Parody

[eagle]

I'm starting to think that the new series is a parody of the original.

Parody: an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect

Maybe I'm stretching, but it kind of seemed that way to me last night as I watched an episode. See, I just can't stay away from the train wreck -- last night I needed something to do after weeks of study for an exam I took today, so I watched e11 ("Nowhere to Hide"). With the lack of seriousness in the new series, the lack of gravitas, I started to wonder about the parody angle, especially during the conversation between Magnum & Katsumoto (when Magnum was in the car trying to convince Katsumoto to call off HPD).

We know that times change, and that everybody today is a comedian and everything today has to be a comedy.

What do you think?

[MagnumsLeftShoulder]

I don't know because I haven't watched any of it, but making fun of the original is exactly what Tom Selleck said he never wanted to do.

[jeffran]

What do you think?

It's possible, but I think you're giving the writers too much credit. It stops at imitation, which is just enough to call it Magnum, PI. The operative word here, as it usually is with reboots, is lazy: "What's the absolute least we can do to fill a time spot?"

[KingKC]

The only exaggeration I see is with the action, most of which is far from believable. I am leaning toward believing it is just an imitation that attempts to appeal to today's younger audience. The conversations between and among the actors might as well be text messages or tweets with a limited amount of characters. It will never appeal to those of us who lived for the original which was much more cerebral with much better personal interface.

[308GUY]

It's a new world...."new" is not always "better".

I've watched it....given it every chance...and I'll probably continue to watch as long as it's on air.

Do I "like" it...no....do I like the fact that it's on at all...well...sort of....I like the HI scenery, and the red Ferrari...and the fact that they kept the title, the characters (albeit "modified" a bit! ) and mostly the fact that it still garners enough interest to inspire the bean counters and pencil pushers to actually let it be made.

I think it's safe to say, any and all of us here, would have done it differently, to put it mildly. But at times it comes across as something that Lenkov loved in his youth and being in the position he's in, wanted to put his "mark" on...good-bad-or indifferent...he's had a hand in it now. His contribution may be forgotten in the future, but you can't remove it from the facts now...just like John Wilkes Booth will forever be linked to Lincoln's demise.

I'm not suggesting "embracing" it...only tolerating it...as it WILL generate new interest in our beloved original, and bring new fans to it...there's still some good kids around...you just don't usually see them on the news. I'm trying to enjoy it for what it is...and Perdita is very easy on the eyes....though I do wish she were able to portray Higgins closer to Hillerman's style...but I'm sure that's the writing/directing...NOT her ability to interpret the part.

Just a footnote pertaining to the original post here....not sure if it still is or not, but when I looked at the ITunes list to purchase the series for download...it (OUR Magnum)..was listed as a "comedy"!

Anyway....I'm one of those "cast your line once more" fisherman...so I'm not completely closing the door on the "new" MPI....just kind of like I said..."tolerating" it and enjoying the scenery and cars and I still really like the scenes with TC's chopper and the view from it. I do think Zack Knighton is ok too, but again, his Rick is a far cry from Manetti's! It is what it is...and like everything else on "commercial" tv...we can choose to watch or not.
As has been said more times than can be counted...."Everybody's a critic"....but we're allowed to be, here! LOL

I have multiple sets of OUR MPI on disk/tape/computer....cause I know...sooner or later...I'm going to wear one or more of them out! Always like to have "reserve"....just in case!

[perfectlykevin]

Yeah, definitely not a parody but it is hard to swallow at times. Cringe-worthy comes to mind most of the time. I miss the old mannerisms I think the most. The old TS/TM smile, laugh, raised eyebrows, and way of kinda yelling but more driving his point across. I miss the banter between Higgins and TM, the new set were paired as best buds from the beginning almost, almost no rivalry.

The new show seems flat were as the original had more life to it. Hard to describe but just what comes to mind.

I'll keep watching for many of the same reasons and it actually sends me to the DVDs I have to watch an episode or two after a new episode.

