Magnum P.I.: The Complete Eighth Season
by Alan J. Levi, Arthur Allan Seidelman, Bernard L. Kowalski, Burt Brinckerhoff, Burt Kennedy
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: John Hillerman, Larry Manetti, Roger E. Mosley, Tom Selleck, Vincent BaggettaDirector: Alan J. Levi, Arthur Allan Seidelman, Bernard L. Kowalski, Burt Brinckerhoff, Burt Kennedy
Brand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 603 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-03-04
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of Magnum P.I.: The Complete Eighth Season
Movie Review: Hasta La Vista Magnum!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's about time Universal released this abbreviated 1987-88 Season of MAGNUM out on DVD & I can hardly wait to see it either, despite the fact that Tom Selleck was getting tired & this show was starting to run out of steam, which was probably why this season was cut short in the middle of its 8th Season when MAGNUM, P.I. was taken off the air for a while before showing its last episode in May of 1988.
This was also the season when Magnum's cop buddy Lt. Yoshi Tanaka(Kwan Hi Lim)dies off & when Magnum's new cop buddy Lt. Nolan Page(Joe Santos)known for his role as Jim Rockford's often exasperated cop buddy from the LAPD(Sgt. Dennis Becker)on THE ROCKFORD FILES makes his last 2 appearances before CBS cancelled MAGNUM in the Spring of 1988, including the "Resolutions" episode when the often fastidious Thomas Magnum(Tom Selleck) along with his old Navy buddies from the Vietnam War T.C.(Roger E. Mosley), Rick(Larry Manetti),and the British hard-nosed Higgins(John Hillerman)when Magnum quit being a private investigator & rejoined the Navy.
In addition to that; I found it intriguing that this DVD box set also includes a bonus episode of the "White On White & Nearly Perfect" episode of THE ROCKFORD FILES especially since it got to show us Tom Selleck doing a gig before he became a star & started doing MAGNUM, P.I. on CBS back in December of 1980 which was a year later after NBC had cancelled Rockford all of the sudden back in January of 1980 when THE ROCKFORD FILES was in the middle of its 6th Season when James Garner had ran out of steam and had to quit doing the show, due to health issues after Rockford's 1974-80 run on NBC.
It was also intriguing to watch the "Tiger Fan" episode of MAGNUM when Narcotics officers are doing a drug bust stakeout on the beach & are talking about watching the eccentric impeccable gumshoe Lance White(Tom Selleck) on THE ROCKFORD FILES on TV talking about what a hot shot pain in the butt fellow gumshoe Lance White was on Rockford and how Lance White was driving the often cynical private dick Jim Rockford(James Garner)up the wall & ended up stealing the show in both the "White & White & Nearly Perfect" and "Nice Guys Finish Dead" episodes since Lance White outclassed Rockford big time in every way by finding all the leads and all the clues to Rockford's case by making Rockford look bad K.O.ing Rockford in the process at Rockford's expense, which of course ruined the case Rockford was hired to investigate in the "White On White & Nearly Perfect" episode & again when Rockford reunites with Lance White in "Nice Guys Finish Dead" episode at a private-eyes convention where a senators homicide ends up taking place at resulting in Lance White solving the case with the police's approval leaving Rockford lagging behind since Rockford could never seem to work well nor seem to be a good detective when Lance White is around along with the big age difference between James Garner & Tom Selleck along with the fact that Garner was already an old-fart while Selleck was still obviously a new-fart back then in the late 1970's.
In addition to what makes this MAGNUM DVD so cool, this DVD of MAGNUM's 8th Season provides a bonus episode from the "White On White & Nearly Perfect" episode of THE ROCKFORD FILES 5th Season, which was interesting since it shows us Tom Selleck as the exceptional private eye(Lance White)before his MAGNUM days and before Tom Selleck was even famous, since Tom Selleck didn't even become a superstar until he started doing MAGNUM, P.I. in the early 1980's when he became a sex symbol.
In addition to that, I find it kind of strange that Tom Selleck's role as the phenomenal private detective(Lance White)seemed to be a much smarter, wiser, and more successful private investigator than his role on this private detective drama as Magnum on MAGNUM, P.I. was, because the often exasperated Magnum(Tom Selleck) always seemed to be getting himself in a lot of trouble and a lot of mischief with his buddies and with the military, just like Rockford always did with the police and his buddies, especially with Rockford's persuasive con-artist & ex-con buddy Angel Martin(Stuart Margolin) and his foxy attorney girlfriend(Beth Davenport).
