Magnum (TV series)

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Television series
German title Magnum
Original title Magnum, pi
Magnumpi-logo.svg
Country of production United States
original language English
Year (s) 1980-1988
length 45 minutes
Episodes 162 in 8 seasons ( list )
genre Drama , crime film
idea Donald P. Bellisario , Glen A. Larson
music Ian Freebairn-Smith , Mike Post (from episode 12)
First broadcast December 11, 1980 (USA) on CBS
German-language
first broadcast		 June 18, 1984 on
German television
occupation

Magnum is an American television series about the private investigator Thomas Magnum . The crime series , which is set in Hawaii , was filmed in eight seasons with a total of 162 episodes from 1980 to 1988 under the original title Magnum, pi . The abbreviation pi stands for the English job title private investigator ( German 'private detective').

action

Filming in 1984

Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV lives on Oʻahu , Hawaii, on a sizable property of around 80  hectares , two hectares of which belong to the closer security circle (1.17), on Calagua Drive (the property is actually located on 41-505 Kalanianaole Highway) in the guest house of famous writer Robin Masters, who can never be seen himself. Masters appears only hinted at in a few episodes because he is constantly on the move. Magnum is a former naval officer (up to the age of 33) and now a private detective, but is often referred to as a "private sniffer", which he vehemently rejects: he is a detective, not a "sniffer"; nonetheless, the steward leaves Higgins with little opportunity to link him to divorce cases. Magnum comes from Tidewater, Virginia (4.9), but moved away from there with his mother Kathrin as a small child.

Masters hired Magnum as security chief for the property. He does not receive a fixed salary for this, but accommodation in the guest house of the property and the right to use the red Ferrari 308 GTS (up to episode 3.1, then a Ferrari 308 GTSi or after episode 4.15 a Ferrari 308 GTSi QV ), the one is the trademark of the series.

Thomas Magnum was born on August 8, 1944 in Virginia (cf. 2.14 Magnum's answer to the doctor and 4.01, "Treadmill of the year 1950 as almost six years old" by his father Thomas Magnum III). His mother is Katherine Peterson. The suffix "Sullivan" is the name of his maternal grandfather (8.5), his paternal grandfather is Thomas Magnum II (called "The Captain" (8.12)), his great-grandfather was called Patrick (8.9). In 1967 he graduated from the military academy and was transferred to Vietnam shortly afterwards (4.13). However, in the seventh season, which takes place in 1987, he will be 40 years old (7.17, tellingly "Forty") and in the last episode of the series his birthday is on January 5th, in the middle of winter on the east coast of the United States the continuity of his date of birth is questionable. In the pilot film, his driver's license can be seen on January 5th, 1946. This discontinuity is also evident in episode 4.19, in which he remembers a football game that he and his aunt attended in August 1956: "Yes, I was ten years old when ...".

His father, Lt. Thomas Magnum III, went to Korea in 1950 and did not return. He died on July 4 - the national holiday of the United States (7.6). Since then Magnum has been wearing his wristwatch (from the fourth season), a Rolex GMT Master and since his service in Vietnam, Magnum has been spending this holiday alone at sea (e.g. 7.6), first on a surfboard and then in his surf ski , what almost his undoing in episode 4.01.

The administrator of his property (called Robin's Nest ) appointed by Robin Masters is Jonathan Higgins. There are always arguments with him about other perks, such as the use of the tennis court, the wine cellar and the high-quality camera equipment from Robin Masters. Negotiating these and other perks is one of the recurring storylines that made this series so popular with viewers.

In solving his cases, Magnum repeatedly uses the services of his old friends and comrades in the war, Rick, TC and Mac Reynolds, without returning the favor. Rick often uses his relationships with the underworld for Magnum, TC often flies Magnum over the islands in his helicopter (without Magnum paying the petrol money) and Mac Reynolds - after his serial death Maggie Poole - gets information from the computers of the Secret Service's Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). The relationship with his friends - and also with Higgins - is so close that they sense when Magnum's life is in danger and can thus save his life (4.1).

In the first season, Magnum explains that he was never married. In episodes 2.5 and 2.6 it turns out that this is not the case. At the end of his Vietnam assignment, he had married a nurse in Saigon. However, his wife Michelle (a French Catholic portrayed by Marta DuBois) allegedly died in a Vietnamese attack shortly after the wedding, and Magnum left the country. Six years later (episode 2.5) Magnum suddenly sees a mixed group of Americans and Asians on a yacht, including a woman he thinks is Michelle. The photos taken are not sufficient to identify her properly, but on a magnification he discovers that she is wearing a medallion with the French cross of the team ring around her neck. So he goes to look for Michelle with Rick and TC.

