(Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
Magnum and Higgins’ time on television is coming to a close. NBC has revealed that the Magnum PI TV series is ending and won’t have a sixth year. The fifth season of 20 episodes will conclude in 2024.
An action-adventure drama series, the Magnum PI TV show stars Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Amy Hill, and Tim Kang. This reboot of the 1980s TV show follows Thomas Magnum (Hernandez), a decorated former Navy SEAL who repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. He lives in a guest cottage on Robin’s Nest, the luxurious estate where he works as a security consultant to supplement his P.I. business. The “majordomo” of the property is Juliet Higgins (Weeks), a beautiful and commanding disavowed MI:6 agent who keeps Magnum in line. When Magnum needs back-up on a job, he turns to his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors, chopper pilot Theodore “TC” Calvin (Hill) and Orville “Rick” Wright (Knighton), a former Marine door-gunner who now runs a nightclub. Magnum frequently has run-ins with police detective Gordon Katsumoto (Kang) and the two are more alike than either cares to admit. The unofficial “House Mom” and cultural curator of Robin’s Nest, Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta (Hill) is also one of Magnum’s biggest fans.
Airing on Sunday nights, the fifth season of Magnum PI averages a 0.27 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 3.35 million viewers. Compared to season four (which aired on CBS), that’s down by 35% in the demo and down by 36% in viewership in the live+same day ratings (including DVR playback through 3:00 AM). It’s been a moderate performer in the traditional ratings.
Last year, CBS cancelled the reboot series after four seasons because the network and the show’s co-producing studio, Universal Television (owned by NBC-Universal), couldn’t reach a financial agreement for a fifth year. As traditional viewing has dropped, networks are less willing to spend as much on shows they don’t own.
NBC revived the show for 20 episodes. It was initially reported that they would be split between seasons five and six. It was later confirmed that they would all be part of a fifth season. Ten episodes aired during the 2022-23 season, and the remaining ten installments will run during the upcoming 2023-24 season.
The cast’s options expire on June 30th, and NBC has opted not to extend them. The network could have extended them and would have had next year to decide if they wanted a sixth season, putting the cast on hold for a year. With the uncertainty of the ongoing writers strike, the decision has been made to end the show.
What do you think? Have you kept up with the Magnum PI TV series on NBC? Are you sorry that this reboot has been cancelled instead of renewed for a sixth season?