Magnum P.I. (2018 TV series)

For the original 1980 series, see Magnum, P.I. For the title character, see Thomas Magnum.

Magnum P.I.
Genre	Crime drama Action drama
Based on	Magnum, P.I. by Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson
Developed by	Peter M. Lenkov Eric Guggenheim
Starring	Jay Hernandez Perdita Weeks Zachary Knighton Stephen Hill Amy Hill Tim Kang
Narrated by	Jay Hernandez
Theme music composer	Mike Post Pete Carpenter
Composers	Brian Tyler Keith Power
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	76 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	John Davis John Fox Eric Guggenheim Peter M. Lenkov Justin Lin Danielle Woodrow
Producers	Craig Cannold Jay Hernandez
Cinematography	Stephen F. Windon Krishna Rao Rodney Charters Spencer Combs Ross Berryman Kurt Jones
Running time	45 minutes
Production companies	101st Street Entertainment Perfect Storm Entertainment Davis Entertainment Universal Television CBS Television Studios (2018–2020) CBS Studios (2020–present)
Original release
Network	CBS (seasons 1–4)
Release	September 24, 2018 (2018-09-24) – present (present)

Magnum P.I. is an American action drama television series developed by Peter M. Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim. It stars Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator and former Navy SEAL who solves crimes in Hawaii. It is a reboot of the series of the same name created by Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson, which aired from 1980 to 1988. The series co-stars Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Amy Hill, and Tim Kang.

It was ordered to series in May 2018, and premiered on September 24, 2018, on CBS. On October 19, 2018, it was announced that the series had received a full season order from CBS. In April 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on October 1, 2021. In May 2022, the series was canceled after four seasons, following the network's failure to reach a new agreement with rightsholder CBS Studios and Universal Television, despite being a Top 25 show in viewers. On June 30, 2022, the series was picked up by NBC with a two-season, twenty-episode order. The fifth season is set to premiere on February 19, 2023.

Magnum P.I. takes place in the same fictional universe as two other series, both also developed by Lenkov and both also reboots of earlier crime shows: Hawaii Five-0 and MacGyver. The three shows have been collectively referred to as the "Lenkov-verse". Initially, the series aired on Monday nights at 9:00 p.m., but aired its latter three CBS seasons on Friday nights in the same timeslot, immediately followed by Blue Bloods starring Tom Selleck, who portrayed the original series' title character.

Premise

As with the original series, Magnum P.I. revolves around Thomas Magnum, an ex-United States Navy SEAL who occupies the guest house on Robin's Nest, the Hawaiian Estate owned by famous author Robin Masters. In exchange for allowing Magnum to live in his guest house, Masters writes a fictional book series about a "White knight" centered around Magnum's time in the military. In addition, Magnum works for Masters as a security consultant; despite this, Masters never appears in the series. Also living on the estate are Juliet Higgins, an ex-MI6 Agent who serves as the estate's majordomo, and native Hawaiian Kumu Tuileta, who is the estate's cultural curator. Magnum's living arrangement does not come with a salary, so he solves crimes as a private investigator. His investigations often include Higgins, who officially joins him as his partner in the second season. The two are frequently assisted by ex-United States Marines, Orville "Rick" Wright and Theodore "T.C." Calvin. Rick is now a bar owner, while T.C. is a pilot whose main business is running helicopter tours of the islands. Gordon Katsumoto is a detective for the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) who frequently disagrees with Magnum's investigative methods, but nonetheless respects his crime solving expertise.

Despite both having serious relationships throughout the first four seasons, Magnum and Higgins often share sexual tension with each other, which is finally addressed in the fourth season finale. Rick also finds himself in a serious relationship in the latter half of the series, leading to his girlfriend giving birth to their child. Meanwhile, the divorced Katsumoto often faces trouble with his son, and T.C. becomes a father figure to a homeless teenager in the fourth season.

The show shares a direct fictional universe with Hawaii Five-0. The six main characters of Magnum P.I. share many allies with the Five-0 Task Force, including further law enforcement professionals, confidential informants, and city employees.

