Magnum P.I.
| Magnum, P.I. | |
|---|---|
Title card (seasons 3-8)
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| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by |
Donald P. Bellisario Glen A. Larson |
| Written by | Donald P. Bellisario Glen A. Larson Chris Abbott Jay Huguely Reuben Leder |
| Directed by |
Ray Austin Michael Vejar Ivan Dixon |
| Starring |
Tom Selleck John Hillerman Roger E. Mosley Larry Manetti |
| Narrated by | Tom Selleck |
| Theme music composer | Ian Freebairn-Smith (pilot, early season 1) Mike Post Pete Carpenter |
| Composer(s) | Ian Freebairn-Smith (pilot, early season 1) Mike Post Pete Carpenter |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 163 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Donald P. Bellisario Glen A. Larson Tom Selleck |
| Producer(s) | Tom Greene |
| Location(s) |
Oʻahu, Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii Waimanalo Beach, Hawaii |
| Running time | 48 min. (excluding commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Belisarius Productions Glen A. Larson Productions |
| Distributor |
Universal Television (original) NBCUniversal Television Distribution (current) |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | Original Broadcast: 4:3 480i (SDTV) Remastered: 4:3 1080i (HDTV) |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | December 11, 1980 – May 8, 1988 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
Simon & Simon Murder, She Wrote |
Magnum, P.I. is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 during its first-run broadcast on the American television network CBS. According to the Nielsen ratings, Magnum, P.I. consistently ranked in the top twenty U.S. television programs during the first five years of its original run in the United States.
Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV is a private investigator played by Tom Selleck. He resides in the guest house of a 200-acre (81 ha) beachfront estate called Robin's Nest, in Hawaii, at the invitation of its owner, Robin Masters, the celebrated (but never seen) author of several dozen lurid novels. Ostensibly this is quid pro quo for Magnum's services based upon his expertise in security; the pilot and several early episodes suggest Magnum had done Masters a favor of some kind, possibly when Masters hired him for a case. The voice of Robin Masters, heard only a few times per season, was provided by Orson Welles (one last "appearance" was provided by a different actor, Reid Crandell).
Magnum lives a luxurious life on the estate and operates as a P.I. on cases that suit him. The only thorn in the side of his near-perfect lifestyle is Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, played by John Hillerman. An ex-British Army Sergeant Major, he is on the surface a stern, "by-the-book" caretaker of Robin's Nest, whose strict ways often conflict with Magnum's more easy-going methods. He patrols Robin's Nest with his two highly trained "lads", Doberman Pinschers named Zeus and Apollo. Magnum has free use of the guest house and the car, a Ferrari 308 GTS, but, as a humorous aside in various episodes, often has to bargain with Higgins for use of estate amenities such as the tennis courts, wine cellar and expensive cameras.
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