MacGyver: The Complete First Season

If you never go anywhere without your trusty pocketknife and can't look at a paper clip without grinning, then you're probably a MacGyver fan. It's nothing to be ashamed of--the show was a worldwide phenomenon, and how many TV characters have seen their names turned into verbs? The aw-shucks charisma of Richard Dean Anderson's unorthodox freelance secret agent is obvious right from the start in this 1985-1986 debut season boxed set (unfortunately extra-less) featuring all 22 episodes, although the show itself is still finding its legs, compared to the tighter, more complicated stories that would appear later. But many of the elements that would cement the series' status as a classic are present here: Mac's aversion to guns, alcohol, and tuxedos; his handiness with simple office supplies; key supporting characters such as Mac's boss Pete Thornton (Dana Elcar), friend Penny Parker (Teri Hatcher, long before she was a desperate housewife), and Mac's grandpa, Harry Jackson (John Anderson); and the social and environmental consciousness that would come to dominate Mac's agenda later on. With its pro-science, anti-violence attitude, this is a guilty pleasure you don't actually have to feel guilty about loving. Recommended. (M. Johanson)