Magnum Mania!

Reviewing season eight's 'Tigers Fan', where Lt. Tanaka was (pointlessly) killed off, a couple of days ago, I commented that I always thought he deserved his own spin-off special or something.

Which got me thinking... which recurring character would you have liked to have seen receive his / her own spin-off (be it TV movie / series / whatever) and why?

Kika (James Grant Benton) in...... Pidgin Pedicab Adventures! An action-comedy, featuring an all-local Hawaiian cast.

The regulars from MPI would make occasional cameos.

No Luther Gillis on your poll? I think a spin-off detective show with him, done as a comedy, would have been funny.

Luther! Luther! Luther!



T



PS. But I would rather watch Maggie

Even though Luther Gillis is probably my least favorite character, a spin-off featuring him makes the most sense.
Of course, we need to consider Digger Doyle also, since that episode was a spin-off attempt in of itself.

Doc Ibold doing some detective work (i.e. Quincy) and concierge medicine (i.e., Royal Pains).

Otherwise, I would have liked to see TC in his own series.

Luther, easily.

I voted for Buck Greene. Naval Intelligence working secret operations in the islands blends that aspect of Hawaii Five-O, which often had an international intrigue angle, with the MPI world. Bonnick, Poole, et al. could all be in a Buck Greene spin off.

I love Luther Gillis, but an hour of just him would make me scream like TM at Higgins in "Flashback"! Gillis is like sour cream, great on the side, but a terrible main course!

Of course Doc Ibold, with Kika accompanying him.

Imagine the adventures!

Well, I voted for Lt Tanaka, although I like some of the other possiblities, too. Especially Kika, James.

I've always wondered if the Luther Gillis character was an attempt at a spin off...nobody has said that, though.

Buck Green's character has the scope for a spin off but I've always thought that he's one of those military minds that substitutes rules for common sense (I think Thomas thinks that, too). So I'm afraid that a Buck Green spin off would end up being a chronicle of endless bureaucratic bungle and what would he do without Thomas to save his butt?

I think that Tyler Peabody McKinney would have been a great spin off. A fast talking modern day Robin Hood in a lawless part of the world...

"Digger" could have been good as well...but I agree with people who didn't like Birds of a Feather...(although I DID like Birds of a Feather)...that the situation was just too hopeless and sad to watch on a weekly basis.

Interesting topic, Jay Firestorm!

Thanks!

AND...maybe the spin off I'd like better is Maggie Poole...having to put up with Buck Greene and fix all of his bureaucratic bungles!

Agatha wrote:Buck Green's character has the scope for a spin off but I've always thought that he's one of those military minds that substitutes rules for common sense (I think Thomas thinks that, too). So I'm afraid that a Buck Green spin off would end up being a chronicle of endless bureaucratic bungle and what would he do without Thomas to save his butt?

As he is in MPI, that's probably true. But in a spinoff the character would be "fleshed out" and not be the oversimplified military martinet he sometimes was on MPI. There, he exists to make Thomas look good, on his own show, Buck had better be more...flexible.

I have to go with Luther as well, with it set in Hawaii. I would also have Rosine playing his Polynesian Blanche........

I voted for Tanaka (although, Jay, I think there should be a spoiler alert on this thread - I haven't gotten to season 8 yet!).

I guess the character is borrowed somewhat from Columbo, Tanaka has a great personality of his own. I think it could have worked very well as a mystery show with comic relief (or at least a mood lightening) offered by Tanaka's relaxed, yet astute disposition.

Steve wrote:I have to go with Luther as well, with it set in Hawaii. I would also have Rosine playing his Polynesian Blanche........

After witnessing Luther's scene with Gordon Katsumoto in A.A.P.I., I'd have to pass on any potential Gillis spinoff--oooffff!!!