Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

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Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#1 Post by MagnumFan »

I was born in 1990, so the show was never on my radar as a kid. It was never part of the "Nick-at-Nite" lineup, which included some pretty amazing shows like Three's Company, The Brady Bunch and others. My parents were at BEST casual watchers of it - it wasn't a big deal to them, they never watched it on even a semi-regular basis. I I didn't discover MPI until around 2006 or 2007. I'm a big Indiana Jones fan, and I heard how this guy Tom Selleck was originally going to be Indiana Jones. I watched his screentest and something about his presence and "regular"-ness made me interested in finding out more about him. Selleck is a guy who has both charisma and yet also a common touch. He is iconic, without seeming larger than life in the way guys like Harrison Ford or such are. I watched interviews with him and he just seemed like a regular, nice guy who happened to find success.

I was never into police shows or anything of the sort. But after watching a few episodes of Magnum, P.I. I was hooked, and still am. Here's why for me:

-Selleck has pretty great range for a "TV actor." He can be silly, goofy, serious, charming, sarcastic, and, when need be, threatening and scary. He has a goofy laugh and yet also has eyes that can seem shining with a frightening rage. He isn't menacing in some over the top way, but in a quiet way when he has to be, which is scarier. He doesn't have an iconic voice like Connery or Ford, but he uses what he has to great effect and never seems to overdo it ala Shatner. This allows Magnum to be a really dynamic, well-rounded and very intriguing character, who can be equal parts manchild and hardened killer. Magnum's portrayal by Selleck, and the way he is written, is a great mixture of the best parts of James Bond, Mike Hammer, Clark Gable and Joe Friday without seeming like a mimic. He's suave and confident like Bond without seeming sexist. He's skilled and ruthless like Hammer without the politics or racism. He's Gable in snark without overdoing it. He's Joe Friday sans the uptight conservatism. He meets many people - whores, druggies, junkies and such - without judging them or coming off condescending.. Even today, the values of Magnum and the show don't seem particularly outdated or preachy. You can enjoy a Connery Bond, but there's some elements which you wince at because they haven't stood the test of time - Magnum, P.I. does.

-John Hillerman, a Texan, is almost a method actor he plays Higgins. I don't think I could see Hillerman in any other role without seeing Higgins. For the longest time, I genuinely believed he was British. He pulls it off so convincingly that he seems born to play the part. Higgins is stuffy, yet not a fossil. He's not some relic of the past but merely a more erudite, perhaps snobbier, older version of Magnum. The contrast between Magnum's boyish, bordering on childish, charm and Higgin's old fashioned British debonair is perfect. He is the stern schoolmaster, the hardass Majordomo who seems to view Magnum as nothing more than a boor, an uncultured irritant...Yet there is even at the start, which only grows, an often said deep seated respect and admiration between the two men. Higgins is harsh, but when Magnum REALLY needs him, he helps without question. He's the father Magnum never truly had, and Magnum is the (sometimes frustrating) son Higgins never had. Their dynamic is the heart of the show. Higgins also is just as interesting, if not moreso, than Magnum itself. A show with two truly interesting leads is rare.

-The chemistry between the main four cast members is always fun, always great. You care about the main four and the actors make you do so. There is a great contrast between each character, and each one plays off the other like they really do go back a long ways. The guests or side characters often slide effortlessly into the show. We never hear of or see Kacy before the episode about her, but the show is written well enough that you feel bad when she is dead; the show makes you feel like she's been a part of the guy's lives even though she's never talked about before - this is true for many of the characters we meet once and never see again. As the show develops, characters like Maggie, Mac and Agatha expand the universe of the show and round it out further.

-Every week, the story is different. There's no repetition. The show isn't some boring procedural but runs the gamut of genres and themes.

-The way the show has a bit of an infatuation with the past. The show is very generational and pays great reverence to the 1930s and 1940s, and never seems just like some Baby Boomer oriented thing, as many 1980s shows do in retrospect. Many episodes either bring us back to an earlier time period, or reference in some way, and it's always done with respect. The show has a very timeless feel compared to other 1980s shows because it feels old fashioned in some ways.

-Hawaii, both in its upper class grandeur, and it's lower class seediness, is always interesting, not simply beautiful. Hawaii could easily have just been a beautiful backdrop, but instead in a way, Hawaii is almost a character in and of itself.

-The show has aged surprisingly well. For a show almost 40 years old, it doesn't seem like a dusty relic, or irrelevent. It doesn't lean too heavily on fashion trends, references or politics of the 1980s so as to seem hopelessly outdated. It isn't over the top, nor is it defined by some singular image (IE the pastels of Miami Vice or the hammy antics of the A-Team). Because it often is away from the mainland, Reagan's America doesn't really exist here - and that's a good thing, because otherwise it would date the show. Hawaii is removed enough from America proper so as to exist outside of the issues of the day.

