Tom Selleck reportedly makes $4.8 million per season

[szilard]

Aloha!

This is my first post and I don't want to offence anybody, so, please consider my post as the bickering of a true fan. (And I apologize for my very poor English too.)

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http://articles.latimes.com/1985-06-17/ ... 1_salaries

Tv Stars Are Making Starry Salaries
June 17, 1985| From United Press-International

NEW YORK — Tom Selleck reportedly makes $4.8 million per season of "Magnum, P.I.," which could buy a lot of pineapple.

Selleck's salary was revealed in an article on star wages in Adweek magazine, which said Selleck turned down another $4 million to make the Diet Rite ads that Lee Majors stars in for $500,000-plus.

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I'm currently watching the "horrible" season six, and I think it is interesting to see that Selleck had a huge salary but this season seems so cheap. (Especially the hotel dick, going home, paniolo episodes.) Does anybody know that what happened with the show in this season?

The first 4 seasons are almost flawless, the 5. has a few very bad episode (Echoes of the Mind - Stone is terrible, All for One - only Rick's shoot is remarkable), but I bought this season only for the Treasure of the Kalaniopu'u episode. This is the only "real Magnum episode" in this season. The others are unfunny, the other characters are often MIA, the scripts are mostly weak. So, if they had the money for Selleck why did not they spend a little more on sets, on scripts?

Thanks.

[terryfromkerry]

Hi and welcome ,

Nice research on the TS salary.

Larry Manetti in his book " Aloha Magnum" writes :

"One thing that was especially great about working with Tom was the fact that he appreciated his cast and crew as few stars do. In our fifth year, he had three Porsche 928s delivered as a surprise to me, Roger Mosley and John Hillerman at our homes."

I hear what you are saying about the later season. I respectfully don't agree. I feel the reason the show ran for 8 seasons was due to the willingness to keep it new so to speak. The series also ran to a planned conclusion rather than cancellation by Universal.

[ThomasMagnum]

US$4,800.000.00 1985

= $10,418,408.92 2013

[ConchRepublican]

I'm always wary of concentrating too much on someone's salary. At the end of the day it's none of my business, it's what their employer feels their value to the organization is vs. what the worker feels their value is. If someone works hard, has a talent, fills a need, sacrifices and makes themselves valuable to their company they should reap the benefits if the company is successful.

[marlboro]

On the subject of the "cheap" sets during season 6:

I don't know much about the behind the scenes stuff like a lot of the members here do, but I have read several posts that mentioned that, for a brief while during season 6, they lost access to the estate where many of the episodes were filmed. This lead to a lot of new filming locations that may not have been up to the series usual standards.

I'm not a huge fan of season six myself, but there are a few episodes that I enjoy. And, luckily, the series rebounded with a strong seventh season.

[Sisophous]

I'm currently watching the "horrible" season six, and I think it is interesting to see that Selleck had a huge salary but this season seems so cheap. (Especially the hotel dick, going home, paniolo episodes.) Does anybody know that what happened with the show in this season?

Expect the wrath from some Magnum P.I. fans for making a critical post about Season 6. You will get no argument from me.

I started a couple threads about this topic in case you didn't see it.

http://magnum-mania.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2686

http://magnum-mania.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2697

for a brief while during season 6, they lost access to the estate where many of the episodes were filmed. This lead to a lot of new filming locations that may not have been up to the series usual standards.

I didn't know this but the quality IMO started to drop beginning in Season 5. There are some good episodes in Season 7 and Season 8, the youthfulness and energy started to drop off compared to the first four seasons.

US$4,800.000.00 1985

= $10,418,408.92 2013

Nice projection of what that salary would mean today, it sounds right. Anyone who can earn money like that gets my praise. The climate in the USA has changed drastically today from what it was back in the 80s when we had a real leader in President Ronald Reagan. Today, to earn such a large amount of money means you are labeled as one of those evil rich people and need to fork over your earnings to the government to promote social justice and income equality.

[Steve]

So that's a little over $200,000/episode. Take out the fees to his agents, lawyers, taxes and it probably cuts in in at least half. This is probably why he formed his own production company in season 7 to reap some benefits out of the front end. I remember when Ted Danson was reported to be making a million dollars an episode for Cheers................

[szilard]

Thanks for answering! (And thanks to J. J. Walters for this fantastic site!)

A slight modification: the second half gets better and better! (I haven't revisited this season since years.)

When I say "this looks cheap to me", well, this is what I mean: they don't seem real to me. The hotel dick episode doesn't looks like a reality, it looks like a stage play. I don't see Magnum or TC, I see actors in a fake set.

On scripts: Almost every episode in this season is a parody or a hommage. And I think this is just too much. Sometimes good to see Magnum and co. thinking on deep or sad thoughts but there was always a fine balance between comedy and dramedy. By the way there are too many sad (should I say adult?) ep. in season 5-8.

Last but not least, my biggest gripe in season six (of course, it happens in the hotel dick): The Cosby-reference. I understand the main rival was Cosby (his "sitcom" is so unfunny, that's a fact) but this:

"I know I heard talking.

Oh, sure, you did. I had the TV on. You know, one of those silly family sitcoms with these cute little kids and the father. And see, he's a doc..."

is not worthy to a such a good show as Magnum. It's a low bow.

[Higgins (aka Bondtoys)]

Just my opinion: You are being too critical.

MPI is a family show that ran for 8 seasons.
Just sit in and enjoy the ride!

Nothing is perfect and so is MPI.