CBS Canceled the Reboot

[Magnum4eva]

So much for the blossoming romance between Mini-Mag and Shiggins. I guess that's dead in the water now. We'll never find out... will they or won't they...

I just thought of something pretty interesting. Today for a show to last only 4 seasons seems like an indication that the show isn't good or didn't have enough of an audience. I mean what successful show today lasts only 4 seasons?? NCIS is like on season 20 now or something??? Sheesh! If a show today runs for only 4 seasons chances are it will quickly be forgotten.

But back in the day a 4-season run for a successful show was pretty normal. They're still showing reruns of KNIGHT RIDER which only ran 4 seasons. That's definitely a show that will never just fade away. THE A-TEAM only ran 5 seasons (not even full seasons 1 and 5) and will also never be forgotten. It was a ratings hit too! Even though the execs and critics hated it. AIRWOLF only ran 3 seasons, yet it's still a big part of 80s television!

In the 70s you had successful cop shows like STREETS OF SAN FRAN and KOJAK that ran 5 seasons each. You'd expect those shows today to run at least for 10 seasons. Look at all those CSI's.

In the 60s you had STAR TREK (3 seasons), I SPY (also 3), THE BIG VALLEY (4 seasons), WILD WILD WEST (also 4), and other hit shows that just never made it to 4 or 5 seasons. Yet they're still being watched today. I say it's a case of quality over quantity. Give me 4 seasons of a really great show over 20 seasons of garbage. Even though evidently there's an audience for that "garbage". I wonder why shows didn't last as long back in the day. There was certainly less content to choose from, having only 3 networks. Yet with the exception of GUNSMOKE, BONANZA, and FIVE-O shows just didn't have a very long run.

All great examples of wonderful shows that had a short run yet are still beloved and popular today. I will also throw in the short lived sitcoms such as What's Happening (3 seasons) and the biggest of all the Honeymooners that only ran one season and only 39 episodes "the classic 39". Like you said, it says a lot today when a show doesn't go 20 seasons. It also proves that at the end of the day the reboots won't ever measure up to the magic of their originals. Look at these reboots of Magnum (4 seasons) MacGyver (5 seasons) and Hawaii Five O (10 seasons) That got cut shorter than their originals. Quality over quantity any day, but at the same time it speaks volumes when a show is cut short these days, especially since small ratings aren't as big a deal as it was back in the golden eras of tv.

[Chris109]

I think Hawaii 5-0 is an example of an excellent reboot I liked better than the original

Better than the original?? Really now.

But it's actually pointless comparing the 2 because they have nothing in common except the name. The reboot shouldn't even be called a reboot because it's basically a crazy action show set in Hawaii. It's basically SWAT: HAWAII. Nothing to do with the original. Running around Honolulu streets with machine guns a blazing (yeah right...) and CGI explosions and dumb grade-school level "carguments" between the 2 leads.

Fight! Fight! Fight!

[RodMarsh]

I have to confess that I have never seen the reboot. For me, part of the charm of an iconic series is the way it captures the spirit of the times. For me, Magnum PI is the 80s. Nor can Tom Selleck be replaced. This is what one of our UK newspapers said when the reboot was first announced in 2017 and it expresses my sentiments perfectly: "By now, people have grown accustomed to television reboots. Whatever surges of fury they may have felt when CBS announced its Hawaii Five-O remake have long since been trampled into mush, thanks to the onslaught of reanimated classics...Reboots have simply become another bad thing we’re helpless against, like super-volcanoes or antibiotic resistance. But sometimes, just sometimes, somebody will have the gall to announce a reboot so brazen that it fires up the pit of the belly again. To wit, CBS has just ordered a pilot production commitment for a Magnum PI remake. Magnum PI, for crying out loud. Is nothing sacred? [Magnum] was special. Everyone knows it was special. By some absurd alchemy Magnum PI ended up perfectly written, perfectly cast and perfectly sound-tracked, managing to be both of its time and utterly timeless. You don’t mess with Magnum PI. It’s easy to reduce Selleck’s performance to the peripherals – a moustache, a cigar, a nice car – but that would be to do Selleck a grave disservice. The role fitted him like a glove, as if it had been created for him. He got to be funny and charming and wounded and angry and sexy, often all at the same time. Selleck was an unreconstructed man playing an idealised version of himself, and he was rewarded with an Emmy and seven consecutive Golden Globe nominations. His Magnum was what people wanted James Bond to be, stripped of all the alcoholism and sociopathy. The entire series rested on Selleck’s shoulders, and to simply palm it off with some modern-day B-list milquetoast is immediate death. There will never be a Rockford Files reboot because Garner will never be topped, just as there will never be a Columbo reboot because Peter Falk will never be topped. The same should apply to Magnum PI. The original series was lightning in a bottle, and it’s insulting to think it can be replicated. Just leave Magnum alone, for all our sakes."

