Articles on Magnum PI

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

The Crime Reads blog is a excellent source for articles/book reviews on both the fictional and real world of crime.
They have a new article -

A P.I. IN PARADISE: HOW ‘MAGNUM’ SET THE STANDARD FOR ‘80S TV DETECTIVES

that I think you guys will like.
I am rubbish putting up working links on the boards here so I won't try. But if you do the search -

Crime Reads:A P.I. IN PARADISE: HOW ‘MAGNUM’ SET THE STANDARD FOR ‘80S TV DETECTIVES

that will take you to the site. I hope you enjoy it.

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“Didn’t enjoy working with Tony Franciosa, who kept abusing the stunt men. He purposely wasn’t pulling his
punches in fight scenes and he kept doing it despite my warnings to stop . . . so I had to pop him one.”
– James Garner, The Garner Files

[Pahonu]

Very thorough and interesting article, thanks!

[MikeS]

https://crimereads.com/a-p-i-in-paradis ... etectives/

[T.Q.]

https://crimereads.com/a-p-i-in-paradis ... etectives/

Good article. Thanks for posting.

This of course was silly.

The new series greatly increases the diversity quotient, appropriate for a story set in the Pacific Ocean crossroads of the globe.

the new show’s cast better reflects the Hawaiian melting pot culture

Because they added an Hispanic guy?

That doesn’t even make sense in the context. The new Mini-Mag should of been a cool Hawaiian guy then.

Re. Real Magnum: Vietnam soldiers (Magnum, T.C., Rick pretty standard) were not the diversity of Hawai’i.

Throw in Higgins (heaven forbid and white bloke) and there was plenty of diversity in Magnum. P.I.

But, alas, it’s 2021 so... carry on.




the new show’s cast better reflects the Hawaiian melting pot culture, with actors including Zachary Knighton, Steven Hill, Amy Hill, Tim Kang and Taylor Willy

[Pahonu]

https://crimereads.com/a-p-i-in-paradis ... etectives/

Good article. Thanks for posting.

This of course was silly.

The new series greatly increases the diversity quotient, appropriate for a story set in the Pacific Ocean crossroads of the globe.

the new show’s cast better reflects the Hawaiian melting pot culture

Because they added an Hispanic guy?

That doesn’t even make sense in the context. The new Mini-Mag should of been a cool Hawaiian guy then.

Re. Real Magnum: Vietnam soldiers (Magnum, T.C., Rick pretty standard) were not the diversity of Hawai’i.

Throw in Higgins (heaven forbid and white bloke) and there was plenty of diversity in Magnum. P.I.

But, alas, it’s 2021 so... carry on.




the new show’s cast better reflects the Hawaiian melting pot culture, with actors including Zachary Knighton, Steven Hill, Amy Hill, Tim Kang and Taylor Willy

I’m pretty sure that quote is referring also to Tim Kang and Amy Hill who are both of Asian ancestry, not just Jay Hernandez. Hawaii has the largest Asian American population of any US state, by far, but wasn’t well represented in the original Magnum pi regular cast. Kwan Hi Lim was in about 25 episodes but certainly not a regular. Hawaii Five-O from the 60’s and 70’s was actually much more reflective of the Hawaiian population. I don’t find the author’s comment silly, but rather accurate and perfectly sensible given Hawaii’s Pacific multiculturalism.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

https://crimereads.com/a-p-i-in-paradis ... etectives/

Thanks for supplying the link, MikeS. I am a Luddite with no hope of evolving when it comes to computers/new tech. I had dial up far longer than most, and my nephews would delight in bringing
their little pals over to use my phone where you actually dialed the number.

[MikeS]

https://crimereads.com/a-p-i-in-paradis ... etectives/

Thanks for supplying the link, MikeS. I am a Luddite with no hope of evolving when it comes to computers/new tech. I had dial up far longer than most, and my nephews would delight in bringing
their little pals over to use my phone where you actually dialed the number.

No problem at all... thank you for finding the article

[T.Q.]

https://crimereads.com/a-p-i-in-paradis ... etectives/

Good article. Thanks for posting.

This of course was silly.

The new series greatly increases the diversity quotient, appropriate for a story set in the Pacific Ocean crossroads of the globe.

the new show’s cast better reflects the Hawaiian melting pot culture

Because they added an Hispanic guy?

That doesn’t even make sense in the context. The new Mini-Mag should of been a cool Hawaiian guy then.

Re. Real Magnum: Vietnam soldiers (Magnum, T.C., Rick pretty standard) were not the diversity of Hawai’i.

Throw in Higgins (heaven forbid and white bloke) and there was plenty of diversity in Magnum. P.I.

But, alas, it’s 2021 so... carry on.

I’m pretty sure that quote is referring also to Tim Kang and Amy Hill who are both of Asian ancestry, not just Jay Hernandez. Hawaii has the largest Asian American population of any US state, by far, but wasn’t well represented in the original Magnum pi regular cast. Kwan Hi Lim was in about 25 episodes but certainly not a regular. Hawaii Five-O from the 60’s and 70’s was actually much more reflective of the Hawaiian population. I don’t find the author’s comment silly, but rather accurate and perfectly sensible given Hawaii’s Pacific multiculturalism.

