With the latest reference to MacGyver in House, I thought it would be fun to list a few more references and MacGyverisms from literature and TV shows. Feel free to add, i'm sure a few of you know of some...

I'll start with the Stonecutters episode (Homer the Great) of the Simpsons.

Homer attaches a paint can to a car, pokes a hole in the bottom and quotes "All I have to do is follow the yellow drip road"

Refrences Season 3 episode "Blow Out"

Hey this would be quite an interesting list to add to the web site.

I know we have a few posts around here already talking about mac-mentions, but we can put them all together here and then put it up on the web site.

good idea.. jump in people.

I will, as soon as I think or/remember one.

There's tons of MacGyver references out there - in movies, TV shows, songs, books, and magazines and even radio shows.
I started maintaining such a list a while back on my site

So there's some to start off the list (I know there's lots of others I've missed.)

http://macgyver.250free.com/MacMisc.htm

Oh yeah- I like the House reference. That is pretty funny.

Jesus, what a mess.

Go ahead Rocky, make us one that's legible, and some place it will get read.

um... yeah.. Dude! thats really hard to read. All green and all the same size font... hard on the eyes.

Anyway.. question: Is this list going to cover all media formats? ie. tv/movie/radio/magazine/newspaper etc? or are we focusing on only some of these medias?

sorry- I made that a while ago and haven't really had much time lately to do anything more with it...

Anyway- perhaps this will be a bit easier to read...

MacGyver references

MacGyver has become part of the everyday vernacular. "MacGyverism" or '"to MacGyver" something' could even become new words in the dictionary. In fact, UrbanDictionary.com, an online slang dictionary listing, has a page for "MacGyver". So does Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. There is also a listing available online at dictionary.com for "MacGyver"! This is an official entry in the Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, © 2003 Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. However, the dictionary itself spelt it wrong! Also, see WordSpy's page for "MacGyver", complete with actual newspaper article usages!

T.V. Shows

(Note: Some of these are things I've found on the Internet. Some of these are things I've observed and found myself. They're not all direct mentions of MacGyver, though some are, and some of them are more subtle than others, but I included it if I thought it fit pretty well)

Early Edition-On the episode "Jenny Sloane", Gary saved a boy from suffocating in a bus luggage compartment. The bus driver complimented him saying, "Way to go MacGyver!"

On the episode "Time", the gift of the "early edition" newspaper was passed down with a Swiss Army Knife. It seemed fitting for the symbol of all Gary's virtous acts, the SAK, to be a symbol of MacGyver, who has similar high moral ethics.

The Simpsons- MacGyver is mentioned on this show quite a lot. (I don't watch this show, but I've found a lot of stuff on the net about MacGyver references on the show) Marge's sisters, Patty and Selma,watch MacGyver constantly. He's their hero. Watch what happens to people they know who make fun of MacGyver in this video clip below.

Video clip of MacGyver mention on The Simpsons

Sound clip of "MacGyver episode" Patty and Selma are watching on The Simpsons.

Here's a transcript of some MacGyver references on one particular episode of The Simpsons. I have sound clips of some of these lines and I'll put them on the site when I get a chance. In the episode where Bart's Aunt Selma was going to marry SideShow Bob, we find out Aunt Selma and Patty are in love with MacGyver. Selma was going to break off the wedding if her husband-to-be didn't tell her he loved MacGyver. Here's some quotes from the episode.
While kissing SideShow Bob Selma: "Holy Free Holys! We've got 10 mins till MacGyver!" "Driver, here's a $10. Get us home and don't spare the whip."
Selma: "What did I miss?" Patty: "MacGyver was wearing a tank top" Selma: "D***!" Selma kicks the chair SideShow Bob: "But Selma I thought I was the only man in your life" Selma: "Sit Down and Shut Up!!"
Selma: "I would just like to say, that on the advice of my new husband, I've given up smoking, except for after meals and after MacGyver."
Selma: "That MacGyver's a genius" SideShow Bob: "First of all, he's not a genius, he's an actor. And second he's not much of an actor." Selma: "You're Lying! You're Lying!" Selma runs off crying
Selma: "Love Me, Love MacGyver. We are a package."
She loved MacGyver so much she even didn't miss MacGyver while she was on her Honeymoon.
In the "Goo Goo Gai Pan" episode, after watching a video on menopause, hosted by guest voice Robert Wagner, Selma realizes that she missed her chance to have a baby and decides to adopt a baby girl from China. Selma encounters a bump in the road when the application asks for her husband's name. She is talking to a chinese man in an agency. This is how the dialog went.. Selma: "Uh, do you know MacGyver?" Agent: "Oh, yes, yes, big star, big star. He wouldn't be married to you."