[308GUY]

That review reads like it could've been written by JQH himself!

Although I would probably bet that Higgins wouldn't have been so "diplomatic" in the delivery.....

Much appreciated view, thanks for posting it...and welcome to MM.

[RodMarsh]

Thank you for the comment and the welcome. That review from the Guardian newspaper summed up my views on reboots of classic shows. My dad was a scriptwriter on a number of UK (and US) shows from 1958-92 and I know how much hard work goes into creating a genuinely new series. If producers want to return to a previous period then why not do it inventively?

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

So much for the blossoming romance between Mini-Mag and Shiggins. I guess that's dead in the water now. We'll never find out... will they or won't they...

I just thought of something pretty interesting. Today for a show to last only 4 seasons seems like an indication that the show isn't good or didn't have enough of an audience. I mean what successful show today lasts only 4 seasons?? NCIS is like on season 20 now or something??? Sheesh! If a show today runs for only 4 seasons chances are it will quickly be forgotten.

But back in the day a 4-season run for a successful show was pretty normal. They're still showing reruns of KNIGHT RIDER which only ran 4 seasons. That's definitely a show that will never just fade away. THE A-TEAM only ran 5 seasons (not even full seasons 1 and 5) and will also never be forgotten. It was a ratings hit too! Even though the execs and critics hated it. AIRWOLF only ran 3 seasons, yet it's still a big part of 80s television!

In the 70s you had successful cop shows like STREETS OF SAN FRAN and KOJAK that ran 5 seasons each. You'd expect those shows today to run at least for 10 seasons. Look at all those CSI's.

In the 60s you had STAR TREK (3 seasons), I SPY (also 3), THE BIG VALLEY (4 seasons), WILD WILD WEST (also 4), and other hit shows that just never made it to 4 or 5 seasons. Yet they're still being watched today. I say it's a case of quality over quantity. Give me 4 seasons of a really great show over 20 seasons of garbage. Even though evidently there's an audience for that "garbage". I wonder why shows didn't last as long back in the day. There was certainly less content to choose from, having only 3 networks. Yet with the exception of GUNSMOKE, BONANZA, and FIVE-O shows just didn't have a very long run.

All great examples of wonderful shows that had a short run yet are still beloved and popular today. I will also throw in the short lived sitcoms such as What's Happening (3 seasons) and the biggest of all the Honeymooners that only ran one season and only 39 episodes "the classic 39". Like you said, it says a lot today when a show doesn't go 20 seasons. It also proves that at the end of the day the reboots won't ever measure up to the magic of their originals. Look at these reboots of Magnum (4 seasons) MacGyver (5 seasons) and Hawaii Five O (10 seasons) That got cut shorter than their originals. Quality over quantity any day, but at the same time it speaks volumes when a show is cut short these days, especially since small ratings aren't as big a deal as it was back in the golden eras of tv.

Oh I loved watching WHAT'S HAPPENING!! in reruns in the 90s when I was in my early teens. And THREE'S COMPANY and HAPPY DAYS. But you're right - WHAT'S HAPPENING!! only ran 3 seasons and while it was never a big hit during its original run it became a bigger hit in reruns. So much so that it spawned WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW!! in the 80s (I think I only saw one episode of that show). They're still showing reruns of WHAT'S HAPPENING!! today on Antenna-TV!

Yes!! The classic 39 episodes of THE HONEYMOONERS!!!! Has there ever been a more iconic show that had as short a run as this one??? No way!!