[midnightx]

This reboot is an embarrassment; it is baffling that it has lasted 3 seasons so far. From the terrible casting of the new Magnum and Higgins, to the contemporary era cliches of network television storylines, it is a joke.

[Amian]

Definitely don't think it's parody. Too many clear homages in there that are done in earnest. It's simply an update of the concept made by different people forty years later. The original version had its share of humor and wink-wink nudge-nudge with regards to detective conventions. Think of "The Black Orchid" or "Red Faced Thespian." Magnum's voice over is kind of like the hard boiled narration style of detective pulp. The point is that I think both shows want to, with sincerity, pay respect to their roots.

On the imitation issue, though, I think it would be fun to see the reboot try to remake an original episode exactly as it was first done: same dialogue, camera angles, etc. Kind of like the Gus Van Sant remake of Psycho. The reboot rarely imitates, and many of us on this board think that is because it would suffer by comparison, but just once I would like to see what happens when the reboot goes all in and truly tries to imitate the original.

It would have to be one that doesn't feature totally different characters or plot line (e.g. Michelle, Mac, Ivan) and you'd have to replace a few words for context (e.g. the boys in the reboot served in Afghanistan, not Vietnam), so maybe something like "Echoes of the Mind" or any other self-contained episode would be good. What episode would you want to see remade like this?

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

This reboot is an embarrassment; it is baffling that it has lasted 3 seasons so far. From the terrible casting of the new Magnum and Higgins, to the contemporary era cliches of network television storylines, it is a joke.

I have strong feelings about "reboots" because I see it as theft, pure and simple. Theft of someone else's idea. MPI was an idea/concept that came out of the mind of Donald Bellisario. It's his creation. Same with HAWAII FIVE-O. That was an idea that Leonard Freeman came up with. Now a hack like Lenkov comes along and decides to take these 2 shows that he used to watch as a kid and "steal" their concepts (they call it "reboot", I call it "steal") and make it his own. As if adding a woman on the team (Kono on FIVE-O and Shiggins on MPI) somehow shows originality or creativity on his part. Add a lot more explosions and CGI and voila - it's FIVE-O/MPI for the 21st century! Sorry, this isn't your show and you're making a mockery of the original by using its name, theme song, and character names. This SHOULD be illegal!! I don't care if CBS owns the rights to these shows but the idea belongs to the original producers of the shows and that's how it should stay. Now, if Lenkov likes the idea of a PI in Hawaii and wants to "borrow" the idea that Bellisario came up with that's fine. Call it something else. Call it "TURBO, PD" (private dick) for all I care. But make it your own thing. Different name, different theme song, different character names. But of course he won't do that because he knows it will come across as a lame parody trying to copy the classic MPI. It also won't have the brand name recognition that the MPI name offers. Plus reboots/thefts are popular today so that's the best way to go! Let's also not forget MacGYVER. I have a particular dislike for Lenkov because the man has 3 shows and all 3 of them are cheap thefts of original classics. If the man at least had a few shows under his belt that were original I could maybe cut him some slack... but NOPE!!!

[Pahonu]

This reboot is an embarrassment; it is baffling that it has lasted 3 seasons so far. From the terrible casting of the new Magnum and Higgins, to the contemporary era cliches of network television storylines, it is a joke.

