Misc. MPI Newspaper Articles

[Rembrandt's Girl]

Here are a few promos that ran in the papers just prior to the pilot...

[Rembrandt's Girl]

...and here are a few articles and reviews from just prior to the premiere. More to come!

Various newspapers, December 6 - December 10, 1980...

[Rembrandt's Girl]

Here are reviews that ran the day of the premiere...still more to come. I'm not posting mostly negative articles intentionally...apparently there were quite a few negative reviews.

Various newspapers, December 11, 1980...

[thechickinthemiddle]

Tom's poses here crack me up! These I'd sooner expect from Angela Lansbury for a lighter Murder, She Wrote promo. They really played up the comedy in promoting the pilot.

[terryfromkerry]

OMG! Bill Carter wrote ............. " MPI is one of the most eminently forgettable TV shows of recent memory". To quote JHQ ............. "This is outrageous !" I wonder if Bill ever had the gumption in later years to revise his opinion and accept how wrong he was.

Thanks again RG for all your research work . You should suggest to Larry Manetti to release an updated and revised edition of "ALOHA MAGNUM" to include all of these terrific articles you have unearthed. The addition of such material would in hindsight be so appropriate and relevant and would certainly enhance a revised publication. Or maybe put all the press material you found together in chronological order and print your own homage to MPI. What would be your title for such a publication ?

[Rembrandt's Girl]

OMG! Bill Carter wrote ............. " MPI is one of the most eminently forgettable TV shows of recent memory". To quote JHQ ............. "This is outrageous !" I wonder if Bill ever had the gumption in later years to revise his opinion and accept how wrong he was.

I hear ya', Terry...I was thinking of looking him up to see if he was always so scathing, how his career went, etc. Hopefully he got fired for being wrong too many times!

Thanks again RG for all your research work . You should suggest to Larry Manetti to release an updated and revised edition of "ALOHA MAGNUM" to include all of these terrific articles you have unearthed. The addition of such material would in hindsight be so appropriate and relevant and would certainly enhance a revised publication. Or maybe put all the press material you found together in chronological order and print your own homage to MPI. What would be your title for such a publication ?

Hmmmmm...a title for a publication of MPI articles? How about Tales of the Voyeur?




About Larry Manetti...after what I found he probably would like to do a revised edition of his book!

Alabama Anniston Star, January 6, 1988...

[Steve]

I hate to say it but it took a few seasons in for me to start watching the show. I do recall the negative reviews but that wasn't the reason, I was just burnt out on Detective shows by the early eighties. It was one of my co-workers that would needle me endlessly to give it a try and thank goodness I finally did with Luther Gillis: File #521 and I was hooked! I don't even think I would have stuck it out if I had started with any of the first season episodes other than J. Digger Doyle ...Of course I did grow to love all of the earlier episodes thru re-runs......

[thechickinthemiddle]

Steve, given the negative reviews, it seemed like these critics were all burnt out from detective shows too! Thankfully, the show turned out to be much different than all the Columbos and McMillan and Wifes. It seemed like Magnum and MTV really ushered in the era of "flashier" shows and characters, while Magnum still delved deeper than its predecessors.

RG, keep up the great work!

[Rembrandt's Girl]

More reviews that ran in various newspapers the day of the premiere, December 11, 1980...

[Rembrandt's Girl]

A couple more reviews from December 11, 1981...









These ran December 13, 1981...

[thechickinthemiddle]

From what I can gather, most of these critics really seemed to hate the twist involving "La Boule", although in retrospect it was likely Magnum's "little voice". I guess in watching it myself, it's more obvious as the flashbacks with him were there from the beginning, and wouldn't have been there if it didn't play a part in the main story, but that's my two cents.

[Rembrandt's Girl]

Moving along through time...MPI has just premiered on December 11, 1980. Here are some news items for the rest of the month...

Akron Beacon Journal, December 13, 1980...






The Mike Douglas show was filming on Oahu...just a small bit about TS/MPI...and a little Jack Lord, too! Honolulu Advertiser, December 13, 1980...






Honolulu Advertiser, December 14, 1980...





Elmira NY Star-Gazette, December 14, 1980...





The Pittsburgh Press, December 14, 1980...





Apparently Larson liked getting on stage a lot...here he is again. Honolulu Advertiser, December 15, 1980...





Honolulu Advertiser, December 16, 1980...





Stevens Point (WI) Journal, December 17, 1980...





Honolulu Advertiser, December 18, 1980...





Honolulu Advertiser, December 18, 1980...





Star-Bulletin, December 22, 1980...





Bagwells 2424 is (was) another restaurant in the Hyatt Waikiki. (http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolul ... iarticle=2)
Star-Bulletin, December 22, 1980...






Honolulu Advertiser, December 23, 1980...





Honolulu Advertiser, December 26, 1980...

[Rembrandt's Girl]

Sad news. I've updated the Cast page with his death date. So cool that Jack Lord have him the HFO car! I still have never been able to definitively determine exactly when he was Tom Selleck's Stunt Double & Stand-in on MPI. Tom Lupo was also Selleck's Stunt Double & Stand-in for most of the show's run. Maybe they both worked in tandem together?

(Posting in response to JJ's question from the "RIP John Nordlum" thread.)

Hi JJ,

It looks like you're right about Nordlum & Lupo working in tandem... I just found an article that says Nordlum worked on MPI for eight years.

Honolulu Advertiser, February 25, 1988...

[Rembrandt's Girl]

When I started this thread last year I segued into trying to do the articles in chronological order which proved to be too time consuming so I hit a brick wall. Maybe I'll just post them as I come across them. By the way, I have a big monitor so please let me know if I post any that are too small to read...

Honolulu Advertiser, July 24, 1986...

[marlboro]

I'm not a history buff, but this clipping makes me have to ask - did 99.9% of the American male population flee the country during the Carter administration? I don't see how there could be any other explanation for some of the names on this list.