Everything you need to know about the crime procedural drama
Magnum P.I. is a crime procedural drama based around a US Navy SEAL-turned-private investigator in Hawaii.
Thomas Magnum sets up a deal with mysterious famous author Robin Masters, allowing the writer to take inspiration from his life in exchange for living in his guest house on the oceanside Robin’s Nest Estate and acting as a security consultant.
While he’s set up with living arrangements – as well as access to a sweet Ferrari 488 Spider – he still needs a job, and so Magnum turns to private investigating to make money.
Each episode focuses on the detective investigating a new case, with his friends and co-workers offering assistance where they can.
This includes former MI6 agent Juliet Higgins, who also lives at Robin’s Nest; Kumu Tuileta, the native Hawaiian cultural curator of the estate; former US Marine-turned-bar owner Rick Wright; pilot and former marine TC Calvin; and Gordon Katsumoto – a Honolulu Police detective who frequently butts heads with Magnum’s maverick methods.
The series is a reboot of a show with the same name, which ran from 1980 to 1988 with Tom Selleck as the titular Magnum P.I.
Launching on CBS on September 24, 2018, Magnum P.I. ran for four seasons on the network before moving moved to NBC for its fifth and final run.
The final episode aired on January 3, 2024.
Who is in the cast of Magnum P.I. and where have we seen them before?
The main leading cast members throughout the series were:
- Jay Hernandez (Hostel, Suicide Squad) as Thomas Magnum
- Perdita Weeks (Ready Player One, Penny Dreadful) as Juliet Higgins
- Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings, The Pale Door) as Orville “Rick” Wright
- Stephen Hill (The Color Purple, Maniac) as Theodore “T.C.” Calvin
- Amy Hill (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, UnREAL) as Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta
- Tim Kang (Cloak And Dagger, A Wrinkle In Time) as Gordon Katsumoto
Each actor appeared in nearly every instalment of the 96-episode run, anchoring the procedural-style series which functioned on a ‘case of the week’ basis, meaning cast and characters were largely ever-changing.
How successful was Magnum P.I. and what awards did it win?
Magnum P.I. maintained a steady viewership during its time on CBS, although there was a notable decline over the course of the show’s run.
Launching with an 8.36 million average for season one, by the time the show left the network it had dropped to a 7.34 million average for season four.
The move to NBC did not help numbers, with an average of 3.4 million – although this is only live viewership and not on demand figures.
Magnum P.I. did not get much recognition either when it came to awards shows and bodies.
During the entire show’s run, it was only nominated for three awards – winning one – all from the Imagen Foundation.
The Imagen Foundation is an organisation dedicated to celebrating positive Latino portrayals within the entertainment industry, and they awarded Magnum P.I. best drama in 2019, while nominating leading man Hernandez in 2019 and 2021.
What is the age rating of Magnum P.I.?
Magnum P.I.’s official rating in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 12 for the complete run.
There is minimal sex or nudity, and profanity is used sparingly.
Gun use is present in nearly every episode due to the nature of the show.
Violence, including use of weapons and fist-fighting, is depicted moderately, with blood, gore and injury being kept mild.
How many episodes of Magnum P.I. are there?
Magnum P.I. ran for five seasons in total – amounting to 96 episodes overall.
Each season officially ran for 20 episodes, with the exception of season three, which only ran for 16.
This was due to the show being filmed and released during the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, forcing restrictions and shutdowns to the set.
On top of this, two of the seasons were split and released in two parts. Season two ran for 14 episodes in part one, before releasing a six-episode second half, while season five was given ten episodes for each part.
The original Magnum P.I. ran for eight seasons and 162 episodes in total between December 1980 and May 1988.
Why did Magnum P.I. end and will it ever return for season six or reboot?
Currently, no. Magnum P.I. was initially cancelled by CBS after four seasons, with NBC picking it up for the two-part, 20-episode season five.
At the time of writing (March 2024), the show has only been finished for two months, so is unlikely to get any kind of reboot anytime soon – especially when you take into consideration the show is a reboot itself.
However, Magnum P.I. does have multiple crossovers with other shows set in the Aloha State – most notably having ties to NCIS: Hawaii, JAG, MacGyver, and Hawaii Five-0 to name a few.
Where can I watch Magnum P.I.?
Seasons four and five of Magnum P.I. are available to watch now on Sky Max, Sky Go, and NOW.