Billy Joe Bob

Episode Number: 19
Season Number: 2.1
Air Date: 10/8/1981
Writer: Jeff Wilhelm
Director: Ray Austin
Producers: Rick Weaver, Andrew Schneider
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Patrick Bishop (Keoki)

Guest Stars

James Whitmore Jr. (Billy Joe Bob Little), Seth Sakai (Ito), Marla Pennington (Carol Ann Little), Danny Kamekona (Sgt. Akama), Jimmy Borges (Sgt. Leong), Leeannah Roberts (Lilly), Deborah Takushi (Mary), Robert Apisa (Harland), Sam Peters (Phil), Deborah Hedquist (Judy)

Episode Brief

Billy Joe Bob, a hotheaded Texan, engages Magnum's services when his sister, Carol Ann, goes missing. Magnum has his hands full trying to keep Billy Joe from beating up every local who gets in their way and trying to find Carol Ann, who has gotten in over her head with the wrong crowd.

Rating

7.8

(49 votes)

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Notes

¹ A new version of the iconic Post/Carpenter theme song makes its appearance in this episode and will be used throughout Season Two (and for Season Two only). The guitar and drums are slightly different in this verison.

² The King Kamehameha Club (non-"Beach Bar" setting) has a new location for its exterior shots: the historic Clarence H. Cooke House (later known as the Marks Estate) in the Nuuanu Valley! When Billy Bob approaches the club (from the street) a sign reads "Private Club 3860 Old Pali Road". 3860 Old Pali Road is the real address for the Clarence H. Cooke House. The main house of the estate is a 24-room Hawaii-style brick and frame mansion. During the 80s the estate was used as the headquarters for HIMAG (Hawaii Institute for Management and Analysis of Government), a local government "think tank". Outside of stock footage and closeups of the back entrance, this location will rarely be used for filming, with the notable exceptions "Murder 101" (5.8) and "Summer School" (6.13). The back patio of the estate (where Magnum and T.C. are eating when they meet Billy Bob for the first time) will be seen once more in Season Four's "Letter to a Duchess" (4.6).

³ James Whitmore Jr. (Billy Joe Bob) will later guest star in the Season Three opener "Did You See the Sunrise?" (3.1 & 3.2). He and Tom Selleck made three unsold television pilots together prior to Magnum P.I., Gypsy Warriors (1978), Boston and Kilbride (1979) and The Chinese Typewriter (1979). They also appeared together with Larry Manetti in the Rockford Files Season Six episode "Nice Guys Finish Dead" (1979). James Whitmore Jr. also appeared with Larry Manetti in several Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-1978) episodes.

⁴ Keoki (Patrick Bishop), a bartender at the King Kamehameha Club, is seen for the first time. He will appear in 8 credited episodes (and several uncredited), his last being the Season Four finale, "I Witness" (4.21). Patrick Bishop previously played a very similiar character (Pat) at the club. Pat is gone, Keoki is in.

⁵ The scenes involving Ito's home (and helipad) were filmed at Heeia State Park (Kealohi Point), just north of Heeia. Heeia State Park has a large feral cat population on its 18 acre property. The Friends of Heeia and the local Humane Society's Feral Cat Program look after them. When Magnum is being escorted to Ito you can see one of them walking along in the background. (Location ID'd by rubber chicken)

⁶ Starting at 12:40, when Magnum is in the parking area of the apartment building, the two police officers are driving the exact same late 1970's model Mercury Marquis used by Steve McGarrett in Hawaii Five-O. It is highly likely this is an old studio vehicle used by Jack Lord. (Noted by Tim)

⁷ The old "You need a bigger hammer" joke is featured here. When Magnum is trying to talk T.C. into flying Billy Joe to check out a lead, T.C. is working on the chopper by banging in the open engine bay with a hammer. As the conversation continues, T.C. casually walks over to his tool box and gets a bigger hammer, then returns to the engine bay and hammers away again. (Noted by N1095A)

⁸ Legendary Hawaiian jazz/pop crooner Jimmy Borges (Sgt. Leong) makes his first appearance on the show. Jimmy has been performing for over 50 years! He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (Na Hoku Hanohano) and the Music Foundation of Hawaii's Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement as a vocalist. He was the resident vocalist for the famous Trappers Lounge at the Waikiki Hyatt Regency from 1976-1986. He appeared in eleven episodes of Hawaii Five-O. Jimmy will later make brief appearances in "Did You See the Sunrise?" (3.1), "Little Games" (5.12) and "This Island Isn't Big Enough" (6.16).

