Basket Case (3.15)

[Frodoleader]

I echo the comments regarding Dana Hill as posted here. I seem to recall she had a small role in a TV minisreies starring Elizabeth Montgomery called "the Awakening Land". I recall her role was small but had an major impact on the plot.
Another thing that impressed me about this episode was the scene where Thomas & TC played one-on-one. There were no stunt doubles used in that scene!

[Frodoleader]

Okay I just looked up on IMDB for the Awakening Land and did not see Dana Hill listed in the cast. Must have imagined it. Sorry, my mistake.

[Doc Fred]

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.

It's difficult to believe she was 19 at the time... she looked like she was no more than an early teen at most... And, she did have skills with a basketball...

Truly sad she passed so early....

[Doc Fred]

The other aspect that made this episode seem more authentic was the fact that Willie (Dana Hill) was actually a good basketball player. There have been episodes where an actor is supposed to be portraying a professional athlete and you can tell they are not very good. In "Mixed Doubles" you could tell the Carrie Reardon character couldn't play tennis very well although she was supposed to be the #2 female player in the world. They tried to hide the fact that she wasn't very good by having close-up shots of her hitting the tennis ball. However, you can still tell that most of the balls she was hitting were going high and off to the right probably on to the other court. Same for the Ginger Leah Grant character, however, she didn't seem quite as bad as Carrie Reardon. In "Squeeze Play" Lola Stenhauser was supposed to play "a mean second base." However, in reality, she was not very good at all. This phenomenon is evident in many different TV series, and movies, not just MPI. Again, Dana Hill's ability to dribble and shoot well provided authenticity.

Do I agree with that! 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.

It was clear that TS and TC are athletic... very much so. Rick?... ha,ha,ha,ha...

[Doc Fred]

Really? Willie is one of my very favorite episode characters. A tough, streetwise, basketball whiz, grifter-child with a heart. Her scenes with Magnum almost bring me to tears. It's painfully obvious how much she wishes to break free of her foster parents and live with somebody as honorable and kind as Thomas Magnum. And at the end, she passed up the game-winning shot to pass the ball to a teammate. For me, Willie is a unique and memorable character.

I'm with you... It would have been nice if we somehow found out what happened to Willie... The show ended knowing the foster parents would be either in jail or out of the picture with her. Perhaps a later show featuring Willie, even if as a side event, would have been merited.

[Sisophous]

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.

[Seaver41]

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.

[snp389]

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.

[Sisophous]

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.

http://youtu.be/3hYo-Gt0duE

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

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

[Doc Ibold]

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]

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.

[Hawaii Winds]

James,

I'm not sure I can put my finger on it, but there is something about her that just annoys me! The same goes for Tran Quoc Jones.

[Milton Collins]

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.........

[Milton Collins]

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?