MACGYVER EPISODE GUIDE
FIRST SEASON
September 29, 1985
MACGYVER
Pilot Episode (#40191-001)
Richard Dean Anderson stars as MacGyver, a resourceful and daring modern-day hero. MacGyver is called in as a last resort to rescue two scientists trapped in a high security underground laboratory as leaking acid threatens the New Mexico water system.
Written by: Thackary Pallor
Directed by: Alan Smithee
Guest Starring: Michael Lerner as Ed Gantner, Dana Elcar as Andy Colson, Paul Stewart as Dr. Carl Steubens, Michael C. Gwynne as Dr. Charlie Burke, Michael Fairman as General Relkwin, Shavar Ross as Reggie, Darlanne Fluegel as Barbara Spencer, Olaf Pooley as Dr. Sidney Marlowe, Michael Johnson as Captain Taylor
OPENING GAMBIT: MacGyver rescues a downed Air Force pilot from his Mongolian captors.
Nielsen Ratings: 10.9 rating / 17 share / 3rd (54th overall)
October 6, 1985
THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Episode #2 (#40191-003)
MacGyver is mistaken for a narc when he tries to retrieve a canister filled with a deadly chemical from a plane that crashed near opium fields in Burma.
Written by: Dennis Foley
Directed by: Paul Stanley
Guest Starring: Joan Chen as Lin, George Kee Cheung as General Narai, Clyde Kusatsu as Anek, Keye Luke as Prasert, Benjamin Lum as Truang, Bryan Price as Chan, James Saito as Ming, Angus Duncan as the General
OPENING GAMBIT: CRUSHER: In a junkyard, MacGyver uses a magnet to retrieve stolen documents, then escapes from a car about to be flattened.
Gambit Written by Terry Nation. Directed by Donald Petrie.
Nielsen Ratings: 12.2 rating / 19 share / 3rd (51st overall)
October 13, 1985
THIEF OF BUDAPEST
Episode #3 (#40191-004)
In Budapest, a young Gypsy steals a watch containing microfilm that MacGyver was supposed to receive from a Russian double agent.
Written by: Joe Viola
Directed by: John Patterson
Guest Starring: Michael Constantine as Jan Messic, Bruce Abbott as Major Nickolai Kossov, Kelly McClain as Yanna, Sue Kiel as Reena, Robert Hallak as Bruno, John Prudhont as Peter, Sid Haig as Khan, Nicholas Kadi as Grodsky
OPENING GAMBIT: PEGASIS: MacGyver retrieves a stolen horse and gets picked up - literally - by a helicopter.
Gambit Written by Terry Nation & Stephen Downing. Directed by Lee H. Katzin.
Nielsen Ratings: 13.0 rating / 19 share / 3rd (47th overall)
October 27, 1985
THE GAUNTLET
Episode #4 (#40191-002)
MacGyver must help an investigative reporter get out of a Latin American country with incriminating evidence which links a general to an illegal arms dealer.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Lee H. Katzin
Guest Starring: Robin Curtis as Kate Conolly, John Vernon as Dave Ryerson, Gregory Sierra as General Antonio Vasquez, Sam Vlahos as Diego Montoya
OPENING GAMBIT: MAP: MacGyver retrieves a top-secret map, then uses it to escape his pursuers in the desert.
Gambit Written by Judy Burns. Directed by Lee H. Katzin.
Nielsen Ratings: 14.3 rating / 22 share / 2nd (44th overall)
November 3, 1985
THE HEIST
Episode #5 (#40191-007)
In the Virgin Islands, MacGyver and a senator's daughter must recover $60 million in stolen diamonds earmarked for an African relief fund.
Written by: James Schmerer & Larry Alexander
Directed by: Alan Smithee
Guest Starring: Vernon Wells as Jack Catlin, Victoria Bass as Tiffany, John Carter as Senator Rhodes, Doran Clark as Chris Rhodes, Larry D. Mann as Daniel Sims, Richard Jamison as Wilson, Christopher Kriesa as Player, Michael F. Kelly as Thomas, Jacqui Evans as Woman Gambler, Diane Diefendorf as Waitress
Nielsen Ratings: 14.3 rating / 20 share / 3rd (46th overall)
November 10, 1985
TRUMBO'S WORLD
Episode #6 (#40191-005)
In Brazil, MacGyver helps a plantation owner defend his land from an army of ants that threatens to destroy the jungle (in clips from "The Naked Jungle", a 1954 George Pal movie).
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Donald Petrie
Guest Starring: David Ackroyd as Lucien Trumbo, Peter Jurasik as Dr. Charles Alden, Will Gotay as Luiz, Maurice Sherbanée as Santos, Melinda Peterson as Dr. Andrea Gates, Ranscombe Richmon as The Guard
OPENING GAMBIT: WHITEWATER: In the Pyrenees, MacGyver rescues a prisoner, then makes a daring escape with her by raft.
Gambit Written by Stephen Kandel. Directed by Lee H. Katzin.
Nielsen Ratings: 15.6 rating / 22 share / 2nd (31st overall)
November 17, 1985
LAST STAND
Episode #7 (#40191-006)
MacGyver stumbles into a hostage crisis at a desert airstrip that armored-car robbers have taken over.
Written by: Judy Burns
Directed by: John Florea
Guest Starring: Harry Caesar as Al Tennyson, Steve Franken as Walt, Jackie Earle Haley as Turk, Art Hindle as Dave Redding, Kay Lenz as Kelly Nielson, Michael McGuire as Terry Andrews, Anthony Penya as Elias, Lewis Van Bergen as Buddy
Nielsen Ratings: 15.8 rating / 22 share / 3rd (36th overall)
November 27, 1985
HELLFIRE
Episode #8 (#40191-008)
In Wyoming, MacGyver visits a couple of old friends from his hellcatting days, and turns "hellfighter" to cap an oil-well fire that's burning out of control.
Written by: Stephen Kandel, James Schmerer & Douglas Brooks West
Directed by: Richard Colla
Guest Starring: Cooper Huckabee as Bill Farren, Nana Visitor as Laura Farren, Rudy Ramos as Pete Torgut
Nielsen Ratings: 13.1 rating / 21 share / 2nd (48th overall)
December 8, 1985
THE PRODIGAL
Episode #9 (#40191-009)
MacGyver is hired to arrange a new life for a protected Federal witness, who's testifying against his mobster brother, and to help him visit his sick mother before she dies.
Written by: David Abramowitz & Paul Savage
Directed by: Alexander Singer
Guest Starring: Richard Romanus as Joey Bennett, Robert Romanus as Frank Bennett, Carl Franklin as Marshall Andrew Wiley, Angela Clarke as Katarina Bennett, Michael Champion as Larson, Tom Ormeny as Bridges, James Hess as Vincent Ivory, Stan Kamber as Max
Nielsen Ratings: 11.6 rating / 17 share / 3rd (60th overall)
December 22, 1985
TARGET MACGYVER
Episode #10 (#40191-010)
While visiting his estranged grandfather in Colorado, MacGyver is tracked and hunted down by a contract killer.
Written by: Mike Marvin, Stephen Kandel & James Schmerer
Directed by: Ernest Pintoff
Guest Starring: John Anderson as Harry Jackson, D'Mitch Davis as Axminster, William Frankfather as Barney, Huck Liggett as Farmboy
OPENING GAMBIT: KITCHEN MAGIC: Mac rescues a lady general at a beachhouse, then nabs her kidnappers using common kitchen equipment.
Gambit Written by Terry Nation. Directed by Lee H. Katzin.
Nielsen Ratings: 13.2 rating / 21 share / 3rd (49th overall)
January 15, 1986
NIGHTMARES
Episode #11 (#40191-012)
MacGyver escapes from foreign agents, but only after being injected with a hallucinogen that will kill him in six hours if he can't get the antidote.
Written by: James Schmerer
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Tammy Lauren as Lisa Allen, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Robert O'Reilly as Curt Neilson, J.P. Bumstead as Barrett, Mike Mancini as Crisp, Tommy Lamey as Polk
Nielsen Ratings: 15.9 rating / 23 share / 2nd (34th overall)
January 22, 1986
DEATHLOCK
Episode #12 (#40191-011)
MacGyver is caught in a mansion that's been booby-trapped electronically by an old nemesis.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Alexander Singer
Guest Starring: Wendy Schaal as Karen Blake, Christopher Neame as Quayle, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Beulah Quo as Mrs. Chung
OPENING GAMBIT: FUNERAL IN BERLIN: Posing as a corpse, Mac escapes Berlin by a coffin-turned-jet-ski.
Gambit Written by Jerry Ludwig. Directed by Cliff Bole.
Nielsen Ratings: 17.7 rating / 26 share / 1st (27th overall)
January 29, 1986
FLAME'S END
Episode #13 (#40191-014)
MacGyver's ex-college girlfriend discovers the theft of uranium at a nuclear plant and thinks someone is trying to kill her.
Written by: Stephen Kandel & Hannah Louise Shearer
Directed by: Bruce Seth Green
Guest Starring: Tannis Montgomery as Amy Austin, Conlan Carter as Chief Ed Train, Robert Englund as Tim Wexler, Robin Pearson Rose as Susan, Bill Washington as Kyle, Roger Hampton as Yale
Nielsen Ratings: 16.0 rating / 23 share / 2nd (40th overall)
February 5, 1986
COUNTDOWN
Episode #14 (#40191-013)
MacGyver and an ex-Army buddy have just hours to defuse two sophisticated bombs aboard a cruise ship.
Written by: David Ketchum & Tony DiMarco
Directed by: Stan Jolley
Guest Starring: Ellen Bry as Carol Tanner, Steven Williams as Charlie Robinson, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Michael Cavanaugh as Mike Donahue, Robin Pearson Rose as Suzanne, Jeff Abbott as Officer Atkins
Nielsen Ratings: 15.2 rating / 23 share / 2nd (36th overall)
February 12, 1986
THE ENEMY WITHIN
Episode #15 (#40191-015)
MacGyver must protect a defector who can identify the killer of three DXS agents.
Written by: David Abramowitz
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Victoria Fyodorova as Victoria Tomanova, Lynn-Holly Johnson as Ingrid Bannister, Michael W. Goodwin as Craig Bannister, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Beau Starr as Anton Lem, Douglas Dirkson as Reverend Mather, Arthur Malet as Pathologist, Richard Balin as Fritz, Adam Gregor as Jaeger, Gene Bori as German Captain
Nielsen Ratings: 14.9 rating / 22 share / 2nd (46th overall)
February 19, 1986
EVERY TIME SHE SMILES
Episode #16 (#40191-016)
MacGyver is in Bulgaria to obtain microfilm, but his plans for a quick getaway are stymied by an American who involves him in her lovers' quarrel with a Bulgarian security officer.
Written by: James Schmerer
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Teri Hatcher as Penny Parker, Kai Wulff as Stephan Froloff, Michael Fox as Anton Burak, Milos Kirek as General Petrovitch, Anthony Caldarella as Border Guard, Peggy Rea as Woman
Nielsen Ratings: 15.2 rating / 23 share / 2nd (42th overall)
March 5, 1986
TO BE A MAN
Episode #17 (#40191-017)
Shot down and wounded by Soviets in Afghanistan while recovering a satellite, MacGyver is rescued, healed, and guided out by an Afghan woman and her son.
