Patched sea-plane gash with lifejacket material Rope plane and rev up for take-off on short runway MacGyver "flew economy" on a sea-plane! 069 COLLISION COURSE Made new gasket from (?) Silver nitrate tests for chlorine in water 070 SURVIVORS Climber's pick and ropes to slide between rock walls Stuffed a coat to look like a person 071 DEADLY DREAMS Used motor oil to see thru frosted window Soaked matches with water to keep from exploding "Zetoism"-torn book cover plastic used as cup "Zetoism"-Drain Cleaner & water simulate heart attack "Zetoism"-Transport mixture via toilet paper roll "Crossism"-Tape matches to door, light propane "Crossism"-Phosphorus lanterns in plastic jugs 072 MA DALTON Used lug wrench to disconnect himself from car 073 CLEO ROCKS Tested sulfur on spoon over torch String & SAK released a wire Stunned Murdoc with electric cord 074 FRATERNITY OF THIEVES Sodium Thiosulft. & Dis. Water antidote prussic Acid Rewired Helipad signal lights 075 BATTLE OF TOMMY GIORDANO Hot wired phone for listening to calls in next room Sock over the tailpipe, so car couldn't start Used telephone wire to bolt door shut Alcohol-Ammonia-Acid used with toy for smoke screen 076 CHALLENGE Used alcohol to test ink print 077 RUNNERS Tied car to garbage dump with hose 078 GOLD RUSH Used pin and map to amplify old dictaphone Vodka, string, oxygen to blow out snow Disarm weight mine with backpack pole Rode plane cargo door like sled 079 INVISIBLE KILLER Remote Sling Shot to throw leaves & dirt in guy's face Shot vinegar & pepper through the telescope Rope Snare Trap with pulley in fire lookout 080 BRAINWASHED No MacGyverisms, just figured out the "programming" 081 EASY TARGET Replaced grenade pin with lift ticket wire Took explosisve from grenade, blew out door Jammed door, had Pete hold a "trip" wire Rewired walkie talkies for "short" distraction Made an electro magnet "short" itself 082 RENEGADE Hot wire elevator with SAK Light bulb aim at motion detector to hide motion Yanked "any old wire" to difuse bomb, GOT LUCKY Roped prop on helicopter 083 UNFINISHED BUSINESS Daltonism-Used Feet knock Deborah down w/rock No "isms," except for clips from past shows 084} LEGEND OF THE HOLY ROSE (Two part ep) 085} Stowed away in a hot tub crate Built a two seat airplane for rescue Used his shoes to escape from pendulum torture Used flag to climb castle to rescue Zoe Used bellows as a pea shooter 086 BLACK CORSAGE PHROGISM-pushed door open with nose PHROGISM-dog rerouted Mac & Colton out of fish chopper Cut ropes on fish teeth Start Merry Go Round to distract bad guys Used SAK to pick lock (HO HUM!!!!!) Rigged cord to shut cover when jewelry picked up 087 CEASE FIRE Wire, battery, jumper cable as "arc welder" Lisa "doubletalks" bad guys Rope self to cable car Cut off bomb with SAK 088 SECOND CHANCE Shot a syringe through rolled up paper Exploded a gate lock 089 HALLOWEEN KNIGHTS Pool Chalk, candle wax makes thumbprint impression Apple & cabbage deflects rifle with motion detector Garbage Can Lid deflects rifle with motion detector Tent cloth prevents motion detector from working Pouring kerosene on self repels snakes 090 CHILDREN OF LIGHT Vise Grip forced heavy pipe to burst down door Used metal pole to slide down cord used as rope 091 BLACK RHINO (no MacGyverisms, just a bunch of fighting) 092 TEN PERCENT SOLUTION Earring, tube, light bulb broke thru metal door 093 TWO TIMES TROUBLE Climbed out of elevator, and up shaft Camera lens = magnifying glass Got fingerprint with tempura paint and tape Figured out double life, dressed up as Carla While underwater in tank, breathed on bubble pipe Kicked light bulb, cut straightjacket on broken glass 094 MADONNA Rolled stage on barbells 095 SERENITY (no MacGyverisms, BOO HOO!) 096 LIVE & LEARN Glycerol & water to recover a burned paper Lifted cement slab off someone 097 LOG JAM Squirt fire hose at a killer (didn't work too long!) 098 TREASURE OF MANCO Used SAK to dig out grout seal on rock Stood on stone to activate Inca mechanism 099 JENNY'S CHANCE Wire & microchip makes high frequency noise Everybody was somebody else!!!!! 100 DEEP COVER (2nd appearance of DEXTER!) Flare, oxygen, wire, popped submarine cover Pinned bad guys with raft Hooked boat to dock Cable "hooked" bad guy 101 LOST AMADEUS LULUISM-took key while looking over someone's shoulder LULUISM-"Therapied" guy to distraction, then hit Hid inside grate Hair pin opens lock Lit kerosene lamp in trash, activates CO2 Extinguisher Cut ropes