CBS

Stephen Hill and Zachary Knighton on Magnum P.I. Reboot

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Magnum P.I. is a new reboot of the classic 80’s show of the same name that premieres on September 24 on CBS. Here’s the description from cbs.com:

“Magnum P.I. is a modern take on the classic series centering on Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. A charming rogue, an American hero and a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan, Magnum lives in a guest cottage on Robin’s Nest, the luxurious estate where he works as a security consultant to supplement his P.I. business. The “majordomo” of the property is Juliet Higgins, a beautiful and commanding disavowed MI:6 agent whose second job is to keep Magnum in line, with the help of her two Dobermans. When Magnum needs back-up on a job, he turns to his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors, Theodore “TC” Calvin, a former Marine chopper pilot who runs Island Hoppers, a helicopter tour business, and Orville “Rick” Wright, a former Marine door-gunner-turned-impresario of Oahu’s coolest nightclub and the most connected man on the island. Suspicious of Magnum’s casual attitude and presence at his crime scenes, Detective Gordon Katsumoto finds that he and Magnum are more alike than either of them care to admit. With keys to a vintage Ferrari in one hand, aviator sunglasses in the other, and an Old Düsseldorf longneck chilling in the fridge, Thomas Magnum is back on the case!”

CBS brought some of the cast (Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Stephen Hill as TC Calvin, and Zachary Knighton as Rick Wright) as well as the executive producers (Peter Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim) to San Diego Comic Con this summer.

We sat down to chat with Stephen Hill and Zachary Knighton about what it is like to be taking on such well-known and iconic characters.

Some highlights:
  • Their characters are vets from Afganistan, not Vietnam like in the original series
  • Knighton bought the car that his predecessor, Larry Manetti, who played Rick originally, drove on the island when the original show was filming
  • Hill is getting his vehicle painted to match the helicopter on the show
  • The show is more character-driven than procedural
  • Every episode is a little different in theme and energy
  • The entire cast has become really tight

Check out the series premiere of Magnum P.I on Monday, September 24th, on CBS.

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