Written by: Don Mankiewicz
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Persis Khambatta as Zia, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Sid Haig as Khalil, Allan Kolman as Captain Osharansky, Ajay Naidu as Ahmed, Michael Shore as Sergeant Borsov, Ron Gilbert as Lieutenant, Teresa Bowman as Judy
Nielsen Ratings: 12.6 rating / 19 share / 2nd (47th overall)
March 12, 1986
UGLY DUCKLING
Episode #18 (#40191-018)
Black marketeers are after a 15-year-old genius who's the only one capable of fixing their stolen missle's guidance system.
Written by: Larry Gross
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Darcy Marta as Kate Lafferty, Lee deBroux as Hatcher, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Richard McKenzie as Professor Willis, Ned Bellamy as Larkin, Melinda O. Fee as Carol Lafferty
Nielsen Ratings: 15.3 rating / 23 share / 2nd (35th overall)
April 2, 1986
SLOW DEATH
Episode #19 (#40191-019)
MacGyver's train trip through India is derailed by a hijacker seeking revenge on two unidentified Westerners who sold his son, a doctor, poisonous medicine.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Don Weis
Guest Starring: Frances Bergen as Eleanor Kingman, Kenneth Danziger as Peter Kramer, Anthony DeFonte as Hassan, Alan Fudge as Paul Webster, Carrell Myers as Laura Dillon, Tracy Reed as Andrea Collins, Pamela Roylance as Diana Kingman, Warwick Sims as Dr. James Grant, Mark Tymchyshyn as Andy Ellis, Noël de Souza as Batu Das, Tom Simmons as Blade, Xahra Maliza as Little Girl
Nielsen Ratings: 17.4 rating / 27 share / 2nd (23rd overall)
April 16, 1986
THE ESCAPE
Episode #20 (#40191-020)
In North Africa MacGyver is hired by a woman to spring her brother, a missionary, from prison. But the scheme turns out different from what MacGyver expected.
Written by: Fred McKnight & Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Don Chaffey
Guest Starring: Kristina Wayborn as Sarah Ashford, Paul Verdier as François Villars, John De Lancie as Brian Ashford, Miguel Fernandes as Khan, Vic Polizos as Commandant, Mike Moroff as Fuad, Jeanne Hepple as Sister Ann, Gary Krakower as Warder
Nielsen Ratings: 15.7 rating / 25 share / 1st (21st overall)
April 30, 1986
A PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE
Episode #21 (#40191-021)
MacGyver and Thornton infiltrate a Soviet mental hospital to rescue a friend who's being held as a political prisoner.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Elya Baskin as Demetri, Larry Dobkin as Alexander Karsov, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Marvin Kaplin as Chess Master, Paul Koslo as Dr. Suvarin, Sharon Maughan as Maria Karsova, Jane Merrow as Natalia Petrovich, Tim Rossovich as Lopat
Nielsen Ratings: 13.3 rating / 22 share / 2nd (34th overall)
May 7, 1986
THE ASSASSIN
Episode #22 (#40191-022)
MacGyver tries to prevent the assassination of an archbishop by a killer who's a master of disguise.
Written by: James Schmerer
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Corinne Bohrer as Terry Ross, Anthony DeLongis as Piedra, Richard Yñiguez as Emilio, Dana Elcar as Peter Thornton, Don Diamond as Archbishop Fierro, Brenda Strong as Lila
Nielsen Ratings: 13.6 rating / 24 share / 2nd (30th overall)
SECOND SEASON
September 22, 1986
THE HUMAN FACTOR
Episode #23 (#40192-024)
In the second-season opener, a malfunctioning computer interprets MacGyver's test of its security system as the real thing, trapping MacGyver and the computer's designer inside a top-secret lab with only 30 minutes of air. Dana Elcar joins the cast as Peter Thornton.
Written by: Robin Bernheim
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: June Chadwick as Dr. Jill Ludlum, Peter Haskell as Colonel Scott Woodward, Peter Kwong as Steven Lee
Nielsen Ratings: 15.4 rating / 24 share / 3rd (33rd overall)
September 29, 1986
THE ERASER
Episode #24 (#40192-023)
MacGyver inadvertently leads a hit man to his target, a man the Government wants alive for selling information to the East Germans, and the mob wants dead for double-crossing foreign clients.
Written by: Stephen Kronish
Directed by: Paul Krasny
Guest Starring: Joe Santos as Jimmy "The Eraser" Kendall, Morgan Stevens as Michael Simmons, Richard L. Jamison as Ralph, Henry Jones as Charles Banning, Leigh Lombardi as Linda, April Wayne as Bartender, Michael F. Kelly as Hockey Player, Thomas Babson as Referee
Nielsen Ratings: 14.0 rating / 22 share / 2nd (49th overall)
October 6, 1986
TWICE STUNG
Episode #25 (#40192-027)
MacGyver and Thornton operate a sting to get back the life savings of a friend who was swindled by a murderous con artist.
Written by: Mark Lisson, Bill Froehlich & Phil Combest
Directed by: Paul Krasny
Guest Starring: Richard Romanus as James Crowe, Al Fann as Kelly Sutton, Pamela Bowen as Joanne Remmings, Rex Ryon as Carl, Steve Eastin as Tony, Michael F. Kelly as Cop
Nielsen Ratings: 13.9 rating / 22 share / 3rd (50th overall)
October 20, 1986
THE WISH CHILD
Episode #26 (#40192-026)
In Chinatown, MacGyver helps a young friend who is part of a scam in which he's passing himself off as the reincarnation of an ancient Chinese legend.
Written by: Stephen Kandel, Bill Froehlich, Brian Lane & Stephen Kronish
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Leon Fan as Paul Chan, James Hong as Lee Wenying, James Pax as Stone, George Takei as Dr. Shen Wei, Tia Carrere as Lisa Chan, Clyde Kusatsu as Sammy
Nielsen Ratings: 13.1 rating / 20 share / 3rd (44th overall)
October 27, 1986
FINAL APPROACH
Episode #27 (#40192-028)
MacGyver and four street youths he's taking on a camping trip struggle for survival after their plane crashes in the mountains.
Written by: Rob Hedden
Directed by: Alexander Singer
Guest Starring: Ramon Franco as Ramon, Pamela Gidley as Gina, Ricky Paull Goldin as Tommy, David Harris as Luther, Gregory Itzin as Tom Cavanaugh, Buck Young as Jenkins
Nielsen Ratings: 10.3 rating / 15 share / 3rd (61st overall)
November 3, 1986
JACK OF LIES
Episode #28 (#40192-029)
An untrustworthy adventurer friend needs MacGyver's help to free a "botantist" who's being held hostage by drug smugglers.
Written by: Kerry Lenhart & John J. Sakmar
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Patricia McPherson as "Mike" Forrester, Silvana Gallardo as Eléna, Kevyn Major Howard as Sonny, Gregory Sierra as Colonel Antunnez
Nielsen Ratings: 14.3 rating / 22 share / 3rd (47th overall)
November 10, 1986
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
Episode #29 (#40192-030)
MacGyver meets up with his former fiancée in Southeast Asia, where they're pursued by government troops after a plan to rescue a nun and some orphans goes awry.
Written by: Stephen Kronish & Chuck Bowman
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Marilyn Jones as Debra Easton, Salome Jens as Sister Margaret, Patrick Gorman as Gilbert Arnaud, Dana Lee as Chanthara, Richard Partlow as Pilot, Arsenio "Sonny" Trinidad as Kahn
Nielsen Ratings: 14.9 rating / 23 share / 3rd (41st overall)
November 17, 1986
EAGLES
Episode #30 (#40192-025)
While vacationing, MacGyver runs afoul of an escaped felon who shot and wounded a rare eagle, and now wants to kill MacGyver.
Written by: George Lee Marshall
Directed by: Paul Krasny
Guest Starring: Julie Cobb as Susan Cooper, Chris Stone as Curry, Michael MacRae as Ghant, Peter MacLean as Niestrom, Danny Cooksey as Darin Cooper
Nielsen Ratings: 14.6 rating / 22 share / 3rd (40th overall)
November 24, 1986
SILENT WORLD
Episode #31 (#40192-031)
The recurring nightmare of MacGyver's deaf friend may be the clue to finding arms dealers who have stolen a missle-guidance system.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: James L. Conway
Guest Starring: Mary Beth Barber as Carrie Linden, Jack Colvin as Abel Makepeace, Geoffrey Lewis as David Crane, Ji-Tu Cumbuka as Moorish Warrior/Rider, Helen Rubio as Dr. Janice Green, Carl N. Ciarfalio as Gorman, James J. Poslof as Throne, Sunshine Morrow as Marion
Nielsen Ratings: 14.4 rating / 22 share / 2nd (36th overall)
December 15, 1986
THREE FOR THE ROAD
Episode #32 (#40192-032)
MacGyver hitches a ride with a venerable Hollywood actor and his wife, who are unwittingly carrying around a satchel full of mob money.
Written by: Kerry Lenhart, John J. Sakmar, Rob Hedden & Mark Lisson
Directed by: Alan Crosland
Guest Starring: Edward Mulhare as Guy Roberts, Anne Rogers as June Roberts, Richard Hatch as Michael Talbot, Dennis Stewart as Tom, Michael Rider as Phil, Tony Frank as Front Desk Clerk
Nielsen Ratings: 13.7 rating / 21 share / 3rd (44th overall)
January 5, 1987
PHOENIX UNDER SEIGE
Episode #33 (#40192-033)
MacGyver and his grandfather are hunted by killers while trapped in a building wired with a time bomb.
Written by: Stephen Kronish & John I. Koivula
Directed by: Gilbert Shilton
Guest Starring: John Anderson as Harry Jackson, Tricia O'Neil as Victoria James, Richard Lineback as Phillips, Harry Beer as Fred, Shawn Donahue as Young MacGyver, Jan Jorden as Harry's Wife, Warner Loughlin as Susan Murphy, Phil Redrow as MacGyver's Father
Nielsen Ratings: 12.9 rating / 18 share / 3rd (52nd overall)
January 12, 1987
FAMILY MATTER
Episode #34 (#40192-034)
Thornton's ex-wife and son are kidnapped while on an archaeological dig in the Louisiana bayou, and the kidnapers want Thornton in exchange for their release.
Written by: Paul A. Magistretti
Directed by: Alexander Singer
Guest Starring: T. Scott Coffey as Michael Thornton, Penelope Windust as Connie Thornton, Donald Gordon as Frank Bonner, Beau Billingslea as Obadiah Moss, Jeffrey Josephson as Boone, Stephen Liska as Dunn, Thomas F. Duffy as Corey
Nielsen Ratings: 16.1 rating / 23 share / 3rd (31st overall)
January 19, 1987
SOFT TOUCH
Episode #35 (#40192-035)
MacGyver becomes embroiled in an assassination plot when his scatterbrained friend Penny Parker sees thugs torturing a Federal agent.
