My Oscar Predictions 2017

It’s that time of year once again!! My favorite time, Oscar time!! Oh my gosh, sooooo excited for this year’s Oscars!!! I have watched the Oscars every year without fail since 2002. This means WAY too much to me, is what I’m saying. This is my Super Bowl guys! Every year I make my predictions on oscar.go.com. So fingers crossed I get a better score than last year (16 out of 24). Although that was better than the previous year (15 out of 24). So here are my predictions!

Best Picture

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

My pick: La La Land. This one is pretty much a lock. Everyone is predicting this to win. It’s a musical that’s a love letter to Hollywood. And Hollywood’s favorite thing is to pat itself on the back so yeah, it’s a pretty sure bet. The only film I could see making an upset here is Moonlight, which has been getting some good momentum lately. But that’s a longshot at best. I’ve only seen one of these films (Hell or High Water) and it was amazing, so if it somehow won instead I’d be over the moon!

Actor in a Leading Role

And the nominees are:

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic)

Denzel Washington (Fences)

My pick: Denzel Washington for Fences. This one is a tough category. Casey Affleck was the frontrunner for a while, but has lost momentum in recent weeks. Washington on the other hand won the Screen Actors Guild award and that is usually a very good predictor for who will win the Oscar. However, Washington already has 2 Oscars, and the Academy can be stingy when it comes to giving an actor a third Oscar. So this could really go either way, but my pick is Washington.

Actress in a Leading Role

And the nominees are:

Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Ruth Negga (Loving)

Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

My pick: Emma Stone for La La Land. This one is a pretty safe bet. Stone has been winning all the other awards this season. The only person I could see possibly winning instead is Isabelle Huppert for Elle. But that’s a long shot at best.

Actor in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are:

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)

Dev Patel (Lion)

Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

My pick: Mahershala Ali for Moonlight. This category is almost certainly a lock for Ali who has been having a great year. With amazing performances in both TV and film (yes he played Cottonmouth on Luke Cage) this is his award to lose. However, Dev Patel has been gaining momentum lately. So I could see him pulling at upset here. I would be happy either way really, I love both of these actors (I’ve loved Patel since Slumdog Millionaire!).

Actress in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are:

Viola Davis (Fences)

Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Nicole Kidman (Lion)

Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

My pick: Viola Davis for Fences. This is a sure thing. This is Davis’s third nomination, she’s been in the film industry for a long time, and she’s won every other award this season. So come on Academy, just give her the award already! The only person I could see upsetting here is Naomie Harris, but only in a parallel dimension.

Animated Feature Film

And the nominees are:

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

My pick: Zootopia. Oh my gosh this category is so difficult! Kubo won the BAFTA which is almost always an indicator of which film will win the Oscar. However, Zootopia has a great message and was a surprise hit earlier this year. On the other hand, Zootopia came out a long time ago, so Moana might be fresher in the minds of voters. But the fact that 2 Disney films are in this category might split the vote and leave Kubo winning. This category often has Disney films going up against Pixar films (I know they’re both Disney but you see what I mean) but doesn’t often have Disney competing with itself. I really could see Kubo taking the award, but I’m giving Zootopia the slight edge. Side note: I loved Kubo, Zootopia, and Moana. So I’d be happy if any one of those 3 won. However, if Kubo won it would be the first Oscar for Laika studios (and it would make it the first stop motion animated film to win an Oscar) and that would make me very happy! I do think Kubo was the more visually stunning film (and the fact that it’s stop motion is very impressive). But I do think Zootopia had a better message and had better voice acting. Moana obviously had the best music and was also very beautiful. This category is difficult is what I’m saying.

Cinematography

And the nominees are:

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

My pick: La La Land. This one is a pretty safe bet. However, I could see Lion pulling an upset here. But La La Land will probably win.

Costume Design

And the nominees are:

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

My pick: Jackie. This one is a tough category. The fact that La La Land is even nominated in this category is shocking to me. It is not a period piece and it is basically nominated for the one yellow dress. It’s insulting really. That being said, I could see La La Land winning here. It would make me want to vomit if it did, but it could. However, I’m going with Jackie since it is a period piece and showcased Camelot in all its glory. I wouldn’t be upset or too surprised if Fantastic Beasts won this one though.

