MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO, THE: 15TH ANNUAL WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL 1998: MACGYVER {LONG VERSION}
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.)
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: March 6, 1998 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:51:49
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:52612
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Steven A. Bell … Moderator
- Richard Dean Anderson … Panelist
- Peter Sloman … Panelist
- Dana Elcar … Panelist
- Michael Greenburg … Panelist
- John Rich … Panelist
- John Whelpley … Panelist