Written by: Joan Brooker & Nancy Eddo
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Teri Hatcher as Penny Parker, Robert Donner as Vince, Vincent Schiavelli as Lyle, Michael Ensign as Derek, Elya Baskin as Yuri Demetri, Hugh Farrington as Jack Larson, Andre Marquis as Estevez, Mike Cassidy as Robert Julian
Nielsen Ratings: 16.7 rating / 23 share / 3rd (34th overall)
February 2, 1987
BIRTH DAY
Episode #36 (#40192-036)
MacGyver is trapped inside an abandoned factory with a pregnant woman who is being chased by her husband because she has evidence that could send him back to prison.
Written by: Rob Hedden
Directed by: James L. Conway
Guest Starring: Toni Kalem as Elaine Harryman, Joseph Lambie as Andrew Harryman, David Crowley as Eric, Paul Drake as Mitch, J.E. Freeman as Karl, Bill Henderson as Gas Station Cashier
Nielsen Ratings: 14.8 rating / 22 share / 3rd (42nd overall)
February 9, 1987
PIRATES
Episode #37 (#40192-037)
Modern-day pirates, using Navy SEAL tactics, steal an 18th-century Spanish captain's log that could lead them to a sunken treasure fleet.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Bruce Kessler
Guest Starring: Marta DuBois as Dr. Barbara Ortega, Steven M. Gagnon as Commander Nelson, Cliff Potts as Gar Manning, Jeff Kober as Matt Bell, Nicholas Worth as Jack Rogan, Tony Torres as Christobel Santos, John Otrin as Paul Engle, William Bronder as Arne Lindquist
Nielsen Ratings: 16.3 rating / 23 share / 3rd (31st overall)
February 16, 1987
OUT IN THE COLD
Episode #38 (#40192-038)
On a skiing trip, MacGyver is targeted by the mob after a man secretly slips him some microfilm.
Written by: Stephen Kronish
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Jonathan Goldsmith as Jack, Deborah Wakeham as Ski Patrolwoman, Robert Pastorelli as Arnie, Michael Constantine as Sam Leland, Demetre Phillips as Willie, Michael Corbett as Phil
Nielsen Ratings: 17.5 rating / 24 share / 3rd (27th overall)
February 23, 1987
DALTON, JACK OF SPIES
Episode #39 (#40192-039)
MacGyver finds himself wanted for the murder of a CIA agent when his old friend Jack Dalton gets him involved in an operation that was supposed to ferret out a mole in the agency.
Written by: Kerry Lenhart & John J. Sakmar
Directed by: Bob Sweeney
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Lee Purcell as Shadow, Curt Lowens as Stanley Berrenger, Frank L. Annese, Duane Tucker as Al, Alan Fudge as Jay Michaels
Nielsen Ratings: 15.8 rating / 23 share / 3rd (35th overall)
March 2, 1987
PARTNERS
Episode #40 (#40192-040)
MacGyver and Thornton are lured into a trap by an assassin they thought had been killed on the first case they worked on together seven years ago.
Written by: Bill Froehlich & Mark Lisson
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Iris Alhanti as Sara, Michael Des Barres as Murdoc, Caleb Asch as Police Officer
Nielsen Ratings: 15.1 rating / 22 share / 3rd (35th overall)
March 23, 1987
BUSHMASTER
Episode #41 (#40192-041)
The daughter of an American cargo pilot being held prisoner in Latin America tags along on MacGyver's rescue mission.
Written by: Rob Hedden
Directed by: Don Chaffey
Guest Starring: Sandy McPeak as Jeff Moore, John Schuck as Joe Henderson, Rene Estevez as Kelly Henderson, Bert Rosario as Lieutenant Raoul Para, Alex Colon as General Salazar, Michael Bandoni as Berbero
Nielsen Ratings: 15.5 rating / 23 share / 3rd (35th overall)
April 6, 1987
FRIENDS
Episode #42 (#40192-042)
MacGyver's friends throw him a surprise birthday party, but he's in no mood to celebrate as he thinks about retiring from the Foundation and reflects on his life (via flashbacks).
Written by: Stephen Kronish
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: John Anderson as Harry Jackson, Robin Curtis as Kate Conolly, Michael Goodwin as Craig Bannister, Teri Hatcher as Penny Parker, Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Tim Rossovich as Mike Desmond
This production is dedicated to the memory of our co-worker Wes Tansey.
Nielsen Ratings: 15.4 rating / 24 share / 3rd (29th overall)
April 27, 1987
D.O.A.: MACGYVER
Episode #43 (#40192-043)
An amnesiac MacGyver is hunted by terrorists who believe he knows of their plan to assassinate U.S. military figures with an explosive device.
Written by: Jaison Starkes
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: John Pleshette as Lancer, Clive Revill as Anthony Braddock, Priscilla Morrill as Helen, Kim Miyori as Tara, Rockne Tarkington as Jules, Nana Visitor as Carol Varnay, Ryan Rushton as Jason, Buck Young as Policeman
Nielsen Ratings: 12.6 rating / 21 share / 2nd (40th overall)
May 4, 1987
FOR LOVE OR MONEY
Episode #44 (#40192-044)
MacGyver is willing to help rescue a human-rights activist from a Czechoslovakian psychiatric hospital, but he doesn't relish working with a ruthless freelance agent who makes her own rules.
Written by: Doug Heyes, Jr.
Directed by: James L. Conway
Guest Starring: Deborah Adair as Diana Rogers, Walter Addison as Anton Dubcek, Oksana Olijar as Viera Dubcek, Reuven Bar Yotam as Krug, Raymond O'Keefe as Zorkin, Tom Ormeny as Baranov
Nielsen Ratings: 12.3 rating / 20 share / 3rd (39th overall)
THIRD SEASON
September 21, 1987
LOST LOVE
Episode #45 (#40193-711)
In the third-season opener, MacGyver is assigned to protect a Chinese artifact, when a ghost from his past appears, needing his help to escape from Soviet agents who want her and the artifact. Part 1 of two.
Written by: Jerry Ludwig
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, James Hong as Commissioner Chiu, Anthony De Longis as Kosoff, Walter Marsh as Racoubian, Leslie Bevis as Tanya Lyaschenka, Elyssa Davalos as Lisa Kohler, Bill Ferguson as Josef, Paul Batten as Pettigrew
Some locations provided by the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre.
Filmed on location in British Columbia, Canada.
Nielsen Ratings: 11.9 rating / 20 share / 3rd (53rd overall)
September 28, 1987
LOST LOVE
Episode #46 (#40193-711)
Conclusion. Risking a diplomatic crisis to save Lisa, MacGyver has less than 24 hours to steal a precious artifact for the Soviets who hold her hostage.
Written by: Jerry Ludwig
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, James Hong as Commissioner Chiu, Anthony De Longis as Kosoff, Walter Marsh as Racoubian, Leslie Bevis as Tanya Lyaschenka, Elyssa Davalos as Lisa Kohler, Bill Ferguson as Josef, Paul Batten as Pettigrew
Nielsen Ratings: 12.2 rating / 19 share / 3rd (47th overall)
October 5, 1987
BACK FROM THE DEAD
Episode #47 (#40193-047)
A former hitman who has given the Government too many mob secrets becomes a baseball manager, which draws the attention of syndicate thugs. Hank Aaron has a cameo.
Written by: Stephen Kronish
Directed by: James L. Conway
Guest Starring: Joe Santos as Jimmy Kendall, Al Ruscio as Paul Webber, Rebecca Balding as Susan, Richard Jamison as Ralph, Alex Bruhanski as Sal, Henry "Hank" Aaron as Himself, David French as Brian, Doug Greenall as Dave, Frank C. Turner as Priest, Bev Hendry as Lynda, Charles Andre as Tony
Nielsen Ratings: 12.2 rating / 20 share / 3rd (43rd overall)
October 19, 1987
GHOST SHIP
Episode #48 (#40193-048)
On a mapping expedition, MacGyver finds a girl who's being hunted by a creature resembling Big Foot.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Katey Wright as Karin Graff, Michéle Goodger as Joanna, Nicholas Rice as Bench, Byron Chief-Moon as Joe Wales, Len George as Dave Wales, Chief Khotlacha as Len, Ken Kirzinger as Creature, Blain Lamoureaux as Tenon
Nielsen Ratings: 13.1 rating / 21 share / 3rd (40th overall)
October 26, 1987
FIRE AND ICE
Episode #49 (#40193-049)
A thief kills MacGyver's old friend, leaving a trail of stolen jewels that leads straight to a foreign consulate.
Written by: Rick Husky
Directed by: Alan Simmonds
Guest Starring: Aharon Ipalé as Amir Sumal, Jonathon Pallone as Charles Keach, Anthony Stambouleih as Ambassador Vulnay, Terry David Mulligan as Danny Barrett, Elyssa Davalos as Nikki Carpenter, Shannon Aldrich as Royar
Nielsen Ratings: 13.7 rating / 22 share / 2nd (35th overall)
November 2, 1987
GX-1
Episode #50 (#40193-050)
A secret high-tech plane goes down in the Alps, and MacGyver reluctantly allows Nikki to accompany him across the East German border - racing to beat the Soviets to the wreckage in the mountains.
Written by: Calvin Clements, Jr.
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Walter Gotell as Starkoss, Morris Panych as Colonel Markov, Peter Nicholas as Lieutenant, Elyssa Davalos as Nikki Carpenter, Jeff Irvine as Pilot, Karen Campbell as Heidi, Willis Horst as Helmut, Jurgen Hesse as Farmer
Nielsen Ratings: 11.2 rating / 17 share / 3rd (46th overall)
November 9, 1987
JACK IN THE BOX
Episode #51 (#40193-051)
MacGyver gets a taste of redneck justice when he gets tossed into a prison labor camp during a mission to the rural South.
Written by: David Rich
Directed by: James L. Conway
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Luke Askew as Warden Renfro, Eugene Butler as Lyle Hudson, Daniel Faraldo as Pépé Sanchez, Diane Robin as Louella, Lance LeGault as "Bull" Bodine, Robin Mossely as Wrigley, John Pine as Deputy Sheriff
Nielsen Ratings: 14.3 rating / 23 share / 2nd (32nd overall)
November 16, 1987
THE WIDOWMAKER
Episode #52 (#40193-052)
MacGyver goes into mourning when a friend dies in a mountaineering accident, but a pyromaniac with a score to settle forces MacGyver to concentrate on matters at hand.
Written by: John Whelpley & Harv Zimmel
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Michael Des Barres as Murdoc, Lisa Bayliss as Mike Forrester, Elyssa Davalos as Nikki Carpenter, Antony Holland as Ellard
Nielsen Ratings: 13.7 rating / 22 share / 2nd (37th overall)
November 23, 1987
HELL WEEK
Episode #53 (#40193-053)
A frustrated physics student at MacGyver's alma mater becomes a ticking time bomb when a school contest turns into a family war.
