MacGyver is helping to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the predominantly southeastern US fast food chicken franchise, Zaxby's, in 3 special anniversary commercials. Richard Dean Anderson has stared in 3 of the 6 anniversary commercials where he plays on his MacGyver character as he makes a high intensity proton laser, get's stuck in an elevator and builds a blow gun to help celebrate the restaurants 20th birthday and also the opening of their 5ooth store. The other 3 commercials star John Ratzenberger in his Cliff Claven (the Mail-man from Cheers) Persona. The first 3 commercials started airing in the first week of July 2010 Watch all 6 of the Zaxby's 20th Anniversary Commercials

Isn't it interesting that his 6 1/2 years on MacGyver then ending with the movies in 94, as opposed to his more recent and long running association with Stargate, seem to be what people still know him for. He is asked again and again to repeat as MacGyver (more recently in the SuperBowl Pepsi commercials) instead of his long time role in the SG series. I wonder how he feels about this. Maybe it's time to revise the original. What a great opportunity if and when the MacG movie comes about to have RDA play the new MacG's dad or if it takes long enough he can do the John Anderson part of Harry Jackson. Time flies when your'e havin' fun.

I think the amount of MacGyver related media we keep seeing speaks volumes on just how iconic MacGyver has become. When you think about other "iconic" characters, there's not that many that keep showing up the way MacGyver seems to these days in some form or other.

The premise of MacGyver still remains so unique that it has reached iconic status for a number of years now and hence the reason RDA keeps getting asked to revisit the character; where-as Jack O'Neill wasn't really any different to many other characters on TV. In fact Jack was the very essence of the kinds of TV characters the whole MacGyver idea was thought up to counter.



I love the second commercial with RDA in the elevator. The way he laughs at the guy when he asks "You can use that food to get us out of here right?"

MacGyver made the most Impact on peoples lives he was the first spy to not carry a gun and use a less violent way to save the world and people. I hope like all of us Rick will be in the MacGyver movie. It just don't seem the same without him being there.

I loved seeing those commercials -- I laughed! I think I like the elevator one the best.

Now, if we could just get him to do somethign for MacGyver's 25th this year.

Why don't you ask him?
You are the owner of THE MacGyver site.
That could carry some weight with him.

Just watched the commercials. Is it just me, or does it seem RDA may be turning into William Shatner?

well I have to figure out what do to do for a celebration first, and then theirs the little detail of actually trying to get in contact with him. He's very private and doesn't respond to any fan contact.

well I have to figure out what do to do for a celebration first, and then theirs the little detail of actually trying to get in contact with him. He's very private and doesn't respond to any fan contact.

That's unfortunate. Too bad he can't do a Q&A or a "hello fans" video or something.

I really hope this means he is secretly preparing to reassume his role. I had the thought earlier today that 1) he was so much the essence of the character I don't think bad writing could mess it up too bad and 2) He would not cooperate with a lousy script and would probably demand changes if it were in the vein of Miami Vice or one of the other poorly done remakes from the 80's.

I also very much loved that scene in the elevator- not what you expect

The scene is really awesome.
Just saw it again while checking out the archive videos.

I had the same thought, but for a different reason. There was a great Tom Tomorrow cartoon back in, I think, 1998, lampooning Shatner's stint as spokesman for Priceline.com. It consists mostly of Shatner proclaiming the virtues of Priceline, but it is also full of references to TJ Hooker, whom Shatner refers to as his most noted role. In the final panel, a kid asks Shatner if he thinks Priceline is "the final frontier of savings," and Shatner replies, "Kid, I don't know what you're talking about." I could totally imagine a similar joke featuring RDA and Stargate.

I like MacGyver, not Zaxby.