CBS is ending its “MacGyver” reboot after five years.
The drama, shot in metro Atlanta, will air its series finale on Friday, April 30, during its regular 8 p.m. slot. That will be its 94th episode.
It was a reliable Friday night fixture, a lead-in to “Hawaii Five-O,” then “Magnum P.I.,” two other rebooted shows from decades past. This season, it averaged nearly 6 million viewers a week.
The original series ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 starring Richard Dean Anderson as a man with a knack for solving problems using common products like duct tape and a Swiss Army Knife.
Lucas Till, 2008 Kell High School graduate from Marietta, stars in the current version as Angus “Mac” MacGyver, a modern-day version of Anderson’s character, still solving problems via ingenious means.
“MacGyver” behind the scenes has had some rocky moments. George Eads, formerly of “CSI,” played MacGyver’s right-hand man Jack Walton but had conflicts on set and quit during the third season. His character was killed off-camera in season five. The show hired Henry Ian Cusick of “Lost” fame to play tycoon Russell “Russ/Rusty” Taylor season four.
Then show creator and showrunner Peter Lenkov was let go last year following an investigation into allegations about a toxic environment on the show. Vanity Fair reported that he was known to be misogynistic and prone to making crude jokes on set.
Till himself told the magazine that Lenkov drove him to his “breaking point” through bullying and verbal abuse that included body-shaming.
Monica Macer replaced Lenkov as showrunner for season five.
“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 of 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.”
The show, which also features Atlanta-based actor Justin Hires, creatively used metro Atlanta and green screen as the “MacGyver” team traveled around the world to fight crime.
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