‘Magnum P.I.’ To End On NBC With Season 5
EXCLUSIVE: Magnum P.I.‘s reprieve at NBC is coming to an end. The network has opted not to order additional episodes beyond the 20-episode fifth season picked up last year. Primetime-Panic Your Complete Guide to Pilots and Straight-to-Series orders See All
NBC is expected to mount a sizable campaign for the remaining 10 episodes, marketing them as the series’ final chapter.
The reboot starring Jay Hernandez was not in a need of a renewal decision at the time of NBC’s upfront last month because its 20-episode Season 5 had been split into two, with the first half airing this midseason and the second half slated for midseason 2024 (or earlier, depending on the impact from the WGA strike.)
However, the options on the cast are up June 30, which forced the issue now. NBC had three scenarios, to pick up a sixth season, to extend the options on the cast or to release the actors and end the series. Networks have been very conservative with pickups amid the writers strike as it’s unclear when scripted series could go into production, so an early renewal appeared unlikely.
With the 2023-24 season already taken care of through the 10-episode Part 2 of Season 5, NBC would not have to make a Season 6 renewal decision on Magnum P.I. until a year from now, making for a long hold on the cast.
Magnum P.I. cheated death once. After CBS canceled the reboot last year, lead studio Universal Television found a new home for the drama at its sister network NBC. That is not likely to happen again unless a streamer like Netflix, which has found success with fellow NBC series Manifest, swoops in.
The show’s complex streaming rights may be a hurdle — Magnum P.I. is available in-season on NBCUniversal’s Peacock, with previous seasons on Paramount+, the streaming sibling of CBS and series’ co-producer CBS Studios.
The drama, which did well on CBS before being canceled, continues to be a strong draw. Magnum P.I.‘s Season 5 viewership was on par with some of the NBC scripted series, which were renewed for next season.
The show also continues to enjoy passionate fan following, making Magnum P.I. trend again this week, with no new episodes on.
Additionally, Magnum P.I. is a marquee title in Universal’s TV library. It is also is a rare broadcast drama with a Latino lead.
Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Tim Kang and Amy Hill star alongside Hernandez. Showrunner Eric Guggenheim, Justin Lin, John Davis and John Fox are executive producers. The series is a co-production between Universal TV and CBS Studios, which have split rights, with Universal TV handling international and CBS spearheading domestic off-network sales.
A reboot of the 1980s drama created by Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson that starred Tom Selleck, Magnum P.I. follows Thomas Magnum (Hernandez), a private investigator and former Navy SEAL who solves crimes in the Hawaii after returning home from Afghanistan and repurposing his military skills.
Source: Deadline