Cast

Magnum P.I. characters from left to right:

---

Rick Wright (Zachary Knighton), Kumu Tuileta (Amy Hill), Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks), Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez), Gordon Katsumoto (Tim Kang), and T.C. Calvin (Stephen Hill).

Main

• Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, an ex-US Navy SEAL who is a security consultant and private investigator
• Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, an ex-MI6 Agent who is majordomo of Robin Masters' estate and Magnum's investigative partner
• Zachary Knighton as Orville "Rick" Wright, a Marine Sergeant who runs his own tiki bar
• Stephen Hill as Theodore "T.C." Calvin, a Marine Major and pilot who runs helicopter tours of Hawaii
• Amy Hill as Teuila "Kumu" Tuileta, the curator for the cultural center on Masters' estate
• Tim Kang as Gordon Katsumoto, a Honolulu Police Department detective

Recurring

• Domenick Lombardozzi as Sebastian Nuzo (season 1; guest seasons 2 and 4)
• Corbin Bernsen as Francis "Icepick" Hofstetler (guest seasons 1–3)
• Christopher Thornton as Kenny "Shammy" Shamberg
• Bobby Lee as Jin Jeong (seasons 2–4)
• Betsy Phillips as Suzy Madison (season 3; guest seasons 2 and 4)
• Jay Ali as Dr. Ethan Shah (season 3; guest season 4)
• Lance Lim as Dennis Katsumoto (season 3; guest season 4)
• Chantal Thuy as HPD Detective Lia Kaleo (season 4)
• Martin Martinez as Cade Jensen (season 4)
• Michael Delara as Gabriel Santos/M.E. Tech (season 4)
• Michael Rady as HPD Detective Chris Childs

Crossover characters from Hawaii Five-0

• Kimee Balmilero as medical examiner Noelani Cunha (seasons 1–3)
• Taylor Wily as entrepreneur Kamekona Tupuola (seasons 1–2)
• Dennis Chun as HPD Sergeant Duke Lukela
• Shawn Mokuahi Garnett as Flippa (seasons 2–3)
• Larry Manetti as Nicky "The Kid" DeMarco (season 2)
• William Forsythe as Private Investigator Harry Brown (season 2)
• Willie Garson as Gerard Hirsch (season 2)
• Beulah Koale as Officer Junior Reigns (season 2)
• Meaghan Rath as Officer Tani Rey (season 2)
• Katrina Law as Sergeant Quinn Liu (season 2)
• Ian Anthony Dale as Officer Adam Noshimuri (season 2)

Episodes

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired	Network
1	20		September 24, 2018 (2018-09-24)	April 1, 2019 (2019-04-01)	CBS
2	20	14	September 27, 2019 (2019-09-27)	January 31, 2020 (2020-01-31)
		6	April 10, 2020 (2020-04-10)	May 8, 2020 (2020-05-08)
3	16		December 4, 2020 (2020-12-04)	May 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)
4	20		October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)	May 6, 2022 (2022-05-06)
5	10		February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)	TBA	NBC

Season 1 (2018–19)

