| Magnum, P.I. | |
|---|---|
Title card (seasons 3-8) |
|
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Donald P. Bellisario Glen A. Larson |
| Written by | Donald P. Bellisario Glen A. Larson Chris Abbott |
| Directed by | Ray Austin Michael Vejar Ivan Dixon |
| Starring | Tom Selleck John Hillerman Roger E. Mosley Larry Manetti |
| Narrated by | Tom Selleck |
| Theme music composer | Ian Freebairn-Smith (season 1, first few episodes) Mike Post |
| Composer(s) | Ian Freebairn-Smith (season 1, first four episodes) Pete Carpenter Mike Post John Cacavas (multiples) Velton Ray Bunch Ron Jones Frank Denson (season 1, one episode) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 162 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Donald P. Bellisario Glen A. Larson Tom Selleck |
| Producer(s) | Tom Greene |
| Location(s) | Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi |
| Running time | 48 min. (excluding commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Glen Larson Productions Shady Acres Entertainment Belisarius Productions |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | December 11, 1980 – May 8, 1988 |
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network.
According to the Nielsen ratings, Magnum, P.I. consistently ranked in the top twenty U.S. television programs during the first five years that the series was originally telecast in the United States.[1] Originally appearing in a prime time American network timeslot of 8 p.m. Eastern on Thursdays, Magnum, P.I. was one of the highest-rated shows on U.S. television.
Contents |
Thomas Sullivan Magnum resides in the guest house of a posh, 200-acre (0.81 km2) beachfront estate, known as Robin's Nest, in Hawaii, at the invitation of its owner, Robin Masters, the celebrated-but-never-seen author of several dozen lurid novels. Ostensibly this is quid pro quo for Magnum's services based upon Magnum's expertise in security; the pilot suggests Magnum also did Masters a favor of some kind.
In addition, Robin’s Nest is guarded by two highly trained Doberman Pinschers, Zeus and Apollo, and all other aspects of the estate are managed by Englishman Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (played by Texas-born veteran actor John Hillerman), an ex-British Army Sergeant Major with whom, often as a humorous aside during various episodes of the series, Magnum must barter for use of estate amenities other than the guest house and the Ferrari 308 GTS (e.g., tennis courts, wine cellar, expensive cameras, etc.). During early seasons of Magnum, P.I., the voice of Robin Masters, heard only a few times per season, was provided by Orson Welles.
A recurrent theme throughout the last two seasons (starting in the episode "Paper War") involves Magnum's suspicion that Higgins is actually Robin Masters since he opens Robin's mail, calls Robin's Ferrari "his car", etc. This possibility is contradictory to numerous references throughout the series' run that make it seem like they are different people (e.g. phone calls from abroad, the fact that Robin is recognised by famous people, etc.). Although the three of them have been together before, Magnum is convinced that Higgins hired an actor to play Robin Masters (a short rotund guy with an Orson Welles voice, as Magnum puts it). In spite of this, Higgins' dual identity remains an open question until the final episode, where he first admits he is Robin Masters, but later suggests what he had said about Robin Masters was a lie.
Magnum seemingly lives a dream lifestyle: he comes and goes as he pleases, works only when he wants to, has the almost unlimited use of a Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole as well as many other of Robin Masters’ luxuries. He keeps a mini-fridge with a seemingly endless supply of fictional beer ("Old Dusseldorf in a long neck"), wears his father's treasured Rolex GMT Master wristwatch,[2] is seemingly surrounded by countless beautiful women (who are often his clients or victims in the cases he solves) and enjoys adventures with his buddies Rick and T.C., both former Marines from VMO-2 he served with in the Vietnam War.[3]
Other characteristics that are famously linked with Magnum are his thick mustache, a Detroit Tigers baseball hat, and a variety of colorful Aloha shirts.
Magnum and Higgins often break the fourth wall by "locking eyes" with the audience; other characters do this, though less frequently.
At the end of the seventh season, Magnum was killed off, and this was intended to be the end of the series. However, there was outcry from fans, and an eighth, final season was produced, to bring Magnum "back to life", and to round the series off.[4]
Note also that the show recognized the existence of the Hawaii Five-0 unit. That is, all episodes of Magnum occurred as though this elite unit did in fact exist on the island. This was a fitting tribute to the long-running show starring Jack Lord, in that it ran on CBS from the fall of 1968 through the summer of 1980 -- to be replaced, in essence, in the fall of 1980 by Magnum P.I.
Former Five-O cast members Kam Fong, Herman Wedemeyer, Harry Endo and Zulu have guest-starred on Magnum, P.I.
Robin's Nest is the fictional beach front estate on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, which serves as the residence of the main characters. In the series, it is portrayed as owned by a renowned novelist Robin Masters, who is seldom present at the estate and entrusts 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, Robin's Nest is a private residence owned by local Hawaiian politician Eve Glover Anderson, who is the stepdaughter of Cox Communications heiress Barbara Cox Anthony, the wealthiest Hawaiian resident until her death on May 28, 2007.[7] The property is known locally as "The Anderson Estate."
The Anderson Estate is located on the east shore of Oahu at 41-505 Kalanianaole Highway (Route 72) near Waimanalo Beach (. It was built in the early 1930s, and comprises a large main house, a boathouse (which in the series, appears as the guest house that Magnum occupies), a gatehouse, a private tennis court, a beach front and the tidal pool.
In the Magnum P.I. series the estate was primarily used for exterior scenes set at Robin's Nest. Virtually all of the indoor scenes set at Robin's Nest were filmed at the Hawaii Film Studio.
Robin Masters' cars
Others
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, which went to Harrison Ford.[12] Selleck was unable to take the part of Indy as Magnum was due to start filming in March 1980. However, because of a writer's strike, the start of production on Magnum was delayed until December 1980, which would have allowed Selleck to play Indy. In Magnum, P.I.'s final season, the producers gave a nod to his sacrifice with the episode “Legend of the Lost Art”, which parodied the film.
Selleck won an Emmy in 1984 for his portrayal of the title character. Three years later, co-star John Hillerman also won an Emmy.[14] In 1981, series creators and writers Glen A. Larson and Donald P. Bellisario received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Episode in a TV Series.[14][15]
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released all eight seasons of Magnum P.I. on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4.
| DVD name | Ep # | Release dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2* | Region 4 | ||
| The Complete First Season | 18 | September 7, 2004[16][17] | September 13, 2004 | December 1, 2004 |
| The Complete Second Season | 22 | April 12, 2005 | July 4, 2005 | September 19, 2005 |
| The Complete Third Season* | 23 | January 31, 2006 | January 30, 2006 | July 12, 2006 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 21 | April 4, 2006 | June 26, 2006 | September 20, 2006 |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 22 | October 10, 2006 | February 12, 2007 | March 21, 2007 |
| The Complete Sixth Season | 21 | February 27, 2007 | May 7, 2007 | July 4, 2007 |
| The Complete Seventh Season** | 22 | October 30, 2007 | March 31, 2008 | June 4, 2008 |
| The Complete Eighth Season*** | 13 | March 4, 2008 | May 19, 2008 | September 3, 2008 |
| Seasons One, Two****, Three & Four | 84 | N/A | November 20, 2006 | N/A |
* 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 a bonus episode from The A-Team titled "Diamonds 'n' Dust" and Knight Rider titled "Brother's Keeper".