''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

television series starring

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations ...

Thomas Magnum Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV is a fictional character on the American television series '' Magnum, P.I.''. As the title suggests, the character Magnum is a private investigator. In the original series, Magnum was portrayed by Tom Selleck. Jay Hern ...

, a

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

(P.I.) living on

Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O� ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on the American television network

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. ''Magnum, P.I.'' consistently ranked in the top 20 U.S. television programs in the Nielsen ratings during the first five years of its original run in the United States, finishing as high as number three, that for the 1982–83 season. A remake series of the same name was ordered to series on May 11, 2018, and premiered on September 24, 2018 on CBS.

Premise

Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV is a

played by

. He lives in the guest house of a beachfront estate called Robin's Nest, in

, at the invitation of its owner, Robin Masters. Masters is an

unseen character An unseen character in theatre, comics, film, or television, or silent character in radio or literature, is a character that is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...

and the celebrated author of several dozen lurid novels. Ostensibly this is '' quid pro quo'' for Magnum's services based upon his expertise in security; the pilot and several early episodes suggest Magnum had done Masters a favor of some kind, possibly when Masters hired him for a case. The voice of Robin Masters, heard only in five episodes, was provided by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

(one last appearance was provided by a different actor, Red Crandell)."Déjà-Vu", Season 06, Episode 02 Magnum lives a luxurious life on the estate and operates as a P.I. on cases that suit him. The only thorn in the side of his near-perfect lifestyle is Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, played by

John Hillerman John Benedict Hillerman (December 20, 1932 – November 9, 2017) was an American actor best known for his starring role as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on the television series '' Magnum, P.I.'' that aired from 1980 to 1988. For his role as ...

. An ex-

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

regimental sergeant major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by warrant officers class 1 (WO1) in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, including Australia ...

, he is on the surface a stern, by-the-book caretaker of Robin's Nest, whose strict ways often conflict with Magnum's more easy-going methods. He patrols Robin's Nest with his two highly-trained "lads",

Doberman The Dobermann (; ), or Doberman Pinscher in the United States and Canada, is a medium-large breed of domestic dog that was originally developed around 1890 by Louis Dobermann, a tax collector from Germany.Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole, but as a humorous aside in various episodes, often has to bargain with Higgins for use of estate amenities such as the tennis courts, wine cellar and expensive cameras. The relationship between Magnum and Higgins is initially cool, but as the series progressed, an unspoken respect and fondness of sorts grew between the pair. Many episodes dedicated more screen time to this "odd couple" pairing after the relationship proved popular with fans. A recurrent theme throughout the last two seasons, starting in the episode "Paper War", involves Magnum's sneaking suspicion that Higgins is actually Robin Masters since he opens Robin's mail, calls Robin's Ferrari "his car" etc. This suspicion is neither proved nor disproved, although in at least one episode Higgins is shown alone in a room, picking up a ringing phone and talking to Robin Masters, indicating they are two different people. Aside from Higgins, Magnum's two main companions on the islands are Theodore "T.C." Calvin (

Roger E. Mosley Roger Earl Mosley (; December 18, 1938 – August 7, 2022) was an American actor, director, and writer best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore "T.C." Calvin in the CBS television series '' Magnum, P.I.'', which originally aired ...

), who runs a one-person local helicopter charter and tour van service called "Island Hoppers", and often finds himself persuaded by Magnum to fly him during various cases, and Orville Wilbur Richard "Rick" Wright (

Larry Manetti Lawrence Francis Manetti (born July 23, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as Orville Wilbur Richard "Rick" Wright on the CBS television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' which starred Tom Selleck as the title character. He also starred in ...

), who refuses to use his Wright brothers-esque given name of Orville and who owns a local bar. In the pilot episode, this was "Rick's Cafe Americain" in town, inspired by '' Casablanca'', with Rick appearing in suitable 1930s attire. After completing the pilot, though, executives felt that audiences would be unable to fully connect with this element. Instead, Rick moved to running the plush, beachside King Kamehameha Club, which has exclusive membership and Higgins on the board of directors. Magnum often strolls around the club, using its facilities and running up an ever-unpaid tab, further fueling the Magnum-Higgins feud. T.C. and Rick are both former Marines from VMO-2 with whom Magnum, a former member of the United States Navy SEALs and Naval Intelligence officer, served in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