Involved in secret service activities, Michelle is in Hawaii with her husband, the North Vietnamese General Nguyen Hue (played by Soon-Tek Oh ), whom she married before Magnum. Hue was considered dead at the time of their second wedding. In fact, however, the general was still alive and the marriage to Magnum is therefore invalid. Magnum and Michelle spend another night together in Hawaii, but although she loves Magnum, Michelle decides to stay with her husband.

In episode 7.7, Michelle appears again in Hawaii when her husband is in danger (he is already dead at the time, but she only finds out later through Magnum). In order to find her husband, she has her 5-year-old daughter named Lily-Catherine (played by Kristen Carreira) brought to Magnum. Magnum suspects that Lily is his daughter, but initially receives no answer. After Michelle, who is persecuted by the Vietnamese, is accepted into a protection program with Lily, Michelle and Magnum part ways again. He considers going with them, but believes it could endanger Michelle's permanent safety. When he asks when he says goodbye whether Lily is his daughter, Michelle replies: “When I say: Yes, she is your daughter! Would you let her go then? "So she doesn't tell him Lily is his daughter, but she promises him," I'll make sure she never forgets you! "

At the end of the last season it is then revealed that Lily-Catherine is actually his daughter. In case something should happen to her, Michelle Magnum had left a letter with the truth. He receives the letter after Michelle is killed by a car bomb. For a long time he believes that Lily also died in the assassination attempt. But then it turns out that she had left the car to get her doll. When he can finally take Lily in his arms, she wears Michelle's necklace with the French cross and calls him papa.

It is not, however, that Magnum did not want to marry again: In episode 7.1, he makes an unusual marriage proposal to Cynthia Farrell ( Dana Delany ): During a chase, the sentence “We'll find a solution once we're married ." out. She initially agrees, but ultimately they don't find each other.

In addition to the cases , Magnum's arguments with his friends, staged as running gags , especially those with Higgins and his two Dobermans Zeus and Apollo , "the boys", ensure entertaining entertainment, which probably contributed significantly to the success of the series. Magnum doesn't like "the boys" very much, because Higgins trained them on him, but he wouldn't sacrifice them (3.6: "They're just animals" - Magnum then for their protection: "You stay in the basement !!").

This also includes the involvement of the viewer, as Magnum lets them share their thoughts as the narrator in the “back” (so-called “ voiceover ”): “I know exactly what you are thinking now, and you are right! But ... “is a recurring phrase that guides the viewer to what is going on. A variation of this popular phrase is the occasional phrase: "I know exactly what you are thinking now, but this time you are wrong". Only Luther Gillis and Susan Johnson (episode 8.7) speak off- screen alongside Magnum . It was also unusual at the time that Magnum directly involved the audience with glances and the typical wink of the eye (breaking through the so-called “ fourth wall ”).

The end of the series is curious: in the last scene the camera zooms in and the viewer sees a television set with the last scene - Lily and Thomas hand in hand on the beach - and the back of a naval officer. It is Thomas Magnum, who then grabs the remote control, turns to the viewer and with the words " good night " turns off the television and, figuratively, the viewer's screen.

More people

Jonathan Quayle Higgins III.

Jonathan Higgins is a noble Briton (a lord , the baron of Perth - 5.1) and has been the administrator of "Robin's Nest" since the spring of 1976 (4.18). In this function he pays great attention to order and correct demeanor, which often leads to conflicts between him and Thomas Magnum, who came to the property in 1980 (1.1). His pronounced British accent (the actor Hillerman was actually Texan), which in the original provides an additional contrast to Magnum's East Coast dialect, was only hinted at in the German dubbing, but is still reflected in the choice of words, for example when Higgins hits a jovial one "Higgie-Baby" reacts with a decidedly cool "Mister Magnum". Despite their constant guerrilla warfare, they both know that they can rely on each other. Magnum calls this relationship a “strange trust” and describes it as an old married couple (quote from 4.6: “quarrel like an old married couple”).

He was born in 1919 or 1920 (2.39); his half-brother Elmo Ziller was born in 1919, quote: “almost at the same time”. As a boy he first attended boarding school in Eton (4.12), then the prestigious Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst , but was wrongly expelled from her at the age of 18. He went into the military against his father's will and held the military rank of sergeant major . He was then rejected by his father Albert Stanley Higgins (6.19) (cf. 6.1; "my family no longer took notice of me") and only saw him again 40 years later after Magnum kidnapped him to the "Higgins estate". In the 1940s, Higgins was engaged to Lady Penelope Ashley (2.14) and is "ensnared" by Agatha Chumley in many episodes, which he never really understands (4.1): "Sometimes I think I will never understand women." .