Big time reference on the "Kiss, Kiss, Bang Bangalore" episode which aired on April 9, 2006 and in which Richard Dean Anderson guest starred. Selma and Patty intercept Richard Dean Anderson on his way to a StarGate SG-1 convention and direct him instead to their own MacGyver convention. After being kidnapped by the two MacGyver-obsessed fans, RDA starts to get back into his trouble-shooting days and entreats Patty and Selma to create scenarios for him to creatively escape from. He refuses to leave and the two fans have to come up with a plan for some relief! Check out video clips of RDA's appearances on the episode here, from Kate's Richard Dean Anderson web site.

South Park- MacGyver has also been mentioned on this show. (I don't watch this show, so I haven't seen it myself, but so I've been told) The grandfather made the boys watch MacGyver until they got all their violence out of their systems.

The Family Guy- (Another show I don't watch.) This reference is really funny. Peter's dog runs away. Peter writes a letter to MacGyver, asking him to save his dog. His letter reads something like this, "Dear MacGyver, I have enclosed string, a rubber band, and a straw. Please save my dog." The next scene shows Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver shooting himself in the eye with the rubber band.

Ed- On one episode, someone was complimenting Ed on a legal victory and told him, "Cool. You're like MacGyver, but you don't live on a houseboat."

The Immortal (New 90s+2000s version)- Two minor characters (male and female) were trapped in a building in one episode. The building was about to go up in smoke, so the man was beating on the door with something to get out. The woman asked him where he learned that, and he replied, "MacGyver reruns."

Just Shoot Me- David Spade's character, in defending cats to his wife who doesn't like them said, "Cats are cool. MacGyver had a cat." However this reference makes no sense, because MacGyver did not have a cat. On another episode, one of the characters said, "You know what's a good show? MacGyver."

Mad About You- On one episode, Paul Reiser's character is going through the fridge
and he says something like "All we've got is some beans, sunflower seeds and hummus....if I was MacGyver I could probably make a jeep out of this".


Charmed- There was one episode where someone called one of the girls a "female MacGyver" or something to that effect, presumably for their ingenuity with diaper changing. In one episode, part of the episode description by the producers went as follows: "Phoebe's got to run up and find that aerosol hairspray to do a flamethrower. They've got to become mini-MacGyvers, all while trying to protect Piper, who suddenly goes into contractions." In an episode from the third(?) season, Piper mentioned to Dan that he was a real life MacGyver.

The X-Files- On the episode with the baseball loving extra terrestrial, the old man (Arthur?) kept calling Agent Mulder, "Agent MacGyver".

Wings- On the episode where Joe and Helen got married ("Boys Just Want to Have Fun"(Part 1) and "Here It Is: The Big Wedding" (Part 2) 6th. season finale), and Joe got his hand stuck in the toilet, there are quite a few MacGyver references. Lowell talks a lot about various things MacGyver did on the show and even comes up with his own "MacGyver-esque" way of getting Joe free. Check outMelissa Kelley's MacGyver Homepage to hear some really funny sound clips from the episode and a more detailed description.

Saved By the Bell- On the "Earthquake" episode, when Screech and Mr. Belding get stuck in the principal's office, Screech tries to break open the door by using a trick he says he saw on MacGyver. He succeeds only in breaking off the door knob however, and both of them have to wait for Slater to come and kick the door down to rescue them.

Full House- On the 1994 Season 7 episode "Too Little Richard, Too Late", the Tanners and Kimmy Gibbler fill in for entertainment while the PTA council waits for Little Richard to arrive. Kimmy offers her "impression of a beautiful young girl being frisked by MacGyver." Kimmy turns her back to the audience and puts her hands on her back and side to make it look like she's being held in an embrace by MacGyver and being kissed. As Kimmy moves her hands back and forth, she says, "Oh MacGyver! MacGyver, I hardly know you. MacGyver!"

