Magnum P.I. saved by NBC after being axed by CBS

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NBC comes to the rescue and orders 20 new episodes of the drama.

Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins and Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum standing next to each other in Magnum P.I.
Perdita Weeks and Jay Hernandez in Magnum P.I. (Image credit: CBS)

As the old proverb goes, "one man’s trash is another man’s treasure." While we certainly aren’t calling the Magnum P.I. remake trash, the sentiment of the statement certainly applies here as the recently canceled CBS show has found a new home on NBC according to Deadline. This is amazing news for those that love Jay Hernandez’s portrayal of the savvy private investigator Thomas Magnum. 

When CBS first announced that they would not be renewing Magnum P.I. back in May, fans were immediately stunned and even hoped another platform would pick up the show. 

What made the cancellation a bit of a shocker for many is that Magnum P.I. had been on the air for four successful seasons and as Deadline reports, it was a "top 25 show in total viewers." Additionally, TVLine states that the series ranked ninth of the 14 CBS dramas and both CSI: Vegas (6.8 mil/0.8) and S.W.A.T. (6.5 mil/0.8), which averaged lower viewership numbers than Magnum P.I., earned renewals on the network. These figures suggest that CBS may have canceled the show for reasons other than ratings.

This theory is further supported by CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl. Kahl told TVLine in regards to not renewing the series, "You have some tough decisions to make and you have lots of factors — and I’m not going to rule [the licensing fee] out as one of them. It was a great team to work with, and one of the tougher decisions we had to make."

Regardless of the why, that brings us back to the fact that Magnum P.I. is headed to NBC. The broadcaster has ordered 20 new episodes of the drama and will allegedly split them between two seasons. There is no official word yet on when the series will make its season 5 debut. 

On an interesting note, this is not the first time that NBC or its affiliate networks have picked up a show from another broadcaster. NBC acquired the hit cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine after it was axed by Fox and more recently, the upcoming season of Love Island USA is headed to Peacock this summer. 

Will you be tuning into Magnum P.I. when new episodes are released?  By the way, season 4 is currently streaming on Paramount Plus. 

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Terrell Smith
Terrell Smith

Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities.  When he’s not writing as Terrell, he’s writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Some of his favorite shows include The Crown, WandaVision, Abbot Elementary and Godfather of Harlem. And a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC 90 Day Fiancé universe.