Magnum PI season 6 renewal hopes: What NBC is looking for

The past couple of days have been absolutely delightful when it comes to Magnum PI and its season 6 renewal hopes — there’s no denying that. While it is true that the show has not been confirmed to be coming back, some recent production listings give us an even greater sense of optimism. (If you missed our initial reporting on this, check the link later on in this article.)

What we want to focus on within this piece is actually rather simple: What is NBC looking for from the show with a renewal? They of course have an endgame that they are looking to achieve, and of course, we’re happy to get more into. The ratings are a part of it, but there’s also something more.

One of the phrases that we’ve heard the network’s executives say in the past is that they are committed to “growing the show” — basically, that means finding a way to ensure that it is a stable and solid part of their brand. It is why they are repeating it in other timeslots coming up, and why they may already be contemplating a renewal many months before the second half of season 5 premieres. We think they recognize that the first part of the season faced some challenges — while NBC promoted it well, it did still air in a timeslot that has been historically bad for the network for quite some time. It also didn’t have much of a lead-in for a lot of its run and aired opposite some big shows like The Last of Us and Succession. It easily outperformed what has been happening for years on Sunday nights for the network following the NFL season; with that in mind, we think they consider the show a success.

What NBC is likely looking for in renewing the show early (provided it happens) is giving them more flexibility in the 12-24 months to come. Even if season 6 may not air until the 2024-25 season, having those episodes banked can be pretty useful for them. This is a genre of TV that plays really well on major networks and has mass appeal. It also would give them the flexibility to experiment and try different timeslots if they way. Magnum PI could be a utility player.

We do think that right now, NBC is working towards some sort of official renewal — though like we said, don’t celebrate fully until it is ordered. We tend to think that within the next month and a half, we’ll hear news — but we should also remind you that with the writers’ strike ongoing, these are strange and unusual times. Some patience is still required.

Related – Be sure to read more about the production listings, which seem to suggest a season 6 is in the works

Why do you think NBC could be looking to give us a Magnum PI season 6?

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(Photo: NBC.)