The Corner Penthouse

Mill Creek recently released the Magnum P.I.: The Complete Series (1980-1988) Blu-ray. Read on to find out more about it...

[ SYNOPSIS ]

Buckle up and take a ride with Magnum, P.I. (Tom Selleck) as all eight seasons of the iconic series are collected together in this incredible 162-episode, 30-disc set. Explore beautiful and exotic Hawaii with television's most beloved and charismatic private investigator as he tackles baffling mysteries and tracks down the bad guys with the help of T.C. (Roger E. Mosley), Rick (Larry Manetti) and Higgins (John Hillerman) and his four-legged pals, Apollo and Zeus.

[ EPISODE INFORMATION ]

The 30-disc set includes all 158 episodes that aired over 8 seasons on CBS from December 11, 1980 to May 1, 1988.

The premiere ("Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii") is the two-part syndicated version and not the original single-part version, which was found on Universal's Season 1 DVD set (albeit split into two parts). It has the later Mike Post theme song and credits at the very beginning and cuts out the Ian Freebairn-Smith theme song and credits that originally appeared a little bit into the episode/movie after Magnum drives away in the Ferrari (at 7:20 in the Blu-ray). The Freebairn-Smith theme is retained in the other appropriate Season 1 episodes (#3 through #11). Fans of the show know that the Post theme originally premiered in the end credits for episode #8, and became the opening theme starting with episode #12. Aside from the premiere (which counts as the first two episodes), that is all retained on the Blu-ray.

Runtimes generally clock in around 49 to 50 minutes each, going no lower than 45 minutes for the two-parters. Other than the premiere, none of the episodes on the Blu-ray appear to be edited, aside from a handful of episodes that are missing the opening 30-second tease (a montage of clips from the episode you're about to watch). I suspect that the few episodes that start right away with the theme song are missing the tease. I know that the Season 5 premiere two-parter with Sharon Stone is missing the tease because it was on the original Season 1 DVD (on a bonus disc). Anyway... I heard lots of uses of licensed music, so I don't think there are any music replacements. These episodes have all been on DVD before, so I'm sure that all music rights were cleared back in the 2000s.

The crossover episodes from other Universal series are not included, even though they were available in the old individual Magnum Season DVD sets from Universal. This set is missing the Season 2 Simon & Simon episode "Emerald's Are Not a Girl's Best Friend" (the second part of the Season 3 Magnum episode "Ki'is Don't Lie") and the Season 3 Murder, She Wrote episode "Magnum on Ice" (the second part of the Season 7 Magnum episode "Novel Connection"). This is because Mill Creek doesn't have the license to those series, but it would have been nice if a deal could have been worked out to include just these specific episodes since they properly conclude the stories from the Magnum episodes. Instead, the two Magnum episodes here appear to be the "wrapped up in a single episode" versions. I know this is true for "Novel Connection" because it ends with Magnum reading one of J.B. Fletcher's novels and not with the cliffhanger that the original version ended on, which lead into the Murder, She Wrote episode.

[ SPECIFICATIONS ]

The show is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Audio languages include English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. Subtitle languages include English.

[ SPECIAL FEATURES ]

Here's a list of all of the special features that can be found throughout the set. I'm happy to report that all of the special features from the old Universal DVDs - aside from the crossover Simon & Simon and Murder, She Wrote episodes - have been ported over to this set.

