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"Honest Abe" (William Ross)
There's some nice paced action material as MacGyver and Abe are trying to escape, as well as a nice ethnic flavored ending.
What a terrible episode though.
"The 'Hood" (Ken Harrison)
Some more nice action scoring, around the middle of the episode.
Another terrible episode. I had to skim it. This show has gone down the toilet!
"The Prometheus Syndrome" (Dennis McCarthy)
Well, McCarthy is finally back (I guess ST: TNG tied him up too much), and there's some nice mateial here, but I feel he was wasted here. He should have been in the Murdoc episode prior (to be reviewed later).
Another boring episode, but marginally better.
This show has completely forgotten what it was about and what made it worth watching. It's become an empty shell of it's former self.
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"Good Knight MacGyver: Part 1 (and 2)" (Ken Harrison)
Another dream episode. MacGyver is hit on the head and awakens in Camelot. Peter is King Arthur. I guess for season seven they've completely dumped just about every pretex that hung onto what the show was.
Anyway, the score is mostly an midevil orchestral romp. It didn't leap out for me, but I brought it up because I suspect some people may enjoy it.
Darn, missed oppritunity: Colm Meaney had a guest star role here. Too bad McCarthy wasn't the composer. I wonder why neither Harrison nor Ross got any ST: TNG work.
"Deadly Silents" (Dennis McCarthy)
Special mention of this quirky score. I won't bore you with the full details, but the episode revolves around an old actor from black & white silent films. The score has some quirks of old silent films, mixed with some modern scoring. Though I could do without the couple of cliched grunge guitar tracks.
I'm nearing the final episodes, thank goodness; season seven is shit (I hear the TV movies are shit too, so I'll skip them). I'll save the sries finale for last and backtrack and find the episodes I couldn't find on Youtube, over on CBS.com and review those.
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"Split Decision" (Ken Harrison)
For the abligatory boxing episode we of course has cymbol tapping and kick drums and a heroic fanfare, but we get something else we havent' had in the show for a few years now: a montage. And it's about 90% SFX free. Two whole minutes of Harrison doing a boxing training montage. It's a nifty cue. I made sure to rip it and edit it.
There's also some decent action-y material as MacGyver snoops around the warehouse trying to save his friend's daughter. And a nice closing cue.
The score is a little disjointed, but it was worth mentioning.
The episode, bland and forgettable. A total skipper.
"The Stringer" (Ken Harrison)
The score as a whole is disjointed, but it had a number of fun moments, and a nice closing cue, as this was made as the last episode (Anderson even thanks us for seven great years). I'm not sure what happened; did they suddenly decide to make one more or was the last one aired out of order? Anyway, I'm still going to view the last one as if it is indeed the last one, so this concludes season seven for now.
What the fuck happened to season seven? It's a large pot of garbage. There is something very wrong (and telling) when the opening credits is the only thing worth watching for all but three or four episodes of the season.
It's an empty shell of it's former self and bares practically no relation to what it was and is supposed to be about. You could have just deleted both MacGyver and Peter at this point, it was that bad. I've litterally skimmed large chunks of episodes.
The writing got bad again, the acting and casting got wooden and bad again, and even the scores started taking a plunge. Quit frankly, it DESERVED to be canceled early like it was (only 13 episodes in). If it had been me, I'd have called a meeting after the first episode and asked, "What the fuck was that?" and started a round of firing and shake ups -- it was that awful.
And I have completed the composer credits on IMDb, from watching. Bruce Babcock is not credited on any episode. turns out, according to an interview with him, he was helping out (in other words, ghostwriting) with scoring with McCarthy for a few years. In fact, I think it was Babcock who suggested Ross to McCarthy.
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I missed one episode from season seven (except for the finale):
"Obsessed" (Ken Harrison)
We've got a decent thriller piece in the open as MacGyver dreams of seeing Murdoc kill him.
And a very nice and memorable statly piece as MacGyver and Cindy Finnegan drive up to the court house.
There's also some decent action material around the end.
Murdoc is back again, once again proving falls from big heights can't kill him.