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

I have to confess that I have never seen the reboot. For me, part of the charm of an iconic series is the way it captures the spirit of the times. For me, Magnum PI is the 80s. Nor can Tom Selleck be replaced. This is what one of our UK newspapers said when the reboot was first announced in 2017 and it expresses my sentiments perfectly: "By now, people have grown accustomed to television reboots. Whatever surges of fury they may have felt when CBS announced its Hawaii Five-O remake have long since been trampled into mush, thanks to the onslaught of reanimated classics...Reboots have simply become another bad thing we’re helpless against, like super-volcanoes or antibiotic resistance. But sometimes, just sometimes, somebody will have the gall to announce a reboot so brazen that it fires up the pit of the belly again. To wit, CBS has just ordered a pilot production commitment for a Magnum PI remake. Magnum PI, for crying out loud. Is nothing sacred? [Magnum] was special. Everyone knows it was special. By some absurd alchemy Magnum PI ended up perfectly written, perfectly cast and perfectly sound-tracked, managing to be both of its time and utterly timeless. You don’t mess with Magnum PI. It’s easy to reduce Selleck’s performance to the peripherals – a moustache, a cigar, a nice car – but that would be to do Selleck a grave disservice. The role fitted him like a glove, as if it had been created for him. He got to be funny and charming and wounded and angry and sexy, often all at the same time. Selleck was an unreconstructed man playing an idealised version of himself, and he was rewarded with an Emmy and seven consecutive Golden Globe nominations. His Magnum was what people wanted James Bond to be, stripped of all the alcoholism and sociopathy. The entire series rested on Selleck’s shoulders, and to simply palm it off with some modern-day B-list milquetoast is immediate death. There will never be a Rockford Files reboot because Garner will never be topped, just as there will never be a Columbo reboot because Peter Falk will never be topped. The same should apply to Magnum PI. The original series was lightning in a bottle, and it’s insulting to think it can be replicated. Just leave Magnum alone, for all our sakes."

I love this post!! I've never seen the reboot either. The reboot, to me, is sacrilege.

[Magnum4eva]

So much for the blossoming romance between Mini-Mag and Shiggins. I guess that's dead in the water now. We'll never find out... will they or won't they...

I just thought of something pretty interesting. Today for a show to last only 4 seasons seems like an indication that the show isn't good or didn't have enough of an audience. I mean what successful show today lasts only 4 seasons?? NCIS is like on season 20 now or something??? Sheesh! If a show today runs for only 4 seasons chances are it will quickly be forgotten.

But back in the day a 4-season run for a successful show was pretty normal. They're still showing reruns of KNIGHT RIDER which only ran 4 seasons. That's definitely a show that will never just fade away. THE A-TEAM only ran 5 seasons (not even full seasons 1 and 5) and will also never be forgotten. It was a ratings hit too! Even though the execs and critics hated it. AIRWOLF only ran 3 seasons, yet it's still a big part of 80s television!

In the 70s you had successful cop shows like STREETS OF SAN FRAN and KOJAK that ran 5 seasons each. You'd expect those shows today to run at least for 10 seasons. Look at all those CSI's.

In the 60s you had STAR TREK (3 seasons), I SPY (also 3), THE BIG VALLEY (4 seasons), WILD WILD WEST (also 4), and other hit shows that just never made it to 4 or 5 seasons. Yet they're still being watched today. I say it's a case of quality over quantity. Give me 4 seasons of a really great show over 20 seasons of garbage. Even though evidently there's an audience for that "garbage". I wonder why shows didn't last as long back in the day. There was certainly less content to choose from, having only 3 networks. Yet with the exception of GUNSMOKE, BONANZA, and FIVE-O shows just didn't have a very long run.

All great examples of wonderful shows that had a short run yet are still beloved and popular today. I will also throw in the short lived sitcoms such as What's Happening (3 seasons) and the biggest of all the Honeymooners that only ran one season and only 39 episodes "the classic 39". Like you said, it says a lot today when a show doesn't go 20 seasons. It also proves that at the end of the day the reboots won't ever measure up to the magic of their originals. Look at these reboots of Magnum (4 seasons) MacGyver (5 seasons) and Hawaii Five O (10 seasons) That got cut shorter than their originals. Quality over quantity any day, but at the same time it speaks volumes when a show is cut short these days, especially since small ratings aren't as big a deal as it was back in the golden eras of tv.