Main article: Magnum P.I. (2018 TV series, season 1)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	US viewers (millions)
1	1	"I Saw the Sun Rise"	Justin Lin	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	September 24, 2018 (2018-09-24)	MPI101	8.12
2	2	"From the Head Down"	Karen Gaviola	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	October 1, 2018 (2018-10-01)	MPI102	6.23
3	3	"The Woman Who Never Died"	Sylvain White	Joe Gazzam	October 8, 2018 (2018-10-08)	MPI103	6.08
4	4	"Six Paintings, One Frame"	Antonio Negret	Ashley Gable	October 15, 2018 (2018-10-15)	MPI104	5.48
5	5	"Sudden Death"	David Grossman	David Fury	October 22, 2018 (2018-10-22)	MPI106	5.63
6	6	"Death is Only Temporary"	Duane Clark	Gene Hong & Scarlett Lacey	October 29, 2018 (2018-10-29)	MPI105	5.69
7	7	"The Cat Who Cried Wolf"	Eagle Egilsson	Neil Tolkin	November 5, 2018 (2018-11-05)	MPI107	5.27
8	8	"Die He Said"	Peter Weller	Joe Gazzam	November 12, 2018 (2018-11-12)	MPI108	5.50
9	9	"The Ties That Bind"	Ron Underwood	Ashley Gable	November 19, 2018 (2018-11-19)	MPI109	5.39
10	10	"Bad Day to be a Hero"	Lin Oeding	Ashley Charbonnet	December 10, 2018 (2018-12-10)	MPI110	5.47
11	11	"Day of the Viper"	Bryan Spicer	Story by : David Fury Teleplay by : Gene Hong & Eric Guggenheim	January 14, 2019 (2019-01-14)	MPI111	5.33
12	12	"Winner Takes All"	Amanda Marsalis	Gene Hong	January 20, 2019 (2019-01-20)	MPI113	8.76
13	13	"Nowhere to Hide"	Mark Tinker	Story by : Peter M. Lenkov Teleplay by : Joe Gazzam	January 26, 2019 (2019-01-26)	MPI112	6.02
14	14	"I, The Deceased"	Krishna Rao	Scarlett Lacey	January 28, 2019 (2019-01-28)	MPI114	5.69
15	15	"Day the Past Came Back"	Bryan Spicer	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	February 18, 2019 (2019-02-18)	MPI115	5.97
16	16	"Murder is Never Quiet"	David Straiton	Barbie Kligman	February 25, 2019 (2019-02-25)	MPI116	6.29
17	17	"Black is the Widow"	Kirstin Windell	Neil Tolkin	March 4, 2019 (2019-03-04)	MPI117	5.61
18	18	"A Kiss Before Dying"	Bryan Spicer	Barbie Kligman & Ashley Charbonnet	March 11, 2019 (2019-03-11)	MPI118	6.05
19	19	"Blood in the Water"	Karen Gaviola	Gene Hong	March 25, 2019 (2019-03-25)	MPI119	5.74
20	20	"The Day It All Came Together"	Bryan Spicer	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	April 1, 2019 (2019-04-01)	MPI120	5.54

Season 2 (2019–20)

Main article: Magnum P.I. (2018 TV series, season 2)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	US viewers (millions)
Part 1
21	1	"Payback is for Beginners"	Bryan Spicer	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	September 27, 2019 (2019-09-27)	MPI201	6.40
22	2	"Honor Among Thieves"	Carlos Bernard	Gene Hong	October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04)	MPI203	6.09
23	3	"Knight Lasts Forever"	Eagle Egilsson	Neil Tolkin	October 11, 2019 (2019-10-11)	MPI202	6.43
24	4	"Dead Inside"	Krishna Rao	Barbie Kligman	October 18, 2019 (2019-10-18)	MPI204	5.79
25	5	"Make It 'Til Dawn"	Bryan Spicer	Gene Hong & Tera Tolentino	October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)	MPI206	5.97
26	6	"Lie, Cheat, Steal, Kill"	Ron Underwood	Alfredo Barrios Jr.	November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01)	MPI205	6.42
27	7	"The Man in the Secret Room"	Allison Liddi-Brown	Joe Gazzam	November 8, 2019 (2019-11-08)	MPI208	6.69
28	8	"He Came by Night"	Antonio Negret	Barbie Kligman	November 15, 2019 (2019-11-15)	MPI207	6.55
29	9	"A Bullet Named Fate"	Doug Hannah	Story by : Scarlett Lacey & Neil Tolkin Teleplay by : Neil Tolkin	November 22, 2019 (2019-11-22)	MPI209	6.72
30	10	"Blood Brothers"	Peter Weller	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	December 6, 2019 (2019-12-06)	MPI210	6.33
31	11	"Day I Met the Devil"	Kristin Windell	Alfredo Barrios Jr.	December 13, 2019 (2019-12-13)	MPI211	6.12
32	12	"Desperate Measures"	Maja Vrvillo	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	January 3, 2020 (2020-01-03)	MPI212	7.83
33	13	"Mondays Are For Murder"	Alexandra LaRoche	Story by : Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim Teleplay by : Alfredo Barrios Jr.	January 10, 2020 (2020-01-10)	MPI213	7.04
34	14	"A Game of Cat and Mouse"	Roderick Davis	Gene Hong	January 31, 2020 (2020-01-31)	MPI216	7.05
Part 2
35	15	"Say Hello to Your Past"	Avi Youabian	Joe Gazzam	April 10, 2020 (2020-04-10)	MPI215	7.40
36	16	"Farewell to Love"	Bronwen Hughes	Ashley Charbonnet & Alfredo Barrios Jr.	April 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)	MPI214	7.14
37	17	"The Night Has Eyes"	David Straiton	Ashley Charbonnet	April 24, 2020 (2020-04-24)	MPI217	7.20
38	18	"A World of Trouble"	Peter Weller	Tera Tolentino & Neil Tolkin	May 1, 2020 (2020-05-01)	MPI219	7.21
39	19	"May The Best One Win"	Rocky Carroll	Gene Hong	May 8, 2020 (2020-05-08)	MPI218	6.87
40	20	"A Leopard on the Prowl"	Bryan Spicer	Eric Guggenheim & Peter M. Lenkov	May 8, 2020 (2020-05-08)	MPI220	6.09

