'Magnum P.I.' Actor Zachary Knighton Reacts to Cancellation: 'Helluva Ride'

Following Magnum P.I.'s surprise cancellation from NBC, star Zachary Knighton is reacting to the heartbreaking news. After the network rescued the action drama from its CBS cancellation last summer, it seemed like it wasn't enough, as after the first half of Season 5 has aired, NBC opted to not renew the series for a sixth season, meaning that the upcoming 10 episodes, the second half of the season, will be it.

Zachary Knighton, who portrays retired Marine Sergeant and tiki bar owner Orville "Rick" Wright, took to Twitter to share with his followers a short but sweet message about the show's run, saying, "It's been helluva ride! Thanks to all the fans for 5 incredible years. Love you all." Ending it with a red heart emoji, he also said he was "excited for what's next!"

While Magnum P.I.'s had shaky ratings during its NBC debut, that didn't necessarily mean that the show would get canceled. Ratings had dipped for the transition from CBS, but an NBC executive mentioned that CBS has a broader audience, age-wise, and the different timeslots could have also played a part. Even though the network was likely waiting to see how the rest of the season would go before making a decision, two months after the midseason finale, it seems like their decision is final.

As of now, Magnum P.I.'s final episodes aren't going to be part of NBC's fall schedule, but it's possible the show could return sooner than expected. The series wrapped filming earlier this year on the remaining Season 5 episodes, and with the writers' strike, it's very likely the network will have to make some adjustments to the fall schedule. It's very possible that, depending on how long the strike lasts, Thomas Magnum and co. could very well be rounding out 2023 in style and airing the final episodes in the fall.

Even though it's going to be sad to say goodbye to Magnum P.I., at least there are still 10 episodes to look forward to. Hopefully, there isn't too much of a cliffhanger at the end where fans are anxiously wanting another season, but regardless of a cliffhanger, fans will still anxiously want another season. At least they have time to prepare this time, even if it's not the news that they exactly wanted. The first 10 episodes of Season 5 are streaming on Peacock, so fans will be able to prepare for the beginning of the end of Magnum P.I.