Oh I loved watching WHAT'S HAPPENING!! in reruns in the 90s when I was in my early teens. And THREE'S COMPANY and HAPPY DAYS. But you're right - WHAT'S HAPPENING!! only ran 3 seasons and while it was never a big hit during its original run it became a bigger hit in reruns. So much so that it spawned WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW!! in the 80s (I think I only saw one episode of that show). They're still showing reruns of WHAT'S HAPPENING!! today on Antenna-TV!

Yes!! The classic 39 episodes of THE HONEYMOONERS!!!! Has there ever been a more iconic show that had as short a run as this one??? No way!!

Oh, man I own the complete series of What's Happening. One of my childhood favs! And yes, The Honeymooners might never be topped as a show with an incredibly short run yet is still one of the most iconic shows in television history.

[Chris109]

Seeing this thread made me think of someone who constantly praised the show. Since I was out of the loop for a bit, wasn't there someone called Boyztoyz or Bondztoyz or something like that. Is he still around?

[Pahonu]

Seeing this thread made me think of someone who constantly praised the show. Since I was out of the loop for a bit, wasn't there someone called Boyztoyz or Bondztoyz or something like that. Is he still around?

Bondtoys enjoyed the new series, among others. He’s the one who made the cool Get Wet hats that various members were able to buy. He left the forum and it’s too bad for all of us. He had a friend who toured Pahonu when it was for sale and was able to get a few architectural pieces from the estate, and lots of photos. When I contacted him, he said he got tired of all the wisecracks and negative comments members would make on the reboot thread, members who never went on that thread other than to criticize. I don’t blame him at all, but it’s the forum’s loss. He was a great contributor, a big fan of the original series and he enjoyed the reboot. Some members couldn’t seem to understand that liking both was possible.

[T.Q.]

Seeing this thread made me think of someone who constantly praised the show. Since I was out of the loop for a bit, wasn't there someone called Boyztoyz or Bondztoyz or something like that. Is he still around?

I tried to apologize and told him no one but reboot fans are commenting on the reboot episodes anymore (the "trolling" ceased after a year) and that he was a great contributor and should come back.

Didn't go over too well.

[Amian]

Seeing this thread made me think of someone who constantly praised the show. Since I was out of the loop for a bit, wasn't there someone called Boyztoyz or Bondztoyz or something like that. Is he still around?

Bondtoys enjoyed the new series, among others. He’s the one who made the cool Get Wet hats that various members were able to buy. He left the forum and it’s too bad for all of us. He had a friend who toured Pahonu when it was for sale and was able to get a few architectural pieces from the estate, and lots of photos. When I contacted him, he said he got tired of all the wisecracks and negative comments members would make on the reboot thread, members who never went on that thread other than to criticize. I don’t blame him at all, but it’s the forum’s loss. He was a great contributor, a big fan of the original series and he enjoyed the reboot. Some members couldn’t seem to understand that liking both was possible.

I've got to admit this is sort of what happened to me. I love the original series, enjoyed the reboot, and thought MM would be the place to chat about new episodes, but the trolling and negativity dominated the mood, so I stopped visiting. Didn't seem so welcoming, which bummed me out.

[Magnum4eva]

Seeing this thread made me think of someone who constantly praised the show. Since I was out of the loop for a bit, wasn't there someone called Boyztoyz or Bondztoyz or something like that. Is he still around?

Bondtoys enjoyed the new series, among others. He’s the one who made the cool Get Wet hats that various members were able to buy. He left the forum and it’s too bad for all of us. He had a friend who toured Pahonu when it was for sale and was able to get a few architectural pieces from the estate, and lots of photos. When I contacted him, he said he got tired of all the wisecracks and negative comments members would make on the reboot thread, members who never went on that thread other than to criticize. I don’t blame him at all, but it’s the forum’s loss. He was a great contributor, a big fan of the original series and he enjoyed the reboot. Some members couldn’t seem to understand that liking both was possible.

