The wild ride of Magnum P.I. renewals has come to an end, after the series started out on CBS, was cancelled, then rescued by NBC for Season 5 in the 2023 TV schedule, and now cancelled for a second time. While the cast, led by star Jay Hernandez, reprised their roles for the network switch, Magnum and Co.'s second life in primetime would only last for one season. The news also comes after Hernandez opened up to CinemaBlend earlier this year about what he really loves about his show, which fans now know will end after five seasons.
Magnum P.I.'s Cancellation
Although NBC originally ordered a fifth and sixth season of ten episodes each in 2022 when rescuing Magnum P.I. from CBS' cancellation, that was changed to a 20-episode Season 5. Ten of those episodes are still months away from airing, so Magnum getting the axe over summer hiatus doesn't mean that fans have seen the last of Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, and the rest of the cast in their roles. There is still more to look forward to.
The cancellation news breaking now is likely due to cast options expiring on June 30, according to Deadline, meaning that a decision had to be made sooner rather than later about whether to continue Magnum P.I. into Season 6. The network has decided to cancel rather than renew before the second half of Season 5 or extend the cast's options. Sadly, the cancellation means that Magnum P.I. will end just shy of hitting the 100-episode milestone.
Speaking with CinemaBlend ahead of the spring finale, Hernandez was optimistic about a renewal to reach 100 episodes, but the WGA writers strike began shortly after and meant uncertain futures across scripted television. NBC previously announced that Season 5B would premiere in midseason of the 2023-2024 TV season. Given that those episodes were filmed before the writers strike, it seems unlikely that 5B will have to be delayed past early 2024. As for what the star said he loves about the show, keep reading!
What Jay Hernandez Loves About The Show
Timed to the action-packed spring finale of the fifth season that set up some problems for Magnum and Co. in the upcoming second half, Jay Hernandez spoke with CinemaBlend. It was in the wake of the debut of the second episode of Magnum P.I. that he directed, which took Perdita Weeks' Higgins into some uncharted territory.
During the interview, I asked the star what it was like for him to tackle an episode as a director while also portraying Thomas Magnum. Hernandez responded to say that directing is "just something I really, really, really love doing," and he couldn't "wait to get a chance to do it next season." He also shared that he'd be interested in writing an episode since he knows "the types of stories that we like to tell on Magnum" and "I feel like it would be pretty straightforward" to write for his own show.
When the discussion turned to the subject of action and flashback sequences, Jay Hernandez was quick to say that he loved tackling those as well. He told CinemaBlend:
I love doing the flashbacks. Anytime you can get us in the uniform and on a mission, that stuff is just so much fun to shoot. It feels a little different than sort of the quote unquote, case of the week. I love that kind of stuff.
Jay Hernandez went on to say that the flashbacks he loves "just further fill out the character for the audience," noting that this applies for T.C., Rick, and "even Nuzo" as well as his own character. He also shared that there was an idea of "doing a whole flashback mission for one of the episodes next season" if they got the opportunity to do it, and was even interested in directing it. Sadly, short of Magnum P.I. being rescued for the second time, that episode won't happen.
Since the star never comes across as anything less than enthusiastic about the show, there are undoubtedly plenty more elements of Magnum P.I. that he loves but we just didn't have time to get into in our interview earlier this year. Still, in light of the cancellation, his mentions of hopes for hitting 100 episodes as well as loving to direct and do flashbacks make it even more unfortunate that a sixth season isn't on the way.
At least fans can count on ten more episodes, and hope that the already-filmed Season 5 finale ends in a way that works as a series finale as well! My fingers are definitely going to be crossed for a happily-ever-after for Magnum and Higgins. And who knows? Maybe a second rescue isn't totally impossible when there are a lot of streamers out there! During the wait for Magnum P.I. to return in 2024, you can always revisit all ten episodes of Season 5A streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
