Magnum Mania!

Here's some stories that I think could/should have been explored during Magnum's run:
~A follow up on Elmo Ziller. They never disclosed for certain if Elmo was alive in Mexico or not. Lexi never returned on screen. There was more they could've done here.
~A show with Higgins' half sister. They mentioned her a few times when discussing Higgins' half brothers, but she never got her own episode. It'd have been great to see Hillerman portray the Asian half sister and how he'd have deduced she came into being.
~A hockey episode. They did pretty much every other major sport, but didn't have a hockey episode. Maybe have a former NHL star trying to get minor league hockey started in Hawaii only to have people trying to stop him. Magnum would have to investigate to find out why people want to stop the team.
~Corky Bannister coming to visit. Higgins often mentioned this person, but imagine Corky coming to the islands in need of help. Maybe have Higgins trying to do the investigation himself, but Magnum interferring in it. There's tons of ways to have Corky in the show.
~A Dukes of Hazzard crossover. Both shows were on CBS and featured really popular cars. Perhaps Magnum is hired to find a missing person that lives in Hazzard so he has to encounter the Dukes as well as the corrupt local government. Magnum getting a turn at driving General Lee would've been huge in the 80s.

Anyone else have ideas of what would've worked?

I enjoyed some of the shows that were set up as flashbacks to events prior to the series' launch, for example "Holmes is Where the Heart Is." Using that format, I would've liked to have seen some episodes that show us how Robin Masters and Magnum first crossed paths, or of how Higgins and Robins did as well. I also would've liked to have seen some shows that show what Magnum was doing in intelligence in the years following his return from Vietnam before he became a private detective; could there have been some event in that time that really upset him and motivated him to leave the Navy?

There are just a ton of possibilities out there. Those are some that have crossed my mind from time to time.

BWheelz54 wrote:I enjoyed some of the shows that were set up as flashbacks to events prior to the series' launch, for example "Holmes is Where the Heart Is." Using that format, I would've liked to have seen some episodes that show us how Robin Masters and Magnum first crossed paths, or of how Higgins and Robins did as well. I also would've liked to have seen some shows that show what Magnum was doing in intelligence in the years following his return from Vietnam before he became a private detective; could there have been some event in that time that really upset him and motivated him to leave the Navy?

There are just a ton of possibilities out there. Those are some that have crossed my mind from time to time.

Great ideas BWheelz54. I think they did just the "Holmes Is Where The Heart Is" about prior to Magnum's arrival and one episode showing the very start of Magnum's life as a P.I. I was always curious as to how Magnum got the deal he did with Robin Masters. Was Robin a client, did Robin do an exstensive search for someone qualified, had Magnum answered an ad?

You're also right about them not showing Magnum's days in Naval intelligence. He'd refer to it when trying to con Mac or Maggie and they had one episode where someone he'd arrested in that role had come back for revenge.

I, personally, got the vibe from several episodes that there was no real event that Magnum had where he wanted out of the Navy. It seemed like he woke up one day and realised he was in paradise yet having to take order after order and do tedious paper work and computer research and previous to that was a SEAL in war time so he wanted to have the chance to enjoy his surroundings.

SignGuyHPW wrote:Here's some stories that I think could/should have been explored during Magnum's run:
~A follow up on Elmo Ziller. They never disclosed for certain if Elmo was alive in Mexico or not. Lexi never returned on screen. There was more they could've done here.
~A show with Higgins' half sister. They mentioned her a few times when discussing Higgins' half brothers, but she never got her own episode. It'd have been great to see Hillerman portray the Asian half sister and how he'd have deduced she came into being.
~A hockey episode. They did pretty much every other major sport, but didn't have a hockey episode. Maybe have a former NHL star trying to get minor league hockey started in Hawaii only to have people trying to stop him. Magnum would have to investigate to find out why people want to stop the team.
~Corky Bannister coming to visit. Higgins often mentioned this person, but imagine Corky coming to the islands in need of help. Maybe have Higgins trying to do the investigation himself, but Magnum interferring in it. There's tons of ways to have Corky in the show.
~A Dukes of Hazzard crossover. Both shows were on CBS and featured really popular cars. Perhaps Magnum is hired to find a missing person that lives in Hazzard so he has to encounter the Dukes as well as the corrupt local government. Magnum getting a turn at driving General Lee would've been huge in the 80s.

Anyone else have ideas of what would've worked?

TOO FUNNY!!!!!!! I had to stop there because that image is blinding anything else that could come after.

Holy crap, that poor woman's hairline!!!

Brilliant!

BWheelz54 wrote:I enjoyed some of the shows that were set up as flashbacks to events prior to the series' launch, for example "Holmes is Where the Heart Is." Using that format, I would've liked to have seen some episodes that show us how Robin Masters and Magnum first crossed paths, or of how Higgins and Robins did as well. I also would've liked to have seen some shows that show what Magnum was doing in intelligence in the years following his return from Vietnam before he became a private detective; could there have been some event in that time that really upset him and motivated him to leave the Navy?

Yes! That time frame has always been of great interest to me. There was a ton of great story potential there. The thread that may be of interest: MPI Before MPI & During Five-O.

