UPDATE: Yes! On May 9, 2019, CBS announced that MacGyver would be renewed for Season 4.
Original post:
MacGyver is heading into its Season 3 finale in an uncertain position. The CBS action drama is running dangerously close to the wire when it comes to getting picked up for Season 4.
That is the kind of tight spot its titular lead tends to get himself out of in the nick of time. Will MacGyver itself be able to follow in its character’s footsteps? Can it get itself out of a bind and come back for Season 4?
For this answer, let’s go to the one place that may hold the answer: the ratings. Ratings are often the deciding factor that CBS and other networks use to determine whether or not series should continue. For MacGyver, the tale should be no different.
Its latest episode to date, entitled “Treason + Heartbreak + Gum,” attracted 5.3 million Live + Same Day viewers (via TV Series Finale) in the key 18-49 age demographic. Not too bad for a Friday night series. As for demo ratings, the installment drew in a 0.6.
Compared to its competition in the 8 p.m. ET time slot on Friday nights, MacGyver isn't doing too poorly. The Blacklist’s most recent episode pulled in the same demo rating of 0.6 with fewer total viewers than MacGyver. NBC has renewed the crime drama for a seventh season. Could MacGyver's comparable performance score it another season on CBS?
There is even more reassuring data. MacGyver has a 97% chance of renewal, according to TV By The Numbers. That's a heartening prediction heading into the Season 3 finale. No fan wants to move into the end of the season with doubts about their favorite show’s future. This seems hopeful.
MacGyver is bringing in some additional ammo that should help bolster its case. The action show has recruited some major star power for its Season 3 finale. RoboCop icon Peter Weller is going to take on a significant role on the series.
Lucas Till’s hero will square off against Peter Weller’s Mason, a.k.a. the “bad MacGyver,” per Till. Ahead of the Season 3 finale, MacGyver’s showrunner, Peter M. Lenkov, teased the introduction aong with some other vital info. The plan is for Peter Weller’s character not to be a one-and-done villain.
The MacGyver boss said that if the show came back for Season 4, they hoped to continue the storyline. Season 4 was still in doubt then, as it is now. Hopefully that does not have to remain the case much longer. MacGyver proved its versatility this season.
The series managed to adapt despite the absence of actor George Eads. He departed MacGyver as Jack Dalton earlier in the third season. The show readily found his replacement, and based on the series' more or less steady ratings performance, it has not missed a beat.
These are all promising signs for a show that just needs that extra push. Hopefully, the ratings for its season ender can give it what it needs and strengthen its case all the more. The Season 3 finale of MacGyver airs Friday, May 10 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
