The Love of My Life: Magnum P.I.

So, the love affair began like this. I got a small TV for Christmas when I was like 11 or 12, no cable, just some really good rabbit ears. The kind of TV with big knobs to change the channel and it'd make that cool "KaThunk-a-Thunk" noise when you'd turn 'em. Anyway, Id turn on the TV to fall asleep and on Fox (in the very early days of Fox) was Magnum P.I. Mon-Fri, in syndication. I faithfully watched Magnum every night before bed. Eventually, the network started airing something else (I think Arsenio started), and Magnum disappeared from my life. It wasn't until 1995 that i rediscovered Magnum. I was a sophomore at UL Lafayette (Honestly I was a Junior there for like 4 years, i don't know how that was possible). I lived in the roach infested Beau Chene apartment, which were close enough to campus to ride my bike to class. I had a break between 12 and 2 and would bike home for lunch. My roommate Scotty D also had a break at that time, so we sat down in the living room for lunch, flipped on the tube, and there, in all his Hawaiian shirted, ferrari driving, getting chased by Zeus and Apollo glory, was Magnum, P.I. We watched everyday, and next semester, we scheduled our classes so we'd be off at noon, just to watch Magnum. I do believe I've seen every episode ever, so imagine the pure joy that hit me when I found out Season 1 was out on DVD.

Here's a synopsis of the show from tvtome.com

Former Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Magnum resigns his commission to become a private investigator on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. He lands a home in the guest house on the estate of millionaire author Robin Masters in exchange for testing the estate's security, but is forced to work under the strict and ever watchful eye of Jonathan Higgins, a former British Army soldier who serves as the estate manager, and constantly patrols the grounds with his two "lads" Zeus and Apollo, who are loyally trained Doberman Pinschers always ready to pounce on Magnum.
Magnum makes good use of the perks that come with working on the estate, including driving Masters' sporty red 308 GTS Ferrari, Audi, and all-terrain Jimmy, as well as equipment such as high-end cameras and telescopes. Of course, all of these expensive toys are under the keen scrutiny of Higgins, and Thomas often finds himself at the end of Higgins' hard bargaining to secure their loan. Although Magnum's carefree ways often clash with Higgins' stricter manner, their mutual respect forms a strong basis for their working relationship.
Two of Magnum's former Vietnam comrades and friends live and work nearby. T.C. Calvin owns "Island Hoppers", a helicopter tour company, and Rick Wright manages the King Kamehameha Club, an exclusive beach front club. T.C.'s Piloting skills and Rick's shady underworld contacts often get them roped into Magnum's cases. Others in Magnum's circle include Naval officers Mac MacReynolds, Maggie Pool, and Buck Greene; Hawaii P.D. officers Nolan Page and Yoshi Tanaka; Dr. Ibold; Higgins' fellow Brit Agatha Chumley; Rick's underworld contact "Ice Pick"; and Deputy D.A. Carol Baldwin.
Robin Masters was never fully seen, ultimately leading Magnum to the conclusion that Higgins was actually Masters, though this theory was never fully proven. The show was a huge hit, with the first five seasons ranking in the top 20 shows in the U.S. ratings each year, thanks to its wide range of stories appealing to a broad cross section of fans, The series ranged from broad slapstick comedy and farce, to deep, thoughtful drama, to edge-of-the-seat action. The series was widely applauded for being the first to recognize the difficulty Vietnam era soldiers faced in making the readjustment to civilian life. Many episodes touched upon the impact that serving in Vietnam had on Magnum and his friends, as well as echoes to the events of World War II.
The series won many awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes for Selleck and Hillerman.
To put it plainly, Magnum P.I. is the greatest action/drama show ever made. It ran from 1980-88 in the height of the action/drama craze of television.

back to me:
And what a run it was. There is nothing on TV like this now. Today's action shows (24, Alias) take themselves way too seriously, while today's best crime dramas (CSI, Law & Order) forgo deep character development for intricate but formulaic plots. You must compare Magnum to shows in it's era. It's truly rare how re-watchable Magnum is. Just try watching other 80's action shows these days. The Dukes of Hazard, Knight Rider, and the A-team are all painful to watch now that I'm no longer a kid.

Season one has some great episode's with some awesome guest stars, like Ted Danson, Robert Loggia, and Judge Reinhold. But it's the shows intricate, re-occurring themes that make it a joy to watch. Like Magnum's internal monologue when he's trying to pick a lock, (don't look at the dogs, work the lock!) an the way he looks at the camera and speaks to the audience, breaking the "third wall." The flashbacks to 'Nam. The constant trading of perks with Higgins for favors, and the way T.C. always asks for gas money when they're flying in the Island Hoppers Chopper. And I smile every time Higgins talks about "the lads."

I'm done with all of season 1's episodes and i will be the first one in line for season 2. If universal decides to release it.