The original Magnum, P.I. series ran for 8 seasons, from 1980 to 1988 on CBS. Vietnam War veteran and former POW Lieutenant Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV (Tom Selleck) had resigned from the Navy and now works as a private investigator on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. While in reality he’s more of a beach bum, to outsiders it looks like Magnum lives a more luxurious lifestyle, living rent-free in the guest house of Robin’s Nest—the estate belonging to wealthy novelist Robin Masters—in exchange for doing some security system testing for the unseen writer. Managing the estate, and making sure all of its guests are well taken care of, is retired British Army sergeant major Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (John Hillerman). He is more buttoned-down and proper, and doesn’t care for Magnum’s care-free, disorganized way of life. Magnum is a constant thorn in his side, especially the way he makes free reign of the facilities and the use of Masters’ red Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole. Higgins also cares for the property’s two Doberman guard dogs, Zeus & Apollo.

Magnum usually finds himself investigating cases related to Masters’ guests (often beautiful women), who come to stay at the estate. These cases range from murders, to kidnapping and missing persons, to theft, and more. While there is usually some case of the week, other episodes just explore the lives of the main characters. The series has a lot of variety, with some episodes featuring a lighter, funnier tone, while others are far more serious and dramatic, tackling topics like PTSD and dementia, or flashing back to Magnum’s childhood or time in the war. Much like MacGyver, the viewer constantly hears Magnum’s inner monologue, with this “little voice” describing his thought process or analysis of each situation, and often adding some levity to the series. Helping Magnum with his cases (though sometimes via trickery or bribes) are friends/former Marines/Vietnam vets Theodore “T.C.” Calvin (Roger E. Mosley) and Orville Wilbur Richard “Rick” Wright (Larry Manetti). T.C. runs a helicopter charter and a tour van service on the island, and Magnum frequently takes advantage of T.C.’s copter to get around, with T.C. half-joking about needing gas money in return. Meanwhile, Rick owns a local bar in town and later runs the exclusive King Kamehameha Club, for which Higgins is a board member. Magnum often treats the club like his own personal facility, which is another source of annoyance for Higgins.

I probably hadn’t seen Magnum, P.I. since it first aired, but was pleased to discover that it holds up very well 40 years later. Tom Selleck is wonderful in this iconic role—it’s hard to believe he thought about passing on the pilot in order to play Indiana Jones! Selleck finds the perfect blend of humor and gravitas that makes the character both charming and believable. The cases are interesting and the series does a nice job of developing the characters and relationships, and exploring their backstories over the course of the series. One of the delights of the show is the relationship between Higgins and Magnum. Higgins is a bit pompous and looks down on Magnum. At the beginning of the series, they have an adversarial relationship. However, over the course of the series this grows into a mutual friendship. Actor John Hillerman also plays several of Higgins’ half-brothers over the course of the series, including a Texan, an Irish priest, and the rightful heir to the throne of Costa De Rosa. I had no idea that Hillerman was actually from Texas—his British accent is quite believable. There is also this fun ongoing suspicion from Magnum that Higgins may actually be Robin Masters. While Masters is never seen on camera, he is voiced by Orson Welles (and later a sound-alike after Welles passed away).

The series featured two entertaining crossovers with other Universal TV series. During the third season, Magnum teams up with the Simon brothers (Simon & Simon) to recover a stolen, cursed Hawaiian artifact, and in the seventh season, Magnum butts heads with Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote) who comes to Hawaii to investigate an attempt on the life of one of Robin’s guests. While previous DVD releases of Magnum, P.I. included both halves of both of these crossovers, Mill Creek’s Blu-ray release only includes the first/Magnum half of each. However, the filmmakers had shot alternate endings for both of these episodes so that the Magnum episodes could serve as stand-alone stories when the series was syndicated. The episodes included on this Blu-ray set are those self-contained alternate-ending cuts. While the viewer isn’t left hanging story-wise, it’s a shame that the Simon & Simon and Murder, She Wrote halves of these crossovers weren’t included on the discs like they were with the previous DVD releases, even if just in SD format. (Note: The Murder, She Wrote episode is available to stream on Peacock, but Simon & Simon doesn’t appear to be streaming on any service.)

Over its 8 seasons, the series saw some recognizable faces as guest stars, such as Sharon Stone playing identical twins, Miguel Ferrer and Anne Lockhart playing younger versions of the characters played by their real-life father/mother, José Ferrer and June Lockhart. Plus many other big name stars, including Ernest Borgnine, Carol Burnett, Dick Butkus, Stephen J. Cannell, Carol Channing, Tyne Daly, Ted Danson, Peter Davison, Dana Delany, Shannen Doherty, Tate Donovan, James Doohan, Morgan Fairchild, Jessica Walter, Norman Fell, Robert Forster, Erin Gray, Melora Hardin, Joanna Kerns, Mako, Darren McGavin, Ian McShane, Pat Morita, Annie Potts, John Ratzenberger, Judge Reinhold, Alfonso Ribeiro, Mimi Rogers, Jill St. John, Frank Sinatra, Sharon Stone, Leslie Uggams, Amy Yasbeck, and many more.