against scroll saw blade 102 HEARTS OF STEEL Swung on Cable to knock bad guy down Heavy electro-magnet lifted car 103 RUSH TO JUDGEMENT Used SAK to pick lock on soft drink dispenser (YAWN..) Made soft drink dispenser shoot cans for distraction Pushed cart to knock bag lady down Spilled perfume to put dogs off scent trail Dressed manequins in Macs clothes to fool dogs 104 PASSAGES HARRYISM-Gum wrapper fishing lure Fire hose threaded on boat axle winches door open Used boat cable to jump from ship Drew symbol in baby powder to tell Pete something 105 TOUGH BOYS Picked lock w/SAK (how many times was THIS done?) Cowboy roped a bomb w/electrical cord Attempted to disarm bomb w/ string & copper tube Didn't work, got lucky, bomb was phony Paint can handle & lawn mower rope pull lift door bolt Used oozie as wrench to turn on fire hose Thread said hose thru ladder, squirt bad guys 106 HUMANITY Phone & Speaker to listen to "clicks" in comb. lock Threw bomb in safe after opening it 107 GUN Used (??) to pry box open Explosive: Grenade detonator, copper wire, dry cell 108 TWENTY QUESTIONS Last computer file accessed = next house robbery Threw picture for distraction Lamp, small figure, table, = LARGE shadow on curtain Chained truck so it wouldn't go over edge 109 WALL Signal Flare to detect laser beam Used "slimy goo" to get ropes off hands Used hand puppet as distraction Toy Blimp as distraction Dropped snare drum on bad guy 110 LESSON IN EVIL ZETOISM-Use pin to pick lock (how original!) Mac deciphered Zeto's code Jumped on bell rope, caused bell to hit Zeto 111 HARRY'S WILL SAK to pick lock (AGAIN???) Used wire to pull air pump hose Inflated doubled-over inner tube to raise car DIVINE INTERVENTION gave clue to Harry's puzzle 112 MACGYVER'S WOMEN Used belt hook to cut ropes Roped building, horse pulled building down Alcohol poured on seeds in stove mimics gunshots 113 BITTER HARVEST Sunglasses, Nail Polish Remover, Lamp = spectroscope Used homemade spectroscope to analyze stick for "fix" Kicked off welded bar, cut ropes on welds Breathed oxygen from hole left from kicking bar Squirted wine from tank at bad guy 114 VISITOR SAK to pick lock (ho hum!!!!!!!!!) VORTEX caused distraction VORTEX posts Mac's bail VORTEX shorts out the flame thrower Uranium, amonia, nepalm, wires = chemical plasma Spear salted wires to power lines = chemical plasma 115 SQUEEZE PLAY (3rd appearance of DEXTER!) Pull out brick to listen in room Record tone dials to figure out phone number Kent McCord bats ball to cause sign to fall 116 JERICO GAMES Jerico pin picks lock (yawn........) Mac escaped by hanging on under truck Metal rod pushed window out of incinerator Used same rod to push incinerator handle to OFF Rod & string to open latch on incinerator door 117 WASTELAND Propeller Parachute man to hospital (GOOD 'ISM!) 118 EYE OF OSIRIS Sugar/Water to dry Sand impression for plaster mold 119 HIGH CONTROL Found Biotoxin in Teddy Bear Used broken glass to break ropes Squirt ether thru pump hose to knock someone out Mixed explosive, put on bike, hit car with it 120 THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE Stapled coat to ground, person was in coat Blown up rubber glove & light bulb thing 121 BLIND FAITH Steam Pressure Hose Shot Gun Used grinder to cut ropes Jam Door with a Crowbar (TOO EASY!) Used Display Shelf as Bullet Proof Barrier Used Jumper Cables to make "stunner" 122 FAITH HOPE & CHARITY Made a Crutch from Hat Rack Ropes against saw to cut binds Made wheelchair from Baby Carriage Saw thru stair support to stop bad guys Found a secret tunnel Cayene Pepper on a mop in someone's face Pull Stair Carpet runner to trip someone Vaccuum Cleaner in the Chili, squirt at someone 123 STRICTLY BUSINESS Used Rifle to prop Booby Trap wires 124 TRAIL OF TEARS T-Bar inside tube for rocket to break door Used feather as cotter pin to stop bomb 125 HIND-SIGHT (Just clips of old MacGyverisms) 126 HONEST ABE Use Flashlight Morse Code to access helicopter {"Waxed" cloth thru candle for a fuse {thread above fuse into keyhole {Pour Brandy into bellows, flush thru keyhole {Lit fuse by stiking metal hoop on concrete floor Fired helicopter weapons by shaving & flashing mirrror 127 HOOD Speared skeleton hand to pull lever Candle Wax enhanced printing on burned matchbook Hid in Laundry Cart, kicked someone Knocked scaffolding down w/ fire hose & elevator 128 OBSESSED Used shoes to pull cart with nitrogen toward him Used Nitrogen to break rope Stuffed cloth in the