MacGruber (TV series)

MacGruber is an American action comedy television series based on the recurring Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name, a parody of the action-adventure series MacGyver. Produced as a sequel to the 2010 film of the same name, the series stars Will Forte as the title character, who goes up against Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth, a villain from his past. Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Zane, and Timothy V. Murphy also star. Co-produced by Universal Television and Broadway Video, filming took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The series was released on Peacock on December 16, 2021.

This article is about the television series. For the Saturday Night Live sketch, see MacGruber. For the film, see MacGruber (film).

MacGruber
Promotional poster
GenreAction comedy
Created by
Based onMacGruber
by Jorma Taccone
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Production companies
Release
Original networkPeacock
Original releaseDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)
Related
MacGruber (film)[1]

Cast

Main

Recurring
  • Joseph Lee Anderson as Major Harold Kernst
  • Timothy V. Murphy as Constantine Bach
  • Marielle Heller as MacGruber's mom
  • Maya Rudolph as Casey
  • Stephanie Czajkowski as Bex Dawson
  • Ella Ayberk as Irina Poliskaya
  • Mac Ericsson as Eli' MacGruber
  • Vartan as Baker Jaxx
  • Ryan Kendrick as Mac's Dad
  • Angel Rosario Jr. as Chance Tucker
  • Landon Ashworth as Rodney

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten by [2]Original release date [3]
1"A Good Day to Die"Jorma TacconeJorma Taccone & John Solomon & Will ForteDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)
Ten years after the events of the film, MacGruber is serving his sentence for killing Cunth in self-defense, only to be released when the president's daughter is kidnapped in a hostage situation. MacGruber is offered to be traded, at the expense of his life, which he accepts. However he makes a few stops, to try to reconnect with his colleagues whom he has thrown under the bus during his murder trial. Piper now works as a driving instructor after losing his honors due to MacGruber's arrogance and refuses to forgive him. Vicki is now dating MacGruber's commander, General Fasoose, which MacGruber accepts. He also leaves a note on a man's door (Sam Elliot) before heading back to base. The trade becomes successful, but when the military tries to pull MacGruber out, they are overpowered by the hostage leader, Enos Queeth.
2"The Hungry Lion"Jorma TacconeTim McAuliffeDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)
3"Brimstone"John SolomonKassia MillerDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)
4"The Scientist"John SolomonDavid NoelDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)
5"Through the Looking Glass"Jorma TacconeNguyen LeDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)
6"The Storm"Jorma TacconeJorma Taccone & John Solomon & Will ForteDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)
7"The Architect"John SolomonJorma Taccone & John Solomon & Will ForteDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)
8"Havencroft"John SolomonJorma Taccone & John Solomon & Will ForteDecember 16, 2021 (2021-12-16)

Production
See also: MacGruber and MacGruber (film)
Will Forte speaking at the 2015 Wondercon, for "The Last Man on Earth", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
MacGruber creator and star Will Forte

MacGruber was a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live from 2007 to 2010, co-created by comedian Will Forte and writers Jorma Taccone and John Solomon. Forte starred as the title character, an absurdist parody of the MacGyver television franchise. The sketches proved popular enough for a 2010 film adaptation of the character. Though the film was a box-office bomb in its original theatrical release, a growing cult following in the ensuing years, and continued enthusiasm from the creative team, led to development of a sequel. Focus shifted to a television project when another film was not seen to be financially viable.[4]

Following the cancelation of the sitcom The Last Man on Earth, which Forte created and starred in and Solomon wrote and directed, their focus returned to a MacGruber revival, which was pitched with Taccone to television networks in early 2019.[5] In November 2019, Forte mentioned the possibility of Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe returning to reprise their roles from the film.[6]

The MacGruber series was officially announced on January 16, 2020 when NBCUniversal, the distributor of both Saturday Night Live and the 2010 film, revealed the inaugural development slate for their then-upcoming streaming service Peacock.[7][8] By April 2020, the scripts for all eight episodes were near completion.[9] In August 2020, production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] On August 10, 2020, the series was officially given a series order, with Wiig and Phillippe in negotiations to star.[10][11]

Taccone invited director Christopher Nolan, who had publicly discussed his enjoyment of the 2010 film, to the initial table read for the series. Nolan was unable to attend, but sent an email regarding his anticipation for the project, including that "the world is waiting, the world is watching," which Taccone said was "an amazing way to start the read-through."[12] In June 2021, production began in Albuquerque, New Mexico,[13] and it was confirmed that Wiig and Phillippe would reprise their roles, with Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne, and Mickey Rourke being added to the cast.[14] By August 2021, Rourke left the series and was replaced by Billy Zane. Joseph Lee Anderson would join the cast in a recurring role, with Timothy V. Murphy reprising his role from the film.[15] Filming concluded on August 23, 2021.[9]

All eight episodes of the first season were released on Peacock on December 16, 2021.[16]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "MacGruber won't convert anyone who isn't already in on the joke, but it reaffirms that deadpan buffoonery is Will Forte's forte."[17] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 64 out of 100 based on 11 critic reviews indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18]

References
  1. Cordero, Rosy (August 10, 2020). "'Spread the word, ya friggin' turds': MacGruber TV series gets 8-episode order at Peacock". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  2. "MacGruber". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  3. "Shows A-Z – MacGruber on Peacock". The Futon Critic. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  4. Itzkoff, Dave (December 8, 2021). "Will Forte Is Still Waiting for MacGruber to Blow Up". The New York Times. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  5. Erbland, Kate (March 4, 2019). "Will Forte Wrote a 'Filthy' Television Sequel to MacGruber, But It Won't Go to Network TV". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  6. Caffier, Justin (November 11, 2019). "Will Forte Reveals His One Regret About MacGruber". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (January 16, 2020). "MacGruber Starring Will Forte, Clean Slate Starring Laverne Cox, Series From Amy Poehler & Mindy Kaling On Peacock's Development Slate". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  8. Goldberg, Lesley (January 16, 2020). "Peacock Sets Expansive Scripted Development Slate Ahead of Formal Unveiling". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  9. "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production – MacGruber". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  10. Andreeva, Nellie (August 10, 2020). "MacGruber Will Forte Comedy Picked Up To Series By Peacock; Ryan Phillippe & Kristen Wiig Poised To Join". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  11. Thorne, Will (August 10, 2020). "MacGruber Series Ordered at Peacock, Will Forte Reprising Main Role". Variety. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  12. Liebenson, Donald (May 21, 2020). "'It's So Dumb, and It Just Felt So Right': An Oral History of MacGruber". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  13. Baumgartner, Drew (June 14, 2021). "Watch: Will Forte Reads a NSFW Scene From the MacGruber Peacock Series". Collider. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  14. Andreeva, Nellie (June 9, 2021). "MacGruber: Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne & Mickey Rourke Join Will Forte, Kristen Wiig & Ryan Phillippe In Peacock Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  15. Petski, Denise (August 12, 2021). "MacGruber: Billy Zane, Joseph Lee Anderson, Timothy V. Murphy Join Peacock Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  16. Cordero, Rosy (November 22, 2021). "MacGruber: Peacock Reveals Premiere & Teaser For Will Forte Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  17. "MacGruber: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  18. "MacGruber: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
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