.The three friends wear a gold Team Ring, which bears a

Cross of Lorraine The Cross of Lorraine (french: Croix de Lorraine, link=no), known as the Cross of Anjou in the 16th century, is a heraldic two-barred cross, consisting of a vertical line crossed by two shorter horizontal bars. In most renditions, the horizon ...

on a black field, as a bond of wartime camaraderie. The series was one of the first to deal with Vietnam veterans as "human beings" and not as shell-shocked killers, and was praised by many ex-servicemen groups for doing so. Magnum often dupes or bribes T.C. and Rick into aiding him on his cases, much to their frustration. T.C., whose assistance often involves the use of his helicopter, frequently says to Magnum "gas money. All I need is gas money" referring to the high cost of fuel for the use of the helicopter. Magnum comes and goes as he pleases, works only when he wants, and has the almost unlimited use of the Ferrari and many other luxuries of the estate. He keeps a mini-refrigerator with a seemingly endless supply of beer ("

altbier Altbier (German: ''old beer'') is a style of beer brewed in the Rhineland, especially around the city of Düsseldorf, Germany. It is a copper coloured beer whose name comes from it being top-fermented, an older method than the bottom ferme ...

"), wears his father's treasured Rolex GMT Master wristwatch and is surrounded by countless beautiful women, who are often victims of crime, his clients, or are connected to the cases he solves. Other characteristics specific to Magnum are his thick

moustache A moustache (; en-US, mustache, ) is a strip of facial hair grown above the upper lip. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history. Etymology The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Italian ''mustaccio'' ...

baseball cap A baseball cap is a type of soft hat with a rounded crown and a stiff bill projecting in front. The front of the hat typically displays a design or a logo (historically, usually only a sports team, namely a baseball team, or names of relevant c ...

s (usually a Detroit Tigers or VMO-2 cap), a

rubber chicken A rubber chicken is a prop used in comedy. The phrase is also used as a description for food served at speeches, conventions, and other large meetings, and as a metaphor for speechmaking. Description A rubber chicken is an imitation plucked fowl ...

, and a variety of colorful

Aloha shirt The aloha shirt (), also referred to as a Hawaiian shirt, is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. They are collared and buttoned dress shirts, usually short-sleeved and made from printed fabric. They are traditionally worn untucked, but ...

s. Nearly every episode is narrated, in voice-over, by Magnum at various points. At the end of the seventh season, Magnum was to be killed off, to end the series. Following an outcry from fans who demanded a more satisfactory conclusion, an eighth season was produced to bring Magnum "back to life" and to round off the series.

Cast

Main cast

as Theodore "T.C." Calvin *

as Orville "Rick" WrightIn the series finale, "Resolutions 2", the priest at Rick's wedding announces his full name as Orville Wilbur Richard Wright. Rick disliked being named after both of the Wright brothers, and preferred his nickname. *

Jonathan Higgins Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, VC is a fictional character in the 1980–1988 comedy and crime television series, ''Magnum, P.I.'' portrayed by actor John Hillerman. Hillerman won an Emmy for the role in 1987. The character of Higgins appeared i ...

Recurring characters

* Lt. Yoshi Tanaka: A homicide-division police lieutenant with the

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

police department (played by Kwan Hi Lim), he has a slight Lieutenant Columbo-like enigmatic quality, characterized by his casual dress and ironic sense of humor. He is also, like Magnum, a Detroit Tigers fan. He appeared in Seasons 2–8. * Agatha Chumley: Higgins' stereotypically English lady friend (played by Gillian Dobb), who seems to have a crush on Higgins. Her first appearance was in the episode "Black on White." She appeared in Seasons 3–8. * Colonel "Buck" Greene: A Marine Corps aviator and intelligence officer (played by

Lance LeGault William Lance LeGault (May 2, 1935 – September 10, 2012) was an American actor. He was best known as U.S. Army Colonel Roderick Decker in the 1980s American television series ''The A-Team''. Early and personal life LeGault was born May 2, 193 ...