• SEASON 1, DISC 1: The Rockford Files: "White on White and Nearly Perfect" (48:46) - Tom Selleck appears as Lance White in this episode that aired on Oct. 20, 1978 as the 4th episode of Season 5. Presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio in HD.
• SEASON 1, DISC 1: The Rockford Files: "Nice Guys Finish Dead" (49:59) - Tom Selleck appears as Lance White in this episode that aired on Nov. 16, 1979 as the 6th episode of Season 6. Presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio in HD.
• SEASON 7, DISC 3: Little Bit of Luck: An Interview with Writer/Producer Reuben Leder (11:34) - This is a new 2022 audio interview that plays over various clips from the show, as well as clips and photos of other things.
• SEASON 7, DISC 3: Paradise Blues: An Interview with Writer/Actress Chris Abbott (12:49) - This is a new 2022 audio interview that plays over various clips from the show, as well as clips and photos of other things.
• SEASON 7, DISC 3: Echoes of the Past: An Interview with Writer/Actress Deborah Pratt (10:18) - This is a new 2022 audio interview that plays over various clips from the show, as well as clips and photos of other things.
• SEASON 7, DISC 4: The Great '80s TV Flashback (29:01) - This 2005 featurette is a fun look at the television landscape of the 1980s, intended to promote all of Universal's DVD releases of the time. It spends a few minutes looking at some of the key shows from the decade, including Magnum P.I.; Miami Vice; The A-Team; Knight Rider; Simon & Simon; Murder, She Wrote; Quantum Leap; Gimme a Break; Charles in Charge; and Kate & Allie. This program is also included in several other Universal 1980s TV DVD releases from circa 2005, such as Charles in Charge, The A-Team, and the Magnum P.I. Season 4 DVD set.
• SEASON 7, DISC 4: Inside the Ultimate Crime Crossover (6:00) - This 2007 featurette looks at the crossover between Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote. This should have been on Season 7, Disc 2, since the related episode ("Novel Connection") is on that disc. Of course, the related Murder, She Wrote episode is not to be found here.
• SEASON 7, DISC 4: America's Top Sleuths (29:55) - This 2007 featurette is really a lengthy advertisement for the Sleuth network disguised as a top-10 countdown for the top TV sleuths. This was originally on the Magnum P.I. Season 7 DVD set.
• SEASON 8, DISC 1: Audio Commentary for "Pleasure Principle" - with writer Jay Huguely.
• SEASON 8, DISC 1: Mike on Magnum: The Anatomy of a Theme (12:40) - This new 2022 audio interview with composer Mike Post plays over various clips from the show, as well as clips and photos of other things.
• SEASON 8, DISC 1: Virgil Vogel: A Universal Director (6:31) - A 2022 interview with author/film historian C. Courtney Joyner that looks back at the career of the acclaimed Magnum, P.I. director, including his early days as a reliable Universal editor and director.
• SEASON 8, DISC 2: Audio Commentary for "Legend of the Lost Art" - with writer Jay Huguely.
• SEASON 8, DISC 2: Audio Commentary for "Resolutions Pt. 2" - with co-executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson.

[ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ]

Mill Creek went above and beyond with the packaging. All 30 discs are placed in three individual 10-disc cases, which are inside a side-loading slipbox. The fronts of all three cases form one wide collage...


...as do the newly-commissioned artwork on the back of the cases.


On top of that, there's a photo of Magnum and a woman inside the slipbox!


[ PURCHASE LINKS ]

Magnum P.I.: The Complete Series (1980-1988) is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Repackaged DVD. If you want the unedited version of the pilot (albeit split into two parts), you'll need to buy Universal's Season 1 DVD set (2012 release, says "6-Disc Set" on the cover). If you buy the original dual-sided disc version (2005 release), which includes a bonus disc, you'll also get the crossover Simon & Simon episode. Otherwise, you'll need to buy the Simon & Simon Season 2 DVD set for that. You'll also need to buy the Murder She Wrote Season 3 DVD set (alt url) for that crossover episode. That will supplement this, otherwise, excellent Blu-ray set.

The 2018 reboot series starring Jay Hernandez and Perdita Weeks is currently airing its fourth season. The previous three seasons are available on DVD: Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

Alternatively, I put together three supplemental DVDs for myself containing the missing episodes, which I will share with you so you can supplement your purchase of the Complete Series Blu-ray set. Using material I grabbed from my original DVD sets, and episodes "History_Fixer" provided on the Internet Archive, I made a three-disc set. The first disc has English SDH subtitles, but you have to turn them on manually. The second disc requires a dual-layer DVD-R disc, unless you use the alternate version (which lacks "Echoes of the Mind"). DISC 1 (3.8GB), which doesn't have a menu, contains "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii" (Original Movie Version) (download split part 1 and part 2). DISC 2 (7.8GB), which also has a companion mds file, contains "Ki'is Don't Lie" (Part 1), Simon & Simon: "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend" (Part 2), and "Echoes of the Mind" (Part 1 & Part 2) (with opening teases) [alternate DISC 2 (3.7GB) with just the Simon & Simon crossover episodes.] DISC 3 (4.3GB) contains "Novel Connection" (Part 1), Murder, She Wrote: "Magnum on Ice" (Part 2), and the bonus feature "Inside the Ultimate Crime Crossover". I made a DVD case liner to print out, which is also available in PNG format. If you don't like what I put together, feel free to author your own DVDs using menu image #1 and menu image #2.



This item has been provided by Mill Creek for review on this site.