Higgins is a highly decorated war veteran (for example in the West Yorkshire Regiment of the Prince of Wales ; cf. his objection in (1.1), nicknamed "Punky" (3.9), bearer of the Victoria Cross (4.10)), who during his long military service in served in many countries and assigned various areas of responsibility (3.5: “3 wars, 5 uprisings, 37 years of service!”). For example, he was stationed in North Africa, Burma , Malaysia and India (1948) and worked both for the British foreign intelligence service MI6 , for example in Mexico (5.3) and Northern Ireland (2.13) in 1944, and for the British domestic intelligence service MI5 ((8.4 ); Quote: "End of the war at MI5").

He even claims to have been there at historically important locations and battles, for example on the "Bridge on the Kwai" , in El Alamein (1942), the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 (2.39), the Nuremberg Trials (1.07 ) and the Mau Mau uprising in 1953 (3.6). After his military service he ran a hotel in Geneva (3.5).

Higgins has several illegitimate half-siblings around the world because his father “traveled a lot” during his military service (quote from Higgins): Father Patrick “Paddy” McGuinness, who is a pastor in Northern Ireland (3.22); Elmo Ziller, a Texan rodeo organizer from Hondo, Texas ("intellectually life-threatening" - quote from Higgins in 2.39), to whom he owes a niece named Lexi; Don Louis Mongueo, a half-brother who lives on the fictional South American island state "Costa de Rosa" (the mother is a certain Doña Anna - 6.19) and a half-sister named Su Ling (* 1928) from Beijing (3.22) and the two from Paddy McGuinness only mentioned half-sisters Elisabeth Whitefeather and Katu Manumba (5.02) by name. Of course, none of them appear on his approximately 2 × 2.5 meter pedigree , which he has stretched out in his office like a canvas (3.22), which identifies him as a descendant of Henry VIII . Various meetings with his blood relatives express how much Higgins would like to distance himself from their existence, but ultimately cannot deny the blood relationship.

Since he is a well-traveled and experienced man, he reports in almost every episode of the series, sometimes also strangers or opponents of the protagonists, of personal experiences or events in his life, which in the respective case handled by Magnum, albeit occasionally unintentionally, as prove helpful. Magnum (and other people too) often shows disinterest and keeps leaving the room without a word. Although he says he does not have a good relationship with Thomas Magnum, he often helps him to see more clearly and repeatedly supports him in emotionally stressful situations.

Higgins also has a talent for languages. He speaks Japanese , Cambodian , Chinese , French , English and Hawaiian , among others . He is also able to use sign language (7.3). He is also a Doctor of Mathematics ( Cambridge University , 1947), which led to a misunderstanding in episode 3.22, as here he was mistaken for a doctor.

In Hawaii he is a member of countless charitable and cultural societies, most of which have very "melodious" names (4.17):

  • Board member of the King Kamehameha Club
  • Member of the Association of Thoroughbred Breeders of Hawaii (1.13)
  • Staging of plays with the Anglo-Hawaiian Shakespeare Society (2.3)
  • Lecturing at the Hawaiian Napoleon Association (2.4)
  • Honorary Vice President of the Yacht Club (2.7)
  • Participation in an art association (2.8)
  • Head of the Purchasing Committee of Société du Vin (2.13)
  • Chairman of the British Seafarers' Fund, a charity (2.21)
  • Chairman of the Society for Underprivileged Children (3.1a)
  • Lecturing in the Association for the Preservation of English Poetry on the Sandwich Islands (3.6)
  • Member of the Anglo-Polynesian Scholars of the Sea (3.10)
  • Collaboration with the Botany Association of the Sandwich Islands (3.10)
  • Chairman of the English Society of the Sandwich Islands (3.22)
  • Anglo-Hawaiian dog gathering visit (4.2)
  • Member of the Historical Society of Aloha (4.3)
  • Honorary Chairman of the Sons of Empire (4.6)
  • Production of the operetta The Mikado with the Sandwich Islands Savoyards (4.17)
  • Chairman of the Association for the Rescue of the Three - Part Palolo Worm (5.06)
  • Member of the Anglo-Franco-Hawaiian Veterans Association (5.15)
  • Member of the Anglo-Polynesian charity (6.20)
  • Participation in the annual meeting of authors and poets in Hawaii (7.5)
  • Participation in the international flower exhibition with a Cereus Mandevillus (7.8)

His immensely diverse knowledge and hobbies also match this appearance: Higgins plays chess , is a sport fencer , rides superbly (2.21), plays polo (4.01), has mastered hypnosis (1.9, 2.17), acupressure (4.8), he is a snooker -Fan (6.21), coached a rugby team (2.17) and tennis professionals (3.10) after the war , is a kung-fu trainer (4.2), advised on questions of classic car restoration (1.16) and - quite bizarre - conducts sightseeing operas, which he plays on the stereo in his study. He is regularly disturbed by Magnum; another running gag of the series. On the occasion of an operetta performance on the property, he actually conducts an operetta (4.12).

