In the realm of television, certain shows transcend mere entertainment and become cultural touchstones. Such is the case with “MacGyver,” the beloved series that has become a global meme and captured the hearts of viewers around the world, including in France. In a serendipitous turn of events, two passionate French fans of the show reached out to series creator Lee Zlotoff, within days of each other, to notify him of their respective MacGyver projects. Surprised they had never met, Zlotoff decided that you all should get to meet them, at least here.
Introductions
These MacGyver fans are each on a unique journey to honor the show’s enduring legacy, and continue the MacGyver approach to everything if not the character itself. Their names are Barthélémy and Marc-Antoine.
Barthélémy Py was born in 1984 in the North of France, and has been living in the South of France for about 25 years.
“When I had to choose a job, after my PhD in Film studies and History, I decided to teach, because I wanted to transmit knowledge. So I have been teaching Cinema, TV series and History of Arts in university and graduate school for about 15 years. I also have been teaching History of arts and French culture in the internationally famous [and award winning] summer schools Oxbridge Academic Programs for about 10 years.”
In addition to these accolades Barthélémy, also known as Bart, worked in television as a journalist.
Marc-Antoine Bressand grew up intrigued by the making of movies… so he began to work in movies himself – and landed in visual effects (VFX). He has since worked on The Dark Knight, Thor, and Blade Runner 2049 to name a few.
“As a kid, I loved movies and was fascinated by behind the scenes secrets, how the magic was made.”
From Fans to Creators
What drives fans to transition from just admirers to creators in the realm of MacGyver? We asked about their personal experiences and memories of MacGyver…
Barthélémy:
“My first memories of MacGyver was when I was still a child and me and my sister watched MacGyver when we visited my grandmother. Then, I rediscovered MacGyver when I was in my early twenties, and it appeared to me as very attractive and close to my way of life. I’ve always been a handyman and very creative and ingenious in my free time. For example, some years ago, I entirely built a complete Lego kitchen that I actually ”MacGyvered”.
Photo of Barthélémy Py (aka Bart) teaching a class.
Bart currently teaches studies of Film and TV, and hopes to one day teach a course on MacGyver!
Marc Antoine:
“My Father has always worked a lot and still does. He finally retired at 80 years old. We are four siblings and I’m the youngest. MacGyver was one of the few weekly moments I shared with my father, just the two of us.”
Marc-Antoine with Richard Dean Anderson next to a MacGyver directors chair from the 100th episode wrap party.
“I remember someday, while finishing watching a MacGyver episode, I told my father ‘I’d love to meet MacGyver someday.’
He replied: ‘You know what…?! When you want something in life, if you do what you must to reach your dream, there is no reason it doesn’t happen.’
And it actually happened… I met Richard Dean Anderson who played MacGyver. Twice! It taught me and I’m still experiencing that nothing is impossible.”
Marc-Antoine takes RDA to a tour of the collection in Marseille, France. Pictured: Crew parking passes, the Dalton Air Sign from Jack Dalton’s hangar (1 of 2), and a shirt worn by Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver in several episodes. (Photo Credit: Marco Maldini)
Exploring Their MacGyver Projects + Collections
Barthélémy:
Barthélémy currently has two MacGyver projects The first is a study book, which he plans to have translated into English.
The second project of Barthélémy’s is a 90-minute international documentary movie, tackling the fact that MacGyver is a universal and timeless character who could inspire us in our daily life and for the future of mankind.
“So maybe MacGyver could be the man of tomorrow. The movie is already written. We already have a lot of items and archives that could be included. We already have our crew. We met Richard Dean Anderson some months ago. So it’s promising…”
Marc-Antoine:
Marc-Antoine has developed a huge collection of production items from filmings of the MacGyver TV series. But it wasn’t easy –
“I understood that if I wanted to find something, I needed to directly contact people involved in the show… This is how, in almost 15 years, I’ve been in touch with more than 200 cast and crew people who worked on MacGyver from all departments including, the creator, executive producers, writers, directors, cinematographers, actors, stunt men, artists, prop makers, composers, casting directors, etc. The goal being to find other items to buy to gather them and preserve them, like a kind of guardian of The Temple. But each email, message or call is a real encounter and they all told me they loved working on the show, sharing many behind the scenes stories, etc.”
As to his commemorative project, Marc-Antoine prefers to keep a mystery around his works for now:
“I prefer keeping the details secret as it is still in development… All I can say is that it’s a project made to pay tribute to the show, and to all the great people involved in making it.”
As these two fans continue to work on their projects to honor “MacGyver” in France, their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Through their dedication and creativity, these fans are not only paying homage to a beloved TV series, but also building a vibrant community united by their shared love for MacGyver.
When asked what they each hope their projects accomplish, their answers couldn’t have been more heartwarming. Barthélémy explained that he really wants to share both of his MacGyver projects internationally and have them enjoyed by people worldwide.
Marc-Antoine notes, “As my goal is to fulfill the love fans have for the show, to pay tribute to the show and people who made it, and the most important thing: to SHARE with people.”
What could be more MacGyver than that?
All photos courtesy of Marc-Antoine Bressand and Barthélémy Py.