Rishabh Borde
Starring Richard Dean Anderson as the titular Angus MacGyver, the 1985 action-adventure TV series ‘MacGyver’ gave us one of the most influential characters of all time in popular media. Not only did the show spawn numerous spin-offs and parodies (including comedian Will Forte’s hilarious ‘MacGruber’), but the word “MacGyver” itself is now a recognized verb by the Oxford English dictionary and refers to creating or repairing something “in an improvised or inventive way, making use of whatever items are at hand.”
The original show ran for seven years between 1985 and 1992, but the series was recently rebooted in 2016 by CBS. The basic premise of the new show is basically the same as the 1985 series, this time starring ‘X-Men: First Class’ actor Lucas Till in the leading role. ‘MacGyver’ follows the adventures of Angus “Mac” MacGyver, a secret operative of the U.S. government who possesses an extraordinary talent for solving any problem with his extensive knowledge of the principles of science and engineering. Using innocuous everyday items such as gum, shoe strings, matches, paper clips, birthday candles, etc., MacGyver manages to outwit his enemies and foil their plans on numerous occasions.
If you were wondering where ‘MacGyver’ was filmed, read on to find out everything we know.
MacGyver Filming Locations
The story of ‘MacGyver’ unfolds across a number of locations all over the world, most prominently in Los Angeles, California, which acts as home to the headquarters of the Phoenix Foundation, an ultra-secret government espionage agency tasked with defending US national interests both at home and abroad. However, the show regularly takes its characters to a number of exotic locales all over the world, including Venezuela and even Kazakhstan.
However, the show ‘MacGyver’ is actually filmed entirely in the US in two specific locations – Georgia and California, where the numerous locales visited by the characters on the show are recreated.
Check out these behind-the-scenes pictures of the filming of ‘MacGyver’:
Go behind-the-scenes of the filming of #MacGyver. View exclusive photos: https://t.co/IFUoyvw5hw pic.twitter.com/2lbDPe8u1X
— MacGyver (@MacGyverCBS) October 5, 2016
Mailing Avenue Stageworks, Atlanta, Georgia
Principal filming for ‘MacGyver’ took place on set in Mailing Avenue Stageworks in Chosewood Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The massive 85,000-square-foot motion picture and television production facility is located just 2 miles from Downtown Atlanta. Previously, popular TV series and movies such as ‘Last Vegas’, ‘Necessary Roughness’, ‘Divergent’ and ‘Allegiant’ were filmed on this location.
Mailing Avenue partner John Raulet had this to say of the filming of ‘MacGyver’ in the production facility, “The highly technical nature of an action series such as this has a huge economic impact on the state of Georgia as it generally requires more of everything. It is no easy feat having one episode set in Venezuela and then turning around the next week to be set in Kazakhstan. Just ask the Location department.”
Besides the production facility, on-location filming for ‘MacGyver is also done in a variety of locations in and around Atlanta, including the city of Marietta, twenty miles northwest of Atlanta, and the Georgia World Congress Center (GWWC). ‘MacGyver’ location manager Mac Gordon outlines his experience filming at the GWCC, “We have shot several scenes at GWCC over the past three seasons of MacGyver. We’ve shot it as an airport, a foreign bunker, and an underground lab. The ease of filming there and the staff make it a pleasure to return each time.”
Check out this picture posted by ‘MacGyver’ star Justin Hires on Instagram:
Los Angeles, California
Despite subsequent episodes of the show being filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, the pilot episode of ‘MacGyver’ was actually shot in Los Angeles in California. Notable filming locations include the Paramount Studios in Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, and St. Luke Medical Center in Washington Boulevard, Pasadena.
