The Magnum P.I. reboot is officially set to come to an end on NBC with the release of Season 5, Part 2 in 2024.
As broken by Deadline, NBC has opted not to order more episodes of Magnum P.I. beyond the 20-episode fifth season it picked up last year. The outlet reports that NBC is expected to “mount a sizable campaign” for what will be marketed as the show’s final chapter, consisting of the remaining 10 episodes.
Based on the 1980-1988 series of the same name, Magnum P.I. initially premiered on CBS in 2018. The series stars Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, a role occupied by Tom Selleck in the original ’80s incarnation. Due to licensing fee disagreements with Universal, CBS canceled the Magnum P.I. reboot in 2022 after four seasons. Shortly after, NBC revived the show for a 20-episode fifth season, which would be split into two parts.
Why did NBC just cancel Magnum P.I.?
The 10 episodes that make up Magnum P.I. Season 5, Part 1 aired on NBC from February 2023 to April 2023. Season 5, Part 2 is currently expected to air as part of the 2024 midseason. However, Deadline reports that the new episodes could potentially arrive earlier, depending on the impact of the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.
While Magnum P.I. Season 5, Part 2 isn’t slated to air until next year, the options on the cast expire in just a matter of days on June 30. According to Deadline, this “forced the issue now.” Evidently, NBC had three options: give the show an early Season 6 renewal, extend the options on the cast, or release the cast and end the show.
An early Season 6 renewal was unlikely, given the fact that networks are hesitant to hand out pickups during the aforementioned WGA strike. Meanwhile, extending the options would have imposed a long hold on the cast, since — in that scenario — NBC wouldn’t have to make a Season 6 renewal decision for another year. As such, the network ultimately went with option number three.