Season 3 (2020–21)

Main article: Magnum P.I. (2018 TV series, season 3)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	US viewers (millions)
41	1	"Double Jeopardy"	Bryan Spicer	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	December 4, 2020 (2020-12-04)	MPI301	5.50
42	2	"Easy Money"	Bryan Spicer	David Wolkove	December 11, 2020 (2020-12-11)	MPI302	5.69
43	3	"No Way Out"	Eagle Egilsson	Barbie Kligman	December 18, 2020 (2020-12-18)	MPI303	5.48
44	4	"First the Beatdown, Then the Blowback"	Eagle Egilsson	Teleplay by : Eric Guggenheim & Mike Diaz Story by : Aaron Lam & Peter M. Lenkov	January 8, 2021 (2021-01-08)	MPI304	5.87
45	5	"The Day Danger Walked In"	Krishna Rao	Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	January 15, 2021 (2021-01-15)	MPI305	5.52
46	6	"Tell No One"	Eagle Egilsson	Gene Hong	January 22, 2021 (2021-01-22)	MPI306	5.86
47	7	"Killer on the Midnight Watch"	Geoff Shotz	Gene Hong	February 5, 2021 (2021-02-05)	MPI307	5.70
48	8	"Someone To Watch Over Me"	Geoff Shotz	Barbie Kligman	February 12, 2021 (2021-02-12)	MPI308	5.76
49	9	"The Big Payback"	Yangzom Brauen	David Wolkove	February 19, 2021 (2021-02-19)	MPI309	5.97
50	10	"The Long Way Home"	Yangzom Brauen	Teleplay by : Katie Varney Story by : Katie Varney and Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	March 5, 2021 (2021-03-05)	MPI310	5.63
51	11	"The Lies We Tell"	Rubba Nada	Katie Varney	March 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)	MPI311	5.62
52	12	"Dark Harvest"	Rubba Nada	Gene Hong	April 2, 2021 (2021-04-02)	MPI312	5.37
53	13	"Cry Murder"	Peter Weller	Story by : Emily Singer Teleplay by : Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim	April 9, 2021 (2021-04-09)	MPI313	5.61
54	14	"Whispers of Death"	Peter Weller	Tera Tolentino	April 16, 2021 (2021-04-16)	MPI314	5.58
55	15	"Before the Fall"	Kurt Jones	Mike Diaz	April 30, 2021 (2021-04-30)	MPI315	5.35
56	16	"Bloodline"	Avi Youabian	Eric Guggenheim & Geoffrey Thorne	May 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)	MPI316	5.00