intake of rocket to mess it up Squirted "409 Cleaner" on light bulb for diversion Murdocism-Dart in payment briefcase 129 PROMETHEUS SYNDROME Used bomb to break down door Pulled bomb pin with officer badge Used above pin to unhook motion sensor in bomb Used walkie talkie magnet against bomb circuit 130 COLTONS Got the dog to bring acid to him to cut rope 131 WALKING DEAD Grab rope thru knothole in coffin Knotted rope, swaying truck broke coffin Throw Mama L.'s "magic dust" Wire, brick, barrel as distraction Escaped in cloud of magic powder 132} GOOD KNIGHT MACGYVER (Two part ep) 133} "Ducked" on horse to prevent joust jab Cowboy-roped a knight Sliced standing rope with SAK (so what?!?!?!?!?!?!) Lit a match (This WAS the 16th Century!!!!!) Pewter goblet, 4 eggs, & (?????) for poison antidote Alcohol, candle, wire, metal, glass; isolated tinadium Soda & vinegar in bag is fire extinguisher Corkscrew on SAK pulled Mac out of pits High pitch dog whistle from metal tube & paper? Lighter & "black powder" make letters show up on rock Polished barrette with amonia to make mirror Wet cloth strips, quills, silk, knife makes kite Vitriol & zinc make hydrogen gas in a boda bag Used said gassed boda bag to fly kite Said kite caught fire and blew off jail door 134 DEADLY SILENTS Open SAK with one hand! SAK thru wallet, poke curtain, slide down curtain Used shoe as "grappling hook" Pulled prop down on "bad guys" 135 SPLIT DECISION Homemade boxing training devices Sodium Thiosulfate & water is "chill bag" Knocks window with crane truck 136 GUNZ 'N BOYS Tore off Air Conditioner to get in warehouse Lit whiskey covered kindling in wastebasket for flame Used flame, Duct Pipe, cinch belt to torpedo beer keg Picked lock with champaigne cork wire (original....) 137 OFF THE WALL Heat Coil & Coat hanger to break plastic hand ties Threw bomb down chute, hit car 138 STRINGER Water Pressure Hose "Turbo" Lift Smoke screen down a funnel 139 MOUNTAIN OF YOUTH Test tube & scarf to split wire Put stopper in door to jam it so it wouldn't lock 140 LOST TREASURE OF ATLANTIS Replaced Medal used to hold bars with lens cap OOPS, that didn't work! Now, HOW did they get out of the rock pile??? How to get out of Jail with an electrically charged floor: 1. Attach chain to wooden chair. 2. Place chair on electric floor. 3. Make sure you don't step on electric part! 4. Hop on chair, don't touch floor. 5. Lean back in chair. 6. Fill keyhole with butane gas from lighter. 7. Jump off chair. 8. Push light hanging from cord against door to ignite the butane. 9. BAM, door is open. Take apart gun, use pin to pick handcuff locks. How to get a car with no engine to "go:" 1. Put booster rockets on side of car 2. Hook the car to a box of grenades. 3. BAM, building door is blown off, car goes. Used the booby trap stalactites to cut rope Candle in armor to burn rope for distraction (Shades of "Deathlock" here????) Used SAK to start the plane (OH PUH-LEEZ!!) How to get out of a volcano: 1. Thread rope thru funnel 2. Throw funnel with rope to top 3. Hope it "catches," it does 4. Loop rope thru pulley 5. Put coat over steam pipe 6. The pressure of steam forces coat out 7. Rope moves, hang on, get out 141 TRAIL TO DOOMSDAY Air nozzle w/powder to distract bad guy Wet rag w/charcoal used as gas mask Used eyeglasses as magnifier Use belt as a pole grip to climb pole Used vaccuum switch and hose to distract bad guy Screw driver blocks door Tone generator of oscilloscope rewired uranium separator Used insulation to crawl on "hot" uranium pipes Red & Black lead wires and tennis racket used as tricket wrench 142 MACGYVER RETURNS - A NARROW ESCAPE MasterCard Unveils Ad During the Super Bowl Featuring Actor Richard Dean Anderson. Latest Priceless Spot Features MacGyver, Highlights Debit MasterCard. Purchase, NY, January 30, 2006 - MasterCard International today unveiled plans to air its latest Priceless television execution during the broadcast of Super Bowl XL on February 5, on ABC Sports. The 30-second spot features actor Richard Dean Anderson, who starred as the lead character in the popular 1980s series MacGyver, and focuses on the benefits of Debit MasterCard®. It will air during the game's fourth quarter. Entitled MacGyver, the ad finds Anderson's character in typical fashion: held hostage in a remote warehouse with time running out on a self-destructing bomb. Cleverly, MacGyver uses the purchases he had made with his Debit MasterCard card everyday items at a convenience store