Magnum, P.I.

Magnum, P.I. is an American crime drama 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 broadcast in the United States.^[1]

Premise

Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, a private investigator, played by Tom Selleck, resides in the guest house of a posh, 200-acre (81 ha) 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 and several early episodes suggest Magnum also did Masters a favor of some kind, possibly when Masters hired him for a case. The voice of Robin Masters, heard only a few times per season, was provided by Orson Welles (one last "appearance" was provided by a different actor, Reid Crandell).

With Magnum living a luxurious life on the estate and operating as a P.I. on cases that suit him, the only thorn in the side of this near-perfect lifestyle on the estate is Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, played by John Hillerman, an ex-British Army Sergeant Major, a (on the surface) stern, "by-the-book" ex-soldier, whose strict ways usually conflict with Magnum's much more easy-going methods. He patrols Robin's Nest with his two highly trained "lads", Doberman Pinschers, Zeus and Apollo. Often as a humorous aside during various episodes of the series, Magnum must bargain with Higgins for use of estate amenities other than the guest house and the Ferrari 308 GTS (e.g., tennis courts, wine cellar, expensive cameras).

The relationship between Magnum and Higgins was initially cool but as the series progressed, an unspoken respect and fondness of sorts grew between the pair, and as such, 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 never proved or disproved.

Aside from Higgins, Magnum's two other main companions on the islands are Theodore "T.C." Calvin (Roger E. Mosley), who runs a local helicopter charter service called Island Hoppers, and so often finds himself persuaded by Magnum to fly him during various cases, and Orville Wilbur Richard "Rick" Wright (Larry Manetti), who refuses to use his birth name Orville and who owns a local bar. In the pilot episode, this was "Rick's Place" in town, inspired by Casablanca, with Rick appearing in suitable 1930s attire. However, after completion of the pilot, executives on the series felt that audiences would be unable to fully connect with this element, and instead Rick moved to running the plush beachside King Kamehameha Club, which has exclusive membership and Higgins on the board of directors, and yet Magnum often strolls around, using the 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, who was a former Navy man, served in the Vietnam War.^{[note 1]} 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, tricks or bribes T.C. and Rick into aiding him in various ways on the cases on which he works, much to their frustration, though the deep friendship between the group, including Higgins, proved to be one of the key elements of the series over its eight-season run.

Magnum 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 beer ("Old Dusseldorf in a long neck"), wears his father's treasured Rolex GMT Master wristwatch, is surrounded by countless beautiful women (who are often victims of crime, his clients or connected in various other ways to the cases he solves). Other characteristics specific to Magnum are his thick mustache, a Detroit Tigers baseball cap, a rubber chicken, and a variety of colorful Aloha shirts. Nearly every episode is narrated, in voice-over, by Magnum at various points; and Magnum and Higgins often break the fourth wall by locking eyes with or, occasionally, directly addressing the audience; other characters also do this, although far less frequently.

At the end of the seventh season, Magnum was to be killed off, which was intended to end the series. The final episode of the season, "Limbo", after seeing Magnum wander around as a ghost for nearly the entire run-time, closes with him appearing to walk off into heaven. However, following outcry from fans, who demanded a more satisfactory conclusion, an eighth, final season was produced to bring Magnum "back to life" and to round the series off.

The show also recognized the existence of the fictional elite state police unit that appeared in the series Hawaii Five-O. In the pilot episode, Magnum references the unit's chief McGarrett by name. This was a tribute to the long-running show starring Jack Lord, that ran on CBS from the fall of 1968 through to the summer of 1980, to be replaced, in essence, in the fall of 1980 by Magnum, P.I.. The successor series to Hawaii Five-O paid tribute to Magnum, P.I. in the 2013 episode "Hoa Pili," when the cast flew over the island in a helicopter to the sound of the Magnum, P.I. theme.