Written by: Leonard Mlodinow & Scott Rubenstein
Directed by: James L. Conway
Guest Starring: Larry Dobkin as Professor Julian Ryman, Lisa Wilcox as Janet, John Cameron Mitchell as Aaron Turner, Ted Cole as Jeffrey Kramer, Andrew Sabiston as David Ryman, Brenda Crichlow as Hillary Chapman
Nielsen Ratings: 13.2 rating / 21 share / 2nd (40th overall)
December 21, 1987
BLOW OUT
Episode #54 (#40193-054)
Political terrorism hits close to home when Nikki is targeted by a bombing suspect who fears she can identify him.
Written by: W. Reed Moran
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Dale Wilson as Erik Holland, Frank Ferrucci as Major, Bruce Harwood as Juice, Elyssa Davalos as Nikki Carpenter, Enid Saunders as Minnie, Steve Blalock as Hood #1, Vince Deadrick, Jr. as Hood #2, Don Davis as Cement Truck Driver
Nielsen Ratings: 11.4 rating / 19 share / 3rd (38th overall)
January 4, 1988
KILL ZONE
Episode #55 (#40193-055)
Wildlife begins to perish mysteriously, and MacGyver discovers the culprit: an uncontrollably mutating organism that speeds up the aging process.
Written by: Calvin Clements, Jr.
Directed by: Chuck Bowman
Guest Starring: Judith Chapman as Sandra Millhouse, Jay Brazeau as Phelps, Bill Dow as White Suited Man, Pamela Martin as Nancy Bartlett
Nielsen Ratings: 15.4 rating / 22 share / 3rd (36th overall)
January 18, 1988
EARLY RETIREMENT
Episode #56 (#40193-056)
Thornton mediates the Phoenix Foundation's talks between the UN and a rabidly anti-American subversive, until a suspicious explosion forces him to resign - and the man who takes his job could be connected to murder and sabotage.
Written by: John Whelpley
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Madison Mason as Matt Webber, Ted Stidder as Chairman Ed Farrell, Rob Roy as Ingers, Paul Batten as Reese, Doug Abrahams as Kelham, Elyssa Davalos as Nikki Carpenter, Richard Newman as President Yeman Amunde, Jackson Davies as Sam
Nielsen Ratings: 13.9 rating / 20 share / 3rd (35th overall)
February 1, 1988
THIN ICE
Episode #57 (#40193-058)
A high-school hockey player has a chance to go pro - if he plays dirty enough. But when a fight on the ice lands an opposing player in the hospital, MacGyver tries to teach the youth about sportsmanship.
Written by: Rick Drew
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Martin Milner as Turk Donner, Jeff Schultz as Derek Kirby, Ken Camroux as Brett Thompson, Clu Gulager as Walt Kirby, Claire Brown as Dr. Sylvia Warner, Gary Chalk as Tony Ellis, Steve Armitage as Radio Announcer, Sean Berner as Eddie Henderson
The Producers Acknowledge the Cooperation of the University of British Columbia's Junior Varsity Hockey Team
Nielsen Ratings: 12.9 rating / 19 share / 3rd (48th overall)
February 29, 1988
THE ODD TRIPLE
Episode #58 (#40193-057)
Jack's back and his latest scheme is to pilot an heiress back to France after she purchases a fortune in jewels. But when MacGyver and Jack accomplish the mission, they're arrested.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: James L. Conway
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Judy Geeson as Elena Iturbai, Ian Ruskin as Andres, Martin Evans as Robert, Alan Robertson as David Russell, Vernon Wells as Paul Donnay, Campbell Lane as Brizard, Terence Kelly as Brosz, Kim Kondrashoff as Yuri, Bill Croft as Max, Duncan Fraser as Bauman, Susan Chapple as Helen Wilson
Nielsen Ratings: 14.0 rating / 21 share / 2nd (35th overall)
March 7, 1988
THE NEGOTIATOR
Episode #59 (#40193-059)
MacGyver is tasked to do an environmental-impact study before builders can start a project, and when bribery fails, the builders sic a beautiful killer on him.
Written by: Calvin Clements, Jr.
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Kristian Alfonso as Deborah, David Ackroyd as Steven Knapp, Ned Bellamy as Remick, Elyssa Davalos as Nikki Carpenter
"Eau d'Leo" Composed by Richard Dean Anderson
Nielsen Ratings: 13.0 rating / 20 share / 2nd (33rd overall)
March 14, 1988
THE SPOILERS
Episode #60 (#40193-060)
MacGyver enlists a mountainous recluse to help track whoever is dumping toxic waste in mountain streams.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Randall "Tex" Cobb as Earthquake Toberman, Emily Kuroda as Karen Matsuda, William Taylor as Martin Farber, Tom Heaton as Tyler, Thomas Rosales, Jr. as Charles LaFond, Branscombe Richmond as Grade, Allan Lysell as Dorman, Michael Sicoly as Owens
Nielsen Ratings: 15.4 rating / 23 share / 2nd (24th overall)
March 28, 1988
MASK OF THE WOLF
Episode #61 (#40193-061)
Jack Dalton talks MacGyver into accompanying an elderly Native American on a search for a legendary wolf mask, but two mercenaries have plans of their own for the mask.
Written by: Calvin Clements, Jr., W. Reed Moran, John J. Sakmar & Kerry Lenhart
Directed by: Cliff Bole
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Gary Lockwood as Grant, Floyd Westerman as Two Eagles, Gordon Tootoosis as Perry, Marianne Jones as Anna Lightfoot, Chief Khotlacha as Grandfather
Nielsen Ratings: 13.5 rating / 21 share / 3rd (36th overall)
April 18, 1988
ROCK THE CRADLE
Episode #62 (#40193-062)
Jack Dalton nearly kills MacGyver in a plane ride and later, in the hangar, finds a baby tagged "Jack Jr." strapped into the cockpit, and fortune in counterfeit bills in the bassinet.
Written by: John Whelpley
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Mitzi Kapture as Katie, Don Thompson as Cutler, Garwin Sanford as Durst, Malcolm & Fraser Fairweather as Jack Jr., Peter Yunker as Carlo, Susan Chapple as Helen Wilson, James Stevens as Milland
Nielsen Ratings: 13.0 rating / 21 share / 2nd (30th overall)
May 2, 1988
THE ENDANGERED
Episode #63 (#40193-063)
MacGyver visits an ex-girlfriend, a ranger at a wildlife reserve, only to have his vacation turned into a bloody confrontation by poachers who are killing off endangered species.
Written by: Peter Filardi
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Moira Walley as Karen Miller, John Dennis Johnston as Ed, Don Davis as Wyatt, Robin Mossley as Earl, Stephen E. Miller as Cafe Owner, Steve Blalock as Sam Sheehan, Vince Deadrick, Jr. as Ranger, Don McKay as Pilot
Nielsen Ratings: 13.3 rating / 22 share / 2nd (30th overall)
May 9, 1988
MURDERERS' SKY
Episode #64 (#40193-064)
The takeover of a Chinese mogul's company involves a deadly ninja, and it's up to MacGyver and the mogul's young grandson to halt the escalating bloodshed.
Written by: Herman Miller
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Roderick Cook as Alasdair, Soon-Teck Oh as Raymond, Tia Carrere as Tiu, Keye Luke as Adam Chung, Ernie Reyes, Jr. as Luke Chung, Al Leong as Wayne, Dana Still as Doctor, Pat Bermel as Steve
The Producers acknowledge the cooperation of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Classical Garden.
Nielsen Ratings: 14.3 rating / 23 share / 2nd (21st overall)
FOURTH SEASON
October 31, 1988
THE SECRET OF PARKER HOUSE
Episode #65 (#40194-065)
In the fourth-season opener, MacGyver must act as a ghoulish ghostbuster in a spooky old house inherited by his friend, a dead ringer for her insane aunt, who once lived in the house.
Written by: Gene Hanson, Rick Drew & John Sheppard
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Teri Hatcher as Penny Parker, Gisele MacKenzie as Sylvia Lang, Ray Young as Virgil, Arlen Dean Snyder as Sheriff Cliff Howels
Nielsen Ratings: 12.5 rating / 20 share / 2nd (39th overall)
November 21, 1988
BLOOD BROTHERS
Episode #66 (#40194-066)
Back in his home town, MacGyver finds past and present overlapping as he remembers a fatal shooting accident from his youth while trying to stop his friend's son from using a gun to defend himself against drug-dealing hoodlums.
Written by: Rick Drew
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Dirk Blocker as Chuck, Bernie Coulson as Sean, Ramon Franco as Spider, Michael McNeilly as Neil Ryder, Jason Priestley as Danny, Sean Wohland as Young MacGyver, Marc Reid as Young Neil, Gregory Togel as Young Chuck, Dusty Hyland as Jesse, Fred Diehl as Desk Sergeant
Nielsen Ratings: 12.3 rating / 20 share / 2nd (37th overall)
November 28, 1988
THE OUTSIDERS
Episode #67 (#40194-067)
In Pennsylvania, MacGyver intervenes in a standoff between Amish who won't leave their land and a construction company waiting to bulldoze it.
Written by: Michelle Poteet Lisanti
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Kaj-Erik Eriksen as Jacob Miller, Gustaf Kristjanson as John Miller, Allan Lysell as Wrightman, Ruth De Sosa as Elizabeth Miller, Vicki Wauchope as Christy Wrightman, Garry Davey as Stevens, Dan Zale as Will, Rob Morton as State Trooper
Nielsen Ratings: 13.2 rating / 20 share / 3rd (45th overall)
December 5, 1988
ON A WING AND A PRAYER
Episode #68 (#40194-068)
It appears that Thornton and a nun haven't a prayer after they're taken hostage by Central American rebels.
Written by: John Whelpley
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Jenny Gago as Santina, Garwin Sanford as Raphael, Susan Walden as Sister Clara
Nielsen Ratings: 11.7 rating / 18 share / 3rd (46th overall)
December 12, 1988
COLLISION COURSE
Episode #69 (#40194-069)
MacGyver returns to his racing roots to test a car engine designed by the Foundation, but a rival car owner has some dirty tricks up his sleeve.
Written by: Paul B. Margolis
Directed by: Chuck Bowman
Guest Starring: Patrick Wayne as Jeff Stone, Kai Wulff as Hans Visser, Katey Wright as Charlie Stone, G. Gordon Liddy as Carl Strickland, Donald Saunders as O'Malley, Jerry Wasserman as Falco, Peter Williams as Moe, Kymberly Sheppard as Bartender
Nielsen Ratings: 11.7 rating / 19 share / 3rd (49th overall)
January 9, 1989
THE SURVIVORS
Episode #70 (#40194-071)
During routine survival training in the woods, MacGyver and Thornton discover the wreckage of a DEA plane, which MacGyver determines was shot down by drug smugglers.
Written by: W. Reed Moran
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Gerry Bean as Wilcox, Dale Wilson as Crandall, Donna Cox as Nurse
Nielsen Ratings: 13.5 rating / 20 share / 2nd (41st overall)
January 16, 1989
DEADLY DREAMS
Episode #71 (#40194-072)
MacGyver joins a police task force pursuing an escaped psychopath, a man MacGyver suspects is a pawn in a larger scheme.