Season 4 (2021–22)

Main article: Magnum P.I. (2018 TV series, season 4)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	US viewers (millions)
57	1	"Island Vibes"	Bryan Spicer	Eric Guggenheim & Gene Hong	October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)	MPI401	5.23
58	2	"The Harder They Fall"	Doug Hannah	David Wolkove	October 8, 2021 (2021-10-08)	MPI402	5.20
59	3	"Texas Wedge"	Antonio Negret	Gene Hong	October 15, 2021 (2021-10-15)	MPI403	5.37
60	4	"Those We Leave Behind"	Allison Liddi-Brown	Barbie Kligman	October 22, 2021 (2021-10-22)	MPI404	5.07
61	5	"Til Death"	Eagle Egilsson	Katie Varney	November 5, 2021 (2021-11-05)	MPI405	5.59
62	6	"Devil On The Doorstep"	Claudia Yarmy	Tera Tolentino	November 12, 2021 (2021-11-12)	MPI406	5.45
63	7	"A New Lease On Death"	Rubba Nada	Teleplay by : Barbie Kligman Story by : Barbie Kilgman & Zachary Knighton	November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19)	MPI407	5.17
64	8	"A Fire in the Ashes"	Lisa Robinson	David Slack	December 3, 2021 (2021-12-03)	MPI408	5.34
65	9	"Better Watch Out"	Ruba Nadda	Katie Varney	December 10, 2021 (2021-12-10)	MPI409	5.39
66	10	"Dream Lover"	Avi Youabian	David Wolkove	January 7, 2022 (2022-01-07)	MPI410	5.32
67	11	"If I Should Die Before I Wake"	Lin Oeding	Gene Hong & Andre Jackson	January 14, 2022 (2022-01-14)	MPI411	5.77
68	12	"Angels Sometimes Kill"	Marcus Stokes	Story by : Mike Diaz Teleplay by : Mike Diaz & Barbie Kligman	January 21, 2022 (2022-01-21)	MPI412	5.43
69	13	"Judge Me Not"	Benny Boom	David Slack	January 28, 2022 (2022-01-28)	MPI413	5.22
70	14	"Run, Baby, Run"	Roderick Davis	David Wolkove	February 25, 2022 (2022-02-25)	MPI414	5.21
71	15	"Dead Man Walking"	David Straiton	Gene Hong	March 4, 2022 (2022-03-04)	MPI415	4.88
72	16	"Evil Walks Softly"	Alexandra La Roche	Tera Tolentino	March 11, 2022 (2022-03-11)	MPI416	5.01
73	17	"Remember Me Tomorrow" "Sleep With the Fishes"	Bryan Spicer	Mike Diaz & Barbie Kligman & Katie Varney	April 1, 2022 (2022-04-01)	MPI417	4.87
74	18	"Shallow Grave, Deep Water"	Jay Hernandez	David Slack	April 8, 2022 (2022-04-08)	MPI418	5.31
75	19	"The Long Sleep"	Eagle Egilsson	Mike Diaz & Andre Jackson & David Wolkove	April 29, 2022 (2022-04-29)	MPI419	4.81
76	20	"Close to Home"	Bryan Spicer	Eric Guggenheim	May 6, 2022 (2022-05-06)	MPI420	5.06