-It's nostalgic. While it avoids the 1980s, it's 80s enough to evoke nostalgia for a different world - a pre-cell phone, pre-Skype, pre-Smart Phone world. A simpler, if more challenging world.

-It knew when to quit. After 8 years, the show was beginning to slow down. The characters and actors were older and the show reflected this well. They could've easily done another two or three seasons, but the quality would've suffered. Bellisario and co. knew when the show was running out of gas and ended it in a proper, circular way rather than run a show into the ground simply to keep it going. Too many shows hopelessly try to beat back against failing ratings or diminished popularity by resorting to desperate measures to get the ratings back (IE Cousin Oliver) or lose sight of what the show was originally about in a bid for controversy and thus relevancy (IE Fonzie jumping the shark). While Magnum keeps abreast of the times (IE some of the Vice inspired later episodes) it never blatantly copies another show. It never did any gimmicks to keep it afloat. When it was over, it was over, and it ended with dignity.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#2 Post by MagnumsLeftShoulder »

Reagan's America doesn't really exist here
Have to disagree with this because MPI screams 1980's style conservatism. I mean there's a scene where Thomas is reading The National Review! That would NEVER happen on TV today and if it did, the reader would be ridiculed and accused of being a nut.
pays great reverence to the 1930s and 1940s
This I agree with and Bellasario has admitted as much in interviews. He said he wanted Hawaii to look as much like it did pre-WWII as possible.
I agree with your comparison to Clark Gable, too. Tom has always been Gable-esque and it's not just the mustache! :magnum:

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#3 Post by eagle »

As I have posted elsewhere, I love Magnum PI because it transports me to another place, unlike any other show before or since. I like how you come to know and love the main characters. I like how the main characters truly care for each other. I like the simpler life of the 1980s. I like how the show has aged well: today's postmodern society and politics notwithstanding, any episode of MPI could have been aired today as a first-run. I also really like the acting. All 4 of the main actors are top-notch actors and deliver top-notch performances. Also, it was a very well-written show. (I know that some people get caught up in a show's inconsistencies, but I don't care about that. ER, another favorite of mine, has many inconsistencies, and I would hate the show if I got caught up in that.)

Sure I also love the Ferrari, Robin's Nest, and Hawaii, but those are secondary to me.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#4 Post by No need to know! »

I always "escaped" to this tv show. I wanted to live there, i wanted to have these friends, i wanted to experience all these adventures.

Magnum P.I a fictional character? Pff shut up! :magnum:
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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#5 Post by Diandra »

Hawaii and Him!!!

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#6 Post by KingKC »

I was lucky enough to see all of the original run of MPI. It first aired in December of 1980 when I was making a huge decision about my career and relocating to a larger city and larger company. I did relocate in February of 1981 and when you are new in a much bigger city you don't have a lot of friends and things to do at first. My first full day in the new city ended with me cooking dinner and wondering what to watch on TV. As fate would have it I realized it was Thursday night and MPI and Hill Street Blues would be on. The next season Simon and Simon was added to the Thursday night lineup. Thursday night became my night with my "friends" who stayed with me for years. I relocated again in 1984 and again in 1986 to climb the ladder in my career. My "friends" always went with me.

I have to mention that I still watch reruns of all three shows from time to time. Maybe not as much as I used to but each time I do I am, like another poster, transported back in time, mostly to the year 1981. I can still envision the apartment and complex I was living in at the time. With Google earth/satellite maps I can actually "drive" by the places I lived and shopped in 1981.

The eighties were a very significant time for me, professionally and personally, and so was MPI. The memories are great.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#7 Post by MagnumFan »

MagnumsLeftShoulder wrote:
Reagan's America doesn't really exist here
Have to disagree with this because MPI screams 1980's style conservatism. I mean there's a scene where Thomas is reading The National Review! That would NEVER happen on TV today and if it did, the reader would be ridiculed and accused of being a nut.
pays great reverence to the 1930s and 1940s
This I agree with and Bellasario has admitted as much in interviews. He said he wanted Hawaii to look as much like it did pre-WWII as possible.
I agree with your comparison to Clark Gable, too. Tom has always been Gable-esque and it's not just the mustache! :magnum:
Didn't catch the Conservative references. Even so...What I mean by Reagan's America is that the show never really is socially conservative. Higgins is, and he often comes off stuffy . Also, the excess of the 1980s - Wall Street- Greed is good - is never really portrayed in MPI. Magnum may read National Review, but I've never really seen him pass judgement on others - only dealers. But he's met whores, junkies, and others and never seems to hold them in contempt or anything. Also, Magnum doesn't really have a leg to stand on in judging others - he's basically a freeloader who often doesn't have more than a few bucks in his pocket at any given time. He's no Archie Bunker. That's another thing - Magnum is relatable as an "Average Joe". Yes, he had an illustrious, almost Bondian past in NIA, but within the show he's largely a guy scraping by day to day.

