IslandHopper wrote:
They should always get someone who can at least look good when they're portraying an athlete... Having a non-athletic person play the part of an athlete takes away from what's happening.
I agree but it is the norm rather than the exception to see actors and actresses who are poorly coordinated playing the role of a star athlete. The most ridiculous portrayal of athletes are often baseball pitchers who clearly have the coordination of a tree stump.
This episode is unique to see an actress who was actually coordinated and fit the role perfectly. I also like the role Magnum played, not kissing up to Willie and treating her no differently than any of the other players. Higgins had a soft spot for Willie and a different approach from Magnum. The contrast in styles made this a fun view.
Dana was definitely one of the more memorable Magnum guest stars and the episode is decent at best. The whole foster family subplot is real thin. They tap so lightly on the coercive 'abuse' she was under.
I honestly felt the episode could've ended at the estate when the trap was sprung.
Cool episode.
Great light-hearted competition between TSM & TC.
The ever moralistic, honourable and wise JQH.
Dana Hill was great! I had no idea she had diabetes, and it had stunted her growth. Sad all around.
I loved the scene where the 'Lads' are watching the kids training...their heads turning back and forth observing the action.
J.J. Walters wrote:Dana Hill is fantastic in this episode. A perfect part for her. She won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress, Guest in a Television Series, despite the fact that she was actually 19 when she filmed this episode. Very sad that she died so young from diabetes complications.
I too thought Dana Hill did a great job in this episode, nothing really earth moving here, but the interactions between the teenager Dana Hill and Higgins were unusual as was the opening con job by Dana Hill faking an injury in a car accident to extort money from the driver. This episode was idiotic but still plain fun. This episode first aired February 3, 1983, and was likely shot months earlier. I think Dana Hill was just age 18 when this was shot, her DOB is May 6, 1964. The video clips I have on this episode featuring Dana Hill are on the long side, running just under 14 minutes.
After turning on your speakers/audio, open the video link below, select 480p quality and the middle size video is best.
Tonite COZI tv will run its thursday Magnum bloc.
At 11 pm it will run Basket Case. Last April when it ran it, the title appeared only it was billed as "Free Throw".
I thought the young lead actress in it was terrific and tried to look up this episode to find more info which lead me to Magnum Mania, but of course "Free Throw" wasnt much help when it's official title was something else.
Anyway JJ has done a terrific job with this site and I thank him for his efforts. Mike
Luther's nephew Dobie wrote:Tonite COZI tv will run its thursday Magnum bloc.
At 11 pm it will run Basket Case. Last April when it ran it, the title appeared only it was billed as "Free Throw".
I thought the young lead actress in it was terrific and tried to look up this episode to find more info which lead me to Magnum Mania, but of course "Free Throw" wasnt much help when it's official title was something else.
Anyway JJ has done a terrific job with this site and I thank him for his efforts. Mike
That's really interesting because I think "Free Throw" was the original name of the script!
Luther's nephew Dobie wrote:Tonite COZI tv will run its thursday Magnum bloc.
At 11 pm it will run Basket Case. Last April when it ran it, the title appeared only it was billed as "Free Throw".
I thought the young lead actress in it was terrific and tried to look up this episode to find more info which lead me to Magnum Mania, but of course "Free Throw" wasnt much help when it's official title was something else.
Anyway JJ has done a terrific job with this site and I thank him for his efforts. Mike
Okay I am writing this at 11:11 pm and the title of the episode is back to "Basket Case". Trust me I'm not crazy because my brother also saw the title "Free Throw" when COZI last showed it. Maybe different rerun packages?
Heck if I know what's going on, or maybe just make my monicker "Dopie" instead of Dobie.
First of all, I cannot say in good conscious that this was a good episode of Magnum PI. In fact, I gave it a 6.5 but not that it was an awful story but simply that to me it didn't fit very well for Magnum PI. I mean, it had some likable things about it:
- I LOVE basketball, my favorite sport! The one on one game ending with the dog's popping the ball was outstanding! Good to see Selleck show his stuff from his USC playing days. And TC looked like he could play too! I've always loved the opening preview where Magnum dunks so this was super fun to see them play for real.
- Willie has gotten a lot of hate on here, I have to humbly disagree. Not that I think she is some epic Magnum character but sheesh, she was a kid who was basically being held prisoner by some sicko foster parents and being forced into a life of crime. My heart's gotta go out to her for that! And while YES, she was very annoying, I thought she had a really fun/cute side to her as well. Especially her connection with Higgins and the class that she showed with him. I thought that was pretty cool, she wasn't just some dumb basketball playing kid off the street, she had a good head on her shoulders!
- Dana Hill as a whole, what a sad story! And how cool that she accomplished what she did during her short life. Makes me like the episode more!
Obviously there was no real "mystery" or crime or adventure and Willie was on the silly side, but I'd take her over Tran Quac Jones anyday lol. The creepy foster parents always have really bothered me when watching this. And even though the "replacing the antiques, art, etc. with exact replicas" scheme might be the single most unrealistic thing ever concocted I was glad to see TM and Higgins get them in the end. Again, I don't think this is by any means a good episode but to just watch while not expecting much it isn't horrible (if not just for the basektball footage alone:)) I can think of FAR worse episodes, Kiss of the Sabre, By It's Cover, Going Home.........
rubber chicken wrote:
The article talks about the different roles she's had, her diabetes, athletic abilities and more. One funny quote - "I haven't had that many crushes yet," Dana says, "except Tom Selleck." - and the article came out just 11 months before "Basket Case" aired.
Wow, cool fact! Poor Dana, I wonder if she knew she was going to be on Magnum PI less than a year later?
I gave this one 7.5, but that's really pushing it to be honest.
The only thing more unrealistic than Higgins and Magnum replacing the antiques with replicas is the fact that we are supposed to believe that a 13yo kid (who obviously doesn't go to school often) is almost as well versed in antiques as Higgins.
Loved the basketball scenes and the 1-on-1 between TC and Magnum is brilliant.
I recall seeing this episode when it first aired. All that my friends and I could talk about the next day was TM dunking in the one-on-one game! As young sports fans, it endeared us even more to TS. However, I do have to disagree with many of you who consider the actress that portrayed Willie to be a skilled basketball player. I would say she is adequate. Today, and probably then as well, you can find a girl with more basketball skill in just about every junior high school in the land.
As a long-time basketball coach, it bothers me immensely to see TM's players jumping off the wrong foot during their layup drill. Did anyone else catch this? Correcting this fundamental error should have been coach TM's first order of business. Maybe this is why TC's team is so heavily favored! Despite these minor details, I enjoyed the episode then and enjoy it just as much today.
One of my favorites! I have such great memories of this episode. After watching it, I had to go out and buy, white, hi-top Pumas, and high white socks( which I still have!). I went to my local playground, and started playing a lot of basketball again! To me, it's just a fun episode. I'd watch this episode over so many others. Magnum to me, was always about fun, and those are the episodes I like the most! I see Basket Case in on Encore later today. That's what brought back this memory, and that's why I'll be shooting baskets later!
The ratings on the episodes with children's issues never seem to be all that good. There are a lot of 7's for those shows and a few make it to 8.0 or maybe 8.1. That always puzzled me since I liked it when the guys took time out to take care of kids or be role models or whatever. Yes, I liked the one on one with TC and TM but I liked the whole show even better. The young actress, Dana Hill, who played Willie was well known in the 80's and early 90's. It was tragic she died so young.