I have strong feelings about "reboots" because I see it as theft, pure and simple. Theft of someone else's idea. MPI was an idea/concept that came out of the mind of Donald Bellisario. It's his creation. Same with HAWAII FIVE-O. That was an idea that Leonard Freeman came up with. Now a hack like Lenkov comes along and decides to take these 2 shows that he used to watch as a kid and "steal" their concepts (they call it "reboot", I call it "steal") and make it his own. As if adding a woman on the team (Kono on FIVE-O and Shiggins on MPI) somehow shows originality or creativity on his part. Add a lot more explosions and CGI and voila - it's FIVE-O/MPI for the 21st century! Sorry, this isn't your show and you're making a mockery of the original by using its name, theme song, and character names. This SHOULD be illegal!! I don't care if CBS owns the rights to these shows but the idea belongs to the original producers of the shows and that's how it should stay. Now, if Lenkov likes the idea of a PI in Hawaii and wants to "borrow" the idea that Bellisario came up with that's fine. Call it something else. Call it "TURBO, PD" (private dick) for all I care. But make it your own thing. Different name, different theme song, different character names. But of course he won't do that because he knows it will come across as a lame parody trying to copy the classic MPI. It also won't have the brand name recognition that the MPI name offers. Plus reboots/thefts are popular today so that's the best way to go! Let's also not forget MacGYVER. I have a particular dislike for Lenkov because the man has 3 shows and all 3 of them are cheap thefts of original classics. If the man at least had a few shows under his belt that were original I could maybe cut him some slack... but NOPE!!!

Hey Ivan, I’m not a fan of the new show either, so I agree with you there. I gave it about three or four episodes and then quit watching. I do disagree that this is somehow only Bellisario’s creation. TV and film are by their nature collaborative. The initial idea was a show by Glen Larson about a pi living in a guest house and driving a sports car in the LA area. It was called Cutter and included his friends, a helicopter pilot and a club manager. When Larson moved it from ABC to CBS, the network insisted it be moved to Hawaii to use the stage of the canceled Hawaii Five-O. Bellisario came aboard to develop the script and changed the title and some character details. The first version was much more Bond-like in regards to the title character. When Selleck accepted the role he insisted his character be altered to the much more approachable and even quirky Magnum that we know.

This is not to be critical of Bellisario in any way or take anything away from him. His role in the series was tremendous. I think the singular most important element he added was making Magnum a Vietnam veteran. This at a time when the topic was largely still taboo and nearly all depictions of these veterans were negative, showing them as troubled and damaged.

The point I’m making is that many of the things we love about the show came from other people. Imagine removing all the things I listed above from the show not from Bellisario: Hawaii, pilot friend, club manager friend, sports car, guest house, Selleck’s character ideas. It would be a different show. I can’t speak to Hawaii Five-O in any detail, but any show is such a collaborative effort, I find it hard to believe it can simply be attributed to one person. It’s just not like a painting or a novel, and even then these works often build on previous artistic ideas. The word theft is just not accurate in these circumstances, legally or otherwise. This also explains why the rights belong to the network. All these people, and many many more, were working for them in developing and creating this wonderful show we all love!

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

This reboot is an embarrassment; it is baffling that it has lasted 3 seasons so far. From the terrible casting of the new Magnum and Higgins, to the contemporary era cliches of network television storylines, it is a joke.

I have strong feelings about "reboots" because I see it as theft, pure and simple. Theft of someone else's idea. MPI was an idea/concept that came out of the mind of Donald Bellisario. It's his creation. Same with HAWAII FIVE-O. That was an idea that Leonard Freeman came up with. Now a hack like Lenkov comes along and decides to take these 2 shows that he used to watch as a kid and "steal" their concepts (they call it "reboot", I call it "steal") and make it his own. As if adding a woman on the team (Kono on FIVE-O and Shiggins on MPI) somehow shows originality or creativity on his part. Add a lot more explosions and CGI and voila - it's FIVE-O/MPI for the 21st century! Sorry, this isn't your show and you're making a mockery of the original by using its name, theme song, and character names. This SHOULD be illegal!! I don't care if CBS owns the rights to these shows but the idea belongs to the original producers of the shows and that's how it should stay. Now, if Lenkov likes the idea of a PI in Hawaii and wants to "borrow" the idea that Bellisario came up with that's fine. Call it something else. Call it "TURBO, PD" (private dick) for all I care. But make it your own thing. Different name, different theme song, different character names. But of course he won't do that because he knows it will come across as a lame parody trying to copy the classic MPI. It also won't have the brand name recognition that the MPI name offers. Plus reboots/thefts are popular today so that's the best way to go! Let's also not forget MacGYVER. I have a particular dislike for Lenkov because the man has 3 shows and all 3 of them are cheap thefts of original classics. If the man at least had a few shows under his belt that were original I could maybe cut him some slack... but NOPE!!!