Theodore Calvin (TC)

Theodore Calvin is a helicopter pilot in Hawaii. He owns the charter company "Island Hoppers" (slogan: "Island Hoppers - your flying carpet to paradise") and flies tourists over the islands with his Hughes 500 (call: Chopper 95 Alpha ) or takes on smaller transport flights . He has perfectly integrated the corporate design in his company: the "red-yellow-brown" color scheme can be found on his helicopter, the VW T3 bus and even on his suspenders (7.21). The author of this design is Rodney Redcliff, a somewhat strange friendship from his Navy past (6.3).

He is divorced and has a son Bryant and a daughter Melody who live with their mother Tina in California. This marriage broke up after TC's return from Vietnam (7.11). At the end of the last season, TC and Tina find each other again.

TC was born in New Orleans , does not drink alcohol, is left-handed and was a good boxer in his youth (4.8), but is also interested in classical ballet (2.11). He obtained his pilot license with the Marines . He met Thomas Magnum during his first assignment in Vietnam , and later Rick Wright also joined their unit, who replaced TC's previous gunner Cookie, who had not survived imprisonment. In his free time, TC takes care of the needs of young people: Among other things, he trains youth teams in various sports, supported by Magnum (for example in the “Tigers” baseball team).

Orville Wilbur Wright III. (Rick)

Orville Wright has called himself Rick since his return from Vietnam, where he met Magnum and TC as a replacement for Cookie, who was cruelly murdered in captivity, in 1969 with the Marines . In episode 1.8 we learn that his previous nickname was "Little O" (derived from Orville).

Rick, who speaks fluent Italian (2.16), has had contact with organized crime since childhood . After the death of his parents (1958), he and his younger sister Wendy (7.12) grow up with the Chicago underworld boss Francis Hofstetler, alias Icepick (7.12). This close bond goes so far that Rick takes Icepick's place on a murder charge and goes to prison for him (7.21). His sister is murdered after she accidentally witnesses a murder as a drug messenger (4.4), while Magnum was supposed to take care of her.

After returning from Vietnam, Rick first opened his own club ("Rick's Cafe Americain", a reference to Humphrey Bogart's café in the film Casablanca ; consequently his favorite song is As time goes by (6.20). Although it went bankrupt, Rick became afterwards Managing Director of the exclusive King Kamehameha Club at 3860 Old Pari Road, of which Higgins is a board member, so he can now and then assist Magnum with the club's own motor yacht "King Kamehameha II" (3.5).

Thanks to his many relationships - especially with Icepick - Rick Magnum can often help with identifying license plates or obtaining other information. He even seems to know the President of the United States (at the time Ronald Reagan ): “Hello, Orville!” Is heard off-screen at the end of episode 4.3.

In the last episode, he is about to say yes to Cleo Mitchell (played by Phyllis Davis). The viewer will never know, however, because the series ends at this point. Larry Manetti revealed in a later interview, which can be found on Tom Selleck's homepage, that Rick did not get married.

Robin Masters

Robin Masters is a successful writer and his bestsellers are breaking sales records. Although he has "only" written about twelve novels , he is well financially secure. Their book titles are shown in various episodes of the series; it is trivial literature . Masters lifestyle is upscale and extravagant. He travels the world (among other things with his private jet with the identification “ROBIN555”; 1.17), stops in Venice, Zurich (4.13) or Paris, owns real estate all over the world (for example “Robin's Keep”, a castle near London (6.1) or a chalet in Austria (1.17)), supports various organizations and is very generous with its employees and guests. Magnum, for example, drives Robin's Ferrari and is repeatedly rewarded for his skills.

Robin Masters art collection is valued at over $ 37 million in one of the episodes (2.7). It is unclear whether this only applies to the property in Hawaii (“Robin's Nest”) or as a whole. Masters uses the entire property after a lost poker game against Buzz Benoit - an allusion to Hugh Hefner and his bunnies ( hereinafter referred to as Buzzettes ) - as a stake for a softball game (4.7); the game is lost, but the poker cards were marked, so that the property remains the protagonists of the series.

Masters' identity has not been clarified for a long time. He can be seen in some episodes (1.17, 3.21, 4.7), but always without a head. From the seventh season (7.8) Magnum repeatedly claims that the alleged majordomo Higgins is in truth Robin Masters. In episode 8.4 he even goes so far as to claim that Higgins invented Masters and staged its appearance through committed actors. Only the last episode can clarify this. Although Higgins replied to Magnum's specific question “Are you Robin Masters?” With “Yes”, at the end of this episode he let him know with a giggle: “Magnum, you remember what I said about Robin Masters. .. That was a lie!"