Season 5

Main article: Magnum P.I. (2018 TV series, season 5)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
Part 1
77	1	"The Passenger"	Bryan Spicer	Eric Guggenheim	February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)	MPI501	3.87
78	2	"The Breaking Point"	Bryan Spicer	Gene Hong	February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)	MPI502	3.30
79	3	"Number one with a Bullet"	Eagle Egilsson	David Wolkove	February 26, 2023 (2023-02-26)	MPI503	3.70
80	4	"NSFW"	Eagle Egilsson	David Slack	March 5, 2023 (2023-03-05)	MPI504	3.56
81	5	"Welcome to Paradise, Now Die!"	Marcus Stokes	Tera Tolentino	March 12, 2023 (2023-03-12)	MPI505	3.29
82	6	"Dead Ringer"	Marcus Stokes	Barbie Kligman	March 19, 2023 (2023-03-19)	MPI506	3.07
83	7	"Birthright"	Doug Hannah	Andre Jackson & Eric Guggenheim	March 26, 2023 (2023-03-26)	MPI507	2.73
84	8	"Dark Skies"	Doug Hannah	Andrew Blazensky & Tera Tolentino	April 2, 2023 (2023-04-02)	MPI508	3.59
85	9	"Out of Sight, Out of Mind"	Jay Hernandez	David Slack	April 16, 2023 (2023-04-16)	MPI509	3.29
86	10	"Charlie Foxtrot"	Lisa Robinson	David Wolkove	April 23, 2023 (2023-04-23)	MPI510	3.12
Part 2
87	11	"Hit and Run"	David Straiton	Gene Hong	October 4, 2023 (2023-10-04)	MPI511	3.57
88	12	"Three Bridges"	David Straiton	Barbie Kligman	October 11, 2023 (2023-10-11)	MPI512	3.35
89	13	"Appetite For Danger"	Ruba Nadda	Eric Guggenheim & David Slack	October 18, 2023 (2023-10-18)	MPI513	3.15
90	14	"Night Has A Thousand Eyes"	Ruba Nadda	Tera Tolentino	October 25, 2023 (2023-10-25)	MPI514	3.10
91	15	"The Retrieval"	Benny Boom	Gene Hong & Katie Varney	November 1, 2023 (2023-11-01)	MPI515	2.95
92	16	"Run With the Devil" "Suffer Little Children"	Benny Boom	David Wolkove	November 15, 2023 (2023-11-15)	MPI516	3.32
93	17	"Consciousness of Guilt"	Zachary Knighton	Andre Jackson & David Slack	December 6, 2023 (2023-12-06)	MPI517	2.93
94	18	"Extracurricular Activities"	Perdita Weeks	Katie Varney	December 13, 2023 (2023-12-13)	MPI518	2.82
95	19	"Ashes to Ashes"	Eagle Egilsson	Tera Tolentino & Andrew Blazensky & Barbie Kligman	January 3, 2024 (2024-01-03)	MPI519	3.80
96	20	"The Big Squeeze"	Avi Youabian	Eric Guggenheim & David Wolkove	January 3, 2024 (2024-01-03)	MPI520	3.43

Production

Development

In October 2017, CBS announced development of a reboot of Magnum, P.I. from Peter M. Lenkov, who also developed the 2010 reboot of Hawaii Five-O and the 2016 reboot of MacGyver. The network ordered a pilot production commitment for the series with Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim, a Hawaii Five-0 writer and co-showrunner, as developers. John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment were reported as additional executive producers. CBS Television Studios and Universal Television co-produced the series. Danielle Woodrow was also later announced to be serving as an executive producer. The series was initially picked up by CBS for thirteen episodes, and an additional seven episodes were later ordered. On January 25, 2019, Magnum P.I. was renewed for a second season along with two other CBS freshman series. Lenkov returned for the second season as an executive producer and co-showrunner after signing a three-year deal with CBS Television Studios in 2018. Guggenheim also returned as executive producer and co-showrunner. It was later revealed that the second season would consist of twenty-episodes.

On May 6, 2020, CBS renewed the series for a third season, along with eighteen other television shows. In July 2020, it was revealed that Lenkov would not have any involvement in the third season after being fired from CBS over toxic work environment allegations. He was originally expected to continue work on the series throughout the season as part of the previously signed deal. Lucas Till who portrays the title character of Angus MacGyver on MacGyver stated that Lenkov made him suicidal and constantly body shamed him. Lenkov's lawyers initially denied all allegations. Lenkov later responded to the situation by stating "It's difficult to hear that the working environment I ran was not the working environment my colleagues deserved, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I accept responsibility for what I am hearing and am committed to doing the work that is required to do better and be better." Lenkov still received writing credits for various episodes throughout the season written prior to his termination. Gene Hong replaced Lenkov as co-showrunner joining Guggenheim who continued working on the series. In October 2020 it was reported that the third season would have a reduced episode order of sixteen episodes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 15, 2021, CBS renewed the series for a fourth season, which premiered on October 1, 2021.

