How could anyone NOT be a fan of MacGyver? For the seven seasons it aired (1985 – 1992), audiences were treated to a hero who didn’t drink, didn’t smoke and didn’t even carry a gun. He was able to find a way out of almost any bad situation using only his wits and whatever everyday objects he could find around him. Science was his weapon, and he wielded it well. Need an explosive device? Just hand the man a stick of chewing gum. “MacGyver” starred a then unknown Richard Dean Anderson in the title role as an agent of sorts who worked for a group known as the “Phoenix Foundation.” Every episode would pit him against some villainous corporate type or drug dealer (who are basically the same thing anyway) and would typically get himself caught in some deadly trap. But that was never a problem for our resourceful hero. If there was a stick of chewing gum, a paper clip and a shoelace around, he’d find a way to use them to get out of whatever scrape he was in.

Over the last several years, Paramount Home Entertainment released all of the seven seasons of “MacGyver, and I for one could not have been happier. I have been a huge of Anderson’s for quite some time, more recently enjoying his portrayal of Colonel Jack O’Neill on the superlative “Stargate SG-1.” Oddly enough, his character there is similar to MacGyver, at least when it comes down to his attitude. The highlight of either series is often his character’s innate sarcastic sense of humor. Never the one to back down from anyone, he’s always ready with a great insult. (I do want to mention in the 1st season of “Stargate” there was a great comment thrown out by one of the other lead characters commenting on O’Neill’s ability to ‘MacGyver’ himself out of a situation.)

Watching “MacGyver” again, after so many years, I am reminded that it was indeed a guilty pleasure. While the science used to explain MacGyver’s devices was generally correct, the show itself was a little on the cheesy side. Sometimes the special effects were hindered by budget, and the guest stars were a little less than stellar in the acting department, but still the show had heart, and it was a heck of a lot of fun to watch. Admittedly a big part of the draw was Anderson himself, who is ultimately always watchable.

In spite of the fact that the series was given a true ‘Final Episode’, there were two follow-up TV movies that brought the illustrious character back to the small screen. “The Lost Treasure of Atlantis” and “Trail to Doomsday.” Unfortunately these had yet to see the light of day on DVD, until this month. Paramount finally decided to give “MacGyver” fans both films back to back in a single release.

The films are presented in full screen, which I expected as they were shot for TV, but I was a little surprised that the transfers weren’t all that polished. They definitely are watchable, but there didn’t seem to be an attempt to clean them up. The series sets had the same issue, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, but there is still a lot of grain evident in both films.. There are also more than just occasional specks and spots, but not so much as to be overtly annoying. It just would have been nice to have pristine copies of the series and films, taking full advantage of the DVD format.

Another small setback for the set is the lack of special features. This has been the case with a lot of the older TV series releases from Paramount, I’m sure in an attempt to keep costs down for shows that might not have a huge consumer appeal. But still, since fans are really the ones who are going to buy these sets, having an interview or commentary (especially if they could snag Anderson) would go a long way to making the purchase an even more worthwhile one. There weren’t any on the series sets, and there are none here either.
These are minor nitpicks in what are otherwise decent releases of a fun series and set of films. Forget “MacGruber”... go for the real thing..

Starring: Richard Dean Anderson
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital English Stereo
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 6/15/2010
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR

We'll give MacGyver: The TV Movies a B-.