Magnum P.I. continuation with Lily “Tommy” Magnum

[Aragorn]

Complete Deadline article here.

A famous 1980s title is eyeing a comeback. ABC has nabbed Magnum, a sequel to the classic series Magnum P.I. that starred Tom Selleck, with a script commitment plus substantial penalty. The project, from Leverage creator John Rogers and Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, will keep the fun, action-packed style of the original as it follows Magnum’s daughter, Lily “Tommy” Magnum, who returns to Hawaii to take up the mantle of her father’s PI firm. She and her tribe of friends mix tropical beaches with the seedy underbelly of international crime and modern espionage, even as she tries to unravel the mystery of the blown spy operation that ended her career in Navy Intelligence.
.....
Magnum P.I., created by Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson, premiered in 1980 and ran on CBS for eight seasons with Selleck in his signature role as a Hawaiian P.I. Lily, who appeared in four episodes, had been raised by her mom, Magnum’s once presumed dead wife Michele, and her second husband. Following their death, the little girl was reunited with her birth father who at the end of the series vowed to provide a stable home for her.

Sounds like what a lot of you were hoping for out of MacGyver, a straight up continuation rather than a remake. They're even taking a character that already existed to build the new show around. Not sure how much Tom Selleck can be involved, if at all, with his duties on another network.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

I had to check the calendar to make sure this isn't April 1st.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Sounds exactly like a reboot in the guise of a continuation. I'll tune in to check it out.

 

[Christopher]

Too bad it isn't on CBS. It would be so perfect if it were the replacement series for Hawaii Five-O and took over the same sets and production staff. (Because that's how it happened with the original.)

 

[Owain Taggart]

I thought Magnum's daughter had died?

 

[Jedi Marso]

I thought Magnum's daughter had died?

No, that what the whole finale was about. Magnum had been sent a tape showing that Michelle and Lily were killed by a car bomb, IIRC. He went sleuthing and figured out that while Michelle was dead, Lily was still alive, and he got her back. This among all the hijinks involving Rick's wedding in the finale.

 

[safarial]

The magnum finale ended with what Bellisario would do with the JAG finale.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

No, that what the whole finale was about. Magnum had been sent a tape showing that Michelle and Lily were killed by a car bomb, IIRC. He went sleuthing and figured out that while Michelle was dead, Lily was still alive, and he got her back. This among all the hijinks involving Rick's wedding in the finale.

I've heard talk that Magnum was actually stabbed to death in the finale and everything other than the warehouse scene (where Magnum has the knife fight with the stalker) is part of Magnum's final moments as he bleeds to death on the floor. This is compounded by Magnum's shocked expression - as if he's just been stabbed - followed by the blood dripping on the handkerchief, and the strange "misty" transition to Rick's wedding, as if Magnum is dreaming that before he died.

Thoughts?

(Oh, and as for this remake/reboot/sequel/whatever: They should only do it if Tom Selleck gives his blessing. Obviously he can't appear because he's busy with Blue Bloods, but if he says they shouldn't do it, then they shouldn't.)

 

[Owain Taggart]

No, that what the whole finale was about. Magnum had been sent a tape showing that Michelle and Lily were killed by a car bomb, IIRC. He went sleuthing and figured out that while Michelle was dead, Lily was still alive, and he got her back. This among all the hijinks involving Rick's wedding in the finale.

Yeah, it's been awhile since I've seen it, so maybe I was remembering his wife being died. I hope he ends up doing a cameo at least, or maybe ends up playing the role Higgins did, ie owning the house.

 

[auntiehill]

*Magnum Nerd Alert*
(whoooosh)

Did someone say "Magnum, PI?"

Far too much time has passed for a reboot. Plus, the whole point of Thomas rejoining Naval Intelligence was to give Lily a "normal life." A reboot in this fashion is a terrible idea.

MLB, the warehouse scene was at the end of season 7 when they weren't certain the show would be renewed and show was left in "limbo" (that also being the title of the episode). They made it seem like he had died...but was an easy way to bring him back if the show got renewed. He was shot in the warehouse, btw, not stabbed, and then was shown in the hospital, in a coma. They were fully prepared that have it end there, if they had to, showing Magnum's "soul" walking away into the horizon. But in season 8, they just had him suddenly wake from his coma.

His "stalker" in season 7 was way back in the episode 6, "Death and Taxes" (one of my favorites). The killer used a knife on his victims but never cut Magnum; Thomas shot him dead at the The Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial pool. I think you are getting your episodes confused.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ @auntiehill - no, I wasn't referring to when he got shot in "Limbo." I meant "Resolutions", when he had that knife fight with the psycho who was stalking Linda Lee Ellison.

 

[tharpdevenport]

As long as it doesn't re-write established series history,rspects any character from the original that comes in in cameos or in a regular basis, and has writing at least as good as the original and not be another interchangable piece of crap that just happens to be related to an old series, I'm willing to see what happens. For now. I'll be watching who is writing and who is directing -- that will tell a lot about what they intend to do with it, as well as who re-works the original theme music (assuming they don't get a new one).

Super karate monkey death bonus points if they hire Mike Post, who is still alive and still composing. Hell, he's alive, the original composer/theme compsoer early on, Ian Freebairn-Smith is still alive; additional music composers for Post are still alive (including Ron Jones and Velton Ray Bunch). If they hrie some shitty boring modern television composer, I'm gonna balfe all over the place.

 

[Commander Richard]

I like the sound of this and I look forward to checking it out.

I also feel like I have to catch up on Magnum P.I. since I haven't seen a lot of that show.

 

[Shaka Zulu]

Yeah, it's been awhile since I've seen it, so maybe I was remembering his wife being died. I hope he ends up doing a cameo at least, or maybe ends up playing the role Higgins did, ie owning the house.

He can't do that if he's still in the navy, and didn't Robin Masters own the house?

 

[N-121973]

I have all the episodes on DVD and as a car-crazy kid I loved the red Ferrari. On a visit to London a couple of years back I even made a point of visiting some of the locations they used in the two-parter with Peter Davison. James Doohan was also in an episode where there's a dinner party at the house during a tropical storm and the guests are taken hostage.

 

[J.T.B.]

He can't do that if he's still in the navy, and didn't Robin Masters own the house?

There is zero chance that a 70 year old is still in the navy. And yes.

 

[Captaindemotion]

So long as the actress playing her sports a moustache, I'm fine with this.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

There is zero chance that a 70 year old is still in the navy.

Thomas could be an Admiral now, couldn't he?

 

[J.T.B.]

Thomas could be an Admiral now, couldn't he?

He could be (though very unlikely after he missed 10 years of service), but I'm not sure what that has to do with it.

 

[CorporalClegg]

So what's next Airwolf? The Fall Guy?