I've got to admit this is sort of what happened to me. I love the original series, enjoyed the reboot, and thought MM would be the place to chat about new episodes, but the trolling and negativity dominated the mood, so I stopped visiting. Didn't seem so welcoming, which bummed me out.

Sorry to hear that. I refused to ever watch the reboot myself and I certainly wish it never existed but I wouldn't go on that thread to bash it for the people that actually like it. I rather just stay on the real Magnum's thread and focus on the show I love. I think people who hated the reboot should stay focused on the Magnum thread and for the people who enjoyed the reboot to stay on the reboot thread and for those who like both to know go in the reboot or regular side with caution that way there's no drama.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Seeing this thread made me think of someone who constantly praised the show. Since I was out of the loop for a bit, wasn't there someone called Boyztoyz or Bondztoyz or something like that. Is he still around?

Bondtoys enjoyed the new series, among others. He’s the one who made the cool Get Wet hats that various members were able to buy. He left the forum and it’s too bad for all of us. He had a friend who toured Pahonu when it was for sale and was able to get a few architectural pieces from the estate, and lots of photos. When I contacted him, he said he got tired of all the wisecracks and negative comments members would make on the reboot thread, members who never went on that thread other than to criticize. I don’t blame him at all, but it’s the forum’s loss. He was a great contributor, a big fan of the original series and he enjoyed the reboot. Some members couldn’t seem to understand that liking both was possible.

I've got to admit this is sort of what happened to me. I love the original series, enjoyed the reboot, and thought MM would be the place to chat about new episodes, but the trolling and negativity dominated the mood, so I stopped visiting. Didn't seem so welcoming, which bummed me out.

Sorry to hear that. I refused to ever watch the reboot myself and I certainly wish it never existed but I wouldn't go on that thread to bash it for the people that actually like it. I rather just stay on the real Magnum's thread and focus on the show I love. I think people who hated the reboot should stay focused on the Magnum thread and for the people who enjoyed the reboot to stay on the reboot thread and for those who like both to know go in the reboot or regular side with caution that way there's no drama.

I think a lot of it was just good-natured ribbing (I know T.Q. posted a lot of "mini-Mag" pics which I found amusing) but some people took it personally and treated it as a personal attack. As I always say - it's just a TV show. No harm done. It's not like anyone was actually stopping folks from discussing the reboot or reviewing the episodes they had just seen. But if someone wants to chime in and make fun of "Shiggins" then so be it. That's what these boards are for. To have some fun.

[Amian]

Bondtoys enjoyed the new series, among others. He’s the one who made the cool Get Wet hats that various members were able to buy. He left the forum and it’s too bad for all of us. He had a friend who toured Pahonu when it was for sale and was able to get a few architectural pieces from the estate, and lots of photos. When I contacted him, he said he got tired of all the wisecracks and negative comments members would make on the reboot thread, members who never went on that thread other than to criticize. I don’t blame him at all, but it’s the forum’s loss. He was a great contributor, a big fan of the original series and he enjoyed the reboot. Some members couldn’t seem to understand that liking both was possible.

I've got to admit this is sort of what happened to me. I love the original series, enjoyed the reboot, and thought MM would be the place to chat about new episodes, but the trolling and negativity dominated the mood, so I stopped visiting. Didn't seem so welcoming, which bummed me out.

Sorry to hear that. I refused to ever watch the reboot myself and I certainly wish it never existed but I wouldn't go on that thread to bash it for the people that actually like it. I rather just stay on the real Magnum's thread and focus on the show I love. I think people who hated the reboot should stay focused on the Magnum thread and for the people who enjoyed the reboot to stay on the reboot thread and for those who like both to know go in the reboot or regular side with caution that way there's no drama.

Thank you. I agree with your sentiments completely regarding the forum. If you liked the reboot, it was difficult to enjoy the section dedicated to it on Magnum Mania. MM seems like the natural host for a fan forum about the reboot, so I was glad to see that one was made (thanks Conch), but it became obvious quickly that the majority of posts were dedicated to mockery and complaints. Even amongst the members who were vocal about liking the reboot, not a single one ever said it was better than the original, so it wasn't as if there was some sort of argument about which version is superior. Everyone knows the 80s version will always be the best. But I guess "there can be only one" for some people. So it goes!