Magnum, P.I.

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For the upcoming film, see Magnum, P.I. (film)

Magnum, P.I.
First Season DVD Cover </small>
Genre	Drama
Running time
Creator(s)	Donald Bellisario Glen A. Larson
Starring	Tom Selleck John Hillerman Roger E. Mosley Larry Manetti
Country of origin	Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States
Original channel	CBS
Original run	December 11 1980–May 1 1988
No. of episodes	157

Magnum, P.I. was an American television show that followed the adventures of Thomas Magnum (played by Tom Selleck), a private investigator living in Hawaii. The show aired eight seasons on the CBS network from 1980 to 1988.

1 The series
2 Cultural impact
3 Recurring characters
4 Trivia
5 Broadcasters
6 DVD
- 6.1 DVD Releases
- 6.2 DVD Box Art
7 Film version
8 See also
9 Notes
10 External links

[edit] The series

Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV is a former U.S. Navy SEAL<ref>While it was never mentioned on the show, when Magnum was in uniform he wore the trident and insignia of a SEAL. It bears note, however, that during the pilot episode Magnum did not wear a Trident; rather, he wore the Surface Warfare Officer insignia. One might speculate that the change was made to tie the numerous flashback scenes of Vietnam combat with his service as a Naval officer.</ref> and Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) officer, who was awarded the Navy Cross<ref>The Navy Cross was also shown on Magnum’s uniform, and mentioned on air.</ref> and strongly prefers being called “private investigator” over “private eye” or “private detective.” He lives in the guest house of a posh beachfront estate (“Robin’s Nest”) on the island of Oahu, at the invitation of its owner, celebrity author of lurid novels Robin Masters (whose face is never actually seen), in exchange for his expertise in quality control of the estate’s security. Magnum is a graduate of the Naval Academy, where he played quarterback, and left the Navy in disillusionment after approximately ten years service.

Robin’s Nest is managed by Englishman Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (played by John Hillerman), an ex-British Army Sergeant Major, and is guarded by two highly trained Dobermann pinschers, Zeus & Apollo (AKA “The Lads”).

Near the end of the series it was suggested that Higgins and Robin Masters might be the same person. In the final episode Higgins ostensibly admits to being Robin Masters, but at its conclusion he recants, perhaps whimsically telling Magnum that he had lied about Robin Masters, leaving viewers to wonder whether he was lying about Robin or lying about being Robin. During the early seasons of Magnum, the voice of Robin Masters (heard only a few times a season) was played by Orson Welles. Notably, Magnum had suggested that Higgins was really Robin Masters, and that "the person who appeared to be Robin Masters" could be an actor hired by the real Masters, "probably Orson Welles".

Magnum’s lifestyle represents the dream of many men. He comes and goes as he pleases, works only when he wants to, has the almost unlimited use of a Ferrari 308 GTS as well as many other of Robin Masters’ luxuries, keeps a mini-fridge with a seemingly endless supply of beer, comes into contact with countless beautiful women (who are often his clients or victims in the cases he solves), and enjoys adventures with his two buddies, both former U.S. Marines he served with in VM0-2 (a Marine Observation Squadron) in Vietnam. All three wear a gold Team Ring, which bears a Croix de Lorraine on a black field, as a bond of wartime camaraderie. The buddies are:

Theodore “T.C.” Calvin (played by Roger E. Mosley) (who sports a Da Nang baseball cap)(Magnum himself sports a Detroit tigers cap, where Tom Selleck was born), a helicopter pilot who operates a tourist charter business called Island Hoppers. His combat-trained flight skills are often enlisted by Magnum during the course of an investigation. He is also very powerfully built, which Magnum exploits when he expects to run into physical trouble. T.C. avoids alcohol, favoring soda or milk instead.
Orville Wilbur Richard “Rick” Wright<ref> In the last episode, Resolutions 2, where Rick gets married, the priest announces Rick's full name as being Orville Wilbur Richard Wright. The series ended on a cliffhanger note, as we never see whether or not Manetti's character said "I do". The name may be a continuity error, as early on in the series Roger E. Mosley's character had referred to him as "Elliot," though in the first episode he is in fact identified as Orville. </ref> (played by Larry Manetti), a suave and quite short playboy who is manager of the King Kamehameha Club, an exclusive beachfront members-only club. In the initial movie, which was the predecessor of the series, Rick owned Rick’s Cafe Americaine (aka "The Ice Palace") - a reference to the movie Casablanca. Rick also maintains a number of underworld contacts (one of whom is Francis “Icepick” Hofstettler, a loan shark, gang boss, and Rick’s stepfather) and is an expert in weaponry—he was T.C.’s door gunner during the war. A running gag in the series is that in brawls, Rick is easily dispatched by the opponents.

In 1981, series creators and writers Glen A. Larson and Donald Bellisario received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Episode in a TV Series, for "China Doll".

A number of the writers showed a familiarity with haole culture and things which are common knowledge in Hawaii, such as the hazards of sun and dehydration to be found on the beaches.

Magnum and Higgins often "break the fourth wall" by "locking eyes" with the audience. This usually takes a "do you believe THIS?" tone.

