Magnum Jumped the Shark ...discuss...

Message

IKnowWhatYoureThinking · Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:16 pm

I think some of the episodes that were thought to Jump the Shark were because of the idea that there were supposed to be seven seasons when originally aired not eight. Just my opinion.

Jay-Firestorm · #47 Post by **Jay-Firestorm** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:18 pm

lutherhgillis wrote:Jay,

I guess if you compare MPI to shows like the A Team, it never jumped. The A Team was one long jump from start to finish. I enjoyed watching it but it never approached reality. It was a Magnum-want-to-be as far as I'm concerned.

Ouch!

I wasn't comparing the two, but I still disagree. The 'Team was a much more comic-book affair - like you say, it never (well, not that often) approaced reality, but that was part of the fun. 'Magnum' and 'Team' certainly have their similarities, but are also two very different beasts.
If you're talking about Magnum-want-to-bes, have you ever seen 'Riptide'?? (Though I confess to liking that series as well!)

I never liked 'Murder, She Wrote' either, if that makes any amends

lutherhgillis · #48 Post by **lutherhgillis** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:07 pm

Jay,

I'm sorry. I was not trying to be rude.

I just meant that A Team was NBC's attempt to grab a share of the furor that had been created by Magnum PI. It was definitely not a carbon copy. It was a good show but it was not tied to reality, which is fine. I enjoyed it from time to time.

Thanks for reminding me of Rip Tide. I could not think of the name even though I remembered the show. It was a rip off of MPI. Also, Miami Vice was a good show and it didn't try to mimic MPI but it borrowed heavily from the concept of cool guys and fast cars in exotic locations...

I guess I should have said that many shows were inspired by MPI. I suppose MPI was inspired by H5-0 and Rockford Files.

Now don't me started about Rip Tide...

N1095A · #49 Post by **N1095A** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:40 pm

Jay-Firestorm · #50 Post by **Jay-Firestorm** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:52 pm

lutherhgillis wrote:Jay,

I'm sorry. I was not trying to be rude. I just meant that A Team was NBC's attempt to grab a share of the furor that had been created by Magnum PI. It was definitely not a carbon copy. It was a good show but it was not tied to reality, which is fine. I enjoyed it from time to time.

Thanks for reminding me of Rip Tide. I could not think of the name even though I remembered the show. It was a rip off of MPI. Also, Miami Vice was a good show and it didn't try to mimic MPI but it borrowed heavily from the concept of cool guys and fast cars in exotic locations...

I guess I should have said that many shows were inspired by MPI. I suppose MPI was inspired by H5-0 and Rockford Files.

Now don't me started about Rip Tide...

Oh no, no offence taken

There are definate parallels between the 'Team and MPI, and I know what you mean about stations jumping to create their own 'version' of a hit show or movie. (Anyone remember 'B.J. and the Bear' - bought on by 'Any Which Way But Lose'.

Then again, just about every show of the 80s had to do the 'Vietnam Veteran' thing. Even Micheal Knight was said to have served in 'Nam, though it was never utilised in any stories that I can recall.

I have an old Mad Magazine with a great Rip-off-tide comic strip, pointing out all the (ahem) similairities.

I just feel lucky to have grown up when so many such shows were around.

Again, no offence taken, it's nice to discuss these things!

Rutledal · #51 Post by **Rutledal** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:13 am

I would just like to inform you that it's called "Riptide" in one word. It still sucked very much.

lutherhgillis · #52 Post by **lutherhgillis** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:27 pm

Thanks Rutledal. I agree. Rip Tide or Riptide... Who cares? It was still a load of crap!

How about Sunset or whatever the show that Glen Frey from the Eagles did. It was AWFUL... I think it lasted for 2 episodes... I still hurl when I remember it.

I will make one more remark about A Team and Miami Vice. These shows were definitely created to try to gain access by the excitement generated by MPI but both shows were pretty good in their own right. A Team was pretty darned unbelievable though... but that's OK.

Cheers

lutherhgillis · #53 Post by **lutherhgillis** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:39 pm

OK, so MPI didn't jump the shark. It did, however, do some wierd things.

Check out season 7's On the Fly episode. Near the end when Magnum and Jim Bonnic/Joe Travis/Neville Thompson/Father Jim Hiller/Trany Oliva/Mac are on the single-engine plane taking off over the car occupied by the Mexican mobsters, you will see a car in the background doing one of those A Team style of going into the air, bursting into flames, and rolling over. As I recall, there was no reason for a car to behave that way in the scene. It was strange for me...

And what about the big guy doing a quickie with the Mexican bruja the night before she would try to kill him???

Huh, what the heck was that about...

This was a single-episode jump in my opinion. Very strange.

Rutledal · #54 Post by **Rutledal** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:18 pm

Yeah, On the Fly isn't a very good episode. It starts okay, but just becomes worse as it goes along.

Glenn Frey's crummy show was called "South of Sunset".

Little Garwood · #55 Post by **Little Garwood** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:23 pm

I hated, hated the theory that Higgins was Robin Masters!!!

...everything else the show did, I can happily live with.

Rutledal · #56 Post by **Rutledal** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:31 pm

If it had been revealed that Higgins was infact Robin Masters I would consider that to be a "shark jumping" moment, but since it's left up to viewer to decide for himself I'm okay with it.

Also since Miami Vice was brought up, MV jumped the shark with the episode where Crockett lost his memory and started acting like a "Scarface-like" gangster. I can't remember the name of the episode or in what season it was featured. The A-Team however just skip roped on top of a pile of sharks.

Little Garwood · #57 Post by **Little Garwood** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:35 pm

Rutledal wrote:Also since Miami Vice was brought up, MV jumped the shark with the episode where Crockett lost his memory and started acting like a "Scarface-like" gangster. I can't remember the name of the episode or in what season it was featured.

Glad I missed that one!

Rutledal · #58 Post by **Rutledal** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:47 pm

I remebered another MV episode. It's called "Missing Hours" and it guest starred James Brown and Chris Rock, which was kind of cool, but it has this messed up alien plot. It was okay untill a scene where Trudy was inside a trailer then all of a sudden everthing became orange and some weird images of Trudy's face sort of replaced James Brown's face.

I can't remember which aired first, but they were both "shark jumparific".

Rutledal · #59 Post by **Rutledal** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:00 pm

And the Sheena Easton episode, don't get me started on the Sheena Easton episode. Seriously don't, we're here to discuss Magnum, P.I. not Miami Vice. I shall not bring it up any more.

There where more than one Sheena Easton episode by the way, but the first one in particular stunk and her whole storyline messed up the show.

Sorry

Magnum Jumped the Shark ...discuss...

Did MPI Jump the Shark in Seasons 7 & 8?