Coming as somewhat of a surprise, CBS has announced that its spy fi series MacGyver will be coming to an end with its Season 5 finale which will air on April 30th. The network is trying to make it seem like the ending of the series was planed with the statement that they are “gratified we get to give this dedicated and loyal fan base the opportunity to say goodbye to their favorite characters in the thoughtful manner this series deserves”. But there had been no previous indication that the show would wrap up this season and its numbers on low-viewership Fridays have been good this season. It has averaged a 0.52 rating this year which is just slightly lower than the network’s average for non-repeat, non-special, non-sports programming, and really pretty good for a Friday program. It will also wrap up just short of the of the 100 episode mark (with 95 total eps), a milestone that is considered a major accomplishment for a television series. It has more than enough episodes for a run in syndication (where shows really turn a profit) so a sixth season previously seemed like a good bet for this one.
There is no mention of it in the cancellation announcement, but the fact that the show is coming to an end almost certainly has some connection to the lawsuit it is currently attached to. Parties linked to the creators of the original 1985 series that starred Richard Dean Anderson in the lead role have claimed the reboot is a spin-off and that they are entitled to part of the profits. CBS denies these claims, and it appears that both sides will end up in court. The legal entanglements could follow the show for a while, and it is likely that the network decided to end it now rather than continue to put money into a production that they may lose the rights to or have to share revenue on the profits (it is likely more expensive than the average CBS drama). MacGyver did not rely heavily on story arcs (and really just barely counts as genre entry), but it is unclear if the creative team had enough notice to write a satisfying conclusion for the series. The hashtag #SaveMacGyver is trending the morning after the announcement, so I expect that fans will make a Call to Action to try and get the show at least a sixth and final season.
MacGyver follows Angus “Mac” MacGyver who works for a secret U.S. government organization and who has extensive knowledge of science and an uncanny ability to improvise that he relies upon while working on secret missions across the world. It stars Lucas Till, Tristin Mays, George Eads, Sandrine Holt, and Justin Hires.
We are approaching season end, so more renewal/cancellation announcements could be on the way. We are also still waiting to hear word on quite a number of other genre shows like HBO’s Lovecraft Country, Netflix’s Cursed, Hulu’s The Hardy Boys, and more so stay tuned for more breaking news. You can see the status of all the currently airing, returning, and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows on our Cancellation Watch Page. And be sure to stay tuned to this site and the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
More from CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
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