Season 1 General Discussion

[Pahonu]

I agree that season one, and I would also argue a bit of season two, does indeed have a different feel. It’s not unusual in long-running shows for the production to fall into certain patterns as they go on into later seasons. Early on, every scenes is new and has to be thought out and blocked out for shooting. Character relationships aren’t well-defined and locations are all new. As examples, two things come to mind.

In later seasons, when a scene was occurring at Robin’s Nest, very frequently a standard shot of the main house or guest house was used to show this, then a cut to the set. Early on, I feel there were many more interesting scenes filmed at various spots around the estate. The camera angles themselves were often more interesting too.

The early episodes have somewhat different character interactions also. Higgins and Magnum’s scenes are almost entirely adversarial. That will change. Rick’s character was also very underdeveloped, I feel, especially as one of just four regular cast members. TC and Magnum had a closer bond shown more quickly, I think. Just some thoughts.

[Wilson_MacLeish]

Charge TV has started over with Season 1 episodes, and going right from Season 8 to 1 for the 1st time has allowed me to see the differences very clearly. I really think I like the earlier seasons better overall. The show is so much more pure, and exciting at this point.

I like the look of the Elks Club as the KK Club location much more as it actually looks like a fancier, more exclusive place than the fairly cheap and tacky look of the beach bar, and astroturf interior of later seasons. I like how the KK Club board can actually be seen in several scenes, and they have special jackets that other members and Higgins wear. Rick is frequently in a jacket as well, and mentions that you have to wear one after 6pm as a club rule. It's all more realistic and believable. I think the Robin Masters estate also looks larger and more opulent earlier on. I realize that it's mostly because different sets and set dressings were used before they settled into a groove, but I appreciate those differences.

The differences in the Magnum character are interesting as well. Obviously since Selleck is younger at this point, he is noticeably more physical. Diving on the ground to avoid shots, then popping right up and chasing after someone. He also seems much tougher and doesn't get beat up as often or easily. He is more often without a hat, and wears fewer aloha shirts. I like the greater variety in his wardrobe. More polo shirts, and sweaters. It's also pretty stunning how much thinner, and younger John Hillerman was in season 1. He had just a little bit more hair, and a little darker mustache. Even he was fairly physical earlier on, hopping fences and such.

Anyway, just some thoughts as I experience the show in a way I haven't before now.

https://ibb.co/23zzjzt

well described summary, i like the way you put the little details like wardrobe, polo shirts and sweaters.

Thanks very much. I'm a bit obsessed with Magnum wardrobe in particular, so I notice those variations quite a bit.

[Wilson_MacLeish]

I agree that season one, and I would also argue a bit of season two, does indeed have a different feel. It’s not unusual in long-running shows for the production to fall into certain patterns as they go on into later seasons. Early on, every scenes is new and has to be thought out and blocked out for shooting. Character relationships aren’t well-defined and locations are all new. As examples, two things come to mind.

In later seasons, when a scene was occurring at Robin’s Nest, very frequently a standard shot of the main house or guest house was used to show this, then a cut to the set. Early on, I feel there were many more interesting scenes filmed at various spots around the estate. The camera angles themselves were often more interesting too.

The early episodes have somewhat different character interactions also. Higgins and Magnum’s scenes are almost entirely adversarial. That will change. Rick’s character was also very underdeveloped, I feel, especially as one of just four regular cast members. TC and Magnum had a closer bond shown more quickly, I think. Just some thoughts.

Absolutely! I couldn't agree more. There is an interesting quality to be found in the early period of many shows, but perhaps none so much as with Magnum. All of the elements we both mentioned and more create a feel that I don't believe has been matched by another TV series. I love the whole show, but there is legitimately a certain magic in the first 3 Seasons, but 1&2 especially.

[Little Garwood]

TV Guide Fall Preview issue, September 1980.

[charybdis1966]

Just purchased the season 1 DVD set and have been getting into the pilot episode. Yes, the preceding “please” at the beginning of the episode name does jar.
Tut, tut.

[80s Big Hair]

Just purchased the season 1 DVD set and have been getting into the pilot episode. Yes, the preceding “please” at the beginning of the episode name does jar.
Tut, tut.

Coincidentally tonight I just finished re-watching season 1. My Magnum collection was tragically lost so now I am rebuilding it one episode at a time. Below are my notes on season 1. Mind you, these are just new thoughts I had upon viewing it again.

1. Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii When Rick runs out of his club with his Uzi he wildly waves it around pointing it at his friends . A Marine would never do that. Manetti clearly has no firearm training. Selleck was in the Army and is a sportsman. He would never do that, even in a TV show.

2. China Doll The best part was the tourists that T.C. scares in the helicopter. They later try to hire Rick in a pedicar.

3. Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too Does this have the first breaking of the fourth wall? ROBIN2 has a car phone. I assume it is a radio phone and not a cellular phone.

4. No Need to Know Magnum is left wondering if Higgins gave a female guest a full body search.

5. Skin Deep This is a better episode than I thought it was.

6. Never Again ... Never Again There is a possible flub when they go to the Greenberg's house. Rick left the Ferrari door open. When they returned it was shut. Explained by a group of gawkers hanging out on the sidewalk. T.C. trying to control the TV with the remote to Higgins' bed was amusing.

7. The Ugliest Dog in Hawaii I think this was supposed to be primarily a comedy. Unfortunately none of it was funny. The closing music is a version of the second, more recognizable, theme song. The opening music was that weird-ass '70s first theme song.

8. Missing in Action This has the first real ESP type thing in the series, as well as the first appearance of Lt. Mac Reynolds. T.C. tuning the Ferrari was amusing. Also at the end it appears T.C. breaks the 4th wall which I thought exclusive to Magnum.

9. Lest We Forget Back then the confirmation of Supreme Court judges was a formality. That changed with Bork and today it is a bloodbath. A version of the second Magnum theme was played in the middle of the episode.

10. The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club The owner of the land the club is on is proud of the club because it is for the people, everyone. It is a private club...

11. Thicker than Blood New theme song! That weird-ass 70's theme is gone.

12. All Roads Lead to Floyd Midwestern hick girl from Kansas. Let's laugh at her. What rubes live there.

13. Adelaide Midwestern hick girl from Iowa. Let's laugh at her. What rubes live there. T.C. and Rick's outfit for the horse jumping thing was amusing. The following applies to all seasons: Isn't it odd how Magnum/T.C./Rick, as well as Higgins seem to have many encounters with people they knew from the past? What are the chances of that?

14. Don't Say Goodbye T.C. only eats healthy food. There is a surprise ending.

15. The Black Orchid The episode was better than I remembered it. Black orchids do not exist . Rex Stout wrote a 1942 book called Black Orchids which is better and unrelated.

16. J. Digger Doyle Is this the first time we hear Robin's voice?

17. Beauty Knows No Pain. This has a very weak story. It does not even make sense in parts. I guess they thought having Carol Burnett in it was good enough. Magnum says he was never married.

I hope you have fun re-watching the season as well!

[charybdis1966]

Just purchased the season 1 DVD set and have been getting into the pilot episode. Yes, the preceding “please” at the beginning of the episode name does jar.
Tut, tut.

Coincidentally tonight I just finished re-watching season 1. My Magnum collection was tragically lost so now I am rebuilding it one episode at a time. Below are my notes on season 1. Mind you, these are just new thoughts I had upon viewing it again.

1. Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii When Rick runs out of his club with his Uzi he wildly waves it around pointing it at his friends . A Marine would never do that. Manetti clearly has no firearm training. Selleck was in the Army and is a sportsman. He would never do that, even in a TV show.

2. China Doll The best part was the tourists that T.C. scares in the helicopter. They later try to hire Rick in a pedicar......

......I hope you have fun re-watching the season as well!

So far I've finished up to China Doll.

In the pilot you can see how the lead characters (and their relationships) weren't quite fleshed out which is what you'd expect in a pilot although some of the plot points did come across as a little weak - like how TM knew who La Boulle (?) was and the whole "how did the cocaine packets get into Dan Cooks's stomach then rupture?" ambiguity.

I'm glad they polished up the characters and the change in them by China Doll is quite significant. TM is less of a lech and TC is also given more depth - although him changing from a beer drinker ogling "the mamma with the sprayed on pants" in Ricks bar to becoming a ballet aficionado later in the series was a bit of a reach IMHO. I'm a bit uncertain why the Tong assassin let Rick off comparatively easily - I'd a thought he would have met the same fate as Cousin Ho, but of course he was a series regular and in those times you didn't kill them off.

