Was MacGyver vegetarian?

What kind of jacket did he wear?

What kind of watch did he wear?

Was Dana really blind?

How did RDA get the role?

Have I seen that actor before?

Why hasn't he got a girlfriend?

Who invents the MacGyverismsns?

What degrees does Mac have?

What type of plane did Jack fly?

Organizations in the show?

Did MacGyver ever win an award?

Who came up with MacGyvers First name?

I thought it was Stace?

Why does he hate guns?

Didn't he shoot a gun?

Why did he move out of the houseboat?

What's that red bracelet Mac wears in season 6?

What other countries
was the show seen in?

Why was the show cancelled?

Where did the lost episode come from?

How did RDA hurt his back?
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of knife did MacGyver use?
His most commonly used knife was a "Tinker" model from Victorinox. But throughout the show he used several different models of both Victorinox and Wenger brands to match particular tools used in the episodes. 

In one episode 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 in "Lost Love pt. 1 and 2", the Recruit in "GX-1", and the Climber in "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 panels to stay in setting with the period 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.

The knife seen in the opening of each episode is a Wenger, as noted by its long keychain

How did the producers come up with MacGyver’s first name?
Actually, they didn’t. Richard Dean Anderson came up with it. In an interview on the tonight Show he explained that he saw the name in large letters on a banner at a Vancouver charity event. He suggested it to the producers, and they went along with it.

But I thought his first name was supposed to be "Stace," not "Angus."
Richard Dean Anderson has publicly stated that “they” (meaning the production team) have no idea where the idea of "Stace" came from, but it certainly wasn’t from them.
We do know that the name was circulating in this press release before the show premiered.

Why does MacGyver hate guns?
When he was a kid, he and his friends where playing with his fathers handgun, when one of his friends took aim at a bird, MacGyver knocked the gun away to save the bird, but as the gun hit the ground it discharged and shot Jesse in the chest. He died from the wounds several minutes later to spite MacGyver trying to save him.

The full story is explained in detail in the episode “Blood Brothers”

The idea for this story actually takes from a real life childhood experience where Richard Dean Anderson and friends where playing with a gun and his friend shot and killed a bird. The idea that a gun can allow a person to so casually take another life (animal or human) immediately impacted him and soured him towards guns, and so he has worked his dislike of guns into the MacGyver character.

But didn’t I see MacGyver fire a rifle in the series premiere?
Yes, you certainly did. But the producers hadn’t fully worked out all the details of the character yet, and so in the scene where Mac and the rescued pilot are being chased by soldiers, we see Mac shooting at them. Interestingly, in the second-season episode "Friends," that same scene is shown - with the footage of MacGyver firing the rifle removed.

What kind of jackets did MacGyver wear?
The brown bomber jacket is specifically called a “Raider” style bomber jacket and can be purchased online from: http://www.flightsuits.com/leather_raider.html.

The black jacket with the orange interior is an MA-1 Flight jacket. In the later seasons MacGyver added a US flag patch to the left sleeve of his jacket.

He also wore a Black leather jacket of unknown design and black leather “biker” style jacket.

What kind of watch did MacGyver wear?
In the first 3 seasons he wore a Timix Military field watch, although there are scenes where the exact model changes, but still remains a military watch.

For Episodes "Countdown" and "Nightmares" we saw his watch switched to a Casio digital watch with a countdown timer function.

From season 4 onwards his watch changed to a more dressier styled gold and black watch, which to date we have not been able to identify.

We also see MacGyver wearing a calculator watch in The Negotiator and The Odd Triple episodes.

Did Dana Elcar (who plays Pete Thornton) go blind in real life?
Unfortunately, yes. Dana was diagnosed with glaucoma more than 25 years before "Blind Faith," the episode where he reveals that he’s going blind. He didn’t realize how badly his vision had deteriorated until a night location shoot for "MacGyver," when he became disoriented in the darkness. Mr. Elcar was legally blind and had to have his scripts read to him.

How was Richard Dean Anderson cast for the role of MacGyver?
The now-famous tale of how he got the part goes something like this: Before he was to begin reading for the part, Richard had to stop to fish his glasses out of a bag. Henry Winkler, one of the show’s producers, recalls being so impressed by this simple, human act that they cast him on the spot.


Haven’t I seen that actor before - as a different character?
You probably have. Several supporting actors popped up again and again as different characters in different episodes. Elyssa Davalos, for example, played Mac’s lost love in "Lost Love," then returned a few episodes later as Nikki Carpenter, Phoenix operative. Robin Mossley did a similar trick in the fifth season when he appeared as imprisoned journalist Alexander Shannon in "Legend of the Holy Rose" and came back in several episodes to play MacGyver’s neighbor, Wilt Bozer. Click here to see a full list of all the actors who have played multiple characters in the show.