to free himself and escape to safety. While I've had offers to bring the MacGyver character back to life, MasterCard had the sense of humor I felt was needed to bring the character back, said Anderson. The commercial really speaks to how oftentimes everyday items are truly 'priceless' and can serve as life savers. At the end of the spot, consumers are encouraged to visit www.priceless.com, a new website containing behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the filming of the spot. "Consumers want to be able to purchase the everyday items they need in a way that is easy, quick and convenient," said Amy Fuller, group head, Americas marketing for MasterCard International. "Because the MacGyver character continues to have a presence in today's pop culture, we believe featuring him in a Super Bowl ad further articulates the ease and convenience of Debit MasterCard® in a manner that truly resonates with the millions of TV viewers who tune-in to the game each year." The spot, which will go into general brand rotation beginning March 6, consists of the following sequence of events: As a bomb is ticking, MacGyver struggles to free himself from a chair to which he is bound utilizing Little Tree air freshener. Voice over: air freshener: $1.29 on Debit MasterCard In the nick of time, MacGyver breaks free of the ropes and breaks through a window, only to realize he is dangerously high from jumping to safety. He notices a wire leading to the ground and quickly realizes he has a tube sock in his pocket, which he utilizes as a handle. Voice over: tube sock: $4 Sliding to safety, MacGyver runs to a broken down truck, which he jump starts employing a paper clip, ballpoint pen, rubber band, tweezers, nasal spray and turkey baster and then drives away, narrowly avoiding an explosion caused by the bomb. Voice over: little things that get you through the day: priceless. The spot culminates with MasterCard's traditional voiceover, There are some things money can't buy...for everyday stuff there's Debit MasterCard, and completes with MacGyver in a convenience store purchasing an array of off-the-cuff items, awkwardly avoiding the questioning looks of the cashier. ***************************************************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Melissa Kelley got in touch with a writer from the MacGyver show. Here is some background on how the MacGyverisms were developed, from writer Rick Drew. Greetings, Melissa... While writing the show, the MacGyverisms were usually developed out of the nature of the story. We seldom if ever came up with an idea for a MacGyverism then built story elements around it. More often than not, they evolved from the location of the story itself. Given that I (and others) were on location, we often developed ideas at the last minute due to location restrictions. For example, a writer in LA may have written an elaborate stunt to take place in a auto plant, but when it came down to shooting, the location might be changed to something like a saw mill or an abandoned fish cannery -- as a result, the elements necessary for the MacGyverism conceived in the original script would no longer be available, and we would have to brainstorm something based on what would logically be available on the new location. In short, to create MacGyverisms, we had to think like MacGyver. One of my favourites was in "Murderer's Sky"; MacGyver was trapped in a subterranean hidden room in Chinatown. Knowing that Vancouver's Chinatown is (supposedly) honeycombed with tunnels and opium dens from the last century, I thought this would be an interesting place to trap he and the boy he was locked up with. The problem then became, how do I get him out? While watching our art department build a cave set for an up-coming episode, I came up with an idea: They would use industrial aluminum foil to create a rough surface, then spay it with liquid styrofoam, which was then painted. I then wrote in a stove an packing paper to be placed in the room, and had MacGyver and the boy disguise themselves as rocks! It proved to be a lot of fun... Steve Downing had a phrase that always guided such notions "Simple but memorable". I'm sure you will agree, the best ones were based more on creative ingenuity, rather than a vast knowledge of scientific theory. We had two researchers proved extremely helpful, John Koivula in LA, and Jim Green in Vancouver. When we were stuck, they would help us brainstorm, and would provide us with