'Magnum P.I.' Stars Respond to Show's Cancellation After 4 Seasons

By Daniel S. Levine

Magnum P.I. stars Jay Hernandez and Perdita Weeks thanked fans for their support after the CBS reboot was canceled on Thursday. The show was by far the most-watched show canceled last week and came just ahead of the network's upcoming upfront presentation. Magnum P.I. was a remake of the hit 1980-1988 series Magnum, P.I., which starred Tom Selleck.

"That's a wrap! Time to hang up the Aloha shirt. Thanks to all the millions of fans who supported us, the crew who worked tirelessly, and the cast who I now call family. Love y'all. See ya on the next one," Henandez wrote on Instagram Friday. Hernandez posted another message on Twitter, where he wrote, "All good [things] must come to an end. We made memories I'll be forever grateful for and thanks to each & every one of you for going on this wild ride with us. It's all love. Until next time."

"That's Aloha from us at Magnum PI. Huge thanks to everyone who made the wheels go round for four years on the wildest ride of my life. Ohana forever," Weeks wrote on Instagram. "And cheers to the best investigative partner a gal could have asked for."

The new Magnum P.I. (without the apostrophe in the title) featured Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, a former Navy SEAL working as a private investigator in Hawaii and living at Robin Masters' guest house. Weeks played Juliet Higgins, a former MI6 agent also serving as Masters' majordomo. Her character was based on John Hillerman's Dr. Jonathan Higgins from the original series. The reboot's main cast also included Stephen Hill, Zachary Knighton, Amy Hill, and Tim Kang. The show was developed by Peter M. Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim. Several actors who appeared in Lenkov's Hawaii Five-0 remake made guest appearances in crossover episodes.

CBS' decision to cancel Magnum P.I. was surprising, as the network is known for giving its crime procedurals a long lease on life, especially ones as successful as Magnum. However, unlike Blue Bloods or the NCIS shows, Magnum's lead studio isn't CBS Studios. It is Universal Television, which is also behind CBS' FBI and The Equalizer hits. CBS and Universal could not come to an agreement on the Magnum licensing fees as low linear ratings have led the networks to demand lower costs, reports Deadline. While Universal and CBS could come to terms on the FBI shows and The Equalizer (all of which received multiple season renewals), Magnum didn't meet the same fate. CBS also has a strong slate of drama pilots for the 2022-2023 season, so CBS didn't feel too much pressure to keep a bubble show like Magnum alive.

Magnum P.I. finished its four-season run on May 6. After the finale aired, Hernandez told TVLine that viewers could "bank on" the show returning. "The numbers are great, it travels well internationally... So yeah, I think we're in good shape," he said. "And you know what, they're happy with the show. They loved this season, a lot of the stories they were really digging. And the episode I directed, they loved to the extent that I've already been asked to direct another one next season."

CBS also canceled United States of Al, B Positive, Good Sman, and How We Roll. The Amazing Race, Blue Bloods, Bob Hearts Abishola, CSI: Vegas, FBI, FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted, Ghosts, NCIS, NCIS: Hawai'i, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Neighborhood, Secret Celebrity Renovation, Survivor, SWAT, The Equalizer, Tough as Nails, and Young Sheldon will all be back next season. East New York, Fire Country, and So Help Me Todd will debut next season.

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