Magnum P.I.: The Complete Series DVD review
Jan 24, 2024- Permalink
The reboot of Magnum P.I. premiered in 2018 with a few noticeable changes. First off, the titular private investigator and former Navy SEAL wasn’t played by a mustachioed Tom Selleck, but by a goateed Jay Hernandez. Jonathan Higgins, played in the original by John Hillerman, was now Juliet Higgins, a former British intelligence agent played by Perdita Weeks. Eagle-eyed viewers also noticed that the new title was missing a comma. The reboot built a strong and dedicated following, but the show found itself cancelled by CBS after four seasons. It’s rare that a cancelled show gets a second life, but NBC picked up the show for a fifth and final season. Paramount Home Entertainment has now released the Magnum P.I.: The Complete Series on DVD and I had a chance to take a look.
As I’ve mentioned in previous TV on DVD reviews, the answer to the question “Why isn’t this in HD?” is as follows: market forces (projected sales/profit margins) dictate that most series are released on DVD, which still has the biggest share of the physical media market. So, though Magnum P.I.’s Hawaiian setting screams out for the lushness of Blu-ray, the only way to watch it in full HD is via streaming or broadcast. Still, this 24-disc set with an aspect ratio of 16:9 does a very good job presenting the series. The colour palette is bright and colourful and the detail is very good for the DVD format.
On the audio side of things, the set has an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack with subtitles available for English SDH. Like most TV discs, the mix is a bit front-heavy though ambient noises and effect occasionally make it into the surrounds. Music is clean and bright and dialogue is clear, centred and well prioritized in the mix.
The 24-disc set does not come with a digital code. There is over two hours of bonus material including deleted and extended scenes, gag reels and various other promotional featurettes.
Dedicated fans of the show who don’t want its availability to be subject to the whims of streaming services or syndication will probably be interested in adding Magnum P.I.: The Complete Series DVD to their collection.