Why hasn't MacGyver got a girlfriend?
You can thank the female viewers for that one. It seems that there are a lot of ladies out there who want MacGyver to remain an eligible bachelor. Case in point: Maria Romburg, introduced in "The Wall." The studio received such scathing fan responses that she only appeared in one more episode, "MacGyver’s Women."

Who comes up with those incredible MacGyverisms?
According to an interview with Rick Drew (one of the shows writers) it was usually the writers themselves who came up with the ideas.
The show did use a technical adviser, John Koyvela in LA, and Jim Green in Vancouver, who helped with the science behind the MacGyverisms.
You can read an emailed interview with Rick Drew here.

What kind of degree does MacGyver have?
There’s no definitive answer to this question. In the “Flames end” episode Amy mentions a science degree, but then immediately after that MacGyver talks about taking physics. So we still don’t really have an answer other than to say it was either a general science degree or a physics degree.

What where the main organizations in the show?

The Phoenix Foundation
The Phoenix Foundation is a (fictious) privately funded research institute, or think tank which involves itself primarily with environmental studies, conservation efforts, and technological innovation. Pete Thornton became Director of Operations in 1987 and has been instrumental in helping the Foundation gain worldwide renown. His continued connections with the DXS and other government agencies, has allowed the Phoenix Foundation to secure government contracts for military and security projects. The Foundation is well-respected by the media, world governments, and the public.


DXS (Department of eXternal Services)
A fictious government agency, which is similar in many respects to the CIA. Pete Thornton worked at the DXS for many years as a field operative, as did MacGyver, before both moved to the Phoenix Foundation. (*Note: In a few episodes, the DXS was mistakenly referred to as the "DSX.")

HIT (Homicide International Trust)
A fictious international assassination group headed by Nicholas Helman, who used his exclusive Helman Club as a front for HIT's activities. Helman was killed in a confrontation with Murdoc. HIT quickly recovered from this incident, even reinstating Murdoc as an employee.
The governing body of HIT is a group of men and women known only as “The Board”.

The Challengers Club (for boys and girls)
A youth club which provides safe sanctuary and activities to help troubled teens.
The Club's original director, Booker Wilson, was murdered by a white supremacist. His wife, Cynthia has since taken over the job of running the Challengers Club.

This club is based on a real organization which is part of the Boys and Girls clubs of America.
You can find out about the real Challengers club here. http://www.cbgcla.org/


Did MacGyver even win any awards?
Curiously, "MacGyver" never won an Emmy. But the show has earned honors for other aspects of its production.

Two first-season episodes, the pilot episode and "Thief of Budapest," won awards at the Second Annual Stuntman Awards for Best High Work and Best Specialty Stunt, respectively.

In 1989, Richard Dean Anderson and the executive producers of "MacGyver"- Henry Winkler, John Rich, and Stephen Downing – accepted awards from the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence. The reception was used to unveil the episode 'The Gun,' which was produced in reaction to the murder of Rebecca Schaeffer by a crazed fan."

In 1991, the show was honored at the first annual Environmental Media Awards for "Ongoing Commitment" to environmental concerns.
A dubious honor: Also in 1991, the conservative Media Research Center named "MacGyver" one of the ten most "liberally biased" TV shows of the 1990-1991 season because of its focus on the environment, gun control, and foreign affairs.

The episode "Black Rhino" won a Genesis Award for animal awareness.

What type of planes did Jack Dalton fly?
Jack flew several different planes as he moved through various ventures throughout the show.

In “Jack of Lies” and “Rock the Cradle” he flew a Douglas/DC-3, C-47, Dakota. It was registered with the FAA as N3FY. According to them, this particular plane was destroyed - sometime in the mid 1990's.

In “On a Wing and a Prayer” he flies a de Havilland Beaver (Canadian - DHC2 Beaver). This particular aircraft (N9748C) is no longer in the FAA's Registry list - meaning it was either de-commissioned, or destroyed.

What was that red bracelet MacGyver wore in the 6th season?
The bracelet worn by MacGyver is a Gulf War memorial bracelet.. It had the name of either a Missing in Action, or a Killed in Action, soldier.

Why did he move out of the houseboat in season 7?
In episode 127 – The Hood, we hear that MacGyver’s houseboat burnt down in a fire, and this is the reason he moved into the loft apartment.

In reality, the shows production had moved from Canada back to LA. Also the marina which housed the houseboat was beginning to be dismantled as part of the redevelopment project for that part of Vancouver city (the marina is now completely gone), so external filming of the houseboat was no longer an option.

Why was the show cancelled in season 7?
The show wasn't canceled in the season. It was only picked up for 13 episodes for the final 7th season, so everyone knew from the beginning that season 7 was the final season.

We don’t know the exact reasons for the show being finished, but one of the reasons given in interviews and news items refers to the growing cost of production. MacGyver was already one of the most expensive shows on TV at the time. These costs combined with dropping ratings where probably major contributing factors. (Interestingly, ABC has never been able to duplicate the ratings MacGyver got in that Monday night time slot paired with Monday Night Football.)