Magnum PI revival: Is a two-season renewal a possibility at all?
On paper, it would sound absurd for a network to revive a canceled show with a two-season renewal, not knowing if it would even be a one-season success at a new venue. However, when the show is such an established property and also has a dedicated studio behind the scenes, is it really that absurd at all?
What we’ve seen over the past few years is Universal TV, who co-produces Magnum PI alongside CBS, really push for multi-year renewals for a lot of their programs. A couple of years ago, they facilitated three-season renewals for Law & Order: SVU and the entire One Chicago franchise. Just this past spring, they managed to score two-season renewals for the FBI franchise as well as The Equalizer. They are committed to keep their shows on the air a long time. (The sad twist in this is that the discussions on the FBI / Equalizer renewals seem to have been a factor in Magnum PI getting canceled at CBS; executives have already admitted that tough Universal TV negotiations were a factor.)
Now, we’re in a position where we’re looking at NBC as a potential home for more Magnum PI and ultimately, a two-season renewal here could make sense. NBC and Universal TV share a parent company, so financially, the network stands to profit here in a big way. Also, why go through all the effort of reviving a show just to decide after the fact that you don’t want to give it that long of a run? A two-season commitment could get more fans on board, and would also offer up a lot of flexibility for the writers behind the scenes.
While in the end a one-season renewal is the most likely scenario (and hopefully something we hear more about soon), don’t be surprised if a two-year pact comes up in some headlines. Far stranger things have happened.
Do you think that Magnum PI could get a season 5 and season 6 renewal?
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