MAGNUM P.I.: Eric Guggenheim on the Show’s Syndication Run, its Legacy, and His Season 1 Memories

MAGNUM P.I. is getting a second life…in syndication.

The charming series—which ran from 2018-2022 on CBS and 2023-2024 on NBC—will make its debut on ION TV at 7/6c on Friday, September 20. (Check here for details about how to find the channel in your market.)

For those who didn’t watch during the show’s initial five-season run, MAGNUM P.I. followed former SEAL-turned-private investigator Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) as he solved mysteries with his team: ex-MI6 agent Juliet Higgins (Perdita Weeks); retired Marines Rick (Zachary Knighton) and T.C. (Stephen Hill);  cultural curator Kumu (Amy Hill); and Gordon Katsumoto (Tim Kang), a detective with the Honolulu Police Department.

With the series now available to a new audience, showrunner Eric Guggenheim spoke with Give Me My Remote (via email) about its new ION home, why new viewers should tune in, its legacy, and more…

It still feels quasi-rare for shows to make it into proper syndication these days. What does it mean to/for you that the show is getting this second life on ION?
It’s exciting. Because you’re right, it has become harder and harder to get to that point. So it feels good. I’m hoping viewers who missed the show during its first run will find it on Ion. And for the fans who watched us on CBS and NBC, it’s a terrific opportunity for a rewatch!

For people who haven’t watched the show yet, what is your elevator pitch to them for the series?
You know the original series. It was a hang-out blue sky show with a lot of heart, humor and action. This version delivers all that plus some romance.

What do you remember about your first days with the show, both in the development process and on set for the pilot/season 1?
The development process was pretty smooth. We actually had a very detailed outline for the pilot with a lot of scene work already done before we pitched the show. Some things changed or got cut but the story remained the same. Once the pilot was greenlit, there was a lot of pressure on everyone, especially Jay. The original series was and is so beloved and Thomas Magnum is such an iconic television character. Everyone had a ton of respect for that show but we also really wanted this version to stand on its own. All first seasons are hard and ours was no exception. It just takes time for everything and everyone to gel but we were blessed with a terrific cast and undeniable chemistry with Jay and Perdie. 

Not to make you pick between your figurative children, but if you could craft a mini-MAGNUM marathon of 3 episodes for fans to rewatch during this syndication run, what would they be and why?
Well, certainly the premiere. It has all the ingredients that we tried to bring to each episode that followed. A compelling case with strong turns, a few thrills, comedy and emo. Episode 13, “Day of The Viper,” is another good one I think. At that point we hadn’t revealed much about Higgins so that ep was her origin story. I’m also really fond of our season 1 penultimate episode because we got a glimpse of what a premise pilot would have looked like.

Nine-ish months removed from the finale, what do you think the show’s legacy is?
I think we did what we set out to do, which is make an optimistic, feel good show that celebrates veterans and hopefully gives everyone who watches a nice escape from their everyday worries and problems.

In addition to the syndication, the writers’ room account on Twitter has been championing to make the show streamable. Where do things stand with that?
We remain hopeful that one day the streaming situation will get worked out.

A show ending doesn’t necessarily mean you can turn those creative thoughts about the characters off…
That’s very true. Ideas will just come to you.

What is the silliest or wildest thing your brain has come up with for this world (like, “Man, I wish I could write a story where X does Y?”) since the series wrapped?
There’s actually a black market for Spam in Hawaii. I read an article about it and thought that could be a fun jumping off point for a case. Maybe that’s a Kumu and Rick story. Or Magnum and Higgins undercover in a book club where the book being discussed is the newest White Knight novel.

What do you miss most about the MAGNUM experience?
The people. It was such a good group [to] work with. 

The experience seemed to bond the cast/crew/writers. In the time since the show wrapped, how have you maintained that Ohana?
I keep in touch with a lot of the writers and crew. I also hear from the cast from time to time. Jay and I just texted recently. He’s directing his first feature and I’m excited to see what he does.

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