), who is often Magnum's nemesis in seasons 2–8. LeGault also played John W. Newton, aka "Delta One" in Episode 1.9 "Missing in Action". * Carol Baldwin: An assistant district attorney (played by

Patty McCormack Patricia McCormack (born Patricia Ellen Russo in 1945) is an American actress with a career in theater, films, and television. McCormack began her career as a child actress. She is perhaps best known for her performance as Rhoda Penmark in Max ...

in season 1, followed by

Kathleen Lloyd Kathleen Lloyd is an American actress known for her role as the female lead in '' The Missouri Breaks'' (1976), opposite Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. She also appeared in the horror films ''The Car'' (1977) and '' It Lives Again'' (1978). Ea ...

in seasons 3–8); before playing Carol Baldwin, Lloyd guest starred in the episode "Almost Home" as Bridget Archer. * Lieutenant "Mac" MacReynolds: A doughnut-munching

Office of Naval Intelligence The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is the military intelligence agency of the United States Navy. Established in 1882 primarily to advance the Navy's modernization efforts, it is the oldest member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and serve ...

(ONI) lieutenant (played by

Jeff MacKay Jeffery Neill MacKay (October 20, 1948 – August 22, 2008)Obituary
Variety.c ...

), killed by a car bomb planted by "Ivan", a Russian KGB officer. Mac returns as a ghost for three episodes ("Mac's Back", "Limbo", "Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts" and "Pleasure Principle") and later as a look-alike character (see below). In the pilot, MacKay portrayed "Ski", a guard at the entrance gate of Pearl Harbor. He appeared in Seasons 1–3 and 7–8. * Jim Bonnick: A con man and an ex-Navy pilot who was released on a medical discharge (played by

Jeff MacKay Jeffery Neill MacKay (October 20, 1948 – August 22, 2008)Obituary
Variety.c ...

); he was also Mac Reynolds' look-alike. In at least one episode ("Mac's Back"), MacKay appeared in both roles. He appeared in Seasons 5–8. * Francis "Icepick" Hofstetler: An American loan shark and major underworld figure from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, and a quasi-father figure to Rick Wright (played initially by Walter Chotzen and then by veteran actor

Elisha Cook Jr. Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. (December 26, 1903 – May 18, 1995) was an American character actor famed for his work in films noir. According to Bill Georgaris of TSPDT: They Shoot Pictures, Don't They, Cook appeared in a total of 21 film ...

). * Dr. Ibold, M.D. "Doc Ibold": A minor character (played by Glenn Cannon) who appeared in episodes when the script called for a physician. First referred to as "Script Writer #1", he was known for prescribing opiates for any and all ailments. He appeared in Seasons 2–8. Cannon also played Dr. Bernard Kessler in Episode 1.7, "Never Again...Never Again". * Michelle Hue: The love of Magnum's life (played by

Marta DuBois Marta may refer to: People * Marta (given name), a feminine given name * Märta, a feminine given name * Marta (surname) : István Márta composer * Marta (footballer) (born 1986), Brazilian professional footballer Places * Marta (river) ...

); she and Magnum married in Vietnam but the devoutly Catholic Michelle had the marriage annulled after her first husband, a North Vietnamese general who was presumed dead, resurfaced. Magnum had believed that Michelle was killed during the 1975 evacuation of Saigon. She appeared in Seasons 2–8. * Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Commander) Maggie Poole: The successor of the deceased Mac Reynolds (played by

Jean Bruce Scott Jean Bruce Scott (born February 25, 1956) is a retired American actress, best known for her role as former Texas Highway Patrol helicopter pilot Caitlin O'Shannessy in the 1984-1987 CBS action thriller television series ''Airwolf''. She had ...

), she dislikes her superior, Marine Corps Colonel Greene. She appeared in Seasons 3–8. * Luther H. Gillis: A mock film noir

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

private eye with a Boston accent (played by

Eugene Roche Eugene Harrison Roche (September 22, 1928 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor and the original " Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials. Personal life Roche was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Mary M. (née Finnegan ...

), whose deception, dissembling and disturbing capacity for violence are almost always underestimated or overlooked by Magnum. Gillis provided the narration in the five episodes in which he appeared in Seasons 4–8. * Lt. Nolan Page: A hard-nosed, no-nonsense Honolulu Police Department lieutenant with a

New York accent The phonology, sound system of New York City English is popularly known as a New York accent. The New York metropolitan area, New York metropolitan accent is one of the most recognizable accent (sociolinguistics), accents of the United States, ...

(played by

Joe Santos Joe Santos (born Joseph John Minieri Jr.; June 9, 1931 – March 18, 2016) was an American film and television actor, best known as Sgt. Dennis Becker (later Lieutenant), the friend of James Garner's character on the NBC crime drama ''The R ...

