Cast Change

[Styles Bitchley]

OK. I think part of what made Magnum P.I. such a successful show for eight seasons was the continuity of the main characters. Really, there aren't many TV shows that go for that many years without one of the cast members dropping out or being replaced. I can't think of any right now come to think of it.

Sure, Mac was written out (then bizarrely written back in), but he's not a core cast member.

So what do you think? Would MPI have lasted as long as it did if, say, Higgins were replaced in season 4? What about Rick or T.C.? Let's not include Mag, since that surely would have been the end.

[Frodoleader]

Chemistry.
MPI was known for that intangible we refer to as chemistry between the cast and crew making the show.
Recall in the E! True Hollywood story report, that Roger Mosley almost was fired after Season 1. Can you imagine no TC in MPI? Neither can I.
So, any changes to major cast would have made something different, but definitely not the MPI we all know and love.

[Seaver41]

timing is everything. If one had been written out early on, that character could've been replaced and show moves forward. As time moved on, the characters became familiar to viewers, and thus tougher to lose. From start to finish, the only one that I really think would've had a material effect on the show's success was Higgins. That dynamic between he and Magnum was key to the non-action parts of each episode. Higgins also interacted well with the other characters in unique ways.

TC or Rick they could have survived depending upon who they chose to bring in as a replacement. The key always was how Magnum interacted with the characters........both new and old. For example, i think fans fondly remember the storyline/character with Dana Delaney.....because she interacted so well with Magnum.

[Donuts ensucrats]

For me it's hard to think about a dfferent cast members.

[J.J. Walters]

Depends on who the cast member is. Selleck or Hillerman would have been devastating. Manetti or Mosley would have been a big blow, but survivable. Either way it would have sucked big time!

[steveadl]

I agree with JJ - Selleck or Hillerman gone, end of story. Without Moseley or Manetti they could have continued if executed well, especially Manetti. Not that I don't like him, just that he plays a lesser role in many episodes (don't get me wrong, he does what his role requires well - but it's often small).

In a fair few episodes, TC and Rick have very minor roles, in fact sometimes just one or two scenes tacked on that wouldn't have hurt the episode if they were omitted save for the fact that I guess they wanted the characters to have some screen time in every episode. TC however has a stronger connection with TM that would be missed more than Rick.

Let's not even talk about the possibility of the show without Selleck - we all know it wouldn't work. Heck even the few episodes where he plays a very minor role are the weaker of the series (in my opinion).

[Steve]

Depends on who the cast member is. Selleck or Hillerman would have been devastating. Manetti or Mosley would have been a big blow, but survivable. Either way it would have sucked big time!

I agree with J.J. as well. There was a reason that Selleck and Hillerman were the ones that won Emmy's, they were on the top of their game and unreplaceable.............

[Islandhoppers5]

I believe if the core four cast members were not all together through the entire 8 season run, Magnum P.I. would have suffered. Magnum, obviously, and Higgins would have been a tougher sells with replacements than T.C. or Rick would have been. The fact that the four main people in the series were portrayed by the same four actors was absolutely a plus.

[Styles Bitchley]

That sense of camaraderie would have certainly been lost. And, while the scripts for each show were usually pretty solid, the sense of friendship is what gave the show more of a punch than others. Of course, you have a solid script with a great cast, but the chemistry and history that accents each episode is pretty crucial to mixing that perfect Magnum cocktail we know so well.

Imagine dropping Rick and then having to introduce a new character to look up license plates or get info from dubious dudes. The Mac character might have been able to pull it off...but someone else would have felt like an imposter. Depending on when a change was made, I don't think it would have lasted more than a season or two with the new cast.

[Magnum T.]

It depends on who and when.
No Selleck or Hillerman? No Magnum P.I..
Roger Mosley or Larry Manetti? Another story.
The show would have suffered for sure but it could have survived.
Especially if the change was in early episodes.