[edit] Cultural impact

Magnum, P.I. was a combination of action, comedy, and drama. The show moved beyond the simple plot lines of the characters solving the crime of the week and confronted the difficulty Vietnam era soldiers faced in making the readjustment to civilian life. In fact Magnum was one of the first shows to explore regularly the impact of the Vietnam War on the American cultural psyche. As of July 2006 Magnum, P.I. is one of a small handful of dramas voted by an overwhelming majority to have never "jumped the shark" on the user-edited website devoted to that concept.<ref>Magnum, P.I. at JumpTheShark.com</ref>

Magnum, P.I.’s theme tune was one of many iconic TV themes written by Mike Post. The theme made its debut during the mid-first season of the show, and even replaced the opening and closing theme of the syndicated repeats of all earlier season one episodes. The original season one theme was composed by Ian Freebairn-Smith.

Magnum, P.I. was also unique among the 1980s American media for offering a positive portrayal of an American veteran of the Vietnam War. Neither Magnum nor any of his friends are apologetic for having fought in Southeast Asia, and while they carry some of the physical and emotional scars of that conflict, they look back upon their actions with pride, often sporting unit insignia on their ball caps or T-shirts, wearing custom rings with this insignia, and they ask for no one’s sympathy. Neither do they “snap,” as other Vietnam veterans were portrayed as being prone to in such movies as First Blood or Apocalypse Now. The show could be critical of the U.S. government, and particularly of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the communist governments of Vietnam and the Soviet Union were targets of several episodes throughout the series, but it defended the foreign policy of the Reagan Administration on several occasions.

Tom Selleck was famous for wearing a Hawaiian-style aloha shirt, common wear in Hawaii.

Selleck also often wore a Detroit Tigers baseball cap (Selleck's hometown team) and Magnum was portrayed as a passionate Tigers fan. In an episode dedicated to this, Magnum goes to Detroit on business and to see a Tigers home stand. Humorously, he misses the game after game but well-known Detroit Tigers Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker make cameo appearances at a bar where Magnum is stuck and help him out.

[edit] Recurring characters

The series featured a large ensemble of minor characters who appeared in many episodes over multiple seasons. Many of these actors first played other characters in earlier episodes and then became regulars in the following roles:

Lt. Yoshi Tanaka — Homicide police lieutenant with the Honolulu PD (played by Kwan Hi Lim), characterized by his casual dress and ironic sense of humor. Seasons 2 – 8
Agatha Chumley — Higgins' quintessentially English friend (played by Gillian Dobb). Seasons 3 – 8
Col. “Buck” Greene — Marine Corps intelligence officer (played by Lance LeGault), Magnum's former superior and often nemesis. Seasons 2 – 8
Carol Baldwin — assistant district attorney (played in all but first appearance by Kathleen Lloyd). Seasons 3 – 8
Lt. “Mac” MacReynolds — doughnut-munching Navy Intelligence lieutenant (played by Jeff MacKay), killed off in the series and later brought back as a ghost of his character. Seasons 1 – 3, and 7 – 8
Jim Bonig — con man (played by Jeff MacKay) who was MacReynolds’ look-alike. In one episode MacKay appeared in both roles. Seasons 5 – 8.
Francis “Icepick” Hofstetler — see above (played by Elisha Cook Jr who had a number of other roles in the series as well)
Doc Ibold — very minor character (played by Glenn Cannon) who nevertheless appeared in many episodes whenever a physician was needed in the script. Seasons 2 – 8
Michelle (Magnum) Hue — Magnum’s former wife (played by Marta DuBois), presumed dead but reappearing as the wife of a North Vietnamese general and the mother of Magnum’s child, and often seen in flashbacks. Seasons 2 – 8
Lt. (later Lt.Cdr.) Maggie Poole — successor of the deceased MacReynolds (played by Jean Bruce Scott). Seasons 3 – 8
Luther H. Gillis — mock-film noir private eye from St. Louis (played by Eugene Roche), and narrator of the episodes in which he appeared. Seasons 4 – 8

[edit] Trivia

One reason this show was set in Hawaii was so that CBS could re-use many of the sets from its other hit show, Hawaii Five-O which had just completed its on-air run in 1980. Several early episodes make reference to the fictional “Five-0” squad. While this could be seen as setting this series in the same “universe” as Hawaii Five-O, such references are common even in real life, due to the cultural impact of that series. Due to crossovers with other programs, the series is also shown to take place in the same continuity as Murder, She Wrote and Simon and Simon (and by extension, The Law and Harry McGraw and Whiz Kids).

Former Five-O cast members Kam Fong and Herman Wedemeyer have guest-starred on Magnum P.I.

The fictional license plate on the Ferrari changed from “56E-478” after the pilot to “ROBIN 1”, which remained for the duration of the series. It’s evident the producers hadn’t considered, decided on, or paid for a “ROBIN 1” vanity plate when the initial episodes were shooting, and only added it later. The original plate number can be seen, briefly, in the titles of every episode, just as the 308 pulls away from the shoulder of the highway. Other vehicles in the series displayed similar “ROBIN” vanity plates, including an Audi 5000 with "ROBIN 2" and a green Ferrari (“ROBIN 28”) driven by Robin’s nephew, R.J. Masters.