), he assists Magnum on several cases. * Moki: The bartender of the King Kamehameha Club in Season 1; later replaced by Keoki, he appeared in Seasons 1–2. * Keoki: The bartender/server of the King Kamehameha Club starting in season 2. He is arrested in season 4 by Lt. Tanaka for robbing the club in the episode "I Witness". He appeared in seasons 2–4. * Bryant Calvin, T.C.'s son in seasons 7 and 8, played by Shavar Ross.

Setting

Robin's Nest () is the fictional beach front estate on the island of

, which serves as the residence of the main characters. In the series, it is owned by renowned novelist Robin Masters, who employs Jonathan Higgins as the estate's caretaker and Thomas Magnum as its security expert. Higgins resides in the estate's main house while Magnum occupies the guest house. In reality, the beachfront property was located on the east shore of Oahu at 41-505

Hawaii Route 72 Route 72, commonly known as Kalanianaole Highway, is the main highway serving southeast Oahu. Beginning at the eastern terminus of Interstate H-1 (H-1), the east–west highway travels along the southeastern shore of Oahu through vario ...

near

Waimanalo Beach, Hawaii Waimānalo Beach is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the City & County of Honolulu, in the District of Koolaupoko, on the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. This small windward community is located near the eastern end of the ...

(). Called "Pahonu" ("turtle enclosure" in Hawaiian language), it was also known locally as "The Anderson Estate" after long-time owner, local politician

Eve G. Anderson Eve Glover Anderson is an heiress, sportswoman and former Republican member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from Waimanalo, Hawaii. Her father, James W. Glover, a builder, was a member of the legislature of the Territory of Hawaii. Her mo ...

. The grounds had been used for hundreds of years for raising green sea turtles for the Hawaiian royal family and includes a 500-by-50-foot stone wall that surrounds the former turtle-raising pond. Since 1978, the turtle pond has been on the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii This is a list of properties and historic districts in Hawaii listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More than 340 listings appear on all but one of Hawaii's main islands (Niihau being the exception) and the Northwestern Islands, a ...

. A residential estate since the early 1930s, comprising an main house, a boathouse (which in the series appears as the guest house that Magnum occupies), a gatehouse, and private tennis court. Owned in January 2014 by Cox Communications heiress

Barbara Cox Anthony Barbara Blair Cox Anthony (December 8, 1922 – May 28, 2007) was the youngest daughter of James M. Cox, a Democratic governor of Ohio, newspaper publisher and broadcaster. With her sister Anne Cox Chambers and her brother James M. Cox, Jr., she ...

, it was placed on the market with

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...

for $15.75 million and sold for $8.7 million in March 2015. In April 2018, the estate was demolished. Many of the indoor scenes of ''Magnum, P.I.'' were filmed on the old ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'' soundstage, as the network did not wish for their Hawaiian production facilities to go to waste after ''Hawaii Five-O'' ended its run. Through the years, fans of the show have noted commonalities in the settings of time and space (the so-called fictional TV universe) between ''Magnum, P.I.'' and ''

''. For example, in Season 1, Episode 5: "Thank Heavens for Little Girls, and Big Ones Too", Higgins calls Five-O to report a theft. Or Season 1 Episode 6: "Skin Deep", Magnum (

) gets on the radio pretending he's with the police and asks: "Billy, this is McGarrett of Five-O. Is David Norman armed?" The producers of ''Magnum, P.I.'' unsuccessfully attempted to convince

Jack Lord John Joseph Patrick Ryan (December 30, 1920 – January 21, 1998), best known by his stage name, Jack Lord, was an American television, film and Broadway actor, director and producer. He starred as Steve McGarrett in the CBS television progra ...

to make a cameo. However, in a 2013 episode of the '' Hawaii Five-0'' remake, the characters "sing" the ''Magnum, P.I.'' theme song while discussing which person most resembled the characters on that television program. The purported connection between the two programs appears to be preserved in the remakes, as explained by their creators in

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

, where plans for a

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

were announced as well as acknowledgement of the coexistence of Magnum with Hawaii Five-0 in the same TV universe. A Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. crossover event between Hawaii Five-0 and ''Magnum P.I''. aired on CBS in January 2020, with the Hawaii Five-0 episode "Ihea 'oe i ka wa a ka ua e loku ana?" (which is Hawaiian for "Where were you when the rain was pouring?"), followed by the Magnum P.I. episode "Desperate Measures".