BWheelz54 wrote:I enjoyed some of the shows that were set up as flashbacks to events prior to the series' launch, for example "Holmes is Where the Heart Is." Using that format, I would've liked to have seen some episodes that show us how Robin Masters and Magnum first crossed paths, or of how Higgins and Robins did as well. I also would've liked to have seen some shows that show what Magnum was doing in intelligence in the years following his return from Vietnam before he became a private detective; could there have been some event in that time that really upset him and motivated him to leave the Navy?

Hi BWheel,
Good post. You got me thinking. Any remake of Magnum would suffer if it was in the same time frame and with 'imitations' of what the original cast did.
But you could do, as you suggested above, a series based on Magnum's early years as a PI. You would not be constrained by the future storylines in the original series.
A ten years younger Luther Gillis with his partner Chucky visiting the islands on a case and annoying the 5-O boys while briefly intersecting with Magnum in a throw away scene at episodes end, would be fun.
I could see Jack Black as Luther and in a thinking outside the box bit of casting, Prince Charles as his side kick Chuckie.

Dobie Gillis

"Thats Dobie with a 'B', not 'P'." ...Dwayne Hickman

Just a few ideas ...


Within the series's canon:
- A reunion with Fr. Paddy MacGuiness and Brigadier Alistair Folkes, but this time somewhere in Northern Ireland, maybe chasing some IRA guys
- As already mentioned, a crossover with Hawaii 5-0 would have made sense. Maybe also put in Quang Ki and Wo Fat together and have them chased by both MPI and H50 crews.
- A "Mac's Back"-like episode with Magnum believing he sees Ivan (from "Did You See the Sunrise?") again
- the series still owes me an episode about those mysterious Hungarian acrobats, maybe either a flashback episode or a reunion in a second case

Post-"Resolutions":
- someone in the "MPI bevore MPI and during Hawaii 5-0" thread already suggested Magnum shown as a Navy SEAL squad in the Middle East. I personally, as a three-eighths-or-sixteen-forty-seconds-or-whatever Serb (to solve that origin mystery), would also have enjoyed seeing Magnum, as a U.S. support unit, stuck in some Balkans village during the Yugoslavian wars (1991-1995).
- Higgins called back to Her Majesty's service, sent to Berlin in 1989 for some intelligence service operation and seeing him falling the Berlin Wall (he has seen such a lot of moments of world history, but this one is missing - of course - and would perfectly fit into his memoirs as one last moment of this sort)
- Magnum in retirement, shown in the today's Hawaii 5-0 remake (that wouldn't even be impossible in principle)

I've written elsewhere that there should have been a second Magnum-Simon & Simon crossover with Thomas going to San Diego during MPI's seventh season. I feel it would have been preferable to the episode we did get, the IMO tepid "L.A." It would have been fun to see another team up five years after "Ki'i's Don't Lie", and since both TM and Rick Simon are Vietnam vets, perhaps something in the story could have brought them together, with some or all of the MPI crew along to help out, either in San Diego or in a subplot back in Hawaii like what was done with TC's story--and IMO more interesting --than "L.A.'s primary story.

What's tantalizing about this is that Magnum actually appeared on the Simon & Simon set in that episode, as there's a scene in Downtown Brown-Abgail Marsh's office at police headquarters.

Hi SignGuyHPW,

I think your show ideas would have been great, with the exception of a Dukes of Hazzard crossover. I liked the Dukes, but the shows were too different to crossover (while the Dukes of Hazzard was a good show, it was kind of silly). Also, the idea of John Hillerman playing the part of Higgins half-sister would have turned that potential show into a joke. Even the funny Magnum shows were still somewhat serious. Just my humble opinions.

BWheelz54 wrote:[...] I would've liked to have seen some episodes that show us how Robin Masters and Magnum first crossed paths, or of how Higgins and Robins did as well. I also would've liked to have seen some shows that show what Magnum was doing in intelligence in the years following his return from Vietnam before he became a private detective; could there have been some event in that time that really upset him and motivated him to leave the Navy?

There are just a ton of possibilities out there. Those are some that have crossed my mind from time to time.

I second that, a prequel would really be something I'd love to watch. It would also be interesting to see how the various characters ended up in Hawai'i, including Higgins. He keeps going on about his achievements in the past, so there should be enough material for a nice story. Perhaps, there could even be some more background on Lt. Tanaka. And then there could be something about RM acquiring Pahonu. Or perhaps, he won it in a Poker game

I recall one episode containing a flashback, the one with the surfing championship back in the 70s, that's about the only "pre-pilot" episode we got, or am I missing something here? I just realize I should watch some more episodes to refresh my memory...

Yeah, there was a ton of potential for prequel episodes,

I would have also loved to see a Rockford Files crossover.

Ok, I know I'm gonna catch Hell for this but here goes...

I always thought Rick should have wound up with Carol instead of Chloe. In my opinion, the whole "opposites attract" thing would have endless script possibilities culminating in the wedding in the final episode.

Just think, the law-and-order Asst. Prosecutor gives up chasing after Magnum and winds up with the skirt-chaser with mob ties.


...and I too would like to know what happened to Elmo.

Some sort of collaboration with Steve McGarrett/Hawaii 5-0 would have been entertaining.

I wanted to meet Corky Bostwick - although I can't remember if he was alive or dead towards the end of it.

He had a storyline as convaluted as Rick!

Doc Ibold wrote:I wanted to meet Corky Bostwick - although I can't remember if he was alive or dead towards the end of it.

He had a storyline as convaluted as Rick!

Yes! There was easily a double episode's worth of content to mine here.