This weekend I was watching an old Mythbusters episode that I had recorded. It was the MacGyver tribute episode, and it was pretty fun to watch. The best part was that the guys kept referring to Mac as if he were a real person (e.g., "Mac would be proud to see us do this!").

The latter half of the show was a twist on the normal Mythbusters m.o. Jamie and Adam were give four tasks that they had to do only using the items available, as if they were MacGyver! The most impressive by far was the first task. They were locked in a room that was completely bare except for the light. To escape, they used the filament from the lightbulb to pick the lock. That got me thinking about a new TV show concept.

What if someone got the rights to MacGyver and decided to remake the entire season, episode by episode, only do it as a reality/how to show?

Each episode, the host would have to achieve some task using only the items provided. Clearly, it couldn't strictly follow MacGyver since some of his "science" was flawed, but they could use that as a guide. The host would have to be someone pretty schooled in all sciences. The mullet would be optional. For each episode, the host would have to have no prior knowledge of what situation he or she was entering.

Here's just an example of what could be done for an episode, using the pilot episode of MacGyver as show fodder:

The host is blindfolded and put in a sealed room. The room's contents are a clipboard with some sheets of paper that are held together with a paper clip, a trashcan with crumpled paper and a half-eaten candy bar, a rack of glasses and tubes, a sink, and some racks of chemicals, including Sodium, Potassium, and Rubidium.

Challenge 1: There is a "bomb" (as much as I'd like to, I don't think we could use real bombs. Sigh.) that will explode in 10 minutes.

Solution 1: He uses the edge of the clipboard to unscrew the panel for the bomb and short circuits the timing device with the paper clip.

Challenge 2: The exit is blocked by a tank of sulfuric acid that is starting to leak.

Solution 2: He uses the chocolate to plug the leak, knowing that the chemical reaction of the lactose and sucrose in the chocolate and the sulfur makes carbon.

Challenge 3: He exits the door to find that the door has been walled in from the outside.

Solution 3: He puts the sodium or potassium in a vial and drops it in a bottle of water. The reaction causes an explosion that weakens the wall so that he can break through it and escape.

Wouldn't this be fun to watch? I'd call it "The Real MacGyver".

On a Totally Unrelated Aside (copyright Kapgar), there's this world-famous blogger known as Bossy. She likes to talk in the third-person, take quirky photos of everything, and she's taking a road trip across the country to meet bloggers.

She's going to be in Orlando on March 28th and we are hosting (at Casa Avitable) a get together for local bloggers from 7 until whenever. If you live anywhere near the area and want to come, it should be a lot of fun! Just email me at my first name at my last name dot com and I'll send you the evite for the event.