Robin Masters is spoken in the original English version by Orson Welles and in the German version by Mario Adorf ( RTL dubbing) and Friedrich Schütter ( ARD dubbing). With this top-class cast, the series producers wanted to give the Masters' class even more prominence.

Col. Buck Greene

The marine officer Buck Greene ( Lance LeGault ) appears again and again as an opaque, alleged adversary Magnum, when his investigations overlap with Navy matters. In Vietnam he was Marine S2 officer in Magnum's unit (2.5) and as agent supervisor for Michelle (3.1).

Lt. Mac Reynolds

Lt. Mac Reynolds ( Jeff MacKay ) is another resource from Magnum's past in the Navy. He is a lieutenant in the Office of Naval Intelligence and has access to the Navy's computers, which Magnum's persuasive powers of persuading him to give him any information keep him in trouble. Mac Reynolds dies as a victim of a bomb attack when he gets into his Ferrari instead of Magnum (3.1). in episode 1 the character still calls himself "Ski" when he is talking to Magnum at the entrance to Pearl Harbor.

Jim Bonic

Jim Bonic (Jeff MacKay) appears from season 5. He looks amazingly similar to the late Mac Reynolds, but with a mustache. Bonic gets by with small scams in which he uses many false names. According to Col. Greene, his real name is Lt. Joe Travis, who retired as a sick marine pilot. In particular, in the episode Mac is Back , he calls himself Father Commander Jim Hiller , Lt. Bricks , Neville Thomson and Browerick.

Lt. Cmdr. Maggie Poole

Maggie ( Jean Bruce Scott ) virtually succeeds Mac Reynolds in the series. She is now his source when he needs information from the Navy archives.

Luther H. Gillis

Luther H. Gillis ( Eugene Roche ) is also a private investigator and comes from St. Louis . He has two children: 16-year-old Nancy Perkins and her younger brother Jimmy - called "Kim" (4.2), whom he left 13 years earlier. He has been in a relationship with Blanche Rafferty since 1953, but he always knows how to avoid the last step (4.16). In shock, Gillis speaks to his former partner Chucky, who was killed outside a dance hall in San Jose in 1953.

He makes his debut in the episode named after him "Luther Gillis: # 521" (4.2). In total, Gillis can be seen in five episodes. In contrast to Magnum, which he disparagingly calls “the flowered shirt” or “the big one” (alluding to his height), Luther has already written a book called “So You Want To Be A Private Eye”, which was Magnum Astonished to find out that a book with the same title was one of his ideas. Higgins, who is not particularly fond of Gillis (who just calls him "the butler"), even sees him as a Magnum in 15 years.

Due to his oversized ego and his bad habit of not sticking to plans and deadlines, Gillis repeatedly brings an action well-planned by Magnum to failure. In the end, however, he always contributes to the successful solution of the case.

Lt. Yoshi N. Tanaka

Lt. Tanaka, born July 20, 1934, ( Kwan Hi Lim ) is a local chief police officer for the Hawaii Metro Police, who is always by Magnum's side. He makes his debut in "Try to Remember" (2.15). Like Magnum, he's a big fan of the Detroit Tigers. His nephew Biff is a member of a youth group supported by TC (baseball team "Tigers"). In episode 8.4 Tanaka is shot dead when he gets involved “undercover” with drug dealers. In this episode, we also learn that he has a sister named Barbara Ikeda.

Lt. Nolan Page

Lt. Page ( Joe Santos ) is another senior Hawaii Metro Police officer who, unlike Lt. Tanaka - also works actively together.

Agatha Chumley

Agatha ( Gillian Dobb ) is an old friend of Higgins and - just like him - "very British". She regularly assists him when he organizes social and cultural events on Robin's estate. She herself is involved in the "Cat Admirers and Trainers Society" (6.21), which Magnum simply dubbed the "Cat Association".

She is very fond of Higgins, which contributes to the entertaining part in some episodes of the series because he does not return her affection in the expected way (e.g. chess game in 4.01: She adores him, he only meant his last move - Agatha: "You are a donkey! "). Due to a misunderstanding, Agatha even suspects that Higgins is proposing marriage.

Icepick (Francis Hofstetler)

Icepick ( Elisha Cook , or Walter Chotzen in episode 3.5) is the nickname of an older crook, the eternal tipster from the underground. He was active in the Chicago underworld before coming to Hawaii and took Rick in after his parents' untimely death. Therefore, Magnum almost never receives these tips himself, but only from Rick, who repeatedly uses his old relationships with Icepick. His favorite place is the Spathan Bath Sauna. He has a daughter named Hilda, with whom Rick has to go out now and then in return for "consideration" (5.17).