Cast

• Tom Selleck as Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV: Growing up in Tidewater, Virginia, Magnum is a Detroit-born third-generation naval officer, the son of a deceased naval aviator killed during the Korean War. He is a 1967 graduate of the United States Naval Academy where he played quarterback for the Naval Academy football team. He served as a Navy SEAL "operator" during the Vietnam War where he was trained in counter-insurgency, as a sniper, in lock picking, safe-cracking and assorted firearms including his favored sidearm, the Colt M1911 pistol he carried in the Navy. He resigned from the Navy in disillusionment after approximately ten years of service, including three tours of service during the U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. His final post was in Hawaii with the "Naval Intelligence Agency" (NIA), a fictional version of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). Asked why he resigned, Magnum explains, "I woke up one day at 33 and realized I had never been 23." Thomas begins the series at age 34, having resigned from the Navy one year prior. Magnum takes his job seriously and does not appreciate abbreviations such as P.I. or private eye — whenever referred to in such a manner he corrects the person and remarks that he is a "private investigator".
• Roger E. Mosley as Theodore Calvin, a.k.a. "T.C.": a helicopter pilot who operates a tourist charter business called Island Hoppers, wherein he pilots a Hughes 500D helicopter, decked out with distinctive livery. A former Marine Corps warrant officer and rotary wing (helicopter) pilot in Vietnam, T.C.'s combat-trained flight skills are often solicited and put to good use by Magnum during the course of an investigation. T.C. is also powerfully built, a trait which Magnum often benefits from when he expects to — and often does — encounter trouble. With the exception of some early season 1 episodes, T.C. avoids alcohol, instead preferring milk, soda, or fruit juice, but mostly coffee. He often called Higgins "Higgy Baby" and is coach of a local peewee football team, as well as a youth baseball team. The episode Missing Melody centers around his daughter who has been kidnapped. He also has a son with ex-wife, Tina.
• Larry Manetti as Orville Wilbur Richard "Rick" Wright:^{[note 2]} a suave playboy who is manager of the King Kamehameha Club, an exclusive beachfront members-only club. In the pilot, Rick owned a disco themed Rick’s Cafe Americaine, where the decor was styled after the nightclub in the film Casablanca and Rick dressed like Humphrey Bogart's character, Richard Blaine in the movie. Rick also maintains a number of underworld contacts (one of whom is gangland figure Francis "Icepick" Hofstetler, q.v.). Rick, also a former U.S. Marine, is an expert in weaponry, particularly submachineguns and pistols. He was T.C.’s door gunner during the war in Vietnam while both served in the Marine Corps.
• John Hillerman as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III: The majordomo of "Robin's Nest", a mansion in Hawaii. Higgins has a storied military background as a sergeant major in the British Army's Yorkshire Regiment (he often wears a blazer with that regiment's cap badge of galloping horse on the pocket) and loves order above all else. As such, he and Magnum frequently argue over petty matters, often culminating in his use of the phrase "Oh my God!" in response to some outlandish act on Magnum's part. An inveterate "old war story" teller, Higgins received the Victoria Cross. He is frequently accompanied by his Doberman Pinscher guard dogs, Zeus and Apollo.

The Cast of Magnum, P.I.:
(left-to-right) Larry Manetti as Orville "Rick" Wright, Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, Roger E. Mosley as T.C. and John Hillerman as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III.