And now I'm backtracking to season five and six episodes which are only on cbs.com:
"Black Rhino" (Dennis McCarthy)
There's a ncie repeating action motif as MacGyver rescues Billy from being hung, that I really liked.
And some more of that ST :TNG action material for the climax at the end.
And a nice soft ending.
I had to skip "The Ten Percent Solution" as I could not find it on cbs; I guess they are missign some episodes currently.
"The Modonna" (Ken Harrison)
There's a nice soft opening with strings, before the statue of Modonna is stolen from a church.
There's also a nice, albeit short fun piece as Pete and MacGyver pull up to the church, which then goes into a nice trombone statement of the secondary MacGyver theme that's used in a lto of episodes, then into some more nice string music.
As Pete and MAcGyver drive up to investigate the stolen statue, to a man's business, there's a nice rendition of the theme again, this time with a acoustic guitar line under it and trombone playing the theme with some woodinds. Very plesant.
You'd sware from some of those trombone solos you were listening to McCarthy.
"Log Jam" (Ken Harrison)
There's some nice bold cues which remind me of some bold cues from an episode a couple of seasons prior (I can't recall the episode name, but I know I reviewed it in this thread) -- might be the same theme again.
There's also some of that nifty travel music. I love that travel music. Too bad it died out around the end of season six.
The Yakuza members have this menacing motif with anvil. I know I've heard it before. I think I heard it in "Stargate SG1". Harrison did work on that show in the first season, so maybe that's where I've heard it.
There were a number of good cues, so I didn't mention all of them. This is one of the better scores of the series. Too bad it was one of those preachy episodes, though thankfull lighter than future ones.
In a week or two I should be done with the series.
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"The Lost Amadeus" (Dennis McCarthy)
There's a nice string piece as MacGyver and Alice try to get into the bad guys (hideout) who are trying to steal the Amadeus violin. And another good use of strings as they climb up the building; the solo violin over it makes it sound kind of like classical music.
And there's an exciting classical-like piece as MacGyver and Alice try to get the violin back and it falls to down to the ground with MacGyver rescuing it just in time.
The classical composer plot of the episode really gave the music a chance to be something different -- it's a good McCarthy took that chance. Though I can do without the opening and closing cues of the episode and the electric guitar.
"Hearts of Steel" (Dennis McCarthy)
There's an interesting repeating percussion and orchestra piece as the bad guy stops at the warehouse to check up on the kidnapped girl.
Also a nice dramatic, though short, piece as they race back to the house and another interesting short piece as Woodward learns they got his daughter.
Later on there's a long rhythmic piece with lower brass and percussion that was interesting.
And that concludes the episodes of season five I missed.
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Season six episodes I missed, with scores worth mentioning:
"Harry's Will" (Ken Harrison)
There's some fun swinging pieces (for lack of a better descritive word) usually for Abe Vigoda's character
There's also a couple nice soft cues, and some playful sneaking around music.
A nice little score offering something different.
"Eye of Osiris" (Ken Harrison)
In the opening fight scene, there's an engaging action piece that's quite fun.
Various other action pieces.
"High Control" (William Ross)
The action piece as MacGyver tries to escape in the opening, it nice.
There are a couple of good action cues around the end; the regular orchestra bits, not the ones with the electric guitar (I just don't like that kind of stuff).
And now the series finale which, as I said, I have saved for last (it's also the final appearence of the Jack Dalton character)
"The Mountain of Youth" (Ken Harrison)
And Harrison gets the honors for the final episode. What I'm hoping for:
A satisfying conclusion.
Some of that Harrison travel music.
A good fun episode.
Let's see if I can check those off before this is over:
Some adventure pieces, vyer much in the style Harrison has used before. A nice kind of magical piece as they come across the river. Overall a fine final score.
So:
A satifying conclusion: check
Harrison travel music: NOT checked
A good fun episode: check
So, in conclusion, there's enough fine episode scores and selections from many episodes, to make some strongthree or four volumes of CD's, should Canada ever decide to play ball (assuming all later season scores were recorded there).
McCarthy and Harrison provided the best efforts, with John E. Davis' solo episode score a second, and some of Randy Edelman's efforts in third place (tied with some of Ross' efforts). Unfortunately, neither of Melvoin's efforts grabbed me.