The producers originally intended to use a Porsche 928 as 'Magnum's' car and asked Porsche to produce one with an extra large sunroof for aerial shots. Due to a strict policy by Porsche of not doing any special specifications at customer request, the Ferrari 308 GTS was chosen instead and went on to become one of the most iconic cars of all time.

It was originally intended for there to be an episode of the science fiction program Quantum Leap where main character Sam Beckett leaps into the body of Thomas Magnum. The episode would have Beckett (played by Scott Bakula) stumbling through a day-in-the-life of Magnum, P.I., and presumably interacting with the varied series regulars. Both Magnum P.I. and Quantum Leap were produced by Donald P. Bellisario. Plans for a Magnum, P.I. movie led to the early demise of the crossover, but some footage was filmed; namely, the end-of-episode “jumping in” scene, in which Beckett jumps into Magnum’s body, turns to the camera, and raises his eyebrows the same way Selleck made famous.<ref>Some consider that the Quantum Leap episode would also have caused a bizarre continuity error as Magnum, P.I. had already been established as a television program in the Quantum Leap "universe". However, in the Pilot episode of Quantum Leap, Sam Beckett recalls that a relation had married Jim Bonig - who appears in Magnum, P.I.. One possible solution could be that Magnum (the character) had his own television show in the Quantum Leap universe.</ref>

Selleck’s contract commitment to the Magnum, P.I. series famously cost him the role of Indiana Jones in the first Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark, which went to Harrison Ford. Selleck was unable to take the part of Indy because Magnum was due to start filming in March 1980, but ironically, the start of production on Magnum was delayed until December due to a writer's strike, meaning that Selleck would have been free to play Indy after all. In the final season the producers gave a nod to his sacrifice with the episode— “Legend of the Lost Art” —parodying the film.

During the broadcast of the series on TVG (Spain), a voice-over narrator uttered the title of the series during the opening. However, due to a misunderstanding of the abbreviation P.I. (Private Investigator), the narrator said "Magnum Pi" - confusing the audience.

The Family Guy episode entitled 'Stuck Together Torn Apart' mocked Magnum P.I., with Magnum referring repeatedly to Higgins as "Tattoo". When Higgins tries timidly to correct him repeatedly, he steps out of the Ferrari, slaps him to the ground, and asks his name. Higgins, even more timidly, says "Tattoo". This is a clear reference to the Fantasy Island character portrayed by the late Hervé Villechaize.

In 7.21, Limbo, the song we hear as Magnum walks off is "Looking for Space" by John Denver.

In an episode of The Simpsons Lenny gives Homer a DVD player and the first season of Magnum, P.I. as a Christmas gift.

The video Hard to Explain by The Strokes, begins with a scene from Magnum P.I., where the Red Ferrari is accelerating from the dirt.

[edit] Broadcasters

United States (first run): CBS
United States (Syndication): Weekdays on Superstation WGN
United States {Arizona}: Channel 27/Cable 13
Germany: ARD, RTL, DAS VIERTE
Spain (Catalonia): TV3, BTV
Russia: STS (Russian: СТС)
Brazil: Globo
Norway: TVNORGE
Ireland: RTÉ
United Kingdom: ITV (1981 - early 1990s), Five (formerly Channel 5) (2002-2003), Men & Motors (2006- )
Italy: Mediaset, Italia 1
Estonia: TV3
South Africa SAUK

[edit] DVD

[edit] DVD Releases

On August 24 2006 tvshowsondvd.com [1] announced that NBC/Universal would be releasing Magnum, P.I. The Complete Fifth Season on Region 1 DVD on October 10. The Set will also include a bonus episode from season 6.

Season	Release Date
Season	Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
The Complete First Season	September 7 2004	September 13 2004	December 1 2004
The Complete Second Season	April 12 2005	July 4 2005	September 19 2005
The Complete Third Season	January 31 2006	January 30 2006	July 12 2006
The Complete Fourth Season	April 04 2006	June 26 2006	September 20 2006
The Complete Fifth Season	October 10 2006	n/a	December 6 2006

Note: The Region 1 version of the Season 1 DVD release comes with an extra disk, featuring extra episodes from later in the series, that the Region 2 version does not come with.

The Season 1 (Region 1) release has an error in the episode 'China Doll', where the musical cues are about 30 seconds off throughout much of the episode. (Confirmation needed if the Region 2 version has the same error).

The Season 4 (Region 1) release has several of the opening trailors for the up-coming episode missing (Again, confirmation needed if the Region 2 version has the same error).

[edit] DVD Box Art

The Complete First Season	The Complete Second Season	The Complete Third Season	The Complete Fourth Season
The Complete Fifth Season

[edit] Film version

See main article: Magnum, P.I. (film)

Over the years there has been much talk of bringing Magnum back, as either a television movie or a theatrical film. Most recently, in January 2006 it was announced that a film is again in the planning stages (after several false starts most recently in 2005) and Rawson Marshall Thurber would write the screenplay.<ref> Magnum, P.I. movie news at CNN.com</ref> The movie is scheduled for release in 2007.