Written by: Stephen Downing
Directed by: Les Landau
Guest Starring: Kim Zimmer as Lieutenant Kate Murphy, W. Morgan Sheppard as Dr. Zito, Garry Chalk as Sweeny, Brenda Crichlow as Cooper, Todd Jeffries as Wyatt, Jeff Irvine as Eric Cross, Alvin Sanders as Charles Davis, William Taylor as Captain Frank Walker
Nielsen Ratings: 13.2 rating / 20 share / 2nd (40th overall)
January 23, 1989
MA DALTON
Episode #72 (#40194-070)
Jack Dalton and MacGyver begin a search for Dalton's mother and learn that she's a fugitive being pursued by a bounty hunter.
Written by: John Whelpley
Directed by: Rob Bowman
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Ed Nelson as Arthur Bandel, Les Carlson as Sparky Greer, Constance Towers as Francine Leyland, Richard Lawson as Jesse Colton, Dwight McFee as Marty Ricco, Freda Perry as Dawn, Denalda Williams as Gertie
Nielsen Ratings: 14.6 rating / 22 share / 2nd (33rd overall)
February 6, 1989
CLEO ROCKS
Episode #73 (#40194-073)
A figure lurking in the backstage shadows of a rock musical wants to use the star, MacGyver's friend Penny, as a puppet in a crazed play of vengeance against MacGyver.
Written by: John Sheppard & Rick Drew
Directed by: Chuck Bowman
Guest Starring: Teri Hatcher as Penny Parker, Robert Donner as Benjamin Wintergreen, Michael Des Barres as Murdoc, Max Reimer as Gary Newton, James Hibbard as Jim, Susan Chapple as Helen
"Cleo Rocks" Music by Dennis McCarthy & Terry Frewer, Lyric by Michael Des Barres, Choreographed by James Hibbard
Nielsen Ratings: 13.2 rating / 19 share / 2nd (42nd overall)
February 13, 1989
FRATERNITY OF THIEVES
Episode #74 (#40194-074)
A classified Phoenix technology system could be compromised by espionage, and one of the culprits is someone in the Foundation, close to the heart of Thornton.
Written by: Grant Rosenberg
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: James Karen as Robert Sanborn, Hank Stratton as Michael Thornton, Robert Metcalfe as Chaz Gordon, Don Galloway as John Collins, John Payne as David Edwards, Vladimir Kulich as Hans Kreese
Nielsen Ratings: 13.9 rating / 21 share / 2nd (37th overall)
February 20, 1989
THE BATTLE OF TOMMY GIORDANO
Episode #75 (#40194-075)
MacGyver's friend wins custody of her son, prompting her ex-husband to seek the help of his uncle - "the absolute, undisputed head" of a crime family.
Written by: Marianne Clarkson
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Penny Peyser as Mary Ruth Giordano, Tony Dakota as Tommy Giordano, Peter Yunker as Richard Giordano, Peter Blackwood as Paul Rizzo, Joseph Wiseman as Joe Catano, Howard Storey as George Kaplan, Ian Black as Motel Clerk, Charles André as Carmine, James Crescenzo as Tom, Robert Hoogendoorn as Sturdivant
Nielsen Ratings: 14.6 rating / 22 share / 2nd (30th overall)
February 27, 1989
THE CHALLENGE
Episode #76 (#40194-076)
A youth from an inner-city club run by MacGyver's friend is framed for a theft by a racist who'll stop at nothing to shut the club down.
Written by: Chris Haddock
Directed by: Dana Elcar
Guest Starring: Michael MacRae as Larson, Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Ray Collins, Roxanne Reese as Cynthia Wilson, Michael D. Roberts as Booker Wilson, R. Nelson Brown as Smiley, Rob Roy as Detective, Charles Payne as Breeze, Sam Sarkar as Rico
Nielsen Ratings: 15.0 rating / 22 share / 2nd (31st overall)
March 13, 1989
RUNNERS
Episode #77 (#40194-077)
MacGyver offers protection to a runaway girl, and as he helps her cope with her bitter past, he unveils a tragic memory of his own.
Written by: Joel Schwartz
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Holly Fields as Jennifer Reiner, Gerald Anthony as Snakeskin, Roxanne Reese as Cynthia, Jeff Pomerantz as Jim Reiner, Evon Murphy as Kandy, Ken Camroux as Jerry, Betty Phillips as Bag Lady, Byron Chief-Moon as Sammy
Nielsen Ratings: 15.2 rating / 23 share / 2nd (30th overall)
March 27, 1989
GOLD RUSH
Episode #78 (#40194-078)
MacGyver joins a US-Soviet team in Alaska trying to retrieve gold from a wrecked World War II transport plane, but they're left out in the cold when they discover someone's gotten there first.
Written by: David Engelbach
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Colleen Winton as Natalie, Lee Patterson as Turk West, Walter Gotell as Barenov, Peter Nicholas as Pilot
Nielsen Ratings: 15.1 rating / 24 share / 2nd (28th overall)
April 10, 1989
THE INVISIBLE KILLER
Episode #79 (#40194-079)
MacGyver leads a group of Phoenix employees into the mountains to reduce stress levels, but stress is replaced by paranoia when it's learned that murderous convicts are on the loose.
Written by: Chris Haddock
Directed by: Dana Elcar
Guest Starring: James Sloyan as Henry Colter, Adam Arkin as Tony Parisio, Jean Bruce Scott as Liz, Kevin Geer as Dr. Fred Beam, Andrew Rhodes as Chuck Laraby, Julie Downing as Officer Walker, Blu Mankuma as Sheriff Max Hubbard
Nielsen Ratings: 15.5 rating / 24 share / 2nd (23rd overall)
April 24, 1989
BRAINWASHED
Episode #80 (#40194-080)
A power-hungry couple seeking to overthrow a foreign government have "programmed" Dalton to assassinate the country's president.
Written by: John Sheppard
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Roger Aaron Brown as Edward Mantu, Cyndi James Gossett as Edith Mantu, Janet Hodgkinson as Hendrix, Linda Darlow as Dr. Beatty, Raymond St. Jacques as President Dakru, Gene P. Heck as Tabur, William Mizel as Fisherman #2
Nielsen Ratings: 12.7 rating / 22 share / 2nd (39th overall)
May 1, 1989
EASY TARGET
Episode #81 (#40194-081)
MacGyver and Thornton are held hostage by terrorists bent on crippling the nearby metropolitan area with a futuristic electronic device.
Written by: Rick Drew
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Wolf Muser as Jonathan, Ruth Britt as Lisa, Tom Everett as Frank, Frank Ferrucci as Armin, Tom Heaton as Bill, Don McManus as Dr. Cromwell, Jaylene Hamilton as Marilyn Ross, Rod Menzies as Lt. Col. Chambers
Nielsen Ratings: 13.5 rating / 22 share / 2nd (34th overall)
May 8, 1989
RENEGADE
Episode #82 (#40194-082)
A mentally disturbed man steals a precious vial of deadly bacteria, and MacGyver is shocked when a confrontation with the thief reveals that he's a friend who once saved MacGyver's life.
Written by: Chris Haddock & Robert Bielak
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Marshall Teague as Steve Morrison, Patrie Allen as Marie Morrison, Don Stroud as Commander Hilliard, Stephen Furst as Dr. Kozby, James Kidnie as Hans Felder, Vince Deadrick, Jr. as Woody
Nielsen Ratings: 13.9 rating / 23 share / 2nd (31st overall)
May 15, 1989
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Episode #83 (#40194-083)
An escaped convict hunts MacGyver in the woods and he could be any of a number of villains MacGyver, Thornton and Jack Dalton can recall.
Written by: Marianne Clarkson
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Kristian Alfonso as Deborah, Barry Greene as Man at Prison
Nielsen Ratings: 13.2 rating / 22 share / 1st (25th overall)
FIFTH SEASON
September 18, 1989
LEGEND OF THE HOLY ROSE
Episode #84 (#40195-086)
In the fifth-season opener, MacGyver is exhausted after a rescue in Colombia, but an archaeologist entices him to join her quest for the Holy Grail, which someone else has designs on. Part 1 of two.
Written by: Stephen Downing
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Lise Cutter as Zoe Ryan, Robin Mossley as Alexander Shannon, Michael Ensign as Professor Wycliff, Tony Perez as Escobar, Judd Omen as Shiva Luca, Christopher Neame as Erich Von Leer, Claire Brown as Eunice, Gerry Bean as Ahriman, Howard Storey as Coach Grogan, Kevin Hayes as Newscaster, Vladimir Kulich as Mammon, Christopher Gaze as Cabbie
Special Thanks to Riane Eisler Center for Partnership Studies
Nielsen Ratings: 9.8 rating / 16 share / 3rd (62nd overall)
September 25, 1989
LEGEND OF THE HOLY ROSE
Episode #85 (#40195-087)
Conclusion. MacGyver and Zoe's search for the Holy Rose may be halted permanently by Von Leer, who has stolen the artifacts they need to unlock its secrets.
Written by: Stephen Downing
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Lise Cutter as Zoe Ryan, Michael Ensign as Professor Wycliff, Judd Omen as Shiva Luca, Christopher Neame as Erich Von Leer, Claire Brown as Eunice, Sheila Paterson as Cleaning Lady
Nielsen Ratings: 11.7 rating / 19 share / 3rd (52nd overall)
October 2, 1989
THE BLACK CORSAGE
Episode #86 (#40195-085)
MacGyver teams with a bounty hunter to track down a Bulgarian scientist on the run from "techno-bandits" who are seeking the location of an ancient gem.
Written by: Paul Margolis
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Christianne Hirt as Sophia Ross, Ryan Michael as Deegan, David Hay as March, Cleavon Little as Frank Colton, David Bloom as Reynolds, Betty Phillips as Mrs. Delaney, Sharon Wahl as Waitress, Tracy Westerholm as Blonde
Nielsen Ratings: 12.1 rating / 20 share / 3rd (41st overall)
October 9, 1989
CEASE FIRE
Episode #87 (#40195-084)
In Switzerland for peace negotiations between two countries, MacGyver becomes a fugitive when he's framed for an assassination attempt on one nation's president.
Written by: Chris Haddock
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Mayim Bialik as Lisa Woodman, Eli Danker as Yanif, Allan Lysell as Walker, Michael Naxos as President Habad, William Samples as Headmaster Blake, Claudia Ferri as Danielle, Michael Benyaer as Sniper, Brano Goluza as Aide
Nielsen Ratings: 11.4 rating / 19 share / 3rd (50th overall)
October 16, 1989
SECOND CHANCE
Episode #88 (#40195-088)
MacGyver is heading a project that brings young Amerasians to the U.S. for medical treatment, and his companion meets a thieving youth who's the son he didn't know he had.
