Tom Selleck Weighs In on the ‘Magnum P.I.’ Reboot — And If He’ll Make a Cameo
Exclusive
Yes, Tom Selleck wishes the new Thomas Magnum well. No, he won’t have anything to do with it.
If you haven’t heard yet, CBS has ordered their Magnum P.I. reboot to series. If you’re a millennial who doesn’t pay attention to old stuff, that’s the loosey-goosey detective show starring the irresistibly charming Tom Selleck that ran on CBS from 1980-1988 and earned him a Best Actor Emmy.
Peter Lenkov, the redo specialist responsible for updating Hawaii Five-O and MacGyver is the guy in charge. He’s hired Jay Hernandez (The Expanse, Suicide Squad) to play Thomas Magnum, like his predecessor, a former Navy Seal turned private investigator who lives in Hawaii.
So what does Selleck, now happily playing NYPD commissioner Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods, another long-running series — it will beat Magnum’s length of service next season — have to say about the new version? He chose to share his feelings for the first time to TV Guide Magazine and TV Insider.
The actor says when he was in L.A. (he lives on a ranch north of the city when he’s not shooting Blue Bloods) he was asked to come to CBS’s West Coast HQ for a meeting with Lenkov and David Stapf, the CBS TV Studios president.
“CBS is kind of my home network,” says Selleck. “I’ve done The Young and the Restless and (most of) the Jesse Stone movies as well as Magnum and Blue Bloods with them.” They told him if he “had a problem” with the remake, their relationship was important enough that they wouldn’t do it. “Peter was very effusive about the project; he grew up with Magnum and this was his dream,” he adds.
Tom Selleck, Sami Gayle, Donnie Wahlberg, Andrew Terraciano, Len Cariou, Will Estes on ‘Blue Bloods’ (Photo: John Paul Filo/CBS)
Stapf suggested that he talk to Les Moonves, CBS Corporation’s CEO and Chairman of the Board. According to Selleck, Moonves talked about how, since Universal owned the show, they could “do whatever they want with it,” the actor recalls. “Les said, ‘We’d like to control the show We think we can do a better job.’”
“I went home,” Selleck continues, “and thought about it for about a day. In the end, I thought, ‘We couldn’t have a better bow tied around our show. We went off with our final episode as the number one show on all of television. We’re in the Smithsonian for recognizing Vietnam veterans in a positive light, the first show to really do that. And it led to countless other opportunities. I just felt success is so hard to come by in this business, why do I want to root for somebody to fail. I just stepped back, and said, ‘I won’t get in your way.’”
He also won’t be involved in any way. “They asked and I said, ‘Absolutely not. I’m busy with Blue Bloods.’” But more than that, he concedes, “It will never be what in my fantasy world, I would make it to be.”
Don’t expect a fun guest spot either. “I told them that I won’t do some cameo guest spot to let the audience know I approve.” He’s aware that could disappoint some fans of his and the shows. “I’m sure they’d like it, but I have an obligation to my version. And Peter’s going to do his take on what a Magnum under some similar circumstances should be about.”
Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum in the ‘Magnum P.I.’ reboot (Photo: Karen Neal/CBS)
This isn’t the first time that Selleck turned down a TV offer concerning the ionic role. In the early ‘90s, Selleck was working with big fan and best-selling author Tom Clancy — just off the success of The Hunt for Red October — on a Magnum movie. “Tom and I worked on a story — a good story for a movie. The character wasn’t done; when we left him, he went back into the Navy. I thought it was time because I was having success with features. Three Men and a Baby had been the number one movie in the world.”
Universal Studio chief Sidney Sheinberg had other ideas, Selleck says. He wanted to use Magnum in a wheel of rotating mysteries. “I had no interest; they weren’t thinking big enough and they really blew it.”
Tom Selleck in the original Magnum, P.I. series (Photo: CBS)
Over the years, Selleck says he heard rumors about other movies and TV ideas. He didn’t speak ill of them, but he “wasn’t particularly thrilled,” he admits. “This seemed okay because it’s probably going to happen sooner or later. Why choose to be offended? This is Peter’s dream, let him run with it. He’s a nice man.”
For lots more from our chat with Tom Selleck, pick up the June 25 issue of TV Guide Magazine.
Conversation25 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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G
Tom Selleck is one class act.