What's silly is not the diversity. Shows of course should organically reflect society.

What's silly is the 24/7 virtue signaling identity politics. That everything is looked at through a racial lens ad naseam.

What purpose does this serve comparing a 40 year old show to a 2021 show dissecting them by skin colour and ethnicity?

The obsession is what's silly. JMHO

[Pahonu]

https://crimereads.com/a-p-i-in-paradis ... etectives/

Good article. Thanks for posting.

This of course was silly.

The new series greatly increases the diversity quotient, appropriate for a story set in the Pacific Ocean crossroads of the globe.

the new show’s cast better reflects the Hawaiian melting pot culture

Because they added an Hispanic guy?

That doesn’t even make sense in the context. The new Mini-Mag should of been a cool Hawaiian guy then.

Re. Real Magnum: Vietnam soldiers (Magnum, T.C., Rick pretty standard) were not the diversity of Hawai’i.

Throw in Higgins (heaven forbid and white bloke) and there was plenty of diversity in Magnum. P.I.

But, alas, it’s 2021 so... carry on.

I’m pretty sure that quote is referring also to Tim Kang and Amy Hill who are both of Asian ancestry, not just Jay Hernandez. Hawaii has the largest Asian American population of any US state, by far, but wasn’t well represented in the original Magnum pi regular cast. Kwan Hi Lim was in about 25 episodes but certainly not a regular. Hawaii Five-O from the 60’s and 70’s was actually much more reflective of the Hawaiian population. I don’t find the author’s comment silly, but rather accurate and perfectly sensible given Hawaii’s Pacific multiculturalism.

What's silly is not the diversity. Shows of course should organically reflect society.

What's silly is the 24/7 virtue signaling identity politics. That everything is looked at through a racial lens ad naseam.

What purpose does this serve comparing a 40 year old show to a 2021 show dissecting them by skin colour and ethnicity?

The obsession is what's silly. JMHO

This was a fairly long and thorough article, touching on many interesting topics related to the two series. I enjoyed the topic of the depiction of Vietnam veterans early on and the reference to Yaphet Kotto on H5-O. I was also amused by the quotes and discussion about Selleck being pigeonholed early on as a “hunk” in the media. However, I see just two brief references involving race and the casting of the new show. This mere mention of racial changes in the casting doesn’t seem to me as so extreme as to be called a dissection. The article also points out that the Higgins role is played by an actual British actor as compared to the original. All this seems informative more than anything else I feel, as is the explanation of the different role of the Higgins character in the new series, for example.

The avoidance of discussion of race entirely is no better than obsessing about it ad nauseam. I think this article did neither. If I’m understanding your reply correctly you are saying that this article is another example of everything being viewed through a racial lens. I can’t really comment on the everything you describe, but I can say that this article’s brief mention of race doesn’t seem to be a good example for that argument. It’s quite detailed and informative for sure, but with very little about race. I didn’t pay very close attention to those comments when I first read it because I already knew about the casting changes. I went back and searched for them after your comment thinking I missed something bigger. I was a bit surprised to find just the two comments. I was really more focused on some of the new things I learned when first reading it. I suppose part of the perception is what one’s looking for.

[Pahonu]

I mentioned that I learned a few new things in my above post but thought I’d explain in more detail.

Had anyone ever heard before that the original Larson treatment had Magnum living in a house on a cliff with a hang glider with machine guns?

I had read many times it was “Bond-like” but not those details. I also knew about Bellisario’s HH Flynn script being set in LA and being reset in Hawaii.

I didn’t know Larson contributed the unseen adventure novelist idea for Robin Masters.

Anything else stand out to anyone?

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

I mentioned that I learned a few new things in my above post but thought I’d explain in more detail.
Had anyone ever heard before that the original Larson treatment had Magnum living in a house on a cliff with a hang glider with machine guns?
I had read many times it was “Bond-like” but not those details. I also knew about Bellisario’s HH Flynn script being set in LA and being reset in Hawaii.
I didn’t know Larson contributed the unseen adventure novelist idea for Robin Masters.
Anything else stand out to anyone?

Hi Pahonu,
You are spot on, a glider armed with machine guns! Why not a 500 lb. bomb as well. What stands out to me is that this guy sure can write, the article just flows along,
packed with goodies. I hope he posts more on Magnum. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the material was mined from Magnum Mania, I am not aware of any
other source that is even close.

[Pahonu]

I mentioned that I learned a few new things in my above post but thought I’d explain in more detail.
Had anyone ever heard before that the original Larson treatment had Magnum living in a house on a cliff with a hang glider with machine guns?
I had read many times it was “Bond-like” but not those details. I also knew about Bellisario’s HH Flynn script being set in LA and being reset in Hawaii.
I didn’t know Larson contributed the unseen adventure novelist idea for Robin Masters.
Anything else stand out to anyone?

Hi Pahonu,
You are spot on, a glider armed with machine guns! Why not a 500 lb. bomb as well. What stands out to me is that this guy sure can write, the article just flows along,
packed with goodies. I hope he posts more on Magnum. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the material was mined from Magnum Mania, I am not aware of any
other source that is even close.

It’s definitely well written and it’s nice to have so much information in one place rather than spread across the forum. I don’t doubt that Magnum Mania was a likely source.