Carol Baldwin

Carol Baldwin (born May 17, 1955 as the result of an affair between her father Leo and Brenda Babcock, but adopted by her father's wife, Abigail Baldwin - see 8.6), played by Kathleen Lloyd , is a good friend of Magnum and the local prosecutor . She helps him now and then - often for selfish reasons.

Vietnam problem

The protagonists were together in Vietnam, they formed a team consisting of Magnum (code name: "KC Jones") as an officer in the rank of lieutenant , TC as a helicopter pilot, Cookie as a gunner (who was brutally murdered in captivity by Ivan and replaced by Rick ( Rank: Petty Officer , see 3.1)), Sebastian Nuzo, Ed Kanfer and Taylor Hurst. Magnum was later promoted (2.5) to Lieutenant Commander (6.10, epaulettes). In the last episode, Magnum was re-employed by the Navy with the rank of Commander (see 8.12, epaulets).

In individual parts of the series, the problems of those returning from Vietnam are addressed, or the trauma of the Vietnam War is dealt with.

Magnum and TC were together in captivity, an experience that catches up with them again and again and that the viewer reveals in many episodes in retrospect. The film Stalag 17 is quoted several times in the double episode 3.1 / 3.2 ( Did you see the sunrise ). In the two-part episode 5.15 / 5.16 ( All for one ) the series even goes beyond the retrospective and leads them all - including Higgins - back to the trauma in a very concrete way: The protagonists end up in Cambodia. These episodes had nothing to do with the show's usual humorous charm; rather, they are reminiscent of a war film and allow the characters and authors to appear in a different light.

For the first German version, which was created by ARD, almost all references to the Vietnam past were removed, as these were considered unsuitable for an entertainment program by the German editors. Only with the unabridged RTL synchronization was the Vietnam problem understandable in Germany.

Synchronization and broadcast

From the series, 139 of the 162 episodes were initially synchronized by ARD between 1984 and 1991 and broadcast at irregular intervals and non-chronologically. Most of the episodes have also been shortened (especially scenes with references to the Vietnam War) and given a uniform opening credits. This version ran until 1993 exclusively on ARD and in the third programs and has not been broadcast again since then and has not been released on DVD.

For the first time in its entirety, Magnum was shown in German on RTL between May 30, 1996 and June 9, 1997, as a completely new dubbed version of all episodes was created. This version is unabridged, contains all references to the Vietnam War, and the dialogues are much closer to the original. With the exception of Tom Selleck , all actors received new speakers. This version has since been seen on RTL and other RTL Group channels , Das Vierte and the Austrian channel Puls 4 , as well as on pay TV.

The first version was created at Studio Hamburg Synchron . Peter Kirchberger wrote the dialogue books together with Eberhard Storeck and also directed the dialogue.

The second version was created at Hermes Synchron in Potsdam . Michael Nowka , Andreas Pollak and Ronald Nitschke wrote the dialogue books, Nowka and Nitschke also directed the dialogue alongside Horst Schappo, Norbert Langer, Christoph Seeger and Uwe Paulsen .

Since October 2011, ZDFneo and since 2012 ZDF have broadcast the series in an HD version in the RTL synchronization.

ARD synchronization RTL synchronization
Magnum Norbert Langer Norbert Langer
Higgins Wolfram Schaerf Lothar Blumhagen
TC Rolf Jülich Jürgen Kluckert
Rick Joachim Richert Michael Nowka
Robin Masters Friedrich Schuetter Mario Adorf
Icepick Manfred Steffen Wolfgang Spier
Lt. Tanaka Helmut Ahner Joachim Nottke
Carol Baldwin Micaëla Kreißler
Luther H. Gillis Günther Flesch Jochen Schröder
Lt. page Andreas Mannkopff
Col. Greene Harald Dietl Klaus-Dieter Klebsch

In the United States, Magnum premiered on CBS between December 11, 1980 and May 8, 1988 .

On September 7, 2004, Universal Studios released the first season on DVD for the US and Canada ( region code 1). On September 13, 2004, the first season appeared in German (regional code 2). The eighth and final season was published for the USA and Canada on March 4, 2008, the German version on May 19, 2008. On December 19, 2009, the German version of a DVD box was released containing all eight seasons on 44 DVDs.