Written by: Robert Sherman
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Richard Lawson as Jesse Colton, Kim Miyori as Dr. Triwai, Barry Bernal as Willie Tran, Channing Mitchell as Roger, Malcolm Stewart as Frank Skinner, Barry Greene as Ringe, Natasha Kimberly Kong as Suzie, Carlo Brito as Tai Boy
Nielsen Ratings: 12.6 rating / 20 share / 3rd (38th overall)
October 30, 1989
HALLOWEEN KNIGHTS
Episode #89 (#40195-089)
MacGyver's not sure whether it's a trick or a treat when his ruthless rival Murdoc asks for help to free his innocent sister, who's being held captive by the "Homicide International Trust".
Written by: John Sheppard
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Daniel Davis as Nicolas Helman, Frank C. Turner as Milt Bozer, Jo-Anne Bates as Sonia, Michael Des Barres as Murdoc, Debbie Podowski as Ashton Cooke, Scott J. Ateah as Hank Greggs
Nielsen Ratings: 12.8 rating / 21 share / 2nd (39th overall)
November 6, 1989
CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT
Episode #90 (#40195-090)
A Chinese student trailed by agents of the People's Republic arrives at MacGyver's home claiming to be his foster daughter, while secretly holding evidence of the bloodletting at Tiananmen Square.
Written by: Rick Mittleman
Directed by: Bill Corcoran
Guest Starring: Michele B. Chan as Mei Jan, Robert Ito as Peng Chow, Tzi Ma as Wing Lee, Keone Young as Zhao, George Chung as Toy, Russell Jung as Yang
Nielsen Ratings: 12.5 rating / 20 share / 3rd (43rd overall)
November 13, 1989
BLACK RHINO
Episode #91 (#40195-091)
In Africa, MacGyver tries to help the wildest of the Colton brothers nail a poacher who's butchering endangered black rhinos for their valuable horns.
Written by: Paul B. Margolis
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Cecilia Hart as Kate Hubley, Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Billy Colton, Roger Aaron Brown as General Mabuto, Kai Wulff as Ladysmith, Alvin Sanders as Djano, Tong Lung as Chan
Black Rhino Designed by Robert Short
Nielsen Ratings: 12.6 rating / 20 share / 3rd (40th overall)
November 20, 1989
THE TEN PERCENT SOLUTION
Episode #92 (#40195-092)
MacGyver looks into a concentration-camp survivor's familial claim to a masterpiece painting, and the two uncover a neo-Nazi group that's auctioning off stolen artworks to finance its plot to create an "Aryan Nation".
Written by: Tom and Sally Drake
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Nehemiah Persoff as Sam Bolinski, Barbara Stock as Laura Sand, Gretchen Wyler as Mme. Brandenberg, Garry Chalk as Sergeant Gray, John Novak as Lyle Hoggart, Barry Mickelson as William Brand
Nielsen Ratings: 12.0 rating / 20 share / 3rd (41st overall)
December 11, 1989
TWO TIMES TROUBLE
Episode #93 (#40195-094)
MacGyver is put in double jeopardy by a rock-singer friend who thinks her twin sister is trying to kill her.
Written by: Robert Sherman
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Audrey Landers as Roxie & Carla Yates, Terry David Mulligan as Frank Rogan, Babs Chula as Eve, Dana Still as Dr. Farrell, Max Reimer as The Devil, Kymberly Sheppard as The Victim
"Higher Life" Written by Dennis McCarthy and Andrea Robinson
Nielsen Ratings: 12.1 rating / 20 share / 2nd (49th overall)
December 18, 1989
THE MADONNA
Episode #94 (#40195-093)
On Christmas Eve, MacGyver helps a priest friend search for a statue of the Madonna taken from a church near the Challenger Club, for which a homeless woman has a pocketful of minor miracles.
Written by: Cathleen Young
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Jeanette Nolan as Carol, Roxanne Reese as Cynthia Wilson, Jackson Davies as Father Pat Lafferty, Antony Holland as Vincent Bataglia, Charles Payne as Breeze, Robin Mossley as Charity Santa Claus, Katie Murray as Violet, Janie Woods-Morris as Mrs. Wilson, Codie Lucas Wilbee as Casey, and The British Columbia Boys Choir
Nielsen Ratings: 11.6 rating / 19 share / 2nd (40th overall)
January 8, 1990
SERENITY
Episode #95 (#40195-095)
MacGyver dreams he's a Civil War veteran in the Old West who gains a claim to a home on the range in Montana, but he meets resistance from a neighboring rancher in the form of Thornton.
Written by: Stephen Kandel
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Teri Hatcher as Penny Parker, Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Billy Colton, Robin Mossley as Wilt Bozer, Robert Donner as Milt Bozer, Norman Browning as Marshall Wyatt, Michael Des Barres as Murdoc, Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Matthew Walker as Emmenthaler, Claire Brown as Pam, Randall Wong as Lee Sing
Nielsen Ratings: 13.7 rating / 20 share / 3rd (40th overall)
January 15, 1990
LIVE AND LEARN
Episode #96 (#40195-096)
MacGyver reaches out to a promising high-school student as part of a Phoenix mentor program, but he has to get around a cynical teacher and the youth's no-nonsense father for his message to take hold.
Written by: Rick Mittleman
Directed by: Harry Harris
Guest Starring: James Sloyan as George Fraley, Glenn Scarpelli as Tony Milani, Linda Darlow as Mrs. Juarez, Jerry Wasserman as Nick Milani, Ken Camroux as Neil, Christine Anton as Sophie Milani, Michael Sicoly as Buck Clovis, Robert Thurston as Gus, Doug Judge as Deron, Garry Davey as Building Inspector, Deryl Hayes as Blake, Mitchell Kosterman as Security Guard
Nielsen Ratings: 13.9 rating / 21 share / 2nd (36th overall)
February 5, 1990
LOG JAM
Episode #97 (#40195-097)
MacGyver infiltrates a logging company on behalf of an environmentalist friend who believes that a company whistle-blower was cut down before he could expose the management's illegal activity.
Written by: Lee Maddux
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Nancy Everhard as Amy Chandler, John Considine as Foxworth, Patrick Bishop as Glass, Kim Kondrashoff as Braddock, French Tickner as Sheriff Bill Delany, Doug Sheehan as Jack Chandler
Nielsen Ratings: 13.7 rating / 21 share / 1st (35th overall)
February 12, 1990
THE TREASURE OF MANCO
Episode #98 (#40195-098)
MacGyver helps a friend search for a lost Inca treasure that's also sought by greedy guerrillas looking for a way to finance a bloody revolution.
Written by: Chris Haddock
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Theresa Saldana as Maria, Michael Bays as Ramon, Richard Chaves as Enrique, Gregory Sierra as Captain Diaz
Nielsen Ratings: 12.9 rating / 20 share / 2nd (41st overall)
February 19, 1990
JENNY'S CHANCE
Episode #99 (#40195-099)
MacGyver, Jack Dalton, and Thornton go undercover as a computer geek, a drug lord, and a dirty big-time bookie to make a murderous money launderer come clean.
Written by: Rick Drew & John Sheppard
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Vic Tayback as George Henderson, Dale Wilson as Colin Yarborough, Simon Webb as Underwood, Linda Blair as Jenny Larson, Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Ed Trotta as Lucky Charlie, Steve Blalock as Steve, R. Nelson Brown as Kyle Larson
Nielsen Ratings: 14.7 rating / 22 share / 1st (28th overall)
February 26, 1990
DEEP COVER
Episode #100 (#40195-100)
A spy for the drug cartel steals a prototype stealth submarine by turning his seductive powers on its main engineer.
Written by: Robert Sherman
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Rosemary Dunsmore as Gwen Carpenter, Mitchell Laurance as Nick Landis, Madison Mason as Dan Stringer, Marco Rodriguez as Sanchez, Bill Croft as Donally, Timothy Webber as Joe Banniker, Scott Ateah as Crocker, Dan Shea as Van Driver
Nielsen Ratings: 13.0 rating / 20 share / 3rd (39th overall)
March 19, 1990
THE LOST AMADEUS
Episode #101 (#40195-101)
A slightly off-key woman leads MacGyver on a wild chase to save a priceless violin - and the virtuoso who owns it - from hoods.
Written by: Paul B. Margolis
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Tamsin Kelsey as Lulu, Herbert Edelman as Arnold Tubbs, Milton Selzer as Izzy, Robin Mossley as Wilt, Denis Simpson as Ginko, Joe Maffei as Customs Inspector
Nielsen Ratings: 13.1 rating / 21 share / 1st (31st overall)
April 9, 1990
HEARTS OF STEEL
Episode #102 (#40195-102)
A steel executive whose mill has been shut down seeks vengeance by kidnapping the daughter of the corporate raider responsible for the closure.
Written by: Rick Mittleman
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Mayim Bialik as Lisa Woodman, Ron Hale as Mike Travers, Joseph Lambie as Eric Woodman, Blu Mankuma as Lieutenant Rhome, Merrilyn Gann as Greta Goldberg, Charles Andre as Delaney, Jon Cuthbert as Molenski, Angela Costain as Ingrid Goldberg, Russell Ferrier as Neil, Bill Crivello as Vinnie
Nielsen Ratings: 12.4 rating / 21 share / 1st (33rd overall)
April 16, 1990
RUSH TO JUDGEMENT
Episode #103 (#40195-104)
As a juror in a racially charged murder trial, MacGyver can't resist digging up more facts on his own, which courts the wrath of the judge, even though he may be on to the truth.
Written by: Robert Sherman
Directed by: Charles Correll
Guest Starring: Steven Keats as Baron, Deborah Van Valkenburgh as Sandra Masters, Henry Beckman as Judge, Beau Billingslea as Rev. Roy Thatcher, Tim Haldeman as Monroe, Lillian Lehman as Mrs. Bigelow, Betty McGuire as Bird Lady, Rob Roy as Wyatt Robbins, Bari K. Willerford as Lawrence Groden, Michael A. Jackson as Curtis Danby
Nielsen Ratings: 12.7 rating / 21 share / 1st (33rd overall)
April 30, 1990
PASSAGES
Episode #104 (#40195-103)
While waiting to fly home to his ailing grandfather, MacGyver pursues a thief who's stolen an Egyptian artifact tied to ancient beliefs about the afterlife.
Written by: John Sheppard & Anthony Rich
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: John Anderson as Harry Jackson, Antony Stamboulieh as Hakim, Leslie Carlson as Doctor, Sheila Moore as Ellen MacGyver, Martin Milner as James MacGyver, Paul Batten as Clerk, Frank Ferrucci as Tarik, Shane Meier as Boy
Nielsen Ratings: 12.2 rating / 21 share / 1st (42nd overall)
SIXTH SEASON
September 17, 1990
TOUGH BOYS
Episode #105 (#40196-106)
In the sixth-season opener, MacGyver is on the trail of a group of youth vigilantes and their leader, who are taking explosive measures to blow away the crack ring gripping their neighborhood.
