I qualify it as a kids' show just based on the content.
Many episodes were very clearly aimed at a young demographic. Some of them did it through the characters (like Jack Dalton, Murdoc, Penny), others did it through their messages ("Twenty Questions"-- telling kids not to drink, "Cease Fire"-- helping kids cope with divorced parents, "Live And Learn"-- promoting staying in school, etc, etc.) And other episodes did it through their humor ("Out In The Cold," "Harry's Will," "Honest Abe," "Cleo Rocks," "Brainwashed", etc.) And overall, MacGyver was intentionally made into a squeeky-clean hero to be a good role model for kids-- he ate his veggies, practically never got laid, and never fired a gun.

I guess you could call it "family programming," but I find the two terms interchangeable for the most part. Disney often advertises its movies as a "A great movie for the whole family!" when it really means that it's something for parents to watch with their kids, and the parents probably wouldn't watch it on their own. I found the same thing was true with MacGyver-- as a kid, I watched it with my parents, but I didn't know any adults who watched it if they did not have kids. Now, the only adults I know who watch it are ones who grew up with it and watch it for nostalgic reasons.

By the way, I'm NOT putting the show down by saying it's for kids, same as I wouldn't be putting Sesame Street down if I said it was for kids. I think sometimes people take it as an insult to the show, and it's not meant to be.

I can't call episodes like Cleo Rocks or Brainwashed humoristic.

I take MacGyver as a more serious show than let's say Magnum PI or The A-Team. In those two shows the humor was part of the concept which I can't say in MacGyver. OK, there are a couple of episodes but it's not meant as humoristic show. The action and adventure overpowers it too much.

I can understand the messages episodes has like staying in school and don't drink and help charity.

You might say it's written on kids level but it's enjoyable for everyone. And I don't think it's meant to be educational in the sense of: 'let's teach the audience a couple of lessons with this one.' It's more like: 'keep a few things in mind after you saw it.'

I qualify it as a kids' show just based on the content.
Many episodes were very clearly aimed at a young demographic. Some of them did it through the characters (like Jack Dalton, Murdoc, Penny), others did it through their messages ("Twenty Questions"-- telling kids not to drink, "Cease Fire"-- helping kids cope with divorced parents, "Live And Learn"-- promoting staying in school, etc, etc.) And other episodes did it through their humor ("Out In The Cold," "Harry's Will," "Honest Abe," "Cleo Rocks," "Brainwashed", etc.) And overall, MacGyver was intentionally made into a squeeky-clean hero to be a good role model for kids-- he ate his veggies, practically never got laid, and never fired a gun.

I guess you could call it "family programming," but I find the two terms interchangeable for the most part. Disney often advertises its movies as a "A great movie for the whole family!" when it really means that it's something for parents to watch with their kids, and the parents probably wouldn't watch it on their own. I found the same thing was true with MacGyver-- as a kid, I watched it with my parents, but I didn't know any adults who watched it if they did not have kids. Now, the only adults I know who watch it are ones who grew up with it and watch it for nostalgic reasons.

I think your falling to the syndrome that Betamac pointed out. Your judging the show by today's standards.

We need to remember that back in the 80's content was very different to what it is today and the rules around what could and couldn't be shown at 8pm on a Monday night were very much stricter than they are today. I think the very fact that the show aired at 8pm with a PG rating shows it wasn't a kids show, nor was it intended to be a kids show, but it was a family show. Meaning that they tried to make the show have something to cater for everyone from kids right through to adults - which would prescribe to the rules and regulations around "family viewing" hours for TV in the 80's.

But it is an insult because the show wasn't made as a kids show. It was an 8pm PG rated show, which clearly isn't a kids show while Sesame street is a childrens education show on during the day. By today's standards it might be a kids show, but it certainly wasn't in it's original airing period.

I'm not being argumentative here, I'm just stating the facts as I understand them and how I interpret them.

"Cleo Rocks" was hilarious campiness at it's finest. Between the campy opening musical number to the hilarious scene of Murdoc playing the keyboard while Penny danced (my girlfriend couldn't even breathe properly she was laughing so hard at that scene), to the complete camp of watching Murdoc wearing a cape and the firepits, etc, etc. It was one of the funniest episodes of the series, I thought. If it wasn't intentionally campy fun, then they really misfired.

"Brainwashed" was also a great example of campy fun. The scene with Pete in the coffin is laugh-out-loud funny (you KNOW the cast laughed after filming that.) Then there's Jack with the bucket of water on his head (funny for the kids), and several other scenes that I can't remember at the moment because it's been a while since I've seen the episode. But I do remember getting quite a few laughs out of it, especially as a kid when it first aired.

Well, I'm certainly not saying it's aimed at the SAME age as Sesame Street (maybe that was a bad example), but I do honestly believe it was aimed primarily at kids, say from age 10-17. Or maybe "young adults" is the correct term?
You do raise a good point about standards being different back then, but even so, I can't believe that when they were writing the episodes they were thinking of an adult audience. There are just too many examples throughout the series of trying to appeal to a young-ish demographic. Which is great, and I think it's a shame that shows like that don't still exist, so again, my comments are not meant as insult to the show. Frankly, if I were a parent today, I'm not sure what shows my kids would watch. But as an adult myself, I'm glad that tv has matured somewhat.

I'd say my most watched episode is "The Survivors". I never get tired of watching it.