Recurring characters

• Lt. Yoshi Tanaka — Homicide-division police lieutenant with the Honolulu police department (played by Kwan Hi Lim), with a slight Inspector Columbo-like enigmatic quality, characterized by his casual dress and ironic sense of humor. He is also, like Magnum, a Detroit Tigers fan and is murdered early in the episode Tiger's Fan. Seasons 2–8
• Agatha Chumley — Higgins' quintessentially English lady friend (played by Gillian Dobb), who seems to have a bit of a crush on Higgins. First appearance in the episode "Black on White." Seasons 3–8
• Colonel "Buck" Greene — Marine Corps intelligence officer (played by Lance LeGault), often Magnum's nemesis. Seasons 2–8 LeGault also played John W. Newton, aka "Delta One" in Episode 1.9 "Missing in Action"
• Carol Baldwin — assistant district attorney (played in all but the first appearance by Kathleen Lloyd). Seasons 3–8 (Before playing Carol Baldwin, Lloyd guest starred in the episode "Almost Home" as Bridget Archer.)
• Lieutenant "Mac" MacReynolds — doughnut-munching Navy Intelligence Agency (NIA) lieutenant (played by Jeff MacKay), killed by a car bomb planted by "Ivan", a Russian KGB officer and nemesis of Magnum. Mac returns as a ghost for three episodes ("Mac's Back", "Limbo" and "Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts") and later as a look-alike character (see below). In the pilot, MacKay portrayed "Ski", a guard at the entrance gate of Pearl Harbor. Seasons 1–3 and 7–8
• Jim Bonnick — con man and an ex-navy pilot who was released on a medical discharge, (played by Jeff MacKay) who was also MacReynolds' look-alike. In at least one episode ("Mac's Back") MacKay appeared in both roles. Seasons 5–8.
• Francis "Icepick" Hofstetler — American loan shark and major underworld figure from Chicago and a quasi-father figure to Rick Wright (played by veteran actor Elisha Cook, Jr.)
• Dr. Ibold, M.D. "Doc Ibold" — minor character (played by Glenn Cannon) who appeared in many episodes when scripts called for a physician. First referred to as "Script Writer #1", he was known for prescribing opiates for any and all ailments. 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); 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. Seasons 2–8
• Lieutenant. (later Lt. Commander) Maggie Poole — successor of the deceased MacReynolds (played by Jean Bruce Scott). She dislikes her superior Col. Greene. Seasons 3–8
• Luther H. Gillis — mock-film noir St. Louis private eye with a Boston accent (played by Eugene Roche), whose deception, dissembling, and disturbing capacity for violence are almost always underestimated or overlooked by Magnum; Gillis also provided the narration in the five episodes in which he appeared. Seasons 4–8
• Lt. Nolan Page — a hard-nosed, no-nonsense Honolulu Police Department lieutenant with a New York accent (played by Joe Santos) who assists Magnum on several cases.
• Moki — bartender of the King Kamehameha Club in Season 1; later replaced by Keoki. Seasons 1–2
• Keoki — bartender/server of the King Kamehameha Club starting in Season 2; arrested in season 4 by Lt. Tanaka for robbing the club in the episode "I Witness". Seasons 2–4

Guest stars

In addition to the recurring stars and the weekly appearances of minor actors to fill the roles of victims and crooks, dozens of notable actors (including some future stars) appeared on the show. These included: Frank Sinatra, Lew Ayres, Dennis Weaver, Elisha Cook Jr., Carol Burnett, Scatman Crothers, Tyne Daly, Ted Danson, Norman Fell, James Doohan, Ernest Borgnine, Patrick Macnee, Pat Hingle, Robert Loggia, Alan Hale, Jr., Jose Ferrer, June Lockhart, Fritz Weaver, Dana Wynter, John Ireland, Vic Morrow, Darren McGavin, Vera Miles, Barry Nelson, Nehemiah Persoff, Noah Beery, Jr., Barbara Rush, John Saxon, Beverly Garland, Jill St. John, Sylvia Sidney, William Windom, Samantha Eggar, Morgan Fairchild, Dana Delany, Kathleen Nolan, Marcia Wallace, Meredith MacRae, Mercedes McCambridge, Leslie Uggams, Cameron Mitchell, Ian McShane, Romy Schneider, Angela Lansbury (as Jessica Fletcher in a Murder, She Wrote tie-in, along with Jessica Walter and Dorothy Loudon), and Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker (as Rick and A.J. Simon in a Simon & Simon tie-in).

Setting

The boathouse, or guesthouse in Magnum, P.I., during the mid-2000s.

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 being owned by 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, located in Waimānalo, the 3 acres (1.2 ha) beach front property is located on the east shore of Oahu at 41-505 Kalanianaole Highway (Route 72) near Waimanalo Beach (21°19′30″N 157°40′48″W / 21.32500°N 157.68000°W / 21.32500; -157.68000). Called "Pahonu" ("turtle enclosure" in Hawaiian),^[2] it is also known locally as "The Anderson Estate". The property was originally used for hundreds of years for raising green turtles for the Hawaiian royal family,^[2] and includes a 500 by 50 foot stone wall that encircles the former turtle raising pond, which since 1978 has been on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii.^[2] Developed as a residential estate in the early 1930s, the estate comprises a 11,000 square feet (1,000 m²) 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 registered tidal pool.^[2]