Directing

And the nominees are:

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)

My pick: Damien Chazelle for La La Land. This one is a pretty sure thing. However, I could see Barry Jenkins winning this. Since he has been gaining momentum lately and if he does he will be the first African American to win in this category. Ultimately I do think Chazelle will win this one.

Documentary (Feature)

And the nominees are:

Fire at Sea

I Am Not Your Negro

Life, Animated

OJ: Made in America

13th

My pick: OJ Made in America. This one is pretty much a lock to win. I could see 13th pulling an upset here though, it has some pretty good momentum behind it. Personally I LOVED Life, Animated and even though it is not the most “important” film in this category, if it won I would be over the moon!!!

Documentary (Short Subject)

And the nominees are:

Extremis

4.1 Miles

Joe’s Violin

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets

My pick: The White Helmets. Yes, I’m picking the dark horse in this category. I know Joe’s Violin (the film about a Holocaust survivor’s violin) is the frontrunner. But after watching the trailers for these films I just feel like White Helmets (a film about Syrian rescue workers) is a film that should win. I could also see Watani winning in this category as well.

Film Editing

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Moonlight

My pick: La La Land. A pretty safe bet, but I could see Arrival or Moonlight winning.

Foreign Language Film

And the nominees are:

Land of Mine (Denmark)

A Man Called Ove (Sweden)

The Salesman (Iran)

Tanna (Australia)

Toni Erdmann (Germany)

My pick: The Salesman. Toni Erdmann was once the frontrunner in this category. But in recent weeks The Salesman has been picking up steam. Mainly because the film’s director has decided to boycott the award show in protest of Trump’s Muslim ban. So for that reason I’m giving it the edge. However, I could see A Man Called Ove pulling an upset here since it’s the only foreign language film to be nominated in another category. Plus, I’ve heard really great things about it, my mom loved it!

Makeup & Hairstyling

And the nominees are:

A Man Called Ove

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

My pick: Star Trek Beyond. Come on, this has to win, right Academy? I know there was some great aging makeup in A Man Called Ove. But seriously, did anyone see the amazing alien makeup in Star Trek? It needs to win!!

Music (Original Score)

And the nominees are:

Jackie

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Passengers

My pick: La La Land. Did I mention this was a musical? Even if this film wasn’t going to win a bunch of other awards, it would win this one. Even if it was only nominated for this category it would win. Have I mentioned it’s a musical? Personally I think Lion’s soundtrack is beautiful as is Moonlight, but it’s La La Land all the way. Did you know it’s a musical?

Music (Original Song)

And the nominees are:

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” La La Land

“Can’t Stop the Feeling,” Trolls

“City of Stars,” La La Land

“The Empty Chair,” Jim: The James Foley Story

“How Far I’ll Go,” Moana

My pick: “City of Stars,” La La Land. This one is tough. La La Land has 2 songs in this category so either one could take the prize. However, it may also split the vote and let something else sneak in like “How Far I’ll Go”. Plus, if “How Far I’ll Go,” wins it will give Lin Manual Miranda his EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) and make him the youngest person to do so. Not to mention that the Academy (and pretty much everyone) LOVES Lin Manuel Miranda so they could give it to him for that reason alone. But La La Land is a musical and I can’t think of the last time a musical didn’t win for best song. If the song going up against La La Land was “Let it Go,” we would be having a very different conversation. However, as much as I love “How Far I’ll Go,” it is not as popular as “Let it Go”. So then it comes down to which song La La Land will win for, my bet is on “City of Stars,” but I could also see “Audition,” winning instead.

Production Design

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Passengers

My pick: La La Land. It’s a musical with a ballet sequence, need I say more? However, I could see Fantastic Beasts or Arrival making an upset here.

Short Film (Animated)

And the nominees are:

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl

Piper

My pick: Piper. This is the short film shown before Finding Dory. It’s adorable and it is Pixar so it’s a pretty safe bet. However, Pixar doesn’t have the best track record in this category. So I could see this going to Pearl or Borrowed Time.

