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MacGyver

When we talk about streaming culture, we’re usually enthusing about what’s new, but one of the best things about streaming is how it’s made old and obscure cult hits available to a new generation. Presenting Cult Corner: your weekly look into hidden gems and long-lost curiosities that you can find on streaming.

On September 23, 2016 a hero will ride again: CBS is launching a MacGyver reboot. The new series will star 26-year-old X-Men: First Class cutie Lucas Till as Angus “Mac” MacGyver and the pilot is directed by Saw auteur James Wan. No word on whether or not this new iteration will feature explosive blood and gore, but the teasers all promise that “Mac is Back.”

It really ought to be noted that MacGyver is an interesting hero to bring back in 2016. As our nation finds itself more bitterly divided than ever over gun control, MacGyver is a hero hellbent against gun violence. The source of his hatred? His childhood best friend was killed by a revolver in a freak accident. If the reboot keeps this core part of the MacGyver canon alive, it might turn a mindless network action romp into truly politicized TV event. The show could be a meditation on the power of fighting evil without resorting to violence. And yet, based on this teaser trailer, I can’t help but to think there’s no way that’s going to happen.

The reboot begs the question: What really is the appeal of MacGyver? Is it the explosions? Is it the handsome young man finagling his way through near-apocalyptic scenarios with nothing but a Swiss Army Knife and swagger? Is it just jokes about solving puzzles with gum? Or did we like MacGyver for some other reason?

The original MacGyver was a strange show that balanced bombastic action set pieces with old-fashioned heart. The pilot opens with a spectacular shot of a man climbing a perilous rock face in the middle of central Asia. We watch as he makes it to the top, and then like a super spy, sneaks into an enemy base, rescues a prisoner, and stops a missile from exploding. It’s the stuff of spy capers, and yet, the whole scene is accompanied by a folksy voice over. Our hero is relating a story about trying to ride a neighbor’s horse as a child. It’s a spy game meets James Bond meets A Prairie Home Companion…and it’s delightful. Richard Dean Anderson’s Mac is a brilliant swashbuckler, but he’s also an earnest dork who wears pom pom hats.

I would argue that it was MacGyver‘s earnestness that made it such a hit. The story goes that Richard Dean Anderson won the lead role because he gave it so much heart. Series creator John Rich has been quoted on the record for saying that every other actor who auditioned “hulked” through the performance. The subtext being that MacGyver needed to be a hero who didn’t rely upon his brawn, but his brains. Anderson got that. He understood the awkward balance of science geek and swashbuckler. He could set off an explosion just as easily as he could make a moral stand.

So here’s where I propose that instead of waiting for the MacGyver reboot to hit TV, you should revisit the original on Netflix, Hulu, or Prime Video for a healthy dose of old fashioned storytelling. Everything about the show — from Anderson’s “Aw shucks” vibe to the heavily synthesized score — is like a comforting hug. It almost makes me want to wear an Alf t-shirt and bust out a can of spaghetti-o’s for dinner.*

[Watch MacGyver on Netflix]
[Watch MacGyver on Hulu]
[Watch MacGyver on Prime Video]

*I was a kid when MacGyver first aired and I was the kind of kid who wore Alf t-shirts and ate spaghetti-o’s non-stop. They all just seem to slam together in my mind.