Magnum P.I.

I admit, I was a bit skeptical at first.

 

When CBS announced it was launching a new Magnum P.I. TV series in the fall, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck bristle.

One of my all-time favorite TV series is Magnum P.I. starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator in Hawaii.

The show featured Magnum as ex-military, who lived on the Hawaiian estate of millionaire author Robin Masters.

Magnum lived there rent-free and got to drive Master’s Ferrari in exchange for testing security at Robin’s estate.

Also living there was the very-British major domo, Jonathan Higgins, also ex-military, who was constantly at odds with Magnum.

Along with Magnum and Higgins were two of Magnum's military buddies: T.C. who owned his own helicopter tour business and Rick, the manager of a local nightclub.

Together the four main characters solved crimes, occasionally messed up and always supported one another.  It was a really ‘buddy’ show.

The series ran from 1980 to 1988.

Less than two years ago word got out that a Magnum series may appear starring Thomas Magnum’s daughter Lilly in the lead role-it never came to fruition.

The new series successfully updates the premise while still maintaining the feel of the original and sprinkles in homages to the first series throughout.

Magnum is now played by actor Jay Hernandez, who portrays the ex-Navy Seal and lives on the Robin’s estate for free: for slightly different reasons than in the original series.

He still drives a Ferrari, mooches off his friends and occasional misses the mark.

 

Higgins is now a young woman; T.C. and Rick are also ex-Navy Seals. T.C. flies his classic helicopter seen in the original series and Rick runs a club and has his fingers in the shady side of Hawaii.

Higgins still has distaste for Magnum, as before Higgins pets are Apollo and Zeus, two Doberman Pinschers and many of the current supporting cast are updated versions of characters seen on the original series-with a slight twist.

The new Magnum P.I. possesses many of the traits of the original version as do the other main cast members to their previous versions.

I like it.  The series has just enough flavor of the original series to make it interesting to a die-hard Magnum P.I. fan, like myself,  and it’s updated enough to make it relevant to new viewers

The location filing is gorgeous, the colors pop (thank you digital technology and flat screen TVs) and the characters are engaging and well fleshed out.

I’ve watched several episodes so far and I enjoyed each.  The music and pacing are a little more fast-paced than the original, the editing and scenes transitions waste no time and the overall feeling I get from the show is fun.

I plan on sticking with the series and I encourage old-time Magnum P.I. fans to give it a try.  I believe you will not be disappointed.

I do miss the mustache though.