Theme music

The original theme music for the opening credits of the pilot episode was a mid-tempo jazzy piece by

Ian Freebairn-Smith Ian Freebairn-Smith (born March 4, 1932) is an American composer, arranger, conductor and group singer in film and TV. He spans from classical to popular music, jazz, choral music, and new music. Early life and education Ian Freebairn-Smith was ...

. This music was also used for the next nine regular episodes. Beginning in Episode 12, it was replaced by a more up tempo theme typical of 1980s action series by

Mike Post Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil, September 29, 1944) is an American composer, best known for his TV theme music for various shows, including ''Law & Order''; '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; ''The A-Team''; ''NYPD Blue''; ''Renegad ...

and

Pete Carpenter Clarence E. "Pete" Carpenter (April 1, 1914 – October 18, 1987) was an American jazz trombonist, arranger, and veteran of television theme music sheet music. After a long career playing the trombone in bands and as a studio musician, Carpenter ...

with guitar by Larry Carlton. This theme had been used during the show and over the closing credits from Episode 8. A longer version of this second theme ("Theme from Magnum P.I.", 3:25 in duration) credited to Post was released as a single by Elektra Records in 1982 and featured on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart that same year, peaking at No. 25 on May 8, 1982. This version also appeared on Post's 1982 album ''Television Theme Songs''.

Vehicles

Cars

Robin Masters' cars * "ROBIN 1" ** 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS (season 1) ** 1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi (seasons 2–6) ** 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS QuattroValvole (seasons 7–8) * "ROBIN 2" ** 1980 Audi 5000 (seasons 1–4; first copy blown up in S1E5) ** 1985 Audi 5000 (seasons 5–8) ** 1974

Jaguar XJ The Jaguar XJ is a series of full-size luxury cars produced by British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Cars (becoming Jaguar Land Rover in 2013) from 1968 to 2019. It was produced across five basic platform generations (debuting in 1968, 1986, 1 ...

(seen only in season 4, episode 18) * "ROBIN 3" ** 1980 GMC Jimmy Siera ( GMC Jimmy Siera — season 1–3) ** 1983 GMC Jimmy (

Chevrolet S-10 Blazer The Chevrolet (S-10) Blazer and its badge engineered GMC (S-15) Jimmy counterpart are compact/mid-size SUVs manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet and GMC from the 1983 through 2005 model years, over two generations – until the early 1990s a ...

— seasons 4–6) ** 1984

Jeep Wagoneer The Jeep Wagoneer is a sport utility vehicle (SUV) nameplate of Jeep vehicles, with several models marketed for the 1963 through 1993 model years and again since the 2022 model year. Various versions of the Wagoneer were manufactured in the US ...

(XJ Model — seasons 7–8) * "Robin 23" ** 1981 Ferrari GTSi (green) – seen only in the 13th episode of the 6th season; "''Summer School''". This car was provided by Robin Masters for his visiting nephew, 'R.J.'. * "56E-478" Non-'Robin' License Plate ** 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS (episodes' opening theme/credits) Others * Island Hoppers (TC's) van —

Volkswagen Type 2 (T3) The Volkswagen Type 2 (T3) was the third generation of the Volkswagen Transporter and was marketed under various nameplates worldwide – including the Transporter or Caravelle in Europe, T25 in the UK, Microbus in South Africa, and Vanagon in ...

* Rick's convertible —

Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107 The Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107 are sports cars which were produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1971 until 1989, being the second longest single series ever produced by the automaker after the G-Class. They were sold under the SL (R107) and SLC (C107 ...

(Col. Buck Green referred to it as a 450SL when Rick went missing) and at least one Corvette in an early episode in which Thomas and Rick drive side-by-side on a two-lane byway. Rick drove the Mercedes from the middle of Season 2 through to the end of the series. * Rick's Datsun 280ZX —

Nissan S130 The Nissan S130 is a sports coupé produced by Nissan in Japan from 1978 until 1983. It was sold as the Datsun 280ZX, Nissan Fairlady Z and Nissan Fairlady 280Z, depending on the market. In Japan, it was exclusive to Nissan Bluebird Store loca ...

