Magnum P.I.
Star Jay Hernandez on his reboot of the classic 1980s crime drama…
Wednesday / Sky one While I’ve never gone in for Hawaiian shirts, after our interview with Jay Hernandez I can see the attraction – in the right setting! I’m really looking forward to Jay’s new take on the iconic private investigator.
Magnum P.I. Wednesday / sky one / 9Pm
Following the successful reboots of classic US series such as Hawaii
Five-0 and Macgyver, 1980s favourite Magnum P.I. is the latest American crime show to get a modern makeover.
The much-loved original, set in Hawaii, starred Tom Selleck as moustachioed charmer Thomas Magnum, who stayed in the guest house of never-seen author Robin Masters (voiced by the legendary Orson Welles) in exchange for security services.
While the lead character was a Vietnam veteran last time around, the new Magnum, played by Jay Hernandez, and his buddies – Rick (Zachary Knighton) and TC (Stephen Hill) – did their tour of duty in Afghanistan. But their friendship is just as tight as they tackle crime on the island.
TV Times caught up with star Jay, 40, to find out more…
How did it feel when you were told you’d be the new Magnum? Really exciting. It’s an iconic role and it’s an honour to be able to reprise a show I watched as a kid. My mother was a huge fan, so when I broke the news, she almost fell off her seat.
Did you feel pressure stepping into Tom Selleck’s shoes?
It would have been a disaster to just try to replace Tom. Luckily, the producers wanted to go in a different direction and still capture the essence of what he brought to the show, which was the charm.
What remains from the original? Magnum still works as a security consultant to Robin Masters, and we’ve taken other things from the original like the car and the Detroit Tigers hat. We’ve also tried to harness the same spirit. And what are the big changes? The role of estate manager Higgins [Perdita Weeks] is a woman, which creates a different type of tension between Higgins and Magnum. The dobermans are still there, though, and they still hate Magnum.
We see you haven’t tried to copy Magnum’s famous moustache? It was a big discussion – but we all agreed it wasn’t the right thing to do. That being said, the moustache is such an iconic element we’re going to do a nod to it in episode two.
How do you feel about Magnum’s fondness for Hawaiian shirts?
If you look in my own closet, everything is black. But when you get to Hawaii, that doesn’t feel right – so I was wearing pink for the first time in my life. Besides, Hawaiian shirts are in vogue again.