Filming on Magnum P.I.’s fifth season began at the beginning of October, and that fact makes the show's eventual return feel all the more real. NBC saved the canceled CBS drama following fans’ rally to save Magnum, and star and producer Jay Hernandez is opening up about the "backroom conversations" that took place when the show was in limbo. He also mentioned how he had to keep the news from his co-stars during that period of time.
Following Magnum P.I.’s cancellation in May, reports subsequently suggested that the show could potentially be saved by another network or streaming platform, but it took a little over a month for NBC to seal the show's return. Jay Hernandez discussed the cancellation with ET, mentioning that he "was privy to those backroom conversations" regarding its future, due to his producer status. And he apparently had to work hard to keep his lips sealed:
I knew there were things happening, and I didn't want to say anything because you don't want to get people's hopes up if it doesn't happen. But obviously I had to give the green light. Like, let's do this. Let's try to make it happen. And it took some time, but we figured it out.
It definitely sounds like it was a hard task for the actor. With the ongoing campaigns to save Magnum P.I., it did seem like good news was going to arrive sooner or later. Still, producers can't say anything until the papers are signed and the ink is dry -- and even then, you'll sometimes have to wait for an official release. Kudos to the Bad Moms alum for managing to (mostly) keep things on the down low while negotiations progressed.
Because Jay Hernandez was pretty hopeful during those conversations, it was hard for him to not tell the rest of the cast what had been going on behind closed doors. He mentions that while he didn’t fully tell his co-stars what was going on, he did try to find ways around the shroud of secrecy:
I was kind of feeding them crumbs. Just, 'Hey, sit down. Sit back, we got this.’ It's funny. I was very, like, 'It's gonna happen.' I was saying that forever. And it was a very circuitous route there and we eventually got there. So I was right at the end of season 4.
It must have been rewarding for him once he was finally able to tell his castmates the good news about NBC. And I'm sure his co-stars were event happier than he was when they learned what was going to happy. Around that time, Jay Hernandez posted a sweet message about the save, pointing out that many people worked hard to make it happen.
Even though Season 5 won’t be airing until 2023 and will be shorter than previous seasons, it's honestly just good to know that Magnum and his team will indeed be back on our screens in the immediate future. I'm interested in seeing how the producers choose to change things up, especially now that the show is on a brand-new network. Though it's fair to assume that Jay Hernandez and the team also want to remain true to what's made the show popular. One of the things fans loved was Magnum P.I. Friday content from Hernandez and, should that return, he will indeed be able to share plenty of BTS secrets with viewers.
Be sure to stay on the lookout for info on when Magnum P.I. Season 5 will be heading to NBC. And in the meantime, check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for info on the shows set to premiere and return before the end of the year.
