What would you do if you could've improved the series? Like adding elements, taking away elements...

What I would've done:
- using more weather circumstances like thunderstorms
- bigger storylines
- more Nikki Carpenter, Jack Dalton, Murdoc episodes after the fourth and during and after the fifth season. More Harry Jackson episodes between Friends and Passages.
- taking on more daring and sensitive situations in MacGyver's life and past and between MacGyver's and Pete friendship.

These are just a few examples, I'll try to think of a few more.

Well personally I think the biggest change I would make would be to keep more with Phoenix Foundation type episodes of the earlier - mid seasons and completely avoid the "social conscience" path of the later episodes.

More adventures based around Phoenix Foundation assignments and work are the key for me.

Which means more of the "tight 5" too... Pete, Nikki, Jack, Murdoc (the fifth being MacGyver)

Here Here!

I didn't mind some of the social conscience episodes, like The Challenge, Runners, and Black Rhino, but it certainly became overkill after awhile and a bit disappointing. MacGyver is such an intriguing character and they really could have expanded and done so much more with him (which is why I write fan fiction, I guess--to further explore MacGyver's life).

I would definitely have had more action episodes and episodes where he travels to foreign countries, and I might also have stepped up the drama a little bit more (more hurt physically and emotionally). Beyond that, I would probably do what everyone else already mentioned--keeping the main supporting cast active in episodes, and further development of MacGyver's backstory.

more pre-Phoenix Foundation type of series. Like first 2 seasson

That'd be my take, too, though that's not to say I don't like what we label so fondly as the "social conscience" eps. I like them all a lot, and they added dimension to the character (a guy doesn't always go on assignments, right?). Anyway, I think I probably would have incorporated more PF assignment eps in the later seasons to balance things out.

Interesting remark. The social conscience was no problem for me either. But you're right more assignments involving work would've been better. The travelling became a rarity after the first half of the fifth season.
After The Treasure of Manco, he never travelled again in the fifth season with six episodes left. There could've been at least two more fully set in a foreign country. Also in the sixth season with Pete's absence between MacGyver's Women and Eye of Osiris, could've been at least 2 more episodes set in foreign land.
In the seventh season there's only one full episode set in foreign land, while there could've been or better... should've been six episodes set in foreign land.

The "tight 5" is indeed a good way to call them: Mac, Jack, Pete, Nikki and Murdoc were the five most important characters throughout the series followed closely with Penny Parker and Harry.
It was just so wrong to let Nikki go. Jack and Nikki should've had after the third season at least 4 episodes per season. Murdoc too, but maybe two for him.

MacGyver travels to 2 countries in the 7th. season- in "Honest Abe" and "The Mountain of Youth". But you're right- only "The Mountain of Youth" is fully set in another country.

Also, I think kinda the beauty of the Phoenix Foundation job is that it was somewhat part-time, but probably due to the nature of work MacGyver was doing, it paid enough to take care of his bills. And they of course, also did special things for him from time to time- like setting up a scrimmage with a professional ice hockey team or getting a scholarship for Lisa (from "Nightmares") (both of these he mentions in "D.O.A. MacGyver")........(Why yes, I DID just recently watch that episode. )

So while MacGyver does plenty of assignments for Phoenix, he also has the leeway to do stuff on his own. I suppose we don't necessarily know when all of the episodes are set- so perhaps some of the "social conscience" episodes are set on the weekends when he has free time to work with other causes and concerns- like the stuff he does with the Challengers Club.

But to be fair- from the 4th. season onward, MacGyver still does plenty of assignments for the Phoenix Foundation.
"On a Wing and a Prayer", "Collision Course", "The Survivors", "Deadly Dreams" (I'm pretty sure working with Lt. Murphy and the police department was sanctioned by Phoenix and not just something he was doing for fun )

And there's cases like "Ma Dalton" (which I think you can make an exception for. Every now and then, MacGyver runs into things like this on his own that Pete goes along with and lets him work on- so I think you could still consider it a Phoenix mission, of sorts in any case.)
And if you go with that understanding, that would apply to a lot of other episodes, including "Cleo Rocks", "Fraternity of Thieves" (and that was a personal thing for Pete!) "Runners" (though he was working with Pete on Phoenix work when he ran into Jenny), "Gold Rush", "The Invisible Killer", "Brainwashed", "Renegade".