Owned for a long time by Cox Communications heiress Barbara Cox Anthony, after her death it passed to her stepdaughter, Hawaiian politician Eve Glover Anderson.^[3] Placed on the market with Sotheby's International Realty for $15.750M in January 2014,^[2] it was sold for $8.7M in March 2015 to Seth Madorsky, a Chicago lawyer who has close-ties to President Barack Obama, and then transferred to an LLC registered in Colorado.^[4]

Theme music

The original theme music for the opening credits of the pilot episode was a mid-tempo jazzy piece by Ian Freebairn-Smith. This music was also used for the next nine regular episodes.^[5] Beginning in Episode 12, it was replaced by a more uptempo theme more typical of 1980s action series by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter with guitar by Larry Carlton. (This theme had been used during the show and over the closing credits since Episode 8.) A longer version of this second theme ("Theme from Magnum P.I.", clocking in at 3:25) credited to Post was released as a 7" single by Elektra Records in 1982 and charted on the Billboard Hot 100 that same year, peaking at No. 25 on 8 May 1982.^[6][7] This version also appeared on Post's 1982 album Television Theme Songs.^[8]

Vehicles

Cars

Robin Masters' cars

• ROBIN 1
  • Season 1: Ferrari 308GTS
  • Seasons 2–6: Ferrari 308GTSi
  • Seasons 7–8: Ferrari 308GTSi QV^[9]
• ROBIN 2
  • Audi 5000 Type 43 (C2) (1980)
  • Audi 5000 Type 44 (C3) (1985)^[10]
  • Jaguar XJ Series II (1974) (Season 4 "Holmes Is Where The Heart Is")
• ROBIN 3
  • GMC Jimmy
  • Jeep Wagoneer (XJ Model)
• ROBIN ?
  • Jaguar E-Type 1969^[11]

Others

• Island Hoppers (TC's) van - Volkswagen Caravelle T3 Type 25^[10]
• Rick's convertible - Mercedes-Benz R107. (Col. Buck Green referred to it as a 450SL when Rick went missing), Internet Movie Car Database, and at least one Corvette in an early episode while Thomas and Rick drove side-by-side on a two-lane byway.^[12] Rick drove the Mercedes from the middle of Season 2 through the end of the series.
• Rick's Datsun 280ZX - Nissan S130. Rick drove this car when the series started until middle of season 2, when he got the Mercedes^[13]

Aircraft

• Island Hoppers (TC's) helicopter - Hughes 500D (various models)^[14]
• 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")^[15]

Development

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.^[16] Selleck was unable to take the part of Indy as Magnum was due to start filming in March 1980. However, because of the 1980 AFTRA/Screen Actors Guild strike, the start of production on Magnum was delayed until December 1980, which would have allowed Selleck to play Indy.^[17] 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.

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 in the episode "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend".
• "Novel Connection" — Jessica Fletcher comes to Hawaii when an attempt is made on 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 to be shown as "stand alone" stories instead of being two-part crossovers.

Ratings and broadcast history

• United States (first run): CBS
• Brazil : Rede Globo (as "Magnum")
• Venezuela : Radio Caracas Televisión

Awards

Selleck won an Emmy in 1984 for his portrayal of the title character. Three years later, co-star John Hillerman 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 for Best Episode in a TV Series.^{[note 3]}

Golden Globe Awards^[18]

Primetime Emmy Awards

Other Awards

DVD releases

Universal Studios Home Entertainment 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.^[19][20]

• Region 2 release dates refer to the United Kingdom market only.

* Includes the crossover Season 2 episode from Simon & Simon titled "Emerlads Are Not a Girl's Best Friend".^[21]
** 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, Season 2 titled "Diamonds 'n' Dust" and Knight Rider, Season 2 titled "Brother's Keeper".

Notes

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Magnum, P.I.

• Magnum, P.I. at epguides.com
• Magnum, P.I. at the Internet Movie Database
• Magnum, P.I. at TV.com
• Magnum Mania