(DailyDig.com) – The last season of “Magnum P.I.” on NBC is close to ending. After picking up 20 episodes for Season 5 last year, the network decided not to order any further episodes.
Season 5 of the show was divided in half, with the initial half showing this winter and the remaining portion running in the spring of 2024, so a decision on a renewal wasn’t necessary that soon. NBC will likely launch a large marketing push for the next 10 episodes, positioning them as the series’ grand finale.
Cast choices expire on June 30th, forcing the issue to be decided now. NBC could have ended production, extended the performers’ contracts, or renewed the show for a sixth season. In light of the uncertainty surrounding when scripted programs may resume production as a result of the writers strike, networks have remained very cautious with pickups, making an early renewal seem improbable.
Part 2 of Season 5’s 10 episodes covers the 2023–2024 season, so NBC wouldn’t have to decide on a sixth Season renewal until next year, giving them plenty of time to decide, but holding the cast for that long was not wise.
“Magnum P.I.” narrowly avoided death once before. Universal Television moved the drama to its sister network, NBC, after CBS cancelled it a year ago. Unless a streaming service like Netflix comes along, it won’t happen a second time.
The current season of “Magnum P.I.” can be seen on NBCUniversal’s Peacock channel. The CBS streaming service Paramount+ used to host prior seasons of the show, but as of a year ago, they have been removed.
The drama’s popularity persisted after CBS decided to terminate it despite its high ratings. Season 5’s ratings were equal to those of other scripted shows on NBC, with the other shows being given a renewal for an additional season.
Despite there being no new episodes to watch, “Magnum P.I.” is once again trending this week because of its dedicated fan base.
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