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C
Just further proof of a lack of talent, imagination, creativity and original thought in Hollywood.
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G
You can't improve on an original (most of the time) I tried to watch Hawaii 5-0 and couldn't do it, I wouldn't even give Macgiver a glance. And as far as I'm concerned NO ONE will ever be Magnum except Tom Selleck.
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C
THERE IS ONLY ONE ORIGINAL .ONE TOM SELLECK AS MAGNUM,,,WHY SCREW IT UP WITH A 10TH RATE COPY.
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O
Apparently there isn't a single writer left in hollywood.
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O
I just have this on-going narrative in my head...an interior shot, of an office in the estate, the room lined with heavy wooden bookcases, and a large black leather chair opposite the large mahogany desk, facing away from the camera. Jay H. as Magnum and Higgins, walking into the room. facing the back of the chair, in silence, then..."I hope you have enjoyed the use of my home, and my automobiles, as you have added color, and depth to my novels, but your services are no longer required, as the game is complete." The Chair turns...and there sits the original Tom as "Magnum"... who standing, stoically reaches out his hand..."It is my pleasure to finally meet you both, I am Robin Masters." Fade to black.
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G
The new guy is puny. Not beefcakey enough. He doesn’t grab my attention. Bad casting.
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P
His choice. He's wonderful in Blue Bloods, but it would be great if he'd grace the series with some sort of presence. Perhaps he'll consider it after it airs and if he likes it. Lenkov has done a fine job with H50 and MacGyver.
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G
Doubt it. Tom Selleck has made it clear he has no interest in it. He films Blue Bloods full-time, and that show films in New York City. Even if he wanted to, it'd involve some pretty complicated logistics. Just because Peter has done a good job with Hawaii Five-0 and MacGyver, it doesn't mean he will with Magnum, P.I.
As it is, Hawaii Five-0's biggest issue is the ridiculous bickering between Steve and Danny. It's insufferable. Everything else about that show is great, but Danny's incessant whining ruins it.
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More than once, Peter has talked about how difficult it is to do MacGyver crossovers since the show films in Atlanta. It involves complicated logistics, such as trying to work around the MacGyver cast's schedules or just rearranging them altogether. They couldn't make an actual crossover happen this season for that exact reason, even though Peter talked about planning on doing another, bigger crossover at some point. If he couldn't make a MacGyver crossover happen because of scheduling issues, he'd have an even harder time working around Tom Selleck's Blue Bloods schedule. It's just not possible.
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P
You're more likely to see McGarrett make a cameo on the new Magnum, P.I. than Tom Selleck.
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R
I agree about the bickering between Steve and Danny. Apparently some fans love it. I think it's stupid and turns people off.
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G
The new MacGyver stinks!
2 1
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G
Agreed....it is getting old. I love the show too....I like the new actors. Seems Caan is in less and less, and frankly, his character doesn't have a strong presence on the show.
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R
His constant whining is pretty much why i stopped watching Five-0 after season 2. It got old and irritating real fast.
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O
I absolutely agree with you on this.
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G
I've watched the re-boot and of course, all the originals. I really don't know why any fan of the original Magnum P.I. would bother with the re-boot. It's probably fine for people who have never seen the original though. Millennials.
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R
I like the new Mangum but do not care for the character of Jin.
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O
MEOW
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B
The best words can’t say
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P
I love the new Magnum. There is a lot of other shows that need to go before this one.eetarogers
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G
I am enjoying the new magnum very much. I love the old magnum as well but the spin with Higgins being a woman who is as good or even better than magnum is great. The chemistry between the new team is excellent as well. If the old magnum was on tv today, it would not have been number one. No offense to Tom
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C
Lots of talk of being number one from Selleck. Sounds like our president. And the magnum movie wouldn’t have done well. It’s a TV property.
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O
Hey, Catfood,
It ain't bragging if it's true.
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O
Frankly I can't stand to watch the original Magnum, PI series. To me, the constant bickering and arguing between Magnum and Higgins has really worn me down. It is constant, over the top and not at all enjoyable to watch and even worse to listen to. Frankly I don't think it is realistic to have two primary characters in a series that are forced to live in such close proximity be constantly as each other throat and complaining about everything the other one does. It is childish and not entertaining. L Even Rick is almost always complaining and griping about Magnum. TC seems to be the only reasonable, adult cast member
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