Mill Creek’s new Blu-ray release brings this classic series to disc in HD for the first time in the U.S. The picture quality is excellent, with bright colors that showcase the beautiful Hawaiian setting. The presentation is clean, providing a nice level of detail, with just a pleasant amount of film grain. The series looks better than it ever did on TV! You wouldn’t know that this show was 40 years old, if not for the 4:3 aspect ratio and some of the outfits, like Magnum’s ridiculously short shorts! I was a little concerned to see that the eighth season’s thirteen episodes were squeezed onto just 2 discs, but even with 7 episodes on one of the discs, the picture didn’t feel overly-compressed and still looked quite good. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and is more than sufficient for the series, but lacks the more immersive feeling of a modern surround sound track.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment had previously released the complete series of Magnum, P.I. on DVD. Mill Creek’s new Blu-ray release ports over nearly all of the bonus material from that set, including two The Rockford Files episodes starring Tom Selleck, a featurette on the Murder, She Wrote crossover, two 30-minute Universal TV show featurettes, and three audio commentaries. The only things missing from the previous DVD release are, unfortunately, the two crossover conclusion episodes. However, new to Mill Creek’s release are over 50 minutes of brand new interviews with some of the folks who worked on the series.

The series’ 162 episodes are spread across 30 discs, with 4 for each of the first seven seasons and 2 for the final season. The bonus material is spread throughout the set. The discs reside on trays within three thick 10-disc HD keepcases, which are are placed inside of a cardboard slipcase. When placed side-by-side, the front and back covers of the three cases combine to make two large photos (see below).

What’s Included:

Episodes: (7813 min)

• All 162 episodes of the TV series spread across 30 discs:
  • Season 1 (1980-1981), 18 episodes, 4 discs
  • Season 2 (1981-1982), 22 episodes, 4 discs
  • Season 3 (1982-1983), 23 episodes, 4 discs
  • Season 4 (1983-1984), 21 episodes, 4 discs
  • Season 5 (1984-1985), 22 episodes, 4 discs
  • Season 6 (1985-1986), 21 episodes, 4 discs
  • Season 7 (1986-1987), 22 episodes, 4 discs
  • Season 8 (1987-1988), 13 episodes, 2 discs
• 1080p / 1.33:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
• Subtitles: English

Extras:

