Magnum Mania!

About the Show

Title Sequence

Magnum P.I. is an American television show that follows the exciting adventures of private investigator Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV (Tom Selleck) and his three close friends as they live their lives on the beautiful island of Oahu in Hawaii. Thomas Magnum (often referred to as simply "Magnum") is an ex-U.S. Navy SEAL and ONI officer. His friends are Theodore "T.C." Calvin (Roger E. Mosley), an ex-U.S. Marine helicopter pilot and small business owner, Orville Wilbur "Rick" Wright III (Larry Manetti), an ex-U.S. Marine door gunner and private beach club manager, and British socialite and majordomo Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (John Hillerman), an ex-British Army Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) and MI6 intelligence officer.

The show also features a well-rounded, eclectic mix of secondary recurring characters. There is the affable English socialite Agatha Chumley (local resident Gillian Dobb), the quirky, baseball-loving police detective Yoshi Tanaka (former local lawyer Kwan Hi Lim), the good-natured Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Carol Baldwin (Kathleen Lloyd), the doughnut-munching Naval officer "Mac" MacReynolds (Jeff MacKay), the grizzled Marine Colonel veteran Buck Greene (Lance LeGault), the hardworking, idealistic Naval Lieutenant Maggie Poole (Jean Bruce Scott), the beautiful, mysterious undercover operative Michelle Hue (Marta DuBois), the light-hearted con man Jim Bonnick (also played by Jeff MacKay), the old-school Private Dick Luther H. Gillis (played perfectly by Eugene Roche), the friendly M.D. Doc Ibold (UH Theatre professor Glenn Cannon), and the elder underworld boss "Icepick" (Elisha Cook). The show even occasionally had the legendary Orson Welles providing voice-over work for the never-seen millionaire novelist Robin Masters!

Magnum P.I. was created by Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson, and was produced by Universal Studios. Bellisario also acted as executive producer and writer. It aired on CBS for eight seasons, from December 1980 to May 1988, producing an impressive 162 syndicated episodes (148 one-hour episodes, 7 two-hour episodes) and two "crossover" episodes (with Simon & Simon and Murder, She Wrote). For the first six seasons, it aired on Thursday's at 8:00PM. During the last two seasons, it jumped around to five different time slots. The show was ranked in the Top 20 (Nielsen) for the first five seasons, reaching a high of #3 during the third season (1982-1983).

The show won 7 awards (2 Emmys, 2 Golden Globes) and recieved 39 nominations (17 Emmys, 13 Golden Globes) total. Tom Selleck and John Hillerman both won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for their acting. The full list of awards and nominations can be seen here. The show has also been enshrined in the National Museum of American History and is one of only a small number of television shows, voted by an overwhelming majority, to have never "jumped the shark", according to the definitive source on the subject jumptheshark.com. In 1986, largely because of his work in Magnum P.I., Tom Selleck received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Blvd.

Magnum P.I. was shot almost entirely on location in Oahu, mostly around the southeast side of the island (Kahala, Hawaii Kai, Waikiki, Honolulu metro area), although other parts of the island were used as well. The indoor set scenes of the show (Magnum's quarters, the main house at Robin's Nest, Rick & T.C.'s offices) were all filmed on a soundstage at Hawaii Film Studio (then known as "Diamond Head Studio") located at the foot of Diamond Head crater, next to Kapiolani Community College. The film studio was originally built for Hawaii Five-O in the 1970s. One of the soundstages is affectionately known as "Five-O Stage". Many of the original Hawaii Five-O crew members went on to work for Magnum P.I..

Set in the cultural melting pot of 1980s Oahu, Magnum P.I. was primarily a character driven show about friendship which managed to successfully blend together action, drama, comedy and mystery elements, often incorporating all four in the same episode. The show was also groundbreaking in its use of unconventional storytelling devices, such as retrospectives, "fantasy" elements (dream sequence episodes), shared story lines that crossed over to other shows (Simon & Simon, Murder She Wrote), and breaking the fourth wall (by Magnum looking or smiling at the camera), which were seldom used in TV at the time.

The show moved beyond the simpler "who-done-it" plot lines of the traditional hard-boiled detective series and focused on building complex characterizations through a cumulative text. Most episodes were "stand alone" and could be viewed without understanding previous plots, but previous events would continually pop up in dialog creating a rich, comprehensive layer to the show. Backstories were also an important element of the show, often developed slowly as the series unfolded and with excellent attention to detail.

The Vietnam War was an important recurring theme in the show. Magnum, T.C. and Rick were all Vietnam Veterans. The show featured many flashback scenes to the war and dealt with many of the issues Vietnam Vets faced post-war. The show is unique in its positive portrayal of the American Vietnam Vet - indeed, it was the first show to take this stance. All three characters are upstanding citizens with laudable character traits, who look back on their military careers with pride, and seek no one's sympathy.

Typical of the time and genre, testosterone-fueled, suspension of disbelief action scenes were featured semi-regularly in the show to great effect. Car chases, chopper chases, fisticuffs (with little blood), explosive pyrotechnics, they were all there, and usually very well done. And the good guys didn't always win!

