Glen Larson's Magnum pilot script

[Lindsay Writer]

JJ any way you can get a copy of the first script that Larson wrote and Selleck hated?

I'd love to read it I bet it's fascinating. They talk about it in the E True Story and I'd also

like to read Bellisario's H.H. Flynn p.i. script to see exactly what he recycled into Magnum.

Don said he had Rick and TC as Magnum's war buddies they were all based in Los Angeles.

http://magnum-mania.com/Video/E_True_Ho ... Story.html

[J.J. Walters]

Sorry, don't have one, don't know where to get one.

[Lindsay Writer]

Based on what Selleck said in the video I'm guessing Larson's pilot

was like Matt Houston which was a terrible show:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083447/?ref_=nv_sr_1


Here are two different opening credits from Matt Houston:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oWjWSHIw_g

And a longer version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuFfmXkUXAA


They even ripped off the red Ferrari for Matt Houson in the first intro he's driving a

red Mercedes 450 and in the second intro he's driving a red Jaguar convertible.


And then another ripoff of Magnum aired 7 episodes in 1982 with Robert Urich as a

Magnum style hero and Patrick Macnee doing a total ripoff of Higgins, the show was

Gavilan and it was a complete ripoff of Magnum but I enjoyed it very tongue in cheek:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083419/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1

Gavilan opening credits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekeMiiCHwQA


Both of these shows were designed to cash in on Magnum's appeal but they were pale imitations.

However they give an example of what Larson's pilot script most likely resembled in 1979.

[Steve]

Based on what Selleck said in the video I'm guessing Larson's pilot

was like Matt Houston which was a terrible show:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083447/?ref_=nv_sr_1


Here are two different opening credits from Matt Houston:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oWjWSHIw_g

And a longer version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuFfmXkUXAA


They even ripped off the red Ferrari for Matt Houson in the first intro he's driving a

red Mercedes 450 and in the second intro he's driving a red Jaguar convertible.


And then another ripoff of Magnum aired 7 episodes in 1982 with Robert Urich as a

Magnum style hero and Patrick Macnee doing a total ripoff of Higgins, the show was

Gavilan and it was a complete ripoff of Magnum but I enjoyed it very tongue in cheek:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083419/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1

Gavilan opening credits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekeMiiCHwQA


Both of these shows were designed to cash in on Magnum's appeal but they were pale imitations.

However they give an example of what Larson's pilot script most likely resembled in 1979.

Wow, great research L W.....I don't remember Gavilan at all but sure do recall Lee Horsley as Matt Houston. I always thought he was dead but was glad to see on his IMBD link that he is still alive and working. I was even wondering who played the Sherrif in the snow scene in Django Unchained as I thought he looked familiar and low and behold it was Horsley......

[Styles Bitchley]

Based on what Selleck said in the video I'm guessing Larson's pilot

was like Matt Houston which was a terrible show:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083447/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Here are two different opening credits from Matt Houston:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oWjWSHIw_g

And a longer version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuFfmXkUXAA

They even ripped off the red Ferrari for Matt Houson in the first intro he's driving a

red Mercedes 450 and in the second intro he's driving a red Jaguar convertible.

Hey, I always liked Matt Houston!

[KENJI]

Just found this interview with Glen discussing the creation of MPI.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAFn2Sh-w7Y

Interesting that he references Hawaiian Eye as part of the basic premise for MPI.......... a detective show in Hawaii.

[Steve]

Just found this interview with Glen discussing the creation of MPI.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAFn2Sh-w7Y

Interesting that he references Hawaiian Eye as part of the basic premise for MPI.......... a detective show in Hawaii.

Great interview, fascinating..........Kenji, my compliments to you and Rembrandts Girl for the research you two have been digging up, Bravo!

[KENJI]

Just found this interview with Glen discussing the creation of MPI.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAFn2Sh-w7Y

Interesting that he references Hawaiian Eye as part of the basic premise for MPI.......... a detective show in Hawaii.

Great interview, fascinating..........Kenji, my compliments to you and Rembrandts Girl for the research you two have been digging up, Bravo!

Thanks Steve!
Glad you enjoyed it.

Here was another one of Glen's Hawaiian/detective creations........
One West Waikiki
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108889/
Here is the first episode.....sound is off though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slBlMcDfXIc

[Rembrandt's Girl]

Just found this interview with Glen discussing the creation of MPI.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAFn2Sh-w7Y

Interesting that he references Hawaiian Eye as part of the basic premise for MPI.......... a detective show in Hawaii.

Great interview, fascinating..........Kenji, my compliments to you and Rembrandts Girl for the research you two have been digging up, Bravo!

Thanks Steve!
Glad you enjoyed it.

Here was another one of Glen's Hawaiian/detective creations........
One West Waikiki
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108889/
Here is the first episode.....sound is off though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slBlMcDfXIc

Ditto, thanks Steve! It's definitely lots of fun!

[ifunlisted]

Does anyone know of other Magnum pdf scripts (free) that might be available online?

[Sam]

Does anyone know of other Magnum pdf scripts (free) that might be available online?

Hi ifunlisted...
Welcome to the board.. is this what you're looking for?

https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.u ... m-p-i-1980

[ifunlisted]

Does anyone know of other Magnum pdf scripts (free) that might be available online?

Hi ifunlisted...
Welcome to the board.. is this what you're looking for?

https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.u ... m-p-i-1980

Hey thanks:) That's a great resource for manuscripts, but I'm actually looking for pdfs of actual Writer's Drafts or Shooting Scripts. I know there's a couple screenplay stores online that might have various episodes available for purchase, but I was hoping to find 1-2 free copies out there somewhere.

[Croix de Lorraine]

Those copycat shows only prove how much of Magnum's success was due to the unique cast.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I like this Don Bellisario interview where talks about how he wrote MAGNUM based on a 1950s Hawaii travelogue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BahdCx8KmFs and then was surprised when he got to Hawaii how overdeveloped it was. Hotels, condos, busy highways, etc. He said he wanted his show to feel like pre-WWII Hawaii, he wanted a pristine Hawaii. He wanted it to have a Tahiti look. He wanted to see palm trees, empty beaches, the ocean, small sugar cane roads. No hotels or condos or busy highways with traffic lights and light poles.

Of course we did see hotels and condos many times on the show (especially when shot in and around Honolulu) but on the whole I did notice that they mostly tried to stay away from Honolulu and shoot more around Waimanalo and on the windward side of the island. Sometimes North Shore too.

[Pahonu]

I like this Don Bellisario interview where talks about how he wrote MAGNUM based on a 1950s Hawaii travelogue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BahdCx8KmFs and then was surprised when he got to Hawaii how overdeveloped it was. Hotels, condos, busy highways, etc. He said he wanted his show to feel like pre-WWII Hawaii, he wanted a pristine Hawaii. He wanted it to have a Tahiti look. He wanted to see palm trees, empty beaches, the ocean, small sugar cane roads. No hotels or condos or busy highways with traffic lights and light poles.

Of course we did see hotels and condos many times on the show (especially when shot in and around Honolulu) but on the whole I did notice that they mostly tried to stay away from Honolulu and shoot more around Waimanalo and on the windward side of the island. Sometimes North Shore too.

Excellent points! I had similar thoughts after watching that video clip. I believe that the feel of "old Hawaii" Bellisario successfully created is a much bigger part of the show's appeal than most people realize, even though it wasn't at all realistic in the 80's. As I think about it more, I recall many forum posts over the years that mentioned how much Hawaii has changed since the show was filmed, when in reality Hawaii hasn't been so for much, much longer than that. We're seemingly nostalgic for a 1980's Hawaii that never was.