While the series was canceled last May by CBS, “Magnum” could be saved by the American channel NBC, which wants to give a second chance to the reboot of the cult series from the 80s.
Jay Hernandez may soon have to put on Detective Thomas Magnum’s iconic Hawaiian shirts again. While Magnum PI was canceled last May by CBS after 4 seasons, NBC would indeed be ready to save the reboot of the cult 80s series, according to exclusive information from Deadline.
If nothing is confirmed for the moment, discussions are underway so that the American channel and/or USA Network can broadcast the series. Also according to the American media, NBC could offer new episodes on its antenna, while previous seasons could be broadcast on USA Network.
Immediately after Magnum’s surprise cancellation, Universal Television, which is co-producing the series with CBS Studios, reportedly began exploring many possibilities in order to save the show.
And still according to Deadline, the discussions would be at an advanced stage. All parties have until the end of the month to reach an agreement, the options on the contract of the actors of the series expiring on June 30.
Magnum PI is one of Universal Television’s flagship dramas, with the reboot being in the studio’s top 25 most-watched shows. This is why the announcement of its termination last May came as a surprise, since the series still attracted 7.4 million viewers on average on D+7 this season in the United States, for a rate of 0.7 out of the 18 -49 years.
Its cancellation came after lengthy negotiations between CBS and Universal Television, as the channel tried to lower the cost of airing a possible season 5.
If an agreement were to be signed, Magnum would join the long list of canceled series which were finally saved by another chain. Already in 2018, the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine had had a second life on NBC after being canceled by Fox. More recently, the drama series Manifest landed on Netflix after it was canceled by NBC.
The rescue of Magnum PI would obviously be good news for fans of the series who were frustrated not to have had the right to a real ending, the announcement of its cancellation having fallen after the broadcast of the last episode of season 4.
In France, the fourth and final season of Magnum is still unpublished on TF1.