Magnum PI season 5 episode 11: NBC exec on ‘growing’ show

We’re thrilled to know that there are ten more episodes of Magnum PI season 5 still to come on NBC, even if there are still questions around them. Take, for starters, when we’re going to see them, let alone if they are the final stretch of the show.

To date, the network has not decided on whether to renew the Jay Hernandez – Perdita Weeks series for a season 6, but we do remain hopeful that it can happen. Is it true that the ratings for season 5 so far are down versus what they were on CBS in season 4? Sure, but there are some major mitigating factors. On CBS, Magnum PI was a part of a strong Friday-night lineup that has been dominant for over a decade. Now, it airs on Sunday nights on a network with a lower total viewership most years, and also without much of a lead-in at all. It also aired opposite a number of big-ticket shows and historically, NBC’s Sunday-night lineup has been a bit of a mess. Year-over-year, the show dramatically improved the average numbers for its timeslot.

So while we may not get a commitment from the network in the immediate future about their future plans, we do at least have something more that we can share now! Speaking per TVLine, here is some of what Jeff Bader, the President of Entertainment Program Planning Strategy for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, had to say about the future and where the show could launch from episode 11 on:

“We have not yet locked in our midseason schedule… but we would love to grow that show … We’re with you that the show should be bigger than it is. It’s a great asset for us.”

NBC has poured a lot of promotional money into the show already, and they have a lot to get some awareness of its Sunday timeslot. Unless the writers’ strike obliterates some of the network’s fall plans, we do think it will probably stay on Sundays for the sake of giving that lineup more credibility. We just hope it gets a better lead-in to help boost it this time around.

Related – Is there any hope at all that Magnum PI could still return in the fall?

Where do you think things stand, at least for now, when it comes to a Magnum PI season 6?

Be sure to let us know right away in the comments! Once you do just that, keep coming back for other updates about the future.

(Photo: NBC.)