‘Magnum P.I.’ Reboot’s Run Was Much Shorter Than Tom Selleck’s Original

Fans of the Magnum P.I. reboot had to get terrible news once again, and this time it was from NBC as the network announced last week that the action drama was canceled. The upcoming second half of Season 5, which will consist of 10 episodes, will be the last of Thomas Magnum and the team. The series was saved by NBC last summer after CBS surprisingly canceled it. Magnum P.I. premiered in 2018, 30 years after the original series ended, which also aired on CBS.

Unfortunately, it seems like the reboot did not have the same kind of juice the original series had. The reboot, which saw Jay Hernandez portray the titular Thomas Magnum, will end its run at five seasons and 96 episodes. The Tom Selleck-led series, meanwhile, ran for eight seasons and 162 episodes. It’s a disappointment that the reboot wasn’t even able to reach 100 episodes, especially since there seemed to be some hope after NBC saved the series.

While it’s unknown just what made NBC cancel the reboot, Magnum P.I. for the first half of Season 5 could be to blame. Ratings were reportedly down from Season 4, as the first 10 episodes only averaged about 5 million viewers with delayed viewing. However, NBC exec Jeff Bader said that it could be because CBS has a broader audience, age-wise, and the show was in a different time slot, as well. Though whether or not that really made a difference with the cancellation is unclear, but it definitely could have had some part in it.

Meanwhile, with any show, ratings did slip for the original Magnum P.I. in the ’80s but still remained steady. It would have been nice to see the reboot have the same magic as the original. At the same time, it’s fitting that the original ended up having a longer run because it shows that not everything can be replaced. That doesn’t the cancellation hurt any less. With only 10 episodes left, there’s no telling how the story will wrap up if it will wrap up. As of now, Magnum P.I., but since filming is completed, it’s possible it will be added to NBC’s fall schedule depending on how long the writers’ strike continues. So fans will just have to keep a lookout to see when the final episodes of the action drama will premiere.