The New Magnum Show

This week saw some progress toward book 2. The weather interfered with using the computer some, so I didn't get as much done as I wanted. On the book cover front, I picked up a painting supply I needed for a painting I've been trying to do. I'm trying out a technique with it that I'm hoping will let me figure out how to do a book cover that looks like one. Paintings don't usually look like illustrations, so there's a gap to bridge. I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to do a cover, but if I don't try, I won't know.

The other day I was going through the channel listings looking for something, when I ran across a listing for Magnum P.I. I remembered seeing an article not too long ago that Hollywood was going to do a Magnum reboot. They've been out of ideas for decades. I set it to record to watch later. One night, when it was too hot to use the computer, I made myself watch some of it. I kind of dreaded it. I was worried it would be great but full of inappropriate content. I shouldn't have worried so much.

I remember Magnum in the 80s, though I didn't watch it until years later on some kind of rerun channel. My best friend loved it back in the day, which is why I watched it. So, I have the real thing to compare this new Magnum show to.

Millennials. One of the things they're infamous for is talking about their feelings. Instead of facing life's problems, they run to a safe room and talk about how they feel until they're not scared any more. Then they come out, problem avoided. Quite a lot of the first half of the new Magnum was the characters talking about their feelings with each other. Oh, dear. Are all Millennial shows going to be like this? Is the next generation going to vomit while trying to watch Millennial programming while being mystified at how much better even older shows are? If all the shows today are like this, we're looking at a lost generation of programming and no classics from this era.

I didn't watch the entire episode, but most of it, yes. Here are some thoughts.

Wrong Magnum. The new guy is not Magnum. It's not just that he's not Tom Selleck. He's not Magnum. He doesn't work. Casting department fail. And, hey, where the mustache?

Wrong Higgins. They've turned Higgins into a woman. I had my doubts about that, when reading about the reboot ahead of time, but if she's pretty enough,. . .I could get past that. It turns out the woman they chose has an Australian accent, and not one of the good ones. It's kind of one of the annoying ones. She's attractive enough but not beautiful and has a nice figure, but no. Higgins had a British accent. One simply cannot substitute bad Australian for that. It doesn't work. I like her until she talks. The casting department needs a decidedly firm slap across the jowls with an old English glove.

Wrong feel. The show doesn't have the same vibe as the original. Admittedly, this is only one episode, but the original had some depth and grit to it. The new one is kind of shallow. Thirty minutes of talking about their feelings lacks depth. How about trying to solve the crime instead? The original Magnum was a detective show with action. Naval gazing is not a substitute for action.

I fast forwarded through the commercials, but I did catch the end of one. It was advertising Hawaii 5-0 before the next Magnum. I remember that show, too, but I was too young to watch it. I can't believe Hollywood has two reboots back to back. However, they've been out of ideas for decades.

I didn't like the new Battlestar Galactica either. It was a melodrama. I tried watching it, but every episode was like watching September 11.

The Love Boat. Simon and Simon. Tales of the Gold Monkey. Whiz Kids. Hart to Hart. Moonlighting. Remington Steele. I could see a Remington Steele remake.

Have a great weekend.