Hey Ivan, I’m not a fan of the new show either, so I agree with you there. I gave it about three or four episodes and then quit watching. I do disagree that this is somehow only Bellisario’s creation. TV and film are by their nature collaborative. The initial idea was a show by Glen Larson about a pi living in a guest house and driving a sports car in the LA area. It was called Cutter and included his friends, a helicopter pilot and a club manager. When Larson moved it from ABC to CBS, the network insisted it be moved to Hawaii to use the stage of the canceled Hawaii Five-O. Bellisario came aboard to develop the script and changed the title and some character details. The first version was much more Bond-like in regards to the title character. When Selleck accepted the role he insisted his character be altered to the much more approachable and even quirky Magnum that we know.

This is not to be critical of Bellisario in any way or take anything away from him. His role in the series was tremendous. I think the singular most important element he added was making Magnum a Vietnam veteran. This at a time when the topic was largely still taboo and nearly all depictions of these veterans were negative, showing them as troubled and damaged.

The point I’m making is that many of the things we love about the show came from other people. Imagine removing all the things I listed above from the show not from Bellisario: Hawaii, pilot friend, club manager friend, sports car, guest house, Selleck’s character ideas. It would be a different show. I can’t speak to Hawaii Five-O in any detail, but any show is such a collaborative effort, I find it hard to believe it can simply be attributed to one person. It’s just not like a painting or a novel, and even then these works often build on previous artistic ideas. The word theft is just not accurate in these circumstances, legally or otherwise. This also explains why the rights belong to the network. All these people, and many many more, were working for them in developing and creating this wonderful show we all love!

We'll have to agree to disagree, Pahonu. To me it's theft. Always has been, always will be.

As far as MPI being a collaborative effort, yes you're right about that. I still maintain that Bellisario's heart was at the core of the show and therefore he's the most important contributing factor to its success. But yes Glen A. Larson, Selleck, CBS all had a hand in making it what it is. But it doesn't change my point. The point is this was someone's idea (Bellisario, Larson, Selleck, CBS) at a specific point in time (late 70s/early 80s) geared for an audience of that particular place and time and involving a specific cast and crew which made the show what it was. The show made Selleck a star in the same way KNIGHT RIDER made Hasselhoff a star. You can't separate the actor from that role. There's only one Thomas Magnum and there's only one Michael Knight. Now, fast-forward 30 years later and you have Lenkov who decides to just reboot this sucker. Why? Because he can. None of the original talent who came up with this concept are involved. Selleck isn't involved. Heck, he wanted nothing to do with the show! It's a whole different show, just using the MPI name. Simple as that. That's why I call it "theft". Now, if Selleck and company had decided to come back 30 years later to pick up where they left off then that would be a different story.

[Pahonu]

This reboot is an embarrassment; it is baffling that it has lasted 3 seasons so far. From the terrible casting of the new Magnum and Higgins, to the contemporary era cliches of network television storylines, it is a joke.

I have strong feelings about "reboots" because I see it as theft, pure and simple. Theft of someone else's idea. MPI was an idea/concept that came out of the mind of Donald Bellisario. It's his creation. Same with HAWAII FIVE-O. That was an idea that Leonard Freeman came up with. Now a hack like Lenkov comes along and decides to take these 2 shows that he used to watch as a kid and "steal" their concepts (they call it "reboot", I call it "steal") and make it his own. As if adding a woman on the team (Kono on FIVE-O and Shiggins on MPI) somehow shows originality or creativity on his part. Add a lot more explosions and CGI and voila - it's FIVE-O/MPI for the 21st century! Sorry, this isn't your show and you're making a mockery of the original by using its name, theme song, and character names. This SHOULD be illegal!! I don't care if CBS owns the rights to these shows but the idea belongs to the original producers of the shows and that's how it should stay. Now, if Lenkov likes the idea of a PI in Hawaii and wants to "borrow" the idea that Bellisario came up with that's fine. Call it something else. Call it "TURBO, PD" (private dick) for all I care. But make it your own thing. Different name, different theme song, different character names. But of course he won't do that because he knows it will come across as a lame parody trying to copy the classic MPI. It also won't have the brand name recognition that the MPI name offers. Plus reboots/thefts are popular today so that's the best way to go! Let's also not forget MacGYVER. I have a particular dislike for Lenkov because the man has 3 shows and all 3 of them are cheap thefts of original classics. If the man at least had a few shows under his belt that were original I could maybe cut him some slack... but NOPE!!!

