Close to a year after saving it from its CBS cancellation, NBC has given Magnum P.I. the boot. The network recently announced that it has canceled the action drama, meaning that the upcoming second half of Season 5 will be its last hurrah. Lead actor Jay Hernandez previously told CinemaBlend how optimistic he was about the show getting a renewal and hitting 100 episodes, and one would think that fans are surely sad now that such a thing doesn't seem to be in the cards. On that note, the writers shared a sweet message for their Magnum Ohana.
In the midst of the ongoing WGA writers’ strike, the Magnum P.I. writers' room still took to Twitter following the news of the show’s second cancellation. The message, which seems to have been penned by co-creator Eric Guggenheim, was short but sweet. In it, he thanked those responsible for the show’s solid run:
Magnum Ohana, It’s been a terrific run, but, sadly, all things must end. We can’t wait for you to see the last ten episodes. We’re enormously proud of them. Thank you to the fans for all the support you’ve given our show over the past five years. Thanks also to NBC, UTV, CBS-TV and of course the great state of Hawaii. Much love, Eric.
This latest cancellation news is a tough pill to swallow but, like Eric Guggenheim said, all things must come to an end (even if it is premature, in my eyes). The circumstances aside though, it sounds like these final 10 episodes will be seriously action-packed. The episodes have reportedly completed filming, and one would hope that they provide some sort of closure. At the very least, even if all of the storylines aren't resolved, let's pray there isn't a blatant cliffhanger of any kind on the horizon.
Magnum P.I. wasn’t on our list of possible 2023 cancellations, as the notion of NBC cancelling it so soon seemed somewhat unlikely early on. The procedural was saved after weeks of campaigns by both fans and the cast, and many were excited when the show found new life at another network. Even after the show returned for Season 5, there were still questions to consider, though. One of the biggest was just how long Jay Hernandez would want to do Magnum. Sadly though, it now seems the leading man won't be retiring the character on his own terms.
As it stands, NBC has confirmed when Season 5 is returning, and it won't be until at least midseason 2024. Though the writers strike and its impact on the industry could shake things up a bit. There's always a chance that the network decides to air the supposedly filmed episodes this fall to help compensate for the lack of content. I'm sure fans would love to see those sooner rather than later. All in all, though I'm sad that the show is ending, it's lovely to see fans rally around it and the writers' room show them love for doing so.
While you're waiting for the final episodes of Magnum P.I., check out the first 10 episodes of Season 5, which are streaming with a Peacock subscription. And of course, check out CinemaBlend's 2023 TV schedule for more small-screen offerings.