Trivia

  • Each episode (with the exception of the two-part series) was self-contained. However, there were storylines that extended over the entire series (so-called super narration ), such as B. the Vietnam issue.
  • Tom Selleck was slated for the role of Indiana Jones by Steven Spielberg . However, due to an already existing contract for the Magnum series, this did not materialize. In episode 8.10 (“The Legend of the Lost Art”) he slips into his role for a moment: With hat and whip, at Higgins' request, he goes in search of an old scroll.
  • Thomas Magnum likes to drink beer, often "Düsseldorfer Alt" (7.18: "only from the bottle", 8.3: "with a long neck", 8.13: "A Düsseldorfer Alt please"). This is not a whim of the German dubbing, you can also hear it in the English version. But the most popular brand of beer is “Coors” . During a private visit by Tom Selleck to the then President of the USA, Ronald Reagan, he was even served this beer; read in Larry Manetti's book "Aloha Magnum".
  • A rubber hen appears in a number of episodes (e.g. 3.6) and Magnum is so important that he always takes it with him when he has to move out of the guest house again. It is similar with the "gorilla mask", which appears again and again in the subplots.
  • A signet ring also plays a role in the series: Magnum wears it on the ring finger of his right hand. On it is a double cross (2.5, quote: "French cross"), which also forms the shadow cut of the intro in the first episodes. It is the “team ring” (1.1) of the group with whom Magnum was in Vietnam. Rick and TC also wear this ring; Magnum's wife Michelle wears the double cross as a pendant on a necklace that Magnum's daughter Lily wears at the end of the series.
  • In the intro, initially only the main actors were presented in still images (including the Ferrari); later the intro was completely revised: the title melody changed to the now familiar, common "Magnum theme", action scenes from earlier episodes and outtakes were used and everything seemed much more dynamic.
  • Magnum and TC often wear baseball caps with the words "VMO-2 - Da Nang" on them. These are memories of their time together in Vietnam: The 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron of the US Marine Corps (= Marine Observation Squadron 2 / VMO-2) was actually stationed in Da Nang, Vietnam from 1965 to 1971. But the " Detroit Tigers " were also often on his head: his grandfather was a fan and Magnum is disturbed in many episodes while watching a baseball game in the guest house. TC has often been wearing a cap with a TC logo and the French cross since season three.
  • Magnum is also very active in sports himself: He often appears (e.g. in episodes 3.1, 4.6 and 7.17) in surf ski competitions, plays basketball, baseball, beach volleyball, football, and likes to swim (he compares swimming with swimming Alcohol addiction from others), jogs and takes part in the annual surf ski race of the King Kamehameha Club (with very moderate success: his best placement was 17th (4.6), previously only 68th and 62nd place, each behind a teenager ).
  • In the last episode of the first season he even takes part in the famous Ironman triathlon. Magnum is also musically: he plays the saxophone fairly well , in which he was already taught in 1956 (8.5, he was late for the first lesson).
  • In the episode "Die Rache des Poisongottes" (3.3) there is a crossover with the TV series Simon & Simon and its protagonists AJ Simon and Rick Simon. The episode “Competition from the Mainland” (7.9) is a crossover with the television series Murder is her Hobby , in which Jessica Fletcher helps Magnum out of a jam.

The vehicles

Ferrari 308 GTS

There is intensive product placement for vehicles in the series . First and foremost, of course, the Ferrari 308 GTS (license number initially "56E-478" and permanently in the opening credits, then "ROBIN 1") is to be mentioned, which is still known today as the "Magnum Ferrari".

Ferrari was not originally asked by the producers about vehicles for production. They asked Porsche for a free model 928 vehicle that was to have an extra-large sunroof for camera angles from the air. Porsche refused. The producers looked for another vehicle and then finally found the then still current model 308 from Ferrari. Ferrari of America later sponsored the series and produced up to 17 vehicles that were used for various purposes in the series. In all models in which Tom Selleck can be seen sitting in a Ferrari, the seat was modified in such a way that the tall actor could still assume a natural-looking sitting posture. For the same reason, there are hardly any scenes in which the car can be seen with the roof closed.

The original 308 GTS was a carburetor version that was built from 1977 to 1980. The first vehicle in the series was destroyed in a bomb attack (3.1) in which "Mac" lost its life, so that the successor 308 GTSi (injection) and later the 308 GTS QV (Quattrovalvole injection four-valve) were used. The vehicle that was blown up for series production was not a Ferrari, but a replica. All models were US versions, which can be recognized by the yellow reflectors on the front and rear fenders as well as the clunky bumpers according to the US standard of the time and finally the covered exhaust box. One of the models had a racing clutch. Since Tom Selleck couldn't cope with it and almost caused an accident on the set, this car was only used when a stuntman was driving the car.

A few other Ferraris were shown, for example when Robin's nephew “RJ” appeared (6.13): He had also received a 308 GTS QV, but dark green (license number: “ROBIN 23”), from his uncle. In episode 1.17, Joy Doyle, the representative of a security company, drove up in a red 308, just as a third red 308 GTS was later staged in episode 8.7: Susan Johnson - also "PI" - emulated Magnum; initially as a competitor, but ultimately as an ally. Even when he freed the daughter of a friend of Robin on his behalf in Sicily, he used the godfather's red 308 (2.16).