. Rick drove this car when the series started until the middle of season 2, after which he drove the Mercedes. * Magnum's Beetle — 1966

Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...

convertible. In 1979, having just opened up his private investigator business, Magnum drove a battered blue Volkswagen Beetle convertible, with a rusted driver's side door. * Magnum's Jaguar — 1969 Jaguar E-Type. Magnum drove the quite abused red Jaguar convertible in one Season 5 episode "Blind Justice" after Higgins cut him off from using the Ferrari. * The Bentley — 1937 Bentley 3.5 Litre Drophead Coupe ( Gurney Nutting body). When Magnum and Higgins visit England in the Season 6 opener, when Robin Masters had just bought a new estate, "Robin's Keep", Magnum drives the old Bentley, the only car included with the estate. The car was previously driven by

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

in the unofficial 1983 movie '' Never Say Never Again''.

Aircraft

* Island Hoppers (TC's) helicopter —

MD Helicopters MD 500 The MD Helicopters MD 500 series is an American family of light utility civilian and military helicopters. The MD 500 was developed from the Hughes 500, a civilian version of the US Army's OH-6A Cayuse/Loach. The series currently includes the M ...

(various models) * Ken Enderlin Charters — N9267F is a Hughes Model 369HS built in 1975, Construction Number (C/N) 1150778S, in the episodes "Dream a Little Dream" and "Missing Melody".

Development and production

Development of ''Magnum, P.I.'' was originally slated at ABC, which aired other Glen A. Larson series ''

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries ''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'' (re-titled ''The Hardy Boys'' for season three) is an American television mystery series based on the ''Hardy Boys'' and ''Nancy Drew'' juvenile novels. The series, which ran from January 30, 1977, to Janu ...

'' (1977-1979) and '' Battlestar Galactica'' (1978-1979). However, in January 1979, ABC cancelled both series, and development on ''Magnum, P.I.''. Larson then took the series over to CBS. Selleck's contract commitment to the ''Magnum, P.I.'' series famously cost him the role of Indiana Jones in the first '' Indiana Jones'' film, '' Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (1981), which went to Harrison Ford. Selleck was unable to take the part of Jones as ''Magnum'' was due to start filming in March 1980. Owing to the 1980 AFTRA/Screen Actors Guild strike, production of ''Magnum'' was delayed until December 1980, which would have allowed Selleck to play Jones. In the 1986-87 season 7 of ''Magnum, P.I.'', Selleck was brought in as a producer and the program was moved from its Thursday night slot on CBS to Wednesday, which increased its slumping ratings from competing with ''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...

'' (1984-1992) on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

Episodes

Crossovers

* "Ki'is Don't Lie" — Magnum works with the Simon brothers to recover a stolen Hawaiian artifact that's supposedly cursed. The plot concludes on ''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who oper ...

'' in the episode "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend". * "Novel Connection" — Jessica Fletcher comes to Hawaii when an attempt is made on the lives of Robin's guests. The plot concludes on '' Murder, She Wrote'' in the episode "Magnum on Ice". For re-run and overseas purposes, the first half of these crossovers (the ''Magnum'' episode) also had alternate endings filmed, which wrapped the story up in a single episode and so allowed repeat showings as "stand-alone" stories rather than two-part crossovers. One mooted crossover from later in the series' run was with the

vigilantism Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...

drama '' The Equalizer'', starring

Edward Woodward Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE (1 June 1930 – 16 November 2009) was an English actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he began his career on stage. Throughout his career, he appeared in productions ...

as the retired spy Robert McCall. According to ''Equalizer'' executive producer Coleman Luck, interviewed for a special-feature documentary on ''The Equalizer'', the crossover was proposed by

Universal Television Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a prede ...

and was opposed by the ''Equalizer'' production staff. In 1992, three years after the conclusion of ''Magnum,'' a script was written for a potential crossover with Donald P. Bellisario's next show,

's ''

Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...

,'' in which Dr. Sam Beckett (

Scott Bakula Scott Stewart Bakula (; born October 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on '' Quantum Leap'' and as Captain Jonathan Archer on '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. For ''Quantu ...

) would "leap" into the body of Thomas Magnum. It is unknown whether any original cast members from ''Magnum'' were slated to appear in the episode or how far production had progressed, though test footage does exist of the attempted recreation of Tom Selleck's famous fourth-wall breaking "eyebrow" shot from the opening credits with Bakula in the role.

