Magnum, P.I. is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living in Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980, to May 1, 1988, during its first-run broadcast on the American television network CBS.
Magnum, P.I. consistently ranked in the top 20 U.S. television programs in the Nielsen ratings during the first five years of its original run, finishing as high as number three for the 1982–83 season. The series entered syndication in 1986 under the title Magnum in order to differentiate reruns from new episodes still airing under the original title on CBS.
A remake series of the same name was ordered to series on May 11, 2018, and premiered on September 24, 2018, on CBS.
Premise Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV (played by Tom Selleck) is a private investigator. He lives in the guesthouse of a beachfront estate (named "Robin's Nest"), in Oahu, Hawaii, at the invitation of its owner, Robin Masters. Ostensibly this is quid pro quo for Magnum's services based upon his expertise in security; the pilot and several early episodes suggest Magnum had done Masters a favor of some kind, possibly when Masters hired him for a case.
Masters – who is rarely depicted – is the celebrated author of several dozen lurid novels. His voice, heard only in seven episodes, was provided by Orson Welles (except for the last, voiced by Red Crandall)."Déjà-Vu", Season 06, Episode 02
Magnum lives a luxurious life on the estate and operates as a P.I. on cases that suit him. The only thorn in the side of his near-perfect lifestyle is Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, played by John Hillerman. An ex-British Army regimental sergeant major, he is on the surface a stern, by-the-book caretaker of Robin's Nest, whose strict ways often conflict with Magnum's more easygoing methods.
He patrols Robin's Nest with his two highly trained "lads", Dobermanns named Zeus and Apollo. Magnum has free use of the guesthouse and the car, a Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole, but as a humorous aside in various episodes, often has to bargain with Higgins for use of estate amenities such as the tennis courts, wine cellar, and expensive cameras.
The relationship between Magnum and Higgins is initially cool, but as the series progresses, an unspoken respect and fondness of sorts grows between them. Many episodes dedicate 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 Masters, for he opens Masters's mail, calls Masters's Ferrari "my car", etc. This suspicion is never completely disproved, although in at least one episode Higgins is shown alone in a room, picking up a ringing phone and talking to Masters, indicating they are different people.
Aside from Higgins, Magnum's two main companions on the islands are Theodore "T.C." Calvin (Roger E. Mosley), who runs a one-person local helicopter charter and tour van service, "Island Hoppers", and 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 Wright brothers-esque given name of Orville and owns a local bar. In the pilot episode, this was "Rick's Cafe Americain", inspired by Casablanca, with Rick appearing in suitable 1930s attire. After completing the pilot, though, executives felt that audiences would be unable to fully connect with this element.
Instead, Rick moved to running the plush, beachside King Kamehameha Club, which has exclusive membership and Higgins on the board of directors. Magnum often strolls around the club, using its 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, a former member of the United States Navy SEALs and Naval Intelligence officer, served in the Vietnam War.The three friends wear a gold Team Ring, which bears a Cross of Lorraine on a black field, as a bond of wartime camaraderie. 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 or bribes T.C. and Rick into aiding him on his cases, much to their frustration. T.C., whose assistance often involves the use of his helicopter, often tells Magnum, "gas money. All I need is gas money", referring to the high cost of the helicopter's fuel.
Magnum comes and goes as he pleases, works only when he wants, and has almost unlimited use of the Ferrari and many other luxuries of the estate. He keeps a mini-refrigerator with a seemingly endless supply of beer ("altbier"), wears his father's treasured Rolex GMT Master wristwatch, and is surrounded by countless beautiful women, who are often victims of crime, his clients, or otherwise connected to the cases he solves.
Other characteristics specific to Magnum are his thick moustache, baseball caps (usually a Detroit Tigers or VMO-2 cap), a rubber chicken, and a variety of colorful Aloha shirts. Nearly every episode is narrated, in voice-over, by Magnum at various points. At the end of the seventh season, Magnum was to be killed off, to end the series. Following an outcry from fans who demanded a more satisfactory conclusion, an eighth season was produced to bring Magnum "back to life" and round off the series.
