On Jul 26, 2006, at 6:51 AM,
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com wrote:
> "Magnum is bad enough."
>
> I know you're not a fan of MAGNUM - P.I., but I
really
> think you're selling the show short.
>
> First of all, despite his good looks and
considerable
> personal charm, Magnum was a lot more hard-boiled
than
> you're giving him credit for. In one episode,
he
> deliberately murdered an unarmed KGB agent because
he
> knew it was the only way to get justice for a
murdered
> friend. The friend was a regular on the show, and
the
> episode ended witha freeze-frame of Magnum firing
his
> .45 at bad guy.
And in far too may others he just minced around in his
Hawaiian shirt smirking at the camera and trading barbs with
Higgins. Oh, the hilarity.
Considering how rarely the show got heavy, it seems
inexplicable to me that they invested in so many supporting
characters that just screamed "comic relief".
Relief from what?
> Strong stuff. And all the more strong because
it
> contrasted so harshly with the
lighter-hearted
> episodes the show had.
Oh, it could be hard-boiled. But too often it wasn't. The
whole recurring Higgins schtick, for example, seemed more
like something out of THREE'S COMPANY. In fact, Mr. Roper and
Higgins seemed cut out of the same (cheese)cloth.
> Aside from that, it was a very well-written show,
with
> Magnum doing actual detective work, talking
to
> witnesses and following leads.
I'll give you that -- some (some) episodes were well-written.
But far more often they were gimmicky and silly (all those
"very special" episodes), padded out with schtick. And how
well written is it when you've got a detective tailing
someone in a bright red Ferrari?
> The slowly unfolding story of Magnum's Viet
Nam
> service and the trauma he suffered, the realistic
and
> heartfelt friendships Magnum had with the
other
> regulars, the family relationships back on
the
> Mainland, all were elements marking it as a
carefully
> characterized and well-crafted piece of
work.
His pals were essentially one-note Charlies (except for those
occasional "special episode," possibly included in each
actor's contract, where they were allowed to stretch their
acting muscles and we were supposed to believe their
characters suddenly had depth). One scene between, say, Rocky
and Rockford or Harry O and his lieutenant buddy -- or even
those looks between Peggy and Mannix -- had more heartfelt
emotion than a season of Magnum and his doofus buddies high-
fiving each other.
> It may have seemed like a lot of gimmicks
> indifferently thrown together, but beneath
the
> surface, it was a lot more than that.
It not only seemed like a lot of a lot of gimmicks
indifferently thrown together -- frequently that's exactly
what it was., particularly as the show went on and on. And
because the show's writing was so erratic and its tone so
uneven any good stuff that occasionally rose to the surface
too often seemed more like a fluke than anything.
(Coincidentally, SIMON AND SIMON also plundered the whole
angsty Vietnam/male-bonding schtick while also frequently
relying on gimmicks -- often the same sort of gimmicks as
Magnum -- when they ran out of story ideas.)
The biggest reason I don't mind (too much) them including
MAGNUM on the SLEUTH list would be because of it's undeniable
popularity, not because it was particularly well done or
innovative or influential. Mostly it seemed like a typical
P.I./buddy show to me, a solid but not particularly clever
update on the 77 SUNSET STRIP/HAWAIIAN EYE formula.
Magnum, Magnum, lend us your chest hair comb...
But gee, I'd still much prefer MANNIX. Or HARRY O. Or PETER
GUNN. All tighter and tougher and better written and acted
and more consistent than MAGNUM.
Although I imagine this thread's about to be snipped short --
none of these shows were adapted from books.
Kevin
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