Because of its non-linear story lines, guest stars were an important element of show and several big names of the industry have made appearances. Some of the more famous guest stars to grace the show are Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury, Carol Burnett (twice), Sharon Stone, Cesar Romero, Ernest Borgnine, Jose Ferrer, Ted Danson, Pat Morita, Eileen Brennan, Ian McShane, Tyne Daly, and Mako, among many others. Several well-known local Hawaiian actors, singers, and entertainers have made appearances as well, including Kam Fong, Herman Wedemeyer, Tommy Fujiwara, Zulu, Dick Jensen, Sol K. Bright, James Grant Benton, Moe Keale, and Marlene Sai.

The show was also famous for its many iconic images, which will forever be assoiciated with it. The red Ferrari 308 GTS, the Hawaiian shirts, the sprawling oceanside estate known as Robin's Nest, T.C.'s multi-colored helicopter, the team ring, and Magnum's mustache and baseball caps. The red parrot Hawaiian shirt, the Detroit Tigers baseball cap and the Team Ring can be found at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C..

But without question the heart and soul of the show lies with the two central characters, Thomas Magnum and Jonathan Higgins, and their evolving relationship. Higgins is a deceivingly complex character with a richly detailed personal history. Higgins' fascinating past, revealed slowly through "boring" orations, was one of the highlights of the show. Magnum, at the urging of Selleck, is a refreshingly fallible, self-effacing, sentimental, non-macho protagonist. Sure, he is a hunk of epic magnitude, but he doesn't always get the girl, he often screws something up, and he owes everybody money. And yet is also extremely likable, for both men and woman. He possesses high morals, is extremely loyal to his friends, has a good sense of humor and will bend over backwards to help people in need. Despite the differences in personality, age and background, and the neverending, lighthearted arguments and bickering, Magnum and Higgins develop a strong, unique friendship. Higgins, in a way, acts a quasi father figure to Magnum (who lost his real father when he was five). A large majority of the most memorable scenes from the show involve Magnum and Higgins together. Selleck and Hillerman are both superb in bringing these most interesting characters to life.

The final episode of the show aired on May 1st 1988 as a two-hour movie and was the highest rated show of the week. Magnum re-activated his Naval commission as a Commander and he became a full-time father to his daughter Lily Catherine. Rick finally sowed his oats and married an ex-prostitute named Cleo Mitchell, although we never actually hear him say "I Do". T.C. continues to run Island Hoppers and coach little league baseball. Higgins remains at Robin's Nest and is presumably still working on his memoirs. The issue of Robin Masters identity was intentionally left ambiguous. Higgins at first says he really is Robin Masters, but then, later, slyly says "I lied about being Robin Masters". By "lie", does he mean "I pretended to be Robin Masters all this time", or "I lied when I said I was Robin Masters"? You decide. After the closing credits, Tom Selleck, from the guest house set, gives a short "farewell/thank you" speech to the fans of the show. After his final "goodbye", Selleck points a TV remote at the camera and pushes a button - the screen goes blank, end of the series.

After its original run, the show found much success in syndication markets all over the world, particularly in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Spain and Italy where it has almost never gone off the air. In 2004, Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the The Complete First Season DVD. As of mid 2007, the first six seasons have been released on DVD. Season Seven is expected to be released in late 2007. For an older show, the DVD's have sold very well and has spurred a revival of interest in the show.

Rumors of a Magnum P.I. movie have been swirling for years. There were several failed attempts at making a made-for-television movie. Selleck & Co. were offered several opportunities to make one, but instead they (mostly Selleck) decided to lobby for a major motion picture release, which ultimately never happened. "The powers that be" have now decided that the original cast is now just too old to make a movie, any movie. In January of 2006, it was announced that Rawson Marshall Thurber would write and direct the major motion picture adaptation of the show. As of January 2007, the movie is still in pre-production with no casting announcements, although it has been confirmed that none of the original cast (including Selleck) will be in the movie. According to Thurber, the movie will be similiar to Beverly Hills Cop (1984) in tone, mixing action elements with comedy. The movie will also cover a long timeline, from Magnum's pre-P.I. days up to retirement.

In October 2007, Larry Manetti and Roger E. Mosley guest starred in the Las Vegas episode "When Life Gives You Lemon Bars" with regular cast member Tom Selleck for a "mini MPI reunion". The episode featured several sly references to Magnum P.I. - Roger's character has a Hawaii drivers license and owns an aviation company that started with one helicopter, Larry's character wore the MPI "Team Ring" and owns clubs, there was mention of a British friend who couldn't make it to the poker game, and a red Ferrari was briefly seen in the background. This was the first time all three had appeared together since MPI ended twenty years earlier. Rumor has it that both will return for more episodes in the future.

It's been almost twenty years since the series finale and the show is as popular as ever. Constant syndication in numerous countries, strong DVD sales and movie buzz has kept Magnum alive and well. With more DVD's coming and hopefully a cast reunion of some sort, the future for Magnum P.I. looks even brighter!

Viva Magnum!

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