For each of the new interviews, the audio is played over clips and promotional photos from the various projects and episodes the participant is referring to in their discussion.
• The Rockford Files featuring Tom Selleck
  Tom Selleck stars as private investigator Lance White in 2 episodes of The Rockford Files.
  • “White on White and Nearly Perfect” (Season 5, Episode 4) (48:46)
    When Rockford is hired to find a missing heiress, he discovers he is on the case with a second private eye whose ineptitude endangers both their lives.
  • “Nice Guys Finish Dead” (Season 6, Episode 6) (49:59)
    Rockford (James Garner) tries to clear a fellow sleuth when the guest speaker at an investigators award dinner is murdered. Guest stars: Tom Selleck, Larry Manetti.
• Interview with Writer/Producer/Director Reuben Leder* (11:34)
  In this feature titled “Little Bit of Luck: An Interview with Writer/Producer/Director Reuben Leder”, Leder talks about starting his contract with Universal working on the final season of The Incredible Hulk, before moving on to Magnum just as a writers’ strike started. He talks about his evolving role on the series, writing to Tom Selleck’s strengths, the tight shooting and editing schedule, writing and filming the cruise ship episode “All Thieves on Deck”, the more serious episodes like “All For One” covering topics like PTSD, and lighter episodes like the softball game episode “Squeeze Play”, and more.
• Interview with Writer/Producer Chris Abbott* (12:49)
  In this feature titled “Paradise Blues: An Interview with Writer/Producer Chris Abbott”, Abbott talks about going from working on commercials to writing scripts for Little House on the Prairie. She then talks about her transition to Magnum, writing for Carol Burnette, adding her own personality to the scripts, covering topics like Alzheimer’s, Magnum’s high school reunion episode, adding exposition, killing off Magnum and the angry reactions from the viewers, and more.
• Interview with Actress/Writer Deborah Pratt* (10:18)
  In this feature titled “Echoes of the Past: An Interview with Writer/Actress Deborah Pratt”. The actress talks about the lack of quality roles for brown-skinned women at the time, getting a role in the Airwolf pilot, auditioning for Magnum, meeting her future husband Donald P. Bellisario, writing for Airwolf and Magnum including the episode where Magnum becomes a single father, and more. She also talks about Bellisario’s masterful ability to change the show in the editing room to achieve the story, look, feel and tone he wanted.
• The Great 80’s TV Flashback (29:01)
  A fun look back at many of Universal’s iconic and breakthrough 80’s TV properties, including Miami Vice, Magnum, P.I., The A-Team, Knight Rider, Simon & Simon, Murder, She Wrote, Quantum Leap, Gimme A Break!, Charles in Charge and Kate & Allie. Includes clips, and interviews with writer Ray Richmond (The Hollywood Reporter), columnist Alex Ben Block (Television Week), co-executive producer Robert Ward (Miami Vice), executive producer Stephen J. Cannell (“The A-Team”), host Debbie Matenopoulos (TV Guide “Screening Room”), actress Julie Cobb (“Jill Pembroke”, Charles in Charge), executive producer Glen A. Larson (Knight Rider), actor David Hassellhoff (“Michael Knight”, Knight Rider), stunt coordinator Jack Gill (Knight Rider), and actress Lara Jill Miller (“Sam Kanisky”, Gimme A Break!). Originally produced in 2005 to promote UPHE’s TV on DVD releases, and presented in 4:3 Full Frame format.
• Inside the Ultimate Crossover (6:00)
  The cast and crew discuss how the Magnum, P.I./Murder, She Wrote crossover came about, blending the styles of the two shows, and logistical challenges of filming the episodes. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/supervising producer Robert Swanson (Murder She Wrote), executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson (Magnum, P.I.), writer/producer Jay Huguely (Magnum, P.I.), and actress Angela Lansbury (“Jessica Fletcher”). Originally produced in 2007, and presented in 4:3 Full Frame format.
• America’s Top Sleuths (29:55)
  Promotional feature for NBC/Universal’s Sleuth cable channel that counts down ten of America’s Top Sleuths as voted on by viewers in an online survey. The films/TV characters discussed include Sherlock Holmes, Lennie Briscoe (Law & Order), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Remington Steele, Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote), Miami Vice, The Rockford Files, Columbo, and Magnum, P.I.. Includes interviews with editor Kevin Burton Smith (www.thrillingdetective.com), creative director Jim Moore (GC), writer/NPR commentator Mark Jordan Legan, critic Matt Roush (TV Guide), Sirius radio host Jon Hein, writer Dave Karger (Entertainment Weekly), Emmy Magazine contributor Anderson Jones, editor Bradley Jacobs (Us Weekly), film critic Leah Rozen (People Magazine), Quincy, ME, comedians Carlos Alazraqui, Eddie Griffin, Joe Vega, Lynne Koplitz & Ray Ellin, crime novelists Michael Connelly, Sara Paretsky, Paula Woods, Jason Starr, John Ridley & Scott Turow, producer/writer Stephen J. Cannell, and actors Peter Falk, Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order), Alana De La Garza (Law & Order) & Milena Govich (Law & Order). Originally produced in 2007, and presented in 4:3 Full Frame format.
• Interview with Composer Mike Post* (12:40)
  In this new feature titled “Mike on Magnum: The Anatomy of a Theme”. composer Mike Post talks about how he first got into scoring for television, defining the sound of the show, the process of scoring the series, and more.
• Virgil Vogel Featurette* (6:31)
  In this new feature titled “Virgil Vogel: A Universal Director”, author/film historian C. Courtney Joyner takes a look back at the career of director Virgil Vogel, who started with Universal in 1940 and ultimately went on to direct shows like Magnum, P.I. and Airwolf.
• Audio Commentaries
  Three commentaries have been ported from the 2014 DVD release of the final season.
  • 802 “Pleasure Principle” (46:42)
    Writer Jay Huguely, who was with the show since the start of the third season, provides commentary of the second episode of the final season. He shares some behind-the-scenes stories about the episode as well as the series as a whole, including the eleventh-hour decision to renew the series, but still kill off Magnum at the end of the seventh season. He provides a play-by-play on the episode, discussing the themes of episode, and the after-effects of the coma for Magnum and the other characters.
  • 810 “Legend of the Lost Art” (46:49)
    Writer Jay Huguely returns to discuss this Raiders of the Lost Ark spoof episode, which was also a nod to the fact that Selleck had to pass on the Indiana Jones role for the Magnum pilot.
  • 813 “Resolutions Pt. 2” (TIME)
    Co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson, who worked on 6 of the show’s 8 seasons, talks about working on the series in general, the tough decisions on how to end the series and resolve each character’s storyline, bringing back lots of recurring guest characters, and what it was like working on the series in general over the years.

Unfortunately, missing from the previous DVD releases are the two crossover conclusion episodes.

Final Thoughts:

It was great to finally be able to revisit the classic Magnum, P.I. series on Blu-ray. The series holds up quite well 40 years later, remaining entertaining with its perfect blend of humor, action and drama. The series does an excellent job of blending more serious cases-of-the-week with humorous one-offs, and does a nice job of developing and exploring these characters over the course of the series. While the possible series finale at the end of season 7 likely divided viewers at the time, the series came back for one final season to provide a more upbeat and satisfying conclusion for the series. With his fun and charming persona, it’s easy to see why Tom Selleck continues to grace TV screens today. Mill Creek has put together a solid Blu-ray release that looks amazing, especially for a 40-year-old show. It ports over most of the previous bonus material and adds some interesting new interviews with those involved in making the series. Unfortunately, this release doesn’t include the second half of the two crossover episodes, which had been included on previous DVD releases. So those who already own the DVDs may want to hold onto them. That said, this release still comes recommended for the quality of the series itself, and is definitely worth the upgrade as far as the visual presentation.