Fridays on M-Net channel 101 will never be the same again. To help you ease into the weekend, a fresh new prime time line-up is just a small screen away. On Friday 3 February you can catch the much-awaited reboot of the '80s jack-of-all-trades, MacGyver, followed by the hot new subversive teen drama Riverdale at 21:30.
Flashback to 1985: no smartphone, 4D or HD TV. If it werenโt for the extremely resourceful antics of secret agent Angus MacGyver, there would have been nothing to entertain on television. Now, fast forward to 2017, a fresh-faced new MacGyver (Lucas Till, X-Men: Days of Future Past) is the talented, laid-back young man, with the same set of extraordinary skills. And just like his predecessor, this rebooted agent prefers the non-violent approach, especially when heโs recruited into a clandestine organisation within the U.S. government.
With this problem-solver at the centre of the action, โMacโsโ team consists of maverick former CIA agent Jack Dalton (George Eads, CSI), ex-field agent turned director of operations Patricia Thornton (Sandrine Holt, Mr. Robot), as well as Riley Davis (Tristan Mays, The Vampire Diaries), an unpredictable computer hacker with a chip on her shoulder. At home, MacGyver is entertained by his ambitious roommate, Wilt Bozer (Justin Hires, Rush Hour).
Who else but MacGyver can find unique ways to use tin foil and safety pins?
The showโs stunt coordinator Jeff Wolfe, an experienced industry expert who has worked on shows like Rush Hour, True Detective, and movies like Terminator Genisys, Furious 7 and Stalker, told the media that he had a lot of fun on MacGyver but admits that it was a lot of responsibility. Wanting to stay relevant, Wolfe admits that coming up with stunts to wow modern audiences does put a bit of pressure on the project, adding that the most challenging aspect of being a stunt coordinator on this show was the audience's expectations. And the show manages to meet them; as Wolfe puts it, the bar is set and the ceiling of the old show is his floor.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riverdale, startingย onย M-Net channel 101 at 21:30 on the same day, is a modern subversive take on the characters of the beloved Archie Comics. However, the wholesome, all-American teenagers found in the colourful comic books have been transformed into troubled, secretive and anything-but-innocent kids who all have dark little secrets behind their white picket fences. Favourite characters Archie (KJ Apa, A Dogโs Purpose), Betty (Lili Reinhart, Surviving Jack), Veronica (Camila Mendes, Late Night with Seth Meyers) and Jughead (Cole Sprouse, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) all make their debut right in the midst of a shocking murder-mystery.
Though Riverdale has all the charms and quirks of idyllic small-town America, the faรงade is quickly ripped away by the tragic - and suspicious - death of a local high school golden boy. With this ongoing mystery in the background, the teenagers of Riverdale struggle with their own secrets: forbidden relationships, fractured friendships, parental disappointments and worst of all, guilt over what happened to one of their own.
The show alsoย stars South African actress Nathalie Boltt as Penelope Blossom, as well as Luke Perry as Fred Andrewsย and Sarah Habel as the young high school music teacher Ms. Grundy, Riverdaleย comes from producer Greg Berlanti (Dawson's Creek, Everwood, Arrow, Supergirl and Flash) as well as the creative forces behind the Archie Comics, including Roberto Aguirre Sacasa and Jon Goldwater.ย
Enjoy the modern takes of MacGyverย Season 1 at 20:30 and Riverdaleย Season 1 at 21:30.ย
Forย more information, check out the show pages for MacGyver and Riverdale.