Magnum P.I. has become the latest series to end, officially airing its two-hour finale on the 2024 TV schedule on January 3. The series fell short of the 100-episode milestone, but there's another milestone they didn't get. With a reboot of Tom Selleck’s popular drama from the ‘80s, you would think that the original Thomas Magnum would make a cameo, especially since the reboot was on the same network as Selleck’s Blue Bloods before its CBS cancellation. However, there’s a good reason why that never came to be.
While Magnum’s series finale was airing, Jay Hernandez, who took over the mantle as the titular private investigator but minus the iconic mustache, responded to fans on X, and he shouted out Selleck and the original series. With Hernandez acknowledging the original series and the man who brought Thomas Magnum to life, why didn’t the two ever work together on the reboot? Showrunner Eric Guggenheim told TVLine that they wanted to be realistic:
We joked about that very early on in the first season, but we never thought getting him was a real possibility. Was fun to dream about, though.
It definitely would have been fun to see Tom Selleck on Magnum P.I., even in just a brief cameo. However, it does make sense that they thought it wasn’t possible. Guggenheim didn't specify why they thought it wasn’t possible, but since Selleck is on Blue Bloods, which shoots in New York, and Magnum shot in Hawaii, it definitely would have been hard to get schedules to line up. That doesn’t mean that the actor didn’t give his blessing. Executive producer Peter Lenkov added:
We’ve been in touch with [Selleck], and he’s actually been really supportive. I know in the past they’ve tried to do versions of [Magnum], and getting his blessing was very important — and we got that, so we’re very lucky.
Tom Selleck showing his support for the Magnum reboot is really sweet. Maybe since he wasn’t able to guest star in it, perhaps Jay Hernandez could guest star in Blue Bloods. It may not be the same, but it would be better than nothing.
Since Blue Bloods is heading into its final season, you never know what could happen. The series is already bringing on familiar faces for the final batch of episodes, maybe Hernandez can be a random criminal the NYPD has to chase down or a detective visiting the Big Apple?
Even though Selleck didn’t appear on the Magnum reboot, the original series is still close to him. There was a Magnum P.I. reunion during Season 13 of Blue Bloods when Larry Manetti appeared on an episode as a grieving grandfather. Manetti starred in the original Magnum as bar owner Rick Wright, so to have the OG Thomas and Rick together again was a nice sight to see. Hopefully, one more reunion happens in the final season, whether it’s the original Magnum or reboot.
Meanwhile, Magnum P.I.’s premature end didn’t fair too well with Hernandez. He shared on X that he didn’t love the ending, which can be watched with a Peacock subscription, and had floated the idea of a standalone film to wrap everything up.
Whether or not that will actually happen is unknown, but it wouldn’t be the first time the series was saved. Crazier things have happened. If a film or extra episodes do happen, it would be the perfect way to get Tom Selleck on board. One can dream.