Home media

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Am ...

has released all eight seasons of ''Magnum, P.I.'' on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4. On October 1, 2013, Universal released ''Magnum, P.I. - The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1. The 42-disc set features all 162 episodes of the series as well as bonus features. On December 12, 2016, in the United Kingdom, the complete series was released in HD on Blu-ray. In Australia, Madman Entertainment has re-released all eight seasons on DVD from November 18, 2015 - June 20, 2018, followed by "The Complete Series" on October 9, 2019. * Region 2 release dates refer to the United Kingdom market only. * Includes the crossover Season 2 episode from ''Simon & Simon'' titled "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend".
** Includes the crossover Season 3 episode from ''Murder, She Wrote'' titled " Magnum On Ice".
*** Includes the bonus Season 5 episode from ''The Rockford Files'' titled " White on White and Nearly Perfect" featuring Tom Selleck.
****Includes bonus episodes from ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court ma ...

'', Season 2 titled "Diamonds 'n' Dust" and ''

Knight Rider ''Knight Rider'' is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three television series: the original ''Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequel series '' Team Knight Rider'' (1997–1998) ...

'', Season 2, titled "Brother's Keeper".

Awards

Selleck won an Emmy in 1984 for his portrayal of the title character. Three years later, co-star

also won an Emmy. In 1981, series creators and writers Glen A. Larson and Donald P. Bellisario received an Edgar Award from the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Awa ...

for Best Episode in a TV Series.The 1981 Edgar Award was won for an episode entitled "China Doll."

Golden Globe Awards

''Magnum, P.I.'' was nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards:

Primetime Emmy Awards

Other awards

Detroit Tigers incident

On September 16, 2017, a group of 45 men dressed as

were ejected from a Detroit Tigers game for smoking and catcalling women in the park. The story quickly became one of international interest as the group, from nearby

Allen Park, Michigan Allen Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 28,638. Ford Motor Company is an integral part of the community. Many of the company's offices and facilities lie within the city limit ...

gave dozens of interviews to newspapers, magazines, radio stations, podcasts and more.

Proposed sequels

In October 2013, Selleck said

Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have ...

had planned to write a screenplay for a ''Magnum, P.I.'' film in the 1990s, with

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

interested in producing it. The project remained unmaterialized. In September 2016, ABC began developing a sequel from ''

Leverage Leverage or leveraged may refer to: *Leverage (mechanics), mechanical advantage achieved by using a lever * ''Leverage'' (album), a 2012 album by Lyriel *Leverage (dance), a type of dance connection *Leverage (finance), using given resources to ...

'' creator John Rogers and producer

Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón ( Longoria; March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, and director. After a number of guest roles on several television series, she was recognized for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS daytim ...

centering on Lily "Tommy" Magnum, which never made it to series.

Remake

In October 2017,

announced they had issued a pilot commitment for a remake of the series, to be developed by

Peter M. Lenkov Peter M. Lenkov (born 9 May 1964) is a Canadian television and film writer, producer, and comic book author. He is best known as the showrunner of the reboot series '' Hawaii Five-0'', ''MacGyver'', and ''Magnum P.I.'', all of which aired on CBS ...

, who has helped remake other series like '' Hawaii Five-0'' and ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

'' for the network. CBS officially ordered the pilot three months later, along with one for a reboot of another hit 1980s television series for the network, ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very di ...

'', as well as one for 1990s favorite '' Murphy Brown''. On February 20, 2018, actor

Jay Hernandez Javier Manuel Hernandez Jr. (born February 20, 1978), known professionally as Jay Hernandez, is an American actor and fashion model. After making his television debut in NBC's '' Hang Time'', Hernandez made his film debut opposite Kirsten Dunst ...

was cast as Thomas Magnum.Currently, Tom Selleck stars as NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan in another CBS series, '' Blue Bloods'', which immediately follows the ''Magnum P.I.'' reboot.

Notes

References

External links

* *
''Magnum Mania''
{{Authority control 1980 American television series debuts 1988 American television series endings American action television series 1980s American crime drama television series 1980s American mystery television series CBS original programming American detective television series Edgar Award-winning works English-language television shows Fictional portrayals of the Honolulu Police Department Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series Television series created by Donald P. Bellisario Television series created by Glen A. Larson Television series by Universal Television Television shows filmed in Hawaii Television shows set in Hawaii