Short Film (Live Action)

And the nominees are:

Ennemis Interieurs

La Femme Et Le TGV

Silent Nights

Sing

Timecode

My pick: Ennemis Interieurs. This one is a fairly safe bet. But I wouldn’t count out La Femme or Sing. Personally I thought Silent Nights looked the most interesting, but I doubt it will win.

Sound Editing

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Sully

My pick: Hacksaw Ridge. Sound editing is all about creating sounds that were not there on the day of shooting and for that reason musicals are not often nominated in this category. But of course La La Land is nominated, so it could win here. But I’m taking the war film for the win.

Sound Mixing

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

My pick: Hacksaw Ridge. Sound mixing is all about mixing the sounds captured while shooting. And I’ve heard some complaints about the mixing in La La Land. So I’m betting that Sound Mixing and Sound Editing will go to the same film this year. Plus, this category often goes to war movies. However, that means 13 Hours could upset here. Arrival could upset as well for all the alien noises. But the Academy could just give it to La La Land because it’s La La Land.

Visual Effects

And the nominees are:

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

My pick: The Jungle Book. This might be a first for me, I’ve seen every film nominated in this category!! So I feel pretty good about my pick. Look Kubo was beautiful. As was Doctor Strange. But EVERYTHING in Jungle Book is CGI, with the exception of the boy who played Mowgli. EVERYTHING. Jungle Book was filmed in a studio in LA and it made you believe you were deep in the jungle. This is the definition of a sure thing. If Jungle Book doesn’t win, something is very wrong.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Fences

Hidden Figures

Lion

Moonlight

My pick: Moonlight. I think this will be the one Oscar that Moonlight takes home. The only film I could see upsetting here is Arrival, but that’s a long shot at best.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

And the nominees are:

Hell or High Water

La La Land

The Lobster

Manchester by the Sea

20th Century Women

My pick: Manchester by the Sea. I think this will be the only award that Manchester takes home. But it’s pretty much a toss-up between Manchester and La La Land. Flip a coin it could go either way really. But if Hell or High Water wins I’d be sooo happy!!!

So there you have it, my picks for the 89^th Academy Awards. I hope you all watch the show. Jimmy Kimmel is hosting so it promises to be a fun night!!

My Top 10 TV Shows of All Time

Hey everyone, the Emmy nominations just came out. Big whoop. But that got me thinking about TV shows that I love. So I decided to put out a list of my top 10 shows of all time. Now this was really DIFFICULT! Oh my gosh. Sooooo HARD! There are just so many! But while there are many shows I love, many of them are still on the air. So I don't know how they will end. And a bad ending can ruin a great show (i.e. How I Met Your Mother). So for my list, I chose shows I adore, that have already ended. With a couple exceptions. But I'll get into that later. I also didn't go with shows that had a great first season but then slowly but surely turned into crap. So no: Once Upon a Time, Heroes, Lost, Prison Break, etc. Also if a show was great for several season but then just kept going way too long, sorry no list for you. So no: Supernatural (great first 5 seasons, but that's now less than half the show), House M.D., Scrubs, Downton Abbey (so many ups and downs, but had a good ending), etc.

Also this is a list of my all time FAVORITE shows, so they may not necessarily be the "best shows ever" whatever that means. Rewatchability was definitely a big factor. Plus how excited the show made me when it was still airing played a factor. Because yes, I watched some of these shows while they were still on the air. I know, I'm so old. Also quick thing, there may be slight spoilers, so FYI.

So without further ado, my list!