Still makes me double take when I hear Steve Austin's bionic sound effect during the showdown with the Tong in the cemetery.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

17. Beauty Knows No Pain. This has a very weak story. It does not even make sense in parts. I guess they thought having Carol Burnett in it was good enough. Magnum says he was never married.

I take it you're being facetious with the Carol Burnett comment. There is some similarity between her and Marcia Wallace to be sure, I mean other than both being loud-mouthed women.

[ENSHealy]

You do not think Cameron Mitchell was a famous guest star? He had a impressive list of work on Broadway and in films.

The criteria for "Famous Guest Star" is entirely subjective, and is mainly "did I recognize them when the episode first aired". Since I was 11 when the pilot aired and 18 when the final episode aired, you have to factor that in. Plus, I'm just not as up on "classic" films, TV, Broadway, etc. as others on here are. I have started giving out half-points for guest stars who later became famous, like Judge Reinhold, Sharon Stone, Alfonso Ribeiro, Melora Hardin, etc., but again, it's totally subjective and based only on my gauge of "fame", so there will definitely be room for argument (and isn't that what the internet's true purpose really is, anyway?)

[ENSHealy]

I have started giving out half-points for guest stars who later became famous, like Judge Reinhold, Sharon Stone, Alfonso Ribeiro, Melora Hardin, etc., but again, it's totally subjective and based only on my gauge of "fame", so there will definitely be room for argument (and isn't that what the internet's true purpose really is, anyway?)

And looking back through a few Magnumometers this morning, I see I have been pretty inconsistent with the half point versus full point for future fame. For example, I actually gave Melora Hardin a full point, even though she was completely unfamous at the time of the her Magnum episode, and I also gave a full point to Dennis Haysbert in Blood and Honor, and he was several years from notoriety in Major League, not to mention much wider acclaim later in 24 and the Allstate commercials. And Tyne Daly got a full point, event though I think Jororo Kill was on before Cagney and Lacey premiered. So, as always, I'm nothing if not consistently inconsistent.

[Vxc961]

I just finished a season one rewatch, and I'm amazed at how well it held up. As a kid I'd catch a few of these in syndication, out of order, and some of my favorites are here. Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii really sets the stage well, and it's followed up by China Doll which was also a great episode, and I also really like Need to Know. For some reason, I always loved Beauty Knows No Pain", as I remember that's the first place I learned about the Iron Man Triathlon and thinking it was so amazing.

There were one or two clunkers in Season one, but a clunker by MPI standards is still fun to watch, and even today the scenery of Oahu is simply amazing to see on camera!

[emenius]

Re-watched season 1 a few months back, a very good beginning for the show. China Doll was a standout as well as Never Again... Never Again. Don't Say Goodbye was goo too. I also liked Missing In Action since it brought in Lance LeGault, although in a different character. I recall seeming most of them when they were syndicated by WWOR 9 in New York in the 90's. The dvd of it was one of the very first things i spend money on when I got a "real" job.

Ed

[charybdis1966]

Another thing I noticed watching China Doll was how Higgins character had become more jolly all of a sudden.
In the pilot he cut quite a stern figure but on hearing TM was Mai Lings “protector” he laughed as heartily as a favourite Uncle.
Obviously this is more of the character fleshing out I referred to earlier in this thread but I noticed how swift a transition from the scary Higgins of the pilot it was.

[emenius]

Another thing I noticed watching China Doll was how Higgins character had become more jolly all of a sudden.
In the pilot he cut quite a stern figure but on hearing TM was Mai Lings “protector” he laughed as heartily as a favourite Uncle.
Obviously this is more of the character fleshing out I referred to earlier in this thread but I noticed how swift a transition from the scary Higgins of the pilot it was.

I did not notice that compared to the pilot. Will have to re-watch both of them again.

Ed

[Pahonu]

Another thing I noticed watching China Doll was how Higgins character had become more jolly all of a sudden.
In the pilot he cut quite a stern figure but on hearing TM was Mai Lings “protector” he laughed as heartily as a favourite Uncle.
Obviously this is more of the character fleshing out I referred to earlier in this thread but I noticed how swift a transition from the scary Higgins of the pilot it was.

I think Higgins is very much laughing in mockery of Magnum in that scene, which seems less jolly and more mean spirited to me. Magnum’s look in response shows his displeasure with being laughed at. True, Higgins showed no such laughter in the pilot and remained stern, but the China Doll scene seems to fit with his not wanting TM to be there.