I’m usually not one to knock the reboot craze… after all, I did title my 2004 Saturday Action Theatre EP “Remakes and Sequels.” Nostalgia is powerful, and I’ve watched and enjoyed many revamped favorites of yesteryear, but when CBS unleashed their first-look at their updated version of MAGNUM P.I. – honestly, I fully expected to hate it. I was really just bummed when I found out that Thomas Magnum wouldn’t be rockin’ the iconic Tom Selleck mustache, but having seen the extended preview, I’m ready to tune in this fall. There’s some changes in things, but the Ferrari is back (several, actually – though they seem to like wrecking them) as is the colorful Island Hopper helicopter and that signature theme song. Check this out…
Magnum P.I. returns with all-new sun-drenched adventures as our hero takes jobs no one else will with the help of fellow vets T.C. Calvin and Rick Wright and the former MI:6 agent with a familiar last name (but now a female)— Higgins. This modern take on the classic series stars Jay Hernandez (Suicide Squad) as Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii.
Magnum P.I. will air Monday nights this fall, and it’s right at home in a CBS lineup that looks like it’s straight from my grandparents’ living room circa the mid 1980s. Hawaii Five-0, S.W.A.T., and MacGyver are all there, and Murphy Brown rolls back in next season as well. When are the Falcon Crest and Knots Landing remakes coming out? And someone needs to get David Hasselhoff’s Knight Rider reboot moving!
BONUS: Check out this Instagram post from 2014 where I showcased the Hot Wheels Retro Entertainment Collection Magnum P.I. line…