the scientific theory behind the ideas. Whenever we created anything "bomb-like" or otherwise destructive, we took pains to be certain we were not being instructional, by leaving out or changing a key element. We all were disturbed when every now and then, we'd read in the paper that some kid did some damage or blew something up based on what he'd seen on MacGyver. This was never the case. As for the ideas for episodes in general, they came from as many different areas as there are episodes. Recalling a few of my own... THIN ICE: Was my first original episode. It was inspired by the upcoming winter Olympics at the time, and the fact that Richard Dean Anderson was the honourary captain of the US Olympic hockey team. We felt we could take our "non-violent" theme and apply it to the blood sport of hockey. BLOOD BROTHERS: This was an effort to examine why MacGyver never used a gun. Steve Downing (a former police officer) has very strong views about gun control, shared by all of us. Though the shooting of (the young) MacGyver's friend did not occur in R.D.A.'s life, the shooting of the bird did. He told me about an incident when he was a kid when he shot at a bird casually, and actually hit it. He was sickened by the fact he had taken a life so casually, and never shot at anything again. I borrowed this true incident as a set up for the accidental shooting. A point of trivia; the fellow playing the sheriff of MacGyver's home town was actually Rick's best friend when they were kids. There was a storm of controversy about the episode because ABC bowed to pressure from the NRA, and refused to air a message at the end of the show stating the facts about deaths related to handguns and children. Also, it marked the US network debut of Jason Priestly, who was still a local Vancouver actor at the time. In a way, it was his first big break into prime time TV. CLEO ROCKS: Murdoc as the Phantom of the Opera. I had just come back from having seen Phantom in London, and I couldn't resist. John Sheppard and I had fun with that one. As always, Michael had fun chewing the scenery as Murdoc. It was also a chance to show off Teri Hatcher (now Lois Lane on "Lois and Clark"). The song she did was written by Michael. It was fun to feel like a Broadway producer for a little while. JENNIE'S CHANCE: Also written with John. It was inspired by a true incident in England where ultra sonic signals were being broadcast from a riding crop to throw off other horses in a race. I had worked on a couple of movies with Linda Blair, so it seemed like a nice idea to create a vehicle for her. "Stings" such as these are hellish to write. THE WALL: I remember when the wall came down in Berlin, I thought "Freedom rushed in, but what got out?" The rest of it was based on research from the New York Times magazine about Stazi agents left out in the cold. G. Gordon Liddy, who had been on the show as an actor proved to be a helpful and inspirational resource for information and wild ideas. EASY TARGET: Was based on an article Liddy wrote for OMNI magazine suggesting that terrorists could cripple an area by generating an electromagnetic pulse that would ordinarily accompany a nuclear explosion. The episode came out pretty lame for a number of reasons. It was written to be shot at a local power plant, but they backed out at the last minute for technical reasons. The rest of it just came off like a lame 50's sci-fi flick. Not one of my favorites, and easily my worst experience writing the show. THE SECRET OF PARKER HOUSE: John and I rewrote it based on the original by one of our producers. [name deleted], who took a pen name due to the re-write. The explosion scene got out of hand, and several windows in the old house we were using were shattered as a result. Another bit of trivia: "The Endangered" (one of the few spec scripts we ever bought), was written by Peter Felardi, who went on to write the successful "Flatliners". Hope these ramblings are of interest to you. Keep up the good work. Best regards.... RD ***************************************************************** RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON TELEVISION AND MOVIE CREDITS 1976-1981 GENERAL HOSPITAL ABC Television Daytime Serial Role: Dr. Jeff Webber Richard first gained national recognition in this long-running daytime serial. He joined the cast from 1976 to 1981 as young resident and neurosurgeon Dr. Jeff Webber. His story lines included discovering that his wife, Monica, had slept with his brother, Rick. Depressed, he shot himself in the head, but later survived brain surgery. He also fathered Heather's baby, which was sold to the Taylor family. When his wife, Heather, was institutionalized, he left Port Charles for Carson City, to start a new life with his son P.J. 1980 DINAH! Syndicated Television Talk Show Guest/ Episode: "Sex Symbols in Daytime TV" Airdate: Summer, 1980 Guest Richard joins other stars of daytime television for a guest appearance on Dinah Shore's talk show, where he and his friend Carl Dante perform the song "You're Just a Runaway" with their band, "Ricky Dean and Dante." 