The writers of MacGyver paid fans to come up with new ''MacGyverisms''
Few TV series are so popular that their own title becomes a verb included in Webster’s dictionary. Whether you’re a longtime fan or have never seen a single episode, it’s hard to find anyone not familiar with the term "MacGyverism."
It is defined as turning a near-death situation around using simple household items. This creative approach put the series on the map and attracted millions of fans worldwide.
Creating new quick escapes for Mac each episode was no easy task for the show's creators. To spark fresh ideas and tap into fans' love of Mac's daring escapes, the writers offered a cash reward to any fan who could suggest a new MacGyverism.
Monday through Friday at 10 AM, Saturdays at 12 PM & 1 PM Eastern/Pacific
“We had offered monetary incentives to anyone who could write in a usable trick for MacGyver," said MacGyver producer John Rich in his book Warm Up the Snake: A Hollywood Memoir.
The MacGyver writing team received thousands of letters during the series and had a dedicated branch that carefully read every fan idea. While many were never used, one of the first fan ideas involved using an egg on a car radiator.
“If MacGyver ever found himself trying to drive a vehicle that had lost all its water through leaks in the cooling system, he could temporarily solve the problem by cracking an egg into the radiator. As it cooked, the egg would harden and plug the hole, allowing the car to start and run for a short time.”
Impressed by the idea, the writers added it to an episode and tested it in real life, where it surprisingly worked.
The fan was paid for his idea that was used in the MacGyver episode “Bushmaster.” The story found Mac attempting to escape a hostile South American country when his jeep's radiator suddenly gave out. Using the same egg method, Mac got the jeep running in no time and made another successful escape.