A Perfectly Cromulent Blog

Confession Time - Magnum P.I.

At Confession Time, we know what you're thinking, and you're right.

I realize, of all the old timey TV shows from which to choose, Magnum P.I. is hardly the bottom of the barrel. Owning up to liking it isn't on par with admitting you had a fondness for Hunter, or T.J. Hooker, or...Hill Street Blues. Magnum, for all its Donald P. Bellisario-ness (razor sharp demarcation between heroes and villains, unswerving devotion to the armed forces), was a damn good show. It was one of the first TV programs to address - however superficially - the mindset of Vietnam vets trying to reenter society, the chemistry between Tom Selleck and John Hillerman was outstanding, and the series creators made sure to mix in humor and the occasional wholly comedic episode to keep things lively.

The first two seasons are out on DVD, with the 3rd coming next year. Season Three opens with probably the best episodes of the series, "Did You See the Sunrise?" Magnum, T.C., and Rick have a run-in with a Soviet operative from the war, resulting in one of the best endings of all time. These will probably join my rapidly growing list of TV shows I'm buying on DVD, as my DVR isn't big enough to get them all off of TV Land.

Rumors of a movie have been floating around for over a decade. In the '90s, Tom Clancy was supposed to be coming in to make a movie about Magnum returning to Naval Intelligence and Tom Selleck tabbed to return as the star. Then, last year, Clancy was reportedly out and Michael McCullers - he of Austin Powers and Undercover Brother fame - was in. Universal had supposedly put it on the fast track with George Clooney set to don the Hawaiian shirt, but here we are a year later and the rumor mill is as silent as the Molokai Pipeline when you've fallen off your surf-ski.

Considering the recent treatment given to Starsky and Hutch on the big screen, it's probably just as well.

Finally, I see Target actually has a Thomas Magnum costume for sale in time for Halloween:

That's not Thomas Magnum, it's Mr. Kotter.

First off, I can grow a better moustache than that on my toes. Second, Magnum never wore boots - he wore tennis shoes or docksiders (usually with those SEAL swim shorts). Third, that's not a Detroit Tigers cap. And fourth...oh the hell with it, I could pull a more authentic Magnum costume out of my laundry hamper. And just might.