10. Stargate SG-1

Ah Stargate, what can I say about you? I love this show. And you should know that I'm not a big Sci-Fi fan. I don't like many shows that are set in space, with aliens and the like. But Stargate was different. It had so many characters I loved. Jack O'Neill (played by Richard Dean Anderson AKA MacGyver) with his quips and puns. I love you so. Daniel Jackson, with his kindness and sweetness. I wanted to marry you. Teal'c, with his "Indeeds". I think of you every time I say that word. Samantha Carter, with your intelligence and grace. You gave girls everywhere a badass female scientist to look up to. Vala Mal Doran, with your wit and flair. I wanted to be your best friend. Plus you were what made the last 2 seasons watchable. Aside from the great characters, there was clever writing (the 100th and 200th episodes are meta and fantastic!), great set pieces, and surprisingly good CGI. It had a great series finale. And 2 more direct to DVD movies that continued the story while wrapping up things nicely. I will miss you forever. But all of you can watch the entire Stargate franchise on Amazon Prime! Get on it!

Side note: I also love one of the spin-off shows "Stargate Atlantis". But I felt like SG-1 just barely edges it out.

9. Friends

One of the best sitcoms ever! Mostly because unlike many other sitcoms, it remained funny all the way through to the end. Most sitcoms lose their way and just phone it in after a while (I'm looking at you Big Bang Theory). But Friends was different. It was hilarious, quotable ("Something is wrong with the left phalange!"), and interesting up until the very last episode. And most importantly it wasn't afraid to let its characters grow and evolve. Chandler grew into an amazing husband. Rachel became a mom. Phoebe realized she wanted a committed relationship. And the list goes on and on. Such a great show. All the seasons are on Netflix, so rewatch and enjoy!

8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Joss Whedon. He burst onto the scene with this show and changed TV forever. Would there even be musical episodes of shows without him? Who knows. But this show was amazing. Witty, charming, at times very frightening (the gentlemen from the episode Hush still give me nightmares), and also gut wrenchingly sad when it needed to be (Angel season 2, Joyce season 5, need I say more?). This show broke so much ground it's astonishing. It had a female lead who kicked ass and it was a show about teenagers yet could be very adult with its themes at times. The characters are fantastic (even if I was never a fan of Buffy). The development of Willow, Spike, Cordelia, etc. was terrific. The writing was clever and hilarious. The show wasn't afraid to take risks, like having an episode with almost no talking (Hush). Or the musical episode? The list goes on and on. All the season are on Netflix, if you haven't seen the show WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

Side note: I also love the spin-off "Angel", but I went with Buffy instead because I felt like it was a better show as a whole. But I really could have gone either way.

7. Gilmore Girls

Here is one of the exceptions I mentioned earlier. This show did end. But is currently getting a miniseries that will continue the story and will be on Netflix sometime this year I believe. So the show is over and yet isn't over. Plus I have yet to finish the final season. It was not a good season and I gave up when watching it air originally. I am slowly but surely finishing it. But the reason the last season is such a disappointment is that the show was SOOO good up till that point. This is one of the funniest and most well written shows EVER. The writing is SOOO good you guys! The fast talking Gilmore family and friends are always a treat, no matter what mood you're in! This show had a simple premise, a mother and daughter who are each other's best friends and the quirky small town they live in. That's it. But it was so much more than that. The show was about growing up and dealing with all the ups and downs that go along with it. Both Lorelai and Rory change so much throughout the series. And so do the side characters like Sookie (played by Melissa McCarthy long before she was famous!), Lane, Kirk, etc. It was also a show about 2 sets of mothers and daughters, Lorelai and Rory, and Lorelai and her mother (Emily). Lorelai and Rory are so close, and Lorelai and Emily are so not. It's fascinating to watch. And considering how many shows and movies out there explore the father son dynamic, this is one of the few that deal with the other side. A side so many of us can relate to. All the seasons are on Netflix. Watch this show!!!!

6. Psych

One of the funniest shows EVER!! This show was incredible! Hilarious characters, clever writing, and yes another musical episode! This is the show about a fake psychic detective (the first one, not the rip-off The Mentalist). It's sooo funny and charming. Yet can be dark when it needs to be, like the Mr. Yang episodes, or the one where something bad happens to Henry. If you haven't seen this show, what's wrong with you? Cary Elwes guest stars several times, it spoofs American Idol, and has some of the funnies quotes EVER!! "Gus don't be this crevice in my arm", "You hear about Pluto? That's messed up right?", and the list goes on forever! All the seasons are on Netflix, do yourself a favor and WATCH THIS!!