For the 5th. season-
"The Black Corsage", "Cease Fire", "Second Chance", "Children of Light", "Black Rhino", "The Ten Percent Solution", "Two Times Trouble"
and
"Serenity" (where MacGyver specifically refuses an assignment because he's been getting too many without enough rest! And because Pete just assumed he'd do it without really asking him first) (but don't worry- they patch things up at the end! )

"Live and Learn" (probably would be considered a "social conscience" episode- and it was a Phoenix-sanctioned project)
"Jenny's Chance" (another something that MacGyver runs into that he pulls Pete into- I'm sure Phoenix isn't upset that MacGyver's bringing in a notorious money-launderer, so I feel like they would count something like this towards his work for the organization)
"Deep Cover", "Passages"

Season 6-

"Humanity", "The Gun" (obviously Pete does work with The Challengers Club from time to time as well- as we also saw in "The Madonna"), "The Wall", "Lesson in Evil",
"Bitter Harvest" (I tend to feel that these kind of adventures MacGyver runs into would or should give him credit with Phoenix for doing work- especially when he calls Pete in to do legwork for him.)
"Jerico Games", "The Wasteland", "High Control" (the scene at the start definitely counts in any case), "Blind Faith", "Faith, Hope & Charity" (tracking the gray wolf for Phoenix), "Trail of Tears"

Season 7-
"Obsessed", "The Prometheus Syndrome" (I'd count it towards credit with Phoenix), "The Stringer" and "The Mountain of Youth"

And it's understandable as to why MacGyver didn't have many direct Phoenix Foundation assignments in the 7th. season, as Dana Elcar was not showing up too much as Pete, probably due to his dealing with glaucoma. But at least he was kept on the show and still did some of his best episodes- obviously "Obsessed" and "Good Knight, MacGyver" (Parts 1 and 2)- and "The Stringer", of course.

I think it's cool that MacGyver had a job flexible enough to let him do side projects on his own and obviously that paid him well enough to take care of his financial needs and everything. Just because he didn't have a general showing up while he's sunbathing on the beach and sending him off to Burma to retrieve a downed weapon all the time (like in Season One's "The Golden Triangle"- and even there he did a "side project"- I'd call freeing people from slavery a "social conscience" episode) - that doesn't mean he wasn't still doing work with Phoenix and still accomplishing a lot of good, even if it was just a "smaller" thing for a friend.

Man, (except for the really dangerous stuff and good possibility of getting killed ) I'd love a job like that!

I would add in more MacGyversisms, especially in the later seasons. It seems like the writers got away from the core elements that mdae MacGyver what he is.

I would add more back story and do more in depth story lines exploring the relationships between Pete, Jack, Nikki andMcGyver.

This is just a technical nitpick, but I would also make injuries look more realistic. Gunshot wounds and head wounds actually bleed. Alot. In the season 6 episode of Humanity, when Mac gets shot through the shoulder, there is the hole in the shoulder of the shirt with a just a little dab of blood. If the bullet went all the way through his shoulder, it would have definitely bled more, because exit wounds are almost always larger than entrance wounds. I'm not into gory and guts, but an additional element of realism would have elevated the show.

The last thing I would have done is hire better actresses for single supporting roles. Some of the actors and actresses in season 1 were, how do I put it, really bad. The acting definitely improved after season 1, but there are a couple of episodes that I find hilarious because the performances are just too over the top. RDA shows his versatility when playing opposite them and still maintaining his believability.

I totally agree with what Rock said earlier.
I bet we all get the real MacGyver-feel when watching the episodes where he's on a mission. After all, that's what the show started with.

I didn't mind the social conscience related eppies, they are still MacGyver through and through.
But the outdoor eps, mission eps and foreign country eps, woohoo, they just breathe Mac!

Agree on this one too!

That was also indeed the idea of the show of keeping it realistic, polite etc. But with realism... there's one example of big unrealism in the sixth season. When his van is blown up in The Wasteland, they sure make a big tumble in the van and there are big explosions, but don't you think it's odd that Bartlett broke his leg while MacGyver is practically unharmed while he was actually almost sitting on the bomb. I mean he hurts his hand when knocking someone's lights out but being blown up has no effect on him? I think he should've at least looked like the way he looked in Strictly Business.

If they ever make a movie of it, I hope they take on the Casino Royale way. They said they didn't want Bond to come out of his action scenes unharmed. They should do the same thing with MacGyver than, but than again this is wishful thinking again.

MG, I totally agree. While wearing a seatbelt can prevent injuries in a rollover accident, explosions do cause lots of flying fragments which in turn do cause lots of cuts and lacerations. In rollover accidents the driver is almost always more seriously injured than the passengers, because of the close proximity of the driver to the steering wheel of the vehicle. One of the guys I work with is an EMT and he says that roll over accidents are some of the worst that he has to respond to. Head injuries are also common in rollovers as the vehicle occupants are slammed around inside the car.

Yep. True. MacGyver's blown up in The Wasteland, he's alright, Vin Diesel crashes against a big truck and he's got a head wound and heavy breathing. However Diesel just gets out of the car and takes off with Walker's car as if nothing happened.
For the action films, I think the blood adds up to the story and not for gore and stuff. It has a functional meaning.

Further to improve the series..., well maybe not really improving but might be an interesting element to it is to show more of Pete's place. Over the series 7 season run, we only saw Pete's place once. Once.
I found it interesting to see Mac at Pete's place in Early Retirement instead of Pete always at Mac's place.