So Magnum's 8th Season is a definite upgrade to Magnum's 7th Season as well as the first 7 seasons, but what I don't understand is why didn't Universal put this as Magnum's final season like Universal did for THE ROCKFORD FILES-SEASON 6, KNIGHT RIDER-SEASON 4, & THE A-TEAM-SEASON 5, because I think it would've simply been more practical along with the fact that Magnum's Eighth Season had the least episodes throughout Magnum's whole 8-year run on CBS.
It's just too bad that Magnum, P.I. didn't end up lasting longer and going for a 9th Season, because I think it would've been cool, not to mention that Magnum was probably the longest running detective drama of them all back then, but I think they could've done a better job in the series finale episode "Resolutions", since it ended as sort of a cliffhanger at the end of that episode when Rick didn't even verify if he did or didn't take Cleo(Phyllis Davis) to be his lawful wedded bride.
In addition; I think it would've been a great idea if MAGNUM, P.I. would've ended up having former MATT HOUSTON co-stars guest star in at least one of the last 3 seasons of MAGNUM like Pamela Hensley for instance, which played Houston's sidekick(C.J. Parsons) on MATT HOUSTON, which would've been cool, especially since CBS's rival network ABC had already cancelled MATT HOUSTON in the Summer of 1985 just before MAGNUM hit it's Sixth Season in the Fall of 1985 on ABC's rival network CBS.
Magnum's 8th Season also takes me all the way back to memory lane when CBS's motto was "CBS Spirit: Oh Yes", since that was CBS's motto from the Fall of 1987 thru the Summer of 1988 along with the fact that it was so nice being able to watch these episodes from this 1987-1988 Season complete & uncut as well with the proper introduction just like they were shown on CBS with the exception of being commercial-free plus we didn't have to watch these episodes with all those deleted scenes & added commercial interruptions we'd get on WGN, USA, and A&E.
In addition to that; A&E, USA, and WGN would always use the introduction to MAGNUM, P.I.'s 6th Season for every single episode all the way from MAGNUM's 1st Season thru its 8th Season instead of using the proper & original introduction to each episode on top of that which made each episode and season less interesting to watch & made them quite boring since there wasn't much comparison to show us between the time this series started in the late Fall of 1980 & ended in the Spring of 1988.
It's just too bad that THE ROCKFORD FILES couldn't have a series finale episode like MAGNUM, P.I. did.
It was also interesting seeing guest stars like
-Vincent Baggetta in the "Unfinished Business" episode after his co-starring days on the short-lived TV series CAPRA that premiered on NBC in September of 1978
-Carol Burnett in the "A Girl Named Sue" episode after her co-starring days on THE CAROL BURNETT show
-Hal Williams in the "Resolutions" episode after his co-starring days on PRIVATE BENJAMIN and during his co-starring days on the sitcom 227
-Shavar Ross after his co-starring days as Arnold's best friend(Dudley)on DIFFERENT STROKES
In addition to that, now that Universal has released the complete series of KNIGHT RIDER, MIAMI VICE, and THE INCREDIBLE HULK on DVD; I don't see what's taking Universal so long to make a MAGNUM, PI complete series DVD, especially since MAGNUM was a popular classic Universal TV show just like KNIGHT RIDER, MIAMI VICE, and THE INCREDIBLE HULK all were.
By the way, I have some interesting news in the works for all you classic detective drama fans out there to look forward to in the Spring of 2010.
MATT HOUSTON-Season 1 is finally scheduled to be released on Tuesday March 9th,2010 and SIMON & SIMON-Season 4 is scheduled to be released on DVD on Tuesday April 6th, 2010 and are now both even available for pre-order as we speak.
Summary of Magnum P.I.: The Complete Eighth Season
Left for dead at the end of Season Seven, Magnum's back in the eighth and final season of Magnum P.I., the unforgettable Primetime Emmy® Award- and Golden Globe®-winning series nominated for an incredible 30 awards during its impressive eight-year run. For thrilling adventures, rejoin Tom Selleck as the stylish private investigator Thomas Magnum, along with Higgins, T.C., Rick and some of television's hottest guest stars, including Amy Yasbeck (Wings), Carol Burnett (The Carol Burnett Show) and Joe Regalbuto (Murphy Brown). This must-own 3-disc collector's set includes every Season Eight episode, as well as a bonus episode of The Rockford Files featuring Tom Selleck in a performance that led to his most iconic role. Take home Magnum P.I.: The Complete Eighth Season and say goodbye as the red Ferrari drives off into the sunset forever!Similar DVD Movies
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