1981 THE FACTS OF LIFE NBC Television Series Guest Role/ Episode: "Brian and Sylvia" Airdate: March 25, 1981 Role: Brian Parker This episode was an unsold spinoff pilot for the series The Parkers. Richard plays Tootie's uncle, married to her Aunt Sylvia. The pilot explores their happy inter-racial marriage, and deals with Sylvia's opportunity to pursue a TV-news career in New York City, and Brian's wish to remain in Buffalo as a hockey coach. 1981 TODAY'S FBI ABC Television Series Guest Role/ Episode: "The Fugitive" Airdate: November 29, 1981 Role: Andy McFey Richard plays Andy McFey, a childhood friend of series regular Al Gordean, played by Richard Hill. Andy had been a dispatcher in a trucking company who helped to engineer an armored car robbery, had been caught, and sent to prison. In the episode, Andy and two other inmates escape and are hunted by the FBI. Al tries to convince his friend to surrender, but Andy, distraught over the direction his life has taken, would rather die than return to prison. 1982 THE LOVE BOAT ABC Television Series Guest Role/ Episode: "Cold Feet" Airdate: March 20, 1982 Role: Carter Randall Carter Randall, Julie's cousin, is sailing on the cruise with his fiancée Muffy, played by Linda Blair. In a serious case of "cold feet", Carter begs Julie to help him back out of the wedding by getting Muffy to fall in love with another man. However, the "other man" ends up being Carter, in a cowboy disguise. 1982 YOUNG DOCTORS IN LOVE ABC Motion Pictures Production Airdate: 1982 Guest Role: "Vanilla" Produced and directed by Garry Marshall, and written by Michael Elias and Rich Eustis, this comedy is a frenzied sendup of the medical profession. Richard has a small uncredited cameo role as "Vanilla", a drug-dealing ice cream vendor. 1982-1983 SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS CBS Television Series Series Premiere Airdate: September 19, 1982 Role: Adam McFaddan This musical series is based loosely on the 1954 MGM musical of the same name. Richard plays the eldest of seven orphaned brothers, who marries Hannah in the pilot episode, and brings her home to the family. 1982 $25,000 PYRAMID CBS Television Game Show Airdate: November 1st to 5th, 1982 Guest Contestant with Didi Conn 1983 $25,000 PYRAMID CBS Television Game Show Airdate: February 21st to 25th, 1983 Guest Contestant with Nancy Dussault 1983-1984 EMERALD POINT N.A.S. CBS Television Series Series Premiere Airdate: September 26, 1983 Role: Lt. Simon Adams This prime time serial, in the tradition of Dynasty, centers around the interlocking relationships of two families at the Emerald Point Naval Air Station. Richard plays Lieutenant Simon Adams, a hot-shot Naval pilot. 1984 BATTLE OF THE NETWORK STARS ABC Television Special Guest/ Episode ..16 Airdate: May 3, 1984 Guest Contestant Representing Emerald Point N.A.S, Richard joins the CBS team in the 16th Battle of the Network Stars special. He participates in the swimming relay, touch football, baseball dunk, obstacle course, tandem bike relay, and tug of war, helping to lead CBS to a victory over the other two networks. 1984/5 ODD JOBS Silver Screen Partners Production Airdate: 1985 Guest Role: Spud In this comedy, produced by Keith Fox Rubinstein, written by Robert Conte and Peter Martin Wortmann, and directed by Mark Story, five college buddies on summer break team up to form a moving company despite local loan sharks and mobsters. Richard has a small guest role as "Spud", the conceited and self-absorbed boyfriend that Julianne Phillips uses to spark jealousy in her former boyfriend, played by Paul Reiser. 1985/6 ORDINARY HEROES Feature Movie Released to ABC Television Airdate: October 19, 1986 Role: Tony Kaiser In this updated remake of the 1945 movie Pride of the Marines, Tony Kaiser is drafted to serve in Vietnam, but three days before he is due to retu