Warning: Spoilers for the Magnum P.I. Series Premiere follow…
The original long-running Magnum P.I. series, which ran from ’80 to ’88, is known for a handful of things. First and foremost, it transformed Tom Selleck into a bonafide TV star (which he was even able to parlay into a few headlining movie roles) and, aside from the unique Hawaiian backdrop, it was Selleck’s charm that kept viewers coming back for weekly capers. Add to the mix John Hillerman’s Higgins – Thomas Magnum’s snooty, feisty foil – and the series was able to cruise comfortably as a breezy “case of the week” procedural for many years.
Decades later, CBS still builds shows using the same blueprint that TV adopted back in “the day.” Drawing in an older demographic for its stable, stalwart lineup of “murder’s the real star” crime shows, the network uses a time-honored regimented recipe for casual, lightly serialized (though mostly not) crook-buster shows, using tried and true tropes and cliches to present viewers with purposefully unchallenging storytelling.
Source: IGN.com Magnum P.I. Series Premiere Review