5. Sherlock

This is another one of my exceptions. Sherlock is still on the air. If being on the air means it occasionally comes on TV, sometimes. Years may go by but Sherlock comes back when it wants to. So I don't know how this show will end, but if it ends horribly then I will have to rethink this list. But for now it definitely makes the cut. See, Sherlock on the BBC is a different kind of TV show. Even in the U.K. where most of their seasons (or series as they call them) air 6 to 8 episodes on average. Compared to network TV here in America where 20 to 24 is the norm. But Sherlock doesn't even do 6 episodes a season. It does 3. And each episode is 90 minutes long. So every episode is essentially a movie. And there are 3 of them each season. Yes it's weird. But it's also AWESOME. This show is clever, funny, dark, and so many other things I can't even fit them all in this list! Benedict Cumberbatch is INCREDIBLE as Sherlock Holmes. I have no idea how he manages to memorize the insane monologues that Sherlock has, but he does and it's amazing!!! And Martin Freeman is FANTASTIC as Dr. John Watson. Their chemistry alone makes this show worth watching. But then there's the writing and the side characters (Molly, Lestrade, Mycroft, etc.) and they are sooo good! But then you also have one of the greatest TV villains ever: Moriarty (played by Andrew Scott). He is chilling and unnerving, yet funny and interesting. He's incredible!! The first time he appears is sooo good!! And he just gets better and better with every scene. I can't recommend this show enough! All the series are on Netflix. So what are you doing? Watch it!

4. Galavant

Oh Galavant, where did you come from and where did you go? This show aired for 2 seasons on ABC. And I'm sure none of you have seen it. Almost no one saw it, which is why it's second season is a miracle! How do I describe this show? If the Princess Bride and Monty Python had a baby, who was then raised on nothing but Disney animated films, that child would be Galavant. It's a half-hour musical comedy extravaganza! It's hilarious, clever, charming, and has some of the best musical numbers ever put to screen! I can't even believe this show got made at all, yet alone got 2 seasons. It's incredible! And it is now available to stream on Netflix!!! Huzzah!! The soundtrack alone is worth any price!! Watch the clip below, it pretty much sums up the show!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWnDwM0RSX4

3. Veronica Mars

What can I say? A long time ago, we used to be friends. Which is totally a true statement. I watched this show when it aired back when UPN was a network. Before it merged with the WB to become the CW. Never did quite understand that name. But I digress. Anyway, Veronica Mars is the teenage detective show we all never knew we needed. I know that didn't make a whole lot of sense, but bear with me. This show was basically a noir film set in high school with a grittier funnier version of Nancy Drew. That's really the best way to describe it. It was dark, but funny, complicated, yet simple. In other words, it was AMAZING! Heck my MOM likes this show! Kirsten Bell was the perfect person to bring the character of Veronica Mars to life. Veronica Mars was layered, complicated, funny, charming, damaged, and I loved her. She was a 3 dimensional female character. Sad that that is so rare in both TV and film. But it's true. I love this show. I loved it when it aired. I bought the series on DVD and have rewatched it many times. The side characters are also amazing! Keith, Logan, Wallace, Mac, the list goes on and on. This show always made me laugh, often made me cry, and is the first time I remember a scene making me gasp in shock. Insanely quotable: "You say following. I say talking a walk with a friend", "This face? Right here? My over-the-moon face", "Annoy, tiny blonde one. Annoy like the wind!". I could go on forever, that's how many great quotes there are. This show also crowd-funded a movie years later to wrap up the show and give us all a little more Veronica Mars! If you have never seen this show, treat yourself! It's on Amazon Prime! And the movie is also really great!

