Magnum, P.I.

If you drew even a single breath between the years of 1980 and 1988, you know this show. You might not know you know it, but Magnum is part of your soul. What's great is that once you go out and buy this set, you'll realize that it's a bigger piece of your soul than you'd thought. I'm wiling to bet that even the crappy theme song that was used for the first half of this season rings a bell. You can't think of it now -- you CAN remember the brash, catchy, action/adventure theme song that was adopted after the first few episodes -- but you'll remember that old song and say, "Oh, yeah. I never knew this was the original Magnum theme." And then the episodes start. From the very first minute of the pilot, you get to see why this was one of the top-rated TV show of the eighties. There are car chases, Vietnam flashbacks, competent mysteries, astoundingly good comedy, sexy stewardesses, gravitas, suspense, drama, exotic locations, and remarkable consistency. What's crazy is how quickly the show hit its stride. This set contains a couple crossover episodes and specials from later seasons, and -- aside from the opening credits -- it's very tough to tell the difference between those and the first-season episodes on the discs. The cast and crew went into the show with confidence, and a pretty clear idea of what they hoped to accomplish. So the writing is great right off the bat. The cast jelled instantly; even though their characters weren't fully fleshed-out, they played like actual people. (It kind of makes you realize how often other TV shows -- and movies -- are filled entirely with stock characters, stereotypes and cardboard cutouts.) Larry Minetti as Rick is particularly grand as the proprietor of an eighties club, and the stellar John Hillerman nearly steals every scene as the overbearingly British Retired Sergeant Major Jonathan Quayle Higgins. But let's have a word on the subject of Tom Selleck. This is the guy who was originally cast as Indiana Jones, but had to bow out because Raiders of the Lost Ark was scheduled to begin shooting at the same time as Magnum's first season. Did he make the right decision? It's tough to say whether Thomas Magnum is a better or worse character than Indiana Jones, but it's obvious that there wasn't a bad choice to be made there. He's absolutely delightful as Magnum, though, so let's just say that he made the right call. To quote Magnum, "I woke up one day, age 33, and realized I'd never been 23." Arrested adolescence found the perfect actor in Tom Selleck, it seems. He plays the part of Magnum perfectly, but more than that, he anchors and holds together the cast and carries the stories quite ably. Overlook the bad wardrobe and hair that clamor for screen space. This was 1980, and frankly, the hairstyles seen here were remarkably tasteful for that year. Not timeless by any stretch of the imagination, but tasteful. Very first spoken line of the series: As two Dobermans are charging and Magnum is trying to pick the lock on a chain-link fence... "Don't look at the dogs. Work the lock," Magnum tells himself. "Work the lock. Don't look at the dogs. You looked at the dogs!" So good.

magnum P.i. is one of those classic shows that has pure coolness written all over it. Ive grown up watching this show..and let me tell you...it NEVER gets old... lets just hope they dont remake this..because it wouldnt be the same.. You have great characters..like Thomas magnum, Jonathan higgins (Higgy baby !) Tom's war buddies T.C, and Rick..as well as supporting characters like Ice Pick, mack, Lt tanaka, luther Gillis ,,...all these characters are well written. and you actually care what happens to them... theres great locals (hawaii) stunning sunsets...action, drama, beautiful women, romance... exciting storylines .. theres Zuess and apollo plus, the Ferrari too :) hmm did i mention the beautiful women? lol :) magnum P.I has it all... plus, its also cool when Thomas "breaks the 4th wall" and looks right into the camera...it makes you feel like your right there plus the voice overs are done as an homage to the 40s detective stories... this show was the soul of the 80s...and it still rocks in the 21st century thanks to dvd.. work the lock...dont look at the dogs..work the lock..you looked at the Dogs!!

I love the show, and the first season sets the tone perfectly. Watching Magnum PI never gets old; the only thing dated is the clothes. The setting is great, but it's the cast that carries the show, particularly its star, Tom Selleck. The first season establishes the group dynamic with Magnum, Rick, T.C., and Higgins. I must admit though; I didn't always get the contribution of Rick-his access to Icepick maybe? Tom Selleck was the greatest star of the 80s; I remember that he was always the correct answer to any game show question about male tv stars. Magnum PI broke television ground in addition to just being entertaining. There are references to Magnum's "team" in Vietnam throughout the series, and it was always positive. This portrayal of Vietnam vets may make sense now but in 1980, it wasn't always the norm. Beginning with the first episode, the two-parter, "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii, "flashbacks to the team's Vietnam experiences are used as both plot and background on the characters. On a lighter note, the guest stars are great too. I especially liked some of the hotter female stars, particularly Erin Gray as J."Digger" Doyle. Also, the bonus episodes feature Morgan Fairchild and Sharon Stone from later seasons. This show's got it all: wit, suspense, sex-appeal, even history. Wouldn't we all love to live like Magnum?

I bought this set thinking it would provide me with little more than a few nostalgic chuckles, as has regretfully been the case with other 80s shows. But Magnum is class. The interaction between Magnum and the other main characters (particularly the brilliant Higgins) is excellent, generating genuine laughs and fondness. The show is happy to mix such light-hearted laughs with more serious elements, and some of the episodes in which Magnum and the team revisit their memories of Vietnam are quite moving - especially if the time in which the show was first aired is considered. But first and foremost Magnum is top-notch entertainment; classic detective stories (the noir-style voiceover is inspired) with a tropical twist, driven forward by a talented and eminently likable ensemble. Even 25 years on, every woman wants to be with Magnum; every man wants to be him. Even given the tash.

en lo particular me gusta esta serie y la encontré a buen precio

Keine Frage - VIELE haben darauf gewartet: Magnum PI auf DVD. Was man bisher über das Set lesen kann, scheint schon ganz gut: Nettes Cover, die *komplette* erste Staffel und dazu noch eine Bonus-Disc, die die Crossover-Episode "Ki'is don't lie / Emerelads aren't a girls' best friend" mit Simon & Simon und den Zweiteiler "Echoes of the Mind" mit Sharon Stone enthalten wird. Ich gehe persönlich davon aus, dass die DVD die auch im TV (13th stret) übliche Qualität haben wird, was heissen soll, dass es schon manchmal Farbunterschiede geben wird - ähnlich der "Best Of" Box, die ja auch scvhon auf Deutsch erhältlich ist. Hoffen wir also auf 2 Dinge: 1.) Hoffentlich kommt die komplette Serie auch auf Deutsch heraus und 2.) Hoffentlich bald ;-)

A posséder et à revoir absolument : un classique des années 80 qui dura 8 saisons et ne connut ni téléfilms de suite ni reboot. Un spin-off sympathique à signaler : Simon et Simon. Je conseille Riptide aussi. Amicalement. Philippe.

Tom Selleck is the best actor to portray Thomas Sullivan Magnum. I adore that man especially with his dark hair, dark manly moustache and especially his hairy chest hair. What a wonderful actor he was during the Eight years he starred in this show. This show is in permanent Syndication and wonder why I didn't appreciate him more.