Written by: Art Washington
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Richard Chaves as Manny Lopez, Garvin Funches as Coco Hubbard, Dale Wilson as Dennis, Jason Scott as Angel, Richard Roundtree as R.T. Hines, Gerry Bean as Harris
"Tough Boys" Rap performed by G Love E
Nielsen Ratings: 11.4 rating / 19 share / 3rd (51st overall)
September 24, 1990
HUMANITY
Episode #106 (#40196-105)
An elite corps still loyal to Romania's dead tyrant Ceausescu sabotages a plan to uncover his secret files and, in the chaotic aftermath of their assault, MacGyver tries to appeal to one agent's sense of humanity.
Written by: Lincoln Kibbee
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Brooks Gardner as Victor, Larry D. Mann as Captain Cuzo, Alan Scarfe as Major Krik, Andrew Kavadas as K-Man, Jonathan Sedman as Young Victor, Jonathan Pedlow as Young Nicolae
Nielsen Ratings: 10.5 rating / 18 share / 3rd (52nd overall)
October 1, 1990
THE GUN
Episode #107 (#40196-107)
A gun used in an assassination 20 years ago and in a present-day cop killing is sought by both a crazed anarchist and MacGyver, who needs it to clear a friend accused of the shooting.
Written by: Robert Sherman
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Charles Andrew Payne as Breeze, Zachary Ansley as Todd Fowler, Julie Downing as Laura Fowler, Jerry Wasserman as J.D. Maddox, Jay Brazeau as Rachid Zamora, Dan Muldoon as Wyatt, Anthony Ulc as Evers, Peter Blackwood as Sergeant Crawley, Cambell Lane as Chief Cooke, Troy Christopher Mallory as Rudy Gibbs
Nielsen Ratings: 12.1 rating / 21 share / 2nd (43rd overall)
October 8, 1990
TWENTY QUESTIONS
Episode #108 (#40196-108)
MacGyver tries to get a teenage friend to admit she has a drinking problem that's already led to her involvement in a string of burglaries.
Written by: Rick Mittleman
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Mayim Bialik as Lisa Woodman, Joseph Lambie as Eric Woodman, Patrie Allen as Catherine Woodman, Linden Ashby as Brett Reynolds, Kimberly Neville as Holly, Jackson Davies as Detective Michael Kiley, Cavan Cunningham as Jonathan, Allan Grant as Adam, Claire Brown as Betty, Dawn Stofer-Rupp as Maid
Nielsen Ratings: 13.4 rating / 22 share / 2nd (35th overall)
October 22, 1990
THE WALL
Episode #109 (#40196-110)
MacGyver seeks to reunite an East German expatriate with his granddaughter, who may be in cahoots with two ex-Stasi agents who want a stash of gold in the old man's possession.
Written by: Rick Drew
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Brigitta Stenberg as Maria Romburg, John Horn as Huber, Reiner Schoene as Weise, Jackson Davies as Michael Kiley, Milton Selzer as Otto Romburg, Bruce Harwood as Willis, Oliver Becker as Kurt, Brent Chapman as German Border Guard, Johanna Stange as Young Maria, Vince Deadrick, Jr. as Eric Romburg
Nielsen Ratings: 11.5 rating / 19 share / 3rd (49th overall)
October 29, 1990
LESSON IN EVIL
Episode #110 (#40196-111)
MacGyver's murderous nemesis Dr. Zito escapes after a sanity hearing and leaves a trail of clues intended to give MacGyver a crash course in evil.
Written by: John Sheppard
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Kim Zimmer as Lieutenant Kate Murphy, W. Morgan Sheppard as Dr. Zito, Jackson Davies as Captain Michael Kiley, Lynne Moody as Dr. Marion Skinner, Karen Elizabeth Austin as Judge, Alvin Sanders as Charles
Nielsen Ratings: 11.9 rating / 20 share / 3rd (43rd overall)
November 5, 1990
HARRY'S WILL
Episode #111 (#40196-109)
Rich Little, Lyle Alzado, and James Doohan are among the familiar faces that pop up in this mad, mad, mad, mad episode in which MacGyver tangles with crazy crooks and an elderly ex-con in pursuit of a treasure thought hidden in a station wagon willed to MacGyver by his grandfather.
Written by: Lincoln Kibbee
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Lyle Alzado as Tiny, John Anderson as Harry Jackson, Dick Butkus as Earl Dent, James Doohan as Speedy, Henry Gibson as Chicken Habit Customer, Sandra Gould as Woman at the Soup Kitchen, Rich Little as Biff Arnold, Marion Ramsey as Police Officer, Marion Ross as Sister Robin, Jesse White as Mel, Wendy O. Williams as Big Mama, Abe Vigoda as Bill Cody, Shane Meier as Young MacGyver, Henry Winkler as Wilton Newberry
Nielsen Ratings: 14.0 rating / 23 share / 1st (33rd overall)
November 12, 1990
MACGYVER'S WOMEN
Episode #112 (#40196-112)
MacGyver dreams he's in the Old West, where he defends three frontierswomen from some ornery outlaws.
Written by: Stephen Kandel & Lincoln Kibbee
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Kim Zimmer as Kate Murphy, Brigitta Stenberg as Maria Romburg, Traci Lords as Jenny, Robert Donner as Milt Bozer, Robin Mossley as Wilt Bozer, Marshall Teague as Kid Curry, Frank C. Turner as News, Dale Wilson as Sundance, Wil Calhoun as Jesse James, Russell Hamilton as Billy the Kid, John Bear Curtis as Butterfield, Bill Croft as Tansey
Nielsen Ratings: 12.0 rating / 19 share / 2nd (47th overall)
November 19, 1990
BITTER HARVEST
Episode #113 (#40196-113)
MacGyver picks up where a murdered farm-worker organizer left off by investigating a grower's possible use of illegal pesticides.
Written by: Michael Kane
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: James Medina as Alex Silva, Richard Sarafian as Caspar Kasabian, Joey Aresco as Nick Kasabian, Yvette Cruise as Carmen Garcia, Anthony Penya as Hector Lopez, Allan Lysell as Sheriff Davis, Bill Ontiveros as Tony Garcia, Giann Goncalves as Natalie Garcia
Nielsen Ratings: 12.8 rating / 21 share / 3rd (29th overall)
December 3, 1990
THE VISITOR
Episode #114 (#40196-114)
MacGyver believes he's seeing a close encounter of the con kind when a couple of "extraterrestrials" promise to transport a desperate rural family to a trouble-free planet, for a price.
Written by: Brad Radnitz
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Ken Pogue as Sheriff, Beth Toussaint as Dawn Rigel, Christopher Gaze as Phil Sternweis, Ryan Michael as Ray Rigel, Larry Musser as John Wiley, Kaj-Erik Eriksen as Tommy Wiley, Suzie Payne as Sarah Wiley, Bruce Harwood as Willis
Optical Effects by Gastown Post, Vancouver
Nielsen Ratings: 13.9 rating / 21 share / 2nd (29th overall)
December 17, 1990
SQUEEZE PLAY
Episode #115 (#40196-115)
MacGyver goes to bat for a former baseball player's daughter who's being blackmailed by a counterfeit-memorabilia ring. Reggie Jackson has a cameo.
Written by: Art Washington
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Kent McCord as Novus Riley, Malcolm Stewart as Bill Marsh, Tim Rossovich as Willard, Catherine Zak as Wendy Riley, Reggie Jackson as Himself, Della Reese as Mama Colton, William Samples as Eli, Brock Johnson as Store Manager
Nielsen Ratings: 11.9 rating / 20 share / 3rd (42nd overall)
January 7, 1991
JERICO GAMES
Episode #116 (#40196-116)
MacGyver happily reunites with his high-school sweetheart, who's now the embittered wife of a media mogul sponsoring an international sports competition.
Written by: Robert Sherman
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Mary Ann Pascal as Ellen Stewart Jerico, Paul Haddad as Nikolai Rostov, Madison Mason as Reese, Adam Gregor as Coach Sergei Litminov, Robert Pine as Ralph Jerico, Kevin Hayes as Vince King, Kymberly Sheppard as Lorraine, Ken Kirzinger as Bodyguard
Nielsen Ratings: 13.3 rating / 20 share / 3rd (39th overall)
January 21, 1991
THE WASTELAND
Episode #117 (#40196-117)
MacGyver seeks to halt a land developer who's on the verge of creating an environmental ruin, while the man's son and daughter have a more malicious plan to run him out of the family business.
Written by: Robert Hamner & Grant Rosenberg
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Jim McMullan as Andrew Bartlett, Mitzi Kapture as Laura Bartlett, John Pyper-Ferguson as Scott Bartlett, Bruce Harwood as Willis, Kevin Hayes as Reporter, Rick Pearce as Big Hefty
Nielsen Ratings: 12.1 rating / 18 share / 3rd (37th overall)
February 4, 1991
EYE OF OSIRIS
Episode #118 (#40196-118)
MacGyver helps a cranky archaeologist and his adventuresome assistant search for the tomb of Alexander the Great, but their work's cursed by a vengeful villain.
Written by: John Sheppard
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Deborah Foreman as Beth Webb, Kai Wulff as Nicholas Von Leer, Antony Stamboulieh as Hakim, Peter Haworth as Axford, Mark Acheson as Kurush, Raimund Stamm as Worker
Nielsen Ratings: 12.3 rating / 19 share / 3rd (45th overall)
February 11, 1991
HIGH CONTROL
Episode #119 (#40196-119)
A parolee with the will to go straight nevertheless needs the aid of MacGyver to battle his old biker gang seeking to blackmail him.
Written by: Lincoln Kibbee
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Dick Butkus as Earl Dent, Gwynyth Walsh as Montana, Don Stroud as Jerry Kluge, Bill Croft as Rote, Howard Storey as Travis, Tony Dakota as Boy
Nielsen Ratings: 12.6 rating / 19 share / 3rd (43rd overall)
February 18, 1991
THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE
Episode #120 (#40196-120)
MacGyver takes to the streets to investigate the murder of a priest who dedicated himself to the plight of the homeless.
Written by: John Considine
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Nicolas Coster as Doc, Marie Stillin as Rachel, John Considine as Aaron Sandler, Scott Bellis as Danny, Todd Duckworth as Riker, Blu Mankuma as Lieutenant Rhome, David McLeod as Mooney, Laurie Murdoch as Father Jim, Randall Wong as Doctor, Becky Maynes as Allison
Nielsen Ratings: 12.8 rating / 19 share / 3rd (35th overall)
March 4, 1991
BLIND FAITH
Episode #121 (#40196-121)
Thornton copes with the onset of glaucoma, while MacGyver helps Thornton's long-ago love, a political dissident who wants to bring the atrocities in her Latin American country to light.
Written by: John Considine
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Irene DeBari as Samantha Lorra, Michael MacRae as Paul Stams, Ed Trotta as Cardosa, Hector Mercado as Ramos, Andrew Rhodes as Nelson Richardson, Kevin Hayes as Vince King
Nielsen Ratings: 10.3 rating / 16 share / 3rd (44th overall)
March 18, 1991
FAITH, HOPE, & CHARITY
Episode #122 (#40196-122)
While tracking the endangered gray wolf, MacGyver is sidetracked by murderous mobsters prowling for stolen loot, but he gets help from two charitable women named Faith and Hope.
