Summary

One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Museum of Television & Radio's William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Directors Guild of America Theatre Complex, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television, and is dedicated to television's creative community. This evening honors "MacGyver," the action/adventure series about a former Special Forces agent known for his inventive survival skills. Steven A. Bell, Los Angeles Museum vice president and director, opens the evening with an explanation of the Museum's mission and an introduction of the show "MacGyver." Panelists include the following: actors Richard Dean Anderson and Dana Elcar, executive producer and writer Stephen Downing, supervising producer Michael Greenburg, executive producer John Rich, and producer and writer John Whelpley. After a screening of the episode, "Rock the Cradle," the panelists comment on the following topics, among others: the public's favorable response to MacGyver as a unique, non-violent action hero; Elcar's struggle with glaucoma, and the way his blindness was incorporated into the show; and MacGyver and the writers' creativity and resourcefulness in finding solutions to difficult situations. Following these comments, the panelists answer questions from the audience about the following topics, among others: MacGyver as a role model for young people because of his non-violent self-reliance, and his ability to be both brainy and brawny; the lack of strong female characters in the show, and the public's unfavorable response to the female protagonist that was introduced; MacGyver's unbeatable enemy, who reappears throughout the run of the series; the series' international popularity in more than one hundred countries; Anderson's character in the series "Legend"; and the mystique of MacGyver's last name basis. Panelists then take turns explaining the qualities about "MacGyver" that make them very proud or satisfied: the fact that MacGyver is an action hero well-versed in science and technology; the fact the show gave the crew the opportunity to learn about science; the camaraderie that developed among the cast and crew during its seven-year run; and the moral stand the program took on such issues as animal and human rights, and guns and violence.

(This tape includes the episode "Rock the Cradle," which is part of the Museum's collection and may also be viewed separately. See T:51090 for summary.)