What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! September 23 - 29, 2018 receives praise for being an ear- ly depiction of a Vietnam War veteran character, and the cha- risma of its star, Tom Selleck ("Blue Bloods"), has cemented the titular character as a mem- orable part of TV history. The modern sensibilities of figureheads such as Lin and Lenkov heavily inform the re- boot, and the differences be- tween the old "Magnum, P.I." and the new "Magnum P.I." go well beyond that missing com- ma. For starters, the mustache is MIA. The first teaser photo of Hernandez in his new role made it clear that the show wasn't in- terested in being a 1:1 remake of its predecessor and was willing to take big, potentially clumsy risks that could attract the ire of diehard Magnum-heads. Magnum's second most es- sential possession (after the mustache) was his red Ferrari, and it turns out that that ride wasn't so sacred, either. The Ferrari appears in the trailer for the show, but after a good-na- tured meta taunt, the trailer sends the poor vehicle to ex- plode into smithereens at the wrong end of a speeding, multi- ton transport truck. And then the pulverized pieces fall off a cliff. So much for tradition. These sorts of changes seem like a declaration of intent and a statement that the show isn't in- terested in superficial fan ser- vice. Beyond these examples, however, are other alterations that seem to come from a more thoughtful place. The original Thomas Magnum was some- thing of a boilerplate avatar of American heroism — the strap- ping, broad-chested former quarterback that audiences would have recognized from countless other stories. Her- nandez earned the role in a cul- ture that has made strides in of- fering a variety of representa- tion. The Mexican-American actor would have probably been relegated to supporting charac- ter status in the original series, but in 2018, a major network is happy to have him as the lead. The casting of Weeks in the role of Juliet Higgins was a de- liberate decision meant to erode some of the "Boys' Club" atmosphere of the original se- ries, in which Higgins was a male character. Some commen- tators have expressed concern that the grudging friendship between Higgins and Magnum — a big part of the original show's charm — might be re- placed by an overused depen- dence on sexual tension in the new formula. That will ulti- mately come down to the skill and restraint of the writing staff, however, and there's no inherent reason the new dy- namic can't be as engrossing as its prototype was. There will be other notable cameos, though. Supporting characters from "Hawaii Five- 0" will pop up during the first two episodes of "Magnum P.I.," and more involved crossovers featuring lead characters will occur later in the season. Ha- waii's not that big, so it's per- fectly logical that all of these tropical crime-fighters would find their paths crossing. The initial announcement and gradual reveal of the "Magnum P.I." reboot has drawn mixed reactions, and a fair amount of skepticism, but perhaps the increased scrutiny will lead to more interested eyeballs when the series de- buts. The network is hoping that the recent success of other rebooted properties across the television world (including its own "Hawaii Five-0") bode well for the latest example of this trend. This fall will give us an idea as to whether "Mag- num P.I." can recapture some of the lasting pop culture pen- etration and abiding critical acclaim of the original, or if it will end up swept out to sea. Catch the premiere on Mon- day, Sept. 24, on CBS. Perdita Weeks stars in "Magnum P.I." continued from page T2 Back to the well: 'Magnum P.I.' returns to television with CBS reboot TV FEATURE