But Audi was also able to do so with the Audi 5000 S (registration number: "ROBIN 2"; which in episode 4.18 - a review by Higgins of 1976 - belonged to a Jaguar XJ Mark I ), a version of the Audi 100 tailored to the North American market / 200, will present its product placed in the luxury sedan segment. It was first a Type 43 model that fell victim to a bomb attack in episode 1.5, and then the newer Type 44 model. It suffered a total loss (8.11) when Higgins got off the road due to manipulated brakes.

Other German vehicles that were shown in the series are z. E.g. the VW T3 bus from TC with its eye-catching "Island Hoppers" design (license number: YUR-374, later (8.9) then BYJ-536) and the Mercedes-Benz 450SL (series R107) from Rick, who previously had one Nissan ZX Targa drove. Carol Baldwin, the prosecutor and good friend of Magnum, drove a dark blue VW Golf Cabriolet . She put it up for sale in Magnum episode 8.1, but then sold it elsewhere. Then (8.6) she drove a dark Porsche 944 .

Magnum was rarely unable to dispose of the Ferrari. So he drives z. B. in a Jaguar E-Type that didn't want to drive at all and above all didn't want to go with Magnum (5.7); the color of the Jaguar was red, like a Ferrari. In episode 1.13, a Honda N 360 , a small car ready for scrap, played the "leading role". In addition, other US vehicles (e.g. the GMC Jimmy Station Wagon , "ROBIN 3", disrespectfully referred to by Higgins as "trucks", 3.1) were used.

The music

The current theme music for the series was composed by Mike Post together with Pete Carpenter . It is not the original title melody, which was replaced from the 12th episode. However, it was used as the closing melody from episode 1.8.

The theme song for the first eleven episodes was composed by Ian Freebairn-Smith . It only became known in Germany as the title melody when the series was re-dubbed, because when it was first broadcast in Germany by ARD, the music by Mike Post was used for all episodes. For the end credits, however, ARD left the original title melody for the first episodes. The intro and an interlude on the album POWER by the former hip-hop band Fischmob is a reference to the voiceover Magnum, including the catch phrase “I know what you are thinking now and you are right!”, Spoken by Norbert Langer .

From the seventh season, the background music will also change: As was common at that time (see e.g. the TV series Miami Vice ), current pop music ( e.g. 7.6: Genesis with the title Mama , 7.18 with Tonight, Tonight, tonight and 8.08 with The Brazilian ) involved in the dramaturgy. The Queen hit We will rock you was also used in the rhythm of which Ms. Jones (Margie Impert) (3.08) stamps documents.

In a few episodes (e.g. 3.14), background music was selected from the respective episode for the credits (e.g. Sweet Georgia Brown - matching episode 3.14, the hymn of the Harlem Globetrotters ).

Awards

year Award category Award winners
1981 Edgar Best TV episode for "China Doll" Donald P. Bellisario & Glen A. Larson
1982 Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Multipart, or Movie John Hillerman
1982 Eddie Best adaptation of a television series for "Memories are Forever" Michael Berman & Ed Guidotti
1984 Emmy Most important leading actor in a drama series Tom Selleck
1984 Young Artist Best representation of a young actress in a television series (guest actor) for "Basket Case" Dana Hill
1985 Golden Globe Best Actor in a Series - Drama Tom Selleck
1987 Emmy Most important supporting actor in a drama series John Hillerman

New edition

A remake called Magnum PI has been running on the US television channel CBS since September 2018.The plot is set in today's times and the title character, played by Jay Hernández , is not a Vietnam War, but a Gulf War veteran. Perdita Weeks , Zachary Knighton , Stephen Hill and Tim Kang can also be seen in the leading roles .

Fiction

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Quotation, episode 6.13, after his matchstick model of the bridge was destroyed: "I was there!"
  2. ↑ The exception is the crossover episode Die Rache des Poisongottes, of which the ARD synchronization was released in the Simon & Simon DVD box 2.1. see: Simon and Simon DVD
  3. ↑ Broadcast dates on fernsehserie.de
  4. ↑ German synchronous index: German synchronous index | Series | Magnum. Retrieved May 3, 2018 .
  5. ↑ German synchronous index: German synchronous index | Series | Magnum. Retrieved May 3, 2018 .
  6. ↑ http://filmlexikon.uni-kiel.de/index.php?action=lexikon&tag=det&id=354
  7. ↑ http://magnum-mania.com/Episodes/Season1/Thicker_than_Blood.html