Casting

On February 20, 2018, it was announced that Jay Hernandez had been cast as Thomas Magnum, who was portrayed by Tom Selleck in the original series. Perdita Weeks was cast as Juliet Higgins on March 2, 2018. The character of Higgins was genderswapped, from their 1980 counterpart Jonathan Higgins. Lenkov sand Guggenheim stated that while they wanted to honour the original show it was important for the reboot to "stand on its own" and genderswapping allowed for differentiation. Zachary Knighton and Stephen Hill were later cast as Orville "Rick" Wright and Theodore "T.C." Calvin, respectively. Tim Kang and Amy Hill were the last two to be cast in the series, as Detective Gordon Katsumoto and Kumu, respectively.

Kimee Balmilero, Taylor Wily, and Dennis Chun all appeared as their Hawaii Five-0 characters throughout the first season. Chun guest starred on the original Magnum, P.I. as various minor characters throughout its run. Domenick Lombardozzi, Ken Jeong, and Christopher Thornton were cast in recurring roles. Former NFL and CFL football player Carl Weathers, MLB baseball player Christian Yelich, and NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney all appeared as guest stars. Roger E. Mosley, who starred as Theodore Calvin in the original Magnum, P.I., guest starred in one episode. Betsy Phillips, series star Zachary Knighton's wife, appeared in the first season's final episode. Selleck stated in an interview that he would never appear in the series, even though he was asked, so as not to take away from the original Magnum, P.I. and due to conflicting filming of Blue Bloods, which also airs on CBS.

Thornton continued to recur throughout the second, third, and fourth seasons. Bobby Lee was introduced as a new recurring character in the second season and also returned for guest appearances in the third and fourth. Numerous professional athletes appeared in guest roles throughout the second season, including Deontay Wilder, a World Boxing Council heavyweight champion; Aaron Donald and Andre Reed, National Football League players; Hans Hedemann, a competitive surfer; and Cowboy Cerrone, an Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial artist. Patrick Monahan, Skyler Grey, Jerry Becker, and Luis Carlos Maldonado appeared as themselves in season two and performed as their real world band Train.

Balmilero, Wily, and Chun also made appearances throughout the second season as their Hawaii Five-0 characters. Other Hawaii Five-0 actors new to the second season include series regulars Meaghan Rath, Katrina Law, Beulah Koale, and Ian Anthony Dale, all of whom appeared as their Hawaii Five-0 characters. In addition, guest stars from Hawaii Five-0 including Larry Manetti, William Forsythe, Shawn Mokuahi Garnett, and Willie Garson all appeared as the same characters from Hawaii Five-0 as well. Manetti previously starred on the original Magnum, P.I. as Rick Wright.

On October 16, 2020, it was announced that Jay Ali had been cast in a recurring role for the third season as Dr. Ethan Shah. It was later revealed that Lance Lim would also recur in the third season. Mosley again returned as a guest star in the third season. Balmilero, Chun, and Garnett from Hawaii Five-0 continued appearances in the third season despite Hawaii Five-0's cancellation.

Chantal Thuy joined the cast in a recurring capacity for the fourth season. Thuy portrayed Lia Kaleo, an HPD detective and partner to Katsumoto, as well as a love interest to Magnum. Martin Martinez also joined the recurring cast for the fourth season portraying Cade Jensen, a trouble teenager searching for a job. Chun appeared once more in the fourth season. Ahead of the fifth season Michael Rady was cast in a recurring role to portray Detective Chris Childs.

