A different sort of superhero got a slot in the fall lineup of 1985. He didn't have superhuman powers. He didn't have billions of dollars' worth of high-tech gadgetry. He didn't even carry a weapon. All he had was a knowledge of the world around him, understanding of engineering principles, a Swiss army knife, and a roll of duct tape.

MacGyver was an unstoppable force of one. For seven seasons, he was sent into any situation on a moment's notice, devising inventions that got him out of hot water. At least the first three were pretty interesting; I recall that I began losing interest in the show when MacGyver became less of an international operative and more like some kind of social worker.

Probably every young engineer (in this country, at any rate) has a fond memory of MacGyver, a presentation of how it can be cool to be smart. A few months ago, I stumbled across a MacGyver spoof on YouTube, MacGyver: The College Years. The second of three episodes is shown nearby.

Not long after, I heard that CBS had the original Star Trek available to be seen online. I went to check it out and was surprised to find all of the first season's episodes of MacGyver online in their entirety.

I have watched the first eleven episodes so far and will probably eventually make it through the whole set. Watching it now, though, it's pretty clear to me that I'm watching it more for the sake of nostalgia than anything else. Apparently my taste has gotten more sophisticated in twenty years.