Hey Ivan, I’m not a fan of the new show either, so I agree with you there. I gave it about three or four episodes and then quit watching. I do disagree that this is somehow only Bellisario’s creation. TV and film are by their nature collaborative. The initial idea was a show by Glen Larson about a pi living in a guest house and driving a sports car in the LA area. It was called Cutter and included his friends, a helicopter pilot and a club manager. When Larson moved it from ABC to CBS, the network insisted it be moved to Hawaii to use the stage of the canceled Hawaii Five-O. Bellisario came aboard to develop the script and changed the title and some character details. The first version was much more Bond-like in regards to the title character. When Selleck accepted the role he insisted his character be altered to the much more approachable and even quirky Magnum that we know.

This is not to be critical of Bellisario in any way or take anything away from him. His role in the series was tremendous. I think the singular most important element he added was making Magnum a Vietnam veteran. This at a time when the topic was largely still taboo and nearly all depictions of these veterans were negative, showing them as troubled and damaged.

The point I’m making is that many of the things we love about the show came from other people. Imagine removing all the things I listed above from the show not from Bellisario: Hawaii, pilot friend, club manager friend, sports car, guest house, Selleck’s character ideas. It would be a different show. I can’t speak to Hawaii Five-O in any detail, but any show is such a collaborative effort, I find it hard to believe it can simply be attributed to one person. It’s just not like a painting or a novel, and even then these works often build on previous artistic ideas. The word theft is just not accurate in these circumstances, legally or otherwise. This also explains why the rights belong to the network. All these people, and many many more, were working for them in developing and creating this wonderful show we all love!

We'll have to agree to disagree, Pahonu. To me it's theft. Always has been, always will be.

As far as MPI being a collaborative effort, yes you're right about that. I still maintain that Bellisario's heart was at the core of the show and therefore he's the most important contributing factor to its success. But yes Glen A. Larson, Selleck, CBS all had a hand in making it what it is. But it doesn't change my point. The point is this was someone's idea (Bellisario, Larson, Selleck, CBS) at a specific point in time (late 70s/early 80s) geared for an audience of that particular place and time and involving a specific cast and crew which made the show what it was. The show made Selleck a star in the same way KNIGHT RIDER made Hasselhoff a star. You can't separate the actor from that role. There's only one Thomas Magnum and there's only one Michael Knight. Now, fast-forward 30 years later and you have Lenkov who decides to just reboot this sucker. Why? Because he can. None of the original talent who came up with this concept are involved. Selleck isn't involved. Heck, he wanted nothing to do with the show! It's a whole different show, just using the MPI name. Simple as that. That's why I call it "theft". Now, if Selleck and company had decided to come back 30 years later to pick up where they left off then that would be a different story.

I guess the fundamental issue here is that to be correctly called theft, something has to be taken from its rightful and legal owner. All of the contributors, with Bellisario certainly the most important, were working for and were paid by the studio. The studio owns the rights to this collaboration. They gave the okay to Lenkov, so it’s not theft.

Does that mean it’s not a crass attempt to cash in on the original’s name recognition and popularity, definitely not. But that’s my opinion and it can be debated. I think we hold a similar opinion there so it wouldn’t be much of a debate. Theft, however, is a pretty clear legal term, not an opinion of quality or motive or anything else.