Written by: Brad Radnitz
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Natalie Core as Faith Lacey, Helen Page Camp as Hope Lacey, Antony Holland as Leo Burns, Paul Boretski as Bobby, Barry Greene as Abe, Herb Edelman as Gorman
Nielsen Ratings: 12.3 rating / 19 share / 3rd (40th overall)
April 8, 1991
STRICTLY BUSINESS
Episode #123 (#40196-123)
Murderous Murdoc decides to come out of "retirement" and hit the one target that's always eluded him: MacGyver.
Written by: John Sheppard
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Kristen Meadows as Suzanne Walker, Rochelle Greenwood as Amy Walker, Michael Des Barres as Murdoc, Larry Hill as Sheriff
Nielsen Ratings: 11.5 rating / 20 share / 3rd (43rd overall)
April 29, 1991
TRAIL OF TEARS
Episode #124 (#40196-124)
A land dispute pits a native American advocate, willing to use explosive measures, against electric-company representatives, willing to kill.
Written by: Lincoln Kibbee
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Michael Gregory as Barry Whitecloud, Nick Ramus as Standing Wolf, Jack Bannon as Johnson, Gerry Bean as Dick Russell, R. Nelson Brown as Broom, Bruce Harwood as Willis, Joe-Norman Shaw as Samuels, Gordon Tootoosis as Phil Crow, Cory Douglas as Indian Boy, William B. Davis as Judge
Nielsen Ratings: 11.0 rating / 18 share / 3rd (47th overall)
May 6, 1991
HIND-SIGHT
Episode #125 (#40196-126)
Awaiting the operation to treat Thornton's glaucoma, MacGyver and Thornton look back on many of the adversities they've overcome in the past.
Written by: Rick Mittleman
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Linda Darlow as Connie Thornton, Bruce Harwood as Willis, Barbara E. Russell as Nurse Krandall, Forbes Angus as Surgeon
Nielsen Ratings: 10.2 rating / 17 share / 3rd (50th overall)
SEVENTH SEASON
September 16, 1991
HONEST ABE
Episode #126 (#40197-129)
In the seventh-season opener, MacGyver is whisked away from the bar mitzvah of his friend's son by the boy's grandfather Abe, who gets MacGyver tangled in a web of international intrigue involving a Caribbean terrorist and a high-tech helicopter.
Written by: Lincoln Kibbee
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Shelley Berman as Abe Sherman, Lance LeGault as Elliot, David Naughton as Lemana, Ben Stein as Major Sneed, Michael B. Tucci as Philip Sherman, Time Winters as President Marcel Peugot, Dan Eisenstein as Jeffrey Sherman, David Trim as Duke Luke
Nielsen Ratings: 8.6 rating / 14 share / 3rd (67th overall)
September 23, 1991
THE 'HOOD
Episode #127 (#40197-128)
MacGyver flies into action when a young woman in his new neighborhood walks into trouble with hit men.
Written by: Rick Mittleman
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Adrian Sparks as Melvin Krasney, Kimberly Scott as Mama Lorraine, Rob Youngblood as Bobbie Lee, Nancy Sloan as Kelly Dobbs, Sean O'Bryan as Will, Shawn Wayans as Robo, Donald Craig as J. Leland Knox, James Ingersoll as J. Tyler Knox, John Hostetter as Sergeant Rudley, Vince Deadrick, Sr. as Screaming Man, Jill Holden as Meter Maid, Wayne Duvall as Victor Nesbitt
Nielsen Ratings: 9.2 rating / 15 share / 3rd (70th overall)
September 30, 1991
OBSESSED
Episode #128 (#40197-127)
Recurring dreams about Murdoc make MacGyver sleepless and on edge as he provides security at the criminal trial of a deposed dictator.
Written by: John Sheppard
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Wendie Malick as Cindy Finnegan, Geno Silva as Delasora, Margarita Franco as Marietta Robles, Don Galloway as Bob Stryke, Michael Des Barres as Murdoc, Raymond D. Turner as Reporter
Nielsen Ratings: 9.1 rating / 15 share / 3rd (62nd overall)
October 7, 1991
THE PROMETHEUS SYNDROME
Episode #129 (#40197-130)
Efforts to help smoke out a psychopathic arsonist turn personal for MacGyver when a friend is killed.
Written by: Robert Sherman
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Jenette Goldstein as Rachel Bradley, Jack McGee as Joe Rosewell, Dave Florek as Ralph Boardman, Kimberly Scott as Mama Lorraine, Randolph Mantooth as Earl Stringer, Misty Rowe as Betty Stringer, Robert Ackerman as Chief, Sebastian White as Andy, Eric Close as Guard
Nielsen Ratings: 9.0 rating / 15 share / 3rd (65th overall)
October 14, 1991
THE COLTONS
Episode #130 (#40196-125)
The bounty-hunting Colton brothers - energized by the wisdom and cooking of their Mama - search for a young woman who's the lone witness to a Chinatown murder.
Written by: Stephen Downing & Michael Greenburg
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Cleavon Little as Frank Colton, Richard Lawson as Jesse Colton, Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Billy Colton, Della Reese as Mama Colton, Richard Gant as Johnny Denmark, Francois Chau as Chi, Christopher Thomas as G. Irwin Fielding, Irene Yah-Ling Sun as Loretta Fielding, James Hong as Kuang, Akiko Morison as Patricia Fielding, Bill Dow as Danko, Michael Sicoly as Quilla
Nielsen Ratings: 9.8 rating / 16 share / 3rd (56th overall)
October 21, 1991
WALKING DEAD
Episode #131 (#40197-131)
MacGyver finds himself in deep voodoo when a student activist is kidnapped and turned into a zombie by a group of Haitian extortionists.
Written by: Mark Rodgers
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Kimberly Scott as Mama Lorraine, Thomas Mikal Ford as Sergeant Concassuer, Antonio Fargas as Colonel Devraux, Michael D. Roberts as Pierre Redemteur, Karole Foreman as Cherine, Emily Yancy as Denise, John Hostetter as Sergeant Rudley, Rawle D. Lewis as Haitian Workman
Nielsen Ratings: 10.0 rating / 16 share / 3rd (52nd overall)
November 4, 1991
GOOD KNIGHT MACGYVER
Episode #132 (#40197-132)
A bonk on the head sends MacGyver back in time to King Arthur's Court, where his futuristic ways are a threat to Merlin's magic, but they also might prove that the magician didn't try to do in the king. Part 1 of two.
Written by: John Considine
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Time Winters as Merlin, Christopher Collet as Galahad, Colm Meaney as Irwin Malcolm, Peter Vogt, Christopher Neame as Duncan, David L. Considine as Balladeer
Nielsen Ratings: 9.6 rating / 15 share / 3rd (61st overall)
November 11, 1991
GOOD KNIGHT MACGYVER
Episode #133 (#40197-133)
Conclusion. Seeking to clear his family's name, MacGyver continues his quest with Merlin to free Galahad's beloved Cecilia and to foil the plan of wicked Morgana, who's got gunpowder.
Written by: John Considine
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Time Winters as Merlin, Christopher Collet as Galahad, Lynne Harbaugh as Cecilia, Mark Holton, Harry Victor, Robin Strasser as Morgana, William H. Bassett as Iain M'Iver
Nielsen Ratings: 10.6 rating / 16 share / 3rd (54th overall)
November 18, 1991
DEADLY SILENTS
Episode #134 (#40197-134)
MacGyver acts on behalf of an old silent-movie comedian whose only remaining prints of his work are stolen by a pair with a penchant for special effects.
Written by: Brad Radnitz
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Henry Gibson as Pinky Burnett, Tommy Hinkley as Neil, Frederick Coffin as Karl Meredith, Zoe Trilling as Violet Meredith
Nielsen Ratings: 10.0 rating / 16 share / 3rd (54th overall)
December 2, 1991
SPLIT DECISION
Episode #135 (#40197-135)
MacGyver's boxer buddy Earl Dent fights to retain custody of his daughter, but some bad bookmakers want him to take a dive in his comeback bout.
Written by: David Rich
Directed by: Michael Caffey
Guest Starring: Dick Butkus as Earl Dent, Sam Scarber as Crazy Eddie Jackson, Don Gibb as Herman the German, Bubba Smith as Bailey, F. William Parker as Stimson, Sarah Koskoff as Veronica "Ronnie" Dent, Herbert Edelman as Bart Riggins, Jim Lampley as Radio Announcer
Nielsen Ratings: 9.5 rating / 15 share / 3rd (61st overall)
December 16, 1991
GUNZ 'N BOYZ
Episode #136 (#40197-136)
A Challenger Club youth takes the rap for the fatal shooting of a gang member murdered by a weapons dealer who makes a killing by exploiting street violence.
Written by: Art Washington
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Margaret Avery as Regina Jeffries, Garvin Funches as Brian Jeffries, Tommy Morgan as Player G., Vonte Sweet as Kelvin Jeffries, Lee Weaver as Stumpy, Larry Wilcox as Minton, James Mathers as Officer Mullins, Richard McGragor as Hard Rock
Nielsen Ratings: 10.3 rating / 17 share / 3rd (59th overall)
December 30, 1991
OFF THE WALL
Episode #137 (#40197-137)
MacGyver goes to the wall for a young graffiti-artist friend and his grandmother, who's been evicted by a slumlord to make way for a development project.
Written by: Rick Mittleman
Directed by: Michael Preece
Guest Starring: Richard Coca as Lobo, Kathleen Freeman as Rose MacGruter, Ruth Manning as Helen Dempsey, Betty Carvalho as Gloria Diaz, Stanley Kamel as Victor Kasanti, John Considine as Andrew Lawton, Kent Williams as Clinton Ferris, Robert Dryer as Stroud, Charles Dierkop as Mo Nimitz, Michael F. Kelly as Wilkens
Nielsen Ratings: 10.9 rating / 18 share / 3rd (48th overall)
April 25, 1992
THE STRINGER
Episode #138 (#40197-139)
In his last adventure, MacGyver takes on the dangerous cause of a Chinese dissident and gets help from an unexpected source - his son.
Written by: John Sheppard
Directed by: Michael Vejar
Guest Starring: Michele B. Chan as Mei Jan, Keone Young as Chung Tai Shan, Dalton James as Sam Malloy, Steve Park as Tan Yee, Lisa Savage as Kate Malloy, Nicholas Matus as Young Sam
Nielsen Ratings: 13.8 rating / 26 share / 1st (15th overall)
May 21, 1992
THE MOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Episode #139 (#40197-138)
MacGyver joins Jack Dalton on a search for a fountain of youth in a land that appears to be a real Shangri-La.
Written by: Brad Radnitz
Directed by: William Gereghty
Guest Starring: Roya Megnot as Mukti, Ned Romero as Baba, Alex Colón as Captain Samad, George Kee Cheung as Dr. Liang, Bruce McGill as Jack Dalton, Bruno Marcotulli as Lieutenant
Nielsen Ratings: 8.1 rating / 14 share / 4th (53rd overall)
Special thanks to Icecat a.k.a. Tracy Ann Murray for contributing the Nielsen ratings figures.