Cast
Main cast
Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum Roger E. Mosley as Theodore "T.C." Calvin Larry Manetti as Orville "Rick" WrightIn the series finale, "Resolutions 2", the priest at Rick's wedding announces his full name as Orville Wilbur Richard Wright. Rick disliked being named after both of the Wright brothers, and preferred his nickname. John Hillerman as Jonathan Higgins
Recurring characters Lieutenant Yoshi Tanaka: A homicide-division police lieutenant with the Honolulu police department (Kwan Hi Lim), he has a slight Lieutenant Columbo-like enigmatic quality, characterized by his casual dress and ironic sense of humor. He is also, like Magnum, a Detroit Tigers fan. He appears in Seasons 2–8. Agatha Chumley: Higgins's stereotypically English lady friend (Gillian Dobb), who seems to have a crush on Higgins. Her first appearance was in the episode "Black on White". She appears in Seasons 3–8. Colonel "Buck" Greene: A Marine Corps aviator and intelligence officer (Lance LeGault), who is often Magnum's nemesis in seasons 2–8. LeGault also played John W. Newton, aka "Delta One", in episode 9 of season 1, "Missing in Action". Carol Baldwin: An assistant district attorney (Patty McCormack in season 1, followed by Kathleen Lloyd in seasons 3–8); before playing Carol Baldwin, Lloyd guest-starred in the episode "Almost Home" (season 3, episode 11) as Bridget Archer. Lieutenant "Mac" McReynolds: A doughnut-munching Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) lieutenant (Jeff MacKay), killed by a car bomb planted by "Ivan", a Russian KGB officer. Mac returns as a ghost for four episodes ("Mac's Back", "Limbo", "Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts" and "Pleasure Principle") and later as a lookalike character. In the pilot, MacKay portrays "Ski", a guard at the entrance gate of Pearl Harbor. He appears in Seasons 1–3 and 7–8. Jim Bonnick: A con man and an ex-Navy pilot who was released on a medical discharge (Jeff MacKay); he is Mac McReynolds's lookalike. In at least one episode ("Mac's Back"), MacKay appears in both roles. He appears in Seasons 5–8. Francis "Icepick" Hofstetler: An American loan shark and major underworld figure from Chicago, and a quasi-father figure to Rick Wright (Walter Chotzen and later Elisha Cook Jr.). Dr. Ibold, M.D. "Doc Ibold": A minor character (Glenn Cannon) who appeared in episodes when the script called for a physician. First referred to as "Script Writer #1", he is known for prescribing opiates for any and all ailments. He appears in Seasons 2–8. Cannon also plays Dr. Bernard Kessler in Episode 1.7, "Never Again...Never Again". Michelle Hue: The love of Magnum's life (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. She appears in Seasons 2–8. Lily Catherine Hue: Daughter to Magnum and Michelle Hue (Kristen Carreira). Michelle entrusts Lily to Magnum's care but doesn't reveal that she is his daughter. Although she was raised as the daughter of General Hue, Lily Catherine learned Magnum-related things from Michelle, such as "Detroit Tigers" and "Rick, T.C., Thomas". By "Resolutions" (May 1988), General Hue's enemies had killed Hue, Michelle, and Michelle's second husband, Edward Durant. Lily Catherine was presumed dead and was reunited with Magnum, who returned to his career as a Naval Intelligence officer to protect her. She appears in seasons 7–8. Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Commander) Maggie Poole: The successor of the deceased Mac McReynolds (Jean Bruce Scott), she dislikes her superior, Marine Corps Colonel Greene. She appears in Seasons 3–8. Luther H. Gillis: A mock film noir St. Louis private eye with a Boston accent (Eugene Roche), whose deception, dissembling, and disturbing capacity for violence Magnum almost always underestimates or overlooks. Gillis provides the narration in the five episodes in which he appears in Seasons 4–8. Lieutenant Nolan Page: A hard-nosed, no-nonsense Honolulu Police Department lieutenant with a New York accent (Joe Santos), he assists Magnum on several cases. He appears in Seasons 7–8. Moki: The bartender of the King Kamehameha Club in Season 1; later replaced by Keoki. He appears in Seasons 1–2. Keoki: The bartender/server of the King Kamehameha Club, beginning in season 2. He is arrested in season 4 by Lt. Tanaka for robbing the club in the episode "I Witness". He appears in seasons 2–4. Bryant Calvin, T.C.'s son in seasons 7 and 8, played by Shavar Ross.
Setting
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 owned by renowned novelist Robin Masters, who employs 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, the beachfront property was on Oahu's east shore at 41-505 Hawaii Route 72, near Waimanalo Beach, Hawaii (). Designed by American architect Louis Davis and called "Pahonu" ("turtle enclosure" in Hawaiian), it was also known as "The Anderson Estate" after its longtime owner, politician Eve G. Anderson. The grounds were used for hundreds of years to raise green sea turtles for the Hawaiian royal family and include a 500-by-50-foot stone wall that surrounds the former turtle-raising pond. Since 1978, the turtle pond has been on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii. The property was a residential estate from the early 1930s onward, comprising an main house, a boathouse (which in the series appears as the guesthouse Magnum occupies), a gatehouse, and private tennis court.
Owned in January 2014 by Cox Communications heiress Barbara Cox Anthony, it was placed on the market with Sotheby's for $15.75 million and sold for $8.7 million in March 2015. In April 2018, the estate was demolished by its new owner, a friend of former President Barack Obama.
Many of the indoor scenes of Magnum, P.I. were filmed on the old Hawaii Five-O soundstage, as the network did not wish for its Hawaiian production facilities to go to waste after Hawaii Five-O ended its run.