2. Firefly

Browncoats forever!! It still hurts that this incredible show only got 1 season. Fox is the stupidest of all the TV networks. And that's saying something when you exist in the same universe as CBS. Firefly is yet another show from the genius Joss Whedon. It was funny, well written, emotional, and so many other words I can't even remember them all. The characters are fantastic! Malcolm Reynolds, River, Simon, the man they call Jayne, Wash, etc.! So cleverly written and well acted, this is a show that deserves it's fervent fan base. It also deserved more seasons, but I can't cry about that anymore right now. Set in distant future where humanity "used up" the earth and had to colonize other planets, this show is basically a western in space. How did it not get more seasons?! It's an amazing show that everyone should go out and watch right now! It's only season (still chokes me up) is on Netflix. As is the follow up film, Serenity, which was made to wrap up a lot of loose ends (and rip our hearts right out). Something Whedon is all too good at! I don't know how you could not like this show!

1. Pushing Daisies

Yet another show that was taken far too soon. This is my favorite show EVER. And if you know how much TV I watch, you'll understand what a big deal that is. What can I say about this show? It's wonderful, amazing, and totally ineffable. It's about a man named Ned (a pie maker) who has the ability to bring dead things (people, fruit, animals, etc.) back to life with a single touch. But there's a catch: if he touches them again, they're dead forever. Also if he keeps the dead thing alive for more than a minute, something else has to die to take its place. Simple premise, no? It has, in my humble opinion, the BEST cast on TV, EVER! Lee Pace plays Ned, our loveable, socially inept pie maker. Kristin Chenoweth plays Olive, the effervescent waitress who works at Ned's pie shop (the Pie Hole) and who routinely bursts into song. Chi McBride plays Emerson Cod the hard-boiled gum shoe who helps Ned solve murders. I can't even describe how quirky, weird, and wonderful this show is. If Roald Dahl (if you don't know who that is, you are dead to me) had been alive when this show came out, I would have sworn he wrote it. That's how GOOD and ODD this show is!! Unfortunately it was cancelled after its second season, most likely due to the writer's strike at the time. And it is a total shame. But you can watch the show for free on the CW Seed, look it up. You won't be sorry!

And there you have it! My top 10 favorite shows of all time! This was so hard! Some shows that almost made my list were: Smallville (I even watched the bad seasons, that's how much I loved you!), I Love Lucy (still hilarious even today!), The Mary Tyler Moore Show (I used to wake up at 7am every morning when I was younger because that's when the reruns would air on TVLand!), Gilligan's Island (seen every episode multiple times and loved all of them, way better show than Lost!), and Community (I still haven't seen the last 2 seasons, because the last season was on Yahoo and I haven't got around to buying it yet). Thanks for reading!

My Thoughts on the MacGyver Reboot

For those of you who haven't heard the news, the classic 80's TV show MacGyver is being rebooted. This reboot is coming to CBS this fall, and it will be about a young MacGyver who is just starting out in his career. CBS is no doubt trying to have their cake and eat it too. They are trying to appeal to an older audience (who fondly remember MacGyver) and at the same time appeal to a younger audience by casting a hot young star as the titular character (Lucas Till). Link to the trailer below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt8E6X6-744 

Now anyone who knows me, knows how much I LOVE MacGyver. I grew up watching the show (Yes, I realize I was -3 when it premiered but I watched a lot of TV Land growing up, don't judge me!) and I have seen every episode at least twice. So not only am I someone who actually remembers the original, but I'm also part of the demographic that CBS is trying so desperately to appeal to. So as you may have already guessed, I have very mixed feelings about this reboot.

On the one hand, I'm really excited that this series will get a new generation of people interested in this character (and by extension the original series). On the other hand it's being made by CBS. And I can't remember the last time I saw a CBS show and thought to myself "well that was great!". Heck it's hard to remember the last time I saw a CBS show and thought to myself "well that didn't suck too much!". So yeah, if this was being remade by literally ANY other network I'd definitely have more confidence that this wasn't going to suck!

Why would I be worried? How could the network that is responsible for 2 Broke Girls give us anything but quality TV?