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (The TV Show)- On the "Honey, We're on TV" episode, Wayne, Nick and Amy accidentally get zapped into the TV set where they can visit past and present shows. Amy states twice throughout the episode that she would have taken them to the MacGyver show but it was already over.

Stargate SG-1- Of course, people on the set of the show still call Richard Dean Anderson "MacGyver" or "Mac" from time to time. On the pilot episode of the show, Captain Carter ab-libbed a line and told O'Neill that they need to "MacGyver" a piece of equipment to get it to work.

Star Trek: Enterprise- On the episode "Observer Effect", Trip and Hoshi have caught a virus and are isolated in a decontamination area and during this time they talk about their jobs. Hoshi says, "I wish I was an engineer like you so I could fix a warp engine with duct tape and a pocketknife." Cool MacGyver reference! Good to know MacGyver's still popular in the 22nd. century! :-)

Also of interest are the shows Junkyard Wars on The Learning Channel, Battlebots on Comedy Central, which involve making stuff out of junk and building robots to battle each other, respectively. I think MacGyver could easily win on both of these shows.

MacGyver was also featured on the "I Love 1985" special on VH-1 of the "I Love the 80s" series, which came out in 2002.

In late 2006, Actor Willam Belli (perhaps best known as "Cherry Peck" on Nip/Tuck) developed a comedy pilot called "Tranny MacGyver", but there is no real connection to MacGyver, other than a reference in the title. You can view the 2 minute teaser on Youtube. Be warned that it does contain explicit material.

By December 2007, The Discovery Channel's "Mythbusters" had begun airing MacGyver "mini-myths" in anticipation of their MacGyver special coming up in 2008!!! I have heard that one of them has covered using chocolate to stop an acid leak, as seen in the "Pilot" episode. You can view two others through the Youtube links below.
MacGyver "Mini-Myth" #1 (Adam tests out a classic MacGyverism- MacGyver blowing out the lights with a bottle of drain cleaner, as seen in "Obsessed")
MacGyver "Mini-Myth" #2 (Adam shows us how a silver gum wrapper does work as a temporary fuse fix, as seen in the "Hellfire" episode.)



Commercials

MasterCard

Richard Dean Anderson reprised his MacGyver role for a MasterCard commercial aired during SuperBowl 40 between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers on February 5, 2006. The Steelers won 21-10! See the commercial and a bunch of cool "behind the scenes" stuff (including an interview with Richard Dean Anderson) at the "Priceless" campaign web site. And you can download the commercial from MacGyver Online's Video page.

Check out Kate's great Richard Dean Anderson site for Taiwanese company Vitalon's "Super Supau" soft drink commercials starring Richard Dean Anderson. He did these around 1991 or so. One has RDA doing something like Tai Chi, but the other commercial is definitely reminiscent of MacGyver! Very cool!

Movies

Half-Baked

I haven't seen this 1998 movie, but I did find an amusing reference to MacGyver from the movie on the internet. Click here to listen to a clip.

In the MMORPG World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, a Grand Master Engineer named "Mack Diver" can be found in Zabra'Jin, a Horde outpost in Zangarmarsh. Mack Diver wears a diving helmet and wields a utility knife, a homage to MacGyver. (Found on Wiki. I don't actually play the game, I have a life )

If anyone watches the Food Network show "Good Eats" - the host, Alton Brown, is always referring to MacGyver - with MacGyver sayings. I'll have to pay attention more to try to catch his exact wording. It's a very funny and informative show. Oh, and... he actually does cook stuff.

I think I may have actually seen that show if it's the dude I'm thinking about. (I believe he gives you a lot of background info on the food he's using to cook with and such) But I don't really have access to it now- just used to watch it some with my mom, that's all.

Ha- yeah, I knew of the World of Warcraft (or WOW as the "in" people like to say ) reference to MacGyver- that's pretty funny. A friend of mine refers to MacGyver as the character's name to joke with me sometimes- and then I later realized where it came from.
(And by the way- though I do like playing some video games, I don't play that particular one either.)

I don't think this is right. I've seen just about all the behind the scenes footage and I've never heard anyone say that they call RDA MacGyver or Mac on the set. I'd have to say if they did, if I were RDA, I'd be tempted to smack them right in the mouth.

And the line from the pilot wasn't adlibbed, it was scripted.