And yes, mustache aside I have always felt TS was the Clark Gable of his generation.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#8 Post by MHTR »

Why are you equating conservatism with being judgmental?

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#9 Post by MagnumFan »

MHTR wrote:Why are you equating conservatism with being judgmental?
I'm saying Magnum may have read National Review, but he was no culture warrior. He was no Pat Buchanan.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#10 Post by MHTR »

No, he was more like a younger Reagan.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#11 Post by Pahonu »

MHTR wrote:No, he was more like a younger Reagan.
Younger Reagan actually began as a classic Hollywood Democrat, and a big New Deal supporter calling Franklin D. Roosevelt "a true hero". He was also a strong union supporter and even president of SAG. In fact, his first wife Jane Wyman was a Republican and cited political differences and his union activities among reasons for wanting a divorce. He moved to the right in the 1950s and didn't become a Republican until 1962 when he was over 50, being born in 1911. All this from an interesting read: Ronald Reagan's Journey: Democrat to Republican by Edward M. Yager. While Magnum's political affiliation is never specified, I don't think Selleck was ever a Democrat, but he has stated he is not a Republican, being registered as an independent in California.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#12 Post by Pahonu »

MagnumsLeftShoulder wrote:
Reagan's America doesn't really exist here
Have to disagree with this because MPI screams 1980's style conservatism. I mean there's a scene where Thomas is reading The National Review! That would NEVER happen on TV today and if it did, the reader would be ridiculed and accused of being a nut.
As a side note, I've always felt that early episodes carried with them a decidedly more 70's disco vibe, particularly the pilot. Others on the forum have expressed similar thoughts. From the original theme music, to Rick running a disco, to Magnum's more zealous mustache, it was definitely carrying over a bit of the 70's. I believe Bellisario's original script "Cutter" was written in the 70's, and it is interesting to note, the pilot was developed and filmed during the Carter administration, as were the first few episodes.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#13 Post by KingKC »

Pahonu wrote:
MagnumsLeftShoulder wrote:
Reagan's America doesn't really exist here
Have to disagree with this because MPI screams 1980's style conservatism. I mean there's a scene where Thomas is reading The National Review! That would NEVER happen on TV today and if it did, the reader would be ridiculed and accused of being a nut.
As a side note, I've always felt that early episodes carried with them a decidedly more 70's disco vibe, particularly the pilot. Others on the forum have expressed similar thoughts. From the original theme music, to Rick running a disco, to Magnum's more zealous mustache, it was definitely carrying over a bit of the 70's. I believe Bellisario's original script "Cutter" was written in the 70's, and it is interesting to note, the pilot was developed and filmed during the Carter administration, as were the first few episodes.
I am so glad that MPI got away from that disco vibe, especially Rick's character being a cheesy disco owner. The pilot had that look to it but it seemed to disappear quickly after that. I don't think I would have followed it as well if it had stayed Seventies style. The theme music change definitely made a difference that this was a tougher, more action type show.

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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#14 Post by Fr. Paddy McGuinness »

I have to agree about the disco vibe. I'm a retired Army Officer and a lot of the the smaller details drove me nuts, even in the evolved version. Every time I see Magnum ask Higgins how to tie a Windsor knot I have a mini meltdown. If you went to a service academy you know how to tie a Windsor. Military Officers are socialized to be "proper" individuals. They don't play fast and loose with personal conduct. Every now and then you would hear a juicy bit of gossip about someone and you would be shocked. The job makes you a serious person. After 25 years in the cocoon it was really eye opening for me to realize most of society plays fast and loose. It would have been hard for me suspend my belief that the "disco" Magnum, with 4 years of Annapolis and 10 years of active duty, would be that comfortable moving in Honolulu's seedy underbelly just a few years removed from service. The Magnum the show evolved into has all the character traits I loved about the Army: duty, loyalty, honor, comradeship, selflessness. He lives by a code of values, not by what feels good or the easiest option. All the main characters share these values. That's what makes the show great. I give allowances for Hollywood exaggeration or plot devices, but they never stray from the values of the show. Don't get too hung up on the politics. The Balkanized politics of today don't really apply. Even liberal military officers are pretty conservative guys in their own behavior. Think John Allen or Wesley Clark. Clark was my Brigade Commander when I was a Company Commander. I had no idea he was a Democrat, but politics are kind of a taboo subject in that culture.
Last edited by Fr. Paddy McGuinness on Mon Jul 31, 2017 11:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why do you love Magnum, P.I.? What drew you to it?

#15 Post by MHTR »

Pahonu wrote:
Younger Reagan actually began as a classic Hollywood Democrat . . .
Yes I know. When I wrote Magnum was like a younger Reagan, the word "younger" was referencing Magnum's age relative to Reagan's age, and NOT to what Reagan was like when he was younger. And Reagan really didn't change that much, it was his former political party that changed.

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