CBS Rebooting ‘MacGyver’ for TV With James Wan

The ‘80s reboots continue.

Following word that 20th Century Fox Television is rebooting The A-Team, CBS is bringing MacGyver back to the small screen, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Based on the Richard Dean Anderson starrer that ran for seven seasons on ABC, the CBS take is described as a reimagining of the television series of the same name, following a 20-something MacGyver as he gets recruited into a clandestine organization where he uses his knack for solving problems in unconventional ways to help prevent disasters from happening.

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NCIS: Los Angeles‘ R. Scott Gemmill will pen the script and executive produce the CBS Television Studios drama while staying on board the CBS procedural. Henry Winkler, who exec produced the original series, is on board to serve in the same capacity alongside James Wan‘s Atomic Monster head of production Michael Clear. Wan (Aquaman, Mortal Kombat, Saw) will exec produce and direct the potential pilot and would segue into TV with the project. CBS is keeping mum on how large of a commitment the new MacGyver is, but the network and CBSTVS are said to be very high on bringing back a title from the studio’s library. Though sources tell THR that the network handed out a hefty put-pilot commitment.  

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The original series ran for seven seasons and 139 episodes, spanning two TV movies on ABC in 1994. Producers Paramount Television attempted a spin-off series, Young MacGyver — starring Supernatural‘s Jared Padalecki — but that did not move forward.

For his part, Wan was attached to direct New Line’s long-planned MacGyver movie in 2012.

The news comes as reboots of film and TV franchises continue to be in high demand. Fox also on Friday announced that it was rebooting Lethal Weapon for TV. That joins a rapidly growing list of reboots in the works as broadcast networks look for intellectual property with built-in brand recognition in a bid to cut through an original scripted landscape that features more than 400 series.

Fox is readying Behind Enemy Lines; Training Day is in the works at CBS; The CW is prepping The Notebook and Friday the 13th; and studio 20th Century Fox Television is shopping a reboot of The A-Team, while Norman Lear is rebooting One Day at a Time, though there is no network yet attached. For its part, Fox has revivals of The X-Files and Prison Break in the works after recently rebooting 24.

This season’s reboots and revivals have debuted to mixed reactions. Fox’s Minority Report has faltered in its early episodes; NBC’s Heroes had a modest debut, while and CBS has found early success with Bradley Cooper‘s Limitless follow-up. Additional revival series based on Rush Hour (CBS) and Uncle Buck (ABC) are due later this season.

Wan is repped by Paradigm, Stacey Testro Management and attorney David Fox.