When they first announced that CBS was doing a remake of my one of favourite shows, I expressed my overly protective grumpy old fanboy concerns...
Last night I watched the pilot of of MAGNUM (no comma) P.I.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMd6Tv-vpt4[/video]
I did not hate it. It's fine. It is the typical hyper reality, action over real substance, formula storytelling that has made the Hawaii 5-O and MacGyver reboots such a success for CBS. So if you enjoy those, you will enjoy this too.
As for the pilot specifics, if anything, it feels like the show tried too hard to appease fans of the classic series. They awkwardly jam packed the 40 minute pilot with almost every key piece of classic Magnum mythology as if to say, "Hey, we know and love the old show too! So trust us!!!"...wink,wink...
--we got all the Magnum traits... Detroit tiger hat, surf skiing, Zeus and Apollo chasing him, don't call him Private "eye"
--they ripped off the title of the most famous Magnum episode ever (even if it is not used in the storyline?) and flashback to their time in a P.O.W. camp
--they told the story of Magnum losing his Dad
--they very in your face and painfully awkwardly set up Magnum's past almost marriage to Michelle
--they set up his antagonism with Captain (why not Colonel?) Buck Green
--they even gave an origin to the Team Ring
But it all feels rushed and hallow. It did not feel earned. It does not feel necessary. It definitely brought nothing new to the table... well, I guess making Higgins female and a disavowed MI6 agent is new... along with being Magnum's will they/won't they, I guess she will serve the role as resident super-hacker, since every show needs one these days (damn you Buffy!!!) for exposition and plot move along-device rather than doing real storytelling....
I will probably watch a few more episodes, as there is usually a bit of course correction between pilot and series proper, but my expectations remain extremely low for this series.