⁹ The exterior establishing shot for the "Honolulu Police Department" was filmed at the U.S. Post Office, Custom House and Court House building (now known as the King David Kalakaua Building) at 335 Merchant Street, just across the street from Ali'iolani Hale. (Noted by rubber chicken)

¹⁰ The takeoff/landing area for T.C.'s Island Hoppers (later to change to the Makai Research Pier) was filmed in front of the Hilton Hawaiian village (next to the Ali Wei Marina, in front of the Illikai hotel). The area was used up until the early 90's as the takeoff and landing location for tourists taking helicopter tours. The famous Elvis Presley concert in Hawaii (in 1973) opens with him landing at that location. The constant takeoffs and landings were a problem and because of numerous noise complaints, in the early 90's, they were no longer permitted from that location. (Noted by Tim)

¹¹ Magnum's dubious parking habits return. He pulls up to the front of an apartment building and parks the Ferrari three feet away from the curb, in a loading-only zone, and pretty much blocks the entire road!

¹² Kendo, a Japanese sword-fighting martial art, is featured in one of the scenes involving Ito. The armour that he and his opponent wear is called Bogu.

¹³ Marla Pennington (Carol Ann Little) appeared in 96 episodes of Small Wonder (1986-1989). Marla played Joan Lawson, the wife of a robotics engineer who creates a robot daughter for the couple who appears like a live girl. This was Marla's last acting role. (Noted by J.G.)

¹⁴ The closing credits are unusual in that they just feature shots of Billy Joe flying T.C.'s helicopter. Usually, there would be a selection of shots from throughout the story. (Noted by Jay-Firestorm)

Quotes

¹
Magnum: How's the nose? Is it broken?
Bartender: I don't think so...just sore like me.
Magnum: What'd you do to make him [Billy Joe] punch you anyway?
Bartender: He came in here looking for his kid sister. He showed me her picture and I remember hiring her. Boy, what a lousy singer she was...what she would do to Cole Porter was criminal!

²
T.C.: Yeah, ok. Hey, but this ain't no charitable run! You gonna have to pay for this!
Magnum: Of course I will.
(Magnum leaves)
T.C.: I told him that time.

³
(message on Carol Ann Little's answering machine)
Hey Babe! Sweet Louie, here. Let's party! Call the whipped cream lady too...

⁴
Magnum (rings doorbell of main house):
Higgins (opens door): Magnum, what is it? It's 6:37 in the morning.
Magnum: I know that Higgins, but this is important. I need a big favor.
Higgins (smiles):
Magnum: Why do I all of a sudden feel like the fly who walked into the spiders web?
Higgins: What is it you need?
Magnum: Well, I need you to keep Joe in the guest house, all day if you have to, until I get back.
Higgins: Consider it done.
Magnum: Just like that?
Higgins (shakes head yes, shakes head no):
Magnum: No?
Higgins: As you may have noticed, I've fired the groundskeeper. Until I can find a successor, I'd like you to assume some of the responsibilities.
Magnum: But Higgins, I don't know the first thing about gardening!
Higgins: I assure you, the kind of work I had in mind requires no intelligence what so ever.
Magnum: Like what?
Higgins: Like distributing 1500 lbs. of recycled vegetation that was delivered this morning.
Magnum: Recycled vegetation!? What do you mean 'recycled vegetation'? Recycled how?
Higgins: Through a cow.

Flubs

¹ As he is stealing T.C.'s chopper, Billy Joe looks to his left showing the right side of the pilot's headset. Written in large letters is the name "JONES" on the right earmuff. Being that it is supposed to be T.C.'s headset, are we to assume T.C. stole it, or borrowed it (why?), from some guy named Jones? In reality, it was likely a headset belonging to helicopter pilot and aerial coordinator J. David Jones. (Noted by N1095A)

² When Magnum calls Higgins from Sgt. Akama's office, Higgins tells Magnum that his "Cowboy Friend" has escaped and stolen the Ferrari. As Magnum hangs up, he says he thinks Billy Joe is on his way to Ito's. The Sargeant then says he wants an all points bulletin out on the red Ferrari. How does he know that it was the red Ferrari that was stolen? (Noted by Mark Seaman)

³ When Billy Joe arrives at the Club, and Rick comes to throw him out after he socked one of the workers, two lines of dialog are noticeably added in post-production. (Billy Joe: "He got in my way, don't you make the same mistake." Rick: "Cowpoke, you just pick up your hayseeds and get out of here.") It is noticeable in that we see shots of T.C. and Magnum instead, and the audio is noticeably done in a studio. (Noted by Jay-Firestorm)

⁴ When T.C. lands his chopper at Ito's pad to drop off Magnum, the helicopter pilot flying the bird doesn't look anything like T.C.. He can be seen wearing a ski mask over his head/face and he is much smaller in size. (Noted by Allison Priem)

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