Since we first posted news that
Magnum P.I. was coming out we've had various emails asking us to confirm aspects of the set. With set in hand, I plan to answer some of the questions we've received.
Will the Pilot movie be 1 part as originally shown, or broken up into 2 parts that were used for syndication?
The pilot movie appears as 2 parts on the DVD, but it only contains one set of titles. Part 1 ends and part 2 picks up on the next scene. If you use the "play all" on the disc then it will play straight through.
Are the original openings used?
Yes, there are 3 different openings used in season 1. The pilot episode contains a different opening from every other episode, and features video playing through Magnum's ring design (fans know what I'm talking about). Episode 2 contains no opening, as mentioned before. Episodes 3-11 contain the theme song by Ian Freebairn-Smith, while episodes 12-18 contain the theme by Mike Post & Pete Carpenter.
Are there any bonus materials?
No, but there are bonus episodes; a few episodes from later seasons. We
first reported on them back on June 17th when we posted the list of the bonus episodes to the site. At that time there was some doubt by fans that those were actually going to be included. Here's the screenshot from the menu of disc 4:
Picture has been cropped
- "Ki'I's Don't Lie" (Season 3)
Morgan Fairchild, Gerald McRaney ("Rick Simon"), and Jameson Parker ("A.J. Simon") all appeared in this episode from the third season of Magnum P.I. It was a two-part story that started on Magnum's second airdate of the new season, but the second part wasn't a Magnum episode! Rather, it was concluded in the Simon & Simon episode from the same week, since the crook had gotten away from the private investigators at the airport just before they showed up (we'll avoid the spoilers).
- "Emeralds are Not a Girl's Best Friend" (Simon & Simon Season 2)
This episode was the second-season-opener for Simon & Simon: The chase continued in a highly-promoted crossover stunt that concluded the story begun in the Magnum P.I. episode "Ki'I's Don't Lie." Guest stars Tom Selleck, John Hillerman and Morgan Fairchild continued to appear alongside Simon & Simon stars Jameson Parker and Gerald McRaney.
For Magnum's syndication, the Simon & Simon-based second half wasn't available to be shown as part of the Magnum P.I. run, so there was an alternate ending shot for "Ki'I's Don't Lie," which has the bad person being caught at the airport just before they got away. Therefore, for most viewers this will be the first chance to see both episodes as orginally aired since October 1982! Bravo to Universal for doing this...it's sure to be popular with the fans.
- "Echoes of the Mind" Parts 1 & 2 (Season 5)
Sharon Stone guest-stars in a 2-parter that opened the fifth season of Magnum P.I. on two consecutive weeks. This 1984 role is a good chance to see Stone early in her career, years before she hit it big in the '90s with parts in films like Total Recall and Basic Instinct.
Universal is known for trying different things with their DVD packaging, will Magnum have anything cool?
Yup, the "Magnum P.I." on the side of the box is a raised, reflective material, and it feels very cool.
What's the quality of the set like?
Ahh, that will have to be answered when the review of the set is posted to the site. Look for it within a few weeks - before release date.
I hope that answers some of the questions you may have about the set.