But let's back up a bit and discuss the trailer shall we? First the good: I really love who they cast as MacGyver. Lucas Till is an up an coming star. You may recognize him from X-Men: First Class and a brief cameo in X-Men: Days of Future Past. He plays the character called Havoc. He was also in (gag me) the Hannah Montana Movie, but don't hold that against him. I think he's a really good actor. He's also very easy on the eyes, so that's good. Richard Dean Anderson was both of those things as well. So all good there. However, there are some people who are upset that Lucas Till is so young. Seeing as how MacGyver was in his mid 30's in the original series. But I get why they decided to go younger. Plus I think Till just looks younger than he is. He could easily play a teenager, even though he's in his late 20's. But it doesn't really bother me.

What were we talking about?

Also can we talk about MacGyver's hair for a second? Yes in the original series MacGyver does indeed have a mullet. It was the 80's O.K.!!!

It was a different time!!!

But it was a very specific look, and I was worried that they would just make the new actor look like every other male character on TV right now.

Not a bad look, but it can be a bit boring sometimes.

I'm happy that they went the other way. No he doesn't have a mullet exactly (thank God) but he does have pretty long hair. And I normally don't like long hair on guys but Till is definitely pulling it off. And it makes MacGyver look unique, so I'm on board with this.

What were we talking about again?

Another thing I really enjoyed about the trailer was the kind of action they had MacGyver doing. The first thing we see him do is get out of a jail cell by using gunpowder from some bullets to blow the door open. As an expert on all things MacGyver, I can tell you this trick is indeed authentic to the original show! Next thing: using a rubber hose to trip bad guys? Check. Using printer ink and some tape to create a fingerprint to open a door? Check. Using duct tape, gunpowder, and pipes to create an bow and exploding arrow? Totally something Mac (his often used nickname on the show) would do. And finally, escaping out of a truck falling off a cliff by using a parachute (which he probably constructed out of duct tape)? Again, totally Mac approved. So yeah, all that made me very happy! Watch one of MacGyver's best escapes in the link below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keYpxHNNQ-o

But with the good, there is usually at least some bad. So now for the things I didn't like about the trailer. First thing: while there is a Swiss army knife in the logo (clever) MacGyver didn't appear to use one at any point in the trailer. Now I'm sure he does use one on the show, but since I didn't see it for myself, I have to dock some points for that.

The next thing is probably the biggest problem I had, namely the character of Lincoln. Now this character didn't exist in the original series. In fact Mac usually worked alone. He did have a boss, Pete. But Pete's role generally consisted of him giving Mac new cases and sometimes providing Mac backup if he got in too much trouble. That is not what I saw in this trailer. It looks like the character of Lincoln will be some kind partner to Mac. In fact it looks like CBS wants to turn this into a buddy cop show. And that is NOT what MacGyver is. MacGyver is a guy who is sent into bad situations and has to find a way out, by HIMSELF. Mac would always have someone who he'd be trying to help/rescue but that was a new person every week. 

Now there were some recurring characters on the original show. Like Jack (Mac's screw-up, but ever charming, best friend), Penny (Mac's screw-up, but ever charming hot friend), and of course Murdoc (the un-killable, master of disguise, assassin, who is Mac's nemesis). None of those sound like Lincoln.

In the 80's this was considered a hot look O.K!!!

But I have to be honest, the main reason I dislike this character so much already, is because of the actor playing him. George Eads, who you may remember from one of the million CSI shows (I think he was on the first one).

The first one was called CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. I would have titled it: Look How Easy it is to Solve Crimes Kids!

I do NOT like this actor. I'm sure he's a very nice guy, but he is not a great talent. Not surprising since I've seen better acting on Soap Operas than I have on most of the CSI shows (in fact there were several Soap actors that went on to star on several CSI shows). So forgive me, but I don't want anyone associated with those giant turds (aka the CSI shows) to be a part of MacGyver.

Just top notch writing.

But anyway, those are my thoughts on the MacGyver reboot. I'm sure you were all riveted. Now I've heard some disparaging remarks from some people online about this reboot (shocking I know). Those people are wondering, who was asking for a MacGyver reboot? Well the answer is: ME. I was asking. I've been wanting this, for YEARS. So I beg you CBS (and I'm sure they're reading this) DON'T SCREW THIS UP!!!!! MacGyver fans know how to make bombs with chewing gum and paperclips, so don't screw with us!!!!