Angus “Mac” Macgyver has been entertaining us for decades. The secret agent needed little more than a roll of duct tape to save the world. Unfortunately, the character has finally met his match as CBS decided to cancel its reimagined version of “MacGyver.”
Originally premiering back in 1985, “MacGyver” met huge success as a television action drama. Even though the show only ran for seven seasons, the title character gained a life of his own.
“MacGyver” became a term for fixing something in an unorthodox way. And not just in a slang sense, it literally became a word. The Oxford Dictionary actually defines “MacGyver” as a verb.
With this kind of juice, it makes sense that a network would want to repackage the title. And that’s exactly what CBS did in 2016.
Ratings Slip And Controversy Led To ‘MacGyver’ Cancellation
The Lucas Till-led “MacGyver” initially found success but has been racked with controversy in recent years. Executive Producer Peter Lenkov was removed from the show for creating a hostile work environment.
Lucas Till, the man playing MacGyver himself, suffered as a result of Lenkov’s abuse. In a 2020 Vanity Fair article, Till is reported as saying, “I was suicidal that first year on the show, because of the way he made me feel. But the way he’s treated the people around me—that’s just my breaking point.”
Hostile conditions aside, the most recent season of the show was met with a steep decline in viewership. It doesn’t finish airing until April 30. TVLine reports that thus far, the fifth season is down 22% from where it was last year.
Kelly Kahl, President of CBS Entertainment, gave a statement to Deadline.
“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. 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.”
