(Photo: Mark Hill/CBS)
Mac won’t be back for missions in the 2021-22 television season. The CBS network has announced that the MacGyver action-adventure series is ending and won’t reach a sixth season.
Airing on Friday nights, the MacGyver TV series stars Lucas Till, Tristin Mays, Justin Hires, Meredith Eaton, Levy Tran, and Henry Ian Cusick. A reimagining of the 1985 TV series, this show centers on Angus “Mac” MacGyver (Till), a 20-something adventurer. Mac is an operative in a secret organization within the US government called the Phoenix Foundation. There, he uses his vast scientific knowledge and an extraordinary talent for unconventional problem-solving to save lives. In his high-risk missions, Mac is aided by hacker Riley Davis (Mays); Mac’s best friend, prosthetics expert Wilt Bozer (Hires); Director of Operations Matty Weber (Eaton); the team’s protector, Desi Nguyen (Tran); and Russ Taylor (Cusick), a quick-witted former military operative and manipulator. Under the aegis of the Phoenix Foundation, MacGyver takes on the responsibility of saving the world, armed to the teeth with resourcefulness and little more than bubble gum and a paper clip.
The fifth season of MacGyver averages a 0.52 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 7.80 million viewers. Compared to season four, that’s down by 23% in the demo and down by 21% in viewership.
“All of us at CBS are extremely grateful for the incredible work and dedication from Lucas and the rest of the cast, as well as Monica, the writers, and the entire crew,” said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. “The MacGyver team traveled far and wide to repeatedly save the world with little more than bubble gum and a paper clip and made this show distinctly their own. We’re gratified we get to give this dedicated and loyal fan base the opportunity to say goodbye to their favorite characters in the thoughtful manner this series deserves.”
In response to the announcement, Till wrote, “Where to begin? The past five years have been what I will look on later as THE most formative years of my life. Lots of tough, lots of love. I made lifelong friends, actually no, family. I learned to push myself to new limits, breaking through and through and through. Was nervous to take up the mantle of an icon and you guys allowed me into your homes and accepted me. I’m like the Roger Moore of MacGyvers now thanks to your support. Lol. But this is also a love letter to my cast and crew, to those who have been with us since day 1 or day 1000, through those oppressive summer days in the Georgia heat, where the humidity envelopes you like a warm sweater to the below-freezing winter days where the worst part about it is that no one believes you when you say it gets cold in Georgia. Lol. Through all the people who said we wouldn’t make it past the first 13, through all the tough times you guys always somehow brought so much joy into my life, helped me grow exponentially and you’ve shown me what it means to be a real cinema team. This format just doesn’t do enough justice for all that I want to say, so maybe this is the first of many blubbering messages, but thank you, my new family, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. All of you.”
Director Danny Davila responded this way:
A kid, some referred to me as MacGyver for the crazy stuff I would come up with. Usually with duct tape and anything I could get my hands on. To be able to design the show as an adult was a dream come true. I wi truly miss the MacGyver family and the home we made away from home.
— 🦋 Danny Dávila 🦋 🇺🇸🇨🇺🇵🇷 (@DanielitoDavila) April 8, 2021
The series finale of MacGyver airs Friday, April 30th and is titled “Abduction + Memory + Time + Fireworks + Dispersal”. It’s already been filmed. The reboot wraps with 94 episodes.
What do you think? Do you enjoy the MacGyver TV series? Are you sorry to hear it won’t be been renewed for a sixth season on CBS?