I know what you’re thinking. Tom Selleck is Magnum P.I. Well, Tom Selleck will always be Magnum P.I., but everything old is new again, so Jay Hernandez gets a chance to reinvent the legendary series.
Hernandez was on a TCA panel with castmates Pedita Weeks, Zachary Knighton and Tim Kang to talk about the new Magnum P.I.. Here’s what they had to say. Magnum P.I. premieres tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS.
Jay Hernandez – Thomas Magnum
“I Saw The Sun Rise” — Jay Hernandez stars as Thomas Magnum in a modern take on the classic series about a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii, on the series premiere of MAGNUM P.I., Monday, Sept. 24 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.Pictured L-R: Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins and Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum Photo: Karen Neal/CBS é2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
“I’m not a Detroit Tigers fan. I’ll be honest. But, you know, what’s great that I thought Peter [Lenkov] and the creative team behind Magnum P.I. did was get a lot of, like, Easter eggs and little homages to the original show that fans of the original show will love: the Cross of Lorraine, the Dobermans, the cars. The original 308 is in the show. There’s a lot of things like that that are peppered throughout the pilot and probably throughout the season and the rest of the show that fans of the original will love. And in terms of the people who have, like, trepidation or some reservations about this reboot, we’re going to do things that are going to satisfy them, that are going to make them happy. We’re doing an homage to the mustache at some point. So there’s a lot of that.”
Pedita Weeks – Juliett Higgins
“I Saw The Sun Rise” — Jay Hernandez stars as Thomas Magnum in a modern take on the classic series about a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii, on the series premiere of MAGNUM P.I., Monday, Sept. 24 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins Photo: Karen Neal/CBS é2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
“Higgins is now a woman. I wasn’t as familiar with the original show as others. We definitely had it in the UK, and I remember that’s how I knew about Hawaii, is just that image of the shirt and the Ferrari. But this is a 2018 Higgins. It was really important to Peter and Eric [Guggenheim], the only thing that was maybe missing from the original, is a strong female character. There were a lot of women, but maybe not playing such an important kind of role, which I think Juliett is. And it brings a new dynamic. They butt heads, like in the original. There’s still the same they still have their own agendas, and they’re very different in the way they do things. And possibly, Juliett is a little misunderstood by the other people. There’s a reason she’s there, and we’ll find out more about that. And she has a similar background to the original Higgins in that she’s exServices herself. And that’s something that, actually, they play on a little bit.”
Tim Kang as Det. Gordon Katsumoto on the CBS drama MAGNUM P.I. scheduled to air of the CBS Television Network. Photo: Courtesy of Derek Ruth
Tim Kang – Det. Gordon Katsumoto
“My character is a detective with the Honolulu Police Department. I think the problems, at least from my point of view, are going to come from this guy right here [Magnum]. This guy’s an up and comer in the department. He’s ambitious. He wants to get somewhere. And I think the way that and to kind of piggyback on what Perdi was saying, the way that Magnum goes about living his life and investigating and this kind of thing kind of runs anti to the way that Katsumoto runs things, and there will be some butting heads as well with Katsumoto, I think.”
Zachary Knighton – Orville “Rick” Wright”
Zachary Knighton as Orville ÃÂRickàWright of the CBS drama Magnum P.I., scheduled to air on the CBS Television vision Network. Photo: Karen Neal/CBS é2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved8
“The world’s kind of scary right now and people want to go back, I think, to things that they love and that made them feel good. For me, that’s what drew me to doing this, is that Magnum, for me, as a kid, I was obsessed with the show and the cars and the adventure. It never took itself too seriously, and the tone of the show was so much fun. I think, for me, I was really immediately drawn to the project because I want to have a little bit more fun. I think people are going to enjoy this show because they I think people could use a little joy in their lives right now. .”