And since Babcock said in an interview he was doing score with McCarthy for a few years, I'll have to throw his name, in an uncredited role, with McCarthy's for fine scoring.
Too bad about that weak first season, and that Godawful last season, though. Having looked over it, it seems some people look back at this show through rose-colored glasses.
That preachy stuff and thing against guns, stems from Anderson, who happens to actually think that in real life. What a shame.
Oh, and as an addition to what I mentioned elsewhere in this thread: Harrison scored all twelve episodes of the short-lived "Legend", which also had some nice scoring in it (enough for a very fine single CD, for sure). The show: eh, it was kind of fun.
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"MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis" (Ken Harrison)
One of two TV movies they made. I'm watching this one (mainly to hear the score) but skipping the other TV movies (I saw some clips and it looks Godawful).
Harrison is at the top of his MacGyver scoring game, with rousing action pieces and even repraised material from the show.
Stand out pieces:
The opening has the light mystery and statement of the Atlantis theme.
There's the dramatic action peice as MacGyver chases the theif throuh London.
The dark piece as they head int othe volcano.
And the moderately paced action/suspense cue as they escape the firey cave.
And the end credits with the nice mystery theme for Atlantis with chorus, ending with some adventure.
I'm hesitant to say, however, that as a whole it's as good as his best episodic scores.
I bet this wasn't recorded in Canada. You could probably pair it with the other TV movie score ("Trail to doomsday", same composer).
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I just found an interview from 2015, well, a mini interview, with Ken Harrison, where he sheds a little light on the scoring:
http://themacgyverproject.blogspot.com/2015/02/ken-harrison-conversation.html
Apparently the show moved production to Canada in season three, so that likely when most -- if not all -- the scores were recorded in Canada, and like MV said, they won't play ball in the re-use fees. Ken it was still recording there even when the show moved back for the last season, except one episode he did electronically.
So, if MV ever did decide to do a set of what can be done, I think based on my comments in this thread, it would be nice to look like this:
"Trumbo's World" (Randy Edelman)
"Last Stand" (Dennis McCarthy)
"Hellfire" (Dennis McCarthy)
"Target MacGyver" (Dennis McCarthy)
"Nightmares" (Dennis McCarthy)
"The Enemy Within" (Dennis McCarthy) (probably just the opening cue)
"A Prisoner of Conscience" (Dennis McCarthy)
"The Assassin" (season one finale; Dennis McCarthy)
"The Human Factor" (season two premiere; Dennis McCarthy)
"Three For the Road" (Randy Edelman)
"Partners" (Dennis McCarthy)
"Bushmaster" (Randy Edelman)
"D.O.A.: MacGyver" (Randy Edelman)
"For Love or Money" (season two finale; Dennis McCarthy)
Well, that's season one and two. That's about 2CD's worth, I'd say. Sny spare room could be filled with other isolated cues I mentioned in episodes I left off that above listing.
When it looks like that, I'm not sure it will sell gangbusters, but a short run combined with the MacGyver fanbase, it should be enough to move a thousand copies, or two.
And in a bit of disappointing news, Keith Powers is the new MacGyver composer. I know that will make one Brian Tyler fan happy, and I'm not that guy.
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Unless I've read wrong, I just saw this bit of good news in another thread here:
OK, I'll have a go. In the past five years or so, there have been various titles hinted at coming that were not mentioned again. Specifically
MacGyver (US seasons only)
ALF
Thundercats
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
X-Men
I'm not expecting them anymore, but were these canned due to tough licensing issues? Of all the titles you set out to do, what's the ratio of stuff that hits the buffers to those that get the green light?
How many hoops did you have to jump through before that wonderful He-Man set got released?
(MV's reply from here down)
Yes
No
Can't
Maybe
Definitely
I covered in the psot above this one, the situation of what is apparently available and what could be included (based on my own reviews in this thread).
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CBS is re-mastering the series. Here's a preview of things to come:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L7FWWP6GvM
And the last word on a possible release, from the last few months by MV:
Seeing what can be done. Blame Canada
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I was listening to the various versions of the theme. Hope this music gets released some day.
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