Magnum PI season 5 revival: What does ‘Active Development’ mean?

As a lot of you know, there are some hopeful signs that a Magnum PI season 5 revival could be happening — but also not proof. Until good news is officially announced by NBC, USA, or whoever else could save the canceled series, we’d caution against getting out your party hats … at least at the moment.

What we want to discuss today is something that emerged late last week, something that made us more hopeful than almost any report to date — news that per a new issue of Production Weekly, season 5 is in “Active Development.” What does this really mean? It’s easy to see that label and get a little bit confused, so we thought it would be prudent to break that down further in this piece.

Here’s what the label does not mean: Confirmation that a season 5 is happening. Production Weekly is a fantastic source for (you guessed it) production-related info for a number of shows across the industry. Often, this is where you can learn about filming dates for a number of series and it is a pretty important resource for crew members and executives alike.

What Magnum PI being listed means is that the show very much remains on the radar, and that there could be at least tentative plans to move forward. Plans can always change, but if you work behind the scenes on a show like this, it’s good to have certain things in order in case a renewal happens. That includes approximating filming dates or locations. Obviously getting another season of this show impacts the fans greatly, but it also tremendously impacts a large number of crew members actively living and working in Hawaii. Their situation is dissimilar to one for crew members in for example California, where if a show gets canceled they can jump easily to another job. There aren’t as many consistent TV and film opportunities in the Aloha State. There are likely a lot of people waiting with bated breath to see if another season happens, and this “Active Development” label means something especially to them. This label isn’t being tossed out there as a sign of false hope; instead, it’s a reminder that the discussions being had are serious.

As we’ve noted time and time again, patience will be the #1 key here for all of us waiting for more news; keep having your voice heard online, and hopefully, it will translate into something great soon enough.

Do you think we will get further news soon on a Magnum PI season 5?

Be sure to share right now in the comments! Once you do just that, remember to stick around to ensure you don’t miss other updates. (Photo: CBS.)