CBS has announced that Hawaii Five-0 will take over MacGyver’s Friday nights time-slot as they move MacGyver to a mid-season show meaning it won’t be back until at least January 2020.
The shock announcement came on Thursday as CBS released their fall schedule during their ‘Upfronts‘ showing H50 moves from 9 pm to MacGyver’s 8 pm slot making way for Magnum P.I to fill the 9 pm slot meaning MacGyver likely won’t get the full 4th season it needs to reach the 88 episodes required for syndication.
Traditionally a mid-season replacement happens after a show is canceled or put on hiatus, but with the high rating H50 taking over MacGyver’s time slot to make way for the rescheduled Magnum P.I. it seems unlikely MacGyver would return to Friday nights unless it is set to air during the mid-season hiatus. Regardless of what’s being planned this move really raises questions about CBS’ commitment to MacGyver which has been a ratings winner in the Friday night timeslot rounding out the CBS trifecta for Friday nights since its first season. The show has hit a couple of hiccups in it’s just finished 3rd season with a major onset accident early in the season’s production and the lose of co-star George Eads who left for ‘personal reasons’ which was quickly turned into a positive with the casting of a new female character taking over the ‘muscle’ role left behind by Eads and creating a new dynamic in the show, but neither of these had any real impact on the ratings.
The real concern of this news comes from the show being only 22 episodes away from its syndication mark of 88 episodes. Syndication is considered the golden egg of television as it allows the network to sell their shows airing license to other stations and can often keep otherwise dead shows running well past their “use by date” begging the question why would CBS pass up the chance to put arguably their most famous name into the prized syndication circuit to allow a lower-rated show into its space?
This may seem like all doom and gloom, but we can take some positives away from this. CBS hasn’t made a final season announcement on the show, nor have they said anything about moving the show to summer, which is often a precursor to cancellation. It seems like they do intend to use the show in some form at the moment we just don’t know what that form will be.
The new Friday night lineup will look like this until at least the mid-season hiatus (which typically happens between Dec – Jan).
FRIDAY NIGHT LINEUP:
8 pm Hawaii Five-0 (new time slot)
9 pm Magnum P.I. (new night)
10 pm Blue Bloods
Discuss this story with other fans in our forums, or leave a comment below.
UPDATES:
May 16:
Justin Hires gave us some more information via social media, confirming that the show is being moved to mid-season and will air sometime in Spring/Summer of 2020
Co-star, Tristin Mays replied to a comment stating “we were just told it’s to make way for other shows” which seems to confirm speculations that MacGyver had been removed in favor of Lenkov’s newest reboot, Magnum P.I.
MAY 17:
Show runner Peter Lenkov provided a brief statement of facts via twitter in response to overwhelming questioning from fans and then later confirmd that MacGyver will start filming in July as usual.
July 21:
Production dates for MacGyver and the new CSB Friday Shows have been released (via SpoilerTV)
I believe CBS is making a huge, huge, huge mistake by moving Macgyver to mid-season. All because they want to put MPI on friday. NOT happy at all!!!!!!!!!.
I Love MacGyver, but it’s not as good as before! When George Eads (Dalton) left, it lost all it’s comedy/action side of it! I miss George Eads!
This is really upsetting. It’s the only show we watch. Not thrilled with 5-0.
Hi I am saying MACGYVER IS MY BIG HEART AND LISTEN THEY ARE BEST THAN OTHERS.i seen they are really good background …colors…activity…I want tapes there no DVD to watch again…I miss them very much I have all in my head to remember. And I want have a book too to read …I only give my heart to them. Give them big hugs.from 2014 to now
When I read this morning that MacGyver was moved to the midseason, I was horrified by CBS. Of course, CBS makes a big or huge mistake but that does not matter to that stupid broadcaster the way it looks. It does not matter what the fans think what I think is an absolute shame. MacGyver is in the Friday at 8.00 and Magnum is supposed to stay where the pepper grows.
I love the series MacGyver and I am totally disappointed with the decision of CBS. The guys from CBS should be ashamed to deal with the fans and the show like that. I am extremely disappointed.
So that was my opinion.
Crazy — as you say in the article, why move around a higher rated show to slot in a lower rated one? And, (although I am not a Bluebloods fan) Bluebloods at 10PM? Blueboods target demographic — OOOOLLLLDDDDD — aren’t going to be up at 10 to watch it, and are probably least likely to use a DVR to watch it later. Real smart guys.
Blue Bloods has always been a 10pm show. It hasn’t been moved.
Someone at CBS must have lost a bet to put Magnum PI on Friday and leave MacGyver until mid season. Magnum PI is horrible and it should have been cancelled. Last season line up was my Friday night delight. A little Mac and then some Steve. I guess after watching H50, I’ll watch the paint on my walls peel. So disappointed!!!