The end is sadly nigh for Magnum P.I., with the fan-favorite show concluding in the 2024 TV schedule with a grand total of two remaining episodes from the fifth and final season. The Jay Hernandez-led drama was cancelled back in June 2023, when the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike were still months away from ending, and viewer efforts for a second rescue haven't resulted in a Season 6 renewal. Now, NBC has announced how the show is getting a bigger-than-expected finale night in the new year.
While it can be seen as a fun way to celebrate Magnum, Higgins, and the rest on their way out, I can't help but be reminded of the odd and abrupt ending of another cancelled NBC drama in 2023.
How NBC Is Saying Goodbye To Magnum P.I.
Magnum P.I. may have two episodes left, but they won't air over two weeks in 2024. The final pair of episodes will both air on Wednesday, January 3 on NBC, starting with the first at 9 p.m. ET and continuing with the second at 10 p.m. ET. With the three shows of One Chicago retaking Wednesday nights on January 17, it seemed likely that Magnum P.I. would air its penultimate episode on January 3 and its series finale on January 10. Instead, the network is apparently giving the show a farewell with two episodes in a row.
But the last two episodes airing back-to-back doesn't mean that fans are in for a two-part adventure for Magnum and Co. in the new year. In fact, the announcement of two episodes airing on the same night didn't make me excited for a big night of Magnum P.I. action or sad all over again that it's ending, but rather made me think back to another cancelled drama and its double feature finale. Yes, I'm thinking back to New Amsterdam.
Why I'm Flashing Back To New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam's similarities to Magnum P.I. from a plot perspective may be few and far between, but how NBC is ending Jay Hernandez's show is definitely a lot like the swan song for Ryan Eggold's in early 2023. New Amsterdam was a medical drama that ran for five seasons, with The Blacklist alum Eggold as leading man. The show ended back in January when the network aired its final two episodes back-to-back. It wasn't truly a two-part finale event, however, as the executive producers confirmed to CinemaBlend shortly before the end when I asked if the plan was always for a two-episode finale. They said:
- David Schulner: "No. That's why they're completely different episodes."
- Peter Horton: "That's a scheduling issue for NBC. That wasn't a creative choice."
Now, New Amsterdam ending with two completely different episodes on one night certainly doesn't mean that the exact same thing will happen with Magnum P.I. a year later, but Magnum isn't a show known for multi-parters either on NBC or from its CBS days. Plus, the show hadn't yet been cancelled when the end of Season 5 was written and then filmed. I'm guessing that the final two episodes will be two almost entirely separate episodes.
And that's not necessarily a bad thing! I thought that New Amsterdam stuck the landing with its series finale twist (available streaming now with a Peacock Premium subscription), and Perdita Weeks already previewed some "good news" on the way before the final credits roll on Magnum P.I. Fans can also be happy about showrunner Eric Guggenheim's comments about how the series finale will end, even if his words about the odds of a Season 6 save aren't as optimistic.
Whether or not Magnum P.I.'s final two episodes will be entirely separate a la New Amsterdam remains to be seen, but at least the holiday hiatus won't be too long. Magnum P.I. returns to NBC for the very last time on Wednesday, January 3 at 9 p.m. ET. You can revisit the first four seasons streaming via Freevee, and the full fifth season so far via Peacock.