"It took us 15 years and 3 super-computers to MacGyver a system for the gate on Earth."

There is a scene where they set up RDA behind the scenes when they are stuck on ice. Amanda Tapping starts complaining about how he used to be Macgyver & MacGadget, and goes on about having a knife and a shoe lace, so he should be able get them free, but he can't. His face was hilarious. I saw it on youtube.

Hmm- the story I had heard was that Amanda Tapping ad-libbed the "MacGyver" line in the StarGate SG-1 "Pilot". Because I was under the impression that it was done as a joke on RDA and that he didn't know about the line until it was said in the taping.
And I imagine someone over the course of the- was it 8 years, RDA spent on the show- someone probably called him "Mac" or "MacGyver" every now and then just to mess with him. I don't think he would have smacked anyone for it though. I guess some actors get tired of being constantly reminded of their past roles- but MacGyver's something to be proud of. And RDA seems to be pretty good-natured and can go along with a joke.
But some of those things I base on hearsay that I've heard on the Internet and things I've read on sites, etc. (at least regarding the StarGate stuff)
So if it's not accurate, of course don't bother to list it.

One of my favorite Mac references is in the first season of CSI:New York. The CSIs get called to a crime scene featuring a man who died while locked in a saferoom. (The guy was super paranoid, as you may guess...) Anyway, one of the CSIs, Danny, accidentally gets locked in the room with the corpse, and once locked, the room can't be opened again for 8 hours. While he's waiting to be rescued, his colleage, Aidan, is advising him on how to process the crime scene, as he's left his kit outside the room. She's telling him how to use various common cleaning products, etc., to substitute for the stuff in his kit, and he responds by calling her "Miss MacGyver." I laughed SO hard when I heard that line!!

In NCIS there is a MacGyver reference.
In “missing” there is a scene where marines are learning how to diffuse bombs and they fail. The guy doing the disarming mistakenly thinks he has loads of time due to the timer display. After the fake bomb “explodes” the instructor sarcastically says “Way to go MacGyver.”

I've just finished reading a pretty good adventure story: 'The Sword of the Templars' by Paul Christopher. Enjoyable as the rest of the story was, the best bit was at the end, when the characters are looking through the notebook of the historian who has been tracking the whereabouts of the sword in question.

Allow me to quote:
"What's in the book?"
"Names and addresses," said Holliday."Hundreds of them. People all over the world. Something called The Phoenix Foundation and some sort of special prefix number I've never seen before..."

PAUL CHRISTOPHER IS A MACGYVER FAN!

So, has anyone else found references to Mac and the gang turning up in unexpected places?

Wow neat find, Rocket!
I've only found one mention in a writer's guide - it used MacGyver as an example for creating a character who utilizes everyday objects and uses brain over brawn.

Cool find.

Plenty of Mac mentions in other shows (like The Simpsons ) but also in many other movies. But never in literature.

Supernatural, season 5 episode 9 "The Real Ghostbusters"
Scene: [when Dean and Sam are in bar]

Dean: Well, you sure look lovely tonight. Especially for a dead chick.
Latisha Gore actress: Buddy, I have heard that line 17 times tonight, okay? And all from dudes wearing MacGyver jackets. 

We're currently watching Season 5 of 'Castle'. For anyone not familiar, it follows the fortunes of Richard Castle, mystery writer and self appointed crimefighter, and the New York police detective department to which he has attached himself.

Last night's episode finds Castle and Detective Beckett trapped in an abandoned building while the Mob (from whom they've escaped) comb the streets outside for them. They've had their phones, radios and wallets taken by the mob already and have no way to tell their department where they are...

Cut to Castle grubbing around in the junk they're sharing their hidey-hole with and triumphantly pulling out a broken CB radio:

Castle: We can use this!
Beckett: Do you even know how to fix that thing?
Castle: No, but I have seen every episode of MacGyver! I'll figure it out.

Sure enough, he does

There's been a ton of them in NHL hockey broadcasts over the years. As MacGyver embraced hockey, hockey also embraced MacGyver.

Certainly not as many references in recent years but the commentators and sportscasters still do throw a SAK, Macgyverism analogy in on occasion. I don't believe the transcripts for these games are maintained or searchable unfortunately ..... but if they were, I'd think that you'd find the hockey community's usages would be ahead by a country mile.