Filming

The pilot episode filmed in March and April 2018 at Hawaii Film Studio. It was directed by Justin Lin, who also directed other CBS pilots. The rest of the first season began filming on July 23, 2018, with a traditional Hawaiian blessing. Filming for the series takes place in the state of Hawaii on the island of O'ahu at Kalaeloa Studio. The fictional Robin's Nest Estate where Magnum and Higgins lives is located at Kualoa Ranch, a location which Jurassic World also used as a filming location. Other filming locations include numerous beaches, such as Maili, Waikiki, and Kapolei. A central theme of the original series was Magnum's constant use of a Ferrari, which has become a cultural icon inextricably linked to the series. Then Magnum almost exclusively favored the Ferrari 308 GTS, such that it was briefly shown in the pilot episode. The production team however, updated his favored vehicle to a Ferrari 488 Spider.

Filming for the second season also began with a traditional Hawaiian blessing on July 8, 2019. A new filming location in the second season is the La Mariana Restaurant, an operating Tiki Bar in Hawaii. Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, filming for the third season began on September 16, 2020. COVID-19 protocols were required on set including masks, social distancing, COVID testing, and reduced cast and crew on set. Fourth season filming commenced on July 20, 2021, with many COVID-19 precautions still in place. The fourth season also introduced new crew members to production after a number of those who worked on previous seasons transferred to work on NCIS: Hawaiʻi.

Cancellation and revival

On May 12, 2022, CBS canceled the series after four seasons. Cancellation of the series had negative effects on Hawaii's film industry, leaving 350–400 people without employment. However, on May 23, 2022, it was reported by TVLine that Universal Television was trying to shop the series around. Ten days later, Deadline Hollywood reported that talks were underway for the series to potentially be carried by NBC and/or USA. Such a move would require a deal with CBS Studios by June 30, 2022, when the cast members' options on their contracts end. Although not officially renewed, Production Weekly reported a fifth season to be in "active development", though with no network attached to the listing. On June 30, 2022, NBC officially picked up the series for 20 episodes, expected to be split over two seasons, with the option for more episodes. At the time, it was reported that all six cast members were expected to return, along with the executive producers, and CBS Studios and Universal TV would continue to co-produce the series. On July 4, 2022, it was reported by TVLine that production on the fifth season would begin in late 2022, with the season not likely to premiere until January 2023 at the earliest. Filming for the fifth season began on September 19, 2022. The fifth season is set to premiere on February 19, 2023.

Reception

Critical response

Magnum P.I. has been met with mixed reviews. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 57% with an average rating of 6.35/10, based on 21 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "The rebooted Magnum P.I. may not be quite distinctive enough to hold up to comparisons with its source material, but a charismatic star, slickly staged action, and a handful of modern twists hint at greater potential." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the first season a score of 48 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Ratings

Overall

Viewership and ratings per season of Magnum P.I.

Season	Timeslot (ET)	Network	Episodes	First aired		Last aired		TV season	Viewership rank	Avg. viewers (millions)
				Date	Viewers (millions)	Date	Viewers (millions)
1	Monday 9:00 p.m.	CBS	20	September 24, 2018 (2018-09-24)	8.12	April 1, 2019 (2019-04-01)	5.54	2018–19	37	8.36
2	Friday 9:00 p.m.		20	September 27, 2019 (2019-09-27)	6.40	May 8, 2020 (2020-05-08)	6.09	2019–20	26	8.91
3			16	December 4, 2020 (2020-12-04)	5.50	May 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)	5.00	2020–21	24	7.48
4			20	October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)	5.23	May 6, 2022 (2022-05-06)	5.06	2021–22	24	7.34
5	Sunday 9:00 p.m.	NBC	10	February 19, 2023 (2023-02-19)	TBD	TBA	TBD	2022–23	TBD	TBD

Summary

Magnum P.I. : U.S. viewers per episode (millions)

Audience measurement performed by Nielsen Media Research

External links

• Official website
• Magnum P.I. at IMDb 
• Magnum P.I. at epguides.com